Podcasts about Chicago

How did Gwyneth Paltrow appear in an Astronomer ad?... Ryan Reynolds' secret ad agency and its new concept: “Fastervertising.”As a trade war deadline nears, Japan and Europe cave to Trump… we discovered a template to the deals.Outdoor Voices just rehired its founder, Ty Haney… but to bring back old glory, it's bringing something new.Plus, the untold origin story of… the Skateboard.$SPYWant more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… “The Skateboard

The great Ashley McBryde joins the podcast to talk about coming to Nashville and grinding as a young artist before getting a record deal at 30 years old, growing up in Arkansas with a father who was a doctor and a preacher, how Eric Church played a roll in her success, concept albums, getting sober, new music and when fans might expect a new album and much more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if, instead of just watching Hamlet, you could step inside the prince's mind? A revelatory new audio production reimagines Shakespeare's iconic tragedy as a first-person experience told through Hamlet's POV. We only hear the scenes in which he appears—every soliloquy becomes an inner monologue, every whisper a voice in our ears. With stunning binaural sound design by Tony Award–winner Mikhail Fiksel and an intimate, close-mic performance by Daniel Kyri (“Chicago Fire”) as the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet is transformed into a deeply personal journey through grief, paranoia, memory, and resolve. The six-episode podcast of Hamlet is produced by Make-Believe Association, an audio storytelling group based in Chicago. The production, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June, includes performances by John Douglas Thompson as Claudius (and the Ghost), Sharon Washington as Gertrude, and Jacob Ming-Trent as Polonius. In this episode, director Jeremy McCarter shares how technology unlocked new layers of intimacy and urgency in Shakespeare's play—and why, more than 400 years later, Hamlet's questions still resonate. >>>Listen to Hamlet at hamlet.fm or wherever you listen to podcasts. Headphones heighten the experience! From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published July 29, 2025. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the executive producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. We had help with web production from Paola García Acuña. Leonor Fernandez edits our transcripts. Final mixing services are provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc. Jeremy McCarter founded Make-Believe Association in 2017 after five years on the artistic staff of the Public Theater in New York. For the company, he adapted The Lost Books of the Odyssey; co-wrote City on Fire: Chicago Race Riot 1919 (with Natalie Moore); co-created and co-wrote the acclaimed epic Lake Song (Tribeca Festival Audio Premiere, winner of three Signal Awards), and adapted and directed the audacious new take on Hamlet. His books include Young Radicals; Hamilton: The Revolution (with Lin-Manuel Miranda); and Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen (with Jon M. Chu). He has written about culture and politics for New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications. He is the literary executor of the novelist and playwright Thornton Wilder.

Jets fan Rich weighs in on the team's new regime and collective mindset in the post-Aaron Rodgers era and previews New York's big Week 1 matchup against the Steelers. Rich plays the ‘NFL Win-Loss Game' with a Green Bay Packers fan, and the guys break down the league's Week 1 slate of games on what the season win total will be for each team. Comedian/lifelong Chicago sports fan Jeff Garlin joins the show to reflect on the passing of Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg and his friendship with the Hall of Famer.   Please check out other RES productions: Overreaction Monday: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://apple.co/overreactionmonday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  What the Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://apple.co/whatthefootball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Jim Jackson Show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jim-jackson-show/id1770609432⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ No-Contest Wrestling with O'Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-contest-wrestling/id1771450708⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on The Breakdown, Doug Caskey & Dan Anderson from Mojobreak welcome Chris Keller from Top Shelf Breaks to the show to talk about which teams have been hottest in football breaks and which QB's are set to take over the hobby. Plus Chris shares some early reactions on what he saw on the show floor while setting up at The National in Chicago, the guys offer some advice to anyone looking to break into the sports card business and Chris surprises the guys with a special song to celebrate Mojobreak's 15th anniversary. Watch Mojobreak's The Breakdown on the Sports Cards Nonsense YouTube channel! - https://youtu.be/FUZFUbz9oPg Go to Mojobreak.com to get a spot in breaks of 2025 Topps Chrome Baseball, 2024/25 Panini Noir Basketball & more! Visit our shop in Santa Clara or order online at mojobreakshop.com

Send us a textThis episode took a turn I didn't plan… again. And maybe that's exactly the point.In Part 2 of this 3-part reflection (unfolding during a very on-brand Mercury Retrograde), I'm sharing what it really means to release expectations—not just outcomes, but all the mental noise about how things should be.I'll take you into a story about helping a neighbor, the lessons from a summer in Chicago with my daughter, and how I learned (the hard way) that checking in with my heart is always wiser than listening to ego-fueled productivity.✨ In this episode: – Why life doesn't have to look a certain way to be beautiful – The difference between detaching and releasing – A reflection on compassion without self-abandonment – How unspoken expectations can drain us—and how grace refills us – A gentle nudge to serve from overflow, not obligationIf you're navigating shifting plans, repeating patterns, or unexpected pivots… this one's for you.

Dean's Chat hosts, Drs. Jeffrey Jensen and Johanna Richey, welcome Dr. Katerina Grigoropoulos to the podcast! This is a Part 1 episode, we hardly touched on Podiatry! This episoed is sponsored by Bako Diagnostics! Dr. Grigoropoulos is a board-certified podiatric physician specializing in diabetic limb salvage and wound care at the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute in Illinois. She completed her fellowship in Diabetic Limb Salvage at UT Southwestern Medical Center and her residency at Loyola University Medical Center/Hines VA Hospital. Dr. Grigoropoulos currently serves as a board member and executive secretary for the American Board of Podiatric Medicine, where she also contributes as social media sub-chair and sits on the public outreach and member newsletter committees. She is the founder of Sole Fit, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to providing new shoes to underserved children. Outside of medicine, Dr. Grigoropoulos blends creativity with service as the founder of MediThings, a medical-themed Etsy shop, and is a recent graduate of Chicago's Second City improv comedy program. Enjoy!

The 3M Open was a birdie fire sale as everyone went low, low, low. The ISPS Handa Senior Open was another major victory for Padraig Harrington, who is making a case for Player of the Year. The ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open featured a win for the newly turned pro Lottia Woad, who is also now the favorite for this week's Open Championship. Past guest Mia Hammond, known for dropping out of school at 16 to go pro, got her first win this week on the Epson Tour. Alex got to play one of the Holy Grails of golf last week, Payne's Valley at Big Cedar Lodge. He shares what made it so great, and where it ranks in his list of amazing courses. In Tuned In, Michael and Alex share their reviews of Happy Gilmore 2, and Michael was not a fan. This week's guest is Megan Johnston, returning to the podcast as Alex chats with her from Big Cedar Lodge. The golf instructor, named as one of the country's best by Golf Digest and the LPGA, shares what drew her to Big Cedar Lodge and what makes the Ozarks such an amazing part of the country. The NFL Preseason is now upon us, as football games start up on Thursday. So Alex is, as always, overwhelmed with excitement. As the guys #AlwaysEndWithFood, Alex shares his excitement for all the pizza he'll be eating in the Chicago area this next week, and Michael shares a glowing review of Eden Supper Club in Savannah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET. Brad is joined by the White House Correspondent for CQ Roll Call, John Bennett. The pair discusses President Trump's struggles to distance himself from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal that has overtaken the political world, and the put the GOP on defense. They also discuss the humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza, as well as the Trump's attacks on the indepence of the Federal Reserve and its Chairman, Jerome Powell (who Trump appointed during his first administration). Then, Brad is joined by Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an Immigration Attorney and Advocate. The two discuss the Trump administration's family separation policies and the militarization of ICE. Kate also tells the powerful story that led her to want to help vulnerable immigrants and their families. The website for CQ Roll Call is www.RollCall.com and John's handle on X is @BennettJohnT.  Kate is also the Owner and CEO of Lincoln-Goldfinch Law and their website is www.LincolnGoldfinch.com. Kate's handle is @AttorneyKLG on X, @attorneykatelg on Instagram, and @abogadakate on TikTok. Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.' He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.   

In this episode, Lukie is joined by guest host John Pullman as they talk about the Top Rank card. We also discuss Claressa Shields-Lani Daniels as well as the return of Tony Harrison.We preview Kenshiro Teraji-Ricardo Sandoval, which takes place this week, and will be on DAZN. We also talk about the Golden Boy card from Chicago, headlined by Oscar Duarte-Kenneth Sims Jr. The co-feature is a good one, Regis Progrias-Joseph Diaz Jr.We also talk about the future of boxing telecastsTimestamps 0:00 intro2:00 Where do we watch boxing?6:55 Xander21:32 Claressa Shields34:00 Usyk-Dubois II41:00 undercard thoughts 57:10 Oscar Duarte-Kenny Sims Jr01:07:00 Kenshiro01:15:00 Final thoughts

Hello, Catholic Pilgrims. Today, Mother Cabrini will finish telling the students in Rome about the opening of the hospital in Chicago. If you remember, last time, there was some worry it wouldn't open on time, but it does. Lots of hard work went into making sure it opened on time, within regulations, and with everything being done well.  We will start on page 315 at the second paragraph. Let's go ahead and begin. 

Life Outside Poker is a podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level. In the 32nd episode, Connor talks with Global Poker Award-winning content creator Abby Merk about growing up in Chicago, studying philosophy at Wake Forest University, leaving her corporate job to become one of poker's top creators, playing her first World Series of Poker in 2021, making a goal to post daily content and being nominated for two Global Poker Awards. Merk also talks about battling with Stephen Chidwick in the WSOP Main Event and being at the final table for a 2023 controversy over a man winning a ladies poker tournament in Florida. This interview was filmed at the 2025 WSOP at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Abby Merk by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel. Be sure to follow Abby Merk and Connor Richards on X. Learn More About Life Outside Poker! Timestamps TIME TOPIC 0:00 Intro 0:18 WSOP Tag Team 3:12 Growing up in Chicago & getting into poker 7:44 Studying philosophy at Wake Forest University 8:00 Working at an options trading firm 11:25 First WSOP in 2021 13:55 Content creation 15:09 Posting daily 19:48 Women in poker 21:49 Florida man wins ladies tournament controversy 25:34 Playing the Main Event 27:10 Battling Stephen Chidwick 29:20 Winning a Global Poker Award 33:16 Barcelona/Travel 38:48 Book recommendation 39:36 Advice for younger self 40:14 Favorite life lesson from poker

“The King of Clubs” Jason Midas returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss his new venture, Pro Wrestling Sometimes' “The Jason Midas Experiment,” wrestling and rave show coming to Logan Square Auditorium, he breaks down the wrestling card and musical talent, he also discusses some of the latest in Freelance Wrestling and filling in for Kirby “The Voice” Alexander. Plus, Mike reflects on the life of Hulk Hogan, recaps “A Day For Priest,” a special show in honor of “The Underwear Model” Eric Priest and all of the emotion of that event and previews WWE SummerSlam, DREAMWAVE weekend, 2econd Wrestling and Wrestle League. Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

What do Krispy Kreme, Kohl's, OpenDoor, & Rocket have in common?... 2025's meme stocks.Vacation put sunscreen into a ‘80s whipped cream bottle & sales doubled… It's Plot Twist Packaging.South Park snagged a $1.5B deal with Paramount, which just sold for $8B… things got awkward.Sydney Sweeney is causing an economic boom… whatever she touches, the stock pops.$DNUT $OPEN $RKT $KSS $PARAWant more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Subscribe to The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinks to listen.TBOY Live Show Tickets to Chicago on sale NOW: https://www.axs.com/events/949346/the-best-one-yet-podcast-ticketsAbout Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, TBOY Lite is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ Our 2nd show… The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinksEpisodes drop weekly.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upcoming Live Shows: 11/17 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge - TICKETS 11/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club - TICKETS 11/20 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen - TICKETS Stories in this episode: I Think June Saved Me From a Terrible Fate | Disastrous_Horse_44 (0:59) My Classmate's Mom Stalked Me in Middle School | Queen_Glitter21 (8:54) Strange Happenings in the Mountains of Washington State | AlexAnderRob (14:46) He Almost Killed Someone. My Friend Almost Married Him. | Madam_Monkes (23:30) Maybe I Was Overreacting, Maybe I Could've Died | vi (29:14) Stalked in Paris | angelfaceeed (34:08) Who Chased Me in the Southern Utah Desert? | babyarmzinthowup (40:52) Extended Patreon Content: The Gutter Guy | Nubs Road Rage on Steroids | Phillip DeWalt The Jellyfish Man | Ro He Was Waiting For Me in the Alley | Mayra "Hey! My Puppy is Lost." | Katy Due to periodic changes in ad placement, time stamps are estimates and are not always accurate. Want Bonus Weekly Stories? Hate Ads? Join our Patreon for only $5 a month for over 100 hours of bonus content, and it's all ad-free! Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/84WXQud4gE Follow: - Twitch - https://twitch.tv/crypticcounty - Website - https://letsnotmeetpodcast.com/ - Patreon - https://patreon.com/letsnotmeetpodcast - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/letsnotmeetcast/ - TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@crypticcounty All of the stories you've heard this week were narrated and produced with the permission of their respective authors. Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast is not associated with Reddit or any other message boards online. To submit your story to the show, send it to letsnotmeetstories@gmail.com.  Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free at Grammarly.com/podcast. Earn points on rent and around your neighborhood, wherever you call home, by going to joinbilt.com/meet.

Menopause is having a moment. Celebrities like Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, and Michelle Obama have recently shared their personal menopause experiences. Menopause and perimenopause are showing up across social media and even in popular books. All this to say, menopause has finally gone mainstream. But, it wasn't until about three decades ago that menopause research really kicked into gear. Since then, scientists have made a lot of progress in understanding the basic biological process as well as treatments like hormone therapy and the importance of separating symptoms of menopause from those of aging. Host Flora Lichtman talks with two menopause researchers, ob-gyn Monica Christmas and epidemiologist Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez, about what we've learned so far—and what misconceptions bug them most.Guests: Dr. Monica Christmas is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago and director of the menopause program at UChicago Medicine.Dr. Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez is an associate professor of epidemiology and the director of the Center for Midlife Science at the University of Michigan.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Welcome back to Your World of Creativity, the podcast where we explore the intersection of imagination and innovation across industries and disciplines.Today, we're talking music, creativity, and collaboration with the genre-defying band, The Empty Pockets. This Chicago-based quartet has backed legends like Kenny Loggins and Al Stewart, topped the Billboard Blues charts—twice—and brought their folksy Midwestern rock-blues blend to stadiums and stages around the world. Their latest release is a Live in Buffalo album just outJoining us today are Josh Solomon, Erika Brett, Nate Bellon, and Adam Balasco—the musical family behind The Empty Pockets.josh 's Website @theemptypockets on Instagram josh 's Facebook page josh on YouTube 1: Genre-Bending IdentityYou've been described as everything from Americana to Chicago-style yacht rock—with a side of blues and soul. How do you describe your sound? And how has your style evolved across the years and albums? What do you think it is about your sound that resonates across such a wide audience—from MLB stadiums to blues charts?2: Life on the Road + CollaborationYou've toured with iconic artists. How have those collaborations shaped your sound or songwriting process? What's it like writing and performing as a group with such tight chemistry? Is there a secret to staying creatively in sync? Touring this summer with Al Stewart.3: Inside Gotta Find the MoonYour latest #1 album Gotta Find the Moon was recorded with a unique, ‘one-room' process—much of it at Abbey Road Studios. What was that experience like, and how did it influence the vibe of the record? You've mentioned tributes to family, political inspiration, and even puns—how personal do these songs get, and how do you balance the intimate with the universal?4: Performance Moments + Live MagicYour latest release Live in Buffalo album captures that spontaneous, road-tested energy. What's the difference between your studio work and your live shows—and do you have a favorite on-stage memory that captures your creative spark? How does adding collaborators like jazz saxophonist Elliot Scozzaro or guitarists from Marbin and Vulfpeck elevate your performances?5: Creativity in MotionYou've made your own creative lane, and done it as an independent band. What advice would you give to other creatives—musicians or otherwise—about building a lasting, authentic career in today's world? What's next for The Empty Pockets? Any new directions, surprises, or dream collaborations coming up?Josh, Erika, Nate, Adam—thank you so much for sharing your creativity and stories with us today. Your passion and joy for music is contagious.And thanks to our sponsor, White Cloud Coffee Roasters—listeners can get 10% off their first order at WhiteCloudCoffee.com with the code CREATIVITY at checkout.Until next time, keep creating, keep sharing your light—and be sure to subscribe, rate, and review Your World of Creativity wherever you listen to podcasts. I'm Mark Stinson. See you next time!The Empty Pockets' versatile pedigree backing up renowned 70's artists like Al Stewart,...

Chicago Way w/John Kass (07/28/25): This week, Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to discuss how Mayor Brandon Johnson has let flooding plague the city, year after year, while he spends time picking fights with President Donald Trump. Ray also wonders if intellectual curiosity is dead and why Chicago’s voter rolls seem […]

Chicago Bears training camp is underway, and it's time to dive into what really matters—not preseason results, but signs of progress. Joey Christopoulos breaks down what he's watching for as Ben Johnson leads his first camp in Chicago. #calebwilliams MVP Injury Law https://mvpinjurylaw.com/

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer and Rich discuss the Cleveland Browns' and Indianapolis Colts' QB competitions, the expectations for Vikings QB JJ McCarthy and for Bears' QB Caleb Williams, and the contract talks of Cowboys LB Micah Parsons, Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, and Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson.  Rich reacts to Deion Sanders' emotional press conference where he revealed the extent of his recent health issues.  O'Shea Jackson Jr. drops by the studio to discuss the Courtland Sutton's new Broncos contract and reacts to Aaron Rodgers' levelheaded response to Terry Bradshaw's recent criticism. Please check out other RES productions: Overreaction Monday: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://apple.co/overreactionmonday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  What the Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://apple.co/whatthefootball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Jim Jackson Show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jim-jackson-show/id1770609432⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ No-Contest Wrestling with O'Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-contest-wrestling/id1771450708⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last time we spoke about the battle of Luodian. Following a significant counter-offensive, the initial optimism waned as casualties escalated and morale plummeted. The strategically vital town of Luodian became a pivotal battleground, with the Chinese determined to defend it at all costs. Despite heroic efforts, including a daring nighttime assault, the overwhelming Japanese forces employed superior tactics and artillery, steadily gaining ground.  As September progressed, Japanese reinforcements flooded the frontline, exacerbating the already dire situation for the Chinese defenders. By late September, the fierce struggle to control Luodian culminated in a forced retreat by the Chinese forces, marking a significant turning point in the fight for Shanghai. Though they withdrew, the Chinese army earned newfound respect, having showcased their tenacity against a formidable adversary. The battle became a testament to their resilience amid overwhelming odds, setting the stage for the tumultuous conflict that lay ahead in their fight for sovereignty.   #160 The Battle of Shanghai Part 5: Fighting along the Wusong Creek Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. The tides of warfare had shifted in Shanghai. In late September, the Japanese high command dispatched three divisions to the Shanghai area, starting with the 101st Division landing on September 22. This was followed by the 9th and 13th Divisions, bolstering Japan's military presence to five divisions in the city, despite the Chinese forces numbering over 25 divisions. However, the true dynamics of the confrontation revealed a complex picture: while the Chinese boasted numerical superiority, the Japanese divisions, each comprising around 15,000 soldiers, were supported by nearly 90,000 troops when including marines and infantry. China's units, often as small as 5,000 men, made their effective deployment difficult. The Japanese forces also leveraged their advantages in materials, aircraft, and naval artillery, which could effectively target critical positions along the Chinese front. With these reinforcements in place, Japanese commanders, including Matsui, devised a bold strategy: to execute a powerful thrust across Wusong Creek and advance toward Suzhou Creek. The goal was to encircle and annihilate the main Chinese force in a maneuver they had envisioned since their arrival in China.  Ogishima Shizuo, a reservist of the 101st division had just been through his first night at the front. Within his trench, soldiers leapt up from their slumber to a hail of bullets. Ogishima looked over the edge of the trench. It was still dark, making it hard to discern what was happening, but he thought he saw a flash of a helmet in a foxhole near the creek's edge. It wasn't a Japanese helmet. Suddenly, it hit him that the gunfire wasn't a mistake. “It's the enemy! The enemy!” he yelled. Others began to shout as well. “The enemy! They're behind us! Turn around!” Under the cloak of darkness, a Chinese unit had managed to bypass the Japanese lines and launch an attack from the rear. The sound of aggressive gunfire erupted, and a Japanese heavy machine gun joined in the fray. However, most of the bullets were fired haphazardly into the night. A force of 50 Chinese were firing on them. Japanese officers ordered the men to storm their positions, seeing infantrymen leap over their trench into the barrage. The Japanese and Chinese fired at each other and tossed grenades when close enough. The Japanese jumped into the Chinese foxholes and stabbed at them with bayonets. Ogishima thrust his bayonet into the belly of a Chinese soldiers, marking his first kill. He felt no emotion. Within minutes the little battle was over, every Chinese soldier lay dead, it was a suicide mission. Ogishima saw countless comrades dead around him, it was a scene of carnage. It was the morning of October 7, the 101st Division had crossed Wusong Creek from the north in the early hours of October 6, specifically, only half of the division had made it across. The other half remained on the far side, unable to get their boats past the 300 feet of water protected by unseen Chinese machine guns and mortar crews that would open fire at the slightest hint of movement on the northern bank. Dozens of corpses floated in the murky water, serving as grim evidence of the carnage from the previous 24 hours. Ogishima, alongside tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers were entering the most brutal part of the Shanghai campaign. Matsui's vision of a quick and decisive end to the Shanghai campaign, would not come to be. Matsui detailed his plans in an order issued on September 29. The attack was to be conducted from west to east by the 9th, 3rd, and 101st Infantry Divisions. The 11th Infantry Division was assigned to follow the 9th Division, securing the right flank against potential Chinese counterattacks from the west. The 13th Infantry Division would serve as the reserve. The objective was to capture Dachang, an ancient town encircled by a medieval-style wall, and then advance as quickly as possible to breach the Chinese lines north of Suzhou Creek. Matsui had arranged an unusually high concentration of troops; the three divisions were aligned along a front that spanned only three miles. This meant that each division had less than half the front length that the Japanese field manual typically recommended. The decision to compress the divisions into such a narrow front was partly to compensate for the artillery shortcomings that were still hindering the Japanese offensive. The Japanese attackers confronted a formidable and well-prepared enemy. After extensive discussions, the Chinese commanders ultimately recognized that they had no choice but to shorten their front line. Defending Liuhang, a town situated along the route from Luodian to Dachang, had proven too costly, offering no prospect of victory. Chen Cheng, the commander of the Chinese left wing, had often visited Liuhang and understood how dire the situation was. He repeatedly urged that the unwinnable battle be abandoned and that valuable troops be withdrawn to stronger positions. However, his pleas initially went unheeded. Chiang Kai-shek was primarily driven by the belief that war was about securing territory, and he insisted on maintaining control over Liuhang at all costs. Meanwhile the Chinese positions north of Wusong Creek had been breached in numerous places during late September and this caused Chiang Kai-Shek to finally relent. A fighting retreat began on the night of October 1st and would be completed by dawn of the 3rd. The new defensive line extended just over a mile west of the road from Luodian to Dachang, providing the Chinese defenders with excellent opportunities to harass the advancing Japanese Army with flanking fire for several miles as they moved south. At Wusong Creek, the Chinese line curved eastward and followed the southern bank for several miles. The creek provided a significant advantage to the Chinese defenders; despite its name, it would be more accurate to describe it as a river. It reached widths of up to 300 feet in some areas, and in several spots, the southern bank formed a steep six-foot wall. Anyone attempting to scale this barrier under intense mortar fire would be met at the top by rows of barbed wire and heavy machine gun fire. For a full mile south of the creek, the Chinese had spent weeks constructing a dense network of defenses, transforming farm buildings into formidable fortifications linked by deep trenches. They had learned valuable lessons from their German mentors, many veterans of the battles of Somme and Verdun, and they applied these lessons effectively. The Japanese took Liuhang on the 3rd and were met with counterattacks, but these were easily repelled. More confident, Matsui issued new orders on the 4th for the 3rd, 9th and 101 divisions to cross the Wusong Creek and advance a mile south. Beginning on the 5th, the 3 divisions crossed and carved out a narrow bridgehead under heavy resistance. The Chinese were frantic now, as after the Wusong Creek, the last remaining natural obstacle was the Suzhou Creek. Two miles west of the key road from Luodian to Dachang,  battalion commander Yan Yinggao of the 78th Division's 467th Regiment awaited the anticipated Japanese assault. The regiment had fortified three villages near a creek, reinforced with sandbags, barbed wire, and cleared fields of fire, along with deep trenches for troop movement. The 1st Battalion occupied the westernmost village, the 3rd Battalion held the other two, while the 2nd Battalion remained in reserve. The initial Japanese attack began with a heavy artillery bombardment. Despite facing significant casualties, their infantry was forced to withdraw from all three villages. They returned later in the afternoon with an even fiercer artillery assault. The 1st Battalion suffered devastating losses, including its commander, leading to the loss of the village to the Japanese. Yan Yinggao, observing from the rear, dispatched a reinforcement company, but it was quickly annihilated within ten minutes. Simultaneously the Chinese 3rd battalion at Tangbeizhai were nearly encircled. Yan received orders for his regiment to advance over to relieve them, but as they did a Japanese column of 60 soldiers approached from the opposite direction. A battle ensued over the smoking rubbled of the bombed out village. The few survivors of the 3rd battalion made a last stand, allowing the 2nd battle to fight their way in to take up their position. It was a small and temporary victory. Units arriving to the Shanghai theater were being tossed right into the front lines, such as the Tax Police Division. Despite its name they were a fully equipped military formation and quite well training consisting of 6 regiments, roughly 25,000 armed men. Their officers had previously served under the young marshal, Zhang Xueliang. They were rushed to Tangqiaozhan, lying on the road from Luodian to Dachang, bridged by the Wusong Creek. The bridge was crucial to the entire operation, as holding it would enhance the Chinese's chances of delaying the Japanese advance. The Tax Police, stationed at the northern end of the bridge, became surrounded on three sides. Intense fighting ensued, occasionally escalating to hand-to-hand combat. By the second day after their arrival, casualties had escalated significantly, forcing the Tax Police units to retreat south across the bridge, which ultimately fell to the advancing Japanese forces. A crisis atmosphere surrounded the meeting of the 3rd War Zone staff, chaired by Chiang Kai-shek, in Suzhou on October 11. Everyone agreed the previous efforts to halt the Japanese advance south across Wusong Creek had utterly failed. Each engagement resulted in Chinese troops being repelled without regaining significant territory. Chen Cheng proposed an attack in his sector, specifically targeting the area around Luodian. However, most felt that such an operation would not effectively influence the Japanese advance at Wusong Creek and ultimately dismissed the suggestion. Bai Chongxi, whom at this point held an informal advisory role, called for simultaneous attacks along both banks of Wusong Creek, thrusting into the right flank of the advancing Japanese. This would require an enormous amount of troops if there was to be any chance of success. Bai Chongxi was pushing to take 4 divisions from Guangxi, already in transit to Shanghai for the task. Chiang Kai-Shek liked the idea of a single decisive blow and agreed to Bai's idea. The German advisors were not so keen on this one. In fact the Germans were getting depressed over a concerning issue. It seemed the Chinese staff simply talked too much, taking far too long to produce very few decisions. There were a lot of reasons for this, a lot of these figures held to many positions. For example Gu Zhuong, Chiang Kai-Sheks deputy in Suzhou, was a chief of staff and also held two advisory roles. Then there were these informal generals, such as Bai Chongxi. A man such as Bai had no formal command here, yet he was providing views on operational issues. To the Germans who held clear military hierarchies as the bible, it looked obviously chaotic. There was notable hope though. The Germans acknowledged the Chinese were improving their artillery situation. For the first time since the battle for Shanghai began, 6 artillery battalions were moved into positions in the vicinity of Nanxiang, under the unified command of the headmaster of the Tangshan artillery school near Nanjing. From there they could coordinate barrages in the area south of the Wusong Creek.  Sun Liren got off at Nanxiang railway station on October 7th. At 36 he was leading one of China's best units, the 4th regiment of the Tax Police. Within confusion he was assigned to the 88th division, who were fighting the heaviest battles in the campaign. By noon of the next day, nearly all of Sun Liren's regiment were cannibalized, sent as reinforcements to the 88ths front lines. Afterwards all the was left was Sun and a group of 20 orderlies and clerks. At 2pm he got a call from th division, they needed more reinforcements at the front or else a small bridge north of Zhabei would be taken, collapsing their lines. Sun replied he had no troops left only to be told “its an order. If you disobey, you'll be courtmartialed”.  Without any choice, Sun hastily organized dozens of soldiers and marched them to the bridge. As they arrived, his men saw Chinese troops withdrawing away from the bridge. He asked one man what was going on “the officers have all left, we also don't want to die”. To this Sun said he was an officer and would stay and fight with them. The Japanese in pursuit were shocked to see the Chinese turn around attack them. In general the Japanese were surprised by the sudden resilience of the Chinese around the Wusong Creek. Many assaults were being beaten back. In the Zhabei district, much more urbanized, foreigners were watching in awe. A war correspondent wrote “Every street was a defense line and every house a pocket fort. Thousands of holes had been knocked through walls, linking the labyrinth of lanes into a vast system of defense in depth. Every intersection had been made into a miniature fortress of steel and concrete. Even the stubs of bomb-battered walls had been slotted at ground level for machine guns and rifles. No wonder the Japanese Army was months behind its boasts”.  East of the Huangpu River at Pudong, Sun Shengzhi commanded an artillery regiment whom began launching a barrage across the river upon the Gongda airfield, that had been allowing the Japanese air forces to support their infantry. Meanwhile Chinese soldiers rolled a battery of 8 bofor guns 300 yards from the riverbank and at dawn began firing upon aircraft taking off. They reported 4 downed Japanese aircraft and 7 damaged. By mid-October the 88th division took advantage of a lull in the fighting and prepared a ambitious attack aimed at cutting off the Sichuan North road, which the Japanese were using to as a supply line from the docks to units north of the city. The German advisors developed this attack using Stosstruppen tactics taken from WW1. For stosstruppen, the main means of weakening the enemy line was via infiltration, rather than a massive frontal attack. The attack was unleashed on the 18th after a bombardment by artillery and mortars as lightly armed Chinese stormed down the streets near the North railway station and took the Japanese there by complete surprise. They quickly occupied a segment of the Sichuan North Road cutting the Japanese supply chain for many days. Back on the 13th, Kuse Hisao led a company of the Japanese 9th division to perform an attack on Chenjiahang, located due north of Wusong Creek. It was a strategic and heavily fortified stronghold that obstructed the southward advance. As Kuse's men reached its vicinity they stopped to rest with orders to begin the assault at 1pm. The Japanese artillery kicked off the fight and was soon met with much larger Chinese artillery. This was an unpleasant surprise for the Japanese, whom to this point had always had superiority in artillery. Regardless the assault went ahead seeing wave upon wave of attackers fighting through cotton fields and bullets. Kuse's men were forced to crawl through the field. Kuse crawled his way to a small creek to discover with horror it was full of Japanese and Chinese corpses at various stages of decomposition.  The assault on Chenjiahang bogged down quickly. Kuse and his men spent a night amongst the rotting dead. The following day orders arrived for two neighbouring units to renew the assault as Kuse's fell back into the reserve. That day's attempt fared no better, simply piling more bodies upon the field and waterways. The next day Kuse watched Japanese flamethrower units enter the fray as they led an attack over a creek. Men jumped into waist deep water, waded across to fight up slopes through mazes of Chinese trenches. Then to all of their surprise they stormed and unoccupied Chenjiahang without firing a shot. Kuse and his men suddenly saw a grenade come flying at them. Kuse was injured and taken out by comrades to the rear. Chenjiahang and been bitterly fought over for weeks. Alongside Yanghang it was considered two key points necessary for the Japanese to be able to advance against Dachang further south.  Meanwhile Sichuanese troops were being pulled back for the fresh 4 Guangxi divisions to come in. They wore lighter brown uniforms with British styled tin hat helmets. One of their divisions, the 173rd was sent straight to Chenjiahang, arriving before dawn of the 16th. While the handover of positions was taking place, the Japanese launched an intense aerial and artillery bombardment causing significant casualties before the 173rd could even deploy. Later that day, one of their regiments engaged the Japanese and were slaughtered on the spot. Two-thirds of their men became casualties. The battle raged for four days as the 3 other Guangxi divisions moved to the front. There was no break on either side, as one Guanxi officer recalled, “I had heard the expression ‘storm o f steel' before, but never really understood what it meant. Now I do.” By mid October, Matsui's optimism about his southern push was waning. Heavy rain over the past week had slowed his men down considerably. Supplies were taking much longer to reach the front. Intelligence indicated the senior Chinese commanders had moved from Suzhou to Nanxiang, with some in Shanghai proper. To Matsui this meant they were nowhere near close to abandoning Shanghai. Matsui wrote in his diary “It's obvious that earlier views that the Chinese front was shaken had been premature. Now is definitely not the time to rashly push the offensive.” During this rainy time, both sides received some rest as a no-mans land formed. Winter uniforms were arriving for the Japanese 3rd and 11th divisions, causing some encouragement. The 3rd division had already taken 6000 casualties, but received 6500 reinforcements. Matsui estimated their combat strength to only by one-sixth of its original level.  On the 19th Matsui received reports that soldiers from Guangxi were arriving in Shanghai and deploying around Wusong Creek. To relieve some pressure the IJN sent a mock invasion force up the Yangtze to perform a 3 day diversion mission. 8 destroyers and 20 transport vessels anchored 10 miles upriver from Chuanshakou. They bombarded the area to make it seem like a amphibious invasion was imminent. Meanwhile both nations were fighting a propaganda war. On October 14th, China filed a complaint at the League of Nations accusing Japan of using poison gas in Shanghai. To this the Japanese accused them of using gas, specifically mentioning at the battle for Chenjiahang. Early in the campaign they accused the Chinese of using sneezing gas, a chemical adopted during WW1. To this accusation, Shanghai's mayor Yu Hongjun stated to reporters ‘The Japanese sneeze because they've got cold feet.” Back to our friend Ogishima with the 101st. His unit crossed the Wusong Creek early on. Afterwards the fighting became confused as the Chinese and Japanese started across 150 yards of no man's land. Every now and then the Japanese would leap out of trenches and charge into Chinese lines, but the attacks all ended the same. Rows of the dead cut down by machine guns. It was just like the western front of WW1. The incessant rain kept the trenches drenched like knee-deep bogs. Officers who had read about the western front routinely had their men line up for health checks. Anyone trying to fake a disease risked being branded a deserter, and deserters were shot. As Ogishima recalled “The soldiers in the frondine only have one thought on their minds. They want to escape to the rear. Everyone envies those who, with light injuries, are evacuated. The ones who unexpectedly get a ticket back in this way find it hard to conceal their joy. As for those left in the frontline, they have no idea if their death warrant has already been signed, and how much longer they have to live.” Nohara Teishin with the 9th division experienced pure hell fighting entrenched Chinese firing through holes in walls of abandoned farm buildings. Japanese officers urged their men to charge over open fields. Out of 200 men he fought with, 10 were able to fight after the battle. As Nohara recalled “All my friends died there. You can't begin to describe the wretchedness and misery of war.” Watanabe Wushichi, an officer in the 9th division was given orders to secure water supplies for the front line troops. A task that seemed simple enough given the sheer amount of creeks and ponds in the area. However they were all filled with corpses now. For many troops dying of thirst, it became so unbearable when anyone came across an unpolluted well, they would crown around it like zombies turning into a mud pool. Officers were forced to post guards at all discovered water sources. Watanabe was shocked by the Chinese fierceness in battle. At one point he was attacked pillboxes and upon inspecting the captured ones he was horrified to see how many Chinese bodies lay inside still clutching their rifles.  International outcry mounted over the invasion. On October 5th, president Franklin Roosevelt made a speech in Chicago calling for concrete steps to be taken against Japan. “It would seem to be unfortunately true that the epidemic of world lawlessness is spreading. When an epidemic of physical disease starts to spread the community approves and joins in a quarantine of the patients in order to protect the community against the spread of the disease.” Meanwhile Chiang Kai-Shek pushed the international community to sanction Japan and deprive her of oil, iron, steal, all materials needed for waging her illegal war. The League of Nations proved completely inept. On October 21st, Japanese foreign minister Hirota Koki approached the German ambassador in Tokyo, Herbert von Dirksen, asking if China was willing to negotiate. Germany declared she was willing to act as mediator, and to this Japan sent demands. Japan sought for Chinese concessions in north China and a demilitarized zone around Shanghai. Germany's ambassador to Nanjing, Oskar Trautmann conveyed this to Chiang Kai-Shek. Instead of replying Chiang asked the German what he thought. Trautmann said he considered the demands a basis for further talks and gave the example of what happened to his nation at the negotiating table during WW1. To this Chiang scoffed and made it clear he intended to restore the situation to its pre-hostile state before any talks.  Back at the front, Bai Chongxi planned his counterattack into the right flank of the Japanese. The attack was set for the 21st. The Guangxi troops at Chenjiahang were extricated and sent to assembly points. Matsui wrote in his diary on the 23rd “The enemy will launch a counterattack along the entire front tonight. It seems the planned attack is mainly targeted at the area south of Wusong Creek. It will give us an opportunity to catch the enemy outside of his prepared defenses, and kill him there. At 7pm the Chinese artillery began, an hour later troops were advancing east. The left wing of the Chinese attack, led by the 176th Guangxi Division north of Wusong Creek, initially advanced swiftly. However, it soon encountered significant obstacles, including numerous creeks and canals that disrupted progress. Concerned about supply trains lagging behind, the vanguard decided to relinquish much of the ground it had gained as dawn approached, hoping to reclaim it later that night. Meanwhile, the 174th Guangxi Division's assault south of Wusong Creek also struggled. It met unexpectedly strong resistance and had difficulty crossing the canals due to insufficient bridge-building materials. Fearing artillery and air attacks before dawn, this division retreated to its starting line, abandoning the hard-won territory from the previous night. Both divisions then dug in, preparing to withstand a counterattack during the daylight hours, when the Japanese forces could fully leverage their air superiority. As anticipated, the counterattack occurred after sunrise on October 22. In the 176th Division's sector, Japanese forces surrounded an entire battalion by noon, resulting in its complete destruction, including the battalion commander. The main success for the day came from a Guangxi unit that, despite facing an attack from Japanese infantry supported by five tanks, managed to hold its ground. Initially on the verge of collapse, they organized a rapid defense that repelled the Japanese assault. One tank was destroyed, two became stuck in a canal, and two others retreated, highlighting the challenges of tank warfare in the riverine terrain around Shanghai. An after-action report from the Guangxi troops read  “The Japanese enemy's army and air force employed every kind of weapon, from artillery to tanks and poison gas,” it said. “It hit the Chinese front like a hurricane, and resulted in the most horrific losses yet for the army group since it entered the battle.” As the sun rose on the 23rd, Japanese airplanes took to the skies. At 9:00 a.m., they targeted the already battered 174th Guangxi Division south of Wusong Creek. A Guangxi general who survived the assault recounted the devastation: “The troops were either blown to pieces or buried in their dugouts. The 174th disintegrated into a state of chaos.” Other units suffered similarly catastrophic losses. By the end of October 23, the Chinese operation had incurred heavy casualties, including two brigade commanders, six regimental commanders, and around 2,000 soldiers, with three out of every five troops in the first wave either killed or injured. Consequently, the assault had to be called off. Bai Chongxi's counterattack was a complete disaster. Many Guangxi veterans would hold grudges for years for what was seen as a senseless and hopeless battle.  Meanwhile in Zhabei Zhang Boting, the 27th year old chief of staff of the 88th division came to the headquarters of General Gu Zhutong, urging him to move to a safer location, only to be told “Chiang Kai-shek wants your division to stay in Zhabei and fight. Every company, every platoon, every squad is to defend key buildings in the city area, and villages in the suburbs. You must fight for every inch of land and make the enemy pay a high price. You should launch guerrilla warfare, to win time and gain sympathy among our friends abroad.” The command had more to do with diplomacy than any battlefield strategy. The Nine-Powers Conference was set for Brussels the following week and it was important China kept a spectacle going on in Shanghai for the foreigners. If the war advanced into lesser known hamlets in the countryside there would be no talk amongst the great powers. To this explanation Zhang Boting replied “Outside o f the streets of Zhabei, the suburbs consist o f flat land with little opportunity for cover. It's not suitable for guerrilla warfare. The idea o f defending small key points is also difficult. The 88th Division has so far had reinforcements and replacements six times, and the original core of officers and soldiers now make up only 20 to 30 percent. It's like a cup o f tea. If you keep adding water, it becomes thinner and thinner. Some of the new soldiers we receive have never been in a battle, or never even fired a shot. At the moment we rely on the backbone o f old soldiers to train them while fighting. As long as the command system is in place and we can use the old hands to provide leadership, we'll be able to maintain the division as a fighting force. But if we divide up the unit, the coherence will be lost. Letting every unit fight its own fight will just add to the trouble.” Zhang Boting then rushed east to the 88th divisional HQ inside the Sihang Warehouse laying just across from the International settlement. Here a final stand would be made and whose participants would be known as the 800 heroes, but that's a story for a later podcast.  Zhang Boting had returned to his HQ on October 26th, by then the Shanghai situation had deteriorated dramatically. The stalemate around Wusong Creek had suddenly collapsed. The IJA 9th division broke the Guangxi forces and now Matsui planned for a major drive south against Dachang. Before he even had time to meet with his colleagues the 3rd and 9th divisions reached Zoumatang Creek, which ran west to east two miles south of Wusong Creek. In preparation for the continued advance, the Japanese began dropping leaflets over the Chinese positions. Each one offered the soldiers who laid down their arms 5 Chinese yuan each, roughly half a US dollar each at the time. This did not meet much results, as the Chinese knew the Japanese rarely took prisoners. Instead the Guangxi troops continued to retreat after a brutal week of combat. Most of them were moving to prepared positions north and south of the Suzhou Creek, the last remaining natural obstacle to stop the Japanese conquest of Shanghai. In the early hours of the 25th the Japanese gradually realized the Chinese were withdrawing. The Japanese unleashed hundreds of aircraft and employed creeping barrages with their artillery. This may have been the first instance they employed such WW1 tactics during the campaign. The barrage was kept 700 yards in front of the advancing Japanese forces, giving the Chinese ample time to emerge from cover and re-man positions they had abandoned under artillery fire. Despite a general withdrawal, the Chinese also mounted a strong defense around Dachang.  Two strategic bridges across Zoumatang Creek, located west of Dachang, were defended by one division each. The 33rd Division, a recent arrival in Shanghai, was tasked with securing the westernmost bridge, Old Man Bridge, while the 18th Division, also newly arrived, was stationed near Little Stone Bridge, closer to Dachang. However, neither division was capable of stopping the advancing Japanese forces. On October 25, a Japanese column, led by more than 20 tanks, overwhelmed the 33rd Division's defenses and captured Old Man Bridge. As the Chinese division attempted a fighting retreat toward Dachang, it suffered severe casualties due to superior Japanese firepower. By mid-afternoon, only one in ten of its officers and soldiers remained fit for combat, and even the division commander had been wounded. The Japanese force then advanced to Little Stone Bridge, and after intense fighting with the 18th Division that lasted until sunset, they captured the bridge as well. Meanwhile, the 18th Division fell back into Dachang, where their commander, Zhu Yaohua, received a blunt order from Gu Zhutong to hold Dachang at all costs, warning that disobedience would lead to court-martial. Concerned that losing Little Stone Bridge might already jeopardize his position, Zhu Yaohua quickly organized a nighttime counterattack to reclaim it. However, the Japanese had anticipated this move and fortified their defenses near the bridge, leading to a disastrous failure for the Chinese. On October 26, the Japanese unleashed all available resources in an all-out assault on Dachang. The town had been nearly reduced to rubble, with only the ancient wall remaining as evidence of its former population. Up to 400 airplanes, including heavy bombers, targeted Chinese troops in and around Dachang, causing significant casualties among both soldiers and pack animals. A Western correspondent watching from afar described it as the “fiercest battle ever waged in Asia up to that time. A tempest of steel unleashed by Japanese planes, which flew leisurely overhead while observation balloons guided them to their targets. The curtain of fire never lifted for a moment from the Chinese trenches”. Following the aerial assault, more than 40 Japanese tanks emerged west of Dachang. The Chinese forces found themselves defenseless against this formidable armored column, as they had already relocated their artillery to safer positions behind the front lines. Left to fend for themselves, the Chinese infantry was quickly overwhelmed by the advancing wall of enemy tanks. The defending divisions, including Zhu Yaohua's 18th Division, stood no chance against such material superiority and were swiftly crushed. After a brief skirmish, the victorious Japanese forces marched in to claim Dachang, which had become a sea of flames. Matsui observed the scene with deep satisfaction as the Rising Sun banner flew over the smoldering ruins of the town. “After a month of bitter fighting, today we have finally seen the pay-off,”. In stark contrast, Zhu Yaohua faced immediate criticism from his superiors and peers, many of whom believed he could have done more to resist the Japanese onslaught. The weight of this humiliation became unbearable for him. Just two days after his defeat at Dachang, he shot himself in the chest ending his life. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In late September, the Battle of Shanghai intensified as Japanese forces surged with reinforcements, pressing against Chinese defenses in Luodian. Amidst chaos, Japanese soldiers like Ogishima fought bravely in the trenches, witnessing unimaginable carnage. As October began, the battle's brutality escalated, with waves of attacks resulting in devastating casualties on both sides. However, the Chinese forces showcased remarkable resilience, adapting their strategies and fortifying defenses, marking a significant chapter in their struggle for sovereignty against overwhelming odds.  

Two houses, both alike in dignity, in fair Chicago, where we lay our debate. Which of these two homes are the oldest in the land? Well, therein lies the dispute. For Part One of Two in Reset's latest “What's That Building,” Sasha and architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin visit two sites in Chicago and try to answer the question: which can claim the title of Chicago's oldest house? First up: Noble-Seymour-Crippen House. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

This week, Drewby and Yergy travel to Chicago to discuss the case of Marlen Ochoa Lopez, a young mother who was about to give birth to her second child. That was until she met Clarisa Figueroa in a local Facebook Group for moms. Under the guise of providing Marlen with some gently used baby clothes, Clarisa lured the expectant mother to her home where she and her daughter, Desiree, murdered Marlen and cut her newborn from her womb.Support Our Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine⁠⁠PayPal: ⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine⁠⁠Join Our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1⁠⁠Instagram: miserymachinepodcastTwitter: misery_podcastDiscord: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/kCCzjZM⁠⁠#themiserymachine #podcast #truecrimeSource Materials:https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-woman-gets-30-years-for-helping-mother-kill-pregnant-teen-who-had-child-cut-from-her-womb/3450810/?amp=1https://www.chicagotribune.com/2019/06/26/marlen-ochoa-lopez-timeline-of-the-tragedy/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/16/woman-sentenced-to-50-years-in-prison-for-killing-pregnant-teen-removing-baby-from-womb/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/01/23/boyfriend-of-woman-accused-of-strangling-marlen-ochoa-lopez-and-cutting-baby-out-of-womb-sentenced-to-4-years-in-prison/https://www.kcci.com/article/man-grieves-daughters-death-grandchild-being-cut-from-womb-in-heinous-crime/27547302https://abc7chicago.com/amp/post/clarisa-figueroa-sentenced-to-50-years-in-prison-for-pregnant-woman-marlen-ochoa-lopezs-murder-whose-baby-was-cut-from-womb/14676286/https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/woman-accused-in-killing-of-marlen-ochoa-lopez-sentenced-to-50-years/amp/https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/04/24/one-year-later-family-of-murdered-pregnant-teen-marlen-ochoa-lopez-still-waiting-for-justice/https://news.wttw.com/tags/marlen-ochoa-lopezhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48314859.amphttps://www.fox32chicago.com/news/baby-of-slain-teen-marlen-ochoa-lopez-dies-after-weeks-on-life-support#:~:text=Family%20spokeswoman%20Julie%20Contreras%C2%A0confirmed%20a,Medical%20Center%20in%20Oak%20Lawnhttps://hue.crc.nd.edu/pilsen/murals/memorial-for-marlen-ochoa-lopez-and-her-baby/https://patch.com/illinois/chicago/killer-who-cut-baby-teens-womb-gets-50-years-reportshttps://www.chicagotribune.com/2019/07/31/you-feel-powerless-marlen-ochoa-lopezs-parents-talk-about-their-panic-despair-and-grief-as-they-searched-in-vain-for-the-pregnant-teen/https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2019/6/3/18651006/marlen-ochoa-lopez-murder-piotr-bobak?utm_campaign=ChicagoSunTimes&utm_content=1559599500&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawLkp4lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnJA0EJwL8Cnf1gkrb8DuNXN8caVOCDAKb3_H9GNLjVITGGrVEoGEmo00nsv_aem_wbPbVnvwYoz8-dQxFDzdLQhttps://www.facebook.com/marelin.perez.3https://www.facebook.com/marly0cHoAhttps://www.facebook.com/arnulfo.ochoa3https://www.facebook.com/yobaniisrael.lopezcolungahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggEQRQsUKXQ

Marshall Harris and Mark Grote listened and reacted to Bears center Drew Dalman's comments about quarterback Caleb Williams and the team's running game.

Another day, another story links Trump to Epstein. Ben riffs. Joanna Klonsky talks creeps in politics.. Trump being the face of this type. And Bill Clinton. Speaking of which--why do Dems still suck up to Clinton? And why didn't Merrick Garland release the Epstein files? What is the playbook pols follow to divert attention from their misbehavior? What does Mayor Rahm mean when he tells Megyn Kelly he will be the "strong man" America needs? There's so much to talk about, we don't get to WNBA players making their move to get paid more. Next time. Joanna is a political and communications strategist.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Nola Joyce is a highly accomplished civilian policing professional who has served in leadership roles with the police departments of Chicago, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia where she held the rank of Deputy Commissioner. She is now a Partner and Principal Consultant for 21CP Solutions. In Chicago she helped implement the famous CAPS community policing program, and then in Philadelphia, she was instrumental in designing and evaluating key policing initiatives, such as the Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment and Philadelphia Policing Tactics Experiment. Her chat with host Jerry Ratcliffe discusses the role of civilian staff in policing, their mentorship and development, and the support they bring to police leaders. She emphasized the importance of balancing innovative ideas with relevance and acceptance from frontline officers.

This week on Chewing, we talk about babes, pizza, and hot stuff. First, Monica talks to My Pi pizza founder Larry Aronson about his last pizzeria closing in Chicago after 54 years. Then, Professor Steve Balkin talks about the death of Maxwell Street as he makes Monica some homemade matzo brie. Lastly, James Park talks about his cookbook “Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings.” chewing.xyz chicagotribune.com/chewingpodcast facebook.com/chewingpodcast Insta Louisa Chu @louisachu1 Monica Eng @monicaengreporter   Links: Order Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites by Monica Eng and David Hammond   Music: Theme music: “Zhong Nan Hai” by Carsick Cars  Outro music: “15 Minutes Older” by Carsick Cars Segments: “Be Sweet” (Korean Version) by Japanese Breakfast feat. So!YoON!  “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young “Look In My Eyes” by The Chantels “Life is but a Dream” by The Harptones “Hot Sauce” by NCT Dream

On this brand new edition of Cubs On Tap, Ron is back solo recapping the Chicago Cubs' series victory over the Chicago White Sox, securing a 5-1 record over the South Siders in 2025. Yes, the Cubs own Chicago. Ron starts off by recapping the three-game set, discussing some highlights, and reminding Sox fans that the Cubs are better. Then, Ron turns his attention to the looming trade deadline and what's to come. From the possibilities, to why things are quiet, and everything in between, Ron uses a bulk of the show conversing with the comments and letting the flow of the show go wild. A fun little shoutout helps lead to a series preview of the Milwaukee Brewers beginning on Monday. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Purchase your Chicago Cubs shirts from ⁠OBVIOUS SHIRTS⁠. USE CODE: ONTAPSPORTS for 10% OFF your purchase!Cubs On Tap is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OnTapSportsNet.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, your go-to source for Cubs news⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, analysis, and updates.Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@CubbiesOnTap⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OnTapSportsNet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JoeyKnowsNothin | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TeddyFreddy270 | @JuiceOnTap | @LuceOnTap | @Nick_OnTap | @SilentBob_2 | @Rich_Ebs

As we, at WGN Radio, prepare to welcome the Chicago Blackhawks into the “Century Club,” we are celebrating Chicago's Original 6 hockey organization by highlighting over 100 players, coaches, executives, broadcasters and personalities that have been a part of Blackhawks' 100-year history. Every weekday leading up to and through the 2025-26 season, you will hear […]

******Support the channel******Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenterPayPal: paypal.me/thedissenterPayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuyPayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9lPayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpzPayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9mPayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on******Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Agnes Callard is an Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Chicago. She received her BA from the University of Chicago in 1997 and her PhD from Berkeley in 2008. Her primary areas of specialization are Ancient Philosophy and Ethics. She is the author of Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life. In this episode, we focus on Open Socrates. We talk about Socratism, Tolstoy's untimely questions, how we should live, and the values and paradoxes of inquiry, open-mindedness, and truth-seeking. We discuss the ethics of Socrates, and Socratic ignorance and expertise. Finally, we talk about the art of love, the craft of politics, preparing for death, and making a case for a philosophical life.--A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航 豊川, TONY BARRETT, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, ROBINROSWELL, KEITH RICHARDSON, HUGO B., JAMES, AND JORDAN MANSFIELD!A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, AND PER KRAULIS!AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, ROSEY, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!

Welcome, Catholic Pilgrims. Today, we begin reading the second letter in the book to the Teacher's College in Rome. This is written approximately one year after the last letter that we just read.  We are going to hear her describe the work being done on the hospital she founded in Chicago—Columbus Hospital. One of my followers on Facebook shared with us that he was born in that hospital. Sadly, it hospital no longer stands. Reading from online, “It closed in 2001 and was later demolished to make way for a high-rise condominium development called Park Michigan. The National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, which was originally part of the hospital, was preserved and refurbished during the redevelopment and remains open to the public.” So, if you are ever in Chicago, you can go visit the National Shrine of Saint Frances Cabrini. We've got three shrines dedicated to Mother Cabrini in the States—one in Colorado, one in New York, and one in Chicago. And, I'm sure there are numerous churches named after her.  Today, we will read Part One of this letter beginning on page 311 and ending on page 315 at the first full paragraph. Let's go ahead and begin. 

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Send us a textIn this episode of the VCA Voice Podcast, Dr. Justin Allen and Dr. Maureen Mueller discuss their journeys in veterinary medicine, the common cardiac conditions they encounter, and the innovative interventional cardiology procedures they offer at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. They emphasize the importance of teamwork, the role of veterinary technicians, and the advancements in treating mitral valve disease. Their conversation with Dr. Kerl also highlights the significance of training the next generation of specialists and the need for continuous learning in the field. Dr. Mueller received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University in 1997. This was followed by a one year rotating internship at Washington State University, School of Veterinary Medicine. She then completed her surgical residency in 2001 at the Animal Medical Center, New York, and was awarded her Diplomate status in 2002. Dr. Mueller performs both soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries. She has a strong interest in Surgical Oncology which involves the removal of cancerous masses in pets. In challenging cases, this requires herto employ reconstruction techniques. She continues to strive to learn new techniques that enable her to remove these masses in challenging cases.When Dr. Mueller is not at work she enjoys many activities with her husband and daughter, including hiking, biking, museums and movies. She also enjoys running with her rescued Australian Shepard dog, yoga, crafts and gardening.Dr. Justin Allen grew up on a farm in central Illinois. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he traveled to Los Angeles, California for an internship program at Advanced Veterinary Care Center; he then moved to California Animal Hospital in Los Angeles for a 3-year private practice residency programin Cardiology. He received board-certification in 2010 and after practicing in Chicago and Northern California, he and his family moved to Los Angeles to join VCA West Los Angeles in 2016. His particular interests in cardiology include interventional therapy of structural heart diseases and emergency therapy of heart failure/arrhythmias. He and his wife Kimberly share a love of food, and have been enjoying the wide variety of incredible food in the LA area. They currently live in an extremely busy household in Rancho Palos Verdes with a doodle puppy (Curry), two boys (Nathan, 10 y, and Evan, 7 y), and one girl (Audrey, 4 y).Visit our website: vcavoice.comAll episodes produced by dādy creative

To conclude Disability Pride Month, we're rebroadcasting one of our most powerful conversations. Host Daniel Smrokowski sits down with his college friend Maria DiSabato in this encore episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast, recorded on location at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Maria shares her lived experience with disability—exploring questions like: • What does disability mean to you? • What do you wish peers, professors, and classmates understood? • Is disability a part of how you describe yourself? • Do you feel there's a stigma, and how can we break it? • And why disability is truly another face of diversity. This thoughtful and empowering dialogue offers fresh insights—and is the perfect conclusion to Disability Pride Month. Episode 778 ShowNotes & Links Listen and Follow at SpecialChronicles.com/Pod

The 2025 National Pre-Game show Everything you need to know for the 2025 National Sunday Night Live 7/2/2025 with Big Ken @sportscards_lessons | Scott @ wcocards | Jonathan @basketballcardguy | Jonathan @ homerssportscards

LaVonté Stewart, founder and executive director of Lost Boyz Inc., joins Lisa Dent to talk about his 17-year mission to uplift and empower young people on Chicago's South Side. As grant funding dwindles, Stewart reflects on the organization’s impact and the uncertainty ahead, emphasizing the importance of continued investment in youth development and community safety.

Dr. Hermene Hartman, Chicago media pioneer and founder of N'Digo, joins Lisa Dent to discuss the 2025 State of Black America report from the National Urban League.

After a drowning during Black Yacht Weekend, 16th Ward Ald. Stephanie Coleman joins Lisa Dent to discuss her proposal to require all boaters to wear life vests. She stresses the importance of stronger safety measures to prevent future tragedies on Chicago's waterways.

Lisa Dent checks in with the newsroom to hear their stories.

Frank Giammarese, Director of Public Safety for the Bloomingdale Police Department, joins Lisa Dent to discuss a recent spike in trespassing cases tied to a viral TikTok trend. He urges residents to take the issue seriously and warns that anyone caught trespassing will face prosecution

Deborah Witzburg, Chicago Inspector General, joins Lisa Dent to discuss recent findings of widespread PPP loan fraud involving city employees and residents. The investigation uncovered that bus drivers, police officers, and others falsely claimed to run small businesses in order to receive pandemic relief funds.

WBBM's Carolina Garibay stops by Nitro Nostalgia in Bronzeville. Run by a father-daughter duo, the new ice cream shop uses liquid nitrogen to craft frozen concoctions with unique flavors.

Chicago police have released surveillance photos of an SUV wanted in connection with a deadly hit-and-run crash in the Pilsen neighborhood that killed a 22-year-old woman just before her wedding.

You're going to want to jot this down! Stationery Store Day is this Saturday, and one Andersonville shop is helping Chicago celebrate in style.

On July 28th, 2025, Kevin Wells, filling in for Steve Grzanich, shares today's potential market drivers:

Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Bob Sirott to provide the latest news in entertainment. Bob and Dean talk about the weekend box office numbers, the death of Tom Lehrer, and how Beyoncé wraps up her tour. They also discuss the appearance of George Lucas at San Diego Comic-Con, Dean’s interview with Adam Sandler, […]

Orland Park Mayor, Jim Dodge, joins Bob Sirott to talk about how they are working on a way to keep the DMV in their town, as well as his time in office so far. He also shares some of his favorite Orland Park breakfast places and their summer family activities.

What is it about them, our mean friends? They treat us poorly, they don't call us back, they cancel plans at the last minute, and yet we keep coming back for more. Popular bullies exist in business, politics — everywhere. How do they stay so popular? Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: We hear kids recorded at Chicago's Navy Pier and at a public swimming pool discussing their mean friends. And Ira Glass interviews Lillie Allison, 15, about the pretty, popular girls who were her best friends—until they cast her out. (5 minutes)Act One: Jonathan Goldstein interrogates the girls, now grown up, who terrorized him and his classmates years ago in school—and finds they can be just as scary as ever. (18 minutes)Act Two: We conduct an experiment to test whether being nice actually pays by equipping two waitresses with hidden microphones to record their interactions. Each waitress is instructed to be super friendly with half of their tables while remaining aloof with the other half. We then compare the tips to see which approach was more profitable. (10 minutes)Act Three: A case study in every word from a friend meaning its opposite. (4 minutes)Act Four: An excerpt of Bernard Cooper's story about the bill he got from his own father, for the entire cost of his childhood. Actor Josh Hamilton reads. (19 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.