Joe Rogan talks with investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller about her high‑risk reporting on global black and gray markets, the end of her TV series "Trafficked," and the launch of her new podcast "The Hidden Third" exploring the underground economy and people living outside the law. They discuss drug cartels, counterfeit money, rehab and insurance fraud, the fentanyl and "tranq dope" crisis, and systemic failures in U.S. drug policy and healthcare. The conversation also covers immigration raids and asylum, pharmaceutical corruption around OxyContin and fentanyl, the explosion of sophisticated online scams and scam factories in Asia, political polarization, and Mariana's belief that empathy‑driven journalism is essential to understanding crime and fixing broken systems.
Mel Robbins speaks with neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta about the new science of pain, why chronic pain develops, and how it can often be reduced or prevented. They explore how pain is generated in the brain, the role of factors like sleep, mood, stress, and prior pain experiences, and why movement, meditation, and other non-drug approaches can change the brain's pain circuits. Gupta shares research-backed strategies such as the MEAT protocol, virtual reality, nerve blocks, and pain journaling, along with his wife Rebecca's long journey with chronic pain, to offer hope and practical tools for listeners.
Joe Rogan and Duncan Trussell discuss contemporary political polarization, authoritarian drift, economic frustration, homelessness, immigration policy, and how social media algorithms fuel fear and division. They range into speculative territory on UFOs, possible alien involvement in human evolution, and the social impact of potential disclosure while also exploring spirituality, Christianity, evil, and the importance of family and individual responsibility. Throughout, they contrast large-scale systemic problems with the need to focus on personal action, compassion, and tending to one's immediate community.