Pushkin.

It's hard to read the news these days without asking yourself, how did we get here?

Fiasco is a history podcast for the co-creators of Slow Burn.

In our first season, Bush v. Gore, we examine an unmistakable turning point in American politics, the 2000 election, which resulted in a high-stakes stalemate, ended with one of the most controversial rulings in Supreme Court history.

So if you're trying to make sense at the present moment, check out Fiasco, Bush v. Gore. Listen on theHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Pushkin.

From Pushkin Industries, this is deep background, the show where we explore the stories behind the stories in the news.

I'm Noah Feldman.

Before we start today, I want to let you know that this is the last episode in our season about power.

After this, we're going on a hiatus for the next few months to work on our next season.

If you have thoughts or suggestions, please let me know. You can find me on Twitter at Noah R. Feldman,

or you can reach me on my website, noa-feldman.com, where I also have a newsletter, which you can use so that we can keep in touch

while I'm off the air. It's been a joy to explore behind the headlines with you all these last

two seasons, and I want to take a moment to thank you for joining us on this journey over the

years. Okay, on with the show.

For our last episode of the season,

we're returning once more to the biggest story of them all,

the global pandemic.

Joining us once again on just about the exact second anniversary

of his first time on the show,

we have Mark Lipsich,

the brilliant and influential epidemiologist from Harvard University's School of Public Health. Mark is a professor of epidemiology,

...