Why and how did America, in a catastrophically enormous failure, become the world leader in COVID deaths? In this Episode, veteran journalist Joe Nocera offers fresh and provocative answers. We discuss what really happened when governments ran out of PPE due to snarled supply chains and the shock to the financial system when the world's biggest economy stumbled. We also cover the effectiveness of wildly polarized approaches, with governors Andrew Cuomo of New York and Ron DeSantis of Florida taking infamous turns in the spotlight. And we uncover why thousands died in hollowed-out hospital systems and nursing homes run by private equity firms to “maximize shareholder value.” Joe's book, The Big Fail: What the Pandemic Revealed About Who America Protects and Who It Leaves Behind, is available now. To learn more about Joe, follow him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joenocera. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - Try Notion AI for free when you go to Notion.com/smart! DraftKings - Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW and use code SMART -- new customers can bet $5 on the NFL Thanksgiving action to score $150 instantly in bonus bets! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices