Podcasts about Ambassador Hotel

On todays Mark joins James and Glenn to talk about the  the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Key points include his background as Attorney General under John F. Kennedy, his presidential aspirations, and the conspiracy theories surrounding his death. Theories discussed include Sirhan Sirhan's involvement, the possibility of hypnosis, the role of the CIA, and the mob's potential involvement. The conversation also touches on the chaotic scene at the Ambassador Hotel, the presence of a woman in a polka dot dress who allegedly confessed to the crime, and the redaction of certain documents. The participants express skepticism about the official narrative and explore various motives and suspects. Don't Miss it!

Join host Alex on Crime Time Inc. for episode 21 of our Charles Manson series. This episode delves into the critical but often overlooked role of the grand jury in the legal process, particularly in the Charles Manson case. Learn how Susan Atkins' confession led prosecutors to act swiftly, opting for the secrecy of a grand jury to prevent the Manson Family from evading justice. Discover the pivotal moments of the grand jury proceedings, the dramatic courtroom atmosphere, and the psychological impact on jurors. The discussion also covers key trial events, including Manson's behavior, defense strategies, and the introduction of compelling testimonies. Don't miss this in-depth look into one of America's most infamous murder trials.00:00 Introduction to the Charles Manson Series00:29 The Role of the Grand Jury in the Manson Case02:39 The Start of the Infamous Manson Trial04:32 Jury Selection and Initial Courtroom Drama04:46 The Ambassador Hotel and Its Dark History06:38 Manson's Manipulation and Defense Tactics14:23 Opening Statements and Prosecution's Strategy36:05 Linda Kasabian Takes the Stand39:24 Courtroom Tensions and Testimonies48:47 Linda Kasabian's Testimony and Cross-Examination51:05 Nixon's Unprecedented Declaration52:22 Discussion on the Grand Jury System53:35 Courtroom Drama and Legal Systems55:57 Manson's Behavior and Legal Strategy01:01:59 Forensic Evidence and Nixon's Impact01:04:54 Psychiatric Assessments of Charles Manson01:06:40 Reflections on Legal Representation and Court Dynamics01:15:07 The Importance of Witness Testimony and Timeline01:17:50 Concluding Thoughts and Future EpisodesTom Wood is a former murder squad detective and Deputy Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police in Scotland. Tom worked on many high profile murder cases including Robert Black, Peter Tobin and was part of the team investigating The World's End Murders from day one until 37 years later when the culprit, Angus Sinclair was finally convicted. Tom was latterly the detective in overall charge of The World's End murder investigation. Tom is now retired from the Police and is a successful author.Tom Wood's Books Ruxton: The First Modern Murder https://amzn.eu/d/25k8KqGThe World's End Murders: The Inside Story https://amzn.eu/d/5U9nLoPSimon is a retired Police Officer and the best selling author of The Ten Percent, https://amzn.eu/d/5trz6bs a memoir consisting ofstories from the first part of his career as a police officer. From joining in 1978,being posted in Campbeltown in Argylll, becoming a detective on the Isle ofBute, Scotland, through to the Serious Crime Squad and working in the busy Glasgowstation in Govan.#CharlesManson,#MansonMurders,#truecrimepodcast,#helterskelter,#CrimeHistory,Further reading on Charles Manson which helped influence this podcast:Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff GuinnHelter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt GentryCharles Manson, the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'NeillAbout Crime Time Inc.Crime Time Inc. is hosted by Tom and Simon—two ex-cops with decades of frontline experience and zero tolerance for fluff. Tom, a by-the-book former Deputy Chief Constable from Edinburgh, and Simon, a rule-bending ex-undercover cop from Glasgow, bring sharp insight, dark humour, and plenty of East vs. West banter to every episode.Whether they're revisiting cases they worked on, grilling fellow former officers, or picking apart narrated true crime stories, Tom and Simon don't just talk about crime—they've lived it. Real cases. Real cops. Real talk.Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us.Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey.http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  The Conspiracy To Murder King, Part 3 The JFK Assassination Chokeholds: That Prove There Was A Conspiracy - Find here. The Polka Dot File on the Robert F. Kennedy Killing: The Paris Peace Talk Connections - Find here. Executive Action (1973) Watch here. Gold Warriors by Stirling Seagrave. Read here. Musician Dan Storper passed away last week. Dan was a JFK research financial supporter. RIP. View obituary. The JFK Assassination Chokeholds is now published in French! John Kelin sent Jim old published paperback editions of Probe Magazine. Jim will be offering some of these for sale. The Luna Committee has been extended for another six months. Perhaps they will hold open hearings in the future? Jim encourages Len to have MLK author and researcher John Avery Emison back on Black Op Radio. John Avery Emison recently published "The Deep State Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr." Find here. Are the RFK and MLK charges of conspiracy as easily provable as with the JFK case? The impact to our social structure when RFK and MLK were murdered is the same as with impact of JFK's murder. The Tet Offensive against the South Vietnamese in 1968 was from January 30 - March 20. Read more. Ted Shackley was a CIA in Vietnam. Dean Acheson walked out on LBJ after LBJ after LBJ continued to preach war. Acheson wanted real data. Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford spent 2 weeks at the Pentagon. It was clear there was no plan to win the war. Johnson abdicates on the air after it was obvious he had lost public support to McCarthy. Why did Martin Luther King's advisors want him to vote for McCarthy? King said no. The Poor People's March - MLK was actually trying to change the economic balance of power in the United States. Bobby Kennedy was going to support MLK with his Presidency of the USA. This powerful duo was a threat to the CIA. Jim feels wanting to end the Vietnam War and wanting to help the repressed American people sealed MLK's fate. When RFK let the attendees in Indianapolis know about MLK's murder, he begged them not to riot. Indianapolis was the only major American city that didn't go up in flames that night. The only loss Bobby had before winning the California primary was in Oregon. Cesar Estrada Chavez helped RFK secure the win in California against McCarthy. Bobby closed his speech on June 5, 1968 with "On to Chicago, let's win there!" before being murdered. Ambassador Hotel bus boy, Juan Romero, held RFK after he was shot in the head, putting his rosary in Bobby's hands. Although Jim hates the Dulles, Angleton etc. he appreciates their technical plans to eliminate their opponents. Lillian Castellano was the first person to add up the bullet holes and wounds, realizing more than 10 bullets were shot. This information was first published in the underground paper Los Angeles Free Press on May 23, 1969. Sirhan's gun only held 8 bullets. There was a SECOND GUN firing in the kitchen pantry of the Ambassador Hotel. Sirhan Sirhan was a PATSY! Just like Oswald, James Earl Ray etc.. Robert Kennedy's autopsy was performed by coroner Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi. Noguchi's findings did not uphold the deep state's fairy tale that Sirhan had murdered Robert Kennedy. Bill Harper wrote a 7 page affidavit stating all of the bullets that hit RFK were shot from below and behind RFK. Sirhan was NEVER behind RFK, making it impossible that he was the assassin who shot RFK. Fernando Faura, reporter for the Hollywood Citizen's News, helped bring the RFK case out of the shadows. Col. L. Fletcher Prouty explains how there was no "it" in the Vietnam war; there was NO PLAN to end the war. View here. The primary principle of war is the objective! If you don't know what you're doing, you have no business going to war. What are the 9 Principles of War? Read here. Len ponders if the Vietnam war an effort to control "The Golden Triangle" drug t...

  Steve has been keeping busy, slowly going through the 80,000 pages from the recently declassified JFK files. Seasoned JFK researchers who know the historic material will be able to make sense of the new JFK files. Len & Steve discuss the JFK Task Force headed by Congresswoman Anna Luna & the recent hearings. Steve finds Luna as being forthcoming & capable to the task of heading this new JFK task force. Steve is proud of his friendship with JFK researcher & author, Jefferson Morley, founder of JFK Facts website. Visit here. Oliver Stone will never be forgotten by the JFK researching community. His contributions have been priceless. The JFK movie by Oliver Stone was released in 1992, 2nd documentary Destiny Betrayed was 2021. Mr. X played by Donald Sutherland was based off the personal testimony of Col. L.Fletcher Prouty. It was beneficial to the research committee to have Oliver Stone at the first JFK hearing of the Luna Committee in Congress. They murdered JFK & got away with it, with Dulles guarding all information. Earl Warren and others never wanted to head the commission, they were ordered to by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Steve discusses the importance of the cover up with Len mentioning CE #399 and that unbelievable lie. All of the new observations fail to produce any evidence of the government’s false claims that "Oswald did it". Steve met Mark Lane in 1966 shortly after the release of Rush To Judgment. Mark introduced Steve to Jim Garrison. Jim wanted to know if Steve had any skills when Steve offered to volunteer to help Jim with his JFK investigation. Steve had read all 26 volumes of Warren Commission testimony & exhibits, with experience in photography at UCLA. Overloaded with film & photographic evidence, Garrison hired Steve as a forensic investigator in charge of this material. Steve feels the biggest discovery from this photographic & video evidence is the Zapruder film! Garrison sent Steve to the National Archives to view the unedited version of the Zapruder film. It was shockingly clear. Steve was also communicating with a liason with French Intelligence SDECE & was sent to Paris in June of 1968. French Intelligence gave Steve a copy of their near perfect copy of the Zapruder film. Film was disguised for trip to USA. Steve made copies to anyone who wanted one, he sent many films to JFK assassination researchers. JFK couldn't have been shot from the front & the back, by anyone shooting from the 6th floor of the TSBD building. Len believes this week there will be a release of the assassination of Robert Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel. All photos related to the assassinations should be released for public scrutiny. These are MURDER investigations. What happened in Dealey Plaza was a highly conscious and intentional act to completely change the direction of history. Churchill called the people who really control global politics the "High Cabal". Stay tuned for a new release this fall by Steve Jaffe, he's been busy working on a new book! Stay tuned! Until you start doing the deep research, you truly have no idea have no idea of the many lies that are told by the government. JFK's assassination completely changed the course of history, We still feel these effects. Part Two Paul Bleau @ 31:45 "The JFK Assassination Chokeholds: That Prove There Was A Conspiracy". Website "The Pepe Letters" Read here. Len & Paul discuss the latest in Paul's research & the JFK document release. Paul has an interest in the Fair Play For Cuba Committee. When Oswald joined this committee, Lee was on a mission. New Orleans wouldn't have had any appetite for communist sympathy after the Cuban Missile Crisis in the summer of 1963. Despite the logical failure of such a committee, Lee opens up a public chapter of the FPFC in New Orleans. Creation of such a committee in NO could have caused Castro issues regarding trade ...

Robert F. Kennedy, younger brother to John F Kennedy, former Attorney General and New York Senator, and a leading Democratic presidential candidate, was assassinated on June 5, 1968.  He was at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, shortly after delivering a victory speech following his win in the California primary.  The official story is that Kennedy was shot multiple times by Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian man. Sirhan was quickly apprehended at the scene and later claimed that he was angry over Kennedy's pro-Israel stance, particularly his support for Israel in the wake of the Six-Day War in 1967.  Kennedy was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day, on June 6, 1968.Although Sirhan Sirhan was arrested and convicted of the murder, many conspiracy theories have since emerged surrounding the assassination.  Some people believe that there may have been a second gunman or that Sirhan's actions were part of a larger plot. These theories have been fueled by the fact that Sirhan's gun was only a small-caliber revolver which was inconsistent with the murder weapon, and the physical evidence suggested that the shots that killed Kennedy came from close range—closer than Sirhan was able to stand to the senator at the time. Some argue that there were additional shooters in the pantry, pointing to discrepancies in witness testimony and the trajectory of the bullets.Conspiracy theories point to the possibility of CIA or other government involvement, citing the political climate of the time, with Kennedy being a vocal critic of the Vietnam War and a potential force for change in U.S. politics. Others suggest that powerful figures within the Democratic Party may have had motives for silencing Kennedy as he was gaining momentum in the race for president.   Did Sirhan Sirhan act alone?  Or was he merely a victim of MK Ultra?  Did he actually kill RFK, or was there someone else directly responsible?Send us a textSupport the showTheme song by INDA

Uncover the censored truth behind Bobby Kennedy's assassination in this deep dive into the Ambassador Hotel's bloodstained kitchen. Featuring never-broadcast audio of Sirhan Sirhan's hypnosis sessions, where he repeats “RFK must die” like a programmed mantra, and explosive interviews with Sandra Serrano, the key witness who saw the “polka-dot dress girl” fleeing the scene screaming, “We shot him!” This episode reveals how the LAPD destroyed ballistic evidence showing 13 bullets—five more than Sirhan's gun could hold—and exposes CIA operatives caught on film at the hotel that night. Was RFK's death a hit ordered to stop his anti-Vietnam crusade?

Phenomena (1985) / The Decay of Fiction (2002) This week we're dozing off into a deep dark slumber as we sleepwalk through the Swiss Alps with Dario Argento and haunt the Ambassador Hotel with Pat O'Neill

Robert F. Kennedy: The Life, Assassination, and Conspiracies In this 3 part compilation, explore the life, assassination, and the many unanswered questions surrounding one of America's most tragic political murders — Robert F. Kennedy.Begin by walking through RFK's incredible life story, from his early years as part of America's most famous political dynasty, to serving as Attorney General under his brother, President John F. Kennedy, and later as a U.S. Senator from New York. Often seen as the “conscience” of the Democratic Party, RFK evolved from a tough political operative into a champion for the poor, minorities, and disenfranchised. His presidential campaign in 1968 became a beacon of hope in a country torn apart by Vietnam, racial strife, and the assassinations of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.Then take you inside the electric atmosphere of the California Democratic primary, where Kennedy secured a major victory — a critical step toward potentially winning the presidency. His victory speech, delivered to a roaring crowd at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, was filled with hope and momentum. But within minutes of leaving that podium, chaos erupted in the hotel kitchen pantry. In a scene that still haunts the American consciousness, RFK was shot multiple times at close range, collapsing into the arms of his campaign staff as panicked supporters and hotel workers scrambled to help.Through detailed reconstructions of that night — using eyewitness accounts, police reports, and rare audio recordings — we recount the final moments of Kennedy's life, including the eerie calm before the shooting, the first shots fired by Sirhan Sirhan, and the frantic attempts to save Kennedy as he lay mortally wounded. We also explore the political and cultural shockwaves that followed: the grief of a nation, the massive public mourning, and the fear that America's last great hope for unity had been violently extinguished.But this story doesn't stop with the assassination itself — and that's where we take a sharp turn into the mysteries, controversies, and conspiracy theories that have shadowed this case for over five decades.We break down the official narrative of Sirhan Sirhan — a young Palestinian man allegedly motivated by Kennedy's pro-Israel stance. Yet, as we examine the evidence, troubling questions arise:Was Sirhan truly the lone gunman?Why did many witnesses claim to see a mysterious "girl in the polka dot dress" fleeing the scene, exclaiming, “We shot him!”?How do we explain conflicting ballistics reports and autopsy results suggesting RFK was shot from behind — a position Sirhan was never in?Could there have been a second gunman, or was Sirhan hypnotized or manipulated to act as a decoy?We explore the hypnotism theory, which suggests Sirhan may have been under some form of mind control, backed by his own claims of having no memory of the shooting. We also examine evidence that points to possible CIA involvement, as well as theories that link RFK's assassination to broader plots that also targeted his brother, JFK, and Martin Luther King Jr.Additionally, we take a hard look at the investigative failures and cover-ups that followed — from mishandled evidence and lost bullet fragments to ignored witnesses. We discuss why key pieces of evidence were never fully examined, and why this case, like JFK's, continues to fuel suspicion and speculation.By weaving together RFK's life, the tragic night of his assassination, and the many dark theories that persist, this episode seeks to tell the full story — not just of a man, but of a turning point in American history when hope was stolen and trust in government was shaken forever.If you think you know the story of Robert F. Kennedy, think again. This is a deep exploration of the man, the murder, and the mystery that refuses to die.Patreon -- https://www.patreon.com/theconspiracypodcast Our Website - www.theconspiracypodcast.com Our Email - info@theconspiracypodcast.com

In this episode, we are joined by two respected researchers in the field of political assassinations, both returning guests who have previously contributed valuable insights on the JFK assassination. Their expertise includes documenting eyewitness accounts and critically analyzing inconsistencies in official narratives. Today, the focus turns to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, with an in-depth exploration of the events that unfolded in the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel. The discussion examines the testimonies of multiple witnesses to the shooting, shedding light on critical details and raising important questions about the case.

This week we review the evidence, both shown, destroyed, as our investigation enters the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel, in Los Angeles, CA.   Watch the video version at http://youtube.com/frightday Questions? Comments?  True Tales of Terror? Call the Frightday Hotline: 1(833)374-4489 1(833)FRI-GHT9 Pick up our limited edition RFK shirt at http://shop.frightday.com Want more? Join the Frightday Society, at http://thefrightdaysociety.org As a Society Member, you'll have access to all Screamium content (Behind the Screams, It's Been a Weird Week, A Conversation With..., Toast to Toast PM with Wine Kelly, Cinema Autopsy, the Writers' Room, bonus episodes of Captain Kelly's Cryptids & Conspiracies, Byron's Serial Corner, and so much more! You'll also be part of our interactive community dedicated to the advancement of horror, hauntings, cryptids, conspiracies, aliens, and true crime. All things frightening. Keep our mini-fridges full of blood...I mean...not blood...normal things that people drink...by going to http://shop.frightday.com  Theme music by Yawns Produced by Byron McKoy Follow us in the shadows at the following places: @byronmckoy @kellyfrightday @frightday  This is an Audio Wool Original.

Our next guest came on the podcast two years ago. It was our second time meeting back then. Fast forward to today and I've come to admire and look up to this wonderfully creative human being. We catch up on her residency in the Ambassador Hotel, some of the community activations we have brewing, and her experience curating her first Tedx Chicago Art show. She also recently took on the role of Creative Director for a house DJ, Monty Kiddo. Please enjoy my conversation with MKODJ.https://www.instagram.com/emkayohdeejSupport the show:If you'd like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!

“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another” As Attorney General during JFK's presidency, Bobby had often played second fiddle to his older brother. But by 1968, Robert F. Kennedy had become a distinct political leader dedicated to social justice. In March he declared he would run in the primaries to become the Democratic presidential candidate. He galvanised support amongst marginalised communities, young people, and anti-war voters, and in the immediate aftermath of Martin Luther King's assassination, he gave an emotional impromptu speech to a predominantly Black crowd, mentioning his own brother's assassination for the first time in public. On the evening of June 4th, it was announced that Bobby had won the California primary. With bleeding palms from shaking so many hands along the campaign trail, he gave a victory speech to a crowded room of supporters in the Ambassador Hotel. But the joy was to come crashing down as tragedy struck the Kennedy family once more… Listen as Dominic and Tom discuss another of 1968's American assassinations, and the build up to the moment when Bobby Kennedy died in the arms of a seventeen-year-old kitchen busboy. _______ *The Rest Is History LIVE in the U.S.A.* If you live in the States, we've got some great news: Tom and Dominic will be performing throughout America in November, with shows in San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston and New York. Tickets on sale now at TheRestIsHistory.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wondered what it would feel like to come face-to-face with a ghost in a hotel where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated? Adam "Tex" Davis sure does—and he shares his unsettling experience with Tony Brueski in this episode of *Hidden Killers*. Adam, a comedy writer, finds himself at the infamous, long-abandoned Ambassador Hotel while shooting his first feature film. Despite being warned not to wander the crumbling halls alone, Adam sneaks off and stumbles upon something far more terrifying than expected: a woman dressed in 1920s clothing, standing eerily still at the end of a hallway. But she wasn't just a random person in a costume—she was a full-fledged ghost, vanishing right before his eyes, much to the shock of a security guard who witnessed it too. As Tony Brueski dives deep into the story, he presses Adam to confront the ultimate question: after such a haunting encounter, can you still deny the existence of ghosts? And what dark secrets might still linger in the walls of that now-demolished hotel? #AdamTexDavis #TonyBrueski #AmbassadorHotel #BobbyKennedy #GhostStories #TrueCrimeToday #HiddenKillers Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com 

Ever wondered what it would feel like to come face-to-face with a ghost in a hotel where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated? Adam "Tex" Davis sure does—and he shares his unsettling experience with Tony Brueski in this episode of *Hidden Killers*. Adam, a comedy writer, finds himself at the infamous, long-abandoned Ambassador Hotel while shooting his first feature film. Despite being warned not to wander the crumbling halls alone, Adam sneaks off and stumbles upon something far more terrifying than expected: a woman dressed in 1920s clothing, standing eerily still at the end of a hallway. But she wasn't just a random person in a costume—she was a full-fledged ghost, vanishing right before his eyes, much to the shock of a security guard who witnessed it too. As Tony Brueski dives deep into the story, he presses Adam to confront the ultimate question: after such a haunting encounter, can you still deny the existence of ghosts? And what dark secrets might still linger in the walls of that now-demolished hotel? #AdamTexDavis #TonyBrueski #AmbassadorHotel #BobbyKennedy #GhostStories #TrueCrimeToday #HiddenKillers Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Ever wondered what it would feel like to come face-to-face with a ghost in a hotel where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated? Adam "Tex" Davis sure does—and he shares his unsettling experience with Tony Brueski in this episode of *Hidden Killers*. Adam, a comedy writer, finds himself at the infamous, long-abandoned Ambassador Hotel while shooting his first feature film. Despite being warned not to wander the crumbling halls alone, Adam sneaks off and stumbles upon something far more terrifying than expected: a woman dressed in 1920s clothing, standing eerily still at the end of a hallway. But she wasn't just a random person in a costume—she was a full-fledged ghost, vanishing right before his eyes, much to the shock of a security guard who witnessed it too. As Tony Brueski dives deep into the story, he presses Adam to confront the ultimate question: after such a haunting encounter, can you still deny the existence of ghosts? And what dark secrets might still linger in the walls of that now-demolished hotel? #AdamTexDavis #TonyBrueski #AmbassadorHotel #BobbyKennedy #GhostStories #TrueCrimeToday #HiddenKillers Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com 

Ever wondered what it would feel like to come face-to-face with a ghost in a hotel where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated? Adam "Tex" Davis sure does—and he shares his unsettling experience with Tony Brueski in this episode of *Hidden Killers*. Adam, a comedy writer, finds himself at the infamous, long-abandoned Ambassador Hotel while shooting his first feature film. Despite being warned not to wander the crumbling halls alone, Adam sneaks off and stumbles upon something far more terrifying than expected: a woman dressed in 1920s clothing, standing eerily still at the end of a hallway. But she wasn't just a random person in a costume—she was a full-fledged ghost, vanishing right before his eyes, much to the shock of a security guard who witnessed it too. As Tony Brueski dives deep into the story, he presses Adam to confront the ultimate question: after such a haunting encounter, can you still deny the existence of ghosts? And what dark secrets might still linger in the walls of that now-demolished hotel? #AdamTexDavis #TonyBrueski #AmbassadorHotel #BobbyKennedy #GhostStories #TrueCrimeToday #HiddenKillers Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Lisa Pease - A Lie too Big To fail - The Real history of the assassination of Robert F. KennedyMar 26, 2023June 5th 1968 and Robert F. Kennedy is leaving the stage at the Ambassador Hotel and making his way through the kitchens to his waiting transport.He never made it. On June 5, 1968, shortly after midnight, Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.He was pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. PDT the following day. Kennedy was a senator from New York and a candidate in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries.On June 4, 1968, he won the California and South Dakota primary elections.But what was the truth of the matter; controversy has swirled around the killing almost to the same proportions of his brothers' five years previously.Lisa Pease has been unearthing the odd and the suspicious and has some surprising connections to talk about.Bio from Spartacus Educational;Lisa Pease, a lifelong information activist, became a researcher while trying to win arguments on the Internet about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. She found that her arguments were more persuasive when she backed them up with cold, hard data. Before she knew it, she had accumulated a massive library of books (including a full 26-volume set of Warren Commission Report), recordings, clippings and documents on these cases. When she discovered that the Los Angeles Police Department's records of the Robert Kennedy assassination were available at her local library, she spent many lunch hours, nights and weekends pouring through the files on microfilm to research that bizarre case.Twitter Lisa PeaseBook A Lie Too Big to Fail: The Real History of the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy ; The Assassinations: Probe Magazine on JFK, MLK, RFK and Malcolm XBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

In this solo episode, Bryan comes to you from Lonnie's Reno Club at the Ambassador Hotel in Kansas City. Bryan and a live audience are joined by a longtime listener, Chad Waldo. Bryan and Chad reflect on their early careers in sales, from pressure to panic, and tell some personal stories that will likely resonate with anyone who's ever been new to sales. They also discuss the math of sales, the importance of patience, and remind us to focus on controllable behaviors. Want to learn more about the Blind Zebra Sales Operating System? Let's go!

In this episode of Fabulously Delicious, The French Food Podcast, we delve into the fascinating life and legacy of Alain Senderens, a pioneering force behind Nouvelle Cuisine. Born in 1939 in Hyères, Provence, Alain's passion for cooking was kindled by his grandmother's exquisite Sunday meals and a love for reading. His culinary journey began with an apprenticeship at the Ambassador Hotel in Lourdes, followed by stints at La Tour d'Argent and Lucas Carton in Paris, the latter of which he would eventually own. Alain's remarkable career saw him transform French cuisine, introducing innovative techniques and flavors that broke away from traditional heavy dishes, making him a pivotal figure in modern gastronomy. Senderens' career is marked by his groundbreaking approach to food and wine pairing, a concept he developed with oenologist Jacques Puisais. This unique philosophy led Alain to craft dishes specifically to complement wines, revolutionizing the dining experience. His restaurant L'Archestrate, dedicated to Nouvelle Cuisine, earned three Michelin stars and became a culinary landmark in Paris. Despite later returning his stars to make high-quality dining more accessible, his influence on the culinary world remained profound. Alain's vision of "great food without fuss" was a testament to his commitment to democratizing gourmet cuisine, emphasizing simplicity and quality over opulence. Throughout his illustrious career, Alain trained numerous renowned chefs and received numerous accolades, including the title of Commander of Arts and Letters and an Officer of the Legion of Honor. His innovative spirit and dedication to the craft earned him the title of the founding father of Nouvelle Cuisine. Alain's legacy continues to inspire chefs and food lovers worldwide, reminding us of the transformative power of culinary art. Join us as we explore the life of this visionary chef and his lasting impact on French cuisine. Looking to deepen your culinary journey beyond the podcast? Andrew's latest book, Paris: A Fabulous Food Guide to the World's Most Delicious City, is your passport to gastronomic delights in the City of Lights. Packed with recommendations for boulangeries, patisseries, wine bars, and more, this guide ensures you savor the best of Parisian cuisine. Find Andrew's book Paris: A Fabulous Food Guide to the World's Most Delicious City and explore more at www.andrewpriorfabulously.com. For a signed and gift-packaged copy of the book, visit https://www.andrewpriorfabulously.com/book-paris-a-food-guide-to-the-worlds-most-delicious-city Also available on Amazon and Kindle. For those craving an immersive French food experience, join Andrew in Montmorillon for a hands-on cooking adventure. Stay in his charming townhouse and partake in culinary delights straight from the heart of France. Experience French culinary delights firsthand with Andrew's Vienne residencies. Visit https://www.andrewpriorfabulously.com/come-stay-with-me-vienne-residency for more information. Have your own Meadowsweet recipes or stories to share? Connect with Andrew on Instagram @andrewpriorfabulously or via email contact@andrewpriorfabulously.com for a chance to be featured on the podcast or his blog. Tune in to Fabulously Delicious on the Evergreen Podcast Network for more tantalizing tales of French gastronomy. Remember, whatever you do, do it Fabulously! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A conversation with Kashion Smith, the executive director of the Amarillo Convention & Visitors Bureau. After several years in the hotel industry—including a stint as wedding specialist at the old Ambassador Hotel in Amarillo—Smith has spent the past decade with the CVB. She took over leadership of that organization in 2020. In this role, she is responsible for promoting and supporting tourism, conventions and events in Amarillo. The CVB “sells” Amarillo as a destination for people who don't live here. Smith shares with host Jason Boyett about her former hotel career in Taos and Amarillo, how the CVB works to bring conventions to Amarillo, and what unique local characteristics are helping Amarillo compete with larger cities like San Antonio. This episode is supported by La-Z-Boy Furniture Stores, Wolflin Square and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

This week's Eye on Travel Podcast with Peter Greenberg - from the new Global Ambassador Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. Peter sits down with Jaynie Adams from the Arizona Historical Society to discuss the state's long and rich history. Then, Peter takes a look at the Phoenix's art scene with Olga Viso, The Chief Curator at the Phoenix Art Museum. And Sam Fox - cutting edge restaurateur and the Owner of The Global Ambassador - on the evolutionary and some revolutionary changes in hospitality and travel in Phoenix.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week's Eye on Travel Podcast with Peter Greenberg - from the new Global Ambassador Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. Peter sits down with Jaynie Adams from the Arizona Historical Society to discuss the state's long and rich history. Then, Peter takes a look at the Phoenix's art scene with Olga Viso, The Chief Curator at the Phoenix Art Museum. And Sam Fox - cutting edge restaurateur and the Owner of The Global Ambassador - on the evolutionary and some revolutionary changes in hospitality and travel in Phoenix.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This Day in Legal History: Sirhan Sirhan Sentenced to DeathOn this day in legal history, April 23, 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, a pivotal moment in American political and legal narratives. Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian immigrant, was convicted of murdering Kennedy on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, immediately following Kennedy's victory in the California Democratic presidential primary. Kennedy's assassination marked a profound loss, sending shockwaves across the nation and profoundly affecting its political landscape.Sirhan's trial was a high-profile case, filled with emotional testimonies and global attention. Initially sentenced to death, Sirhan's sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment in 1972 following the California Supreme Court's decision to invalidate all pending death sentences imposed prior to 1972 due to the unconstitutionality of the death penalty statutes.Over the years, Sirhan's case continued to evolve with numerous appeals and parole hearings. In 1998, his attorney, Larry Teeter, claimed that Sirhan did not commit the crime, suggesting that Sirhan was hypnotically programmed to fire shots as a diversion for the real assassin and was a victim of a larger conspiracy. Teeter's assertions fueled ongoing debates and conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's assassination, though they did not lead to a new trial or exoneration.Despite these controversies, Sirhan has been denied parole multiple times, with the most recent denial occurring in March 2023. The parole board's decision underscored ongoing concerns about the severity of the crime and its impact on American society. Each hearing brought renewed attention to the complexities of the case, including arguments regarding Sirhan's remorse, rehabilitation efforts, and the enduring pain felt by the Kennedy family and their unequivocal opposition to his release.Sirhan Sirhan's ongoing incarceration and the legal proceedings surrounding his case serve as a stark reminder of the lasting implications of political violence and the deep scars it leaves on a nation's collective memory. His story remains a significant chapter in the annals of American legal and political history, reflecting the tensions and traumas of a tumultuous era.Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, as a key promoter of President Biden's climate and economic initiatives, has been actively engaging with industry leaders and workers across the U.S., underscoring the administration's commitment to fostering a clean energy transition that promises high-quality union jobs and rejuvenates manufacturing sectors. Her frequent visits to various energy-related sites and promotional events serve to illustrate the Department of Energy's extensive influence and its capacity to distribute substantial funding, derived mainly from the bipartisan infrastructure law of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Recently, Granholm used the setting of Butler Works, a steel plant in Pennsylvania, to emphasize the government's efforts to sustain the steel industry, noting the plant's significant role in producing steel used nationwide.Butler Works, operated by Cleveland Cliffs Inc., benefits directly from the Biden administration's policies, such as the newly established standards for energy-efficient transformers and substantial grant funding aimed at reducing emissions. Granholm's visit highlighted the broader industrial strategy to make domestic manufacturing more appealing and competitive globally. This strategy also seeks to reverse the offshoring trends that have historically weakened U.S. manufacturing, aiming to reclaim jobs and production capabilities lost to countries like China.The timing of her visit aligns with a week of Earth Day-themed activities, emphasizing the administration's focus on enhancing the U.S. power grid and promoting local production of renewable energy components. This push towards revitalizing manufacturing in regions like Western Pennsylvania, a critical electoral battleground, is part of a larger effort to garner political support through economic revitalization. Cleveland-Cliffs, a major player in the steel industry, has been pivotal in this initiative, gearing up to meet the expected surge in demand for materials essential for a rapidly expanding U.S. power grid.A significant development for Butler Works came with the Department of Energy's decision to modify an earlier proposal that would have phased out the production of a specific type of steel used in transformers, responding to industry pushback and bipartisan political pressure. This decision not only secures jobs at the plant but also addresses concerns about potential shortages in the utility sector, highlighting the administration's receptiveness to industry feedback.However, this regulatory decision has drawn criticism from energy efficiency advocates who argue that it compromises potential energy savings. Granholm defended the final rule as a balanced approach, illustrating a government process responsive to stakeholder input while striving to achieve both environmental and economic objectives. This incident underscores the complex interplay between advancing environmental goals and maintaining industrial viability in the face of evolving energy needs and political pressures.Green Steel Jobs Multiply With Biden Energy Plan, Granholm SaysThe U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is set to vote on a new rule that would nearly eliminate non-compete clauses, which restrict workers from moving between jobs within the same industry. This decision comes three years after President Joe Biden encouraged the FTC to curb such agreements, which currently impact about 20% of U.S. workers. The proposed rule has garnered support from major labor organizations and Democratic leaders from various states, emphasizing its potential to enhance job mobility and promote fair labor practices.The Chamber of Commerce, the largest business lobby in the nation, has expressed strong opposition to the rule, planning to file a lawsuit immediately after the rule is officially released and voted upon. They argue that the rule is too expansive and could hinder companies from safeguarding their confidential information. Despite this opposition, the rule is likely to pass during the FTC meeting, with a predicted partisan split among the commissioners.The FTC's authority to enact this rule has been contested by the Chamber of Commerce, with their Chief Policy Officer claiming that the FTC lacks congressional approval to regulate aspects of competition in this manner. However, FTC Chair Lina Khan and other Democratic commissioners assert that they do possess the necessary authority, citing historical precedents where the FTC defined unfair competition practices.This upcoming vote and the ensuing legal challenge by the Chamber highlight a significant clash between federal regulatory power and business interests, setting the stage for a pivotal legal and economic debate over the scope of non-compete agreements in the U.S. workforce.FTC to Issue Non-Compete Ban as Chamber Lawsuit LoomsIn New York, Justice Juan Merchan is set to rule on possible violations by former President Donald Trump of a gag order in his ongoing criminal hush money trial. This gag order restricts Trump from making public criticisms of witnesses and others involved in the case. Prosecutors have pointed out Trump's recent derogatory comments about Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen, who are both expected to testify, and his claims about jury bias as instances of violations. They have proposed a fine of $1,000 for each violation, while also highlighting the potential for harsher penalties, including jail time, if Trump continues to breach the order.Trump, charged with falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to prevent her from disclosing a purported encounter, has pleaded not guilty and denied the encounter occurred. Prosecutors argue that this payment was part of a broader scheme to suppress damaging information during the election campaign, labeling it as "election fraud."During the trial, Trump's defense has maintained his innocence, asserting that his actions were meant to protect his family and reputation, and accused Daniels of exploiting the situation for profit. Meanwhile, further testimony is expected from David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, regarding his involvement in a "catch and kill" strategy to aid Trump's campaign by suppressing negative stories.American Media, Pecker's company, admitted to paying for stories about Trump's alleged affairs, including a substantial payment to Karen McDougal, which it never published. These actions were purportedly coordinated with Trump's campaign efforts.The outcome of this trial, one of several criminal cases against Trump, could significantly impact his chances in the upcoming presidential election, where he is set to face Joe Biden. Polls indicate that a conviction could deter a significant portion of independent and Republican voters.Judge to consider gag order violations in Trump hush money trial | ReutersIn my latest contribution in Forbes, I delve into the Biden administration's Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal, which includes a pivotal excise tax on private space companies like SpaceX. This tax is primarily aimed at covering the logistical costs incurred by air traffic control during rocket launches, an increasingly frequent event given the surge in private satellite deployments over the past decade. This move isn't just about generating revenue; it's a strategic step towards addressing the burgeoning issue of low-Earth orbit congestion.While this initial tax focuses on immediate air traffic control expenses, it paves the way for broader, more comprehensive space tax policies. The concept of a "space property tax" is introduced as a mechanism to internalize the external costs of satellite deployments. This tax would vary based on several factors including the size of the satellite, its operational lifespan, and its planned end-of-life disposal. The objective is to ensure that the costs associated with occupying space are fully accounted for and that satellite operators are motivated to utilize space responsibly and sustainably.Drawing parallels with terrestrial property taxes, which discourage unproductive land use, a space property tax would similarly encourage satellite operators to optimize the productivity of their satellites and the space they occupy. Such a tax would not only cover the use of space but also contribute to a fund dedicated to addressing future space-related issues, including debris mitigation.The global nature of space activities necessitates international cooperation and cohesive policymaking. The existing international agreements, such as the Outer Space Treaty, provide a foundational framework, but as satellite numbers grow, these policies will need to evolve. International collaboration will be crucial in creating a fair and effective space tax system, ensuring that all countries share the responsibilities and benefits of space utilization.As we continue to explore and utilize space, we must learn from our historical treatment of Earth's resources. By adopting a proactive and sustainable approach to space exploration, we can prevent the overexploitation of this critical frontier. This shift is not just about compliance but about ensuring the long-term viability of space for future generations.Forbes - Do We Need A Property Tax For Space?In my column this week, I explore an innovative approach to combating sales suppression through the introduction of a "Tax Lottery." This idea addresses the complexities introduced by remote cashiers and offshore payment processing, which are increasingly common in industries such as New York's restaurant sector. With remote cashiers based in distant locations like the Philippines, traditional auditing methods become challenging as tax authorities struggle to access accurate transaction logs.The core issue here is the invisibility of remote transactions to local tax authorities, a problem exacerbated when transactions are processed offsite or even offshore. The difficulty in obtaining transaction records makes it easy for businesses to suppress sales tax, a potential boon to their profits but a serious threat to tax compliance.To counter this, I propose a system where customers are incentivized to scan and submit their receipts immediately after purchases by entering a lottery. This could be integrated with existing state-run lotteries or through a separate prize fund created from the revenue gained from enhanced compliance. Such measures have been adopted in various countries with mixed results, yet they offer a promising solution to ensure transparency in transactions.By encouraging consumers to maintain a "shadow record" of their purchases, we create an independent verification of sales transactions that tax authorities can rely on. This method effectively turns every customer into a potential auditor, drastically reducing the likelihood of sales suppression by business owners.The success of such a system depends on the degree of sales suppression already occurring and the overall tax evasion culture within a state. While sophisticated evaders might still find ways around such measures, the general populace, driven by the incentive of potentially winning a prize, might become a formidable force in ensuring tax compliance.Moreover, the Tax Lottery system leverages the fact that while businesses might risk suppressing some transactions, they cannot predict which transactions customers will choose to report via their receipts. This uncertainty forces businesses to record all transactions faithfully, lest they face the consequences of an audit triggered by customer-submitted data.However, the effectiveness of this system hinges on balancing the penalties for non-compliance with the allure of the lottery rewards. The challenge lies in setting these parameters to optimize compliance without overwhelming businesses or consumers.Ultimately, appealing to the financial interests of consumers could be a powerful strategy against the potential rise in fraud, especially as remote cashier systems become more prevalent. As tax authorities seek innovative solutions to modern challenges, the Tax Lottery presents a potentially transformative approach to ensuring transparency and compliance in an increasingly digital economy.‘Tax Lottery' Would Help Abate Remote Cashier Auditing Nightmare Get full access to Minimum Competence - Daily Legal News Podcast at www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

This Day in Legal History: Sirhan Sirhan ConvictedOn this day in legal history, April 17, 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of one of the most high-profile crimes of the 20th century—the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy, a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, was shot on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, shortly after delivering his victory speech in the California primary elections. Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian immigrant, was apprehended at the scene.The trial of Sirhan was a watershed moment in American legal and political history. It highlighted the growing tensions in the United States and the world over issues like the Vietnam War and the Middle East conflict. Sirhan's defense team attempted to argue diminished capacity, claiming that Sirhan was mentally unstable at the time of the shooting. They presented evidence suggesting that Sirhan was psychologically unable to cope with his intense feelings of anger and alienation, stemming primarily from his strong objections to Kennedy's pro-Israeli views.Despite these arguments, the jury found Sirhan guilty of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to death. However, his sentence would not be carried out. In 1972, the Supreme Court of California effectively overturned the death penalty in the state, ruling it unconstitutional, which automatically commuted the death sentences of all death row inmates, including Sirhan, to life imprisonment.Sirhan's case continued to evoke debates about political violence, justice, and capital punishment. The commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment came during a period of intense scrutiny and reevaluation of the death penalty in the United States, reflecting broader societal shifts. His continued imprisonment has been punctuated by numerous parole hearings, during which the severity of his crime is re-examined alongside his behavior and reform while in custody.Sirhan Sirhan's conviction and subsequent legal journey through the penal system serve as a grim reminder of the turbulent times during the late 1960s in the United States and represent a significant chapter in the nation's legal history. The assassination and the trial that followed had a lasting impact on American legal practices and the political landscape, highlighting the intersection of mental health issues and the criminal justice system.A recent legal battle ended with a $101 million jury verdict against Walmart Inc. in favor of London Luxury, a textile vendor. The verdict was reached in Arkansas, close to Walmart's headquarters, concerning a breached contract for over $500 million in personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case was represented by the Manhattan litigation boutique Holwell Shuster & Goldberg (HSG), which took over after London Luxury parted ways with two larger law firms. This lawsuit received financial backing from Bench Walk Advisors, who invested over $5.1 million in the case among other suits.Walmart, represented by Jones Day and at least two other firms, has expressed disagreement with the jury's decision and is considering an appeal. The spokesperson from Walmart claimed that the verdict was not supported by evidence and emphasized the company's commitment to fair business practices.The litigation was originally filed in Westchester, New York, early 2022 but was moved to federal court in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The decision followed a 10-day jury trial. HSG, known for handling significant cases on contingency and alternative fee arrangements, benefitted from external funding which is becoming a common strategy among plaintiff-side lawyers to manage litigation costs.Litigation finance, a growing $15.2 billion industry, involves investors funding lawsuits in exchange for a portion of any financial awards. Bench Walk's investment in the Walmart case was aimed at covering trial costs, highlighting the evolving dynamics and risks associated with such financial strategies in litigation.Walmart's $101 Million Loss Is Win for Firm, Funder Behind SuitUS Senator Bob Menendez is set to present a defense strategy in his bribery trial that involves distancing himself from actions potentially taken by his wife, Nadine Menendez, according to newly unsealed court documents. The couple is accused of accepting various bribes, including cash, gold bars, and a car, in exchange for facilitating business and governmental interests. The documents reveal that Senator Menendez might testify that he was unaware of the true nature of the gifts, suggesting that his wife withheld information from him which led him to believe nothing unlawful was occurring.This defense strategy emerged during a legal request for separate trials for the senator and his wife, indicating a significant shift from their previously united front. The judge granted this request after Nadine Menendez needed to undergo surgery, leading to separate trial dates for the senator and his wife. The trial for Senator Menendez and two businessmen is set for May 6, while Nadine Menendez's trial is scheduled for July 8.The case also involves allegations that Senator Menendez acted as a foreign agent for Egypt, further complicating the charges against him. The decision to potentially expose confidential marital communications during the trial highlights the complex dynamics of the legal strategy and the personal stakes involved. The Menendez legal team's move to request separate trials underscores the challenges of defending a joint case while maintaining marital privileges and the strategic legal positioning that may influence the outcomes of their respective trials.Bob Menendez Poised to Blame His Wife in Bribery Case DefenseMichael Cohen, former attorney and fixer for Donald Trump, has shifted from a loyal supporter to a key witness in the first criminal trial of a U.S. president. The trial, which began recently in New York, revolves around allegations that Trump concealed payments made to the porn star Stormy Daniels to maintain her silence about a past sexual encounter. Cohen, who facilitated a $130,000 payment to Daniels prior to the 2016 election, claims Trump directed these actions. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, dismissing the allegations and labeling Cohen a "serial liar."This is not Cohen's first testimony against Trump; he has previously testified in a civil fraud trial concerning the Trump Organization's asset valuations. In that trial, Cohen admitted to manipulating property values on Trump's directive, which resulted in Trump being ordered to pay $454 million in penalties and interest. Furthermore, Cohen's history includes a three-year prison sentence for this payment and other offenses, including tax fraud and lying under oath about the Trump Organization's Russian business dealings.Cohen's role in Trump's legal saga underscores a dramatic transformation from a close presidential confidant to an outspoken critic, a change catalyzed by federal investigations into his activities. Despite his controversial past, including admitting to lying during legal proceedings, Cohen's insights are central to the prosecution's case. His involvement illustrates the complex dynamics and potential risks in relying on testimony from figures with compromised credibility. The outcome of this trial could have significant legal and political ramifications, reflecting Cohen's intricate and troubled relationship with the former president.Trump's ex-fixer Michael Cohen to be key witness in hush money criminal trial | ReutersMy column this week discusses the importance and implications of introducing an open-source tax credit for software developers. Open-source software, valued at $8.8 trillion, is fundamental to both private and governmental technology systems. These projects often start as hobbyist pursuits by individual developers and require long-term maintenance from a broader community, which currently lacks sufficient incentives. The proposed tax credit would allow developers to deduct expenses related to their voluntary contributions to open-source projects, including a portion of the time they dedicate, aiming to motivate broader participation and enhance project oversight.The idea of such a tax credit is not new, having been previously proposed at the state level. However, economic reliance on open-source software has only increased, highlighted by incidents like the XZ security breach, which underscore the risks of exploiting these resources without adequate compensation to the contributors. The proposed tax credit, potentially worth up to $2,000, would recognize the contributions of developers by helping to offset their financial costs, thus encouraging more significant investment in the security and enhancement of open-source projects.The broader impact of the tax credit includes not only financial benefits for developers but also societal acknowledgment of the value of their contributions, akin to charitable efforts in other professional fields. This recognition could help alleviate financial barriers and align developers' interests with wider societal benefits, promoting a more robust and secure open-source software ecosystem.However, implementing such a credit faces challenges, particularly in quantifying individual contributions and valuing developers' labor. In the column I suggest using the mean hourly wage for software developers as a baseline for these calculations and stresses the importance of designing this policy with inputs from various stakeholders to mitigate risks like fraud.Modern tools like GitHub and GitLab provide traceable records of contributions, making it feasible to verify and quantify individual efforts within open-source projects. This proposed tax credit aims to correct a significant oversight in our technological infrastructure, incentivizing valuable contributions that enhance the security and viability of open-source software in an increasingly digital world.Open-Source Tax Credit Would Better Compensate Tech Developers Get full access to Minimum Competence - Daily Legal News Podcast at www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Over more than half a century as a writer for the London Daily Express and the Times of London, British-born Ivor Davis covered major stories in North America. He penned a weekly entertainment column for the New York Times Syndicate for over 15 years, interviewing some of the biggest names in show business, from Cary Grant to Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton to Tom Cruise and Muhammad Ali. In 1962 he was smuggled onto the campus of the riot-torn University of Mississippi when James Meredith became the first black student to be enrolled --accompanied by 127 --yes 127-- US attorneys--Days of rioting followed with two killed--including one foreign journalist. Three years later Davis  was in the front lines as Los Angeles' Watts riots erupted. In l964, Davis was the only British daily newspaper correspondent to cover The Beatles' first American tour from start to finish, given unparalleled access to John, Paul, George and Ringo on the road, in their hotel, and during long nights of card and Monopoly games as they talked frankly about their bizarre new life. He also ghosted a regular newspaper column for George Harrison. His first-hand, insider's memoir, the award-winning The Beatles and Me On Tour, 60th Anniversary Book, was published  in February. It is a fascinating journey back in time where for the first time he chronicles, frankly and humorously, 34 days with the world's most famous band on the road—at a critical moment in the history of rock. The anniversary edition was published on Feb 9th this year. Davis covered Robert Kennedy's 1968 presidential bid and was in the kitchen in the Ambassador Hotel the night Senator Kennedy was assassinated.  He was one of the Boys on the Bus chronicling the life of actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan, first in his campaign for governor of California, then for president. He was a co-author of the 1969 political book Divided They Stand, which chronicled the Presidential election; and witnessed some of the biggest trials in American history: Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of killing Bobby Kennedy in 1969; black-power militant Angela Davis, acquitted of murder in l972; a year later, Daniel Ellsberg's trial for leaking the Pentagon Papers, and, in 1976, he was in San Francisco to see heiress Patty Hearst convicted of robbery after being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.   His new true crime book, “The Devil in My Friend: The Inside Story of a Malibu Murder.”  It is an account of the famous Eighties trial of Malibu engineer Frederick George Roehler,  who was convicted of the murder of his wife and young stepson after an almost year-long trial in the Santa Barbara Courthouse in May l982. The killings took place close by—at Santa Cruz Island. The new book will be published this year on May 7th.   https://ivordavisbooks.com/ Connect more:  https://www.chonacas.com/podcast/ https://www.instagram.com/shesallovertheplacepodcast/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiechonacas/   I hope you enjoyed the episode, please share with one person! Please leave a 5 star & review on Apple Podcasts as it supports me as an Independent Podcaster :) Thank you!  Katie xo     

In the third installment of the RFK series, the boys embark on a journey through the labyrinthine corridors of conspiracy surrounding the tragic assassination of Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy. With meticulous attention to detail, they unravel the threads of speculation, from the mysterious girl in the polka dot dress whose presence remains shrouded in intrigue, to the unsettling whispers of a possible inside job lurking in the shadows. As they navigate through each theory, exploring the motives and potential perpetrators, they confront the haunting echoes of that fateful night at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Join them on this exploration as they navigate through conflicting narratives, untangle the web of deception, and ultimately, arrive at their own conclusions about the events that forever altered the course of history. Patreon -- https://www.patreon.com/theconspiracypodcast Our Website - www.theconspiracypodcast.com Our Email - info@theconspiracypodcast.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theconspiracypodcast/message

In part two of the RFK Assassination series we go into the heart-wrenching events of the night of June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel, where the life of Robert F. Kennedy was tragically cut short. Step into the bustling atmosphere of the hotel's Cocoanut Grove nightclub, where excitement mingled with anticipation as RFK celebrated his victory in the California Democratic presidential primary. Experience the electrifying energy of the crowd as Kennedy delivered his poignant victory speech, igniting hope and optimism for a better future. But amidst the jubilation, chaos erupted when gunshots rang out in the hotel's pantry, forever altering the course of history. Join us as we reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the assassination, examining the actions of Sirhan Sirhan and the frantic efforts to subdue him. Through eyewitness accounts, audio recordings, and expert analysis, we peel back the layers of this pivotal moment, uncovering the intricate details and overlooked nuances that have shaped our understanding of this tragic night. Patreon -- https://www.patreon.com/theconspiracypodcast Our Website - www.theconspiracypodcast.com Our Email - info@theconspiracypodcast.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theconspiracypodcast/message

A pivotal moment in American history as we explore the life and assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. In this episode, we journey through the electrifying atmosphere that surrounded Kennedy's triumph in the Democratic primary in California. His victory ignited a sense of hope and promise, seemingly propelling him closer to the White House and inspiring millions with his message of unity and progress. However, the course of history took a dark and unexpected turn in the late hours of June 5, 1968. Amidst the jubilation at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, tragedy struck. Robert F. Kennedy, the beacon of hope for many, was struck down by an assassin's bullet. The news of his shooting sent shockwaves across the nation, leaving a profound sense of loss and disbelief in its wake. Despite the best efforts of medical teams, Kennedy was pronounced dead the following day, leaving behind a legacy cut short and dreams unfulfilled. In this episode, we take you through a summary of the life of RFK leading up to his win in California to his life and career cut short by a murder. Part 1 of a 3 part series on RFK. Patreon -- https://www.patreon.com/theconspiracypodcast Our Website - www.theconspiracypodcast.com Our Email - info@theconspiracypodcast.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theconspiracypodcast/message

RFK, the brother of president JFK, was assassinated while running for the democratic party nomination.  The official story was Sirhan Sirhan killed RFK because he supported Israel. Does this stand up to scrutiny, or was Sirhan a patsy? Let's find out! You can find all of our wonderful links, including Patreon, on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/allts   Here is a description of the case provided by Chatgpt:   The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, occurred on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. RFK had just won the California Democratic primary for the 1968 presidential election and was celebrating with supporters at the hotel. After delivering a speech in the hotel's Embassy Room, Kennedy was making his way through the hotel kitchen pantry when he was shot. The alleged assassin was Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian Arab. Sirhan approached Kennedy and began firing a .22 caliber revolver. Kennedy was hit multiple times, and several others in the vicinity were also wounded. Kennedy was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries on June 6, 1968. The tragic event took place less than five years after the assassination of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963. The motives behind Sirhan Sirhan's actions have been a subject of debate and speculation. Sirhan claimed that he was angry with Kennedy's pro-Israel stance, but the exact reasons for his actions remain unclear. The assassination of RFK had a profound impact on American politics and the trajectory of the 1968 presidential election.

We're in the HI Now Kitchen cooking up southern food with Corey Love and we're live at Romer Waikiki at the Ambassador Hotel! Mahalo for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Vernon County; https://bit.ly/34JWV1ZThe Cabin is also presented by Jolly Good Soda, where we get a chance to talk with Nicole from Jolly Good about the latest happenings. Jolly Good is available in all your classic favorite flavors that we remember from childhood. The diet line offers 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugars, and no caffeine – perfect for mixers or just enjoying on a warm summer day (or any day, for that matter); always Wisconsin-based, you can follow @jollygoodsoda on social for the latest on new flavors, fun promotions, and more. Learn more here; https://bit.ly/3TSFYY4   Campfire Conversation: Eric and Ana welcome “Brick” into The Cabin to talk terrifying haunts for Halloween across Wisconsin. These are places rumored - and as far as some people are concerned, verified - to be haunted with some crazy and unexplained things that happen. Places like the Bloody Bride Bridge in Stevens Point - can you guess the stories behind that one? The legendary Summerwind Mansion - or what's left of it - deep in the North Woods has had numerous reports of hauntings and more ever since its construction, the mysterious fire, and the aftermath ever since. Cemeteries are always rife with haunting rumors, and the Dartford Cemetery in Green Lake has a special reputation that Brick discusses. Similar for Sanitarium Hill in Madison, with plenty of history that just might freak you out. Milwaukee's Ambassador Hotel has long been rumored to be haunted, as is Shaker's Cigar Bar in Walker's Point, which gives ghost tours. Manitowoc, home of Windigo Fest, has a major World War II-era submarine called the USS Cobia in the water and plenty of hauntings have been reported on the sub, where people can still spend the night. In Marinette County, McClintock County Park near Silver Cliff gives you an outdoor area to explore and make yourself vulnerable, while on the Door Peninsula the Institute Saloon lets you raise a glass of beer with the ghosts that hang out there. And the legend of the Mabel Tainter Theater in Menomonie is just not for elegant beauty in its architecture and staging wonderful shows; it, like many theaters, has some spooky stuff happening when the curtain is down. We discuss all of these and more in Haunted Wisconsin on the episode of The Cabin. Inside Sponsors:Best Western Hotels: https://bit.ly/3zCCK3fMarshfield Clinic: https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

Craig Ciccone is a independent historian who has spent much of his time understanding and researching political assassinations. Craig joins me again to discuss the events of June 5th, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel that led to the death of Robert F. Kennedy. Craig breaks down the official story and some of the inconsistencies in the accused lone assassin conclusion. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/out-of-the-blank/support

Dennis connects via telephone with his longtime friend Jude Hopkins to discuss her new novel Babe In the Woods. Here's the official blurb: After living in Los Angeles, Hadley Todd returns to her hometown in rural New York to write and be near her father. Hadley hopes to channel her recent L.A. heartbreak into a play about the last moment of a woman's innocence. But she seeks inspiration. Enter Trey Harding, a young, handsome reporter who is the perfect spark to fire up her imagination. In the interview, Jude talks about how the novel began as a riff on Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind, why she decided to make her heroine Hadley more complicated than most rom-com heroines, and why she decided to not aim for the HEA or “happily ever after” market. Jude also talks about never giving up on her dream of having a novel published and wonders why so many people do give up on their dreams. Jude and Dennis also reminisce about times they spent together in LA; recording song parodies, going to game show tapings, trying and failing to see David Cassidy perform at the Ambassador Hotel and crafting outgoing messages for Dennis's answering machine. Other topics include: why Jude's glad her parents ignored her growing up, when she fell in love with literature, why she loves teaching, being disillusioned by Alex Trebek, meeting Tina Turner and Paul and Linda McCartney when she worked at Capital Records and that glorious moment when she first held her finished novel in her hands. https://www.judehopkinswriting.net/  

In this in depth debriefing the boys again find themselves amongst the Kennedy family. On the evening of June 5, 1968 Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed by a 24 year old Palestinian named Sirhan Sirhan. But was he the only shooter? More questions than answers arise after the tragic event. Could this be a massive coverup to assassinate another powerful member of the Kennedy clan? Join the crew on this trip through the Ambassador Hotel kitchen to uncover the truth.   Check out new merch in the Hush shop! If you have any questions or topics you'd like to see the society cover, please reach out at Contact@hushhushsociety.com   You can find all our audio, blogs and drop sweet ratings at www.hushhushsociety.com Find our Video Content on our Rokfin Leave us a review on Apple, our website, Podchaser or GoodPods You can grab Hush Hush merch and help support the show on Patreon Link up with the society on social media:   Facebook   Instagram   Twitter 

Step into the shadowy underbelly of Hollywood's golden era with Scott Michaels, the mastermind behind “Dearly Departed Tours”, "The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter", and “FindADeath.com”. -- CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:38 - Scott's First Exposure to Tragical History 04:22 - Celebrity Deaths 08:54 - Never Before Seen Photos of the Charles Manson / LaBianca Murders 10:14 - People Send Scott Random Items 12:16 - Immersed in Murder - Jack the Ripper, Kray Twins, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, and Jeffrey Dahmer 14:32 - Jeffrey Dahmer 17:24 - People Who Identify With Serial Killers / The Manson Girls 19:09 - John Wayne Gacy 21:33 - The World Made Charles Manson The Boogeyman 22:38 - Graveline Tours – Janice Joplin, The Menendez House, Auntie Em's Suicide 25:39 - Starline Tours – LA Celebrity Tours 28:05 - Celebrity Graves (Forest Lawn Cemetery, Westwood Cemetery) – Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Natalie Wood, Truman Capote, Rodney Dangerfield, Farrah Fawcett, Hugh Hefner 30:30 - Judy Garland Exhumed 31:46 - Vandalizing Celebrity Graves 33:25 - Celebrities With Unmarked Graves 33:57 - Starting FindADeath.com 37:07 - Princess Diana's Fatal Car Accident 40:37 - Car Accidents Can Happen Any Time 41:04 - Jayne Mansfield's Death By "Cranial Avulsion" 45:07 - Hollywood Babylon – Kenneth Anger, James Dean is a Male Prostitute, Jean Harlow, Marie Prevost Eaten By Dog 46:17 - Scott Owns The Car Jayne Mansfield Died In 51:08 - The Beginning of Dearly Departed 52:59 - The Menendez Brothers 55:39 - LA's Dark History 57:11 - How Scott Found Stops, Routes, and Stories For Dearly Departed 58:36 - Dearly Departed's Helter Skelter Tour 59:42 - Virginia Graham and Ronnie Howard Exposed the Manson Family, Susan Atkins' "Death List" 1:03:49 - Albert Dekker's Insane Suicide Story 1:05:36 - Anthony Bourdain Went on Scott's Tour 1:07:04 - Tour Stops That Are Too Disturbing For People 1:08:39 - Dearly Departed Vol 1 & 2 – Karen Carpenter Funeral Home, Black Dahlia Locations, Paul Walker Crash Location 1:09:14 - The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter 1:12:39 - Scott's "Haunted" Collection – Carrie Fisher's Cigarette, Door of the Room "Divine" Died In, Elizabeth Morgan's Wicker Settee, Mae West's Teeth, a Tile of the Ambassador Hotel where Bobby Kennedy Was Assassinated, Sharon Tate's Fireplace 1:15:50 - Scott Brings In and Gifts Pieces of His Collection – Sharon Tate's Fireplace, A Piece of the Titanic, and a Tile from the Pool Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones Drowned in 1:19:40 - Haunted Items Bring Paranormal Encounters 1:20:58 - Owning a Painting Sent By John Wayne Gacy 1:23:33 - Helter Skelter, Charles Manson, Tate/LaBianca Murders – What Happened? 1:27:11 - The Manson Family 1:28:39 - The Motives of the Tate / LaBianca Murders – Dennis Wilson, Terry Melcher, Charles Manson, Tex Watson, and the Beach Boys Stolen Manson Song 1:36:42 - Remembering When "Helter Skelter" Happened 1:37:51 - Richard Ramirez, The Night Stalker 1:38:17 - LaBiancas & Shorty Shay Murdered 1:39:41 - Wojciech Frykowski May Have Provoked the Murders 1:41:11 - The Album Charles Manson Made In Jail 1:41:49 - Helter Skelter's Impact on Scott's Life 1:42:37 - Scott's Involvement in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" 1:44:51 - Working With Quentin Tarantino 1:49:09 - Finding the Hidden Details of Helter Skelter 1:51:59 - Did William Garretson Hear the Murders? 1:56:15 - Does Scott Miss Doing the Dearly Departed Tours? 1:57:59 - Private Tours of Dearly Departed 1:59:03 - A Victim-Oriented Approach 2:01:25 - Scott's YouTube Channel – Going to the Bedroom Where Marvin Gaye Was Killed and Interviewing the Man Who Embalmed Marilyn Monroe 2:03:36 - Outro --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talksfromthecrypt/support

Gooood Saturday morning! Here's what James Clary covers this morning: On June 5, 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Immediately after he addressed cheering supporters, Kennedy was allegedly shot several times by 24-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy was pronounced dead a day later, on June 6, 1968. Was Kennedy really assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan? Was it someone else?

Late night television programs have turned to reruns and soon production on scripted shows may halt as the Writers Guild of America went on strike. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years meant 11,500 members stopped working with the expiration of their contract as they look for improved pay during the streaming era. We have several interview clips with celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Josh Gad weighing in with their support of writers. How long will the strike last? Co-host Bruce Miller suggests 100 days, which could delay the start of the fall season and lead to more reality shows. In the meantime, we turn our attention to the coming-of-age movie "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." The film is based on the 1970 novel of the same name from Judy Blume. The film adaptation stars Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie and Kathy Bates. We then turn our attention to icons. What makes an icon? Philanthropist billionaire David Rubenstein, who is a collector of historical artifcats like the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence, is the host of "Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein." Miller talks with Rubenstein about history, iconic items and locations, and collecting. You can also read more: READ MORE: Icons help tell America's story, says philanthropist David Rubenstein Finally, Miller and co-host Terry Lipshetz talk about the upcoming summer blockbusters, which we'll preview in next week's episode. Did you know "Jaws" is considered the first summer blockbuster? Where to watch "Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein" on PBS "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" in movie theaters About the show Streamed & Screened is a podcast about movies and TV hosted by Bruce Miller, a longtime entertainment reporter who is now the editor of the Sioux City Journal in Iowa and Terry Lipshetz, a senior producer for Lee Enterprises based in Madison, Wisconsin. Episode transcript Note: The following transcript was created by Adobe Premiere and may contain misspellings and other inaccuracies as it was generated automatically: They've got to get a fair deal. So, yeah, I'll do whatever I can to support them. Those are the sounds of picketers as well as a clip of Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon as the Writers Guild of America went on strike. Audio Courtesy The Associated Press. Welcome to another episode of Streamed and screened and entertainment podcasts about movies and TV. I'm Terry Lipshetz, a senior producer at Lee Enterprises and the co-host of the program, along with the iconic Bruce Miller, editor of the Sioux City Journal and longtime entertainment reporter. Bruce, you are an icon, aren't you? I have been through many writer's strikes in Hollywood and seen different things that they've done over those years. I remember one time actually being in Hollywood when the writers strike began and there were picketers out front of our hotel because producers were in there and they wanted to to let their message be known.So I guess I've seen writer's strikes like you can't believe, you know, the people ask, Well, now are we having no television? Has there been no movies? Is everything going to disappear? This is just terrible. Well, settle down. You'll be okay. This is how we got reality TV. If you may remember, in 2007, it wasn't that big of a deal. And reality TV is supposed oddly unscripted, even though it is largely scripted. They give them an outline, but they don't have to come up with the lines themselves. So I think what you're going to see are these things where, you know, you don't need any kind of writing done. They don't need to write the questions. It will affect things like Jeopardy because they have to write those questions. So game shows aren't necessarily immune from this. Some talk shows like the late night shows, are scripted. They will not be around. They'll show reruns. You'll be able to see those things for a while. The stuff that you really don't care about, probably you'll see more of it. Sporting events, they'll do that. Award shows. This will be our first test. The ACM awards, Country Music Awards that are coming up would probably have some scripted stuff if they haven't written it already. They're going to have to just ad lib. And so I don't know how good Dolly Parton is at ad libbing, but we'll this will be a test of what it's like. She'll be on her toes. Yes, she'll be good. The Tony Awards are coming up. Are they going to be able to do any kind of writing around those things? Who knows? But it will be interesting. And they're assuming that it'll go at least 100 days. Wow. Because within that 100 days, there are other contracts that would come due and it gives the the companies, the studios, the whatevers an opportunity to end those contracts. And they they spent a lot of big money buying talent. You know, when streaming came in, it was like, oh, we've got to lock up x, Y and Z because then they'll make product for us for the next ten years. You saw Ryan Murphy got a big contract. Shonda Rhimes got a big contract. So all those people have these contracts that could be affected by that. And then they can just say, We no longer have that contract, let's renegotiate, let's see what happens. So the 100 day window is kind of awaited. Now, they could end it by this week and then everything all bets are off. But likely there will be a ride out there because they want to see this kind of change. They want to see change because everybody went crazy over streaming and spent a lot of money. Now, what does this leave us, the viewer, at home? Well, if you noticed, we were seeing a lot of shows from Korea. We were seeing shows from other countries. There's Swedish shows, Norwegian shows, Spanish shows. And they would subtitled them or they would dub them. That's likely that we're going to see a lot of those. And how else did we get things? Like Parasite was a foreign made film that came over here, did very well. The Squid game, there's another one that you know did well, and that was a foreign product. So I think you would see other shows that we didn't get a chance to see from other countries. That's where they'll look for some of the product. A long time ago, they took old scripts and just rebuild them. And that was, I think, a bust, a real bad idea because do you want to see new people playing Mission Impossible? You know, with a script written in 1967? I don't think so. They can't make changes and they can't do things. Now. Some scripts are already written and they would be able to film them, but they wouldn't be able to like if they didn't like the way a line landed. They couldn't fix it. They'd have to just go with the line as it was. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Because really the I mean, we see the immediate impact with late night TV, Saturday Night Live, that kind of thing, because it's live, it's daily or weekly. Right. And obviously this the strike has shut them down. But in reality, anything that was kind of already written and in production is probably okay other than what she said. You know, if there needs to be changes or rewrites, that would be the biggest problem. Yeah, they wouldn't let them do that. Now, you know, news shows technically are written, but they get a pass because it's the news. And so they would be able to still do those kind of scripts. You know, look at some of Fox News. A lot of times it's just people sitting around talking so they're not affected by those things. Probably the fall season is where we might run into the biggest. If it goes like you said, three months. If it goes beyond three months or why would even imagine if it went a full three months? Because it's already May right now. So, you know, those September shows will probably go into production when? In July? August. But August is usually kind of the starting date for many of their if they're coming back, if there are new show they they've made their first episode, they may have made a second episode, but they wouldn't go back into production until August because they figure September would be the start date for all of that. So, you know, and they could always delay the start of a season if they knew that they'd be done by September with the contracts and all this. They could back it up in the fall season, wouldn't start October or November and then fill in with with, you know, other kind of special programing that they might have or a very special episode of whatever or bingeing. And I think that's what what hurt all this really is They used to have orders for 22 episodes a year, and that kind of ensured that you were going to get a decent paycheck if you were a writer, because you would be on staff for 22 episodes. That doesn't mean you're writing all 22, but you would be under there under their contract, if you will, and you'd get a paycheck now because there are ten episode shows, eight episode shows. That's a short run. And they're, you know, the production companies are saving money on this. And so they're not making what they thought they were and they're having to look for another another line of work. So it is, you know, there's a reason for them to strike. Let's go back to some audio. I've got two more clips. One is of Josh Gad. He's a comic and an actor. You probably know him, of course, as the voice of Olaf in Frozen. But we also have a writer named Sean Crespo, who's I would consider a little bit more of a rank and file writer. This is somebody that is really going to be affected by the writers strike. So let's go and listen to them now. But as sort of a hybrid here. I'll just speak on on behalf of the actor side of me is we are nothing without their words. We have nothing without them. It's just a pile of abuses that have you know, you can't address them every day. They only negotiate once every few years. So these things have piled on like this. There's just not there's too much work and not enough pay. Like there's no there's not really a path to middle class living anymore as a writer, I have a friend who just got a job on a series and now won't be writing because they're they're striking. So, you know, what do you do? You have this job, do you all the time open and don't do anything. Do you go work at a grocery store? What do you do during that interim? So it is a concern and it's a trickle down. If they're not producing shows, that means people who are in the, you know, not non front of the camera jobs are also unemployed. So it just it trickles down. You don't have people who need to do the costumes or do the sheds or whatever it might be. They're unemployed as well. So it isn't an easy thing and it is a big A you are looking at George Clooney suddenly losing a lot of money or anybody like that. It's it has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with being a little fairer about spreading the wealth around to those who are making it. A lot of these executives will get huge bonuses and none of it trickles down, even though maybe their network or their their streaming service performed really well. This doesn't save that poor guy is making whatever from doing another kind of job. He isn't going down to the Kroger's and saying, suddenly I'm going to be I'll stack shelves for you, you know. So and it happens all the time. They should be prepared before it even gets to this point. I mean, I think the misconception, too, is because we heard from, of course, like Jimmy Fallon and he, of course, wrote on Saturday Night Live. So I presume he was a striking guild member at some point. But he's obviously at a point now where he's got a big contract as a TV host. But he's a small piece of this puzzle. It's you're talking about a lot of gig workers. A lot of folks said, well, not even gig workers. They're contracted workers. And if the show goes off, they're not making a salary. So it's you know, a lot of folks that are just kind of getting by. And it's you've got your your light crews and your audio crews and your camera crews and all of those folks aren't aren't working right now, but they're sticking together. And I did see that NBC, at least for a short period of time, it sounds like they're going to pay the writers, the crew members, I think like two weeks from The Tonight Show, for instance. And I think Jimmy Fallon is going to pay another week out of his own pocket. So the writers and the crew members, they'll get about three weeks of pay. But then it's kind of, you know, buckle up for the long haul. We're not going to keep paying you. We won't have to worry about what we're going to watch. There will be content and there probably is content that's in the hopper right now because they've already filmed it and they can just start, you know, sorting it out. It's a year from now that you'll have to wonder what what are they going to do because they aren't done with that. And technically, writers are prevented from writing. Well, they're on strike, you know, you say, oh, write a movie, just write yourself a little another series or something. You can write all of it. Well, they're not supposed to do that. So the idea that you would suddenly end the strike and come in with ten episodes of a show, that's not going to happen. Exactly. So we'll move on now from the writers strike to what's going on in the theater. See anything good recently, Bruce? You know, I did see. Are you there? God, it's me, Margaret, not my wheelhouse. I'll just be honest. It was not a film that I was, you know, excited about. But I do remember vaguely the controversy about Judy Blume's book and that she was writing these very adult books for young people. And now when we hear all this, you know, we've got to ban books because they're telling kids too much stuff. Mhm. If this was something they were worried about, boy I can give you a list of stuff we should worry about now that it's very benign. If I had a kid, I think it would be even a little too juvenile for somebody who is the same age as the characters in the sixth grader. She's about 12 and they, you know, barely, barely talks about puberty and change of life and things like that. Barely. It's more like, how do you deal when things happen? She moves, for example, from New York City to New Jersey. And that is a big trauma for a kid. You know, I'm going to have to go to a new school. I'm going to meet new people, where will I fit in? But this being a thing that you would even consider banning is like beyond me. I thought it was very harmless. I thought the Wonder years as a TV series which covered the same era, was far more adult and far more educational. Maybe in some of those areas, like when I watched The Wonder Years, I go, Oh yes, I remember that kind of situation and what that. And they also played world affairs a little better. They talked about the Vietnam War. They talked about other things that were happening in the world. Well, they were doing that the the living, if you will, with this idea. There really isn't that much about the world around them. Mom is living in a town where she isn't working. She's a stay at home mom. And that's different for her. And trying to adjust to that. But for the most part, I thought it was a a pleasant little film, but hardly a controversial one. So Rachel McAdams plays Barbara. The mother thinks she's not given enough credit for the things she's able to do. But even with just a look, she can convey things that weren't in the script at all. And I think she's really, really talented. And I hope this doesn't mean that now she's just going to play mothers because I think there's a lot more for her to do. Abby Ryder Fortson played the 11 year old Margaret in the movie. How did she perform? Just a sweetheart. She you know, you feel her a more pressing issue with this is religion. Her father is Jewish, her mother is Christian, or they're from those families. The mom and dad really don't practice religion. And so she really doesn't kind of know where she fits in. Is she Jewish like her grandma? Is she Christian like her grandparents on the other side? Where does she fit in all of this? And she even goes to a priest at one point and goes to confession and thinking maybe that's what she needs. But it's a more questioning film about religion. And where do you fit in with that? It doesn't answer the question, but it does help you. You know, consider that maybe that's an important question to be asking at that age. This sounds like a movie for me, Bruce. I know my dad is Jewish. It's my dad is Jewish, my mom is Catholic. I they moved me from New York City to New Jersey when I was five. So not quite 11. Yeah, this sounds like God, it's me, Terry. I think my wife is going to take my daughters to go see it, though. My my girls are they just turned 12. Have twin daughters. They're they're in sixth grade. So this is in their wheelhouse in interesting thing because it is based on the Judy Blume book. You can't find this book anywhere. So my wife has been checking out like every library in the area. Yeah, Yeah. It's no, it's not bad. You just can't get it because everybody wants it because of the movie. Yeah. So the local library, it's checked out and there's like 12 people in front of us that want to reserve it. She was checking with another library. She checked her school library. She checked the middle school library. She teaches. She's kind of friendly, of course, at the library and in the school and the library and says, Give me a few minutes. I'll check it out. I'll see if I can find it. And she tracked down a copy at the high school and they were going to pull it over. So my daughters to read it, you know, in that case, I would buy it. Yeah. That was going to be the next step, you know, like this thing called Amazon I've heard of. Have you heard of it? I've heard, yeah. You know, at the top of the show, I asked you, Bruce, are you an icon? Are you an icon? I am not an icon. You're not? No, no, no. I. I wish I were. Wouldn't that be fun? Is there anyone here that can identify an icon? Well, and a yes, an icon is something that you can look a picture a if there's a picture of it and you can immediately identify what it is, you can say that is a Coke bottle, for example, that would be an iconic sculpture container, whatever you might want to call that. But you would look and, you know, as that kind of green glass, it has that kind of ribbed look and it has the Coca-Cola script on it. So that's iconic. Mount Rushmore is iconic because you look at it, you mean identify it, the Statue of Liberty, iconic. Those are things that that stand the test of time. But then there are things that disappear. I talked to David Rubenstein, who's doing a PBS series on icons, and he wanted to look into this and see what really fit that definition. And he said, you know, sometimes things are like the Ambassador Hotel, the ambassador Hotel was where Bobby Kennedy was, was shot and they closed the hotel. And then it just sat there for a long time. And now they've torn it down. But, you know, at one point they used it for filming TV shows. I went there and saw a filming of Love Boat, and they were filming inside the hotel like it was a cruise ship. And so it was still used, but it wasn't used as a hotel because it had perhaps a negative connotation and people didn't want that to be kind of the the overriding attention it got. But that would be considered the Oscar. The Oscar is an icon. You could easily look at that. And there are so many stories about that. You know, where where did it get its name? Even the people who are doing research on it, I don't agree. They don't you know, it's maybe this person, it's maybe that person. It could even be Betty Davis. And they've all been kind of debunked in terms of who actually gave it the name and why it happened. But icons are things that are around us that we can immediately identify and why are they iconic? And that series is kind of fun to lean into. I had a chance to talk with David and he explained some of the things. He's a huge collector. Of course he's also a billionaire. So I guess if I were a billionaire, I could be an iconic whatever. But he collects a lot of things and what he loves loves to collect our documents. What would you think immediately you'd have to have a copy of, I don't know, the Declaration of Independence. A declaration? And he does have the Declaration of Independence. And, you know, and I thought, Well, why do you want this? And he said, it's to be able to give it so that others can see it. He loans these things out, these documents out to libraries, museums, whatever, so that then we all can have a shot at looking at we all can go to the Smithsonian, we all can't go to the White House, we can't go to those places. But if they tour and travel, you would get an opportunity to look at those things. So icons, He talks about what makes an icon interesting. So let's go ahead and listen to that interview with David Rubenstein. We'll be right back. Can I ask what what really makes an icon? What is an icon? An icon is something that people no know it. They think they know a lot about, about it. They don't need to know as much as they think. But for example, if I showed you a picture of an icon, you would say, Well, I know what that is. So I showed you a picture of the White House. You would know what that is. I showed you a picture of the Washington Monument. You know what that is? Those are iconic because they are so well known that everybody kind of has a sense of what they mean. And the purpose of this series, we took iconic symbols that mean some things to people about our history. So Statue of Liberty means something to people or the Golden Gate Bridge or Hollywood sign, things like that. You look at things like that. Andy Warhol did. He painted a lot of things that he, I think, even had a series called Icons. He did. He he did. And yes, he what he did is when he did the Campbell's Soup thing, he basically was taking something everybody recognized and he made it a work of art. And yes, you're right. So could those things, though, fall out of favor we look at now when they when statues are taken down. And I'm sure for many people in that area, a statue would be considered an icon for them. Yeah. Yes. Well, nothing is forever. So there may be some iconic buildings that are torn down, You know, let's say in Hollywood or L.A., there was an iconic hotel. Was that the ambassador or the one that and Robert Kennedy, an ambassador? Yeah, I think that wasn't that torn down. Yes, it was. Right. So there is an iconic building is gone. So sometimes iconic buildings, they don't stay forever iconic things. All the things that we did in the series are probably likely to be around for a while. When you were making your list then of the ones that you wanted include how long was the list and then how did you winnow it? Well, we went through maybe 25, 30 that we thought were appropriate. And then you have to you want to have a balance. We wanted something from the South, something from the West, something from the Midwest. So we wanted that. Secondly, we wanted things that we thought would have an interesting story. So, for example, take the Statue of Liberty. Everybody thinks they know what it means, has nothing to do with immigration. When it was put together, it was really for Franco-American friendship and thanking us for getting rid of slavery. Thank you. You know, it's, you know, so we're we're trying to do is have iconic symbols that people think they recognize it, but they don't really know the history of it. So, for example, take the the American bald eagle. It's many people think that's our national bird. We don't have a national bird. We never had one. There's a old story that Benjamin Franklin wanted to be the turkey over the bald eagle. But that isn't true either. But bald eagle. Why did that become such a iconic symbol of our country, even if it's not officially national? Bird And what's so unique about the bald eagle? And you know, it's only in the North America, though, there are there are these American bald eagles. So we wanted to educate people about it. Take the American cowboy. American cowboy is an iconic thing. The Marlboro ad is the most famous ad, but turns out that cowboys are not what you probably saw on TV when you were growing up. It turns out that cowboys were not fighting Indians. They were really hurting cattle to take them to slaughter. Really. That's what their real mission was. And they weren't all white. They were indigenous, they were white Latinos, they were African-Americans, and they weren't even carrying guns. They basically were just dealing with the the cow. And they it's a tough, tough job they have. But it was not something people think they know something about, but they don't really know as much as they think they do. And that's why we try to educate people about it, where, one, I would think that you would automatically have it would be Mt. Rushmore. But is that too easy? Is that one that people would say, Oh, come on now, everybody knows what that is. And it isn't to Mt. Rushmore. If we did another eight, probably that'd be a good one to do. Mount Rushmore is one we thought about. It's it's it's it's a good symbol. The controversy was very controversial. Pick who the presidents were giving their person the permission to do it. He had some really controversial things in his background. And interestingly, though, the man that carved that got yeah. Hudson Borglum you know, he actually carved the was responsible for the initial effort to carve the Confederate symbols in Stone Mountain. And and he was was a member of the Ku Klux Klan at one point. So so some of these stories go much deeper than we would even expect when you take I mean I think I know a reasonable amount about American history for a nonprofessional, but I was astounded to learn some of the things I learned about some of these symbols. You know, when we look today, though, and things that are happening in politics, people trying to co-opt symbols as somehow they they have a greater hold on it than anything else. And the flag is a real example, a perfect example. Richard Nixon started wearing a little flag here was that means he's more patriotic than I am if I'm not wearing it. But I think the Republican Party has done a pretty good job of for a while for Democrats going on to having flags in the backdrop when we're on Reagan to make speeches, they put flags behind them. Right. So Democrats finally figured out that's a good thing. But but it wasn't that for a while, Richard Nixon kind of co-opted the idea that the American flag was something that was Republican and he was more American than the Democrats. Yeah, it's just in, say, how you want to scream at times and you think, wait a minute, now, you don't have the right to this just yourself. But I guess it's first come first gets and well that somebody probably thought up some of these things but think about you know people today they wear symbols on their lapels, you know, Ukrainian Americans or whatever. And they they're trying to co-opt iconic symbol and make people think that they all kind of own it or they're more Ukraine pro-Ukrainian than I am because I'm not wearing a Palestinian ribbon is when ribbon started coming out. And then it became like, well, what does this color mean and what is this for? And it's it it just keeps going. You know, if people want to co-opt the iconic symbol because they want people to think about them, a certain thing and a symbol can can do it quicker than a word, than words. Other words. Richard Nixon doesn't have to come out and say, you know, I really I'm more American than George McGovern. Just wears a little lapel here. The flag and the symbol does it like, you know, pictures worth a thousand words I say. So you're a collector, right? How do you choose what you collect? I collect different types of things. But in the historic documents area, there are a lot of very famous historic documents. And so I want to get the ones that are they're available. But the most I'd say the most famous one I own is the Magna Carta. But but in this country, people know the Declaration of Independence better. So I own probably more copies of the Declaration, anybody. But I put them all on display so people can see. And my whole effort is to educate Americans about our history on the theory that we have a more educated population, we have a more informed democracy. When that country was set up, they the theory was that white Christian men who owned property would be the guy People voted, but we wanted them to be educated and that we can educate. Now. All voters are better off. People don't know what they're voting about. That's not good. And we don't teach history or civics as much as we did 40, 50 years ago. Does it lose value then? Because we know. Sure. So, for example, if you don't know, two thirds of Americans, when asked in a survey, what are the three branch of the federal government cannot answer the question. So is that a good thing? It's probably not a good thing. It's better to have people know a little bit more about the history of your country. Also know the bad things. The theory about studying history is that you want to learn the bad of the past so you don't repeat it. That's the main point of learning history and you can learn about the good and hopefully get a better. But you want to learn something like, for example, when you went to grade school, were you what? There was a beat in over your head that Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were slave owners? Probably not. I didn't have that when I'm obviously older than you, but when I went to school, I was George Washington, the great man, never told a lie, chop down a cherry tree or his father, all that stuff, which wasn't true. And he didn't emphasize he was a slave owner. Thomas Jefferson said all men are created equal, and he did that when he had slaves with them and he had 600 slaves in his lifetime. So I think we should educate people about the good and bad and then just make sure people can can make informed decisions about the future. And if you put your collection on on display at all times, well, it's a very is places. So I have collections on display in lots of places around the country. But I, for example, buy a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and Lincoln signed the original, which is in the archives. He signed 47 souvenir copies of which 20 are left. I own two of them. I put one in the African-American History and Culture Museum and one tours around the country or the 13th Amendment, which I in end of slavery. I own four rare copies of that. And I put I put them on display at various museums or or exhibitions that people ask me to. Are there holy grails that you're still looking for, that you're trying to get the Gettysburg Address? There are only five copies of that Lincoln actually brought out five copies of They're hard to get those. One is owned by Cornell, one of the Lincoln Museum, one in the White House, and two in the Library of Congress. I probably market to better by them. But the problem with being a collector is what do you do with the collection? And you can only do three things for them. In the end, you give it to a museum, you sell it and take the prophecy abuse for yourself or you, you know, make a charitable contribution with it or you give them to your children. I have three children. They're all well-educated. I went to great schools, Harvard, Stanford and so forth. They have no interest in any of my collections, so they don't want it. They just said, We don't care about it. So I could go to museums and give them my collections and maybe I'll do that. I, you know, I'm the chair of the Library Congress Board, so obviously you invite them and I was the chair of the Smithsonian. And so I think the Smithsonian is great, but I haven't decided yet. It's in my will if I die tomorrow, there's a way to handle it. But I'm always changing my mind so I know you know who's nice to me today is the person who gets it right? Right. With the Hollywood side. That is such a kind of an interesting choice to be on this bunch. Well, we wanted to do things on all parts of the country. And this was a poor Southern California. It's an iconic symbol. You can find others. But it's interesting. Most people think it's designed to promote Hollywood. As you may know, it was a land development company, Hollywood land. And then it over the years has been it's almost taken down. It's been fixed, it's been restored, and it's become a symbol of Hollywood. Now, Hollywood, as you know, is doesn't really exist in a meaningful way. All the Hollywood studios are not in Hollywood, but it's kind of a symbol. So if you go to somebody in Iowa and say, if you let's go to let's go to Hollywood, we'll see some movie stars, they might think that there's actually some movie stars walking around all of that, but there's nobody there. The idea, though, that they would do a second one on the other side of the mountain I think is a really stupid idea. Maybe that's just my. Oh, that's the other side. Yeah. Another take where you could actually have your picture taken in front of the Hollywood sign and it would be easier to get your picture than it would be to, you know, where do you hike to get the best picture of you and whatnot. And I find, you know, should there be more than one of some of these things? I don't know. Oh, obviously devalues the currency of you're more of them. But for now. But what I really want do is people talk about history and talk and learn more and and appreciate more about American history. Well, the theory that they will make us a better country. All right. Thank you, Bruce, for that interview with David Rubenstein. You know, I actually met his ex-wife. Did you know that I was? Yes. Yes. Not nobody, Nothing. Nothing. When I wasn't the cause of their divorce or any money woes, Buzz cries. No, no, no. Alice Rogoff is his ex-wife. And actually, I believe the mother of his children is a media publisher. She she used to own the Alaska Dispatch. She purchased the Anchorage Daily News in I think it was like 2014 or so and merged them to the Alaska Dispatch News. So she was the publisher of that newspaper paper. And as publisher, it took a few editorial staff members to the Poynter Institute, which is now. It's an organization that helps journalists like you, like myself. It's training and things like that. And we were in a group together and at the time I was the digital director at the Louisville Courier Journal in Kentucky. She was the publisher of the Alaska Dispatch News. Her paper, my paper, along with the Denver Post and The Virginian Pilot, we were in a group together, so I met her. We talked a bit. We we were collaborating. Did she say you want to look at the Magna Carta? I've got one in my bag. She didn't know. She did not bring up the Magna Carta at all. But what was funny is this is in 2017 and it was part of a year long program. So we went to Florida, we all met. We all hung out together for a little bit. And then shortly after we met, the paper went into bankruptcy. Oh, no. And then she was forced to sell. So then when we got back to in 2018, she wasn't there. The newsroom was kind of reorganizing and and that was kind of that. But yeah, that our six degrees of separation are you, you, me, David Rubenstein. Very small. We didn't even have to get to Kevin Bacon. You know, he said his kids don't want these things. So do you think we could be in the will? Maybe we have a personal connection to the family. He's there right with us. Right. I'll take one of the documents I can bring Mom. Right. Well, Michael's. I'll go to Michael's with my my Declaration of Independence and I'll say, yeah, could you frame it So it looks nice. It's. It's a gift from a friend. You got to wait, though, with Michael's until they've got that, like, buy one. Yeah. I want 50% of the coupon. Yeah. Yeah. I can't do it unless I can save some money. No, no, no. We're. We're going to do it right. But on a budget to do the, the decorating. Want it to look nice so it hangs in our office and we could point to and say, there's my Declaration of Independence. There it is. The Magna Carta, though. So just now. So I will take the Magna Carta. You're going to take the declaration I get the number because, you know, I write Big I and I'm sure we get at our names on the bottom if you wanted to, we'll just we'll just add John Hancock to the bottom. We can, but we can put some some tape, some electrician's tape or something, and then we'll write our own names on the bottom. So if we needed to keep it right, we were B, we'd be okay. Hey, you know what's coming up this next week? What's that? We're getting into the big summer movie season, and yeah, it's not affected at all by the writers strike. It is not going to be stopped. Barbie is coming this summer. Barbie, goodness be with us so we don't have to worry about. Suddenly she's holding out and saying, No, I'm not going to do a movie. It's done. So next week, let's look at those new kind of summer movies. That should be the it's always considered blockbuster season in the summer. And this week we started with the first one. Really, that'll be a big moneymaker and that's Guardians of the Galaxy Volume three, the last one of the films. So watch that. We'll talk about that one and then we'll will preview the ones that are coming up next week. That sounds good. So before I let you go, though, why do all the blockbusters come out during the summer? What is is it just because everyone's off from school and they're on vacation? I always wondered that, like why? Why is it like basically Memorial Day through almost like July 4th is kind of the big drop, too. Why is that? There was a little film back in 1975 that changed the course of history. That little film said that people would flock to the theaters if they weren't in school, if they were, and they wanted to have something fun to see. And it made a huge amount of money. That movie was Jaws. Jaws considered the first blockbuster, and it did so well that they realized they should program for that. And they looked for those kind of high concept films that would be good to release at those times. There are seasons that are big for this. Memorial Day weekend is always big. 4th of July is always big. Labor Day is Christmas and the fall are considered far more, I don't want to say intelligent pictures, but certainly ones that take a little they're they Oscar bait. They're going to be the films that are going to win awards, but summer ones are usually ones that are fun, exciting and have a lot of action in them. And get you to eat and drink a lot. And you're more willing to do that when you feel like you're on vacation than any other time. So you can blame Jaws for setting off the concept of blockbusters. It is readily recognized as the first big blockbuster. Oh, I did not know that. So little, little history. Some iconic history. A little history there. Yeah. And Steven Spielberg has to be the king of blockbusters because he had a lot of them. And yes, was his company is behind a big one this summer. That's right. We'll talk more about that next week. Until then, thank you for listening to streams and screens. We're not going on strike.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bre Smith from Chicago's Ambassador Hotel talks to Jaime Black about the hotel's new artist-in-residence program, as well as the history of the storied hotel in Chicago's Gold Coast.Recorded in 2021.

Le 5 juin 1968 à Los Angeles, Robert Kennedy, dit Bobby, vient de remporter la primaire démocrate de Californie et part favori pour être investi candidat à l'élection présidentielle, dans cette Amérique encore traumatisée par l'assassinat, cinq ans plus tôt, de son frère JFK. La fête bat son plein, Robert Kennedy termine son discours et quitte la salle de réception par les cuisines de l'hôtel quand soudain, il est la cible de plusieurs coups de revolver. Pour tenter de mieux cerner le personnage, Boris Vejdovsky, maître d'enseignement et de recherche à l'Université de Lausanne, spécialiste de la culture américaine, nous brosse le portrait de Robert Kennedy. Avec la participation de Nicole Bacharan, politologue, historienne, spécialiste des Etats-Unis. Enfin, en compagnie de Vincent Seriot, responsable des contenus aux Archives de la RTS, Laurent Huguenin-Elie revient sur un document exceptionnel (à découvrir en cliquant sur le lien ci-contre): entre mai et juin 1968, une équipe de la RTS se rend aux Etats-Unis et réalise un reportage qui montre notamment les coulisses de cette soirée tragique. Photo: le sénateur Robert F. Kennedy allongé sur le sol de l'Ambassador Hotel de Los Angeles le 5 juin 1968, après qu'un Jordanien de 24 ans a tiré plusieurs coups de revolver sur lui. Robert Kennedy qui, tout comme son frère John F. Kennedy, représentait l'espoir d'une Amérique meilleure, meurt de ses blessures le lendemain de l'attentat. (© Boris Yaro/AP Photo/Los Angeles Times)

HORSEFLY CHRONICLES RADIO IS SPONSORED BY CARNATION    Long ago Vanessa Hogle was stuck. Knee deep in two jobs, a dead end relationship and no positive viewpoint regarding the future. Knowing something had to change she drew inspiration from her past and began to forge a new life for herself and her son. She had been involved in the paranormal community before and knew that's where she had to start. A former fellow investigator, had started up a publishing company and asked her to write about her experiences. Having "remote viewed" for a previous investigative team, and consulted for The "Leave or Die" episode of The Haunted, on Animal Planet, Vanessa had more than enough material to write a book. Subsequently fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming an author. Major life changes were happening, at this time, forcing Vanessa to re-access her life. Knowing there was nowhere to go but up, she let go of all that no longer supported her. Writing her first book, Soulscapes, which was released April 28th of 2015 and ending a six year dead end relationship, acted as a catalyst forcing her to come out of her shell and accept who she really was. It wasn't long before she began to network with like-minded individuals all over the world. Gaining insight, and experience, she set out to tell her story. Her para-biography, Giving up the Ghost, release date August 27th of 2015 laid it all out for the world to see. The struggles, the heartache, the confusion of growing up with certain gifts. During this time word of what Vanessa could do had gotten around. She began reading, and remote viewing, for multiple teams in the United States and abroad. Even co-hosting her own show, Edge of the Rabbit Hole for over 4 years. She also began to make numerous appearances on blogtalk radio, multiple podcast and You Tube. Her appearances include Beyond The Strange, Miami Ghost Chronicles, Stories of the Supernatural, multiple appearances on Spaced Out Radio, Necromancer Live, Paranormal Collaboration, Paranormal King, multiple appearances on Paranormal Connection Radio, Our Paranormal Stories and extensive appearances on Paranormal Zone TV. Her abilities and accomplishments have also been written about in Campus Ghost of Norman and Entertainment 2Morrow as well as KFOR news, in Oklahoma, who did a special segment "Is This a Great State or What?" on Vanessa. Through these shows, and social media, Vanessa has been able...in the last four years... to travel the world investigating and meeting those whom she has helped, remotely. Her travels have taken her to New Orleans, for Haunted Bourbon Paracon where, upon arriving, she was immediately contacted to do a special segment for the local news station 4WWL in regards to the Abita Springs Bakery. She has also investigated in Alton, Illinois at the Mineral Springs Hotel, Easton, PA at the Horsefly Chronicles House. Staten Island, NY and NJ for the Cropsey case, and documentary about the disappearance of Holly Ann Hughes. In West Virginia at Moundsville State Prison. In Virginia at multiple private residences, Saylors Creek Battlefield, cabin on 360 and Hollywood Cemetery. In Sheffield, England, at The Old Queens Head...where the head of programming of History UK, Dom Wilkins, drove from London to investigate with her. Grace Dieu Priory in Sheffield, England. Hellfire Caves in England. Whitby hostel/Abbey, in Whitby England. Mary Kings Close in Edinburgh, Scotland. City Center in Glasgow, Scotland. Private Lodging in Edinburgh, Scotland. Hellfire Club in Dublin, Ireland. Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland. Ross Castle in Killarney, Ireland. Muckross Abbey, Co Kerry, Ireland. The Ambassador Hotel in Cork, Ireland, Morrigans cave, Spelmans motel, Tuam, Moore Hall, Leap Castle,  Kilmanheim Gaol, Wicklow Goal and many more. Not all of these are true investigations but, as a sensitive, Vanessa is able to pick up on activity regardless and document. She took many of these experiences and put them in a third book called, Walking with Ghosts...release date September 25th 2017. Vanessa went on to write Rebel Witch in June 2019, Diary of a Psychic Loser Magnet in June 2020, Ghosts Abroad Ireland in February 2021 and They Would Have Burned Me in July 2022. What The Soul Knows has a projected release date of March 2023.  Find out more about Vanessa here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/vhogle/shop https://m.youtube.com/c/VanessaReneeHogle https://society6.com/vanessahogle

In which we fail to mention that Amanda Tapping is in this so it's another SG-1 crossover and we figure out who is actually behind everything. Produced and pseudo-researched by Kristen Riley. Produced and pseudo-edited by Daive Reed. Thanks for being here and if you enjoyed the episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Or, even easier, tell people about us! It really helps us out.  Find us on Twitter and Instagram @CastFiles Check out The Cast Files playlist on Spotify. We also auto-post on YouTube, if that's your streaming service of choice, or if you like closed captions.  And finally, email us at TheeCastFiles@gmail.com Music by Hal Six  Logo by @OokaArt ---- Skinner is debating whether or not to sign divorce papers. His lawyer urges him to, reminding him that the city clerk expected it ten minutes ago. He ultimately refuses to sign, putting it off until tomorrow.  It's been 17 years, she can wait on him one more night.  Later, Skinner is having a drink at the bar in the Ambassador Hotel where he meets a woman, Carina Sayles. They chit-chat a bit, it's pretty innocuous, but the two get a room together for the night. Skinner wakes up after a nightmare/vision of his lover turning into an old woman to find Sayles dead beside him. Specifically, her head has been turned completely around. He didn't sign the divorce papers because he wanted to cheat on his wife one last time.  ---- Kristen has a field day with this one. 

Chuck Schaden interviewed Tony Randall on September 16th, 1970 at the Ambassador Hotel in Chicago. Eight days later Randall's new series The Odd Couple debuted on ABC. Randall played Felix Unger. The show ran for five seasons and became Randall's most-remembered role. He continued acting until passing away on May 17th, 2004. After I Love A Mystery went off the air, Carlton E. Morse penned a new serial drama entitled Family Skeleton. He cast Mercedes McCambridge in the lead role. The Program would air weeknights on CBS from June 8th, 1953 through March 5th, 1954. It pulled a rating of 3.3 for Sweetheart Soap. Mercedes McCambridge had many trials and tribulations. She was nominated for a second Academy Award for her role in Giant in 1956. She also voiced the demon in The Exorcist. She won a battle with alcoholism and penned an autobiography in 1981 called The Qualities of Mercy. Six years later her son John—a futures trader—was caught embezzling funds under McCambridge's name after she'd given him money to invest. Mercedes refused to cooperate with her son and the company he worked for. They wanted to institute a repayment scheme which would have kept the matter from becoming public. In November of 1987 John wrote a scathing note blaming her for his problems before killing his wife, children, and then himself. Mercedes appeared in one final TV role in 1988. Her second husband, radio and tv writer/producer/director Fletcher Markle, passed away in 1991. She died on March 2nd, 2004 in La Jolla, California.

El episodio de hoy narra un caso que se ha viralizado en las últimas semanas, sin mucho pre ambulo, hoy narraremos las atrocidades de Jeffrey Dahmer.  Jeffrey Dahmer mató a diecisiete jóvenes entre 1978 y 1991. Doce fueron asesinados en su apartamento, tres víctimas fueron asesinadas y desmembradas en la residencia de su abuela. Su primera y segunda víctimas fueron asesinadas en la casa de sus padres en Ohio y en el Ambassador Hotel en Milwaukee, respectivamente. Un total de catorce de las víctimas de Dahmer eran de diversas minorías étnicas, y nueve de las víctimas eran afroamericanas. Instagram y Tik Tok oficial: @relatosenpodcast. Créditos musicales: INTRO: You Get The Blues (ID 1202) by Lobo Loco. TEMA DE FONDO: Interception by Kai Engel (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). 

In January of 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected and denied the parole of Sirhan Sirhan, the man accused and convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles back in 1968. Gov. Newsom's decision directly contradicts a California parole panel's official recommendation that Sirhan, now 77 years old, be granted freedom after spending more than 50 years behind bars.In his official denial of parole, the California Governor explained his decision writing…“Mr. Sirhan's assassination of Senator Kennedy is among the most notorious crimes in American history … I have concluded that he is unsuitable for parole because he poses a current threat to public safety. After decades in prison, Mr. Sirhan has failed to address the deficiencies that led him to assassinate Senator Kennedy. Mr. Sirhan lacks the insight that would prevent him from making the same types of dangerous decisions he made in the past.”In response to Gov. Newsom's decision, Angela Berry, a lawyer for Mr. Sirhan, said in a statement… “Not an iota of evidence exists to suggest Mr. Sirhan is still a danger to society,”One of the many people fighting on behalf of Sirhan Sirhan is Jen Abreu, the Executive Director of Redemption Row California. She recently joined Gov. Jesse Ventura to delve into the bizarre and often tragic case of Sirhan Sirhan. A man who many researches and historians now believe was not the “lone nut” gunman the U.S. Government and Mainstream Media declared he was. In this podcast, Gov. Ventura and Ms. Abreu discuss Gov. Gavin Newsom's denying of Sirhan's parole, the conspiracies surrounding the assassination and whether Sirhan represents a current threat to society. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jesseventura.substack.com/subscribe

RFK Assassination Witness 54 Years AfterI'm Looking Through You 7-3-2022 Joe McBride Interviews Jamie Scott Enyart(Start of Bob Wilson's Notes)Host Bob Wilson welcomed Joseph McBride (Into the Nightmare, 2013) onto the show to interview RFK assassination witness Scott Enyart. Enyart was a teenager at the Ambassador Hotel only feet away from RFK on the night he was murdered. The mystery of what happened to the photographs taken remains an enigma that possibly could have helped determine precisely what transpired. Instead, we are left with a murky trail where the American public and the world continue to mourn this loss with no realistic hope of closure. Enyart requested his photographs from the LAPD, and a long battle ensued. In January 1996, the city attorney's office hired a private courier to transfer the negatives from the archives in San Francisco to Los Angeles. After arriving in Los Angeles, the courier rented a car to drive to the courthouse. Along the way there, he got a flat tire that was slashed by a knife. He then pulled into a service station. Within the next ten minutes, the briefcase containing the negatives was stolen. Many believe that Enyart's photographs hold the key to the controversy over who shot Robert Kennedy.Lend us your ears, and we'll give you a show.https://www.amazon.com/Into-Nightmare-Killers-President-Kennedy/dp/1939795257https://www.facebook.com/groups/663743480404547 Bob Wilson's Abbott and Costello 4 Ever Page(End Bob's Notes)BOB WILSON: Check out The Show: https://ochelli.com/series/im-looking-through-you/The Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows https://www.facebook.com/thebeatlestomorrowneverknows/LIVE LISTENING OPTIONS:OCHELLI.COM https://ochelli.com/listen-live/ RADDIO https://raddio.net/324242-ochellicom/ ZENO https://zeno.fm/radio/ochelli-radio/ TUNEIN http://tun.in/sfxkx OCHELLI.COM Radio Schedule ALL Times EasternSundayI'm Looking Through You 3-5 pm2 NEW Shows Coming Soon on SundaysMondayThe Ochelli Effect 8-10 pm TuesdayThe Ochelli Effect 8-10 pm WednesdayThe Ochelli Effect 8-10 pm ThursdayThe Jack Blood Show 360 6-8 pm The Ochelli Effect 8-10 pm FridayThe Ochelli Effect 8-10 pm The Age of Transitions 10-11 pmUncle The Podcast 11pm-MidnightSaturday + ALL Times ALL other days = Random Replays

In June 1968, US presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy was assassinated shortly after addressing his supporters at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. It was less than five years after his older brother, President John F Kennedy, had also been assassinated. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of the crime, but many - including Kennedy's friend Paul Schrade - suspect another gunman was involved. Schrade was shot himself that night and he told Rebecca Kesby about why he's campaigning for the case to be reopened. PHOTO: Robert Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel shortly before his assassination (Getty Images)

Le 5 juin 1968 à Los Angeles, Robert Kennedy, dit Bobby, vient de remporter la primaire démocrate de Californie et part favori pour être investi candidat à l'élection présidentielle, dans cette Amérique encore traumatisée par l'assassinat, cinq ans plus tôt, de son frère JFK. La fête bat son plein, Robert Kennedy termine son discours et quitte la salle de réception par les cuisines de l'hôtel quand soudain, il est la cible de plusieurs coups de revolver. Pour tenter de mieux cerner le personnage, Boris Vejdovsky, maître d'enseignement et de recherche à l'Université de Lausanne, spécialiste de la culture américaine, nous brosse le portrait de Robert Kennedy. Avec la participation de Nicole Bacharan, politologue, historienne, spécialiste des Etats-Unis. Enfin, en compagnie de Vincent Seriot, responsable des contenus aux Archives de la RTS, Laurent Huguenin-Elie revient sur un document exceptionnel (à découvrir en cliquant sur le lien ci-contre): entre mai et juin 1968, une équipe de la RTS se rend aux Etats-Unis et réalise un reportage qui montre notamment les coulisses de cette soirée tragique. Dimanche 5 juin à 23h05 sur RTS Deux, vous pourrez voir le documentaire "A droite sur la photo: John Fitzgerald Kennedy", réalisé par Guillaume Perez et Christian Huleu (France, 2020). Disponible dès aujourd'hui en cliquant sur le lien ci-contre. Résumé: Max Jacobson devient le médecin personnel du président américain en 1961. Son surnom: le docteur Feelgood. Armé de sa seringue d'amphétamines, de secrets intimes en secrets d'état, pas un aspect de la présidence n'échappe à son emprise. Il nous fait découvrir l'intimité de celui dont jusqu'alors nous ne connaissions que l'histoire publique. Photo: le sénateur Robert F. Kennedy allongé sur le sol de l'Ambassador Hotel de Los Angeles le 5 juin 1968, après qu'un Jordanien de 24 ans a tiré plusieurs coups de revolver sur lui. Robert Kennedy qui, tout comme son frère John F. Kennedy, représentait l'espoir d'une Amérique meilleure, meurt de ses blessures le lendemain de l'attentat. (© Boris Yaro/AP Photo/Los Angeles Times)

Known for his community organizing, civil rights activist Paul Schrade successfully helped lead the anti-war movement and worked closely with the farmworkers union. He served as an aide in Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's bid for the presidential nomination, joining Kennedy on the campaign trail and introducing him to the many workers unions on the West Coast. As one of the last living witnesses to Kennedy's assassination in 1968, Schrade says it not only changed his life forever, but it also changed the course of American history. Now in his 90s, Schrade is still dedicated to honoring Kennedy's legacy, securing the funding to build the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Koreatown, where the Ambassador Hotel once stood.

The Donald Jeffries Show 4-13-2022 Scott Enyart On 6th June 1968, Scott Enyart, a 15-year-old high school student, a high-school student, was taking photographs of Senator Robert F. Kennedy as he was walking from the ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel to the Colonial Room where the press conference was due to take place. Enyart was standing slightly behind Kennedy when the shooting began and snapped as fast as he could. As Enyart was leaving the pantry, two LAPD officers accosted him at gunpoint and seized his three, 36-exposure rolls of film. Later, he was told that the photographs were needed as evidence in the trial of Sirhan Sirhan. The photographs were not presented as evidence but the court ordered that all evidential materials had to be sealed for twenty years. In1988 Enyart requested that his photographs be returned. At first, the State Archives claimed they could not find them and that they must have been destroyed by mistake. Enyart filed a lawsuit which finally came to trial in 1996. During the trial, the LA city attorney announced that the photos had been found in its Sacramento office and would be brought to the courthouse by the courier retained by the State Archives. The following day it was announced that the courier's briefcase, which contained the photographs, had been stolen from the car he rented at the airport. The photographs have never been recovered and the jury subsequently awarded Scott Enyart $450,000 in damages. Scott and Don Jeffries discuss how it felt to be at the center of such an important historical event. Related LINK: http://rfktapes.com/bonus-ep-2-transcript/ DONALD JEFFRIES ONLINE: “I Protest” https://donaldjeffries.substack.com/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Donald-Jeffries/e/B004T6NFAS%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share THE DONALD JEFFRIES SHOW: https://ochelli.com/series/the-donald-jeffries-show/ OCHELLI LINKS: HELP KEEP US GOING: https://ochelli.com/donate/ Ochelli Effect – Uncle – Age of Transitions – T-shirts and MORE: https://theageoftransitions.com/category/support-the-podcasts/ RFK Assassination Witness Scott Enyart

Episode one hundred and thirty-eight of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “I Fought the Law", and at the mysterious death of Bobby Fuller. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a fifteen-minute bonus episode available, on "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James and the Shondells. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com No Mixcloud this week due to the large number of tracks by the Bobby Fuller Four Resources Information about the Crickets' post-Holly work comes from Buddy Holly: Learning the Game, by Spencer Leigh. There are two books available about Bobby Fuller -- the one I consulted most is Rock and Roll Mustangs by Stephen McParland, which can be bought as a PDF from https://payhip.com/cmusicbooks I also consulted I Fought the Law: The Life and Strange Death of Bobby Fuller by Miriam Linna and Randell Fuller. One minor note -- both these books spell Bob Keane's name Keene. Apparently he spelled it multiple ways, but I have chosen to use the spelling he used on his autobiography, which is also the spelling I have used for him previously. There are several compilations available of the Bobby Fuller Four's material, but the best collection of the hit singles is Magic Touch: The Complete Mustang Singles Collection.  And this is an expanded edition of the Crickets' In Style album. Erratum I say Sonny Curtis wrote "Oh Boy!" -- I meant Sonny West. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript A warning, before I begin. This episode, more than most, deals with events you may find disturbing, including graphic descriptions of violent death. Please check the transcript on the podcast website at 500songs.com if you are worried that you might be upset by this. This episode will not be a pleasant listen. Now on with the episode... More than anything, Bobby Fuller wanted desperately to be Buddy Holly. His attitude is best summed up in a quote from Jim Reese, the guitarist with the Bobby Fuller Four, who said "Don't get me wrong, I thought the world of Bobby Fuller and I cared a lot for him, so I say this with the best intentions -- but he was into Buddy Holly so much that if Buddy Holly decided to wear one red sock and one blue sock and Bobby Fuller found out about it, Bobby Fuller would've had one red sock and one blue sock. He figured that the only way to accomplish whatever Buddy Holly had accomplished was to be as much like Buddy Holly as possible." And Reese was right -- Bobby Fuller really was as much like Buddy Holly as possible. Buddy Holly was from Texas, so was Bobby Fuller. Buddy Holly played a Fender Stratocaster, Bobby Fuller played a Fender Stratocaster. Buddy Holly performed with the Crickets, Bobby Fuller's biggest hit was with a Crickets song. Buddy Holly recorded with Norman Petty, Bobby Fuller recorded with Norman Petty. Of course, there was one big difference. Buddy Holly died in an accident when he was twenty-two. Bobby Fuller lived to be twenty-three. And his death was no accident... [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "I Fought the Law"] After Buddy Holly quit the Crickets in 1958, they continued recording with Norman Petty, getting in guitarist Sonny Curtis, who had been an associate of the band members even before they were a band, and who had been a frequent collaborator with Buddy, and vocalist Earl Sinks. But while they kept recording, Petty didn't release any of the recordings, and the group became convinced that he wasn't really interested in doing so. Rather, they thought that he was just using them as leverage to try to get Buddy back. "Love's Made a Fool of You" was the record that made the Crickets lose their faith in Norman Petty. The song was one that Buddy Holly and Bob Montgomery had written way back in 1954, and Holly had revived it for a demo in 1958, recording it not as a potential song for himself but to give to the Everly Brothers, reworked in their style, though they never recorded it: [Excerpt: Buddy Holly, "Love's Made a Fool of You"] When Holly and the Crickets had parted ways, the Crickets had recorded their own version of the song with Petty producing, which remained unreleased like everything they'd recorded since Buddy left. But on the very day that Buddy Holly died, Petty shipped a copy of the tape to Decca, express mail, so that a single could be released as soon as possible: [Excerpt: The Crickets, "Love's Made a Fool of You"] The Crickets never worked with Norman Petty again after that, they were so disgusted at his determination to cash in on the death of their friend and colleague. Petty continued to exploit Holly's work, getting in a band called the Fireballs to add new instrumental backing to Holly's old demos so they could be released as new singles, but the split between Petty and Holly's living colleagues was permanent. But the Crickets didn't give up performing, and continued recording new material, mostly written either by Sonny Curtis or by the group's drummer Jerry Allison, who had co-written several of the group's earlier hits with Holly. "More Than I Can Say" was written by Curtis and Allison, and didn't make the top forty in the US, but did become a top thirty hit in the UK: [Excerpt: The Crickets, "More Than I Can Say"] That was later also covered in hit versions by Bobby Vee and Leo Sayer. The B-side, "Baby My Heart", wasn't a hit for the Crickets, but was covered by the Shadows on their first album, which made number one on the UK charts. That performance was one of the few Shadows records at this point to have vocals: [Excerpt: The Shadows, "Baby My Heart"] The group's first post-Holly album collected all their singles without Holly to that point, plus a few new filler tracks. The album, In Style With the Crickets, didn't chart in the US, but was a success in the UK. Around the time that album was released, Earl Sinks quit the group, and became a songwriter. He collaborated with Buddy Holly's old musical partner Bob Montgomery on a variety of hits for people like Brenda Lee, and in the seventies went back into performing for a while, having minor solo country hits as Earl Richards, and then bought a chain of abbatoirs. Allison and Curtis supplemented their income from the Crickets with session work -- Allison backed the Everly Brothers on "Til I Kissed You": [Excerpt: The Everly Brothers, "Til I Kissed You"] and both of them played on Eddie Cochran's last studio session, playing on "Three Steps to Heaven", with Curtis playing the electric lead while Cochran played the acoustic: [Excerpt: Eddie Cochran, "Three Steps to Heaven"] After that, the group went on tour in the UK as the backing band for the Everly Brothers, where they coincidentally bumped into Cochran, who told them "If I knew you guys were coming, I'd have asked you to bring me a bottle of American air.” They would never see Cochran again. Shortly after that tour, Sonny Curtis was drafted -- though while he was in the army, he wrote "Walk Right Back" for the Everly Brothers, as we discussed in the episode on "Cathy's Clown": [Excerpt: The Everly Brothers, "Walk Right Back"] Joe Mauldin gave up on music for a while, and so for a while The Crickets consisted of just Jerry Allison, new singer Jerry Naylor, and guitarist Tommy Allsup, who had played with Holly after Holly left the Crickets. That lineup recorded the "Bobby Vee Meets the Crickets" album, with Bobby Vee singing lead: [Excerpt: Bobby Vee and the Crickets, "Well... All Right"] Curtis would return once his time in the army was over, and eventually, in the 1970s, the group would stabilise on a lineup of Curtis, Mauldin, and Allison,  who would play together more or less consistently until 2015. But for a few years in the early sixties there was a lot of lineup shuffling, especially as Allison got drafted not long after Curtis got out of the Army -- there was one UK tour where there were no original members at all, thanks to Allison's absence. When Curtis was out of the group around the time of the Bobby Vee album, Snuff Garrett tried to get a friend of his to join as the group's new lead singer, and brought him to LA, but it didn't work out. Garrett later said "He and Jerry didn't hit it off in the way I imagined. After a few months, it was over and the guy started playing clubs around LA. I did demos with him and took them to my boss, the president of Liberty, and he said, ‘You've got enough of your friends signed to the label. You've signed the Crickets and Buddy Knox and they're not doing much business, and this guy can hardly speak English.' I said, ‘Well, I think he's going to be something.' ‘Okay,' he said, ‘Drop one of the acts you've got and you can sign him.' I said, ‘Forget it.' A year later, he was an international star and his name was Trini Lopez" Lopez's big hit, "If I Had a Hammer", was recorded in a live show at a club called PJs: [Excerpt: Trini Lopez, "If I Had a Hammer"] PJs was owned by a gangster named Eddie Nash, who is now best known as the prime suspect in a notorious case known as the Wonderland Murders, when in 1981 four people were horribly beaten to death, either with the assistance of or to send a message to the porn star John Holmes, depending on which version of the story you believe. If you're unfamiliar with the case, I advise you not to google it, as it's very far from pretty. I bring this up because PJs would soon play a big part in the career of the Bobby Fuller Four. Bobby Fuller was born in the Gulf Coast of Texas, but his family moved about a lot during his formative years, mostly in the Southwestern US, living in Lubbock, Texas, Hobbs, New Mexico, and Salt Lake City, Utah, among other places, before finally settling down in El Paso. El Paso is a border town, right up close to the border with Mexico, and that meant that it had a complicated relationship with Juarez, the nearest large town on the Mexican side of the border. Between 1919 and 1933, the selling and consumption of alcohol had been made illegal in the United States, a period known as Prohibition, but of course it had not been criminalised in Mexico, and so during those years any time anyone from El Paso wanted to get drunk they'd travel to Juarez. Even after Prohibition ended, Juarez had a reputation as a party town, and Randy Fuller, Bobby's brother, would later tell a teen magazine "You can grow up in El Paso and get really bad -- it's Juarez that makes it that way. Whatever personality you have, you have it 100%. You can go to Juarez and get drunk, or stay in El Paso and get religion" Of course, from the outside, that sounds a whole lot like "now look what YOU made ME do". It's not the fault of those white people from Texas that they travel to someone else's city in someone else's country and get falling-down drunk and locked up in their jails every weekend, but it's the fault of those tempting Mexicans. And when Bobby and Randy Fuller's older brother Jack disappeared in 1961, while Bobby was off at university, that was at first what everyone thought had happened -- he'd gone to Juarez, got drunk, and got locked up until he could sleep it off. But when he didn't reappear after several days, everyone became more concerned. It turned out that Jack had met a man named Roy Handy at a bus depot and started chatting with him. They'd become friendly, and had gone off to do some target shooting together in the desert. But Handy had seen what looked like a wad of thousand-dollar bills in Jack's sun visor, and had decided to turn the gun on Jack rather than the target, killing him. The thousand-dollar bills had been play money, a gift bought for a small child who lived nearby. Because of the murder, Bobby Fuller moved back to El Paso from Denton in North Texas, where he had been studying music at university. He did enroll in a local college, but gave up his studies very quickly. Bobby had been something of a musical prodigy -- his original plan before going to North Texas State University had actually been to go to Juilliard, where he was going to study jazz drumming. Instead, while Bobby continued his drumming, he started living a party lifestyle, concentrating on his car, on women -- he got multiple women pregnant in his late teens and early twenties -- and on frequent trips to Juarez, where he would spend a lot of time watching a local blues musician, Long John Hunter: [Excerpt: Long John Hunter, "El Paso Rock"] Meanwhile, a music scene had been growing in El Paso since the late 1950s. A group called the Counts were at the forefront of it, with instrumentals like "Thunder": [Excerpt: The Counts, "Thunder"] The Counts splintered into various groups, and one of them became The Embers, who Bobby Fuller joined on drums. Fuller was also one of a tiny number of people at this time who actually had a home studio. Fuller had started out with a simple bedroom studio, but thanks to his parents' indulgence he had repurposed a big chunk of their house as a studio, including building, with his brother Randy, an echo chamber (though it didn't work very well and he stuck with tape echo). It was in that home studio that the Embers recorded their first single, "Jim's Jive", with Fuller on drums and Jim Reese on lead guitar: [Excerpt: Jerry Bright and The Embers, "Jim's Jive"] That was released on a tiny local label, Yucca Records, which also released the Embers' second single -- and also released two Bobby Fuller solo singles, starting with "You're in Love": [Excerpt: Bobby Fuller, "You're in Love"] That was recorded at Fuller's home studio, with the Embers backing him, and became the number one single locally, but Yucca Records had no national distribution, and the record didn't get a wider release. Fuller's second single, though, was the first time his Buddy Holly fixation came to the forefront. Fuller was, by many accounts, *only* interested in sounding like Buddy Holly -- though his musical tastes were broad enough that he also wanted to sound like Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, and the Crickets. But that was the extent of Fuller's musical world, and so obviously he wanted to work with the people who had worked with Holly. So his second single was recorded at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico, with Petty's wife Vi, who had played keyboards on some Buddy Holly records, on keyboards and backing vocals: [Excerpt: Bobby Fuller, "Gently My Love"] But as it turned out, Fuller was very underwhelmed by the experience of working with Petty, and decided that he was going to go back to recording in his home studio. Fuller left the Embers and started performing on his own, playing rhythm guitar rather than drums, with a band that initially consisted of his brother Randy on bass, Gaylord Grimes on drums, and Jim Reese on lead guitar, though there would be constant lineup changes. Two of the many musicians who drifted in and out of Fuller's revolving band lineup, Larry Thompson and Jerry Miller, were from the Pacific Northwest, and were familiar with the scene that I talked about in the episode on "Louie, Louie". Thompson was a fan of one of the Pacific Northwest bands, the Frantics, who had hits with tracks like "Werewolf": [Excerpt: The Frantics, "Werewolf"] Thompson believed that the Frantics had split up, and so Fuller's group took on that name for themselves. When they found out that the group *hadn't* split up, they changed their name to the Fanatics, though the name on their bass drum still read "The Frantics" for quite a while. Jerry Miller later moved back to Seattle, where he actually joined the original Frantics, before going on to become a founder member of Moby Grape. Fuller started his own record label, Eastwood Records, and put out another solo single, which covered the full breadth of his influences. The B-side was "Oh Boy!", the song Sonny Curtis had written for Buddy Holly, while the A-side was "Nervous Breakdown", which had originally been recorded by Eddie Cochran: [Excerpt: Bobby Fuller, "Nervous Breakdown"] Everything was very fluid at this point, with musicians coming and going from different lineups, and none of these musicians were only playing in one band. For example, as well as being lead guitarist in the Fanatics, Jim Reese also played on "Surfer's Paradise" by Bobby Taylor and the Counts: [Excerpt: Bobby Taylor and the Counts, "Surfer's Paradise"] And Bobby's record label, renamed from Eastwood to Exeter, was releasing records  by other artists as well as Bobby and the Fanatics, though none of these records had any success. In early 1963 Fuller and his latest lineup of Fanatics -- Randy, drummer Jimmy Wagnon, and guitarist Tex Reed -- travelled to LA to see if they could become successful outside El Paso. They got a residency at the Hermosa Biltmore, and also regularly played the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, where the Beach Boys and Dick Dale had both played not long before, and there they added some surf instrumentals to their repertoire. Bobby soon became almost as keen on surf music as he was on rockabilly. While in LA, they tried all the record companies, with no success. The most encouragement they got came from Bob Keane at Del-Fi, the label that had previously been Ritchie Valens' label, who told him that the tapes they brought him of their El Paso recordings sounded good but they needed better songs, and to come back to him when they had a hit song. Bobby determined to do just that. On their return to El Paso, Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics recorded "Stringer" for Todd Records, a small label owned by Paul Cohen, the former Decca executive who had signed Buddy Holly but not known what to do with him: [Excerpt: Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics, "Stringer"] Fuller also opened his own teen nightclub, the Teen Rendezvous, which he named after the Balboa ballroom. The Fanatics became the regular band there, and at this point they started to build up a serious reputation as live performers. The Teen Rendezvous only stayed open for a few months, though -- there were complaints about the noise, and also they booked Bobby Vee as a headliner one night. Vee charged a thousand dollars for his appearance, which the club couldn't really afford, and they didn't make it back on the doors. They'd hoped that having a prestigious act like Vee play there might get more people to come to the club regularly, but it turned out that Vee gave a sub-par performance, and the gamble didn't pay off. It was around this time that Fuller made his first recording of a song that would eventually define him, though it wasn't his idea. He was playing the Crickets In Style album to his brother Randy, and Randy picked up on one song, a Sonny Curtis composition which had never been released as a single: [Excerpt: The Crickets, "I Fought the Law"] Randy thought the Crickets' actual record sounded horrible, but he also thought the song had the potential to be a really big hit. He later explained "The James Dean movie Rebel Without a Cause had made a big impression on me, and I told Bobby, 'Man, let's do that one... it oughta sell a million copies'. Everyone was into the whole rebel thing, with switchblades and stuff like that. It just seemed like a natural thing for us to do." Fuller recorded his own version of the song, which once again became a local hit: [Excerpt: Bobby Fuller, "I Fought The Law (El Paso version)"] But even though the record did get some national distribution, from VeeJay Records, it didn't get any airplay outside the Southwest, and Fuller remained a local star with absolutely no national profile. Meanwhile, he was still trying to do what Bob Keane had asked and come up with a hit song, but he was stuck in a musical rut. As Jim Reese would later say, "Bobby was a great imitator. He could sing just like Holly, McCartney, Lennon, or Eddie Cochran. And he could imitate on the guitar, too. But Bobby never did Bobby". To make matters worse, the Beatles came on to the American musical scene, and caused an immediate shift in the public taste. And Bobby Fuller had a very complicated relationship with the Beatles. He had to play Beatles songs live because that's what the audiences wanted, but he felt that rock and roll was *American* music, and he resented British people trying to play it. He respected them as songwriters, but didn't actually like their original material. He could tell that they were huge Buddy Holly fans, like him, and he respected that, but he loathed Motown, and he could tell they were listening to that too. He ended up trying to compromise by playing Buddy Holly songs on stage but introducing them by talking about how much the Beatles loved Buddy Holly. Another person who was negatively affected by the British Invasion was Bob Keane, the man who had given Fuller some encouragement. Keane's Del-Fi Records had spent the previous few years making a steady income from churning out surf records like "Surf Rider" by the Lively Ones: [Excerpt: The Lively Ones, "Surf Rider"] And the Surfer's Pajama Party album by the Bruce Johnston Surfing Band: [Excerpt: Bruce Johnston, "The Surfer Stomp"] But as surf music had suddenly become yesterday's news, Del-Fi were in financial trouble, and Keane had had to take on a partner who gave the label some financial backing, Larry Nunes. Now, I am going to be very, very, careful about exactly what I say about Nunes here. I am aware that different people give very, very, different takes on Nunes' personality -- Barry White, for example, always said that knowing Nunes was the best thing that ever happened to him, credited Nunes with everything good in his career, and gave him credit on all his albums as his spiritual advisor. However, while White made Nunes out to be pretty much a saint, that is not the impression one gets from hearing Bob Keane or any of Bobby Fuller's circle talk about him. Nunes had started out in the music business as a "rack jobber", someone who ran a small distribution company, selling to small family-owned shops and to secondary markets like petrol stations and grocery stores. The business model for these organisations was to get a lot of stock of records that hadn't sold, and sell them at a discount, to be sold in discount bins. But they were also a perfect front for all sorts of criminal activity. Because these were bulk sales of remaindered records, dead stock, the artists weren't meant to get royalties on them, and no real accounting was done of the sales. So if a record label "accidentally" pressed up a few thousand extra copies of a hit record and sold it on to a rack jobber, the artists would never know. And if the Mafia made a deal with the record pressing plant to press up a few thousand extra copies, the *record label* would never know. And so very, very, quickly this part of the distribution system became dominated by organised crime. I have seen no proof, only rumours, that Nunes was directly involved in organised crime, but Bob Keane in particular later became absolutely convinced he was. Keane would later write in his autobiography: “I wondered if I had made a deal with the Devil. I had heard that Larry had a reputation for being associated with the Mob, and as it turned out three years later our relationship ended in deception, dishonesty, and murder. I consider myself very lucky to have come out of my relationship with Nunes in one piece, virtually unscathed." Again, this is Keane's interpretation of events. I am not saying that Larry Nunes was a mobster, I am saying that Bob Keane repeatedly made that accusation many times, and that other people in this story have said similar things. By late 1964, Bobby Fuller had come up with a song he was pretty sure *would* be a successful single, like Keane had wanted, a song called "Keep on Dancing" he'd written with Randy: [Excerpt: Bobby Fuller, “Keep On Dancing”] After some discussion he managed to persuade Randy, Jim Reese, and drummer DeWayne Quirico to move with him to LA -- Bobby and Randy's mother also moved with them, because after what had happened to her eldest son she was very protective of her other children. Jim Reese was less keen on the move than the others, as he thought that Fuller was only interested in himself, not in the rest of the Fanatics. As Reese would later say, "Bobby wanted us all to go to California, but I was leery because it always had been too one-sided with Bobby. He ran everything, hired and fired at the least whim, and didn't communicate well with other people. He was never able to understand that a musician, like other people, needs food, gasoline, clothes, a place to live, etc. I often felt that Bobby thought we should be following him anywhere just for the thrill of it." Eventually, Fuller got them to go by agreeing that when they got to LA, everything would be split equally -- one for all and all for one, though when they finally made a deal with Keane, Fuller was the only one who ended up receiving royalties. The rest of the group got union scale. Keane agreed that "Keep on Dancing" could be a hit, but that wasn't the first record the group put out through one of Keane's labels. The first was an instrumental titled "Thunder Reef": [Excerpt: The Shindigs, "Thunder Reef"] That wasn't released as by the Fanatics, but as by The Shindigs -- Keane had heard that Shindig! needed a house band and thought that naming the group after the show might be a way to get them the position. As it happened, the TV show went with another group, led by James Burton, who they called the Shindogs, and Keane's plan didn't work out. The Shindigs single was released on a new Del-Fi subsidiary, Mustang, on which most future records by the group would be released. Mustang was apparently set up specifically for the group, but the first record released on that label was actually by a studio group called The Surfettes: [Excerpt: The Surfettes, "Sammy the Sidewalk Surfer"] The Surfettes consisted of Carol Connors, the former lead singer of the Teddy Bears and writer of "Hey Little Cobra", and her sister Cheryl. Carol had written the single with Buzz Cason, of Brenda Lee's band, and the session musicians on that single included several other artists who were recording for Del-Fi at the time -- David Gates, Arthur Lee, and Johnny Echols, all of whom we'll be hearing more about in future episodes. Almost simultaneously with the Shindigs single, another single by the Fanatics was released, "Those Memories of You": [Excerpt: Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics, "Those Memories of You"] That single, backed by a surf instrumental called "Our Favourite Martian", was released on Donna Records, another Del-Fi subsidiary, as by Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics, which made the other group members furious -- what had happened to one for all and all for one? Randy Fuller, who was a very aggressive young man, was so annoyed that he stormed into Bob Keane's office and frisbeed one of the singles at his head. They didn't want to be Bobby's backing band, they wanted to be a proper group, so it was agreed the group's name would be changed. It was changed to The Bobby Fuller Four. Jim Reese claimed that Keane and Fuller formed The Bobby Fuller Four Inc, without the other three members having participation, and made them employees of the corporation. Reese said "this didn't fit in with my concept of the verbal agreement I had with Bobby, but at least it was better than nothing". The group became the house band at the Rendezvous, playing their own sets and backing people like Sonny and Cher. They then got a residency at the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood, and then Jim Reese quit the band. Fuller phoned him and begged him to come back, and as Reese said later "I again repeated my conditions about equal treatment and he agreed, so I went back -- probably the biggest mistake I ever made." The group's first single as the Bobby Fuller Four, released on Mustang as all their future records were, was "Take My Word": [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "Take My Word"] The record was unsuccessful -- Keane's various labels, while they were better distributed than Bobby's own labels back in El Paso, still only had spotty distribution, and Mustang being a new label it was even more difficult to get records in stores. But the group were getting a reputation as one of the best live acts in the LA area at the time. When the club Ciro's, on the Sunset Strip, closed and reopened under its new name It's Boss, the group were chosen to perform at its grand reopening, and they played multiple four- to six-week residencies at PJ's. The next record the group released, "Let Her Dance", was a slight rewrite of "Keep on Dancing", the song the Fuller brothers had written together, though Bobby was the only credited writer on the label: [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "Let Her Dance"] That was the first single they recorded at a new state-of-the-art studio Keane had opened up. That studio had one of the first eight-track machines in LA, and a truly vast echo chamber, made up from a couple of unused vaults owned by a bank downstairs from the studio. But there were big arguments between Fuller and Keane, because Fuller wanted only to make music that could be reproduced live exactly as it was on the record, while Keane saw the record as the important thing. Keane put a percussion sound on the record, made by hitting a bottle, which Fuller detested as they couldn't do it live, and the two would only end up disagreeing more as they continued working together. There's a lot of argument among Fuller fans about this -- personally I can see both sides, but there are people who are very much Team Bobby and think that nothing he recorded for Mustang is as good as the El Paso recordings, because of Bob Keane diluting the raw power of his live sound. But in an era  where studio experimentation was soon to lead to records like "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Good Vibrations", I think a bit of extra percussion is hardly an unforgivable dilution: [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "Let Her Dance"] KRLA radio started playing "Let Her Dance" every hour, at the instigation of Larry Nunes -- and most of the people talking about this have implied that he bribed people in order to get this to happen, or that it was through his alleged Mob connections. Certainly, he knew exactly when they would start playing the record, and how frequently, before they did. As a result of this exposure, "Let Her Dance" became a massive local hit, but they still didn't have the distribution to make it a hit outside California. It did, though, do well enough that Liberty Records asked about putting the record out nationally. Keane came to a verbal agreement, which he thought was an agreement for Liberty to distribute the Mustang Records single, and Liberty thought was an agreement to put out the single on their own label and have an option on future Fuller recordings. Liberty put the record out on their own label, without Keane having signed anything, and Keane had to sue them. The result was that the record was out on two different labels, which were suing each other, and so it hardly had any chance at any kind of success. The legal action also affected the next single, "Never to Be Forgotten": [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "Never to Be Forgotten"] That's often considered the best of the band's originals for Mustang, and was written by the Fuller brothers -- and both of them were credited this time -- but Liberty sued Keane, claiming that because they'd released "Let Her Dance", they also had an option on the next single. But even though the group still weren't selling records, they were getting other opportunities for exposure, like their appearance in a film which came out in April 1966. Though admittedly, this film was hardly A Hard Day's Night. Indeed, a lot of people have claimed that The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini was cursed. The film, which went through the working titles Pajama Party in a Haunted House, Slumber Party in a Haunted House, Bikini Party in a Haunted House, and Ghost in a Glass Bikini, was made by the cheapy exploitation company American International Pictures, and several people involved in it would die in the next four years, starting with Buster Keaton, who was meant to appear in the film, but had to back out due to his health problems and died before the film came out. Then on the first day of filming, a grip fell to his death. In the next four years, two of the film's young stars, Sue Hamilton and John Macchia, would die, as would Philip Bent, an actor with a minor role who died in July 1966 in a plane crash which also took the life of Peter Sachse, an extra on the film who was married to a cast member. Three more stars of the film, Francis X Bushman, Basil Rathbone, and Boris Karloff would also all be dead within a handful of years, but they were all elderly and unwell when filming started. I don't believe in curses myself, but it is a horrible run of bad luck for a single film. To make matters worse, the group weren't even playing their own music in the film, but lipsynching to tracks by other musicians. And they had to play Vox instruments in the film, because of a deal the filmmakers had made, when the group all hated Vox instruments, which Jim Reese thought of as only good for starting bonfires. For the next single, Keane had discussed with Fuller what songs the group had that were "different", but Fuller apparently didn't understand what he meant. So Keane went to the rest of the group and asked them what songs always went over well in live performances. All three band members said that "I Fought the Law" should be the next single. Bobby disagreed, and almost got into a fistfight with his brother over it -- they'd already released it as a single once, on his own label, and he didn't want to do it again. He also wanted to record his own material not cover versions. But the others prevailed, and "I Fought the Law" became the record that would define the group: [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "I Fought the Law"] "I Fought the Law" became the group's breakthrough hit. It made the top ten, and turned the song, which had previously been one of the Crickets' most obscure songs, into a rock and country standard. In the seventies, the song would be recorded by Hank Williams Jr, the Clash, the Dead Kennedys and more, and all of them would be inspired by the Bobby Fuller Four's version of the song, not the Crickets' original. Around this time, the group also recorded a live album at PJs, in the hope of duplicating Trini Lopez's success with his earlier album. The album was shelved, though, because it didn't capture the powerhouse live act of the group's reputation, instead sounding rather dull and lifeless, with an unenthused audience: [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "Oh Boy!"] While "I Fought the Law" was a huge success, it started a period of shifts within the band. Shortly after the PJs album was recorded, DeWayne Quirico quit the band and moved back to El Paso. He was temporarily replaced by Johnny Barbata, who would later become a member of the Turtles, before Fuller's preferred replacement Dalton Powell was able to get to LA to join the band. There seems to have been some shuffling about, as well, because as far as I can tell, Powell joined the band, then quit and was replaced by Barbata returning, and then rejoined again, all in about a six month period. Given the success of "I Fought the Law", it only made sense that at their first recording session with Powell, the group would record more tracks that had originally been on the Crickets' In Style album. One of these, their version of "Baby My Heart", went unreleased at the time, though to my taste it's the best thing the group ever did: [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "Baby My Heart"] The other, "Love's Made a Fool of You", became the group's next single: [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "Love's Made a Fool of You"] "Love's Made a Fool of You" was also a success, making number twenty-six in the charts, but the group's next session, which would produce their last single, was the cause of some conflict. Keane had noticed that soul music was getting bigger, and so he'd decided to open up a sister label to Mustang, Bronco, which would release soul and R&B music. As he didn't know much about that music himself, though of course he had worked with Sam Cooke, he decided to hire an A&R man to deal with that kind of music. The man he chose was a piano player named Barry White, still several years from making his own hit records. White had had some success as an arranger and producer already, having arranged "The Harlem Shuffle" for Bob and Earl, on which he also played piano: [Excerpt: Bob and Earl, "The Harlem Shuffle"] Despite White's remit, the records he produced for Bronco and Mustang weren't especially soulful. "Back Seat 38 Dodge" by Opus 1, for example, is a psychedelic updating of the kind of car songs that the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean had been doing a couple of years earlier: [Excerpt: Opus 1, "Back Seat 38 Dodge"] White was present at what became the final Bobby Fuller Four session, though accounts differ as to his involvement. Some have him arranging "The Magic Touch”, others have him playing drums on the session, some have him co-producing. Bob Keane always said that the record had no involvement from White whatsoever, that he was there but not participating, but various band members, while differing on other things, have insisted that White and Fuller got into huge rows, as Fuller thought that White was trying to turn his music into Motown, which he despised. The finished record does sound to me like it's got some of White's fingerprints on it: [Excerpt: The Bobby Fuller Four, "The Magic Touch"] But "The Magic Touch" flopped -- it departed too far from the updated Buddy Holly sound of the group's hit singles, and audiences weren't responding. “The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini” came out and was an embarrassment to the band – and on July the eleventh the next in that horrible series of deaths linked to the film happened, the plane crash that killed Philip Bent and Peter Sachse. On July the sixteenth, William Parker, the long-serving chief of the LAPD, had died. If, hypothetically, someone wanted to commit a crime in LA and not have it investigated too closely, the few days after Parker's death, when the entire department was in mourning and making preparations for a massive public funeral, would have been a good time to do so. Two days after Parker's death, July the eighteenth 1966, was going to be the crunch point for the Bobby Fuller Four. They had a recording session scheduled for 8:30AM, but they also were planning on having a band meeting after the session, at which it was likely the group were going to split up. Jim Reese had just got his draft notice, Bobby and Randy were getting on worse, and nobody was happy with the music they were making. They were going to finish the album they were working on, and then Bobby was going to go solo. Or at least that was what everyone assumed -- certainly Ahmet Ertegun had been sniffing round Bobby as a solo artist, though Bobby kept saying publicly he wanted to continue working with the band. There were also later rumours that Morris Levy had been after Bobby, and had even signed him to a deal, though no documentary evidence of such a deal has surfaced. It seemed that if there was to be a group at all, it would just be a name for any random musicians Bobby hired. Bobby also wanted to become a pure recording artist, and not tour any more -- he hated touring, thought people weren't listening to the band properly, and that being away from home meant he didn't have time to write songs, which in turn meant that he had to record what he thought of as substandard material by other people rather than his own original material. He wanted to stay in LA, play clubs, and make records. But even though making records was what he wanted to do, Bobby never turned up for the recording session, and nor did he turn up for the group meeting afterwards. The group's next single had been announced as "It's Love Come What May": [Excerpt: Randy Fuller, "It's Love Come What May"] When that was released, it was released as a Randy Fuller solo single, with Randy's voice overdubbed on top of Bobby's. Because there was no use putting out a record by a dead man. Here's what we actually know about Bobby Fuller's death, as far as I can tell. There are a lot of conflicting claims, a lot of counternarratives, and a lot of accusations that seek to tie in everyone from Charles Manson to Frank Sinatra, but this is as close as I can get to the truth. Bobby and Randy were living together, with their mother, though Randy was out a lot of the time, and the two brothers at that point could barely stand to be in the same room with each other, as often happens in bands where brothers work together. On the night of July the seventeenth, Bobby Fuller left the house for a couple of hours after getting a phone call -- some people who were around said he was going to see a girlfriend named Melody to buy some acid from her, but she says he didn't see her that night. Melody was a sex worker, who was also reputedly the girlfriend of a local nightclub owner who had Mob connections and was jealous of her attachments to other men -- though she denies this. Nobody has ever named which club owner, but it's generally considered to be Eddie Nash, the owner of PJs. Melody was also friends with Larry Nunes, and says she acted as a go-between for Nunes and Fuller. Fuller got back in around 2:30 AM and spent some time having beer with the building manager.  Then at some point he went out again -- Bobby was a night owl. When his mother, Lorraine, woke up, she noticed her car, which Bobby often used to borrow, wasn't there. She had a terrible bad feeling about her son's whereabouts -- though she often had such feelings, after the murder of her eldest son. She kept checking outside every half hour or so to see if he was coming home. At 5PM, two musicians from El Paso, Ty Grimes and Mike Ciccarelli, who'd come to LA to see Fuller, pulled into the parking lot near his apartment block. There were no other cars nearby. A car pulled in beside them, but they didn't pay any attention. They went up the stairs and rang the doorbell. While they were ringing the doorbell, Lorraine Fuller was out checking the mail, and noticed her car, which hadn't been there earlier. She opened the door. Ty Grimes later said "When we walked back to Mike's car, Bobby's car was now parked next to Mike's, and he was laying in the front seat already dead. We also saw his mom being helped toward the apartment." Fuller had been dead long enough for rigor mortis to have set in. While Lorraine Fuller later said that his hand had been on the ignition key, there was actually no key found in the car. He had apparently died from inhaling petrol. His body was covered in bruises, and the slippers he was wearing looked like they'd been dragged across the ground. His body was covered in petrol, and his right index finger was broken. Bob Keane has later said that Larry Nunes knew some details of the crime scene before he was told them. According to the other members of the band, there was an eight hundred thousand dollar life insurance policy on Bobby's life, held by the record company. Keane didn't get any money from any such policy, and stated that if such a policy existed it must have been taken out by Nunes, who soon stopped working with Keane, as Keane's labels collapsed without their one remaining star. The death was initially ruled a suicide, which would not pay out on an insurance claim, and later changed to accidental death, which would. Though remember, of course, we have only the word of Bobby's other band members that any insurance policy existed. No real police investigation was ever carried out, because it was such an open-and-shut case. At no point was it ever considered a murder by the famously corrupt LAPD. Bob Keane hired private investigators to investigate the case. One of them was shot at, and the others gave up on the investigation, scared to continue. The autopsy report that was issued months after the fact bore no resemblance to what any of the witnesses said they saw of the state of Fuller's body. More than thirty years later, Keane tried to get the information the LAPD held about the case, and was told that it could only be accessed by a family member. Keane contacted Randy Fuller, who was then told that the entire case file was missing. So all we can go on as far as the official records go is the death certificate. Which means that I lied to you at the start of the episode. Because officially, no matter what impression you might have got from everything I just said, Bobby Fuller's death *was* an accident.