Podcasts about Badlands

Chris Paul and Burning Bright take on the 1997 Val Kilmer vehicle, and the verdict lands fast, this one is rough. Expect an entertaining teardown of a movie that was clearly built to launch a franchise and immediately fizzled, plus a genuine deep dive into Val Kilmer's eccentric career and the strange choices that pushed him away from Batman sequels and James Bond toward this instead. From there the conversation drifts into nuclear fusion, Russian oligarchy talk, and a pretty entertaining read on the film's ending as unintentional propaganda, complete with an NGO cameo that gets roasted hard. There's also some current events woven in around energy prices and manufactured scarcity. Stick around for boosts, a Vegas meetup mention, and next week's pick, a Depression era bootlegging drama with a killer cast neither host has seen.

CannCon and Ashe in America return to finish what they started, picking up the second half of Chapter 12 of The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin, and this time they actually get to the sinking of the Lusitania. The hosts walk through how the ship was quietly outfitted for war, the cargo controversy that followed it for decades, and the strange timeline of warnings and decisions that put it directly in a U boat's path. They dig into the competing explanations for why the ship went down in under eighteen minutes, from torpedoes to secondary explosions to what divers actually found in the wreck decades later. Expect some genuinely jaw dropping historical details, a healthy dose of suspicion about official reports, and the kind of ending that makes the whole setup from last week click into place.

CannCon and Alpha Warrior open with a DHS statement on crime rates that Alpha is very pleased about, tying the drop back to deportation numbers and a broader debate over what actually drives the trend. From there they cover a wave of Democrat officials being charged over pandemic relief fraud, including a Massachusetts state representative facing eleven counts, plus a separate case involving postal employees recruited into a twenty four million dollar stolen check scheme. The centerpiece is the why we vote segment, where a federal judge lifts the last block on the President's mail in voting overhaul, letting the Postal Service move forward with its final rule ahead of the midterms. They close with a clip of leftists in LA County openly regretting their choices after a rough mayoral debate. Expect strong opinions, some good natured needling, and plenty of election talk.

CannCon and Ashe open with the CIA director making an unannounced trip to Moscow and speculate on what business would justify a visit nobody was supposed to know about. From there they dig into three Secret Service communications officials being suspended and stripped of clearances in a leak probe that appears tied to the Air Force One plane swap story, with both the FBI and CIA involved. The middle of the show covers the Department of Education rollback and a Colorado teacher taking on her own union, sparking a broader conversation about decision rights and who should actually hold them. The back half is heavy on elections, from Michigan's motor voter whistleblower claims and a Postal Service standoff with a federal judge to an Ohio proof of citizenship block and Lisa Murkowski's shifting explanations on the Save America Act. Plenty of banter and real depth throughout.

CannCon flies solo for Tuesday with Ghost calling in for a meaty geopolitics segment on the Mecca agreement, an Article 5 style defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey that has now reportedly extended invitations to Iran and Syria. Ghost walks through Turkey's rising role inside NATO, US troops leaving Iraq, and a genuinely surprising revelation about who was actually serving as the back channel into Iran, which flips the widely reported narrative on its head. The back half turns domestic, with the Supreme Court allowing some vote by mail limits ahead of the midterms, a Ninth Circuit immigration ruling, and two brave Michigan township clerks publicly inviting federal officials in to cross check their voter rolls after a whistleblower claim. CannCon closes with a WNBA eligibility story that is equal parts absurd and pointed.

CannCon and Zak Paine open Monday with highlights from the Freedom 250 race in DC before digging into a measles outbreak story where the actual death numbers do not match the panic, with a detour into obesity and food policy nobody seems to want to talk about. From there they cover Brandon Gill making the case for testing the legality of auto pen pardons in court, and why the Fauci prosecution might be the perfect vehicle to do it, alongside the escalating Eric Swalwell investigation. The back half includes a New York Times story on a private Jeffries and Kushner meeting fueling midterm speculation, the Postal Service quietly tightening mail in ballot requirements despite a court block, and Gavin Newsom signing a bill critics say targets investigative reporting. Plenty of tangents and easy Monday banter throughout.

CannCon and Chris Paul kick off Friday with a jaw dropping Michael Cohen and President Trump interview that has to be heard to be believed, complete with polling talk, a recantation, and a level of chumminess that raises real questions about the entire Manhattan case. From there they cover growing frustration with the Senate over stalled appointments heading into the midterms, plus a Mike Lindell announcement about the largest privately funded recount audit in US history following alleged reporting anomalies in Minnesota's governor primary. They also unpack Scott Bessent's sharp exchange on tariff refunds and who the US Treasury actually belongs to, before turning to federal agents seizing Eric Swalwell's devices under a statute the hosts find genuinely puzzling. Expect the usual banter, some Jill Biden commentary, and a few detours you will not see coming.

Chris Paul and Burning Bright finally tackle this 2005 political thriller about oil, intelligence, and Middle East power games, and both admit they went in with basically no expectations. Turns out the title has nothing to do with Syria despite the timing lining up with plenty of real world headlines. Expect a real dig into the film's tangled web of characters, from an oil executive's family tragedy to a CIA operative getting pulled back into the game he claims he wants out of, plus a genuinely sharp read on the movie's father son throughline and what it says about men chasing control over things too big to actually control. There's also some sharp commentary on truther culture, branding, and the difference between actually chasing truth and just monetizing the chase. Stick around for listener boosts, a couple generous subs, and next week's pick, a 90s thriller starring Val Kilmer as a master thief.

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/wildones Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Thanks to Garmin for supporting the podcast!  00:00 Training with Garmin [ad] 00:47 Bad claps & cafe stops 04:32 New Domane… how times have changed 11:10 Chris' methods for long-distance bike comfort 28:26 Ultra cycling misadventures + Chris' favourite race 36:33 Bucket lists 45:20 NordVPN deal: 4 months free [ad] 46:19 5 lessons Chris wish he'd learned before riding long distance 59:59 Finlay Tarling tribute 01:06:11  crimes against cycling Thanks to Jack Hague and Badlands for the photos! Join the CADE Club on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cademedia Send your submissions for Cycling Court here: https://forms.gle/pGNBn4ARFtW8LrVdA Check out our latest videos on the CADE YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Cade_Media If you'd like us to send in a question, story, some good news, things you'd like us to discuss or anything else, email us at wildonespodcast@cademedia.co.uk Or you can send us a voice note on Whatsapp: +44 7860 860 213 Our address: CADE, PO Box 790, Durham, DH1 9TH, UK (Unfortunately we can't guarantee anything you send will be featured, and are unable to return anything you send us) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Herold deals with a wave of fraudulent charges on his own bank card while running a genuinely slow Thursday show, leaning heavily on chat interaction. He covers the national debt officially crossing 40 trillion dollars, plays a Scott Bessent clip on whether the deficit has peaked, and digs into reports that the FBI seized former Congressman Eric Swalwell's electronics amid a sexual misconduct investigation. Other topics include Trump's sweeping new economic pressure campaign against Iran, a DOE critical minerals funding announcement, and a look at how both anti Trump Democrats and the Freedom Caucus are struggling in this year's primaries. The chat also pulls Jon into a lengthy, somber discussion of an ongoing Massachusetts murder trial that dominates a good chunk of the show. Sponsor reads, a new Badlands group chat setup, and plenty of live chat banter round out a lighter but talkative Thursday.

CannCon and Ashe in America continue through The New Alchemy section of The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin, landing on Chapter 12: Sink the Lusitania. This week the hosts dig into JP Morgan's role financing England and France during World War I, and the far less patriotic reasons America may have ended up in that war at all. They trace the origin story most of us learned in school, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and challenge the idea that it was ever really the cause rather than just the spark. Expect a hard look at how loans, politics, and a certain infamous ship collided to shift American public opinion, along with the hosts' usual candid detours into modern health, big pharma, and everything in between. Heavy subject matter this week, handled with the show's signature mix of bluntness and heart.

CannCon and Alpha Warrior open with a spirited debate over the national debt, the Federal Reserve, and whether the president can actually fix an economy that constitutionally belongs to Congress, sparked by a rant from the chat and a batch of new Trump comments on Bitcoin and interest rates. They also work through a chat claim about Bitcoin's origins that does not survive contact with the numbers. From there it is a look at University of Michigan scrapping letter grades for freshmen and the Army walking back tougher ROTC academic standards. The back half covers Michigan's election bureau moving to kill a proof of citizenship ballot measure over a thousand signature sample, a painful Sean Hannity cleanup attempt after a rough debate moment in South Carolina, and Israeli airstrikes in Syria that drew an unusually pointed rebuke from a US ambassador. A packed Thursday with plenty of friendly disagreement.

CannCon and Ashe kick off with a stunning DSA steering committee clip where a member openly says the group is famous for its hatred of the US Constitution, setting up a wider discussion about which political coalition, the DSA or America First, actually represents the bigger threat to the old guard establishment. They dig into Florida's primary results, where Alex Vindman suffers a genuinely shocking upset loss to a lesser known challenger despite massive fundraising and national attention. There is also a painful pair of clips from a South Carolina debate where one candidate seems to have no answers when finally given the floor. They close with Texas and Minnesota's governors trading barbs over an extradition fight tied to voter fraud repayment, plus a lingering Nevada US Attorney vacancy nobody can explain. Plenty of banter and a healthy dose of disbelief throughout.

CannCon flies solo again on the now permanent Tuesday format and opens with a genuinely wild polling scandal, where a brand new firm openly admits to running what it calls a social experiment after getting caught pushing wildly inflated numbers for a socialist candidate that ended up losing by half a point. He connects that to Rasmussen quietly getting booted from a major polling aggregator despite years of accuracy. From there he digs into a fresh CBS poll on how Democrats increasingly favor socialism over capitalism, breaking down the branding gap between what Republicans and Democrats think the word even means, and framing the whole thing as a widening civil war between the DSA and the old guard establishment. He closes with a fascinating C SPAN caller clip that has to be seen to be believed. Plenty of economic theory and political speculation packed into a solo Tuesday.

Tora Tora beat Metallica in a poll. That alone should tell you something about how this show works.This 80s Metal episode covers Tora Tora's 1989 debut Surprise Attack, the surprise winner of a four-way Patreon poll against Metallica's Master of Puppets, Slade's Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply, and Motörhead's Iron Fist. The Memphis band's blend of Judas Priest style riffing and Beale Street blues set them apart from the Sunset Strip pack, and the hosts dig into the record's three singles, its reverb-heavy production, a firsthand tour bus story from 1992, and the band's ongoing reissue campaign and 2019 reunion. If you love Tesla, Badlands, or late-80s hard rock that never quite got its due, this episode is for you.Episode highlights:00:00: Poll results and Tora Tora's landslide win06:35: A 1992 tour bus story from backstage at a Newport headlining show20:39: What works on Surprise Attack40:04: The production issue holding the record back49:43: Final host ratingsSubscribe to Dig Me Out at digmeoutpodcast.com | Join the Board of Directors at dmounion.com Have a lost or forgotten album that deserves the spotlight? Suggest it here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe

CannCon and Zak Paine kick off Monday with a Kushner and Grinnell clip on longevity and priorities after leaving the White House, plus a quick check in on the surprise hurricane that battered Hawaii over the weekend. The real headline is a resurfaced Terry Moran interview where the ABC correspondent admits network brass killed his own investigation into the COVID lab leak theory back in 2021, a story the hosts say deserves way more attention than it has gotten. They also touch on a memoir clip getting renewed attention online involving a public figure's account of a traumatic experience at eighteen, and a chunk of a speech that has the hosts nodding along on campaign finance reform despite disagreeing with plenty else. They close with easily the favorite clip of the day, a Democrat election lawyer visibly melting down over dried up funding heading into the midterms.

Cam Cooksey opens episode 63 (recorded August 15th, and a happy birthday to Jackie's dad, Javier) as the first show on Badlands that Saturday, mapping out a relaxed night of Truth Social posts, funny X finds, and the long overdue return of American of the Week. The heart of the show is his "triangulating truth" theme. Cam walks through Trump announcing missionary Kevin Rideout's rescue from West Africa, an AI photo tour of the new White House ballroom with George Washington, and a striking war casualty comparison putting Trump's Iran and Venezuela numbers against Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He gets fired up over a federal judge unsealing Epstein documents (rejecting Ghislaine Maxwell's objections) and an SPLC executive's fraud arrest, all via Ali Tucker's spin free write-ups. He closes with Guard Vegas hype (the September retreat he calls a family reunion) and a young man's words of wisdom. Let go and embrace the flow.

Newly clean-shaven host Matt Trump (yes, he shaved the beard) delivers part four of his summer abroad walking tour, back in London as the self-described Rick Steves of Badlands. After brief detours on odd Wisconsin election results and AI watermarking, he cues up the 1953 Ivanhoe trailer and walks you upstream along the Thames, past Blackfriars, to the round Temple Church at the heart of the medieval Inns of Court. The main event is the Knights Templar. Framed archaeologically rather than as pure conspiracy fodder, he traces their origins as pilgrim-protecting warrior monks headquartered at the Temple Mount, their surprising role as the inventors of international banking and letters of credit, and their later life as lawyers. The through line ties this fusion of military, finance, and intelligence to modern parallels, from the CIA to globalist power. Expect crusades history, a promised pub stop, and plenty of tongue-in-cheek asides.

The crew can't quite believe how much oxygen a paid Charlie Kirk assassination debate sucked up online this week, and spends a solid chunk of time roasting the whole "we'll figure out who killed him by watching two influencers argue" premise. From there it's on to a pop quiz built from the week's Badlands headlines, covering a contested Attorney General confirmation vote, an FBI investigation that followed James Comey's firing, and a leaked characterization of Biden Ukraine corruption allegations that raises some eyebrows. There's also a genuinely thoughtful dive into an immigration fraud scheme involving a marriage of convenience, a look at reports of China accessing voter roll data in multiple states, and a call in appearance from a sitting congressman that turns into an unexpected tax rant. Somewhere in the middle, drone guns and a possible robot dog cameo come up too. A little bit of everything this week.

CannCon and Chris Paul go deeper into the SPLC indictment, walking through the eye popping funding numbers behind the organization's growth over the past decade and the specific ways prosecutors say donor money was funneled to informants inside extremist groups. They connect it to a broader pattern of unaccountable NGO grant money and speculate on how far the fallout could spread. From there they dig into fresh CBS reporting confirming President Trump secretly swapped planes while a real missile threat loomed, with the actual Air Force One carrying top cabinet officials who did not even know the president was not aboard. The back half covers a viral immigration clip out of Houston and a closing John Brennan clip on what he expects from the midterms. Plenty of banter and a Friday wrap up energy throughout.

Chris Paul and Burning Bright dust off this 90s political comedy about two rival ex presidents forced to team up against a corrupt sitting president, and yes, they clock exactly how hokey it is right out of the gate. There's a running bit about how often James Rebhorn keeps showing up in their movie picks lately, some genuine affection for the cast even when the material is on the nose, and a solid conversation about whether Hollywood satire like this counts as intentional propaganda or just the culture accidentally telling on itself. The back half wanders into current events, including a wild multi country dispute over which plane certain officials were actually on, and why nobody seems to agree on the basic facts of anything anymore. Stick around for the next pick, a politically charged oil industry drama from the mid 2000s neither host has seen yet.

Jon Herold and Burning Bright open with sponsor banter (yes, there's now a joke Chinese knockoff Badlands promo code in play) before diving into a fresh John Solomon clip and a batch of newly declassified files. The throughline for the night is clear: the intelligence community, not any one political figure, is squarely in the crosshairs of these disclosures. Herold breaks out one of his all time favorite Trump clips, a rapid fire rundown of Russiagate, the Mueller probe, both impeachments, the dossier, and the Twitter files, framing it as the actual target list behind everything getting declassified right now. The guys dig into why that framing matters, what's still to come, and why they think this moment has been years in the making. There's the usual mix of substance and back and forth banter throughout, including a few tangents that wander before circling back.

CannCon and Ashe in America leave the world of pure banking history behind for a moment and step into Chapter 11 of The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin, opening a new section the book calls The New Alchemy. The theme this week is grim but fascinating: how the same fiat money mechanism used to fund banks has also quietly funded wars, and how the profits of war have historically flowed to a very specific set of financiers rather than to nations or causes. The hosts dig into the rise of the House of Rothschild in Europe, the long tradition of financing both sides of a conflict, and the uncomfortable formula connecting debt to war and war back to debt. Expect history that hits differently once you see the pattern, plus the usual sponsor breaks and some behind the scenes audio troubleshooting along the way.

CannCon and Alpha Warrior dig deep into a genuinely stunning federal case against the Southern Poverty Law Center, walking through allegations of a secretive internal unit literally named after the CIA that ran informants, funneled donor money to people inside hate groups, and even broke into a target's headquarters to copy documents before sneaking them back. They connect the dots to a broader RICO strategy that could unravel a whole network of NGOs. From there Alpha gets to say I told you so as a prior prediction about a high ranking military firing tied to the Air Force One canary trap story turns out to be spot on. They also revisit Wisconsin's ongoing election chaos with fresh Steve Kornacki meltdown clips and a Ron Johnson update on the Fauci saga. A dense, energetic Wednesday show.

CannCon and Ashe bring on voting systems expert Clay Parikh for an urgent breakdown of a wild overnight development in Wisconsin, where five out of nine election USB drives reportedly downloaded audit logs instead of actual vote totals, delaying results and prompting officials to call it simple human error. Clay walks through the technical documentation and explains why that explanation does not hold up nearly as cleanly as election officials are claiming. From there the show shifts into a look at a wave of primary challenges against long tenured incumbents, playing viral clips of two very different congressional moments and revisiting a memorable Donna Brazile and Scott Jennings clash over whether the DSA can fairly be compared to the Tea Party movement. A dense, fast moving episode with a genuine breaking news feel.

Deadwood, South Dakota, was never supposed to exist. Built illegally on land guaranteed to the Lakota, the gold-rush town exploded into a lawless maze of saloons, brothels, gambling halls, violence, disease, and sudden death. Wild Bill Hickok was murdered at a poker table. Women trapped in the Badlands died violently. And more than a century later, visitors claim the people who built Deadwood are still there. Tonight, we explore the bloody history and enduring ghost stories of a town that seems determined to keep its dead exactly where they fell.   YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HauntedAmericanHistory TikTok - @hah_podcast hauntedamericanhistory.com Patreon- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/hauntedamericanhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HAH DISCORD - https://discord.com/invite/bJdbpH3hQm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CannCon runs solo again for the midweek show and opens with a look at big pharma donations flowing to senators who were not even up for reelection at the time, before playing an RFK Jr clip on the search for an environmental trigger behind rising childhood chronic illness. The centerpiece of the show is a deep dive back into Pfizer's own pregnancy and lactation safety data, walked through with the help of an AI chat assistant, and the numbers are rough enough that CannCon flags the moment as worth clipping and sharing. There is also a detour into a college athletics NIL scandal tied to a familiar name, a fiery take on the World Health Organization, and a genuinely strange story about President Trump quietly switching planes mid trip that only a handful of people reportedly knew about. Plenty to dig into on a busy Wednesday.

Asking a simple question I’ve been pondering a deceptively simple question: What makes a photograph good as part of my book club this month? But, before diving into that, a couple of quick announcements! I’ve got some new workshops lined up in 2027 at Badlands, Adventures in the Palouse, and the Oregon Coast and Redwoods. Check out the details on my website. Plus, I’ll be teaching a masterclass called “The Landscape is Language” at the Photographic Center Northwest in November 2026. As for the topic of episode 596, the source of this question comes from re-reading The View from the Studio Door by Ted Orland. In the section Art & Society, Ted comes up with an interesting answer that we will get to at the end of the podcast. Sure, the what is a good photography questionseems like it should have a straightforward answer. We could list out a bunch of qualities: composition, light, color, timing, technical skill, originality, emotion. Maybe a photo resonates because it communicates something important or makes us pause and reflect. So, what are we really talking about when we say a photograph is good? First off, we need to distinguish between “good” and “beautiful.” A photograph can be stunning without really offering much depth. Gorgeous light, perfect composition, beautiful colors—sure, but does it say anything? Conversely, a photograph can be rough around the edges but still pack an emotional punch.  Good isn’t necessarily beautiful First off, we need to distinguish between “good” and “beautiful.” A photograph can be stunning without really offering much depth. Gorgeous light, perfect composition, beautiful colors—sure, but does it say anything? Conversely, a photograph can be rough around the edges but still pack an emotional punch. Who gets to decide? Who determines what makes a photograph good? Is it because I like it? A critic? Other photographers? Does it matter if it's hanging in a museum or selling at auction? Or is it simply about whether the creator feels they achieved what they set out to do? The more I reflect, the more I realize there isn’t a universal standard for art—and maybe that's just fine. What if we judged the “goodness” of a photograph by its impact? – Does it make me stop? – Does it hold my gaze? – Does it shift my perspective? – Does it make me uncomfortable or curious? – Does it inspire creativity in me? Can a Bad Photograph Still Be Good? Suppose I take a photograph that falls flat. You have them too. You know the ones with bad composition, poor lighting, missing the mark entirely. On its own, it might not see the light of day. But what if that photo leads me to create ten better ones? What if it highlights what I don't want in my work or points me toward an unexpected direction? Does that still make it a bad photograph? Aesthetically, sure. Creatively, it could be invaluable. It makes me wonder if we're sometimes asking the wrong questions about art. Instead of “Is this good?” maybe we should be asking, “What did this make possible?” We don’t make masterpieces one at a time I feel like photographers can get caught up in the notion that their work is a collection of standalone images. You make a picture, then another, and it's easy to obsess over which ones are the “good” ones. But that’s not really how creativity works. It is a journey for us to follow, and the most important photographs aren’t necessarily the strongest ones; it might be the one that reshapes everything that follows Ted’s key point with the photograph as a stepping stone Ted Orland has this concept I keep returning to: a piece of work can be deemed good if it helps you move toward the next piece. I love this idea because it eases the pressure on each photograph. It doesn’t have to be the final say; it can be a question, an experiment, or even a failure.

CannCon and Zak Paine open with a follow up on the Air Force One missile capability story, connecting it to a possible canary trap and predicting some accountability is coming for whoever leaked it. From there they play a clip of President Trump weighing in on John Thune's future as Senate Majority Leader before turning their frustration toward the Senate voting to leave for a 40 day recess without resolving the Attorney General confirmation fight, leaving Trump without the recess appointment option he needed. Marsha Blackburn's Tennessee governor primary run gets a look too. The back half is a deep dive into the national DSA platform itself, walking through eyebrow raising planks like defunding the Department of Defense, abolishing the Senate, and granting blanket amnesty, positions the hosts expect to hear a lot more about heading into the fall. A busy Monday show.

Host Matt Trump powers through a technically cursed evening (broken mic cord, dead camera, "wading through mud" all week) to deliver part three of his summer abroad walking tour as the self-styled Rick Steves of Badlands. After a detour on reactivating a decade-old Facebook account and how he tries to explain his politics to liberal friends, he crosses the Thames to the Tower of London and its Norman builders. The through line is a provocative analogy: the Norman Conquest of 1066, in which a small ruling class dominated England without replacing its people, framed as a template for how he views globalist or "deep state" control of modern America. Expect the White Tower, Traitor's Gate, the scaffold site, a Robin Hood tie-in, a space-alien thought experiment, and a Federal Reserve comparison, all wrapped in his usual history-meets-geopolitics musing. The Romans built the bridge; the Normans, he argues, still run the place.

[School of Movies 2026] Dan Trachtenberg, director of 10 Cloverfield Lane has quietly, modestly, and with surety of purpose revolutionised the Predator franchise. Back when Disney bought Fox there were many folks cheering about the X-Men being in the MCU from now on (and Marvel have taken their sweet time with that) whilst still others rightly pointed out that the monopoly and dominion over such an immense market share of IPs that were never theirs and don't fit with the Mickey Mouse mentality was going to be ruinous. At least in the case of Predator, the reverse is true. For three decades, Fox presided over poorly-received Predator sequels, spinoffs, and aborted revivals. Meanwhile the Disney buyout has (through the appointment of Trachtenberg as project leader) resulted in the three freshest takes, cunningly bringing forward some of the most potent elements and letting go of aping of the 80s classic. Prey, and Killer of Killers sought a new demographic of younger people aware of the name and keen to see something relevant to them. But this one actually has something to say about being raised in harsh, cruel, dehumanising cultures, and it does so with passion and humour that won over Willow. This thing is special, and reaches out with exhilarating empathy to guys who have been told they can't ever be sensitive or feel anything other than anger and the desire to dominate the competition. It is, in effect, Redditor: Badlands. This week's After School Club: Predator: Killer of Killers Next week: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

CannCon and Ashe in America wrap up Chapter 10 of The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin, finally closing out the Mandrake Mechanism and the entire first section of the book. This week covers reserve ratios and just how arbitrary they really are, why national debt and inflation are not always the same beast, and the strange history of the 1980s bond market that briefly kept inflation in check. The hosts also dig into some of the names behind the Federal Reserve system itself, from the Bretton Woods architects to the Wall Street connections that helped push the Federal Reserve Act through Congress in the first place. Expect a heavier academic stretch than usual, some genuine frustration at how little has changed, and the usual sponsor detours along the way. It is a dense one, but the payoff is worth it.

Chris Paul and Burning Bright close out the Knives Out trilogy with the newest entry, and Burning Bright makes his case for why this one hits harder than the first two. Expect a genuinely thoughtful breakdown of Rian Johnson as a filmmaker, from Looper to the divisive Last Jedi fallout, and how that history colors the way they watch his work now. The conversation digs into the movie's heavy religious imagery, its take on justice versus vengeance, and a sharp aside about purity tests and groupthink that ties straight back to some very current events in truther circles. There's also a fun tangent on why certain political sides tend to make better movies. Stick around for the sponsor reads, a few subscriber shoutouts, and next week's pick, a 90s political comedy neither host has actually seen before.

CannCon and Chris Paul open with a genuinely strange story about the mysterious Ghost in the Machine account quietly disappearing from social media on its purported last day, and dig into why a Navy ship logo tied to that account has never been fully explained. From there they touch on Mitch McConnell's oddly worded recovery statement, noting nobody has actually seen him in a while, before diving into a Senate confirmation vote hanging by a thread thanks to a wavering Republican senator. The bulk of the show digs into a brand new mRNA flu vaccine approval that skipped placebo testing entirely and shows a notably higher injury rate, including a spirited public back and forth CannCon had with an FDA official over how the story was being reported. They wrap with Trump comments on election integrity and a birthright citizenship enforcement clip. A packed Thursday.

Jon Herold and Burning Bright dig deep into Andrew McCabe's own handwritten memos, piecing together the timeline from his firing to the launch of the investigation into Trump, complete with a Kamala Harris clip grilling McCabe that adds some extra context. It's detail heavy stuff, the kind of episode where the receipts do most of the talking. The second half takes a sharper turn, with Burning Bright calling out the Q community's habit of retroactively claiming they "knew" someone was a bad actor only after it becomes public record, while staying silent or even hostile toward Badlands and similar accounts pointing it out in real time. There's a direct ask to remember this moment for later. Add in a preview of an upcoming substack piece on what's being called the Democrat doom loop, and it's a mix of historical digging and present day accountability.

CannCon and Alpha Warrior dig into a wild Michigan Senate primary where a DSA backed candidate just overcame a mountain of establishment money and a Whitmer endorsement to beat out the party favorite, setting up a fascinating general election matchup. They play through commentary connecting the win to deeper Muslim Brotherhood ties and unpack a surprising story about a longtime blue blooded Democrat considering crossing party lines over the Israel issue alone. From there they turn to John Fetterman candidly talking to Sean Hannity in a clip the hosts say says the quiet part out loud about where the Democratic Socialist wing of the party is really headed. Expect plenty of sharp commentary on the widening rift inside the Democratic coalition and what it could mean heading into the midterms.

CannCon and Ashe dig into a growing chorus of Democratic voices, from Chuck Schumer on down, floating the idea of abolishing or reforming the Senate entirely, tying it back to the broader DSA takeover conversation from recent weeks. They play a stack of clips including Pete Buttigieg making the case against the Electoral College this week and connect the dots on why this messaging is suddenly everywhere at once. Later in the show there's a genuinely stunning revelation about Anthony Fauci's decades long NIAID position never once requiring Senate confirmation, despite being the highest paid person in the federal government during that stretch, and what that says about accountability across the bureaucracy. Expect a lot of sharp back and forth, some structural constitution talk, and the usual sponsor breaks along the way.

After 12 years, Magic Sword returns for an epic retrospective spanning the project's origins, evolution, and future. The Keeper reflects on the early energy of synthwave, the realities of turning a creative passion into a career, and the personal struggles that nearly brought Magic Sword to an end. He also discusses the ambitious Omnibus collection, the origins of Badlands, the experimental Side Quest, and the forthcoming record that will conclude the current good-versus-evil saga while opening the door to new creative territory. Andy and Magic Sword wander through touring mishaps, video games, fantasy storytelling, burnout, social media, A.I., and the challenge of staying inspired. Featuring music from across the Magic Sword catalogue. If you like what you're hearing you can support Beyond Synth on Patreon: www.patreon.com/beyondsynth or PayPal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/beyondsynth Check Out MAGIC SWORD here: https://soundcloud.com/magic-sword https://magic-sword.bandcamp.com/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/6PzFRXjgGHQw6K4WeERMK1 https://www.instagram.com/magicswordmusic/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/magicswordmusic Today's Playlist: Magic Sword - “Uprising” Magic Sword - “Lady of Light” Magic Sword - “A New Quest” Magic Sword and Droid Bishop - “Super Nova” Magic Sword and Metavari - “Dressed For Fantasy” Magic Sword - “Precursor” Magic Sword - “Suspendida Drift” Magic Sword - “Zaros Returns” Magic Sword - “Side Quest” Magic Sword - “One More Chance” Droid Bishop - “Through The Fire the Magic Sword Remix” Magic Sword - “Dead Serious MALO Remix”

Finally getting out of the Badlands, the Guilders take stock of what they have, what they need, and where they need to be before getting some much needed sleep.Come check out all the people that made this possible!https://www.recklessattack.comWant to hang out with other fans?Join us on Discord!Like the show? Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/recklessattack

CannCon flies solo again for the new Tuesday format and opens with a genuine legal deep dive, walking through why he has flipped his position on Anthony Fauci pleading the Fifth Amendment and laying out a theory for why a preemptive pardon might actually force him to testify truthfully or face prison either way. From there he revisits an old NFL story, breaking down just how badly the sports media piled on Aaron Rodgers years ago and why recent developments feel like vindication. The back half is a six month retrospective on the Iran Israel conflict, unpacking which early media predictions about regime change and Kurdish involvement actually panned out versus which ones fell apart, plus a couple of clips on the economics of Iranian oil in the Strait of Hormuz. A meaty solo episode with plenty to chew on.

CannCon and Zak Paine open with a hard look at trillions in wasted federal grant money, weaving in a debate about prison labor reform and why illegal immigrants so often end up first in line for programs like Habitat for Humanity while everyday Americans get left behind. The main event is a two part clip of RFK Jr going toe to toe with a CNN anchor, calmly dismantling her talking points in what the hosts call one of the best moments mainstream media has produced in a while. From there they shift to some genuinely puzzling comments from President Trump about a Saudi and UAE brokered deal that could involve, in his words, the biggest attack since World War Two, sparking speculation about just how serious the nuclear rhetoric really is. They wrap with a few lighter tangents and a fun aviation fact about the SR71. A packed Monday show.

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes new friend John Mountain, a 64-year-old widower and longtime Bruce Springsteen fan, to discuss the music, shows, and stories that shaped him. John grew up in South Carolina before moving to Bakersfield, California, shares early influences like Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and recalls first hearing Springsteen through the 1981 No Nukes concert film, especially “The River.” A movie buff and horror fan, he talks Terrence Malick's Badlands, Nebraska's Starkweather connection, and directors like Mike Flanagan. John reflects on seeing Springsteen live three times, including a standout 1999 E Street Band show, and strongly supports artists speaking out politically. He names favorite Bruce songs across albums and answers the Thunder Road debate: 00:00 Show Intro 00:48 Meet John 01:59 Growing Up With Music 05:11 First Bruce Moment 07:58 No Nukes Deep Dive 09:24 Movies And Nebraska 12:25 Seeing Bruce Live 17:08 Politics And Patriotism 19:49 Move To California 21:27 Horror Movie Obsession 24:21 Mike Flanagan Favorites 27:20 Flanagan Cast Favorites 29:07 Samantha Sloyan Spotlight 31:36 Back to Music Talk 31:56 Nick Cave Murder Ballads 35:40 Modern Picks and Concerts 37:57 Springsteen Album Deep Dive 42:34 Thunder Road Mary Debate 44:24 Social Media and Farewell 46:11 Closing Reflection and Wish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Matt Trump continues his "summer abroad" as the self-described Rick Steves of Badlands, picking up the walking tour right where last week's City of London stroll left off. After recapping how a "digital" City of London projects financial power through shipping, insurance, and choke points, he leads you south from Bank Station down King William Street, past the Monument to the Great Fire, the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, and a glimpse of the Shard and Tower Bridge, all the way to the famously plain London Bridge itself. The payoff is his central thesis: the bridge, not the architecture, is what matters. London began as Roman Londinium, a military garrison built to guard the crossing, which he frames as the birthplace of foreign domination over Britain and a lineage of concentrated power stretching to today. Expect history, geopolitics, wry asides, the three-city model, and a promise to tackle the Normans next week.

Ron, Steve, and John ride along on a killing spree with Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek for this week's Required Viewing pick, Badlands. Then it's back to the MCU (sorry/not sorry) for a discussion of some recent Comic-Con announcements and a spoiler-free discussion about Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Chris Paul and Burning Bright take on this year's Amazon original about a near future AI dystopia, and yes, they clock the irony of Amazon making a movie about the machine while being a very large piece of the machine themselves. They dig into how the film handles its "will the AI save us or enslave us" premise without tipping too hard in either direction, trade notes on director Timur Bekmambetov's earlier work, and needle the production for looking like it was shot in about a day and a half. From there the conversation drifts into bigger territory, accountability, justice, and who really owes who an apology for the last several years. Expect some sharp back and forth on personal responsibility that goes well beyond the movie itself. Stick around for next week's pick, a recent Netflix whodunit from a director they have very mixed feelings about.

CannCon and Chris Paul dig into a brewing Senate standoff over the Attorney General nomination, with President Trump publicly torching two Republican senators for blocking his pick and a wild theory floating around about why the Senate might be sticking around for recess longer than usual. They also unpack a clever Bannon idea for forcing the Senate's hand using a Cabinet reshuffle, plus a genuinely interesting sidebar on whether you actually need a law degree to be Attorney General at all. From there it is more Fauci fallout, a memorable Bernie Moreno soundbite, and a deep cut DEFCON research clip on election machine vulnerabilities that CannCon has been citing for years. They wrap with some skepticism about staged political debates and a truly bizarre WNBA highlight. A little bit of everything today.

This week on Friendly?: A DayZ Podcast, Andy and Dave dive headfirst into the latest DayZ Patch 1.29 (Road to Badlands) and the massive updates rolling out as we gear up for the upcoming expansion!We analyze the highly-anticipated addition of the SCR-17 / SCAR-H battle rifle, breaking down its stats, attachment options, and where to find it at dynamic military events. We also cover the rest of the patch additions, including new desert camouflage military gear, optics, and Nasdara military vehicle wrecks appearing across Chernarus and Livonia.Finally, we dissect the latest DayZ Badlands Dev Blog covering the revolutionary new Rebuilding System on Nasdara. We discuss how repairing ruined structures, fortifying walls, and restoring broken water wells will transform base building and create high-stakes PvP chokepoints across the 267 km² desert map.Step inside the ultimate briefing room for surviving the post-apocalyptic wasteland. This channel is dedicated to bringing you the deepest analyses, strategic guides, and community insights for the world's most unforgiving survival game. Whether you're a fresh spawn trying to survive your first hour on the coast with a DayZ beginner guide, or a seasoned veteran player seeking competitive PVP breakdowns, optimized base building methods, or rapid coverage of breaking DayZ news, we've got you covered.Here is our blueprint for the community:

CannCon and Alpha Warrior dig into the full fallout from Anthony Fauci's congressional hearing, replaying his repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment on everything from funding conflicts to a pointed line of questioning about Bill Gates and NIAID's overseas partnerships. They also revisit Senator Ron Johnson's methodical breakdown of pandemic era studies that were buried at the time, and a sharp Stephen Miller clip crediting President Trump for pushing back on COVID orthodoxy from the very beginning. There is a fair amount of dark humor about calls for a real accounting this time around, plus some genuine frustration about how many of the same players are already resurfacing elsewhere. Expect a mix of righteous anger, gallows humor, and a healthy dose of I told you so energy from two hosts who have been covering this story for years.

CannCon and Ashe in America crack open Chapter 10 of The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin, and this time the Fed is fully in the crosshairs. This week is all about the Mandrake Mechanism, named after a comic strip magician who could conjure things out of thin air, which turns out to be an uncomfortably accurate description of how the Federal Reserve actually creates money. The hosts break down how modern currency is no longer backed by gold or silver at all, how debt itself is the spark that brings money into existence, and how paying off that debt makes it vanish just as fast. Expect a deep look at reserve ratios, checkbook money, and the sleight of hand that keeps the whole system running, paired with the hosts' usual banter, tangents, and disbelief that this is somehow how it all works.

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes John Mountain, a longtime Bruce Springsteen fan now living in Bakersfield, California, who first connected with Bruce through the 1981 “No Nukes” concert film and was especially moved by “The River.” John shares his early musical influences, love of movies and horror, and how Springsteen's songs feel cinematic, including connections between “Nebraska” and Terrence Malick's “Badlands.” He recounts seeing Springsteen live three times—finding the “other band” show disappointing, loving the solo “Ghost of Tom Joad” tour stop, and praising the 1999 E Street Band reunion. John also discusses Springsteen's politics, favorite artists and albums, and picks standout Bruce tracks. 00:48 Meet John 01:59 Growing Up With Music 04:18 First Records And Elton 05:11 Discovering Bruce Via No Nukes 09:24 Movies And Nebraska 12:25 Seeing Bruce Live 17:08 Politics And Patriotism 19:49 Moving To California 21:27 Horror Movies Deep Dive 24:21 Mike Flanagan Favorites 27:03 Flanagan Film Picks 28:14 Core Cast Spotlight 31:36 Back To Music Talk 31:56 Murder Ballads Deep Dive 34:47 Wide-Ranging Favorites 37:57 Bruce Album Breakdown 42:34 Thunder Road Mary Debate 44:24 Social Media And Farewell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices