Podcast appearances and mentions of Elliot Williams

Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Al Williams met up to trade their favorite posts of the week. Tune in and see if your favorites made the list. From crazy intricate automata to surprising problems in Peltier cooler designs, there's a little bit of everything. Should bikes have chains? What's the hardest thing about Star Trek computers to duplicate? Can you make a TV station from a single microcontroller? The podcast this week answers these questions and more. Plus, weigh in on the What's That Sound contest and you might just score a Hackaday Podcast T-shirt. For the Can't Miss segment, Elliot had airships on his mind, while Al's sick of passwords. But is he sick enough to take electronic pills that transmit his password?

Sarah Longwell is joined by CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams to break down Trump's latest legal battles—from the Supreme Court limiting his tariff plan to a judge holding ICE in contempt for ignoring court orders.They also discuss the FCC targeting late-night shows, questions about DOJ independence after Trump put his face on the building, and new reporting on the Epstein files.Get 15% off OneSkin with the code ILLEGALNEWS athttps://www.oneskin.co/ILLEGALNEWS #oneskinpod If you're tired of being tired, this is your chance to finally get answers and get your energy back. Go to https://Superpower.com and use code ILLEGALNEWS for $20 off your membership this year.If you're 21 or older, get 35% OFF your first IndaCloud order with code ILLEGALNEWS at https://inda.shop/ILLEGALNEWS! #indacloudpod 

Kate is joined by Friend of the Pod Steve Vladeck (One First) to break down last week's legal news, including developments around noncompliance in the lower courts and SCOTUS ethics. Then, Leah and Melissa join to preview upcoming arguments before the Court where the Justices will consider important asylum and Second Amendment cases, among others. Finally, Kate speaks with Elliot Williams about his new book, Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation.Favorite things: KS: Grant, Ron Chernow; The Last Dance LL: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, Adriana Herrera; Wuthering Heights, Charli xcx Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026!  3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/eventsPreorder Melissa's book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad VibesFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

For today's podcast Elliot Williams is joined by Jenny List, and we're pushing the limits of mobile connectivity as Jenny's coming to us from a North Sea ferry. We start by looking forward to the upcoming Hackaday Europe, with a new location in Lecco, Italy. We hope you can join us there! There's a bumper collection of hacks to talk about, with a novel soft pneumatic display, a CRT-based VR headset, an LCD photographic aperture, and a novel time-of-flight sensor array in the line-up.Then there are 3D printed PCBs, Scotch tape for a lens, and a project to map farts. We kid you not. Finally we wrap up with mind controlled toys, and a a treatise on requirements and specifications in an age of AI. Check out all the links over on Hackaday!

For his book, "Five Bullets," attorney Elliot Williams wrote 95,720 words. On the back of the cover of the book, writer Garrett Graff sums up the story this way: "Never has a book about the 1980s felt more like current events than Elliot Williams's journey back to one of America's most notorious shootings, when Bernie Goetz opened fire in a crowded New York City subway…'Five Bullets' is a haunting examination of our nation's complicated fascination with vigilantes and the politics of crime…" A lot of the people who were instrumental to this story are deceased. However, the man at the center, Bernie Goetz, is still alive at 78 and still lives in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, meet legal analyst Elliot Williams, writer and professor Daisy Hernández, and public defender and nonprofit director Emily Galvin Almanza. Tune in to hear about the “rabbit hole” that inspired Elliot Williams's book, Daisy Hernández on her personal and public investigation of what citizenship means, and Emily Galvin Almanza on a blueprint for reforming America's criminal courts. Five Bullets by Elliot Williams: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/768052/five-bullets-by-elliot-williams/audio Citizenship by Daisy Hernández: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738467/citizenship-by-daisy-hernandez/audio The Price of Mercy by Emily Galvin Almanza: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/763496/the-price-of-mercy-by-emily-galvin-almanza/audio

The legal news just kept coming this week, and Melissa, Leah, and Kate break it all down. Could Friend of the Pod Sam Alito be retiring? Possibly! Can Pete Hegseth retaliate against Senator and veteran Mark Kelly for free speech? No! Just how wild was Pamela Jo Bondi's Epstein files testimony in Congress? Pretty flippin' wild! They also cover the latest out of Minnesota, Democratic representatives tearing the head of ICE a new one, some very bad news for humans who enjoy clean air, the Heritage Foundation's crusade against birth control, and other legal flotsam and jetsam. Finally, Kate speaks with Elliot Williams about his new book, Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation.Favorite things: Kate: Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show; Universities Are Sending Trump a Dangerous Message, Arne Duncan & David Pressman (Washington Post); The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War, Joanne B. Freeman Leah: We Have to Look Right in the Face of What We Have Become, Jamelle Bouie; What It Means to Be a White ‘Race Traitor', Nikole Hannah-Jones (NYT) Melissa: MS NOW Presents: Clock It with Symone Sanders Townsend & Eugene Daniels; A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem's Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS (WSJ); Jessica Bichler for NC State Senate Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026!  3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/eventsPreorder Melissa's book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad VibesFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

For his book, "Five Bullets," attorney Elliot Williams wrote 95,720 words. On the back of the cover of the book, writer Garrett Graff sums up the story this way: "Never has a book about the 1980s felt more like current events than Elliot Williams's journey back to one of America's most notorious shootings, when Bernie Goetz opened fire in a crowded New York City subway…'Five Bullets' is a haunting examination of our nation's complicated fascination with vigilantes and the politics of crime…" A lot of the people who were instrumental to this story are deceased. However, the man at the center, Bernie Goetz, is still alive at 78 and still lives in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the afternoon of December 22, 1984, shots rang out beneath the streets of New York, from the subway's 2 Seventh Avenue express train.A Greenwich Village man named Bernhard Goetz shot four black teenagers who he believed were about to assault him. The incident made international news, amplified by the city's shameless tabloid newspapers because it so perfectly embodied all the cultural stereotypes about New York City in the 1980s.Goetz became a sort of folk hero, the so-called Subway Vigilante, who took things into his own hands because the city's weakened and inept services could not.The facts of this case only came to light in the courtroom, playing out over the years. And, if you're old enough to remember this incident, chances are that you may not be remembering it accurately.To untangle the truth from the hype, Greg is joined in the studio by Elliot Williams, the author of the gripping new book Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial that Divided the Nation.This episode was produced and edited by Kieran GannonOther Bowery Boys episodes you may enjoy: Ford To City: Drop Dead, the Subway Graffiti Era 1970-1989 and Taxi Driver (Bowery Boys Movie Club) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the latest episode of the Hackaday Podcast, editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi start things off by discussing the game of lunar hide-and-seek that has researchers searching for the lost Luna 9 probe, and drop a few hints about the upcoming Hackaday Europe conference. From there they'll marvel over a miniature operating system for the ESP32, examine the re-use of iPad displays, and find out about homebrew software development for an obscure Nintendo handheld. You'll also hear about a gorgeous RGB 14-segment display, a robot that plays chess, and a custom 3D printed turntable for all your rotational needs. The episode wraps up with a sobering look at the dangers of industrial robotics, and some fascinating experiments to determine if a decade-old roll of PLA filament is worth keeping or not. Check out the links over on Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

On Dec. 22, 1984, a loner named Bernhard Goetz shot four Black teenagers on a New York City subway, saying they were trying to mug him. The incident sparked an international debate about crime, fear, race and justice, which persists to this day. This year, two new books about the shootings and its impact on America are getting a lot of attention: "Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Getz Shootings, and The Rebirth of White Rage" by Heather Ann Thompson, and "Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive Eighties, and The Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation" by Elliot Williams.  Thompson and Williams joined NY1 political anchor Errol Louis to discuss their books and why they felt compelled to write them more than 40 years after the shootings. Thompson examines the historical context of the Reagan era and the rise of white rage, while Williams offers a legal analysis and chronicles the case's broader implications, including codified racial biases and the evolution of self-defense laws. 

Send a textLet's return to the 80s! Elliot Williams joins me to talk Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation.Buy Five BulletsSupport the show

Sarah Longwell and CNN legal analyst Elliott Williams walk through a stunning week of norm-breaking: the arrest of journalists after a Minnesota protest, Trump hovering over federal law enforcement, an FBI raid on a Georgia election office, and open talk of "nationalizing" U.S. elections. They also discuss Trump's jaw-dropping $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and his move to take over—and potentially shut down—the Kennedy Center.Head to https://FactorMeals.com/illegalnews50off and use code illegalnews50off to get 50% off your first Factor box PLUS free breakfast for 1 year.Links:Read the Don Lemon indictment: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.231106/gov.uscourts.mnd.231106.39.0_7.pdfRead Trump's $10 billion lawsuit: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.706172/gov.uscourts.flsd.706172.1.0_3.pdfON SALE NOW: Bulwark Live in Minneapolis and Texas at https://thebulwark.com/events

This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met up over coffee to bring you the latest news, mystery sound results show, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous seven days or so. We found no news to speak of, except that Kristina has ditched Windows after roughly 38 years. What is she running now? What does she miss about Windows? Tune in to find out. On What's That Sound, Kristina thought it was a jackhammer, but [Statistically Unlikely] knew it was ground-tamper thingy, and won a Hackaday Podcast t-shirt! Congratulations! After that, it's on to the hacks and such, beginning with 3D printing on the nano scale, and a couple of typewriter-based hacks.  Then we take a look at the beauty of the math behind graph theory, especially when it comes to circuit sculptures and neckties. We also talk display hacking, macro pads with haptic feedback knobs, and writing code in Welsh. Finally, we discuss the Virtual Boy, and ponder whether vibe coding is killing open source. Check out the links on Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams joins Michael to discuss his gripping new book, "Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation", an in-depth examination of the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting that shocked New York City. Together, they revisit a crime-ridden, volatile era of the city, unpack the facts and myths surrounding the case, and explore how issues of race, fear, vigilantism, media, and justice collided in what became one of the most polarizing trials of the 1980s. A timely conversation about crime, context, and how one moment can reshape a city—and a country. Original air date 6 February 2026. The book was published on 20 January 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you're my age, you'll recall the story of Bernhard Goetz. On a New York City subway car on December 22, 1984, Goetz shot four Black teenagers from the Bronx at point-blank range. Accused of attempted murder, Goetz went to trial—and was acquitted on the most serious charges, after claiming he acted in self-defense.Goetz became internationally famous—or infamous, as the case may be—and folks who were around in the ‘80s will surely be interested in looking back on his case, seeing where he is now, and the like. But even if you're not familiar with Bernie Goetz, the issues his actions raised remain very relevant to our current moment.If you're interested in exploring these important subjects, I have a reading recommendation for you: Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation, by Elliot Williams. A former prosecutor turned CNN legal analyst, Williams is perfectly positioned to delve into the Goetz case—and connect it to current controversies.Thanks to Elliot for writing Five Bullets. And thanks to him for joining me—for a wide-ranging discussion covering his fascinating career as a lawyer turned journalist, his compelling new book, the Goetz case, and what's going on right now in Minnesota (Elliot is a former senior official at ICE)—on the Original Jurisdiction podcast.Show Notes:* Elliot Williams bio, Penguin Random House* Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation, Amazon* The Subway Vigilante Who Never Left Is Back (gift link), by David Segal for The New York TimesPrefer reading to listening? For paid subscribers, a transcript of the entire episode appears below.Sponsored by:NexFirm helps Biglaw attorneys become founding partners. To learn more about how NexFirm can help you launch your firm, call 212-292-1000 or email careerdevelopment@nexfirm.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidlat.substack.com/subscribe

While the world focuses on diplomatic efforts in Russia's war against Ukraine, "New START," the only remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, expires this Thursday. Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy Secretary General of NATO, was America's chief negotiator on "New START." She joins the show from Capitol Hill, where she was briefing US senators on the agreement.  Also on today's show: Julie K. Brown, author, "Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story"; Elliot Williams, former federal prosecutor, author of "Five Bullets"  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When four black teenagers approached Bernhard Goetz on the New York City subway in 1984, he shot each them “in succession” for fear they were about to mug him. In an era of high crime, many New Yorkers hailed Goetz as a “hero” for doing what they wished they could do, explains Elliot Williams, CNN legal analyst and author of “Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation.”   “New York City in the 1980s was broke and mismanaged… People just generally felt scared… As a result, when there was this somewhat vigilante act, a lot of people felt in New York [that] this guy finally did what needed to be done because the police can't keep us safe.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On todays episode of Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele talk about how you should actually handle interactions about law enforcement, a little bit about Kanye West and then a heated grievance section about 5k worth of podcasting gear being stolen from Isaac's office. Isaac then wraps up the episode with a great interview with Elliot Williams, about of his new book Five Bullets, the story of Bernie Goetz and the shooting that tore New York City and the country apart.Ad-free podcasts are here!To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was hosted by: Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Jon Lall.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another chilly evening in Western Europe, as Elliot Williams is joined this week by Jenny List to chew the fat over the week's hacks. It's been an auspicious week for anniversaries, with the hundredth since the first demonstration of a working television system in a room above a London coffee shop. John Logie Baird's mechanically-scanned TV may have ultimately been a dead-end superseded by the all-electronic systems we all know, but the importance of television for the later half of the 20th century and further is beyond question. The standout hacks of the week include a very clever use of the ESP32's WiFi API to detect people moving through a WiFi field, a promising open-source smartphone, another ESP32 project in a comms system for cyclists, more cycling on tensegrity spokes, a clever way to smooth plaster casts, and a light sculpture reflecting Wi-Fi traffic. Then there are a slew of hacks including 3D printed PCBs and gem-cut dichroic prisms, before we move to the can't-miss articles. There we're looking at document preservation, and a wallow in internet history with a look at the Netscape brand. As usual all the links you need can be found over on Hackaday, so listen, and enjoy!

Talking Feds stalwart Elliot Williams joins Harry to discuss his new book, Five Bullets. The pair turn to the blighted and crime-stricken New York of the 1980s to get at some of the unanswered questions from the case of Bernhard Goetz and why the five shots he fired at Black teenagers which made him—to so many Americans—a folk hero. What made it so hard for prosecutors to convict Goetz? What did his trial expose about the limits of what our justice system can offer? And why the lasting American fascination with the idea of a gunman taking the law into his own hands?Mentioned in this episode: Williams' book:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/768052/five-bullets-by-elliot-williams/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Longwell is joined by former ICE attorney and CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams to discuss the growing clash between ICE, the Justice Department, and the courts. Williams explains why a federal judge in Minnesota is threatening contempt after ICE ignored a court order, and why DOJ's response—appealing denied arrest warrants tied to a church protest—stunned the court. They talk about a secret DHS memo claiming ICE can enter private homes without judicial warrants, what that means for the Fourth Amendment, and why these tactics are triggering growing legal and public backlash.Letters from Judge Schiltz calling out DOJ's abuse of the court system:https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca8.113669/gov.uscourts.ca8.113669.00805439055.0.pdfhttps://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca8.113669/gov.uscourts.ca8.113669.00805439054.0.pdfSecret DHS memo on warrantless entry by ICE: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26499371-dhs-ice-memo-1-21-26/If you're 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping on orders $89+ @IndaCloud with code ILLEGALNEWS at https://inda.shop/ILLEGALNEWS! #indacloudpod 

CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams joins to talk about his new book Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation.  He walks through the courtroom oddities, like a "ballistics demonstration" staged with Guardian Angels as stand-ins, and explains why there was always a legally defensible path to either convicting or acquitting Goetz. The conversation places New York itself as another character in the story of safety and perception, showing how fear influenced juror belief. Plus the idea of moral injury and how official narratives around the recent Minneapolis ICE shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti reflect ethical damage being felt in real bodies and in public outrage. Produced by Corey Wara Coordinated by Lya Yanne Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist

How far has ICE strayed from its original mission? And how has its evolution led to the deadly shooting of Renee Good? This week, lawyer and former ICE Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs Elliot Williams joins Preet Bharara to discuss the recent ICE shooting in Minneapolis and why its aftermath is unprecedented. Plus, they discuss the lessons that still resonate today from a notorious ‘80s case explored in Williams's new book, Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation. Then, Preet answers your questions on President Trump's threat to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell anti-ICE protests in Minnesota, Trump's proposed tariffs on European countries that oppose American control of Greenland, and the State Department's font change for official documents. In the bonus for Insiders, Elliot shares his advice for NYC's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, if he were to encounter another so-called “subway vigilante.” Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE's Youtube channel and subscribe. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elliot Williams returns to The Remnant in triumph to discuss his new book, Five Bullets. Jonah Goldberg and Elliot brave technical difficulties to discuss the Bernie Goetz case, the blackout of ‘77, Rupert Murdoch, Trump's political origins, and the echoes of ‘80s New York today. Shownotes:—Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation—Most recent appearance of Elliot Williams on The Remnant The Remnant is a production of ⁠The Dispatch⁠, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including access to all of Jonah's G-File newsletters—⁠click here⁠. If you'd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Dec. 22, 1984, Bernard Goetz, a white man, shot and seriously wounded four Black teenagers in a New York City subway car.Their names were were Barry Allen, Darrell Cabey, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur. Goetz fled the scene resulting in a manhunt. In the meantime, New Yorkers dubbed him the “subway vigilante.”The city was experiencing a crime wave and some residents championed the man who took matters into his own hands. The case sparked a conversation about race, vigilantism, and public safety that still has reverberates through our country today.It's also the subject of Elliot Williams' new book, “Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive 80s, and the Subway Vigilante that Divided the Nation.” Williams is a CNN legal analyst and 1A guest host. He joins us to talk discuss the book.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The 1984 shooting of four Black teens by Bernie Goetz was one of New York City's defining moments. Four decades later, we are still grappling with issues it raises about race, gun rights, and vigilantism -- and why we so often resort to violence in order to make ourselves feel safe. CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams, author of the new book Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation, discusses the events and their aftermath.

Today on Mea Culpa, I sit down with CNN legal analyst, former federal prosecutor, former senior official at the DOJ and DHS, and author Elliot Williams to unpack his new book Five Bullets and its relevance to the current state of public affairs under Trump. Williams explains how a single subway shooting in 1980s New York helped ignite modern vigilante culture, hardened racial fault lines, and reshaped media, politics, and public fear around crime. We draw parallels between Goetz and contemporary figures like Luigi Mangione, Kyle Rittenhouse, and Daniel Penny and explore how media spectacle and algorithms fuel outrage. We also discuss the latest breaking news from Minneapolis ICE protests to threats of a Greenland invasion. Thanks to our sponsors: Qualia: Take control of your cellular health today. Go to https://qualialife.com/COHEN and save 15% to experience the science of feeling younger. iRestore: Reverse hair loss with @iRestorelaser and get exclusive savings on the iRestore Elite, use code COHEN at https://www.irestore.com/COHEN! #irestorepod Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://megaphone.link/MTH2278738181 Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://megaphone.link/MTH2574573356 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a country forever flirting with amnesia about its racial history, America sure struggles to forget. Take, for example, Bernie Goetz, the white subway vigilante, who shot four black teenagers on a NYC subway in December 1984. There's not just one - but two major new books about the anything but colorblind Goetz case which we'll be discussing over the next couple of weeks. The first is by the CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams who presents it as a Rashomon style narrative in which there is no single undisputed truth. There might not be quite five truths in Williams' Five Bullets, but interpreting this story all depends on your political and racial perspective. “If a black man had shot four white teens,” Williams reimagines, “this would be a totally different story.”Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Don sits down with journalist and CNN legal analyst and author of Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation, Elliot Williams to talk about his new book and how its themes echo in today's chaos. Williams's Five Bullets revisits the infamous 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting and the divisive trial that followed, exploring race, crime, fear, and how media and politics shaped public perception. As a former federal prosecutor and senior official in the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, Williams brings a unique perspective on how agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have changed over time. He and Don discuss how enforcement priorities and the lack of humanity or training in some federal agencies today contrast with how law and justice should function, and why understanding history matters now more than ever. This episode is brought to you by OneSkin. Get up to 30% off OneSkin with the code DON at https://www.oneskin.co/DON #oneskinpod This episode is sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to https://FFRF.US/NEW YEAR or text “DON” to Five Eleven Five Eleven. And help protect a country that belongs to all of us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode I speak with former federal prosecutor, senior Justice Department official, prominent legal analyst, CNN and SiriusXM guest host Elliot Williams about his book, Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation. A case that was a flashpoint and a nucleus for many powerful figures in New York that still shape the political narrative. The impacts of the Goetz case still resonate and shape what we think about more recent events that Williams and I touch upon. 

This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met up over coffee to bring you the latest news, mystery sound results show, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous seven days or so. On What's That Sound, Kristina had no idea what was going on, but [Flippin' Heck] knew it was a flip dot display, and won a Hackaday Podcast t-shirt! Congratulations! After that, it's on to the hacks and such, with not one but two ways of seeing sound.  We also take a look at benchmarking various Windows releases against each other on 12-year-old hardware. We also talk about painting on floppies and glitching out jpegs in a binary text editor. Finally, we discuss the history and safety of autopilot, and take a look at the humble time clock. Check out the links on Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

This week's Hackaday Podcast sees Elliot Williams joined by Jenny List for an all-European take on the week, and have we got some hacks for you! In the news this week is NASA's Maven Mars Orbiter, which may sadly have been lost. A sad day for study of the red planet, but at the same time a chance to look back at what has been a long and successful mission. In the hacks of the week, we have a lo-fi camera, a very refined Commodore 64 laptop, and a MIDI slapophone to entertain you, as well as taking a detailed look at neutrino detectors. Then CYMK printing with laser cut stencils draws our attention, as well as the arrival of stable GPIB support for Linux. Finally both staffers let loose; Elliot with an epic rant about spreadsheets, and Jenny enthusiastically describing the Haiku operating system. Check out the links over on Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met up over coffee to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous seven days or so. On What's That Sound, Kristina got sort of close, but of course failed spectacularly. Will you fare better and perhaps win a Hackaday Podcast t-shirt? Mayhap you will. After that, it's on to the hacks and such, beginning with an interesting tack to take with a flat-Earther that involves two gyroscopes. And we take a look at the design requirements when it comes to building synths for three-year-olds. Then we discuss several awesome hacks such as a vehicle retrofit to add physical heated seat controls, an assistive radio that speaks the frequencies, and an acoustic radiometer build. Finally, we look at the joys of hacking an old Kindle, and get a handle on disappearing door handles. Check out the links over at Hackaday to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

It's a wet November evening across Western Europe, the steel-grey clouds have obscured a rare low-latitude aurora this week, and Elliot Williams is joined by Jenny List for this week's podcast. And we've got a fine selection for your listening pleasure! The 2025 Component Abuse Challenge has come to an end, so this week you'll be hearing about a few of the entries. We've received an impressive number, and as always we're bowled over by the ingenuity of Hackaday readers in pushing parts beyond their limits. In the news is the potential discovery of a lost UNIX version in a dusty store room at the University of Utah, Version 4 of the OS, which appeared in 1973. Check out your own stores, for hidden nuggets of gold. In the hacks, we have two cameras at the opposite end of the resolution spectrum, but sharing some impressive reverse engineering. Mouse cameras and scanner cameras were both a thing a couple of decades ago, and it's great to see people still pushing the boundaries. Then we look at the challenge of encoding Chinese text as Morse code, an online-upgraded multimeter, the art of making lenses for an LED lighting effect, and what must be the best recreation of a Star Wars light sabre we have ever seen. In quick hacks we have a bevvy of Component Abuse Challenge projects, a Minecraft server on a smart light bulb, and a long term test of smartphone battery charging techniques. We round off with a couple of our long-form pieces, first the uncertainties about iRobot's future and what it might mean for their ecosystem -- think: cheap hackable robotics platform! -- and then a look at FreeBSD as an alternative upgrade path for Windows users. It's a path not without challenges, but the venerable OS still has plenty to give. As always, check out the links to all the articles over on Hackaday.

HEART/FELT – AMERICA'S OLDEST CHILD STAR: FOLLOW THAT BIRD In this episode of Heart/Felt, I'm joined by friend of the show Elliot Williams to talk about Follow That Bird, Big Bird's big-screen debut. We discuss the film's gentle mix of road-trip adventure and emotional storytelling, its reflections on belonging and community, and what makes Big […]

This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met up across the universe to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous seven days or so. In Hackaday news, OMG Supercon is almost here! And we just revealed the badge! In other news, we've still got a contest running. Read all about the 2025 Component Abuse Challenge, sponsored by DigiKey, and check out the contest page for all the details. On What's That Sound, Kristina failed spectacularly. Will you fare better and perhaps win a Hackaday Podcast t-shirt? Mayhap you will. After that, it's on to the hacks and such, beginning with a really cool entry into the Component Abuse Challenge wherein a simple transmission line is used to multiply a voltage. We watch as a POV globe takes to the skies, once it has enough motors. Then we discuss several awesome hacks such as an incredible desk that simulates beehive activity, a really great handheld PC build, and a Tinkercad twofer. Finally, we discuss the future of removable batteries, and the history of movable type. Check out the links over at Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!  

President Trump continues to threaten Venezuela, sending B-52 bombers to its coast, deploying more warships to the Caribbean sea and surging troops in the region. As the administration continues to bomb boats it says are carrying drugs, a group of independent UN experts now calls them "extrajudicial executions." Colombia's president says it's "murder." Trump is retaliating by ending aid to the country and Bogota has recalled its Ambassador to the US in response. For more on this, we welcome Christopher Sabatini from Chatham House and Ivan Briscoe from the International Crisis Group.  Also on today's show: Elliot Williams, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General For Legislative Affairs, DOJ; Sam Kass, former Senior Nutrition Policy Adviser to President Obama  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The nights are drawing in for Europeans, and Elliot Williams is joined this week by Jenny List for an evening podcast looking at the past week in all things Hackaday. After reminding listeners of the upcoming Hackaday Supercon and Jawncon events, we take a moment to mark the sad passing of the prolific YouTuber, Robert Murray-Smith. Before diving into the real hacks, there are a couple of more general news stories with an effect on our community. First, the takeover of Arduino by Qualcomm, and what its effect is likely to be. We try to speculate as to where the Arduino platform might go from here, and even whether it remains the player it once was, in 2025. Then there's the decision by Google to restrict Android sideloading to only approved-developer APKs unless over ADB. It's an assault on a user's rights over their own hardware, as well as something of a blow to the open-source Android ecosystem. What will be our community's response? On more familiar territory we have custom LCDs, algorithmic art, and a discussion of non-stepper motors in 3D printing. Even the MakerBot Cupcake makes an appearance. Then there's a tiny RV, new creative use of an ESP32 peripheral, and the DVD logo screensaver, in hardware. We end the show with a look at why logic circuits use the voltages they do. It's a smorgasbord of hacks for your listening enjoyment.

Elliot Williams and Al Williams got together to share their favorite hacks of the week with you. If you listen in, you'll hear exciting news about the upcoming SuperCon and the rare occurrence of Al winning the What's That Sound game. For hacks, the guys talk about the IEEE's take on the "best" programming languages of 2025 and how they think AI is going to fundamentally transform the job of a programmer. On a lighter note, there's an industrial robot who retired to bartending, a minimal drum machine, a high-powered laser, and a Fortran flight simulator reborn with Unity 3D. In the "can't miss" category, you'll learn how not to switch Linux distributions and what to expect when you need surgery while on your next mission to outer space. There's lots more. Want to follow along? Check out the links below. As always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Frenemies Jonah Goldberg and Elliot Williams, accustomed to sitting across from each other on CNN, come together to discuss a meeting of generals, the Comey indictment, and the drift of the parties. Show Notes:—Elliot Williams's Profile—Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation—Advisory Opinions episode on Comey indictment—“Why Everyone Is Rushing to Label Themselves an ‘Independent' ” - Jonah's LA Times ColumnThe Remnant is a production of ⁠The Dispatch⁠, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including access to all of Jonah's G-File newsletters—⁠click here⁠. If you'd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met up over the tubes to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous seven days or so. In Hackaday news, we've got a new contest running! Read all about the 2025 Component Abuse Challenge, sponsored by DigiKey, and check out the contest page for all the details. In sad news, American Science & Surplus are shuttering online sales, leaving just the brick and mortar stores in Wisconsin and Illinois. On What's That Sound, it's a results show, which means Kristina gets to take a stab at it. She missed the mark, but that's okay, because [Montana Mike] knew that it was the theme music for the show Beakman's World, which was described by one contestant as "Bill Nye on crack". After that, it's on to the hacks and such, beginning with a really cool way to smooth your 3D prints in situ. JWe take a much closer look at that talking robot's typewriter-inspired mouth from about a month ago. Then we discuss several awesome technological feats such as running code on a PAX credit card payment machine, using the alphabet as joinery, and the invention of UTF-8 in general. Finally, we discuss the detection of spicy shrimp, and marvel at the history of email. Check out the links over on Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Thunderstorms were raging across southern Germany as Elliot Williams was joined by Jenny List for this week's podcast. The deluge outside didn't stop the hacks coming though, and we've got a healthy smorgasbord for you to snack from. There's the cutest ever data cassette recorder taking a tiny Olympus dictation machine and re-engineering it with a beautiful case for the Commodore 64, a vastly overcomplex machine for perfectly cracking an egg, the best lightning talk timer Hackaday has ever seen, and a demoscene challenge that eschews a CPU. Then in Quick Hacks we've got a QWERTY slider phone, and a self-rowing canoe that comes straight out of Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence. For a long time we've had a Field guide series covering tech in infrastructure and other public plain sight, and this week's one dealt with pivot irrigation. A new subject for Jenny who grew up on a farm in a wet country. Then both editors are for once in agreement, over using self-tapping screws to assemble 3D-printed structures. Sit back and enjoy the show!  

What happens when you listen in on Elliot Williams and Al Williams? You get a round up of the best of last week's Hackaday posts, of course. The topics this week range from beer brewing to lightning protection, with a little bit of everything in between. This week, many problems find solutions. Power drill battery dead? Your car doesn't have a tire pressure monitor? Does your butter tear up your toast? You can find the answer to these problems, and more, on the Hackaday podcast. For the can't miss section, the guys are annoyed that Google wants to lock down their phones, and also talk about measuring liquid levels in outer space. Check out the links below if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

In this episode of the Hackaday Podcast, editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi start out with a warning about potentially radioactive shrimp entering the American food supply via Walmart, and things only get weirder from there. The extra spicy shrimp discussion makes a perfect segue into an overview of a pair of atomic One Hertz Challenge entries, after which they'll go over the latest generation of 3D printer filament, using an old Android smartphone as a low-power Linux server, some tips for creating better schematics, and Lorde's specification-bending transparent CD. Finally, you'll hear about how the nature of digital ownership influences the hardware we use, and on the other side of the coin, how open source firmware like QMK lets you build input devices on your terms. Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met up over the tubes to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous week. In Hackaday news, get your Supercon 2025 tickets while they're hot! Also, the One Hertz Challenge ticks on, but time is running out. You have until Tuesday, August 19th to show us what you've got, so head over to Hackaday.IO and get started now. Finally, its the end of eternal September as AOL discontinues dial-up service after all these years. On What's That Sound, Kristina got sort of close, but this is neither horseshoes nor hand grenades. Can you get it? If so, you could win a limited edition Hackaday Podcast t-shirt! After that, it's on to the hacks and such, beginning with a talking robot that uses typewriter tech to move its mouth. We take a look at hacking printed circuit boards to create casing and instrument panels for a PDP-1 replica. Then we explore a fluid simulation business card, witness a caliper shootout, and marvel at one file in six formats. Finally, it's a telephone twofer as we discuss the non-hack-ability of the average smart phone, and learn about what was arguably the first podcast. Check out the links over on Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!  

What did you miss on Hackaday last week? Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Al Williams are ready to catch you up on this week's podcast. First, though, the guys go off on vibe coding and talk about a daring space repair around Jupiter. Then it is off to the hacks, including paste extruding egg shells, bespoke multimeters, and an 8-bit mechanical computer made from a construction toy set. For can't miss articles, you'll hear about boring industrial design in modern cell phones and a deep dive into how fresh fruit makes it to your table in the middle of the winter. Check out the links over on Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!  

This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos joined forces to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous week. In Hackaday news, the One Hertz Challenge ticks on. You have until Tuesday, August 19th to show us what you've got, so head over to Hackaday.IO and get started now! In other news, we've just wrapped the call for Supercon proposals, so you can probably expect to see tickets for sale fairly soon. On What's That Sound, Kristina actually got this one with some prodding. Congratulations to [$HACKER] who knew exactly what it was and wins a limited edition Hackaday Podcast t-shirt! After that, it's on to the hacks and such, beginning with a ridiculously fast Benchy. We take a look at a bunch of awesome 3D prints a PEZ blaster and a cowbell that rings true. Then we explore chisanbop, which is not actually K-Pop for toddlers, as well as a couple of clocks. Finally, we talk a bit about dithering before taking a look at the top tech of 1985 as shown in Back to the Future (1985). Check out the links below if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Time for another European flavoured Hackaday Podcast this week, as Elliot Williams is joined by Jenny List, two writers sweltering in the humidity of a Central European summer. Both of our fans and air conditioners made enough noise to be picked up on the microphone when they were turned on, so we're suffering for your entertainment. The big Hackaday news stories of the week are twofold, firstly a cat-themed set of winners for the 2025 Pet Hacks contest, and then the announcement of a fresh competition: the 2025 Hackaday One Hertz Challenge. Get your once-a-second projects ready! This week gave us a nice pile of interesting hacks, including some next-level work growing and machining the crystal for a home-made Pockels cell light valve, an pcoming technique for glass 3D prints, and enough vulnerabilities to make any Nissan Leaf owner nervous. We note that mechanical 7-segment displays are an arena showing excellent hacks, and we're here for it. Meanwhile among the quick hacks a filament made of PLA with a PETG core caught Elliot's eye, while Jenny was impressed with a beautifully-made paper tape punch. Finally in the can't miss section, The latest in Dan Maloney's Mining and Refining series looks at drilling and blasting. Such an explosive piece should come last, but wait! There's more! Al Williams gives us a potted history of satellite phones, and explains why you don't carry an Iridium in your pocket.  

This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Al Williams caught up after a week-long hiatus. There was a lot to talk about, including clocks, DIY USB cables, and more. In Hackaday news, the 2025 Pet Hacks Contest is a wrap. Winners will be announced soon, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, how'd you like a free ticket to attend Supercon? Well, free if you submit a talk and get accepted. November is right around the corner, so get those talks ready. Hackaday is a big fan of the NOAA Polar sats, and it looks like they are on their last figurative legs. The agency has left them up for now, but won't be keeping them in shape, and if they misbehave, they may be neutralized for safety. Since Elliot was off, Al supplied the sound, and in a bout of karma, Elliot had to do the guessing this week. How'd he do? Not bad, but there's room to do better. If you do better, there could be a coveted Hackaday Podcast T-shirt in your future. Moving on the hacks, the guys were interested in magnets, clocks, cables, 3D printed machine tools, and even old moonbase proposals. For the can't miss articles, Al took the bifecta, since Elliot picked a piece on the machine that generated laugh tracks in the latter part of the 20th century and Al shamelessly picked his own article about the role of British ham radio operators during WWII. Miss anything? Check out the links and catch up. As always, drop a comment and tell us what you think about the week in Hackaday.