Podcasts about Albanian

We dive into Ivanka and Jared's Albanian nightmare. What were they really up to while trying to develop a private island in Albania on protected land, and what are the ramifications of this secret operation in the broader war of democracy vs. fascism? Why are they trying to buy an island in a part of the world notorious for sex trafficking?  These questions matter in light of Ivanka's brother marrying Epstein's longtime banker, and the new bombshell reporting out of the New York Times. The Times reports that the Kremlin Klown Kar (KKK) in the White House uses our tax payer-funded Situation Room–meant for sensitive national security matters–to plot the ongoing Epstein cover-up, protecting Epstein's longtime friend, convicted felon Donald Trump. Look to the show notes for a gift link of the New York Times' reporting.  For this week's bonus show, Russian mafia expert Ogla Lautman helps connect the dots on what is up with Ivanka and Jared's mysterious island in Albania, a part of the world known for sex-trafficking. Should we be concerned? The Albanian people are–they're storming their own government in a growing anti-corruption movement over Jared and Ivanka's attempts to buy an ecologically protected island.  We also discuss Ben Black, Leon Black's son, getting a job in the Trump administration. Both father and son are all over the Epstein files.  To listen to this full episode and support our independent journalism, subscribe to Gaslit Nation on Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com – thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!    Show Notes:  Inside the White House Freakout Over the Epstein Files The president's top advisers gathered in a series of Situation Room meetings as they struggled to contain a scandal engulfing Donald Trump himself. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/magazine/trump-epstein-files-white-house-vance-doj.html?unlocked_article_code=1.pVA.8Bpw._gUv6lvoFPWC&smid=url-share   Situation Room Scramble Over Sick Trump Fetish Claim Revealed https://www.thedailybeast.com/situation-room-scramble-over-sick-trump-fetish-claim-revealed/   Records: SC woman accused Trump, Epstein of sexual abuse in 1980s https://www.wistv.com/2026/03/09/records-sc-woman-accused-trump-epstein-sexual-abuse-1980s/   Donald Trump groped me in what felt like a 'twisted game' with Jeffrey Epstein, former model alleges https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/23/donald-trump-accuser-stacey-williams-jeffrey-epstein   Dozens of FBI records apparently missing from Epstein files, including Trump accuser interviews https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/24/us/epstein-files-trump-accuser-missing-files-invs   Justice Department publishes documents with sexual assault allegations against Trump https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/05/donald-trump-epstein-files-allegations-00816123   Opening clip: Rep. Garcia on MSNow https://bsky.app/profile/robertgarcia.house.gov/post/3mnzjwzllis2l   "House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia says he plans to formally ask Chairman Comer to bring JD Vance, Susie Wiles, and Kash Patel before the Committee in light of the new NYT Epstein reporting." https://bsky.app/profile/kylegriffin1.bsky.social/post/3mnzj3dj7ns2z   Trump appointee leading $205bn US agency had personal ties to Epstein, emails show https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/ben-black-investment-trump-epstein   Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Find your community at GaslitNation.Substack.com or Patreon.com/Gaslit

Today's Headlines: Bill Gates testified before the House Oversight Committee that Epstein tried to blackmail him after he tried to distance himself, saying he never went to the island or witnessed criminal conduct — the standard answer at this point — while a New York Times excerpt from an upcoming Haberman/Swan book revealed the White House Situation Room freakout over the Epstein files last July, with JD Vance emerging as a conspiracy theorist who wanted full file release and suggested Tucker Carlson interview Ghislaine Maxwell to clear Trump, while the administration quietly panicked over a specific sex allegation about Trump. On the war beat, the US launched strikes for the second consecutive night, Pete Hegseth announced they would "negotiate with bombs," Iran responded by attacking Bahrain and Kuwait and closing the Strait of Hormuz with a shoot-on-sight policy for any ship attempting to pass — the Dow fell nearly 1,000 points, the Nasdaq closed down 2%, inflation came in at 4.2% the worst in three years driven by energy prices, and Trump said "I love the inflation," which he said out loud. New reporting found at least 500 babies and toddlers in ICE custody during Trump's second term, averaging 25 per day and ten times higher than under Biden. The EU warned Albania that the Kushner Sazan Island resort could jeopardize their EU membership bid, as tens of thousands of Albanians enter their tenth day of protests. The White House launched an official "Media Offenders" page categorizing journalists under headers like "Left-Wing Lunacy" and "Malpractice." And finally, Nancy Mace abandoned her congressional seat to run for South Carolina governor, finished fifth in the primary, and announced she's "headed back to the private sector as the founders intended." Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: Bill Gates Says Epstein Tried to Use His Extramarital Affairs Against Him NYT: Inside Trump's White House, the Epstein Files Caused a Freako NYT: Live Updates: U.S. Strikes Iran Again After Trump Says Talks Are Taking Too Long Reuters: Iran announces closure of Strait of Hormuz after US attacks WSJ: Stock Market Today: Dow, Nasdaq Open Lower; Inflation Rises to 4.2% — Live Updates CNBC: CPI inflation report May 2026: Prices rose 4.2% annually MS Now: Jacob Soboroff: ICE detained over 500 babies and toddlers under Trump The Independent: Trump administration says Somali referee denied US entry over links to ‘terror organisation' suspects Noise 11: Trump White House ‘Media Offenders' List Sparks New Press Freedom Debate In America Euronews: ‘Act without delay': Brussels warns Albania over Trump-linked resort project The Hill: Mace ‘headed back to private sector' after congressional term ends Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ivanka Trump has revealed extensive plans to redevelop Albanian island Sazan into a luxury resort. But after thousands gathered in protest, will it go ahead?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Albania's Sazan Island is a jewel in the Adriatic Sea. The former Cold War-era base is now in a luscious nature preserve and an inviting prospect for real estate developers. Chief among them is Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Their plans are running headlong into Albanians who want to keep what's theirs. Special correspondent Simon Ostrovsky and producer Katia Patin report. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Tommy and Ben are back to discuss a week that includes collapsed ceasefire(s), the World Cup, and Jared and Ivanka pretending to be conquistadors.The so-called ceasefires between Israel and Lebanon and the US and Iran continue to unravel, while Trump insists he has Iran and Israel under his control and twists reality (and the English language) to fit his narrative. Then, Ivanka Trump claims to have "discovered" a pristine, protected ecological island off the coast of Albania, sparking major protests and a government corruption investigation. The FIFA World Cup kicks off this week across three countries and 16 cities, and the guys dig into the Trump administration's decision to use the biggest sporting event on earth as an opportunity to deny visas to fans, journalists, and even Africa's top referee. Xi Jinping pays his first visit to North Korea in seven years amidst reports about Kim Jong Un's surprising economic turnaround. Former Trump National Security advisor John Bolton pleads guilty to mishandling classified information, while a CIA official is caught with 303 gold bars and a 15-year-old Nigerian congressional candidate is exposed for faking his age on the campaign trail. Then Tommy speaks with the BBC's Mexico, Central America, and Cuba Correspondent, Will Grant, about life on the ground in Cuba, what US intervention on the island could look like, and the vibes in Mexico City ahead of the World Cup. Will's book is Populista: The Rise of Latin America's 21st Century Strongman.Buy Ben's book All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches  and subscribe to his Substack here.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date

Think of the 2016 U.S. presidential election as a marriage between the Russian mafia in the West and the Russian mafia in the East. Now, there's talk out of Moscow that Trump has agreed to build a literal tunnel connecting Alaska to Russia, with Elon Musk's help. Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman of the Trump Tyranny Tracker joins us to ring the alarm on this MAGA-backed project, an insane move right when Russia's own neighbors are digging trenches to protect themselves from Putin. So many crimes, so little time to cover them all. That's exactly why Gaslit Nation is joining forces with Olga and the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Together, we'll connect the dots and help you stay grounded against Steve Bannon's deliberate demoralization strategy of "flooding the zone with sh*t." We are up against a global kleptocracy enabled by opportunists across corporate America, the mainstream media, and elite law firms. None of us can do this work alone, which is why Andrea and Olga are partnering up. We're here to make covering this horror show more sustainable, build real civic power, and carry each other through the chaos to stay vigilant and fight back. We also look at why the liaison for Trump's ballroom project took a trip to Moscow. Was he in search of a bribe? Is the ballroom just another Kremlin money-laundering scheme? For this week's bonus show, out Thursday, made with love and rage for our listeners who make our independent journalism possible, out later this week, we look at Jared and Ivanka's mysterious Albanian island–what are those two up to?  Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Find your community at GaslitNation.Substack.com or Patreon.com/Gaslit Show Notes: Join Gaslit Nation's Songwriting Workshop June 22nd at 4pm ET with Leslie Nuss. Be sure to subscribe to Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com to join live or get the recording. Learn more about Leslie Nuss here: https://leslienuss.com/ Want to hear your music on Gaslit Nation? Submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628 Knicks Clip: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZVpIn3yX1d/ Clip: "My mayor's Muslim / My bagel's Jewish / My Christian's Dior / Knicks in four!" https://www.instagram.com/reels/DZP8-3zRKYJ/ Clip: Trump is booed louder than the Spurs at Madison Square Garden https://bsky.app/profile/phillewis.bsky.social/post/3mnsxpyssls2s A "Putin-Trump Tunnel" Connecting Russia and Alaska? Putin's Wallet Says an Agreement Will Be Signed Tomorrow https://olgalautman.substack.com/p/a-putin-trump-tunnel-connecting-russia Underwater tunnel from Russia to Alaska will be built: Putin envoy https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/underwater-tunnel-russia-alaska-built-185910791.html ICE is spending millions of dollars on iris scanners, expanding its arsenal of tech tools https://www.npr.org/2026/05/27/nx-s1-5822429/ice-buys-iris-scanners-tech-tools 'Democracy isn't working': Many young adults believe voting is not important, AP-NORC poll finds https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democracy-isnt-working-many-young-adults-believe-voting-is-not-important-ap-norc-poll-finds AP-NORC America 250 Poll: Only a third believe the American Dream still exists. https://apnorc.org/projects/ap-norc-america-250-poll/ GEO Group's "Dark Money" Donation to a Group Tied to a Top Lawmaker: ICE's top detention contractor donated $250,000 to a group linked to Representative Jim Jordan, who chairs a committee overseeing the agency — these types of donations are usually cloaked in secrecy. https://www.npr.org/2026/05/27/nx-s1-5822429/ice-buys-iris-scanners-tech-tools Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join on our Patreon or Substack!  The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult. Join on our Patreon or Substack!  Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on our Patreon or Substack!  Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on our Patreon or Substack!  Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join on our Patreon or Substack!  Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join on our Patreon or Substack!  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join on our Patreon or Substack!  As always, keep it kind in our chat groups, extend grace and assume good faith. A culture of care is how we build a better world.  

Last night Trump was booed at Madison Square Garden and fell asleep in his luxury box during the NBA Finals. Taxpayer money paid for the whole spectacle while American paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne sit in Israel waiting for Netanyahu's order to storm Kharg Island.. The Albanians are handling their business and beat us to 110, while Zionist traitors sign away American blood and our military to Israel. Jeff Berwick joins me to expose this fake Rothschild outpost that's merged with America — time to wake up, get a plasma machine, build resilience at TZLA.club, and start acting like the Albanians before these parasites drag us into the abyss.

Sponsored by Hers. Go to forhers.com/rushhour to get started today! On this morning episode of The Rush Hour Podcast, we dive into the growing controversy surrounding Albania's Sazan Island as newly released development plans spark outrage among environmentalists, local residents, and transparency advocates. Critics argue that powerful investors and political insiders are attempting to transform protected wetlands and pristine coastal ecosystems into luxury destinations for the ultra-wealthy, raising concerns about corruption, environmental destruction, and who truly benefits from these massive development projects. We break down the latest documents, the backlash from conservation groups, the protests gaining momentum across Albania, and why many believe this battle is about far more than a single island—it's a fight over the future ownership of one of Europe's last untouched natural treasures. Plus, we discuss the global trend of billionaires reshaping public lands and what it means when economic development collides with environmental preservation.

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2025: Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have spent more than $1bn on an Albanian island that will be a luxury resort – once the unexploded ordnance has been removed By Marzio Mian. Read by Mo Ayoub For more on US politics and the Trump family check out Politics Weekly America. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Ferit Hoxha is a career diplomat with over 35 years of experience in the foreign service of the Republic of Albania. Since March 2026, he has been serving as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Mr Hoxha has had a distinguished and extensive career in multilateral diplomacy and international relations, representing the Republic of Albania at the highest international levels. He has served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2009–2015; 2021–2024), where he led the Albanian delegation during Albania's tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (2022–2023) and twice held the Presidency of the Security Council. He has also served as Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the European Union (1998–2001; 2024–2026), as well as Ambassador to France (2001–2006). From 2018 to 2021, he served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO. Within the central administration, Mr Hoxha has held the positions of Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006–2009) and Director General for Political and Strategic Affairs (2015–2018). Throughout his career, he has contributed actively to multilateral processes and has held senior roles within international organizations, including Vice-President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Vice-President of the UNICEF Executive Board, and chair of key processes within the United Nations Security Council and UNESCO frameworks. Mr Hoxha graduated from the University of Tirana with a degree in French Language and Literature. He is fluent in English, French, and Italian. He has been awarded high national and international distinctions, including the rank of “Grand Officer” of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic and “Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy.” This event is part of the Future-Proofing Europe Project, which is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Sponsored by Hers. Go to forhers.com/rushhour to get started today! More videos on youtube, so much to cover while I travel for work, thank you for all the patience and support!

This week on The Necessary Conversation, Haley is back to join Chad and Mary Lou in the 15th week of Trump's illegal war with Iran. We discuss:

Reviewing a string of fascist failures; the $1.8B slush fund, Congress not supporting the Iran war, the Senate not passing the Save Act, a Judge undoing the naricisstic rebrand of the Kennedy Center, artists bailing on the White House's Fyre Fest, and a new lawsuit brought by 35 former Federal Judges. Also, reading up on dueling 250th celebrations for America (one congressionally approved, one rogue), learning why Albanians are protesting the aquisition and development of a protected island, and seeing how our tax dollars are paying for petty websites targeting Americans. Then, a look at the hunger strike, protests, and ongoing allegations of inhumane treatment at Delaney Hall, a for-profit Detention Center in New Jersey. Check your voter registration, find your polling location, or contact your representatives via USA.GOV, VOTE.GOV, and/or the "5 Calls" app. All opinions are personal and not representative of any outside company, person, or agenda. This podcast is hosted by a United States citizen, born and raised in a military family that is proud of this country's commitment to free speech. Information shared is for entertainment purposes only and is cited via published articles, legal documents, press releases, government websites, executive orders, public videos, news reports, and/or direct quotes and statements, and all may be paraphrased for brevity, presented satirically, and in layman's terms.“I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” - James BaldwinWanna support this independent pod? Links below:Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/cw/BBDBBuyMeACoffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BBDBVenmo @TYBBDB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Dead Air" with Steve Schmidt and Dean Blundell does not hold back on Ivanka and Jared Trump's special "discovery" in Albania. They expose this greedy, tone-deaf land grab for what it is, explain the Albanian people's righteous fury and more. Plus, one of the most hallowed news institutions has become the latest victim of the Epstein class. They discuss why Bari Weiss and the sycophants around her are so determined to dismantle "60 Minutes," and applaud Scott Pelley's bravery in standing up to the lies and deceit. Also, in case you haven't heard, there's a UFC fight on the front lawn of the White House next weekend. TACKY! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! Brought to you by the Save America Movement. Support The Warning and become a YouTube member today! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2I50t9-7Ol7AjwryRv-Fiw/join Today's Merch: The People's House https://thewarningwithsteveschmidt.com/products/the-peoples-house-tee SUBSCRIBE for more and follow me here: Substack: https://steveschmidt.substack.com/subscribe Store: https://thewarningwithsteveschmidt.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thewarningses.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveSchmidtSES/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewarningses Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarningses/ X: https://x.com/SteveSchmidtSES

On this episode of Unsupervised Learning Razib talks to geneticist Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou about two papers, Ancient DNA evidence for the history of the Albanians and Uniparental analysis of Deep Maniot Greeks reveals genetic continuity from the pre-Medieval era. He is an entomologist and evolutionary biologist specializing in insect morphology, biomechanics, bioacoustics, systematics, and taxonomy. Born in Greece, Davranoglou earned a B.Sc. (Hons) in Zoology from Imperial College London (2012–2015) before completing a DPhil (2015–2020) in insect morphology and biomechanics at the University of Oxford under supervisors Graham Taylor and Beth Mortimer. He is currently a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (with support from the John Fell OUP Fund), where he investigates the evolutionary origins of sound production in hemipteran insects. He also serves as Curator of Hemiptera and a senior researcher at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History in Tel Aviv. Over the course of the episode Razib and Davranoglou cover the intersection of history, archaeology and genetics. Who are the Greeks of the Mani peninsula, south of Sparta? Are they particularly "genetically pure" compared to other Greeks, and what is their connection to the ancient Greeks? How do Albanians differ from other Balkan populations and what are their deep origins? The podcast explores genetic results that demystify the demographic history of the southern Balkans, and two of the deeply indigenous peoples to the region.

The corruption in the Trump administration is so shameless and so abundant that neither the media nor regular people can keep up. While Ivanka's purchase of a private “fixer-upper” island is getting a lot of attention (aside from infuriated Albanians), the private equity deals her husband is making while supposedly negotiating Middle East peace are not. Trump himself has never had so much money—including from the top businesses paying to play—that the corrupt generational wealth he's creating will even be around for Barron's great-grandkids to enjoy. Dems need to start connecting the dots now. Plus, Bill Cassidy is putting his future lobbying career ahead of the American people, no one should ever count Pelosi out, and Tim says Platner is looking like a risky choice.Stephanie Ruhle joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.show notes Joe on Trump's stock trades  Tim on Cassidy protecting Trump's $1.8 fund  Tim's playlist

Thousands have protested in the streets of the Albanian capital, Tirana, this week against a planned luxury resort backed by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Groundwork has begun on the $1.6bn complex in an area long seen as one of the Mediterranean's most environmentally sensitive, containing 200 species of birds including flamingos and Dalmatian pelicans. After builders began erecting a concrete-based, barbed wire-topped fence around the site, alarm turned to public outrage at the environmental damage and lack of political transparency around the deal. Lucy Hough speaks to US live news editor Chris Michael – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

In June 1949, the US and British governments secretly agreed to mount a joint covert action operation to overthrow the communist government in Albania. The top-secret plan would use exiled dissidents to conduct subversive intelligence, paramilitary and propaganda operations to foment an uprising against Albania's authoritarian ruler Enver Hoxha. I speak with Stephen Long, the author of A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit: CIA and MI6 Covert Action in Communist Albania at the Dawn of the Cold War. He describes how the Albanian operation is a vital but misunderstood part of Cold War history and the West's first secret attempt to subvert a communist state behind the Iron Curtain. While the West ultimately backed away from trying to bring down Hoxha's regime, Albania was the test case of anti-communist covert action where the West served its apprenticeship before rolling out this capability on a global scale. It's a tale of subterfuge, secrecy, and skulduggery that is a fascinating examination of one of the most important and least examined major flashpoints of the Cold War. Buy the book and support the podcast https://amzn.to/43cBbXJ Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode459/ Enter the book Giveaway here https://coldwarconversations.com/giveaway/ Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation, You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off tips via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONTINUE  THE COLD WAR CONVERSATION o BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Twitter/X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

-Israel threatens Lebanon with famine, just like it did to Gaza -ICE and CBP receive tens of billions more in funding as kids starve -George Santos is back -- accused of insider trading at Kalshi -Rich Dicks set off mass protests with Albanian land grab

The U.S. House votes for Ukraine aid in defiance of President Donad Trump and Senate Republicans only narrowly defeat a Democratic amendment to kill his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Thousands of Albanians protest in Tirana against a coastal tourism complex linked to Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. And the first confirmed U.S. case of the flesh-eating screwworm could bump up meat prices. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon's weekly chronicle of events in the United States (and this week, also in Albania) for Tom Swarbrick's Friday drivetime programme on the UK's LBC.  Listen live every Friday at 5:50pm or find it here on demand afterwards.This week:--Trump says Iran peace talks have "bored" him;--Rubio claims the war is over when it isn't;--Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner acquire an Albanian island, and spark furious protests in Tirana.

We kick this one off some host lore about a guy who ended a friendship over the What the Bleep Do We Know? movie. It only goes downhill from there. For some reason, I kept calling Representative Anna Paulina Luna "Rep. Lujan". There's no excuse for my behavior and I'll be docking my own pay for this episode. Then while we were talking about the Sazan Island project (Epstein Island II) that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are setting up in the Mediterranean, Jules repeated some TikTok disinfo about the Albanian prime minister's house being set on fire. The protests against them building a resort on a protected island are very real but the prime minister's house is intact and unburned. I'm docking his pay for the episode as well. Hunter Biden's art sales and Trump's effort to turn all of Washington D.C. into America's front yard with an old Camaro on cinder blocks also come up. If you make it through all that, we spend the better part of the episode getting into some of the abuses and allegations of abuse committed by Flock Safety cameras. We also talk about how in the bag some small town mayors and council members are for Flock. Some of the articles we abused for this episode: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/05/17/citys-ai-license-plate-cameras-led-an-uproar-state-emergency/ https://www.banderabulletin.com/article/3093,council-votes-to-terminate-flock-safety-contract https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/virginia-police-used-flock-cameras-track-driver-safety-lawsuit-surveil-rcna230399 https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/12/effs-investigations-expose-flock-safetys-surveillance-abuses-2025-review https://www.atlasofsurveillance.org/ https://www.404media.co/buspatrol-put-ai-cameras-in-tens-of-thousands-of-school-buses-now-they-want-to-give-cops-access/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_the_Netherlands

The Shortwave Report Saturday 6pm This week's show begins with press reviewsabout the EU deporting failed asylum seekers to Rwanda and Uganda, analysis of the failed ceasefire with Iran and Lebanon, Analysis of the Colombian presidential election, and the US does not respond to a UN plan to trace fuel deliveries to Cuba. This week's show features stories from France 24, Radio Deutsche-Welle, and Radio Havana Cuba. http://youthspeaksout.net/swr260605.mp3 (29:00) From FRANCE- First, three press reviews. The EU has decided the ship failed asylum seekers to detention centers outside of Europe, Rwanda, Uganda, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan have been proposed for the buildings. Canada will hold a referendum to decide if they should have a referendum on the possible secession of the province of Alberta. The Times had an article saying that Artificial Intelligence was being used in China to predict who might become a dissident in the future. Thousands of Albanians have been in the streets protesting a vast luxury real estate project backed by Jared Kushner that will destroy protected environments. From GERMANY- An excerpted interview with Sina Azodi, professor at the Eliot School of International affairs at George Washington University. The topic is the collapse of talks between the US and Iran. He says that Trump is under serious pressure from the right-wing of the Republican party, and that the Israeli war on Lebanon has complicated any serious ceasefire. He says that Israel wants to reshape the region into a greater Israel, and completely destroy Hezbollah. They discuss the hidden missiles in Iran and how inaccurate Trump and the Pentagon were when describing the strength of the Iranian military. Colombians voted in the first round of a crucial presidential election. This interview with Renata Segura of the International Crisis Group covers the three candidates who ran in the primary election- on June 21st there will be a runoff between left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda and right-wing lawyer Alberdo de la Espriella. From CUBA- The US blockade of fuel to Cuba is creating food shortages and humanitarian aid- the UN presented a fuel traceability plan to the US which has not responded. Mexican President Sheinbaum has reaffirmed that Mexico continues to support Cuba with aid. The Israeli military continues attacking Lebanon despite truce agreements. Trump made a threatening phone call to Netanyahu that was reported widely in the international press. Israel continues to bomb Gaza. The Guatemalan president denied reports that he had agreed to allow the Trump administration to carry out military strikes in his country. Available in 3 forms- (new) HIGHEST QUALITY (160kb)(33MB), broadcast quality (13MB), and quickdownload or streaming form (6MB) (28:59) Links at outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml PODCAST!!!- https://feed.podbean.com/outFarpress/feed.xml (160kb Highest Quality) Website Page- < http://www.outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml ¡FurthuR! Dan Roberts "It is not an investment if it destroys the planet." --Vandana Shiva Dan Roberts Shortwave Report- www.outfarpress.com YouthSpeaksOut!- www.youthspeaksout.net

Today's Headlines: The Department of Agriculture is dealing with a bedbug infestation in the offices of the agency responsible for containing invasive pests. Yes, you read that right. Todd Blanche confirmed to Congress — not under oath, refusing to put it in writing — that the DOJ is dropping the Traitor Fund, while clarifying that the part protecting Trump and his family from IRS audits remains in effect, which was clearly the point all along, and a federal judge revived Trump's IRS lawsuit to investigate whether the whole arrangement was "premised on deception." The Trump administration hired a convicted January 6th rioter — 19 when he stormed the Capitol — to work in the Defense Department's irregular warfare and counterterrorism section, one of the most sensitive portfolios in the government, and named Bill Pulte — a family friend with zero government experience whose father is in the Epstein files — as acting director of national intelligence, using "acting" specifically to skip Senate confirmation. New Jersey's attorney general sued GEO Group, the private contractor operating Delaney Hall detention center, over inhumane conditions and demanding health inspections — GEO holds a $1 billion ICE contract. The Kushner family is planning a $1.4 billion luxury hotel complex off the Albanian coast, which the prime minister loves and locals are actively protesting. And finally, Democratic congressman Jimmy Gomez — chairman of Congress's "Dad Caucus" — admitted to cheating on his wife after the New York Post outed him, he denied it, and CNN reported the House Ethics Committee is already investigating him for sexual misconduct, completing a full humiliation arc in under 48 hours. Resources/Articles mentioned: Not Us: The Federal Government's Insect-Defense Agency Is Infested With Bed Bugs NBC News: Todd Blanche says DOJ ‘not moving forward' with ‘anti-weaponization' fund NYT: Order Shielding Trump Family From I.R.S. Audits Will Remain, Blanche Says WaPo: Pentagon hires convicted Jan. 6 rioter for sensitive counterterrorism job The Guardian: ‘Americans will be less safe': alarm as Trump picks loyalist as intelligence chief | Trump administration The Guardian: New Jersey sues Geo Group, private operator of Delaney Hall ICE facility NYT: Protests Grow in Albania Over Kushner-Linked Project CNN: Exclusive: House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over sexual misconduct allegations, sources say Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the opening moves of the Ottoman Empire's war against Britain – a desperate, audacious campaign to seize the Suez Canal that has been largely forgotten but which revealed the fragility of the British Empire and the resilience of the Ottoman army.At the outbreak of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire saw itself surrounded by enemies: the British in Egypt, the Russians to the north, a hostile Habsburg Empire to the west, and a recently hostile Italy in the Mediterranean. The Young Turk government initially hoped to stay out of the war. But when they looked at Britain, France, and Russia, they saw voraciously hungry powers intent on dismembering their empire. Germany offered a security guarantee – unreliable, but the best available.The German High Command placed a high priority on cutting the Suez Canal. Between August and December 1914, 376 transport ships carried nearly 164,000 Allied troops through the canal. It was the vital artery connecting the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean – the lifeline of Britain's Asian empire. If the Ottomans could pinch it off, they could deal Britain a mortal blow and perhaps inspire a pan‑Islamic jihad against British rule.The man chosen to lead the attack was Cemal Pasha. In November 1914, he stood in Istanbul's central train station and publicly proclaimed his intention to conquer Egypt. The British dismissed his pledge as empty rhetoric. They did not believe he could raise an army large enough or cross the waterless, hostile Sinai desert.But Cemal assembled a heterogeneous, multi‑ethnic force – regular soldiers from the Arab provinces, volunteers from Bedouin, Druze, Circassian, Kurdish, Albanian, and even Jewish communities. He wrote to the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein ibn Ali, asking for troops under one of his sons. Hussein's son Ali went no further than Medina – a warning sign Cemal chose to ignore.Against all odds, Cemal's force marched across the Sinai in 12 days, losing neither a man nor a beast. They carried light rations of dates, biscuit, and olives, water carefully rationed, marching through the freezing nights and resting by day. British aerial surveillance initially failed to detect them – early aircraft lacked the range to reach central Sinai.By late January 1915, the British realised the impossible was happening. They withdrew all troops to the western shore of the canal, chained guard dogs on the east bank, and waited. The odds were stacked against the Ottomans – 25,000 attackers against 50,000 dug‑in defenders, backed by warships, armoured trains, and the canal itself. But Cemal had achieved surprise. What happened next would shape the course of the war in the Middle East.Drawing on Eugene Rogan's *The Fall of the Ottomans*, this episode explores the political context of the Ottoman decision to enter the war, the challenges of mobilising a multi‑ethnic army, the incredible logistics of the Sinai crossing, and the early use of aerial reconnaissance in desert warfare.**Topics covered:**- The Ottoman Empire's strategic dilemma in 1914- The alliance with Germany and the promise of jihad- The importance of the Suez Canal to the British war effort- Cemal Pasha and his public proclamation- The composition of the Ottoman expeditionary force- Sharif Hussein's reluctant cooperation- The 12‑day march across the Sinai- British aerial reconnaissance and its limitations- The defence of the canal: warships, armoured trains, and guard dogs- The moment of surprise before the attack---*If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.*Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear from Anthony Joshua, Eddie Hearn and Kristian Prenga for the official launch for July 25's fight in Jeddah. Tyson Fury is in the plans for 2026 but first AJ must overcome the Albanian knockout artist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A West-Country bromance starring Tobie Donovan and Olsen Elezi.Jordan, a Wilshire lad, and Artan, an Albanian guy, bond over cars and music. Soon they're best friends. Brothers even.But when Jordan's looking for a job and Artan offers to help out, they both find themselves drawn into something so much bigger than they ever realised.Story by Florence Espeut-Nickless and Tadgh Espeut-NicklessWritten by Florence Espeut-NicklessArtan ..… Olsen EleziJordan ..… Tobie DonovanVinnie ..… Nikolaos BrahimllariAlfie ..… Ed KearJade ..… Becky BrunningJasper ..… Joseph TweedaleDirected and produced by Jenny DaviesSound design by Catherine RobinsonProduction co-ordinator, Lindsay ReesExecutive producer, Fay LomasWith thanks to Tom BevanA BBC Audio Drama Wales Production

WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE!Hello - SURVEY. Fill out the SURVEY. Last one to fill out the SURVEY is an antisemite. Plus you have a chance to win Chaya Leah's baked goods, made especially for you! If you already filled it out, you are our favorite! If you are the listeners from Japan, Barbados, Scotland or Pakistan - email us! We want to get to know you (you can all email us actually. It is called Ask A Jew you know….).askajewpod@gmail.comAlso, this just in - Mark your calendars for Monday, June 1st at 6pm!! Come have a drink with some other AJJers (Jew-pies?) and meet your two favorite Jewish podcasters (not Ezra Klein and Dan Senor) at:Spring Lounge48 Spring St, New York, NY 10012Comment if you plan to attend! Special guests may make an appearance…Now that logistics are out of the way - we gathered around the microphone last night to discuss Chaya Leah's favorite holiday, Shavuout, and her two least favorite things in the world: antizionist Jews and Eurovision. We also have some TV and book recommendations for you, discuss Mayor Mamdani's stupid party, and send some special love to Albania.Turns out I was partially right about our Albanian brethren, I said they didn't lose a single Jew during the holocaust, turns out they actually GAINED Jews. You should use this super fun fact to impress your Albanian doormen in New York, they are very proud of it (rightfully so), as well as their impeccable Eurovision voting history (doormen may not care about that). Shout out to my dad Ronnie for this information! Some links:* JVP barfy tweet* J-Street mamdani Substack, what do you think?* Great book recommendation following our shipping recommendation - thank you to whoever suggested it!* ICYMI - my Eurovision recap (you don't need to enjoy or like or even know what Eurovision is to read)* Some listeners suggested a book club, but we all know books are for nerds. How about we all pick a season of 90 Day Fiance and watch together?? Meisha and Nicola — a gorgeous American and painfully average Israeli united by their love of Jesus — agree! (Season 6)See you in NYC June 1st!!(Did we mention there is a survey?) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

How has proptech evolved over time from solutions about the business of real estate to the automation and digitization of the physical buildings themselves? What lessons did Etrit take away from the hardships of his family re-establishing their lives in the US? How did entrepreneurship in Kosovo differ from what he experienced after moving to Michigan and integrating with the Albanian community? What learnings about the value of the product you are selling got instilled in Etrit when he was young? What lessons did Etrit take away from his experience in door to door selling laundry services? How did working at Chase during college open Etrit's eyes to how to successfully navigate the professional environment? What insights did Etrit take away from listening to an employee interaction with Jamie Diamond? Why is Etrit always trying to learn faster to do the right thing? Where did the initial interest in real estate originate? Why is customer service such a differentiation for KODE? What does having the GSA as a KODE customer mean to Etrit?Etrit Demaj - co-founder of KODE Labs, joins Proptech Espresso to answer these questions and discuss immigrating to the US and the debt of gratitude he has for the opportunities presented to him because of this.

Go to HelloFresh.com/jvsb10fm to Get 10 Free meals and a free Nutribullet® Ultra Plus on your 3rd box. We know Voldemort created 7 Horcruxes using 7 murders—but not all of those victims make sense. Sure, killing his father, Myrtle, or Bertha Jorkins tracks… but an Albanian peasant? A muggle tramp? For years, these deaths have seemed completely random… Until NOW! Today, we're breaking down every Horcrux Voldemort ever made— including the Albanian Peasant and Muggle Tramp (who isn't as random as you think!) #HarryPotter #Voldemort #Horcrux

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Michael Kell Mahoney, author of the book The Land of Broken Toys. Michael Kell Mahoney is a retired New York City detective who somehow found his way from Manhattan to the Balkans. After his time with the NYPD, Michael spent two decades working internationally for the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations, and the U.S. Department of Justice as a police and security consultant.   Land of Broken Toys: Kosovo is a fictional account, based on real events, from Mr. Mahoney's one year police mission in Kosovo. Michael's writing blends reportage, reflection, and storytelling, inviting readers—and now listeners—into a landscape where the past is never far away and every story carries weight.   The Land of Broken Toys: Kosovo is a crime thriller by Michael Kell Mahoney. But it is so much more than that. Readers will get a history lesson to help explain the issues in Kosovo, as well as a young cop's journey figuring out what he really wants out of life.   We meet an NYPD cop named JB who wants to be a detective. However, a series of mishaps leaves him shaken and certain that he will never make detective. With that knowledge, he decides to open a chocolate store. But he'll need money, so he signs on for a year-long UN policing mission in Kosovo. What he believes will be a simple 12-months training local police recruits turns into so much more than he bargains for.   We meet a host of characters who have chosen to go on the same mission for a variety of reasons - and with a variety of belief systems in place. We also meet the antagonist, Gashi, an Albanian who hates the Serbs - and anyone who disagrees with him, even Albanians. Gashi's men wreak havoc across the area, and JB is right in the middle of the action.   This story moves quickly, has fun, quirky characters, and keeps you guessing. This is a fun read. Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1   You can follow Author Michael Kell Mahoney Website: https://jbbyrnenypd.com/   Purchase a copy of The Land of Broken Toys: Paperback: https://amzn.to/4v2vWq9​ Kindle: https://amzn.to/4s54zJj   Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor IG: @terimbrown_author X: @terimbrown1   Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors   #michaelkellmahoney #landofbrokentoys #crimethriller #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview *As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

In today's episode, Gastor and Shalewa talk about newly Albanian former mayor Eric Adams, a tasty Lego scam hits Target, and a collection of live concerts hits the internet.PATREON LAUNCH!For all those that have asked how they can help support the pod - it's finally here! Thanks again to all the Troops and Correspondents who rock with us. Check it out - we'll have some exclusive content and fun perks, plus it really does help!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/WarReportPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Many Thanks to our Patreon Troops & Correspondents for helping us bring this show to life. Shouts to the Correspondents!Tanya WeimanFontayne WoodsMark OrellanaB. EmmerichCharlene BankAskewCharlatan the FraudCynthia PongKen MogulSayDatAgain SayDatAgainLaKai DillStephanie GayleUncleJoe StylenoshCato from StonoJennifer PedersenMarcusSarah PiardAna MathambaLooking to further support? Help our data storage/archiving needs here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/23X55OW4CFU8Y?ref_=wl_share⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:@WarReportPod@SilkyJumbo@GastorAlmonteTwitter:@SilkyJumbo@GastorAlmonteTheme music "Guns Go Cold" provided by Kno of Knomercyproductions Twitter: @Kno Instagram: @KnoMercyProductions

St. Nikolai's words from the mid-twentieth century are still relevant for American Orthodoxy today.

President Trump has initiated a blockade at the Strait of Hormuz, a move expected to significantly impact Iran's and China's oil supply and production. Pope Leo and President Trump are engaged in a heated back-and-forth over the definition of peace, with both sides drawing on Christian values. U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell has suspended his campaign for California Governor following sexual misconduct charges. Mark interviews New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin. Michael argues that the New York Times has been spreading a significant amount of misinformation regarding President Trump's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has remained firm in his stance against allowing Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Green Climate Change policies have driven up the cost of living in cities like New York City, making them far more expensive than cities that have embraced alternative energy approaches. The U.S. military's advanced technology is playing a major role in controlling activity at the Strait of Hormuz. Questions remain about what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will pursue once he leaves office. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days in office this past weekend, announcing upcoming plans and promises while highlighting the city's progress on crime numbers. Former Mayor Eric Adams has since become an Albanian citizen. Mark interviews Republican candidate for Governor of New York, Bruce Blakeman. Bruce provides an update on how his campaign is progressing and has vowed that at 12:01 AM on his first day in office. He will pardon NYPD's “Cooler Cop,” Erik Duran. Bruce is fighting for his matching campaign funds, which he believes he is entitled to, and views the opposition as a Democratic effort to undermine his campaign. Mark and Bruce discuss the challenges of negotiating the cost of daily expenses in Albany. The conversation also touches on whether debates between Governor Hochul and Bruce Blakeman are on the horizon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. military's advanced technology is playing a major role in controlling activity at the Strait of Hormuz. Questions remain about what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will pursue once he leaves office. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days in office this past weekend, announcing upcoming plans and promises while highlighting the city's progress on crime numbers. Former Mayor Eric Adams has since become an Albanian citizen. Mark takes your calls! Mark interviews Republican candidate for Governor of New York, Bruce Blakeman. Bruce provides an update on how his campaign is progressing and has vowed that at 12:01 AM on his first day in office. He will pardon NYPD's “Cooler Cop,” Erik Duran. Bruce is fighting for his matching campaign funds, which he believes he is entitled to, and views the opposition as a Democratic effort to undermine his campaign. Mark and Bruce discuss the challenges of negotiating the cost of daily expenses in Albany. The conversation also touches on whether debates between Governor Hochul and Bruce Blakeman are on the horizon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. military's advanced technology is playing a major role in controlling activity at the Strait of Hormuz. Questions remain about what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will pursue once he leaves office. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days in office this past weekend, announcing upcoming plans and promises while highlighting the city's progress on crime numbers. Former Mayor Eric Adams has since become an Albanian citizen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. military's advanced technology is playing a major role in controlling activity at the Strait of Hormuz. Questions remain about what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will pursue once he leaves office. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days in office this past weekend, announcing upcoming plans and promises while highlighting the city's progress on crime numbers. Former Mayor Eric Adams has since become an Albanian citizen.

The U.S. military's advanced technology is playing a major role in controlling activity at the Strait of Hormuz. Questions remain about what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will pursue once he leaves office. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days in office this past weekend, announcing upcoming plans and promises while highlighting the city's progress on crime numbers. Former Mayor Eric Adams has since become an Albanian citizen. Mark takes your calls! Mark interviews Republican candidate for Governor of New York, Bruce Blakeman. Bruce provides an update on how his campaign is progressing and has vowed that at 12:01 AM on his first day in office. He will pardon NYPD's “Cooler Cop,” Erik Duran. Bruce is fighting for his matching campaign funds, which he believes he is entitled to, and views the opposition as a Democratic effort to undermine his campaign. Mark and Bruce discuss the challenges of negotiating the cost of daily expenses in Albany. The conversation also touches on whether debates between Governor Hochul and Bruce Blakeman are on the horizon.

President Trump has initiated a blockade at the Strait of Hormuz, a move expected to significantly impact Iran's and China's oil supply and production. Pope Leo and President Trump are engaged in a heated back-and-forth over the definition of peace, with both sides drawing on Christian values. U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell has suspended his campaign for California Governor following sexual misconduct charges. Mark interviews New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin. Michael argues that the New York Times has been spreading a significant amount of misinformation regarding President Trump's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has remained firm in his stance against allowing Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Green Climate Change policies have driven up the cost of living in cities like New York City, making them far more expensive than cities that have embraced alternative energy approaches. The U.S. military's advanced technology is playing a major role in controlling activity at the Strait of Hormuz. Questions remain about what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will pursue once he leaves office. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days in office this past weekend, announcing upcoming plans and promises while highlighting the city's progress on crime numbers. Former Mayor Eric Adams has since become an Albanian citizen. Mark interviews Republican candidate for Governor of New York, Bruce Blakeman. Bruce provides an update on how his campaign is progressing and has vowed that at 12:01 AM on his first day in office. He will pardon NYPD's “Cooler Cop,” Erik Duran. Bruce is fighting for his matching campaign funds, which he believes he is entitled to, and views the opposition as a Democratic effort to undermine his campaign. Mark and Bruce discuss the challenges of negotiating the cost of daily expenses in Albany. The conversation also touches on whether debates between Governor Hochul and Bruce Blakeman are on the horizon.

On today's episode, we discuss a wild mix of legal, political, and cultural battles ranging from Teslas that won't self‑drive to popes, presidents, and pronouns. James opens with a Haiti stampede at a UNESCO event as a cautionary tale about crowd control, then detours into a Tesla update where his Full Self‑Driving suddenly refused to work, forcing him to drive “like a mortal” and marvel at regenerative braking and buried cruise‑control menus. The panel then turns to Democratic scandals, unpacking why California insiders suddenly leaked damaging details about Eric Swalwell's alleged escort habit and workplace exposure claims—likely to clear the field in a top‑two primary—and speculating that New York mayor Eric Adams' Albanian citizenship may be a hedge if indictments land, even though Albania does have an extradition treaty with the U.S. That flows into a long compare‑and‑contrast between Ronald Reagan as a dignified anti‑communist statesman and Donald Trump as a Nietzschean “strongman” who punches below the belt, trolls opponents, spars unnecessarily with the Pope over Iran, but commands respect for actually getting things done, especially on foreign policy and de‑risking the Strait of Hormuz. In the back half, they dig into culture‑war lawfare: New York Catholic nuns suing Governor Kathy Hochul over gender‑identity room assignments, a Louisiana bill that would bar employers from disciplining workers who “misgender,” and how at‑will employment, vague performance reviews, and “we're going in another direction” terminations intersect with wrongful‑termination risk. James closes by reminding listeners that although he's a lawyer, he's not a labor lawyer, so anyone firing staff over speech or gender disputes should call a specialist rather than rely on Legal Monday banter that, as Mark jokes, “plus five dollars won't even buy you a cup of coffee.” Don't miss it!

The Artemis II astronauts have travelled farther from Earth than any human in history and successfully looped around the far side of the Moon. The NASA crew is now on its way back home after taking photographs of the lunar surface and witnessing a solar eclipse. Also: Donald Trump dismisses concerns that the US targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran could be a war crime; the BBC gets special access to a siezed scam compound in Myanmar; Albanian environmentalists protest against Ivanka Trump's plans for a luxury island resort; and fancy a curling match for a night out? The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

This week's topics: • The biggest Nigerian musician artist right now • Wiz Kid & Asake project • Different ways to distribute the pod to save deletion • Imitating other people's language meme • Lion King singer suing comedian mocking famous chant • Guess the 'blank' youtube challenge • Are Londoners exclusive or inclusive • Colour of those doing inner city crime • Turks, Greek, Cypriot issues and differences • Albanian crime and why some immigrants • European exceptionalism • Getting your kids into good schools • Better school with a mono culture not your child's v lesser school but mixed • Different bed sizes and different mattresses • Who in the relationship should choose the bed size and mattress • To dream or not to dream • Negotiating bad deals • United Nations to formally recognize the transatlantic slave trade as the "gravest crime against humanity' • How immigration = nationalism • Senegal parading AFCON cup even after being told it doesn't belong to them anymore Connect with us at & send your questions & comments to: #ESNpod so we can find your comments www.esnpodcast.com www.facebook.com/ESNpodcasts www.twitter.com/ESNpodcast www.instagram.com/ESNpodcast @esnpodcast on all other social media esnpodcast@gmail.com It's important to subscribe, rate and review us on your apple products. You can do that here... www.bit.ly/esnitunes

In this episode, Gary Jenkins, retired intelligence detective, sits down with veteran true crime authors Frank Gerardot and Burl Barer to examine their book Where Murder Lies, a case that intersects Russian organized crime, Italian mob connections, and a troubling claim of wrongful conviction. At the center of the story is Jimmy Kitlas, a young man who struggled with learning disabilities and instability after aging out of a rehabilitation facility in Los Angeles. Facing homelessness and limited options, he gravitated toward individuals connected to the Russian mob, seeking protection and belonging. Instead, he was drawn into criminal schemes—including check fraud and drug trafficking—engineered by experienced mob figures who exploited his vulnerabilities. Frank and Burl provide historical context on the rise of Russian organized crime in the United States, particularly in neighborhoods like Brighton Beach. Unlike the rigid hierarchy of traditional Mafia families, these groups often operated through looser networks, engaging in lucrative scams such as gas tax fraud alongside Italian crime figures. The authors explain how these alliances blurred lines between ethnic crime groups and created new power structures within the American underworld. The discussion then shifts to the murder that reshaped Jimmy's life. What began as manipulation and grooming evolved into betrayal, jealousy, and ultimately violence. The authors detail how Jimmy's arrest followed a carefully orchestrated narrative that shifted blame onto him while shielding more powerful figures. Through examination of court records and transcripts, Gerardot and Barer argue that investigative failures and prosecutorial decisions compounded the injustice. 0:02 Introduction and Guests 0:47 Wrongful Conviction Discussion 4:26 Kelly Lee’s Influence 6:33 Russian Mob Background 12:28 Jimmy Kitlas’ Journey 18:47 Investigative Challenges 22:58 The Murder Plot 26:45 Russian Mob Operations 28:29 Geographic Control in LA 31:29 Trust and Collaboration 35:03 Daniel Patterson’s Role 37:10 Conclusion and Book Promotions Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. [0:00] Hey, all you wiretappers, good to be back here in the studio of Gangland Wire. This is Gary Jenkins, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective, and I have two guests today. Frank Girdo. Is that correct, Frank? Girdo? That’s pretty good. Gerardot. I’ll take it. Gerardot. Gerardot. Just don’t pronounce a T at the end, right? Yes, sir. [0:24] And Burl Barer. Is it Barer, Burl? Yep, that’s close enough for government work. Joe’s enough for government work. That’s the story of my life, as everybody knows. I like to get it close. And we never let the real facts get in the way of a good story either. So let’s just get going here. We like to tell stories on this channel. That’s what my guys like is stories. [0:44] Stories about the Russian mob and maybe a little bit about the Italian mob. And we also got a story about a wrongful conviction, which is a kind of a hot topic right now. We’re seeing a lot of different things in these true crime shows about wrongful convictions. And there’s been, I think a lot of them have been uncovered. In the last few years because people started paying attention to that a little more than they used to. When I was a policeman, they didn’t pay any attention. Never heard of a wrongful conviction. I really congratulate you investigators and authors and true crime diggers out there that see these things and then go take a look at them because they need to be taken and given a look at. So Burl Baer is an Edgar winning author and two-time Anthony Ward nominee. He’s got a lot of experience in reporting. I see you’ve been in the Hollywood Reporter, even the London Sunday Telegraph, New York Times, USA Today. [1:38] You’ve got, I believe you’ve got some other, what else do you do, Burrell? I watch a lot of TV, watch a lot of movies. What kind of shows have you been on? You’ve done other investigations here. Yeah. I did almost, Frank and I have done most of those shows. Deadly Women, Deadly Sins, Behind Mansion Walls, you know, all. [1:57] Do you name them and claim them? We’ve probably been on them. All right. And Frank Gerardot, you’re a journalist, radio host. You’ve authored several true crime nonfiction books, co-author with Burl on A Taste for Murder, Betrayal in Blue. And you did one with somebody else named Byrne. Oh, that was about John Orr. And I read that book. Actually, I read that book, that John Orr. That was a hell of a story, man. That was a hell of a story. Several years ago. So that’s a, it’s a crazy thing. And that, that, that book really tells the story of John Orr through his daughter’s perspective. Ah, okay. And, and I don’t remember which one I read. I read one. I listened to a podcast about the whole thing all the way through guys. That was the LA County was an LA County fireman, fire investigator who was sat in his own fire all up and down in California. Oh yeah. He would go up North. He was in Southern California. He would go up north to a fire conference and he’d set fires on the way back. It was crazy, craziest story I ever read. And after he got arrested, the number of arson fires in California declined by 70%. I’ll be darned. I’ll be darned. He set brush fires, just all kinds of fires. It was crazy. Name of that book is Burn, Guys, if you’re interested in that by Frank Cardo. That’s the French pronunciation. Yes, sir. Yes. [3:18] So these two guys, they have their publicist, God Hold Me, and they introduced me to this book, Where Murder Lies. It is a fascinating look, and they did a real great examination of the Russian mob, a little connection to the Italian mob in New York City as part of this investigation into really a wrongful conviction case, a wrongful conviction of a kid who was, I guess we don’t use the word retarded anymore. He was mentally disabled and retarded in some manner. I’m not sure exactly how to describe that anymore. How would you guys describe him? So, yeah, I think he’s differently abled. We’ll say that. He’s actually a pretty smart guy. He speaks a lot of languages. He read this book in a night. [4:01] He just, I think more of his problem is that he’s maybe learning. He had learning difficulties. And as you’ll see when we get into the book here, he had a lot of physical and emotional trauma growing up. Okay. Jimmy Kittlis was his name. Yes. And a woman named… Kelly Lee. [4:22] A woman named Kelly Lee got you guys interested in this story. It’s a wrongful conviction story that strays into this mob ties. Who was she? Now, who was Kelly Lee? [4:32] I could tell you about Kelly Lee. She was one of the first people I met when I came to Los Angeles in November of 2003. Three, she was doing intake at Teshuvah, which is a Jewish community kind of rehab for people with all-matter recovery issues. I’d just been through a bad patch, et cetera. He needed some help. She did my intake. Wound up becoming friends with her and her husband. And a few years later, we’re having dinner together. She says, oh, Pearl, you’re a true crime writer. I go, duh, yeah. And she pulls out a handful of court transcripts that are difficult to get nowadays. Thank you. Says, take a look at this. She was, at the time this murder took place, what I would term an unlicensed pharmaceutical supplier on the streets of West Hollywood. Correctly. Gotcha. Marijuana, primarily. Yeah. And she had six arrests for selling pot, which now would probably get her a community service award here. Yeah. Times were different. And when Jimmy Kittlis ages out of the facilities or whatever down in Lake Elsinore. When he turns 18, they just put him on a bus with a ticket to West Hollywood. Goodbye. [5:49] And he gets off. He meets her. She’s a very compassionate person. She can see that this kid is really childlike. Babe in the woods or babe on the street, he’s really going to get taken advantage of. She takes him under her wing like a surrogate mom and tries to tell him and teach him how to survive on the street. And then she said, he’s like a child. Could be really eager to please, super polite, has the intentions man of a goldfish. Oh, look, there’s a castle. Oh, look, there’s a castle. It’d be very easily used. [6:28] It had a lot of sexual energy. He needed a girlfriend. He got one and got her pregnant. And she really tried to help these kids, But she couldn’t be with him 24-7 And she certainly raised her eyebrows When she saw who was spending a lot of time With this couple And that was a well-known fellow In the Russian mob, Yeah, I read that So let’s talk a little bit about the Russian mob So you guys really went in the background When they first came to Brighton Beach Tell the guys a little bit about that background. [7:02] Yeah, sure. As the Soviet Union began to crumble, a lot of Russian Jews found their way to New York, and they found their way to Brighton Beach. And they set up a sort of black market trading system among themselves and within the community with all the sort of standard features of mafia, right? Protection, extortion, sometimes murder, certainly dealing in black market stuff like drugs. [7:32] Clubs, prostitution, just about every kind of crime you can think of happening in a neighborhood that’s protected by a mafia. These guys were controlling in this neighborhood of Brooklyn called Brighton Beach. What I thought was interesting, and readers will probably find interesting too, is that there’s not a real setup like a commission or families. The Russian mob really operates more like Ronin. There’s guys that just independent operators and build up their business based on their relationships and how many people they can pull into a scheme. What we also found is that these guys were pretty adaptable and they picked up on a scam that the Lucchesis and the Gambinos were operating. And that was to get gas, steal it, take it from places where it wasn’t really tracked and put it into gas stations, sell it for maybe a penny less than the guy across the street, but capture the tax, the federal excise tax money and pocket it. And this was a multi-million dollar scheme And to the fine-tuning of it The Russian mob, Worked with guys like Michael Francesi To really extract as much as they could from it One of the guys in our book. [9:00] Meyer Ida, who was in Brighton Beach and operating there, came to Los Angeles in the mid-90s and started up the gas tax scheme. But the feds were pretty wise to it at that point, and he got caught up in the sting. Interesting. If I remember right, some of them were, they couldn’t steal it, but they would set up companies, shell companies, and then buy gas and then sell it a little bit cheaper. And it was up to them to collect the tax and then pay the state. And they do this for a certain period of time. And then they just declare file bankruptcy or just walk away from that shell company and create another little LLC and do the same thing. So just like run after you just couldn’t catch up. You bust out of one and move on to the next one. And that’s what they and you could they change the laws for gasoline purchase changed as a result because you could just go buy it. You can make up a company today, buy it tomorrow, sell it on Thursday, collect the tax on Friday, and bail out on Saturday and start all over again next week. Wow. Wow. There’s a scam. There’s a mob that’s willing to take advantage of a loophole like that. It’s crazy. So they moved out to LA. What other kind of scams? Go ahead. Go ahead, Brett. I was going to say that the Russians were so good at this type of scam, far ahead mentally of the American Mafia. [10:29] They were the best people they ever worked with. They were geniuses. They knew how to do this unlike any other. And in fact, the gas tax scam, the biggest moneymaker for the Russian mob and eventually the American mafia than any other form of income, billions of dollars. Interesting also is that if the former Soviet Union, should probably know, they factor in the Russian mob in their economy. I believe the last figure was 63% of the GNP of Russia was crime. They actually give a figure for it. Here we go. In America, this percentage of our federal income is from crime, but in Russia, they do. 63%. I don’t know what it is in America, But we talked to this Stan, who’s never going to pronounce his last name. And he had been in the Russian mob ever since he was a kid, raised in it. [11:32] And so that’s just what we were brought up with. We didn’t think there was anything unusual. If you were a girl, you were going to be a sex worker. They were respectable. If you were a guy, you were going to do this. And it was never as bad or as evil as the Americans said it was. It was always, the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming. coming. It’s so scary. I noticed you had a chapter titled Glassnose Gangsters. [12:00] I thought that was a pretty tricky title. I also read once that in Russia, they were so used to dealing with corrupt officials and running different scams that were in and around governmental agencies, like the tax collecting thing. They were so used to that, that they really refined this to a fine point than Americans could, because we’re not so used to dealing with corrupt officials. We have some, but not like Russia. Russia was an art in Russia. [12:28] Yeah, and they just took the template and brought it right over here and started earning pretty quickly. So now, how does Jimmy Kittlis, he’s a street kid. He’s one of these, what I call throwaway kids. We have this group of kids on the streets that are 18, 19, 20, use drugs. And lots of times these older men who are gay want to pay him for sex or bring him in and take care of him. Was he one of those kids? Did he get into that kind of a lifestyle? [13:02] He’s a homeless kid. He’s a runaway. And the place that he goes to, Hollywood and West Hollywood, is full of people that want to exploit young boys. Yeah. The lifestyle that he got into, though, was I think he recognized that there would be, people there who were stronger than him and smarter than him and want to take advantage of him. And so he sought out ways to hook up with mobsters because he figured that if he was connected, that would protect him from some of the bad stuff that might happen, especially like sexual exploitation. [13:41] When he goes into a homeless shelter, he peripherally knows about Mark. He asks around about Mark, who’s a Russian mobster. And the homeless shelter introduces them and says, oh, hey, yeah, Jimmy here would like to do some work with you. And so he falls into doing work with Mark and let the scamming begin, as they say. Interesting. Yeah. I read the book how he was, he had such a facility to learn language that he learned Russian pretty quick. And he had other languages. Just one of those people that just could start picking that up. Me work like hell, and I can’t have one conversation, but somebody like that, they just pick it up. I understand he picked up Russian pretty quick, too. Very quickly, and to this day, speaks it pretty well. And that got him some cachet. [14:30] But that only goes so far because, Gary, these guys that come in at a low level and aren’t Russian are really just mules. And that’s really what Jimmy was. He was a mule. Mark’s specialty was Czech forgery. and check washing. And he taught Jimmy how to take envelopes and get checks out of them, change who the check was written to or the amount that the check was drawn for, and go to various banks and cash those checks. And Mark was a pro at it. He had equipment to do it. He knew how the scam worked. He knew that you don’t go to the same bank three days in a row. You go to a couple of different banks and that’s how they got by day to day. [15:18] Interesting. Yeah, I worked one of those little scams once, a little group of people that were doing that. They could have a process that can wash some of the ink off of a check and then put and change the amount and those kinds of things. They’d work, they’d go to grocery stores on paydays. People used to take their grocery, their checks to put grocery stores on paydays plus banks. So it’s a pretty good moneymaker that needs little guys like this to go out and cash the checks while the bad guy sits back and provides the checks and takes most of the money. So it’s interesting. Yeah. And that’s exactly what Jimmy was, the little guy that cashed the check. [15:57] I want to interject something here. Now, Mark was, as Jimmy said, he looked like a Russian mobster. He was a Russian mobster. However, what Jimmy didn’t realize is that the whole family, or most of the family, was involved. Mark’s uncle, Meyer ITF, also known as Mike, was a very prominent figure in the Russian mob in Los Angeles. The fans were very aware of him. He was, shall we say, a big shot. He was the godfather of Plumber Park here. He was the guy. Jimmy didn’t know that. He just knew about Mark. As you know in the book, sooner or later it becomes a situation involving a fortune in gold and smuggled MDMA that puts Meyer in federal custody. Meyer wants out of federal custody. Mark not only is a Russian mobster doing bank fraud, he’s also an FBI informant and a DEA informant and an informant of the Pasadena Police Department. [17:07] Frank says, according to the menu at a Chinese restaurant, going from column A to column B, how do I get my uncle out of prison? Solve a murder. Oh, what’s the easiest way to solve a murder? Plan it. Set it up. Blame it on someone, like maybe Jimmy. Final result, I’ll tell you, Meyer got out of prison. Jimmy went to prison. [17:36] Wow, that’s a hell of a story. Frank can give me more insight on that process, but that’s the short form on how this all winds up fitting together. Yeah, and you guys, when you went back, you had to go back. Could you be able to pull she had transcripts from the court so you could find out who testified were able to get any more information police department’s notorious for not allowing reports to go out i can’t even get them out of my own but and i bet it was really bad on that how did how’d you go about that how’d you start digging into this and get your first clues that you can tell you about trying to talk to the items about this yeah yeah so it’s like an onion i i look at it like that and we had early on kelly shared with us some of the trial transcripts so that’s pretty good yeah there’s a lot of information in there and it and within the trial transcripts there’s names and and dates and so we started picking at it and early on you know we couldn’t get cooperation from any of [18:40] the mobsters yeah we didn’t get cooperation from the fbi or the dea We were able to do some digging. [18:48] And I think the digging led to a congressional hearing on the Russian mob back in the early 90s. And Meyer Itev’s name pops up in that hearing. So from there, I started digging through federal court files using PACER and came across all kinds of court documents involving Mike and then his nephew for various scams they were involved in. [19:21] And then taking those court documents and continuing to research and talk to people and figure it out, we were able to lay it all out. It took us six years to do this, but lay out a narrative of who’s Mike, who’s Mark, who are they involved with, and what kind of things were they operating when Jimmy got involved. And where was everybody when this murder took place? And what we found out was that Mike was in federal custody and had been charged with involvement in a scheme to steal gold from a place in Massachusetts. And how the scheme worked is Mike and his buddy posed as government scientists who were building a nuclear reactor facility in a run-down apartment in Pasadena, California. And they were able to put in purchase orders for the gold and have it delivered to this apartment. And only when one of them misspelled sergeant on the P.O. And sent a fake check did the government catch on and arrest him. [20:37] When they brought him in and charged him with this, the first thing that these guys wanted to do was figure out how they could get out of it. They hooked up with a guy in Hollywood who was involved in a scheme. Yeah. To dissuade a reporter from writing about the actor Steven Seagal. And this guy, his name is Alex Proctor, went to Meijer and another man in our book, Daniel Patterson, and said, listen, can you help me? I need to knock off this reporter. [21:12] Daniel, as you’ll see from reading our book, is a pretty well-connected guy. He’s done some pretty interesting stuff, but murder was the limit of what he would do for anybody. He began to peel back some of the layers of that onion for authorities in that case. And that led to Meyer being in custody. And that was the catalyst for Mark and his other uncle, Gary, to try to figure out how can we get him out? And they believed that the government would let Meyer out of custody if they could inform on a big enough crime. Big enough crime probably wouldn’t be a burglary or a low-level assault or a battery. It had to be something significant. And then this murder happens. Wow. How did they choose this victim? I don’t know necessarily that they chose him, but this guy lived in the neighborhood where Mark and Jimmy hung out, and they essentially manipulated him into believing he was going to have sex with Jimmy’s girlfriend. And then manipulated Jimmy into thinking that, hey, this guy’s going to have sex with your girlfriend. Aren’t you upset by that? Doesn’t that piss you off? Don’t you think you should be a man and do something about it? Yeah. [22:39] Hormones, jealousy, rage, greed. It’s like there’s everything like comes together in this one moment. And we end up with this guy, Alex, who’s a school teacher, just ends up dying. [22:55] So they got motive and means and opportunity. They can manipulate Jimmy into providing all those for the investigated officers. Yep. Yeah. Wow. And, you know, and what, and what really the thing that really, I think, so there’s this event that happens and there’s a, there’s like part of this, there’s a locked door mystery that investigators encounter. But the other part of it is how after the crime, Jimmy was arrested. [23:27] Manipulated into going to a hotel as a hideout that was arranged for him by Mark and Gary Iteve. And as soon as Jimmy’s in the hotel, they park themselves outside and guide the police to the hideout where they arrest Jimmy and his girlfriend. I think I read that initially, after the school teacher was dead, they got in, was it Pasadena? One of the police departments got an anonymous call giving up the body, where it was, the murder, and the suspect. Only one anonymous call. And then they, and then, oh, my God, this was heinous. Let’s mention that locked door. Let’s mention this locked door. This was heinous, heinous. When the police get to the scene of the crime, and they noticed that the apartment does not show any forced entry. Living room, everything, it’s fine. Get to the bedroom, however. The door had been locked from the inside. Jimmy said when he left, he locked the bedroom door from the inside. This is now after the fact. Someone shows up and tries to get in. They can’t because the door’s locked. They want to get in real fast. And they finally get in, practically ripped the doorknob off to get in. [24:50] At the same time, let’s assume it might be the same person, Mark ITM uses the dead man’s telephone to call his lawyer to say, I want to report a murder that we could use to get my uncle out of prison. [25:07] Using the dead guy’s phone. Then after they arrange that, he cuts the wires and leaves. Also wiping the door, the doorknob clean. His fingerprints are in there because he acknowledges he was in the bedroom earlier when Jimmy put the unconscious, still-breathing fellow on the bed. [25:29] He leaves. Mark left, went out and told the girl. Jimmy killed the guy. But when he left, the guy was alive, breathing on the bed. He says, come down after in a minute. So then he tells the girl, we got to go because we’re going to get in trouble with the cops. What are we going to do? So it was a real mess. So to say, who killed this guy? Jimmy had to take full responsibility because he confessed to protect his girlfriend. Also, he felt bad about putting the guy to headlock and throw the old drunk guy to the ground anyway. But then again, how did Mark make a phone call to his lawyer and the dead man’s phone after all that happened? And after the doors ripped open in the apartment to the bedroom. Did he find the guy already dead? Or did he have to help finish the process? Legally, he was found not guilty. Mark was. Just like OJ was. Because did OJ do it? Did OJ not do it? Did he cover for his son? Whatever. But legally, he was not guilty. Same thing with Mark. Not guilty. Jimmy, guilty. Whether we killed him or not. [26:45] We can’t say. We weren’t there. Crazy. Crazy, isn’t it? [26:52] What other kinds of things was this crime family, this Russian mob family? It’s like a family. I’ve read about these. They’ll have that one strong man, and then you’ll have a group that kind of emanates out from that, but yet they’re not part of some larger group. They stand on their own. And so what else, what other kind of crimes were they involved in? Was this talking about MMDA being smuggled into those that’s a party? Rave kind of clubs yeah they one of the things that they did was make a counterfeit viagra one of the guys had a uh an idea to he bought some viagra and he had a plan to set up pharmacies where he could like order viagra through the pharmacy and like with the gas tax right don’t pay anybody have the viagra and sell it and then one of the other guys said that’s a waste of time I got a pill press. Just all we got to do is get the chemicals or some chemicals and put them together and press a bunch of Viagra pills and then we can sell thousands instead of tens. [27:54] And then the gold scheme, which we mentioned, and the MA, the list goes on and on. And within the community of the Russian diaspora, extortion, loan sharking, gambling, prostitution, all those means of making money were on the table and being used. They were familiar with the casinos here in LA, familiar with the how to operate prostitution rings and advertise the services. Very sophisticated group of guys. [28:29] Did they have a geographic area in which they were kind of like the ruling group? [28:35] So that’s the funny thing about LA. And we talk about this a little bit in the book, that LA’s never really had like a mob family. There’s no five families here. If you go back to the 1940s and 50s, there was a guy named Mickey Cohen, who was a mobster here in LA and with help started the casinos in Vegas. But there’s no turf here In LA, if you’re going to set up an operation You’ve got to find a way to work with some of the other mobs In Los Angeles, the Mexican mafia is very prominent And their operation is run out of the jails That’s where their leadership is in the jail and prison system And the soldiers are on the street And that’s where the drugs and prostitution are distributed at street level, operated from the jails. Guys like Meyer or people operating within those turfs, they got to work with the Mexican mob to make sure that they’re not crossing lines. And we chronicle some of that, especially with the MDMA smuggling in the book. [29:44] Interesting. Wow. Yeah. LA’s not really had that, like you said, that five families each has a geographic territory or even had one family, a guy named Jack Dragna, but it was really, it was open. LA was open city. We had a guy from Kansas City went out there in the 50s and fell in with some people out there. And, of course, from Tony Splatro and that Jimmy Fradiano, Jimmy Fradiano, these people from Chicago had some action going down in L.A., but no one mob family controlled L.A. And it’s spread out that you’ve got these neighborhoods over the place that I just wonder if they’re like a Brighton Beach kind of a place that where a lot of Russians had settled in. That was their neighborhood, at least where they did. They all live in one neighborhood. So, yeah, West Hollywood has a Russian enclave. And then there’s a park there called Plummer Park. That’s a gathering place for Russians in the neighborhood to get together and play chess and talk about what’s going on. I live in a neighborhood that has its own little enclave of Armenian mobsters. And their hangout is a donut shop. Yes, I’ve seen that here I have I was at a Starbucks up by the airport And I see these guys all ganged up together And they look like. [31:03] They’re Italians. They look like down at the social club down in the North End. I was retired by then. So I look at these guys. I call a friend of mine back down the intelligence unit. I say, I see these guys and here’s one of their license plates and it’s some kind of a limo service. And so, yeah, that’s our Albanian gangsters. They all hang out there at that Starbucks and then they go to the airport. They have these different things. They haul drug dealers back and forth. We are on to them. [31:29] That’s great interesting people ask Frank and I how is it that you get guys from the Russian mall or the fact with Betrayal in Blue who was a drug cartel guy or guys from the American mafia how do you get them to cooperate with you when you write these books I would like to stand whose name I can never pronounce with a whole section about the Russian mob, where he talks openly about it. And he says, because they trust us and anybody else, they want their story told truthfully. This is their legacy. They don’t want a bunch of BS about them in a book. If it’s been over seven years, they could talk about it. Unless it’s bank robbery, then it’s 10 years. We always tell them, don’t talk about anything you can be arrested for. Although, we’ll appreciate this because you’re doing this podcast. I was doing one, had this guest on, and all of a sudden he’s just talking about killing somebody. [32:35] I said, you can tell I’m kind of getting upset. Turns to his lawyers, he goes, what’s the statute of limitations on murder? Murder. Oh, my God. There isn’t one. Shut up. I have told guys that. I said, I’ll tell you something, dude. Do not tell me something I can’t live with. You can talk to me, but do not tell me something I can’t live with. You cannot trust me if you tell me something I can’t live with. And that’s the main one right there. Fortunately, they trust, People learned that they could trust Frank and I to be honest with them, direct with them, protect them if they need protection. I don’t know about the protection part. I’m not going to protect any. I’m with Jerry. Don’t tell me anything. Well, that’s what I mean. You tell them, don’t cross this line. That’s protection. Please tell them where the guardrails are. Yeah. It’s an interesting thing that we do. I’ve got some guys here and some guys around the country I’ve dealt with. And they reach out to you and they want to tell their story. I wish I could get more of them to want to tell their story. And they want to tell one thing I get criticized for. And it’ll be somebody that’s on YouTube, obviously in the know, and they’ll tell me how I got something wrong. [33:47] You deal with what you got. You deal with the newspaper articles and old court cases and things like that and try to get it right. But you can’t totally get it right. Of course, you don’t get it right as the way somebody else sees it, too. Everybody has a different take on the right story. I found out long ago, if you only rely on law enforcement, you’re not going to get the whole story. No, you got to go. Well, then you’re doing stenography. That’s what I always said. Yeah. Yeah. But it’s hard to get those people to open up, too. Man, it’s. Yeah. I was a reporter for a long time, so I’ve had some practice at it. And I’ve interviewed guys in prison. I’ve interviewed people who pre-arrest, during arrest, post-arrest. [34:26] And I’ve developed a way to talk to people that makes them comfortable. With Adam Diaz that Burrell mentioned in our book, Betrayal in Blue, this guy is a South American cartel member dealing cocaine in the United States. He went on the record and talked about his life doing that. [34:47] And the same thing in this book with Daniel Patterson. Daniel is quite a colorful character. And I interviewed him over five or six weekends about everything that he was involved in, up to and including the stuff that he did with the ITEVs. [35:04] Now, Daniel Patterson, explain who he was to the Russians. Sure. He’s basically a conduit for the Russians. He’s a guy who knew how to make money more legitimately than they did. He had the pill press. he explained the gold scam how to operate the gold scam how to write po’s how to like add a veneer of legitimacy to their business and and make more money by doing that yeah it’s like the scam emails you get you see the misspelled words they greet you in some archaic way this is a scam this guy could take all that out of it and right i always love it without warning people i want to worm. If the woman on the dating site says, I am so-and-so by name, they’re Nigerian. But if you tell them that, then all the Nigerians will stop telling them, I’ll stop using that. But if it says, I am Sally by name, they’re Nigerian. Even if they say they live in your hometown, they’re Nigerian. Good clue. Good clue. You guys hear that out there? [36:12] Yeah listen closely when you trip to one of these emails or one of these online things and you start talking to them they say my name is sally my name is nigerian hang up, how’s everything in nigerian click yeah. [36:31] Guys, I didn’t expect to get that kind of a great clue for my guys out there, but that’s a good one. I didn’t really realize that one myself. Yeah, I am Sally by name. Here’s your clue. Watch out. I was talking to a guy once, a friend of mine. He was talking about some girl that he met online, of course, through Facebook. And he said, she told me she just thought I looked interesting and sounded interesting from my Facebook. And I said, what’d she do? He said, I think she’s legitimate. I said, what’d she do? She’s an entrepreneur. I said, dude, dude. On. Dude. Model and entrepreneur. Yeah. [37:10] Okay. This has been great. Frank Girardeau and Burl Baer. B-A-R-E-R. Yes. And guys, I’ll have links to these books, all of their books. This book is A Taste for Murder, and they have Actually, this book is Where Murder Lies. Oh, I’m sorry. Okay. Oh, yeah. All right. Let me start. I’ll edit this. Their book is Where Murder Lies. And they also have one called A Taste for Murder, Betrayal in Blue, and Burned. So those are all three great true crime books. And I will have links to them in the show notes, guys. Thanks so much. Merle and Frank, I really appreciate you coming on. It’s really interesting. And Owen, if you buy the book, review the book. Say something nice about it. If you don’t like it, keep your mouth shut. Don’t give me one of those one-star reviews or I’m coming for you. You can’t trust those. [38:08] Thank you, Gary. All right. Thank you. All right. I’ll send, I don’t know, do I have your emails or do I have the publicist’s email? I got somebody’s email. Sometimes I never get your guys’ email. You got Vine, you got Frank, you got them both. All right. I’ll send you a link whenever I get this. It’ll probably be a month or more before I actually get this up. I would stay way ahead. Okay, good. Okay. All right. Talk to you soon. Same thing I can ever do for you here in Kansas City while you get on these stories or something. Hey, I’m in Missouri. I haven’t used to Missouri. I’m in Houston, Missouri. You what? I’m in Houston, Missouri. Oh, are you? Yeah, Texas County, Missouri. Oh, Texas County. Yeah, that’s way down south. That’s down south. I’m in the Ozarks. Yeah. Okay. That’s why I grew the goatee. Okay. All right. All right. Thanks, guys. Bye-bye. Bye.

The Kid Mero joins the pod to discuss hosting Mornings with Mero on Hot97, how he now has to wake up at 3:30am for the new gig, his podcast Victory Light, Albanians, witnessing his Dominican dad live his best life and get mani-pedis in retirement, getting kicked out of Catholic school, and much more. Mero and Stav help callers including a woman who thinks her husband is sus for asking for a special move in bed, and a guy who can't get over how his uncle tried stealing the inheritance that his father left for him years ago.   Subscribe to Victory Light with The Kid Mero on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/VictoryLight   Follow The Kid Mero on social media: https://www.instagram.com/thekidmero https://www.youtube.com/@accordingtothekid https://bsky.app/profile/thekidmero.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@thekidmero   https://www.threads.com/@thekidmero     Thanks to our sponsors!! Ziprecruiter - try it free at https://www.ziprecruiter.com/stavvy Visible - https://www.visible.com/ switch now! Twisted Tea - https://www.twistedtea.com/locations Keep It Twisted!!   ☎️ Want to be a part of the show? Call 904-800-STAV and leave a voicemail to get advice!