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    Gangland Wire
    Inside Kansas City's Criminal Underworld

    Gangland Wire

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026


    Retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective Gary Jenkins sits down with former criminal and prison minister Bill Corum for one of the most unusual conversations ever featured on Gangland Wire. Bill Corum recounts his journey from car theft and prison escapes in the early 1960s to his deep involvement in Kansas City's criminal underworld in the 1970s and early 1980s. He describes his work around pornography, prostitution, stolen property, cocaine trafficking, and his connections to notorious Kansas City underworld figures. Gary and Bill discuss legendary Kansas City mob fence Sol Landi and his murder by assassins sent by the mob, the River Quay era, Junior Bradley, corrupt influences in local politics and the courts, and the explosive cocaine culture that swept through Kansas City during the 1980s. Bill also shares stories involving Weld Wheels founder Kenny Weld, cocaine trafficking operations, and the dangerous atmosphere surrounding organized crime in Kansas City. The conversation dives into: Bill's prison escape and stolen car career The prostitution business in Independence, Missouri Mob-connected fences and stolen property rings Cocaine trafficking in Kansas City during the early 1980s The murder of Saul Landy River Quay nightlife and mob influence Corrupt officials and criminal networks Kansas City organized crime personalities Prison life and criminal culture Bill Corum's dramatic religious conversion in 1983 His decades-long prison ministry work across America Bill also explains how he transformed his life after addiction, violence, and years in the criminal world, eventually dedicating his life to prison outreach and ministry programs throughout the United States. You can learn more about Bill Corum and his book at either The Ultimate Pardon or Bill Corum Official Website If you're interested in true crime, mafia history, and real law enforcement stories, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Subscribe for more mafia history and true crime stories every week. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. [00:00:00] hey, all you wiretappers. Gary Jenkins here, retired Kansas City police detective in the intelligence unit. Turned podcaster and author and documentary filmmaker. If you want to see any of my stuff, go to my website and look in the show notes or look in the I think the donate page. Of course, if you’re in the donate page, you might want to hit the donate button. We always use a little, can use a little support. And I have a guy that I’d heard of and I’d seen on YouTube and I have mu- we have mutual friends, but I had never actually met him. And I, so I g- I… Some people he knows asked me to be on their show. And so I was on their show, and Bill was on that show at the same time. So we started talking. We had lunch and we had all these… We were running in the same circles, but separate circles that then overlapped every once in a while. He was on one side of the law and I was on the other. So Bill Corum. Welcome, Bill. Thank you, Gary. Thank you so much. And we were running in opposite… We were running real close- … but I was careful. When [00:01:00] I got out of prison, it- You were. When I got out of prison in 1964, I had two goals. Yeah. Never go back, and never get caught. And I started breaking the law the day I got out of prison, and I broke the law for almost 19 years and didn’t get caught. I got caught a couple times at little things, and I got… I hired a high-powered criminal attorney that came out of Alex Peebles’ office who’s now a judge. I won’t even mention his name. He’s now a judge. I think I told you who it was. But and Alex got me out of a couple deals way back when. But little things. And I was still, doing everything. And I went for almost 19 years and didn’t get caught. Unlike many of my friends, I’ve been in prison ministry for 40 years now, and I run around with a lot of guys that did a lot of time. 25 years, 40 years. Li- they had double life without parole, now they’re out But I never got caught. Yeah. And I was speaking at a women’s prison just recently, and I was talking to the women, and I was telling that story, and I said, “I got out and I [00:02:00] went for 19 years.” She said, “You must have been awful smart.” I said I wa- I wasn’t too smart or I wouldn’t have been doing that stuff.” But I did know ways and one thing was ’cause I didn’t talk to people. I didn’t have a lot of… Kinda like the trench coat robbers. They robbed banks for 15 years- Yeah … and never got caught because they didn’t email, text, phone calls, none of that. Yeah. They would, they would- And they moved away too. Oh, yeah. Kinda moved away from their home territory, so they- Yeah y- they weren’t having their buddies come up to them say, “Hey, what are you doing? Where you been?” “I haven’t seen you for a while.” And then they turn around and tell some cop that they know, “Hey, I can’t remember the guy’s name now. Billy Kirkpatrick. Billy Kirkpatrick. He’s been out of town. He just got back.” And, you know- Yeah … then they put… Suddenly they get this notice about these bank robbers somewhere else. They… He didn’t do that. He stayed- … out of town. So Bill, let’s- No, that was me. Go ahead. Go, let’s go back and start you from the beginning. Introduce to who you are to my guys, ’cause they don’t know you. I didn’t know you, ’cause you were such a low profile in this world. You said you got out of prison. Why don’t we [00:03:00] start with that? Where, what were you in the joint for originally? I was originally in there for Dyer Act, which is, in the feds, that’s interstate transportation- Yeah of stolen motor vehicles. I was in the Marine Corps. I went AWOL. I got caught. I went back. I got back AWOL again. I went back. They put me on restrictions, said I couldn’t leave the base. I was at that point in my life where nobody could tell me what to do. And so I’s “I’m leaving the base,” and I left and I think I stole 10, 12 cars while I was out. And then I got put in the… When I got back the next time, they put me in the brig, and I escaped from the brig. And and I stole a car off the base back in tho- in the ’60s, early ’60s, ’62, 3. People left their keys in their car. Yeah. And I went out. I was in the parachute locker painting. When the guard came in to check on me, I hit him in the back of the head with a full bucket of paint, a full gallon of paint, and I went out the window and I got a car, and I actually had a guy with me. He said, “I’m going with you.” And so we got in the car, and when we got to [00:04:00] the gate, I said, “Now, if that guard steps out at the gate, I’m running over him.” And he’s “No, don’t do…” I said “Just shut up. I’m running over him.” And I got to the gate, and the guard stepped out and saluted me. And I’m like, “What in the world?” I drove into town, run out of gas, Gary. Got out and stole… I don’t know how I remember this. I stole a ’62 maroon Bonneville. And when I was walking away from the car, my buddy looked back and started laughing. I said, “What are you laughing about?” He said, “I see why they saluted us. That car had a colonel sticker on the bumper.” So then I stole that car, that Bonneville, drove into Mississippi. Because I always ask guys in prisons, “How many of you know when you escape from prison you need some different clothes?” Yeah. So I drove into a little town called Leland, Mississippi, and I was breaking in a clothing store to get me some clothes. It was 11:00 at night, and I looked down, I was climbing up on some boxes to get to the roof to go in the skylight, ’cause they had analog alarms, they were easy to beat. [00:05:00] And I looked down and I saw a flashlight coming down the alley. So I dropped down, ran the other way, and I turned the corner and ran into the biggest, fattest Mississippi sheriff you ever seen. And he had a gun, he had a gun about this long. And he stuck it right here, and he goes, “Where are you going, boy?” And I said, “With you, sir.” That’s what I said. And that was the end of the Marine Corps. So now I’ve taken a car across the state line, and the feds step in. And I went to… I got a six-year sentence. I got what they call a zip six. And back then, before ’86, now in ’86 they passed it to 85%. Yeah. But prior to 80- prior to ’86, you could get out of the feds at one-third of your sentence. And so I got this six-year sentence. I got out in two years, and when I got out, I said, “I’m never getting caught again. I’m never going back to prison.” And I went for ni- and I just started right then. And everything from then on was like, I got involved with pornography. I was promoting [00:06:00] pornography and prostitution. There’s a story in my book about me being a… I was a bodyguard and a chauffeur for a lady that had a cat house over in Independence. You know where Inglewood was in Independence? And guys- You know where- … In- Independence is a suburb of Kansas City, but it’s like whole, decently large city for a suburb- Yeah … but it’s connected to it. Yeah. That’s where Harry Truman was from- That’s right … and retired back to. Yeah. So y- you were over there probably on the east side of Independence. Inglewood’s kinda closer to Kansas City, over there- Yes … by Dogpatch, in what we call Dogpatch. That’s- The- … kinda totally lawless area. And so there was a guy there that I was friends with that had a record store. He was the first guy in Kan- his name was Tony Marino. He’s in my book. He’s dead now. He was the first guy ever in Kansas City to sell paraphernalia in a record store. And he was making 25,000 a month- Wow … back in the… Yeah, when it started. That was a lot of money. And he, right next to him was a [00:07:00] store, it’s still there. I go by it all the time, ’cause we eat at the Englewood Cafe all the time. It’s the only one on that little s- first strip there that’s got steps going up. And a lady up there had a cathouse for 12 years, prostitutes. And her main customers were executives from Ford Motor Company- … from General Motors, and from Hallmark Cards. And the reason, Gary, was because she knew if she had executives, they weren’t gonna talk. Yeah. And she had beautiful women. She didn’t have ladies like up on Main and Troost and Prospect. Yeah. The- these women had all their teeth, and they were- … and they were good-looking. Yeah. And so the first guy, a- actually, who got me the job was Sal Rello, that o- that owned he owned that deluxe deli down on 430, where the Erotic City is now. Oh, yeah. He owned that- Yeah … he owned that bar. Heard about him, yeah. And I told him for years, I said, “You need to open an adult bookstore here,” because Gary, he was the only bar in Kansas City, the only bar [00:08:00] in Kansas City that was open on Election Day. You know why? ‘Cause he was in the county. He was in the county. He wasn’t in- Wasn’t in the city, yeah … he wasn’t in the city. And he was open on Election Day. And I told him, I said, “Man, if you’d open an adult bookstore, you could make a lot of money.” He never did, of course. Yeah. And then they put Erotic City in there, and it went good for a few years and stuff, yeah. But so he’s the one that told me about her. I went to interview with her, and she said, “I just have one question. Do you carry a gun?” I said, “No, ma’am, I carry two guns.” And she said, “You’re hired.” And so G- Gary, I picked her up every day on the Plaza. She lived in a $2,000 a month apartment on the Plaza in 1976. Yeah. That was a lot of money. That’s five today. And, yeah, and I took her to get her facial every Tuesday. I took her to the beauty shop every Thursday, and read about her in my book. She was 80 years old. The name of that chapter in my book is 80-Year-Old Hooker. She was 80, 80 years old, and she [00:09:00] ran it like a business. I had, I, she opened at 9:00 in the morning and closed at 5:00 at night, and ran it just five days a week, just like a business. And I wouldn’t be surprised she didn’t pay taxes. She was legit, man. Yeah. And I knew you can’t operate something like that for 12 years in Independence, Missouri, and not have the police know about it. No, they knew about it. Oh, yeah. It’s that upper echelon, they were, they just steered people away from each other. Oh, yeah. Don’t worry about that. Oh, yeah. That’s right. So that was- So Bill, y- you, you moved from that- Into the drug business now, how did you, how’d you even get started in that? Where like 1960s, ’60, by the late ’60s, drugs are starting to, become more popular and there becomes a real market for it that’s among- Yeah a much larger constituency than ever before. So now, how did you- I re- … move into that? I, oh, I really, for years and years, Gary, years, I didn’t have a partner [00:10:00] because I knew if I had to run, I didn’t want somebody… I didn’t know if my partner would tell on me, so I did everything by myself. I did one thing one time and I had to have a partner, and I stole a computer out of a crane at General Motors down in Leeds. And I, and my fence, the chapter in my book, They Killed My Fence, that was Saul Andy. Yeah. And when Saul got killed, like they killed my fence, because anything I took to Saul, he’d buy it. Didn’t matter if it was guns or it didn’t matter what it was. And I didn’t never keep anything except cash. If I had money, I’d keep it, but I’d never keep anything. I didn’t keep diamond rings or… I got rid of all that stuff, ’cause I never wanted anything to be able to identify me and tie me to a crime. And Saul, when he got killed, of course, then I started dealing with another guy. But Saul was taking all that and selling it to Junior Bradley, most of it, the stuff that Junior- And, and- … would be interested in. And guys- But, J- Junior Bradley, I gotta explain who Junior Bradley was. Junior Bradley was the mob fence in Kansas City. He was probably the biggest fence in Kansas City I got a [00:11:00] feeling. He, and what he started doing was trading Dilaudid especially for stolen property, and he had a little deli right across from police headquarters and City Hall, and everybody knew Junior. Everybody loved Junior. Everybody liked Junior. He’s always doing favors for people. If you went in the penitentiary, you’d go talk to Junior and say, “Okay, what, what’s gonna happen when I get here? Can you help me out?” And he’ll say, “I’ll make some calls.” Or I, we had, we overheard him on a wiretap once saying- a, a father called him and said, my son’s got to report up here to Leavenworth to the camp.” He said, “Okay, I’ll take care of it. I’ll be somebody there to meet him there.” And I’ve had many other reports but Junior was the main mob fence. So go ahead- Yeah … and we’ll talk what you were dealing with- Yeah Junior Bradley. Yeah be- let’s back up. So you asked me about how I got into drugs. So all those years when I was married, I didn’t drink and I didn’t do drugs. I thought if you did dope, you were a d- I thought that’s why they call it dope, ’cause you were a dope if you did it. Yeah. So I didn’t do it, and I didn’t drink because I knew I had to always be able to think and make [00:12:00] decisions and… ‘Cause I cheated on my wife every day for 10 years, and I did crime every day for 10 years, and she never knew it till I wrote this book. And I gave her the first book actually. And so- When I got divorced and started smoking pot and doing stuff, hanging out with those people, and I started smoking weed, then the first time I bought an ounce of weed it was 40 bucks. And I’m like, “Okay, how much is how much is more if you buy more? You can buy a half pound for this or you can buy…” So I said then I’ll… Give me a half a pound and I’m gonna sell,” yeah. So I started buying pounds and selling ounces, and man, all of a sudden I’m, now I’m smoking free and I’m making some money. Yeah. And then I started sell- And by the time I ended, even when I was selling cocaine, I was selling 100 pounds of pot a week. I had one guy that would buy 100 pounds of pot from me every week. Yeah. And I’d just take him 100 pounds and he’d just bring my… Every day he’d stop by my house [00:13:00] with sacks of money, and that was, the way I got started in the drug world then. And everything. It was from pot, it was, meth. We called it crank back then, not meth. And then I never did get real addicted to crank, but I got real addicted to cocaine. And of course, I was doing a drug class the other day. I teach a drug class, my wife and I, addictions class at our church. And I said, when I started, I was only gonna sell it and not do it.” And because one guy said I was only gonna do it and never sell it.” And I said, “No, not me. I was gonna sell it and never do it.” But that didn’t last very long. And once you start doing it you’re in there, and, Yeah, really … and then, when I got arrested September 5th of ’82 the guy that I beat up I put 100 stitches in the back of his head with a ball bat, and it was in an active enforcement really. But he turned states. He’s the one, when Kenny… You remember Kenny Weld? I remember the name. Was you still on the force when Kenny got busted in ’83? [00:14:00] Yeah. ’80- Yeah, I would’ve been. Okay. So- I have some vague memory, I don’t remember the, all the details. At the time it was the biggest drug bust, it was the biggest just drug bust in, I know in Kansas City, maybe. They caught him out there in Blue Springs with 29 pounds of cocaine, and we were selling- Yeah … cocaine to the people that were selling cocaine to Kenny. And so the guy that I beat up gave a 20-page, which is like reading a book, 20 typewritten pages. Yeah. 20 typewritten pages, and he named every name involved in the circle that he knew, and that implicated us as being some of the leading cocaine dealers in Kansas City. Yeah. Now, when I go speak in churches and a pastor gets up and says, “Folks, today we’ve got the biggest cocaine dealer that ever lived.” I get up and say, “You know what? I don’t mean to correct your pastor.” But I was implicated as being one of the leading cocaine- I was not the leading cocaine dealer. There was a lot of people bigger than me. But that’s that’s how it all started and [00:15:00] of course my case, I never did… the drugs never came in. The lawyers that I had, because when I got busted it was on a Sunday, and that’s part of my story. I always ask inmates, “How many of you have been arrested on a weekend?” And every hand goes up. Yeah. And I say, and then I say, “What happens when you get arrested on a weekend?” They all yell, “Nothing.” ‘Cause you’re not going anywhere till Monday morning, at the very least. I got arrested 2:00 Sunday afternoon. By that time, Gary, I had three goals. When I was about 30, I got nicknamed by one of the key mafia figures Crazy Bill, ’cause I did some crazy things. Like I ran through a bar. You know where the old Club Royal was on Main? Oh yeah. There was a bar right ac- I’ve drunk there many times. Okay. There was a bar across the street that I had a girlfriend working in, and we got in a fight, and I was gonna cut the bar in half with a chainsaw. And I had my buddy drop me at the back parking lot. I fired the chainsaw up, I opened the door, and when the door… When I stepped inside, the door [00:16:00] closed with the closer, and the dar- the bar was totally dark. It was not a bar where you could even buy a bag of potato chips. It was strictly alcohol. And when you get- Yeah … in a bar like that, they’re dark. And that door shut, and I thought, “I’m gonna bend over and start cutting this bar, and somebody just shoot me in the back.” So I just wa- I just walked through the bar with the chainsaw running and went out the front door, and Kenny picked me up in the front, and off we went. And so because of that, I got nicknamed Crazy Bill. Yeah. By 30 years old, I had three goals: money, power, and influence. Now, I told you as we were selling a lot of cocaine. So I stayed in $500 a night hotels. I ride in limousines. I bought $20,000 worth of cocaine for a one-night party. So I had money, and I had enough power to make a phone call and have somebody killed, so I had power. And I had enough influence that when I got arrested Sunday afternoon, now I love telling this to a police officer. I was on a show in Texas with a cop, and we called it the Con and the Cop. [00:17:00] But I love telling this story. I got arrested September 5th. 2:00, 2:00 PM is when they booked us into the jail, and I made a phone call back to Kansas City to somebody who was in politics, and I said, “You know who to call.” And that person called the judge we were selling cocaine to. And I ask this question in prisons, “How many of you know when you’re selling cocaine to a judge, he don’t want you in jail?” And I walked out of that jail, Gary, at 1:30 Monday morning. Wow. I got arrest- less than 12 hours after I got arrested on a weekend. And when I walked out of that jail, I said, “Bill Corum, you’ve arrived. You got money.” “You got power, and you got influence.” But the one thing I didn’t have was peace. Yeah. I didn’t have any peace, man. No peace. Yeah. If I was in a restaurant eating and a cop walked in, I’d put money on the table and go out the door. If I saw a UPS driver, I got nervous ’cause he had a uniform on. I didn’t have any peace. And then after I became a Christian, I was reading in the Bible [00:18:00] one day, and it said, “A wicked man runs when no one’s chasing him.” And I went, “Oh my gosh, I left a lot of steak dinners sitting on the table.” And wasn’t anybody chasing you. Nobody. That cop didn’t even know I was in there. He probably didn’t even know who I was. Really? He just come in… He just came in there to eat, and I thought he was after me. So Bill, I always like to go into the, the nuts and bolts of some of these things. And we kinda left one thing hanging, is the Saul Landy story. Now guys, Saul Landy was a big sports bettor. And Saul Landy had a, wasn’t it a metal- Square Deal Junk- Square Deal Junkyard. Square… He had a junkyard. Square Deal. He bought a lot of scrap metal and dealt in scrap metal, but he also would buy most anything from, from- Yeah … thieves, from boosters- Yeah … and burglars and people like that. That’s where Bill met him. But he’s a huge sports gambler, and they thought he might testify against our boss, Nick Civella, because he had been allowed to bet down at The Trap, down with Frankie Tusa, who was the underling [00:19:00] that handled all the sports gambling for Nick Civella. Isn’t that right? Isn’t that the way that went down? Oh, yeah, and Bobby Maroon was running The Trap at the time. And- yeah … so do you remember the guy that, that paid for his murder? Remember that guy, Johnny Franks, Johnny Frank Avella? That’s what they said, yep. Yeah. Yep. He had, he had- That’s what they said. He had some connections. But he got… But Johnny Franks got the order from somebody else. Yeah. Yeah … the bug, the buck stopped with Johnny Franks now, didn’t it? Yes. ‘Cause he hired another guy, who then he hired a Black guy, which was- That’s right … truly unusual. Who then- That’s right … hired a couple of young Black street kids and that was even more unusual, and they killed this Saul Landy and his wife. So they keep a f- And then they sang and then they sang like The Temptations. Exactly, yeah. That, and that’s that w- some claim that Johnny Franks did that just on his own, trying to impress Nick Civella. Some people say that somebody else told him to do it. I don’t… It never, he never talked, so it never came about. Yeah. [00:20:00] Did you ever hear anything about that? I never heard anything except what you just said, that he- Okay … he never talked, and Nick, Nick never got convicted. He never- Yeah … but here’s the thing that, what you said. The guys that they hired to do it, because back in those days as y- you’d go to… i’d go to the electric chair before somebody, before I’d tell on somebody. Yeah. I’m not gonna tell on anybody. Go ahead and put me in the gas chamber, I’m not telling on nobody. But those guys would, they’d sing like The Temptations. They weren’t gonna, they- Yeah … they wouldn’t- Those street kids If they offered them a day in jail, they wouldn’t take it. If you’ll tell us, we won’t, we’re only gonna put you in jail for a week if you’ll tell. Yeah. They wouldn’t tell. So how did that work with you and Saul Landy? You weren’t a sports bettor you didn’t have anything to do with that. You were a thief. Yeah, and I don’t know- And- I honestly, you know what? Gary, I don’t remember who even told me to go to Saul with stolen merchandise, ’cause I was hitting a lot of construction jobs back then. [00:21:00] Ah. I worked construction, and I was in the union, and I was stealing off these jobs all the time. Big- Ah, yeah … big amounts of stuff. Like they’d start a brand-new job, and they’d have all brand-new tools, and I’d go over there and take everything they had. And then I’d take it all to Saul. And matter of fact, one time I did a job over in, it was a eight-story high-rise over in Kansas City, Kansas, down around Argentine, in the Argentine area. And I was on the job, I was working on the job, and we just started. And we had all this trailer, a whole trailer load of tools. And I went over and got all the tools, and the last thing I took out was the cutting torch. I cut the lock off the door, ’cause I had a key to get in. And so when I got to work the next morning, I had everything in my truck. I had a tonneau cover over my truck and had all these tools in the back of my truck, and parked in the parking lot. I got there and I called Johnny Myers, who was running the job, and Johnny’s been dead for years. I said, “Hey, Johnny, somebody hit our job last night.” He’s “What?” I said, “Yeah, they cut the lock off. They got everything.” [00:22:00] And he said call the police and I’ll be out there in just a few minutes.” And so the cops come, couple detectives and he was telling what they, what was going on. I’m standing there listening to the whole thing. And there was a generator, a big generator, and I was real strong back then, Gary. I was 6’3″ and weighed 275 and I carried this generator down the steps and this… and Johnny said, or the cop said that, how much that generator weigh?” And he told him, and he said it had to be at least two guys, if not three. But no, no one guy could carry that down them steps.” And Johnny turned around and he said, “Except Superman,” ’cause that’s what they called me on the job. And they laughed, and he laughed, and I laughed. Yeah. And then that night after I got off work, I took it all down to Square Deal and sold it all to Saul. Yeah. Interesting. So- All right. Thanks so much … and I did that stuff all, yeah, I did that stuff all the time. But I honestly do not remember who introduced me to Saul Landy. Yeah. But I know that for years and years we were buddies. And when I first met him, I used a, I had an alias that I always went by. I had two a- two aliases. One of them was a guy I [00:23:00] was in prison with that was from East St. Louis, and I knew everything about him, ’cause we were real good friends. I knew his middle name, I knew his mom and dad’s name. I knew everything about him, so I’d use his name. So if anybody ever asked me a question, I knew. The other guy was a cousin of mine that I hadn’t seen for y- I used his name, ’cause I knew everything about him. So what, the, when I first met my wife, we went to a dance one night. We weren’t married yet, and we were walking up the steps, and this guy walking down said, “Hey, Jim. How you doing, Jim?” And I said, “Good.” We got in, sat down. My wife looked at me and she said, “I thought your name was Bill.” I s- said, “It is. It is Bill.” I said, “He probably just had me mixed up with somebody else.” ‘Cause there was a lot of people in the inner circles, yeah. So when I met Saul Andy, something inside of me told me to… Because I met Saul, and I told him my name was Jim Gardner. Yeah. And he’s we did a couple deals, and then something inside of me told me to b- be honest with Saul. And so I sat him down one day, I said, “I wanna tell you something. I use that name as an alias. My [00:24:00] real name is Bill Corum,” and da. And I was so glad I did, because later I would be in the River Key in a restaurant or a bar with Saul, and some of the guys were in there, and I thought if I’d have used the… If he’d introduced me as Jim Gardner- Yeah … and then later they find out who I am, I might not be here. Yeah. You know what I mean? You might- So I- They might think you’re undercover cop or a- Exactly. Exactly. So I just- Informant or something, yeah … it, a- and that, I think that’s in my book. I told that story because I just, I felt like being upfront with him, and I, because I trusted him, yeah. I actually, in, in the book I think I said if Nick Civella trusted him, I thought I could trust him. Yeah. But a- apparently, apparently- Bet he didn’t trust him all that much … no. Yeah. Because right there, out there on Pennsylvania, or let’s see, where’d they… They lived right off 75th, right behind the what was that restaurant on 75th? The Italian place? Yeah … I starts with a G, I think. Yeah, I know. Just north of Ward Parkway Shopping Center. Yeah. Yeah. I know the neighborhood, yeah. Oh, Cat- was it Cat? [00:25:00] No. C- it doesn’t matter. But he lived right down that str- he lived on Washington. Yeah. Right there. Yeah. About 77th or 8th and Washington, in Washington, yeah. I remember that. Yeah. But that’s how I met Saul. And what, and guys, what those guys did that night, they tried to make it look like a home invasion robbery, but ended up killing him and his w- and I think they raped his wife too. But, They didn’t kill her. They left her alive they, they left her alive. But- Yeah … they really m- tried to make it look like a home invasion robbery, not a hit, which was, at least they were that smart. They just weren’t- Yeah … couldn’t keep their mouth shut, and they couldn’t, weren’t smart enough to not tell their friends, so they got caught. Good, good thing there wasn’t no Facebook back then, Gary. Yeah, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. Crazy world you live in, so- these kids- Bill … yeah. What happened? What happened? You had all this going. You had money, power, influence. Yeah, I- You caught a cocaine case. Now the thing about that cocaine case, that you said, I thought you said Wells. It’s Kenny Weld, isn’t it? The race car driver? W-E-L-D. Kenny Weld. W-E-L-D. Yeah. He was a race [00:26:00] car driver at that time. I, I- Kinda well-known, and he had a whole set of… He had a big company that sold wheels … Weld Wheels … fancy wheels. He was really doing well, and then he got involved with a b- huge, big cocaine thing. I didn’t know, remember you were part of that, but I remember that. A multi-million dollar- Yeah … wheel business. Yeah. I still am a big… I was a dirt track guy. I grew up on dirt. Yeah. I love dirt. I actually took his brother, Greg, who actually owned the company, I took Greg to his first… the first race that Greg ever raced in, I drove him to the races. And then Kenny and I and Greg, and they won the Knoxville Nationals. Greg raced in the Indianapolis 500 four times. Yeah. They were a big name in the country, the Welds. And making millions of dollars, Gary. Even back then, they were making millions of dollars. Yeah. And then Kenny got caught up in the cocaine and started messing with it, and next thing you know… he was making a lot of money in the cocaine too, but- Yeah … he got caught with 29 pounds, which was a large amount. But that statement that guy [00:27:00] made on me, ’cause I always felt guilty because Kenny got busted because the statement that he made, he named Kenny Weld in that statement, and it wasn’t long after that they arrested Kenny. But I’m sure they were already watching him, for sure. But then I, and I don’t know, Kenny got eight year, Kenny got 25 years. He went to Sandstone first up in Minnesota. Yeah. And he only did 52 months, so I’m not sure, because back then a third would’ve been eight, eight and a half years or something, right? Yeah. And he only did 52 months, so I don’t know how that, maybe it was money or whatever. I don’t know. Yeah. But he turned his life around in prison, but then what’s the sad deal, when I turned my life around, I tried to get in touch with Kenny Weld, and he wouldn’t talk to me. He- Yeah … he was avoid- I think he was afraid that I was gonna come after him because the guy I beat up was the guy that was… We were all involved in the cocaine world together. Joker John, I don’t know if you knew who Joker John Agrusa was. I [00:28:00] don’t remember that n- I don’t remember that name now. Was he- They had a bar out on, they had a bar on, out on 23rd Street. No, I don’t, I don’t- Joker John’s. John, his last name was Agrusa. He had a brother- Agrusa, yeah … named Nick Agrus. New- Nick Agrusa’s brother. Yeah, I co- do kinda remember that. He went down- Yeah … with that whole thing. See, I was- That was ’83. I was I was off into something else during those years. Okay. No- That was early in the coke, crack cocaine thing … no, John, w- after I beat up Pink Mike, John Agrusa left town. He moved to Arizona, ’cause he was scared of me. A l- a lot of people- ’cause I was crazy. I did some crazy things, and people were scared. And so when I got arrested on that deal, he left town. He went to Arizona. And then Kenny got busted, Kenny Weld. And the, some of the people in that… My dad read that 20-page statement, and my dad said… And my dad was an old guy. He was born in 1909, but he read that statement, and he said, “This guy’s worth, life ain’t worth a nickel, is it?” And I [00:29:00] said, “No.” ‘Cause the guy that wrote the statement. Then I got arrest- you knew Jim Smart was a judge? Yeah, I remember the name. I didn’t know him. Okay. Jim… back then, Jim was a lawyer, and then later became appellate court judge. Yeah. And he’s retired now, but a real good friend of mine. So when I, that happened, I got… My case ended in May of ’84. Started September 5th of ’82, and ended in May of ’84. And in June of ’85, 13 months later, I got sued by the guy I beat up. Me and the other couple guy. One of the guys that was with me is dead, Charlie Elmer. I don’t know if you ever heard that name, but he was a- No, don’t know that name … cocaine dealer. But anyway I was just gonna forget about it, and I showed that to my dad, that indict- or not indictment, the notice that I need to appear in court. Statement. Yeah. Yeah, and my dad s- no, not the statement, when he sued me. [00:30:00] Oh, the oh, okay. Then they filed charges. Yeah, the counter-suit. And I showed it to my dad one day and I wasn’t even gonna go. I said, “Oh, God will take care of it.” And my dad read it, and he’s “Bill, you gotta get a lawyer.” Yeah. You’re being charged, and so I went and got a lawyer, and I got Jim Smart. And and Jim tried to go and do a deposition on that guy, on Pink Mike. Could never find him. Ah. And I di- I don’t know, I honestly don’t know. I know I didn’t have nothing to do with… But nobody’s ever been able to find him. But I’m suspecting, ’cause my dad said when he read that 20 pa- he said his life isn’t worth a nickel. Because he named judge in there, a judge in there. He named Kenny Weld in there. He named a lot of other big-name guys, and he’s disappeared, so nobody know. I haven’t seen him since the day in court in 1982. So who knows where he’s at. Yeah. If he’s around. I don’t know. But- Interesting. What did you finally cop? Did you have a full trial, or did you go ahead and cop a plea in the end? That’s interesting you’d [00:31:00] ask because when we first, when we got out of jail at 1:30 Monday morning, the 3rd of the 6th of September, he wal- the lawyer came and walked us out with, we… we had left, we were staying in the Embassy Suites downtown. You know where that was at? Oh, yeah. It was 500 bucks a night, and we had left two s- two s- brief- briefcases there with one had cocaine in it uncut, and the other one had about $60,000 in it. And so we went down. We actually called… he’s dead now, so I can tell you who it was. Jerry Schanzer that owned Napoleon Bakery. And Jerry was a big… i’m surprised that you didn’t, you talk about bookmakers. Jerry was a big bookmaker. Yeah. Exactly. And Schanzer- I remember him, yeah … Schanzer owned Mother’s down on 18th and Baltimore. Not Mother’s. Granny’s. Granny’s, yeah. He owned Granny’s at 18th and Baltimore. Yeah, a lot of mob guys used- And then he- … to go down there and eat. Oh, every time I went in there I saw [00:32:00] somebody. Yeah. And then later he opened up one over in Mission shopping center there on Mission Road. And then they then they ended up opening up Napoleon, him and his brother Larry. And then they’re both dead now. But we, this is how much we trusted Jerry. We told Jerry, “Go…” We called Jerry from the jail and said, “Go down to the Embassy and get our, get a briefcase.” And Jerry went down and he drove halfway to Warrensburg and ha- something told him to open it- Oh, wow … and he opened the one, he opened the one that had the cocaine in it. Oh, shit. And he called us and said, “I got the wrong briefcase.” And it… No, he said, “I can’t come and get you with this.” And so he went back to the Embassy and got the right one. Came down, and we made bond that night. Then the next morning was… Okay, that was we got busted on Sunday the 5th. Monday we got out. The lawyer [00:33:00] said, Mike, I don’t know if you ever knew Mike and what was his dad’s name? The Fi- it was Fitzgerald and Fitzgerald was the name of the firm in, down in Warrensburg. Warensburg, yeah. I don’t know them. Yeah. And Mike and Charlie Fitzgerald. So ’cause I called People’s Office and said, “Hey, this happened.” And they said, “Stick with those guys. Those guys are the best in the county. They know the county. They know the prosecutor, the judges and everything. Stick with them.” So we went in. He told us, “Don’t come in tomorrow morning,” ’cause it was 1:30 in the morning Monday morning. He said, “Come and see me Wednesday.” Yeah. And so we went… no, he said, “Come and see me Tuesday,” ’cause that was 1:30 in the morning. And we walked in there that morning and he said, “Come and see me tomorrow morning, Tuesday morning.” And bring me $10,000 apiece. And I wish I had a video of it, because it can be on America’s Funniest Home Videos. I walked into his office with a white bank bag and dumped out $30,000 on his desk in cash, and he opened [00:34:00] his drawer like this and scooped it into the drawer. And I said, “Mike, there’s a lot more where that came from.” He said, “Bill, I can’t. It’s… I gotta do everything legitimately.” Yeah. And I said, “Okay.” So the first meeting, his dad was in there and he was in there, and the three of us, and he said, “Guys, Dad and I have talked, and you guys might wanna think about getting separate attorneys.” And I said, “For what?” He said, “Because if one of you take a plea.” Yeah. I almost jumped over the desk. I said, “There’ll be no plea. There will be no plea. We’re not guilty. We’re not gonna admit we’re guilty. They can send us to the electric chair. We didn’t do it.” Now, Gary, they took us out of the house at 2:00 on Sunday afternoon in broad daylight. First, they s- we sent the guy out the back. He was totally naked when we got there. He was laying in bed. He’d been doing Dilaudids and Quaaludes all night, and he was [00:35:00] blood from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. His whole back was red. We walked him out the door in- totally naked in front of the whole world and told him, “Go out there and tell them there’s nobody else in the house.” We were so jacked up. And here’s the thing, I have to tell you this. All those years that I got away with stuff is because I was smart, and now I’m snow blind. There was a song years ago by Styx called Snow Blind- Yeah … and it’s about cocaine. It’s about… And I’d been up for 86 hours when we went down to Holden. I had not- Okay … closed my eyes for 86 hours, so I was in m- I wasn’t in my right mind. Anyway, that was… So when we we said, “No plea bargain. There’ll be no plea bargains.” And for seven months… No, I’m sorry, for four months. That was October, November, December, January, February, March, April. No, seven months. For seven months. For seven months [00:36:00] we went to court multiple times. The whole police department, I don’t know if we can- I guess we’ll say it, because it’s done. It’s history. But I had a, I had two grocery sacks, the old brown grocery sacks on the couch that I’d inventoried. I had $62,000 in cash. I had… Because it was in envelopes, and I- they were $10,000. I was throwing them in there. 62,000 in cash, about four pounds of pot, three gallon Ziploc bags full of precious jewels. Er emeralds, rubies, and stuff like that. Some hash- a 12-gauge shotgun. I think that was all. Maybe maybe it… Whatever. When they, when… The first time we ever went to court and my partner had, the one that’s dead, Charlie, he had a leather Gucci bag that we always had with us, and it had four or five grams of cocaine in it. He took his diamond rings off, put them in there. His watch, he had a Rolex [00:37:00] watch he put in there, and about 3,000 in cash. That was in the car. That was never mentioned in court. No guns were ever mentioned in court. No guns were ever mentioned in court. I had a brand new, I had a brand new fif- not- model 59 nine millimeter. That was never mentioned in court. That 12-gauge shotgun was never mentioned in court. They said that they found a couple envelopes of cash, and they found a gram. Now, there was about, I think there was about probably a half a, maybe eight, eight grams or no more than that. It was ounces. Four or five ounces of cocaine. Oh, yeah. They said they found one, they said they found one gram of a, approximately one gram of a substance believed to be cocaine. Yeah. And my lawyer said… And they said they’d send it to Jeff City for analysis. And my lawyer said, “And what were the analysis of that?” They said they haven’t come [00:38:00] back yet. This is two months after they arrested us. They did- And they found approximately one gram, and there was ounces of cocaine in there. They found a couple envelopes with approximately $2,000 in cash. There was $62,000. The car I was driving, so when I got arrested, I had the keys in my pocket. So when they booked us into jail, when we walked out at 1:30 Monday morning, they gave us back our property. I had the keys in my pocket. So the car’s… Now, this is a brand new ’80, this was a ’82. This was an ’81 Trans Am. The car’s in Holden. The police chi- And they said they were gonna confiscate the car because it had Kansas tags on it, that they wanted to go through the car da. The police chief changed the ignition and was driving that car for his personal car. It cost my buddy, because it was a friend of mine, T- Ronnie M- Ron McGee, it was his car. It cost him $10,000 and an attorney to get his car back from them. So bottom line, every time we [00:39:00] went to court, several ti- my lawyer would say, “I’d like to call Officer Gary Jenkins up.” Gary Jenkins is not on the force anymore. He moved to Arizona.” “I’d like to call so-and-so up next time we go in.” He’s not here anymore. He moved to wherever.” So all the money and all the guns and all the drugs, they split it up and no, nobody ever… So the thing was so dirty. So what happens is we’d been going to court for that seven months, And then I become a Christian. I walk into his offi- and we’re adamant, we’re not plea bargain. We don’t want separate lawyers. We want you two guys to represent us. We’re gonna beat this thing. And, oh, and I told, because when that guy gave that 20-page statement after he got out of the hospital, this was a month later or something, he called us all in. We went in. He sh- hands each one of us 20-page statement. He said, “Guys, let me tell you something. I’m defending you on an assault with intent to kill charge. I’m gonna get that reduced, but if you get busted [00:40:00] dealing cocaine, you’ve got to stop dealing cocaine, ’cause if you get busted dealing cocaine while I’m on this case, it’s gonna complicate the case.” Yeah. “You gotta stop.” And I said, “Mike, I don’t tell you how to practice law, and you don’t tell me how to make money. You just keep doing what you do, and I’ll keep doing what I do, and I’ll keep bringing you money.” And he never said another word. Three or four months later, I become a Christian. I walk into his office by myself. And when I walked in the door, he said, “What happened to you?” If you look at that book on the picture of my, on the back of my book, that was four months before I became a Christian. And the Bible says the eyes are the windows of the soul. I had a very dark soul. Yeah, I can see. I had a very dark soul. Yeah. And so he goes, “What happened to you?” And I said, “What do you mean?” And he said, “You don’t look the same.” And I said, “I’m not the same.” And I told him what happened. And he said… And I said, “We’ve got a problem.” And he goes, “What’s our [00:41:00] problem, Bill?” I said, “I can’t lie anymore.” He said, “You’re right. We’ve got a problem.” ‘Cause we’d been lying for seven months. We told… He knew the story. He said, “I just need to know this. I’ll defend you guys. I’ll beat this case, but I need to know.” So we told… And at this point now, seven months later, he said, “There’s no way out of this thing. You guys are going to prison.” He said, “I can help you figure out a way to get to the good prison, but you’re going to prison.” So when I go in that day and he goes, “What’s wrong? What what happened?” And I told him, and he said, “You don’t look the same.” I said, “I’m not the same.” I said, “We got a problem.” He goes, “What?” I said, “We can’t lie. I can’t lie anymore.” And he said I’ve got an idea.” And I said, “What?” He said if I enter a plea bargain, I think we can do this.” And he said, “You guys won’t go to prison.” And he said, “Talk to Mike and Charlie and see what they say.” So I called them. We went down, met with him. And this time they looked at me and said, “What do you think we should do, Bill?” [00:42:00] I said, “I think we ought to take the plea bargain.” We got five years’ probation and a $5,000 fine. Now, the crazy thing- that was on the assault. Yeah, they- That was on the assault. But you still got a cocaine case out here pending with the feds. No. No. No. That, if, that, that- 20-page statement that implicated me was never, he never got it out of his office. It never went out of Fitzgerald’s office. So it, he didn’t tell it to… He told it to whoever he told it to, but to the police, and the police were all crooks anyway . Yeah. So I don’t know who he told. I just know that our lawyer said if this cocaine thing comes up, it’s gonna complicate our case. It never came up. Oh. And so maybe it was the mercy of God, I don’t know. Because it was a 20-page typewritten statement naming judges, Kenny Weld, all these guys, and all these people started falling after that. And so anyway, we ended up getting a $5,000 fine and five-year probation. Now, the crazy thing, if you read my book, Charlie and Mike both went, they got called and they [00:43:00] went and reported. I never got a call. 13 months later, I had a nephew getting married up in in Wisconsin, and I wanted to go to that wedding, and I knew I couldn’t leave without permission, but I didn’t have anybody to ask permission from. And when that guy sued me, G- Gary, when that guy sued me and I went and got the lawyer that I told you I went and got, I said, “By the way…” He said, “I wanna take this case.” I said, “Great.” I said, “By the way, I got arrested September 5th of ’82. The case ended in May. I was placed on five-year probation, a $5,000 fine. I’ve never heard from anybody. What do you think I sh- should do?” He said, “Bill, you need to write a letter.” And I put the letter in the book. I wrote a letter and said da. I’d like to be supervised. Please contact me.” 13 months, and they, within two days they were knocking on my front door. And that’s when I started reporting. And Kay King was my first pr- [00:44:00] probation officer, and she asked me all the whole story, and I had sat with her for two hours and told her the whole story. She asked me how many drugs I did, what I did. I said, “I’ve done everything there is, from, marijuana to heroin to… I’ve done it all.” And I did massive amounts of everything. And I was drinking two quarts of whiskey at the end every day. And people are like, “You can’t drink two quarts of whiskey.” I said, “You never did cocaine, did you?” ‘Cause when you’re doing, ’cause when you’re doing cocaine, you can’t get drunk. And so anyway that… And I asked her when I left her office, I said, “So does my probation start now, or does it start back then?” She said, “No, Bill, it starts today.” Oh, really? I said- Wow. I said, “For 13 months I’ve been going to churches and schools and telling people how bad drugs are and how bad alcohol is and how bad this is.” And I said, “I’ve not had a traffic ticket. I haven’t had a traffic ticket.” The only ticket I’ve got in the last 43 years, I had a bad car wreck where I got T-boned at 70 miles an [00:45:00] hour. I pulled out in front of a guy. It was my fault. And that’s the only ticket I’ve had in 43 years. I haven’t been stopped by the police. And she said, “I’m sorry, Bill, it starts today.” Guess what? I did the whole five year. I went from then, I got off in ’89 or something, I th- it was almost five years I did. My partners, they only did a year and a half, and they let them off. And they were still dealing cocaine. They were still dealing. They were still dealing. Matter of fact, one of them’s brother his mama died, and the funeral was at Passantino Brothers over there on the avenue. And I went to the funeral, and I was sorry, and we were hugging. And me and him sat down and were talking, and he had a little leather Gucci bag. And he said, “Hey, I’m go- now listen.” He said, “I’m going to the bathroom. You wanna go with me?” I said, “No, brother.” Yeah. And I got up and left. He wanted to go do some cocaine. Damn. And that was years after, he’d been… Anyway. Yeah. But I’m glad I had to do the whole five years because I got to speak [00:46:00] in some… She called me once and said, “I got a friend that teaches a criminal justice class at a college, and they’ve had detectives and they’ve had police officers, they’ve had lawyers, they’ve had parole officers, but they’ve never had a criminal. Would you come and speak?” And I said, “I’d be glad to.” And I f- and then I called the professor and I said, “I’ve been asked to come.” And he said, “Yeah, we’re looking forward.” And I said I have to tell you one thing. I cannot come in there and speak and not tell your class that my life was radically changed April 15th, 1983, when I came into encounter with God through his son, Jesus Christ.” He said, “That’s okay.” And I went and told them, so I was glad I got to stay on parole for five years. So- So Bill what are you doing now? I know you- I’m just- you’ve got a prison ministry. Do you speak- Yeah … at prisons and, and- That’s all I do, Garrett. 40 years just- How does one get into that? Do you have an agent that booked you into different prisons- No … or how does that work? No. No. I started going in 1986 with [00:47:00] a guy named Bill Glass, who was a NFL player. Played for the Cleveland Browns. He was an All-Pro. Actually started… He got, he retired from football in 1968, so that’s how old he was. Started the ministry in ’72, and was the biggest prison ministry in the nation, had 30,000 volunteers. And I started going in as just a volunteer, and then he asked me to be a platform speaker, and I was a platform speaker for him for 30 years. And went to, I’ve been in over 500 different prisons in my life, and I do prisons almost every day, a prison or a jail almost every day. We’re getting ready to do, this will be our 17th car show up at Crossroads in Cameron, and this will be the biggest car show ever in a US prison, in history. Last year was the biggest. We had 80 cars last year, but this year we’re planning on- by car sh- car show, what do you mean? Like guys bring their classic cars up and…? And drive them in on the prison yard. Oh, wow. And the inmates get to come out, walk around and look at them. And last year we had 80 cars and bikes. [00:48:00] This year we’re gonna have 250 motorcycles and cars. Wow. And we’re gonna feed 2,000 people. We’ve got… W- we’re gonna have 2,000 meals that day for the inmates and the staff, all the staff. So that’s what I’ve been doing for all these years, and will keep doing it as long as I can, wow. But as far as… I was gonna ask you about old Joey Rags. I knew Joe Ragusa. Did you ever deal with that guy? Did you? Not directly. I followed him a lot and almo- we almost caught him too, in a hit one time. And then they saw us and they had boogied on out. But I know one story- That would have been a- … about him. He was, He needed to go… I heard this later. He needed to go to a meeting downtown, down to City Market with the other mob guys, ’cause, he was right next to Charlie Martina, and he went on several hits with these guys during the Spiro-Savella war. So he’s out at the plumbing place where he was working, so he… Guy comes in- Where was he at? Was he at St. John Plumbing? I don’t remember the name of it. It was over there by N- Jackson, Ninth and Jackson, or Truman and Jackson, somewhere over there [00:49:00] on the east side. I can’t remember the name of it now. And so he need… said… told this guy, he said, “Hey,” he said, “I need to go down to the market.” He said, “Can you give me a ride down there?” And the guy said you got your car here.” He said no, you give me a ride.” So he gets in, lays down in the back seat. So the guy takes him down there, then he gets out. No, he was a real deal. Boy, that old market was something, wasn’t it? Yeah. That old City Market. Oh, man. Yeah, heard mob guys out there. Yeah they had a pretty big… Hey, what about, I was gonna ask you about a couple guys that were big heroin kingpins, Sam Haley and Aaron Gant. Was you involved when they were really big in Kansas City? Y- I was a young policeman, ’72, ’73, ’74, and Aaron Gant and Sam Haley were like the big ducks. And they had this war going between the two little heroin organizations. And Gant was, he was in with some guys, and Aaron Gant called him Junebug. He was in with the God, there was a whole family, the Denmans. He was in with [00:50:00] these guys. And so they… And Sam Haley was… I never did understand the difference, but they had two different organizations and they hated each other is my understanding. Oh, they did. Yeah. How about Ramseys? Did you know who the Ramseys were? I don’t see. The Ramsey brothers? I remember that na- Huh? I know that name. I think one of those crime families that, that stole- they were- … money in the neighborhood and- They were the- … everyone else … they were killers, all of them. Yeah. I think there was eight boys, and at one time seven or eight of them were in Missouri for murder. And I was seeing… I was in Potosi. And Rambo, R- Roy Rambo Ramsey they called him, and he’s the one that they got a… Remember when the la- what’d they call them that you put on the roof of your car? Oh, Landau top. Landau top, yeah. Yeah. That wasn’t the word I’m looking for, though. Whatever it was, th- you could have them tops put on. Yeah. They got one put on in a poster shop over on Prospect. Oh. And [00:51:00] when they called and said, “Your car’s ready,” they went up there and killed everybody in the shop and took their car and left. And then they went out to Belton or Grandview, and there was an old couple that had a bunch of old coins and stuff, and they knew one of the people. They knew one of the brothers, and I think it was Roy. And they went out there and knocked on the door, and of course, they let them in. They told their girlfriend to stay in the car, and they went in and they shot them They were 65 and 66 years old. The little old lady was 65 and the old man was… They shot each one of them three times, and just for a few dollars worth of coins, man. They were murderers. They were killers. But I was up in Potosi and Roy asked me, he said, “Would you go see my dad?” And I was… I said… He said, “He’s in a nursing home.” And Gary, his father, was a hardworking man, had never committed a crime in his life, and he was in this nursing home. And I went and saw him and prayed for him and stuff. But here are these… He [00:52:00] had these eight sons that were murderers. They were killers. And the old man was in a nursing home dying. And, Roy asked me if I’d go see him, so I went and saw him, prayed for him. But yeah, they were something else, them guys. Interesting. You you mentioned Sam Haley. There w- we had, here just in your area, was a guy named Michael Cantu, who used to be a fire captain. Had… Was a, a big time cocaine dealer. During those years, he got into- Yeah … cocaine. He and his brother Joe and Joe Maggio, and they had a cocaine deal going, and he got back out. He had a body shop over on Independence Avenue, and two Black guys came in and executed him, basically. Left the employee there. There wasn’t anything to steal, and executed him. And the drawings, one of them we… There was a lot of speculation it looked like Sam Haley. So I think he was- Might’ve been … I think he was supplying Black dealers with cocaine I believe. I saw him meeting with some guys once that that- Yeah, they were- … I didn’t know who they were, but they all looked like Black cocaine dealers they were killers, all them guys. Haley and Gant and those guys. Did you, I asked you about, Yeah, heavy idea. [00:53:00] I- here’s a question. I just got an inquiry from one of Gant’s relatives of… They were wanting to know more about Aaron Gant getting killed. See, he got out of the joint. He went to Missouri State Penitentiary, I think it was for drugs. Yep. And he went to a club that night, and somebody walked in, was walked in, shot him, and walked out right away. Another Black dude. So this relative was asking me if I knew any more about it. I didn’t know any more about it. You remember that deal at all? I don’t remember that. Okay. I di- I actually, I was thinking that Aaron Gant and Sam Haley had been dead for years, but, that was- this was years ago. This was quite a while ago. Okay. This was probably- Yeah, I thought he might have died in prison or something, ’cause I knew they both had a lot of time. They did a lot of- Yeah … time in Missouri. Yeah. Yeah, they did. So did you- But they were kingpins. Their names are really well-known, feared names on the East Side in Kansas City. Oh, yeah. Really feared names. Absolutely. Did you ever go around Vic Fontana’s place when he opened up Fanny’s? Oh, yeah. I went in and out of several. He had several different places. He had Fanny’s. [00:54:00] He had one down on the Southwest Trafficway a little bit after your time, I think oh, God, I forgot the name of it. But yeah, the, all the mob guys went into his joints. He was mob friendly. Yeah. I was really s- I met him when he had when he had the one up on Main next to Butch’s, next to Mother’s. Oh, yeah. Yeah. He had that place yeah what was, Walter Midy. Must have been Walter Midy’s. Walter Midy. Yeah, that’s where I met Vic. And then I actually plumbed that Fanny’s when he opened up Fa

    Ralph Nader Radio Hour
    AI Backlash

    Ralph Nader Radio Hour

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2026 93:16


    In a program devoted to the topic of AI, Ralph welcomes first, Tyson Slocum, director of the energy group at Public Citizen, who tells us about the local backlash against the construction of data centers. Then New York Times climate writer, David Wallace-Wells, explains how the Big Tech CEOs did not count on human beings possibly rising up against them and their machines.Tyson Slocum is director of Public Citizen's Energy Program, covering the regulation of petroleum, natural gas and power markets. He serves on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's “Energy & Environmental Markets Advisory Committee,” and frequently intervenes before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) representing the interests of household consumers.The basic question is they (Big Tech companies) are developing essentially governmental powers— governmental powers— not market powers or corporate powers. They've reached a level now where they are our government, the corporate government. And we have to escalate our urgencies to that level. It's more than just the hour is late. The hour is over. So we have to go back and respond with a completely unprecedented level of public interest, standards, etc., including whether this technology (AI) should be allowed at all.Ralph NaderI definitely see that we are in a speculative bubble. That bubble will burst. And folks within the AI industry, like Sam Altman, have been very clear where they have publicly said, when the bubble breaks, we expect to get a financial bailout because our AI applications are so important to the national interest.Tyson SlocumAnd the backlash to data centers isn't just about, oh, I'm concerned about my power rates going up or I'm concerned about the noise or the water usage. It's also a civil rights and human rights issue where people are saying, I don't like this vision that Big Tech is laying out for us that is going to be produced in this building down the street from our community.Tyson SlocumDavid Wallace-Wells is a columnist and staff writer at the New York Times, where he writes a weekly newsletter on climate change, technology, and the future of the planet. He is the author of the book, The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming. His recent feature in the New York Times Magazine is “AI Populism is Here. And No One is Ready.”Just over the last six months, there's been a huge surge in anti-AI and in particular anti-data center organizing and activism in the U.S. And you can see that on the ground where you see huge crowds coming to town halls to protest new data centers that are being proposed. You see some towns that have approved those data centers literally having their entire city council voted out of office as a result. And you see it in these surveys where within the span of just a few months. Huge sentiment flips among the American public from being basically agnostic about AI with some misgivings and some optimism to pretty striking majority opposition to the technology and the infrastructure build out that it requires.David Wallace-WellsThis (AI) is a technological revolution that has been designed and is being built by an extremely small number of people with very particular idiosyncratic, in certain ways, I think, somewhat sociopathic worldviews.David Wallace-WellsNews 6/5/26* Our top story this week comes from Congress, where the House has, at long last, successfully pushed through a War Powers Resolution on Iran. As NPR notes “The resolution had originally been set for a vote two weeks ago, but Republican leaders sent House members home early for a May recess when it appeared the largely Democratic-backed measure had enough Republican votes for passage.” However, this did not substantially erode Republican support and the resolution passed by a margin of 215 to 208, with four Republicans, led by Thomas Massie, voting for a cessation of hostilities. The measure now heads to the Senate, where Democrats have been pressing the matter as well but face an uphill battle, and even if it passes through the upper chamber, President Trump is likely to veto the measure if it arrives on his desk. Moreover, House progressives are now pushing a new War Powers Resolution, this one focusing on Lebanon. POLITICO reports Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib forced a vote this Thursday on a resolution calling for the removal of U.S. troops from Lebanon in seven days, despite opposition from the leadership of her own party. The resolution failed by a wide margin, but still garnered a respectable 92 votes, including support from Congressman Massie. Symbolic though they may be, these votes show a growing backlash to Trump's military adventurism abroad, particularly in the Middle East. With oil prices continuing to rise, this discontent shows no sign of abating.* The main news this week however were the primaires. Tuesday saw a wave of major Democratic primaries across the country. Faiz Shakir, longtime advisor to Bernie Sanders and Executive Director of More Perfect Union, reports that election night was a “clean sweep for Bernie's endorsements” with five out of five of these candidates set to win the Democratic nomination in their respective races. One race Shakir highlighted was Sam Forstag's bid for Congress in Montana's 1st congressional district. Forstag, a firefighter – technically a “smokejumper,” who parachutes into remote areas to extinguish wildfires – earned the endorsements of AOC, Jamie Raskin, Pramila Jayapal and others, as well as many unions, in addition to that of Senator Sanders. Meanwhile in the Montana Senate race, Alani Bankhead has triumphed in the Democratic primary. According to Semafor, “Republicans suspect Bankhead will essentially cede the race to [independent candidate Seth] Bodnar (despite her denials), which would make the general election more competitive.” Bodnar is the former president of the University of Montana and his campaign is backed by former Democratic Senator Jon Tester. One recent poll of a head-to-head match up of Bodnar against Republican nominee Kurt Alme shows the candidates in a dead heat.* In New Jersey, two more Sanders-endorsed candidates have emerged victorious: Analilia Mejia and Dr. Adam Hamawy. Mejia won the special election to replace now-Governor Mikie Sherill in April, beating out former Congressman Tom Malinowksi, the heavy favorite in that race. Mejia is very likely to win this seat again in November, as she already defeated the Republican nominee, Joe Hathaway, in the special election. This from MorristownGreen. Perhaps more surprisingly is the victory of Dr. Adam Hamawy. Now a plastic surgeon, he has distinguished himself for his heroism: saving the life of now-Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth when her Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq, serving as a first responder to the 9/11 attacks, and most recently, for his work in Gaza. As the Intercept puts it, “In 2024, [Hamawy]...went to Gaza to provide medical aid to Palestinians wounded by Israeli forces and was temporarily trapped there after Israel closed the Rafah border crossing. When the crossing was reopened, Hamawy was among a small group who refused to leave on demands that more medical workers be let in.” Hamawy's progressive policy platform includes support for Medicare for All, abolishing ICE, and opposing military aid to Israel. He is almost guaranteed to win this D+13 seat, succeeding Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman.* The candidates Bernie endorsed in California also prevailed, with Randy Villegas poised to win his primary in the state's 22nd congressional district and Jane Kim winning her race for California Insurance Commissioner, but the results from the state overall are more mixed. As of now, Republican Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton leads in the count, with centrist Democrat and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra in a close second and progressive billionaire Tom Steyer in third. However, as the count continues, Steyer's margin continues to improve while Hilton's ebbs away – meaning the runoff could end up being Becerra vs. Steyer, though it is still too early to say. A similar dynamic is unfolding in Los Angeles, where incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is ensured a slot in the general election while her opponents – Councilwoman Nithya Raman to her left and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt to her right – continue to duke it out for the second slot. With California's notoriously glacial counting pace and the LA Times reporting that millions of ballots remain to be counted, all we can do is watch and wait.* However, up in Minnesota, another Bernie-backed candidate is on the road to victory. On Tuesday, Peggy Flanagan, the Lieutenant Governor seeking the Senate seat being vacated by Amy Klobuchar, overwhelmingly won the endorsement of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Her closest rival, Congresswoman Angie Craig, did not even bother to attend the party convention. While Craig decried the supposed anti-democratic nature of a party convention endorsement, Flanagan posted a video telling Craig “If you can't show up and face your own party, then you're not ready to face Republicans,” per the Nation. Flanagan can boast the endorsement of many high-profile progressives in addition to Sanders, such as Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, and Minnesota's own Tina Smith, among many others. If elected, she would be the first ever Native American woman to serve as Governor of an American state.* More much-publicized endorsements came this week from AOC and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who both endorsed DSA-aligned legislative candidates, but as City and State NY notes, not the same ones. Mamdani gave his blessing to Darializa Avila Chevalier, a DSA-backed candidate running to unseat powerful Rep. Adriano Espaillat who is seeking his sixth term in Congress. Polling shows Avila Chevalier runs ahead of Espaillat when voters learn about her platform, but lags behind due to low name recognition – something the Zohran endorsement is sure to help remedy. Meanwhile AOC issued her endorsement of four DSA candidates for the state legislature. This all suggests that the two titans of the New York City Democratic Socialist movement are coordinating – with Zohran seeking to boost DSA's prospects without alienating the New York state establishment and vice versa for AOC – but that is nothing more than a hunch.* Looking southward, lame duck Republican Senator John Cornyn this week posted an article on his official Twitter page titled “Libertarian Ted Brown courts disaffected conservative voters in Texas' U.S. Senate race,” from Houston Public Media. Senator Cornyn's comment – “Ruh roh” – set off a firestorm of speculation that this was a subtle endorsement of the Libertarian's campaign and intended to undermine the campaign of his erstwhile opponent and victor of the Republican Senate primary, Ken Paxton. While Cornyn has furiously denied that this is in any way an endorsement of Brown, calling even the “characterization” that he is “promoting” this candidate “fake news,” there is little doubt that posting about Brown from his official account constitutes a promotion of the campaign, albeit not an endorsement. It will be interesting to see whether Cornyn takes other subtle, or not so subtle, digs at Paxton over the course of the campaign, given that he seems to hold a substantial degree of antipathy towards the Texas Attorney General.* Our next two stories come to us from Florida. First, in Florida's 24th congressional district, the National Journal reports longtime Congresswoman Frederica Wilson will not seek reelection. We recently discussed Congresswoman Wilson on this segment when it was revealed that she had been MIA from the House for weeks following an undisclosed eye surgery. Wilson is 82 years old. The National Journal couches this story in the context of aged members of Congress accepting, or more often refusing, to pass the torch. In its gerontocracy tracker, it highlights members like Doris Matsui, John Garamendi, Jim Clyburn and Maxine Waters, all of whom are 80 years old or older, who are actively seeking reelection this cycle.* Meanwhile, in Florida's 20th district, the Sunshine State's redistricting initiative has put the historically Black district in jeopardy. Under the newly drawn lines, the frontrunner in this seat is Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and though she claims the Congressional Black Caucus and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told her that “they know I know our community” the CBC has not endorsed her and Rep. Yvette Clarke, the CBC's chairwoman, said the caucus did not encourage Wasserman Schultz to run in the district. However, there are currently four Black candidates vying for the seat previously held by Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, including Cherfilus-McCormick herself as well as progressive challenger Elijah Manley, former Mayor of Broward County Dale Holness and Luther Campbell the former rapper more famously known as Uncle Luke. Now, according to the Miami Herald, all four of these candidates are meeting to “discuss coalescing behind one candidate.” Manley is quoted in this piece saying that while they have not reached an agreement, they “did agree that we needed to consolidate,” and he said the “conversations are going on. They have been very constructive and fruitful.” It is encouraging that in the wake of Callais decision we are beginning to see a more strategic approach to Black political representation, which has been too long monopolized by powerful longtime incumbents intent on nothing so much as preserving their own fiefdoms.* Finally, in a story shocking to exactly no one, Axios is out with a new report showing that the National Guard occupation of Washington D.C. has done little to reduce crime in the District. Per a new study by the centrist Niskansen Center, while the security theater of the deployment seems to have deterred “opportunistic” property crime, violent crime remained on the same downward trajectory it had been on since before the deployment. Moreover, the promised co-benefit – that the presence of the Guard would free up the Metropolitan Police Department to focus on high-crime areas – did not materialize at all. Despite these lackluster results, President Trump plans to double the National Guard presence in Washington – which already costs $1.5 million a day – ahead of the 250th anniversary events this summer. This is an outrageous waste of taxpayer money especially now that we know for sure how little impact this hostile occupation is actually having on driving down violent crime.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

    Family Secrets
    We Heard Everything

    Family Secrets

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 68:12 Transcription Available


    A childhood rife with political upheavel, violence and loss. An adulthood overtaken by distrust and manipulation. And then, finally, the truest friend and companion -- a Jack Russell terrier named Coco--helps Fatima break free and discover the joy that awaits her.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Command Zone
    How to Play Commander | 745

    The Command Zone

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 78:19


    Are you a new player just getting into Magic: The Gathering? Heard about Commander and want to know more? Welcome to The Command Zone,  you're in the right place! In this episode, we're taking you through the basics of how to play MTG's most popular and exciting format. We'll give you the rundown on how the rules differ from normal Magic and lay out some of the social philosophies and gameplay conventions that make Commander so much fun. Are you as excited as we are? Let's get started! -------- JOIN OUR PATREON: Support the show and become a Patron! Be a part of our community, receive awesome rewards, and more! https://www.patreon.com/commandzone -------- RAYCON: Thanks Raycon for sponsoring! Get 15% off on Raycon products like the new Essential Open Earbuds at: https://www.buyraycon.com/commandopen SHOPIFY: Power your business with Shopify. Start your one-dollar-per-month trial period today by going to: https://www.shopify.com/tcz REDDIT: Reddit is where players gather! Download the Reddit app today and dive into r/MagicTCG for the latest gaming updates. -------- CARD KINGDOM: The Command Zone is sponsored by Card Kingdom! If you want to receive your cards in one safe package and experience the best customer service, make sure to order your Magic cards, sealed product, accessories, and more at Card Kingdom: http://www.cardkingdom.com/command ARCHIDEKT: Discover, build, catalog, and playtest on Archidekt, the deck-building website that makes it easy to brew brand new lists or manage your old favorites. Go to http://www.archidekt.com/commandzone to get started today! ULTRA PRO: Huge thanks to Ultra PRO for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to check out their amazing APEX sleeves and super classy MANA 8 product line. If you want to keep your cards protected and support the show, visit: https://ultrapro.com/command -------- Relevant Links: Learn to Play Magic: The Gathering | Presented by The Command Zone: https://youtu.be/pISs64CG6Tg?si=3QHhlHiVtCQ0tfLu Magic: The Gathering Arena: https://magic.wizards.com/en/mtgarena Commander Deckbuilding Template for the New Era | The Command Zone 658: https://youtu.be/OSNV6224cHg?si=0ew2a2vLSo1nFfPQ The New, NEW Commander Brackets | The Command Zone 705: https://youtu.be/l-fyZMOHJsU?si=J-gr8FSllJa2koye BANNED AND RESTRICTED LISTS: https://magic.wizards.com/en/banned-restricted-list Tolarian Community College: https://www.youtube.com/@TolarianCommunityCollege Commander At Home: https://www.youtube.com/@commanderathome Secrets of Strixhaven w/ Dannyphantom.exe | Game Knights 85: https://youtu.be/bw9E_BZ9jHw?si=dG3TCdujrPnIvdsP TMNT w/ Jarvis Johnson | Game Knights 84: https://youtu.be/edT3KiM67z0?si=7fsySXI4bmUYV8Kh Lorwyn Eclipsed w/ Gabriel Luna | Game Knights 83: https://youtu.be/lNtqI3r4xiE?si=Pkn66QRczow7Rdyh -------- Follow us on TikTok: @thecommandzone Follow us on Instagram: @CommandCast Follow us on Bluesky: @commandcast.bsky.social Follow us on Twitter: @CommandCast @JoshLeeKwai @jfwong @wachelreeks Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commandcast/ Email us: commandzonecast@gmail.com -------- Commander Rules and Ban List: https://magic.wizards.com/en/banned-restricted-list Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The Struggle Climbing Show
    Noah Wheeler: Sending Burden, Finger Training (and Injury), the Next Proj, and the Dab Heard Round the World

    The Struggle Climbing Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 92:38


    Join the email list to get a FREE private finger training clinic with Dr. Tyler Nelson (normally $15) www.thestruggleclimbingshow.com/strong   Support the Show on Patreon Get access to all Pro Clinics, bonus episodes, and more. https://www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow   - Elite climber Noah Wheeler explores: Specific training for Burden The dab ascent and what happened after Is Burden really V17? The change that unlocked the send Board climbing vs hang boarding Mindset tools to lock in for a send What Daniel Woods taught him  Half crimp vs full crimp  The next V17 on his list The happiness advantage - BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE WHO LOVE ROCK CLIMBING AS MUCH AS YOU DO: Arc'teryx: Inspired by and tested in the Coast Mountains of BC, Arc'teryx makes gear to go the distance! If you're out adventuring in the elements, Arc'teryx has got you covered. Shop their full collection at Arcteryx.com  Intentional Climber: Stop spinning your wheels. Start making real progress. Plan smarter, train harder, and stay consistent with world-class coaching plans, mindset tools, and powerful analytics built specifically for climbers. Download on Google Play or the App Store and use code STRUGGLE to unlock Kris Hampton's 6-week Stronger Fingers program. And check out ALL the show's awesome sponsors and exclusive deals at thestruggleclimbingshow.com/deals   - Shoutout to Aiden Schlatter, Michael Martin, and Kent Olmstead for supporting at the Hero level on Patreon. So mega!  - Here are some AI generated show notes (hopefully the robots got it right) 00:00 Secret App Launch 02:23 Noah Wheeler Intro 06:33 Goals and Process 11:51 Evolving Through Struggle 18:18 Board Training Origins 21:15 Board Sessions and Volume 24:05 Intentional Climber Break 26:07 Rehab and Burden Prep 31:10 The Dab and Redemption 36:24 Dab Send Debate 37:25 Grading Burden Reality 42:10 V17 Or Downgrade 43:17 New Beta Breakdown 47:12 Micro Beta Anchors 50:20 Arc'teryx Harness Spot 52:06 Nutrition Calorie Wakeup 53:08 Carbs Protein Caffeine 57:11 Tactics Trip Mistakes 59:44 Footwork Pull Away 01:02:39 Grip Strength Weakness 01:05:23 Finger Strength Metrics 01:05:59 Projecting Mindset Phases 01:09:52 Pre Send Mental Crux 01:11:36 Embodiment Tools 01:15:50 Happiness Advantage 01:19:35 What's Next Plans 01:20:53 Board Style Dreams 01:22:55 We Will Rock Vision 01:25:24 Wrap Up Bonus Plug 01:28:00 Host App Pitch 01:29:28 Climbing Reflections 01:31:59 Final Thanks Outro - Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and YouTube /@thestruggleclimbingshow - The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. - This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. - The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.  - And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that's done. But hey, if you're a human that's actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I'll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much! 

    BMitch & Finlay
    Hour 4 - Nathan Grubel & Heard It Here First

    BMitch & Finlay

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 38:41


    Hour 4 of BMitch & Finlay features an interview with Nathan Grubel and the guys making some bets.

    sports news heard nathan grubel
    The Most Haunted City On Earth | Presented by The Savannah Underground
    She Heard Her Grandmother's Nails Dragging Down the Wall the Night She Died | Ghostmail

    The Most Haunted City On Earth | Presented by The Savannah Underground

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 52:14


    Join the Parajunkie Fam so you don't miss our upcoming Willard Library investigation... dropping first for Parajunkies on Patreon: patreon.com/hauntedcitypodcastGhost Mail is back, and this one hit different.We read three stories this episode, and each one had us asking the same question: what if the haunting isn't the house... it's you?First up, Ashley H. shares a lifetime of paranormal activity across every home her family has ever lived in. Saloon music playing at 3am, cabinets flung open, a white mist drifting down the hall... and a grandmother whose fingernails on the wall didn't stop after she passed. With a family rooted in Brujería and a rival witch's curse in their history, we dig into why some families seem to attract the paranormal no matter where they go.Then Bear writes in from the Eastern Shore of Maryland with stories from his time in Montana... including a figure hovering outside a window seven feet off the ground, shadow people making phone calls, and something on the Battle of Little Bighorn grounds that may not be human at all. We get into skin walkers, elementals, and why Montana's energy hits differently than anywhere else.Finally, Parajunkie Prachi brings us part two of her story: astral projection, a charming salesman who shows up in a dream and asks to come in, a door in the ceiling surrounded by entities, and a husband who starts seeing her face twisted into something with a wolf's mouth and sharp teeth. We break down what happens when you leave your body unguarded... and who's waiting.-If you have a ghost story you'd like us to read and analyze, send it to ghostmail@hauntedcitypodcast.com.-We're paranormal investigators living in the most haunted city on earth — Savannah, Georgia.#ghoststories #paranormal #hauntedcity #ghostmail #savannah #paranormalinvestigation #astralProjection #haunted #trueghostsories #poltergeist

    The Voiceover Social
    88: Be Seen, Be Heard: Our Exciting New Membership

    The Voiceover Social

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 36:39


    This month it's just the two of us – no guest, no apologies. We've got something new to share and we wanted to tell you about it ourselves.Be Seen, Be Heard – our new membership We've built a membership for working voice actors who want support on the business side of their career. Branding, websites, marketing, home studio, audio production – and the accountability to actually get it done.What's included:Weekly co-working callsMonthly coaching sessions with Rob and HelenAsk Us Anything sessions – at least six per year for membersFree access to all our webinars (usually £40 a ticket)Script read-throughs and direction with RobHome Studio Accreditation – brand new, never been done beforeDiscounted one-to-one sessionsMembers' forum and directoryStandard membership: £35/month. Join before 30th June and lock in a permanent Pioneer discount of £5/month for life.Find out everything at b-double-e.co.uk/be-seen-be-heardThursday 18th June 2026 – 5pm BST / 6pm CET / 12 noon EDT / 9am PDT90 minutes. Free. No obligation.Helen on business goal-setting and tracking – the stuff we all avoid, made manageableRob on commercial script read-throughs with live directionQ&A – come and grill usCan't make it live? The replay is available for 48 hours – and so is the special launch pricing.Register free here b-double-e.co.uk/be-seen-be-heardAlso mentionedFish Audio – a warning Voice actors' voices are being cloned and listed on Fish Audio without consent. If you think your voice might be on there, search "Fish Audio" and check. In the UK contact Shannon Sailing at Equity. In the USA contact NAVA.We WON Best Voiceover Service Provider at the One Voice Awards 2026 for the 4th time!Panic Room - talking about Focusrite interfaces and Normalisation.

    Something You Should Know
    When What You Said Isn't What They Heard & The Real Way People Get Ahead

    Something You Should Know

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 51:37


    Dog owners tend to live longer and be healthier than people without dogs. But why would owning a dog have such a powerful effect on your health? The answer turns out to be surprisingly fascinating—especially when it comes to what dogs may be doing for children. https://hi.umn.edu/news/health-perks-pet-ownership You know that frustrating moment when someone completely misunderstands what you meant—even though you thought you were being perfectly clear? Communication problems often happen because people aren't all “speaking” the same way. According to psychotherapist Jason VanRuler, there are five distinct communication types, and each hears the world differently. Which means the problem may not be what you said—but how the other person processes it. Jason explains how understanding these communication styles can dramatically improve relationships, reduce conflict, and help people finally feel understood. He is author of Discovering Your Communication Type: The 5 Paths to Deeper Connections and Stronger Relationships (https://amzn.to/43iBcJB). A lot of people were taught that if you work hard, stay humble, and keep your head down, success will eventually find you. That sounds nice. It's also often terrible career advice. Promotions and opportunities frequently go to the people who know how to make themselves visible, memorable, and impossible to overlook. Courtney Johnson, creator of the viral “Problematic Career Cheat Codes” series on TikTok, explains the unspoken rules that actually drive career success—and why many talented people unknowingly sabotage themselves by following outdated advice. She is author of Career Cheat Codes: The Unspoken, Unconventional, and Unfiltered Rules of Career Success (https://amzn.to/4tIk7DD). Nearsightedness has exploded around the world, especially among children and young adults. Most people blame screens. But researchers say the bigger issue may actually be something we've stopped doing—and the consequences could affect eyesight for life. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2830598 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS POCKET HOSE: For a limited time, when you purchase a new Pocket Hose Ballistic, you'll get a FREE 360 degree rotating pocket pivot and a FREE thumb drive nozzle! Just text SYSK to 64000 AQUA TRU: Take the guesswork out of pure, great-tasting water. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://AquaTru.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ now and get 20% off your purifier using promo code SYSK. AquaTru even comes with a 30-day best-tasting water guarantee or your money back. RULA: This Mental Health Awareness Month, don't just think about your mental health - actually take the step to take care of it. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Rula.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. QUINCE: Refresh your everyday with luxury you will actual use! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! DELL:  With the Dell Pro laptop powered by Intel Core Ultra with vPro, no matter how many interruptions you have, your laptop won't be one of them. With battery that's optimized for the way you work, and built-in intelligence that quiets distractions the moment you're trying to focus, your tech won't slow you down.  Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/Dell-Pro⁠⁠⁠ SHOPIFY: It's time to turn those "what ifs" into CHA CHING with Shopify Today! Sign up for your $1 per month trail and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ManTalks Podcast
    How To Overcome Sabotage (LIVE COACHING)

    ManTalks Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 56:20


    I sit down with Silvi Carter to explore the roots of self-doubt, emotional intensity, and the feeling of never being enough. Together, we unpack how childhood experiences, fatherhood, and the possibility of ADHD have shaped the way he relates to himself and his own energy.We discuss why so many men see their natural vitality as a problem to be solved, and how learning to accept that energy can transform self-worth, emotional regulation, and even addictive patterns. This is a powerful conversation about healing, fatherhood, and learning to work with yourself instead of against yourself.SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 - Introduction01:14 - ADHD, Dopamine, and Emotional Regulation06:58 - Fatherhood Changes Everything09:06 - Learning to White-Knuckle Through Life10:38 - Feeling Like You're Too Much14:18 - The Help He Never Received17:37 - What It Feels Like to Be Truly Understood19:14 - Accepting Support21:21 - Why Does It Feel So Rare?23:01 - What I Needed From My Parents28:07 - The Origins of Self-Doubt and Not Enoughness34:44 - Containment, Energy, and Childhood Development36:26 - Negative Relating to Your Own Nature39:11 - The Volcanic Energy Within42:41 - Acceptance Before Expression44:23 - Creating an Outlet for Your Energy46:10 - Fathering Yourself49:36 - Dopamine, Self-Worth, and Healthy Energy53:05 - Final Reflections and Takeaways***Tired of feeling like you're never enough? Build your self-worth with help from this free guide: https://training.mantalks.com/self-worthPick up my book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/Heard about attachment but don't know where to start? Try the FREE Ultimate Guide To AttachmentCheck out some other free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your RelationshipBuild brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance. Enjoy the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they're looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | SpotifyFor more, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram

    Bardtenders
    The Mixing Glass | Heard House 2026 | Guest Shift - Tobias Steeves

    Bardtenders

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 65:47


    Live from Fort Worth, Texas! The Bardtenders head to Fort Worth for the third annual Heard House to bring you live episodes with some amazing hospitality professionals. The Bardtenders had the chance to stay at the Heard House sponsored by Heard Card Game where bartenders from around the country came together to share their stories, gain access to education opportunities, and create some amazing memories along the way. Join us over the next several weeks as these bartenders share their experiences in the hospitality industry!In this episode of "The Mixing Glass", Tobias Steeves discusses his journey in the world of hospitality, building a customer base in a small community in South Dakota, and The Flying Spaghetti Monster. ------------Tobias Steeves grew up as a Military Brat across the country with his 8 siblings, but started his hospitality and bartending journey in downtown Colorado Springs, CO, at The Archives (an underground cocktail bar) where he cut his teeth as a barback/bartender and was there for several years.Tobias has worked at several other bars over the years and is a member of the US Bartenders' Guild.  He has competed in numerous cocktail competitions and won the 2021 Fernet Branca Barback Games. He was also the runner up in 2022's Patron Perfectionist, 2021's Hampton Water Rocking Rose by Bon Jovi, and has had multiple World Class by Diageo top 10 /and top 30 placements. In 2021 Tobias moved to Spearfish, South Dakota, and after 6 months of living there he took ownership of a small local Italian restaurant where he began building up the local cocktail and beverage scene through the restaurant. In July of 2025 he built and opened his first cocktail lounge in the basement of the building where my restaurant is located. Tobis is also a self-proclaimed massive nerd and loves Fernet!----------Don't miss out on any of the action!  Head to www.bardtender.com to stay up to date with all of the Bardtender content, find resources for mental and physical well-being, get access to education materials, and check out what all of our bards are up to!Support the show

    Deep State Radio
    DSR Weekly Wrap-up: A New Ceasefire Deal Reached. Where Have We Heard That Before?

    Deep State Radio

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2026 27:47


    On the DSR Weekly Wrap-up for May 29th, we break down the new tentative deal to extend the ceasefire with Iran, the explosion of Blue Origin's latest rocket, a horrific detention of a Ghanian mother, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Scriptures Are Real
    Being Heard by God and Hearing Him: Hannah, Sacrifice and Samuel (1 Samuel 1-7)

    The Scriptures Are Real

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2026 50:09


    This week on Patreon we will help you see where things happened and also teach you in detail about the story of the lost ark and regaining with, with videos, pictures, maps and meaningful lessons. In this special episode Kerry helps us learn more from the powerful story of Ruth. He and Camille Fronk Olson then teach about the power of the story of Hannah, and Kerry helps us see the story of Samuel's call in a way that helps us understand modern prophets and prophetic succession better. He also talks about lessons we can learn from Samuel's call that can help us learn to Hear Him and learn to be more obedient and attuned to the Spirit. We are grateful for our executive producers, P. Franzen, J. Parke, D. Watson, B. Van Blerkom, the Dawsons, M. Cannon, M. Rosema, B. Fisher, J. Beardall, D. Anderson, M. Zitar, J. Edwards, A. Dixon, T. Cottrell, and H. Umphlett, and for all our generous and loyal donors. We are also very grateful for all our Patreon members. We are so thankful for Beehive Broadcast for producing the podcast and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

    WWUTT
    Sunday Sermon: Have They Not Heard (Romans 10:18-21)

    WWUTT

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2026 55:15


    Pastor Gabriel Hughes preaches from Romans 10:18-21 about how the Jews have heard the gospel yet they continue to deny it, yet we should continue to pray for those who have rejected the truth. Visit providencecasagrande.com for more info about our church!

    Horizon West Church Podcast
    Living and Giving The Gospel - Part 5 | Pastor Matt Heard

    Horizon West Church Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2026 44:12


    In Part 5 of “Living and Giving the Gospel,” Matt Heard unpacks what it looks like — as Paul exhorted Timothy — to “take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12) and that eternal Life is what we all ultimately long for (John 4:13-14). While we will certainly experience eternal Life in heaven — no longer inhibited by a fallen world — eternal Life is not a synonym for heaven. To take hold of eternal Life means, on a daily basis, to be “alive” (“zoe” – the Life of God through His Spirit) and experience an intimate relationship with Jesus in the midst of every aspect of my journey. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). (05/31/2026)

    Ralph Nader Radio Hour
    The Assault on Lebanon

    Ralph Nader Radio Hour

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2026 81:21


    Ralph speaks to independent investigative journalist Lylla Younes to discuss her reporting on Israel's assault on southern Lebanon. Then, Ralph and media studies professor Robin Andersen discuss her new book "The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of the Genocide in Gaza."Lylla Younes is a Beirut-based journalist. She is an editor at The Public Source, and a frequent contributor to Drop Site News.What we've seen in the past several days is really an escalation of what's been happening since March 2nd (when the US-Israeli assault on Iran took off) and then obviously the ceasefire… What we see is a campaign of ethnic cleansing from the Israeli military in Lebanon. And that has looked like the Gaza playbook sped up, you could say, in southern Lebanon. It's looked like invading and bulldozing homes; tearing up roads; destroying, booby-trapping, and detonating entire villages and cultural sites. It's looked like targeting medical personnel—killing, at this point, over 100 since March 2nd (this is in addition to the 130 or so who were killed in the last round of fighting in 2024). In addition to that, the targeting and killing of journalists who are reporting near the border. I think it's important to note there's practically no one left in the border region. Having a press vest on and a microphone and a camera is basically like having a target on your back at this point.Lylla YounesThe pager attack was, I think it's fair to say, one of the darker days of Lebanese history. I think regardless of people's feelings about Hezbollah, the fact that you are setting men alight literally in the streets in cities all across the country, killing children, maiming children—the mark of the pager attack was that these pagers that Hezbollah members were carrying exploded in their faces and blinded them. So you have thousands of blinded people, people missing fingers. And again, some of these are relatives of Hezbollah members. It was a massive event that overwhelmed hospitals across the country. And it also marked the beginning of that 66 day [period] of escalated fighting. And it showed how deeply infiltrated Hezbollah was in an intelligence capacity. This was quite a feat by the Israeli Mossad.Lylla YounesRobin Andersen is professor emerita of media studies at Fordham University and an award-winning author of a dozen single- and co-authored books. She serves as a Project Censored Judge, and contributes to the annual State of the Free Press. She is on the Board of Directors of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), where she also writes regularly, and is an Izzy Award Judge for the Park Center for Independent Media. Her latest book is The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel's Genocide in Gaza.In my book, I look at the directives of the New York Times and CNN, and then I compare it to media coverage. And I found that, in fact, these were the ways [the directives that were passed down] in which the media was presenting the genocide in Gaza…But in terms of the Israeli directives, CNN was putting their copy through their Jerusalem bureau and the IDF was looking at it. The New York Times was simply going along with Israeli talking points. So we did find that. And the real telling part was when they finally did say that Israel dropped the bomb, it was only when Israel had admitted—or put their propaganda to the next level, which was to claim that they had killed a Hamas commander or a fighter or somebody involved in Hamas. And we found that also in the BBC. So those were direct things that came from Israel. And abandoning their journalistic mission, the US media was basically following the dictates of a foreign government.Robin AndersenTheir form of censorship was basically murder. They knew that as the genocide wore on (and Israel controlled the narrative for a very long time, and then it started to collapse) as over time we saw on the internet, we saw on our handheld devices the documentation of what was happening [they'd lose control of the narrative]. And so in a total propaganda environment, what we have to have is no noise, no opposition, no alternative information. And Israel really was trying to achieve a total propaganda environment. It wasn't enough that they had establishment in legacy media and those media were allowing outside influences to direct their editorial decisions. That wasn't quite enough.Robin AndersenNews 5/29/26* This week, Democratic Socialist Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani unveiled his plan to construct 200,000 new rent-stabilized homes in the city over the next decade, PIX 11 reports, making good on a campaign promise that many supposedly savvy political observers doubted. In addition to the new construction, Mamdani vowed to “preserve and stabilize” an additional 200,000 via New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) repairs, increased housing code enforcement, and a special focus on development in the Bronx. In his announcement, Mamdani said “We are the largest city in the nation. We have the resources, the talent, and the will to achieve this.”* In the federal government, one of the most controversial members of the Trump administration – former Democratic Congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard – has resigned her position as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The BBC reports Gabbard is citing her husband's recent bone cancer diagnosis as the reason for her departure, but also notes that Gabbard “has largely been out of public view even as the US took military action against Iran, put pressure on Cuba, and…removed Venezuela's president.” In theory, these would all require a substantial degree of participation from and coordination with the DNI, but Gabbard seemed pointedly out of the loop. The actions of the administration have also been diametrically opposed to Gabbard's past foreign policy positions, defined by her 2020 slogan “no more regime change wars.” Others have noted that Gabbard now joins former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as high-profile women ousted from the Trump administration while glaringly incompetent men like Pete Hegseth remain in their posts.* Turning to Texas, this week saw a political bloodbath in the runoffs for the primaries held back in March. The topline of course is that scandal-plagued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, backed by Trump, triumphed over powerful longtime incumbent Senator John Cornyn. With the backing of the president, Paxton wiped the floor with Cornyn, winning around two-thirds of the vote. Yet Paxton goes into the general election against James Talarico very weak. 35% of those polled “Disapprove Strongly” of Paxton with only 15% saying they “Strongly Approve” according to the Texas Politics Project and even the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) condemned Paxton's “lies” “incompetence” personal scandals and corruption in now-deleted press releases. Further down the ballot, incumbent Democratic Members of Congress Al Green and Julie Johnson have been defeated in their primary run-offs, after being forced into Member-on-Member races by the Texas redistricting scheme.* Meanwhile in Michigan, NOTUS reports the Working Families Party (WFP) has endorsed progressive Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed. This primary campaign, with El-Sayed running against moderate Congresswoman Haley Stevens and liberal state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, has become a bruising tripartite affair pitting the three major factions within the Democratic Party against one another. Recently, El-Sayed has taken the lead in this race, which WFP hopes to help consolidate, saying it is prepared to go “all in” on this race. WFP is feeling confident following their role in helping to ensure victory for Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania and Analilia Mejia in New Jersey.* In the Garden State, Senator Andy Kim was caught in a cloud of pepper spray this week as he joined protestors outside of a privately-run ICE detention facility, NJ.com reports. The protests began as a result of an ongoing hunger strike inside of the facility, which has led many high-profile New Jersey Democrats – including Governor Mikie Sherill and Congressman Robert Menendez Jr. in addition to Senator Kim – to call for the facility's closure. Following the confrontation, Kim stated that “What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country…It's sad…sad day.” At another point, Kim said “The cruelty that you see behind me, this is the point…Right now, I'm trying to have them not point guns at us.”* In another case of outrageous overreach by the Trump administration, Fox reports the Treasury Department has served subpoenas to CodePink activist Medea Benjamin and political streamer and influencer Hasan Piker seeking “financial, logistical and communications information” regarding their recent humanitarian voyage to Cuba. According to this story, the Treasury probe – handled through their Office of Foreign Assets Control – is primarily concerned with whether the convoy “violated U.S. sanctions laws through the financing, coordination or delivery of goods to Cuba, including potential contacts with Cuban government personnel or entities on the island.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the probe, writing that “Weaponizing the Treasury Department to target Americans for exercising their constitutional right to support human rights is unacceptable.” CAIR went on to call the investigation “performative and politically-motivated,” contending that “Every American who believes in the rule of law and human rights should stand in solidarity with Medea and demand that the Treasury Department drop its McCarthyite witch hunt.”* The Democrats meanwhile are once again conspiring against one another. The Bulwark reports the campaign to unseat Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is back on – and now includes viable alternatives. Previously, discontent was mounting but there did not appear to be any other options. Presently though, the list circulating in Democratic circles consists of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, former EMILY's List president Stephanie Schriock, former president of the Service Employees International Union Mary Kay Henry, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes, and former Wisconsin party chair Ben Wikler. Wikler, who revitalized the Beaver State party and placed second against Martin in the DNC Chair election, has “rebuffed discussions about leading the DNC, saying he wants nothing to do with effort to remove Martin and isn't interested in replacing him.” Yet even with no obvious alternative, calls are mounting for Martin to step aside. This piece cites statements by progressive Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, as well as a new initiative by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee on one side, alongside statements by more moderate Reps. Marc Veasey and Seth Moulton to the same effect. Still, many state parties and an equally ideologically diverse coalition is standing by Martin, so he will likely remain in place, at least for the time being.* Looking southward, this week Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her country will host the Iranian team ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Per Al Jazeera, the United States, which is hosting many of the matches, including all three the Iranian team was scheduled to play in, expressed that they did not think it “appropriate” for Iranian team members to be in the country, “for their own life and safety.” FIFA approached Mexico as an alternative. In her daily press conference, Sheinbaum stated that “We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico.” The Iranian team has also announced they will be moving their training base from Tucson to Tijuana, but still plan to enter the United States to play their games – with Trump saying they will be “welcome,” despite the fact American authorities have yet to issue the necessary visas.* Our final two stories involve the Pope. First, AP reports that this week Pope Leo XIV made an historic apology not only for the Catholic Church's role in legitimizing slavery, but its failure to condemn the practice for centuries afterwards. Pope Leo called this a “wound in Christian memory.” Leo, the first American Pope, can point to both enslaved people and slave owners in his familial lineage, a remarkable vantage point from which to issue this statement in his first ever encyclical ”Magnifica Humanitas.”* Yet, for how historic this section of the encyclical is, it is not the portion of it that drew the most attention. That would be the section on Artificial Intelligence. Pope Leo writes “Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” Leo goes on to make the critical point that “technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it.” He further goes on to state that “the pressure of new ideologies or certain highly powerful interests” can reduce the human person to “a resource to be used and exploited” or evaluated “on what they achieve or produce,” whereas God creates each individual person in His image and imbues them with inherent dignity. It is impossible to say whether the Pontiff's words will move the titans of the tech industry to change their ways, but his moving rhetoric is sure to significantly influence the world's view of AI, both today and for students of history.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

    Voice Of Costume - Creating Character through Costume Design
    Stranger Things Costume Secrets Fans Haven't Heard Yet with Amy Parris

    Voice Of Costume - Creating Character through Costume Design

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2026 52:08


    Stranger Things fans know the looks are iconic—but Amy Parris reveals the hidden design choices that shaped Eleven, Eddie, Nancy, Erica, and Hawkins itself. Costume designer Amy Parris joins Voice of Costume for a deep dive into the unforgettable world of Stranger Things, sharing how she designed costumes for Seasons 3, 4, and 5 of the global Netflix phenomenon. From handmade sweaters and custom jeans to vintage fabrics, distressed battle-worn clothes, stunt multiples, and character-defining silhouettes, Amy reveals just how much storytelling lives inside every garment. She discusses her path from altering clothes as a kid to breaking into film and television, then takes listeners behind the scenes of joining Stranger Things through research, family photos, yearbooks, teen magazines, thrifted snapshots, and real 1980s references. Amy explores the evolution of fan-favorite characters including Eleven, Will, Nancy Wheeler, Eddie Munson, and Erica Sinclair, explaining how each look reflects identity, trauma, growth, rebellion, and purpose. This episode is packed with Stranger Things costume secrets, 1980s fashion history, Hawkins character arcs, vintage sourcing, behind-the-scenes production stories, and the emotional labor of leading a massive costume department. For fans of Eleven's style, Eddie Munson's metal look, Nancy's battle-ready wardrobe, and the final season of Stranger Things, this is a must-listen. The "Voice of Costume" is the first podcast created between working costume designers sharing stories, inspiration, struggles, and insights into the creative career of costume design. A behind-the-scenes podcast to showcase the voices of Costume Designers around the world. Listen in on this inspirational, one-on-one conversation with Catherine Baumgardner. Audio available wherever you get podcasts. https://voiceofcostume.com/  

    Mark Simone
    Mark's Weekend Bonus Segment — NOT HEARD ON THE RADIO!

    Mark Simone

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 13:27 Transcription Available


    Mark talks about the changes at CBS News, Disney is claiming The View is a news program, the terrorist who pledged to assassinate Ivanka Trump was arrested, one of Luigi Mangione supporters is the daughter of a healthcare executive, whites will be a minority in 2050, California Governor Gavin Newsome going after Chevron, Rosie O'Donnell admits to a face lift, Ferrari releases their first electric car, LIV Golf may close down and Martin Short and Meryl Streep's budding relationship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Eric Zane Show Podcast
    Free clip - Who Are These Free Beers? Ep 099 - HW on Food

    The Eric Zane Show Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 7:28 Transcription Available


    Get this whole, show FREE on Patreon! Click HERE for a 7-day free trialBen Glaze and EZ lean into fair-use laws to present a WEEKLY review of one of America's top radio shows. Heard all across the US on about 30 radio stations, The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show has grown steadily since it's inception in the late 1990's.In this FULL show on Patreon!*Ben Glaze focuses on the times that the "Hot Wings Hot Takes" were about food. Included here:*Hot Wings on waffle fries*Hot Wings on popcorn*Hot Wings on the spices, rosemary and garlic*Hot Wings on Rice Krispies treats*Hot Wings on salad*Hot Wings on potatoes*Hot Wings on raisins*Hot Wings on milk chocolate*Hot Wings on boneless wings*Hot Wings on Chicago style deep dish pizza*Hot Wings on food fights*Another appearance from "Free Beer the Patriot."*Free Beer's struggles with the word, "disclosure."*Free Beer continues to be the best at interrupting people on the show.*Free Beer's brain goes bonkers while reading the audience Reddit posts.*Free Beer is "detail heavy" with a story about HW paying 5 dollars more than everyone else at lunch.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    Alone in the Woods (formerly Outdoor Terrors)
    144 | My Dad Didn't Believe Me… Until He Heard It Too | 3 True Outdoor Horror Stories

    Alone in the Woods (formerly Outdoor Terrors)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 63:50


    Get CRYPTID: The Creepy Card Battling Game https://cryptidcardgame.com/ Read our new wendigo horror novel https://eeriecast.com/lore Sign up for Eeriecast PLUS for bonus content and more https://www.eerie.fm/ SCARY STORIES TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 1:09 Something terrifying in Texas and Alaska - From - Robert Eagleton 20:26 The Woods Follow Me - From - HorseGirl96 40:00 Were they hunting me? - From - Anonymous Get our merch https://www.eerie.fm/shop Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/3YVN4twrD8 Follow the Unexplained Encounters podcast! https://pod.link/1152248491 Follow and review Tales from the Break Room on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! https://pod.link/1621075170 Follow us on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/3mNZyXkaJPLwUwcjkz6Pv2 Follow and Review us on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/darkness-prevails-podcast-true-horror-stories/id1152248491 Submit Your Story Here: https://www.darkstories.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The OCD Whisperer Podcast with Kristina Orlova
    186. The Wildest OCD Recovery Story I've Heard

    The OCD Whisperer Podcast with Kristina Orlova

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 35:57


    You thought it was bad behavior… but your child was secretly terrified.   In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova speaks with Keesha Scott, mom, entrepreneur, podcast host, and author, about her daughter's deeply personal journey with OCD, emetophobia (fear of vomiting), panic disorder, and recovery.   Together, they explore what it's really like to parent a child with OCD, the painful road to getting the right diagnosis, and how exposure therapy (ERP) helped her daughter reclaim her life.   Keesha opens up about: • How OCD first showed up as “bad behavior” before anyone realized what was happening • Going through multiple therapists before finally getting the correct diagnosis • How talk therapy unintentionally made OCD worse • Why ERP therapy (Exposure and Response Prevention) changed everything • The role medication played when OCD became too severe to engage in treatment • Parenting a child whose OCD impacted school, friendships, and family life • The emotional toll of supporting a child through severe anxiety and panic disorder • What OCD recovery looked like over the years — and where her daughter is today   This is an honest, emotional, and hopeful conversation for parents navigating OCD, anxiety, panic, or intrusive thoughts in their children — and a reminder that recovery is possible, even when things feel impossible.   Whether you're parenting a child with OCD, struggling yourself, or supporting someone you love, this episode offers hope, practical insight, and a reminder that healing happens one step at a time.  

    ManTalks Podcast
    The Easiest Men to Manipulate in a Relationship

    ManTalks Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 29:03


    I break down the four types of men who are the easiest to manipulate in relationships - and why these patterns usually start long before the relationship itself. I talk about the hidden wounds behind shame, over-functioning, fear of conflict, and putting women on a pedestal, and how those patterns quietly shape attraction, boundaries, and self-respect. This episode is about recognizing the role you play in unhealthy dynamics without falling into self-blame. If you've ever felt like you lose yourself in relationships, this conversation will help you understand why - and what it actually takes to change it.SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 - The Men Most Easy to Manipulate01:22 - The Shamed Man06:15 - The Chronic Growth Guy09:18 - Moving the Goalpost11:08 - The Scared Man15:02 - Conflict Is Not a Threat19:00 - The Worshiper23:10 - From Wounding to Self-Respect***Tired of feeling like you're never enough? Build your self-worth with help from this free guide: https://training.mantalks.com/self-worthPick up my book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/Heard about attachment but don't know where to start? Try the FREE Ultimate Guide To AttachmentCheck out some other free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your RelationshipBuild brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance. Enjoy the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they're looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | SpotifyFor more, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram

    Al Jazeera - Your World
    Breaking: Iranian state media reports three blasts heard near Bandar Abbas

    Al Jazeera - Your World

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 2:54


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

    iWork4Him PowerThought
    Rooted but Flexible

    iWork4Him PowerThought

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 1:01


    Heard this the other day: The principles never change, but the methods always do.  What a solid management philosophy this makes for us Christ followers. Principles are defined as:  fundamental truths that serve as the foundation for a system of beliefs. Our biblical core beliefs are the basis of who we are and what we do. And that applies to how we work, lead and manage. But the methods, those change based on the circumstances and the people involved. So we need to be flexible, not rigid. Deeply rooted, but like the branches of a tree, sway with the wind. So how about you? Are your principles well rooted but flexible enough for change?

    Groove with Portia
    I Heard the Voice… And It Changed My Life

    Groove with Portia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 28:50 Transcription Available


    Grief and healing often come with moments we can't fully explain—but we feel them deeply. In this episode, we explore mental health awareness, healing through storytelling, and the connection many people experience with loved ones after they've passed.I open this conversation by sharing a personal moment from my mother's transition—one that I knew was real, even if I couldn't explain it. From there, I sit down with Ann Bollinger McQuade, author of Everyday Oracles, to talk about intuition, signs, and how grief can open us up in unexpected ways.Ann shares how trusting her intuition led to a life-saving decision and how moments of vulnerability can deepen our awareness. We also explore the common question many people have but don't always say out loud—are the signs we experience real, or are we just hoping they are?This conversation is for anyone navigating grief, searching for meaning after loss, or learning how to trust their inner voice during difficult seasons.You will hear:• How grief and intuition are connected• Why vulnerability can increase awareness• Real experiences of signs after loss• How to trust what you feel without overthinking it• A simple way to stay connected after losing someoneConnect with Ann Bollinger McQuade: EverydayExtraDimensions.com

    The Rizzuto Show
    The $9 Tip Heard Around America & Why Hockey Fans Are Weird

    The Rizzuto Show

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 43:59


    Today's episode of The Rizzuto Show turns into a full-blown courtroom drama over tipping culture, hockey hot takes, and the emotional damage caused by self-serve frozen yogurt machines asking for 25%.The crew debates the modern nightmare known as “the tip screen” after a woman questions why she's being asked to tip at a completely self-service froyo shop. You grab your own cup, pour your own yogurt, add your own gummy worms like a raccoon at a candy buffet… and somehow YOU are still expected to financially reward the experience. America is exhausting.Then things escalate when the show breaks down a viral story about a guy who left a $9 tip on a $600 steakhouse bill because he claimed servers at expensive restaurants “do the same amount of work” as servers at Chili's. Which may technically be true… if you ignore reality, social norms, and basic human decency. The gang debates whether tipping percentages still make sense in 2026 or if we've all collectively agreed to keep pretending math isn't real.This daily comedy show also dives into:Why Costco employees refuse tips like they're undercover FBI agentsStarbucks wages vs fast food wagesThe death of “lifelong jobs”Whether anybody actually makes federal minimum wage anymoreWhy everyone suddenly feels guilty buying coffeeAnd how apparently every hockey coach is legally required to have a nickname ending in “-sy” or “-er”Chris Kerber joins the show to absolutely unload on WalletHub's “Best Hockey Cities in America” rankings. Somehow Raleigh ranks ahead of Buffalo, which nearly causes Kerber to launch himself directly into Lake Erie out of frustration. The crew also talks NHL expansion rumors, Vegas becoming hockey's supervillain, Atlanta maybe getting another team, and why hockey nicknames sound like rejected mob aliases.The episode also takes a serious moment as the crew discusses the tragic passing of listener Danielle following injuries sustained during PointFest. The show sends love and condolences to her fiancé Jason, family, and friends during an incredibly difficult time.If you like sarcastic debates, sports arguments that spiral out of control, awkward tipping guilt, and the kind of conversations that sound like your group chat after three beers, this episode delivers all of it.This daily comedy show somehow manages to make frozen yogurt existential, tipping stressful, and hockey cities deeply personal.And yes… somebody actually defended a $9 tip with a handwritten essay.Bold strategy, Cotton.Follow The Rizzuto Show → linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → 1057thepoint.com/RizzShowHear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    We Wine Whenever's Podcast
    RHOA S17 E8: The Nigerian Comment Heard Around Atlanta

    We Wine Whenever's Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 27:26 Transcription Available


    Send us Fan MailRHOA S17 E8: The Nigerian Comment Heard Around AtlantaRHOA S17 E8: A Soundbath BreakdownOn this week's episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the cast attempts to find peace at a “healing” sound bath hosted by Phaedra Parks — but absolutely nobody leaves healed. The episode opens with the women juggling personal chaos: Kelli struggles with financial pressure as her new restaurant location underperforms and child support issues with her ex continue to affect both her family life and paycheck. Meanwhile, Shamea gets emotional discussing her surrogacy journey after multiple failed embryo transfers, while Porsha continues her confusing love triangle between Mike and Sway, complete with heavily produced family scenes, awkward flirting, and plenty of unanswered questions about what she really wants.Elsewhere, alliances are becoming impossible to ignore. Phaedra, Porsha, Angela, and Drew appear firmly grouped together, while K. Michelle continues hinting that there's a coordinated effort to gather information on her behind the scenes. At dinner, K finally confronts the group directly, accusing Porsha, Drew, and Phaedra of plotting against her while also revisiting previous drama involving rumors, hospital comments, and conversations with her ex. Drew and K immediately descend into yelling, Phaedra unsuccessfully attempts to play peacemaker, and K continues speaking in riddles about Porsha communicating with her former man behind her back.The “peaceful” retreat fully implodes during dinner when long-simmering frustrations boil over into one of the messiest group confrontations of the season. Between floating accusations, relationship confusion, fake-feeling flashbacks, Phaedra randomly becoming a flute player and reiki master, and Kelli reaching her breaking point, the episode feels chaotic in every direction. Just when it seems the group might settle down, Kelli drops the explosive line that sends the table into total meltdown mode — proving once again that no wellness event on Atlanta can ever stay calm for long.Character dynamics and sanity in RHOAKelly's restaurant and personal lifePortia's relationship dilemmas and dating lifeKay Michelle's career shift and personal dramaSeason 17 episode highlights and conflictsSupport the showhttps://www.wewinewhenever.com/ 

    Epic Adventure
    You Heard it Here Last S4E11

    Epic Adventure

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 15:31


    Send us Fan MailWelcome to you heard it here last where we talk about news, you've already heard.https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-beyond-executives-explain-why-subscribers-cant-share-drops-content.719058/Recently D&D Beyond has started providing Drops for their online subscriber-based system for releasing Dungeons and Dragons Material. The problem is, the new Drops, which include maps, characters, and premade encounters are not shareable. So even though D&D Beyond members have paid for Master Tier Access which runs around 55 bucks a year and is designed to allow you to share material…you can't.D&D Beyond says they are doing this to ensure that creators get paid, but isn't that the companies job? And if you tell people they are paying for a service like the Master Tier that allows sharing and then turn around and don't allow sharing that seems a little shady to me…but it is Hasbro so it tracks.I think the real question I have here for the gang is this. In the digital age where everything is sold online and no one owns books anymore…how are creators going to get paid.Christina, let's start with you.Kick to ChristinaMike, put your business and tech hat on. What are the options?Kick to MikeNext up we have another Elric TTRPG on the horizon.https://www.enworld.org/threads/theres-another-official-elric-rpg-in-the-works-this-one-from-free-league.719041/It's cool to see Elric get some love lately. I mean the Witcher straight up stole most of it's esthetic and even some of its story from the Elric saga so it's not like he's been out of the public consciousness…but I like seeing companies turn back to a foundational fantasy character like that. The fact that he's a very complex character is just all the more appealing to me.But just like my last article, Elric isn't what I want to talk about.What I want to ask you is Free League becoming the new Asmodee?Let's start with you MikeKick to MikeChristina, I know you are a fan of Free League, is it good or bad that they are grabbing up all the IPs right now?Kick to ChristinaAnd there you have it, all the news you've already heard.

    The Truck Show Podcast
    S3, E94 - Have You Heard? Truck News!

    The Truck Show Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 17:48


    Stellantis gone wild and dropping mics (future Scrambler, Rampage, Dakota, and Ramcharger), Ford Super Duty drops Godzilla engine, U-Haul offers up a Peterbilt, and recall news. The Truck Show Podcast is brought to you in partnership with AMSOIL, Kershaw Knives, and OVR Mag. Don't forget to check out truckshowpodcast.com for special offers from our friends and sponsors.

    Marketplace All-in-One
    Disillusioned and doomspending

    Marketplace All-in-One

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 6:39


    Heard of "doomspending"? It refers to a feeling of hopelessness about your financial future and spending more freely now than you maybe should. From Marketplace's "This Is Uncomfortable," we dig into the self-defeating financial decisions we sometimes make — from splurging to regain a sense of control to not saving for retirement because it's hard to envision the future — and how to rethink those impulses. But first: new strikes in Iran but the same old market uncertainty.

    Marketplace Morning Report
    Disillusioned and doomspending

    Marketplace Morning Report

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 6:39


    Heard of "doomspending"? It refers to a feeling of hopelessness about your financial future and spending more freely now than you maybe should. From Marketplace's "This Is Uncomfortable," we dig into the self-defeating financial decisions we sometimes make — from splurging to regain a sense of control to not saving for retirement because it's hard to envision the future — and how to rethink those impulses. But first: new strikes in Iran but the same old market uncertainty.

    Erin Burnett OutFront
    Iran: Explosions Heard in Iranian Port City, Air Defenses Activated

    Erin Burnett OutFront

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 46:47


    The US military conducted “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to US Central Command, amid a ceasefire and ongoing negotiations to end the war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Beyond the Plate
    HEARD (027): Best bites from 48 hours in London, 2 brothers with a smart play for ground beef, baked beans, upcycled food, Andrew Zimmern's new noodles, and lemonade stands.

    Beyond the Plate

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 15:32


    In this episode, Kappy shares what's on his plate at the moment.Links and handles mentioned in this episode:Darjeeling Express | Asma Khan | The Connaught | Ago Perrone | Giorgio Bargiani | Mountain | Tomos Parry | The Mayfair ChippySpare | Jeremy Kaye | Adam KayeMatriark Foods | IGZimm's x A-Sha | Andrew ZimmernFollow Beyond the Plate on Facebook and X.Follow Kappy on Instagram and X.www.beyondtheplatepodcast.comwww.onkappysplate.com

    Walking Through The Word - Daily Podcast Commentary

    May 26 | Numbers 21:1-30; Luke 1:8-25; Psalm 57:4-11; Proverbs 16:1-3 //  Enjoying the Wisdom Word for the Week? Download your own copy of the Wisdom Word for the Week at newsongnashville.com/wwftwkids.   

    Holistic Mama Speaks
    You Know What to Do… So Why Aren't You Doing It?

    Holistic Mama Speaks

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 20:35


    You already know what to do…So why aren't you doing it?You've read it.Heard it.Maybe even written it down.Drink more water.Set boundaries.Follow through.And yet… you're still not doing it.In this episode of Holistic Mama Speaks, we're getting to the real reason behind that frustrating gap between knowing and doing… and why it's not about discipline, motivation, or willpower.Because this isn't a knowledge problem.It's a stuck point problem.And once you understand what's actually happening underneath the surface… everything starts to shift.In this episode, you'll learn:• Why knowing what to do isn't enough• What's really causing procrastination, hesitation, and avoidance• How stuck points drain your energy before you even begin• Why willpower isn't the solution (and what actually works)• 3 simple ways to start taking action immediatelyFor show notes, free resources, and more episodes, visit:https://holisticmamaspeaks.comIf you're ready to go deeper and uncover what may be keeping you stuck, you can explore the Stuck Point Scan, a simple session designed to help identify and release the biggest block holding you back:https://stuckpointscan.comOr take the free Stuck Point Quiz: ⁠https://stuckpointquiz.com⁠Want deeper support?Get free access to the Unstickify Your Life Academy:

    Forgotten Hollywood
    Episode 431-Top Ten TV Episodes on Memorial Day (Crossover with Have You Heard of Me)

    Forgotten Hollywood

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 8:25 Transcription Available


    The first  crossover episode with the podcast Have You Heard of Me. Guest Host James Lott Jr talks about 10 episodes from TV's past that tackled Memorial Day or PTSD, casualties of war, etc. We honor the fallen who served!! 

    Parenting Matters Now with Dr. Roger Smith
    How Can You Tell If Your Child Feels Heard? | Episode 520

    Parenting Matters Now with Dr. Roger Smith

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 4:54


    In this episode of Parenting Matters Now, Dr. Roger Smith explores the signs that your child may feel unheard and offers practical advice on how to recognize and respond to these signals. Discover how to interpret both overt and subtle cues, such as withdrawal or demands for attention, and learn strategies to foster a deeper connection with your child. Tune in for insights on using their words, recognizing bids for attention, and creating opportunities for meaningful interactions.  Visit me at: https://rogersmithmd.com/ This has been a production of ThePodcastUpload.com 

    The Divorced Dadvocate
    309 - She Started Preparing Years Before You Heard Divorce

    The Divorced Dadvocate

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 58:08 Transcription Available


    Divorce can feel like it happens in an instant: an argument, a cold sentence, papers on the counter, and your world flips upside down. We slow that moment down and look at the data that challenges the “knee-jerk decision” story, including research suggesting many people who file have been contemplating divorce for a year or more, often much longer. That timeline matters because it creates a brutal asymmetry: one spouse finishes grieving and planning while the other starts at ground zero.We also dig into what tends to happen during that hidden runway. Think financial intelligence gathering, attorney consults, custody calendar strategy, and even filing timing around school schedules and holidays. Then we connect it to what happens inside your body when you get blindsided. Acute stress is not just a feeling; it changes cognition. If your working memory and executive function drop under pressure, the worst time to negotiate is the exact time the system pushes you toward temporary orders, quick compromises, and “just keep the peace” decisions that can define the next 10 to 20 years.From there, we shift into a practical survival playbook for dads: a 24-hour buffer rule before you agree to anything, bridging the lawyer gap by taking command of day-to-day boundaries, moving communication into a documented parenting app, building dense objective records, and mastering calm emotional regulation in high-conflict environments where bias and subjectivity can shape outcomes. If you want a clearer starting line and a smarter next step, subscribe, share this with a dad who needs it, and leave a review telling us what hit home most. Being unprepared is how great fathers become weekend visitors. Most ground is lost quietly through "drift" and decisions made under pressure. Stop the drift today at TheDivorcedDadvocate.com.Access your tactical tools:Risk Assessment: Identify your "quiet loss" exposure in 10 minutes.Protection Session: Book a private triage to ensure mistakes don't become permanent.Your kids are counting on you. Support the show

    Christ the Rock Church
    CtRC - 464 “He Was Heard for You” - Pastor Austin Hetsler - May 24th, 2026

    Christ the Rock Church

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2026 45:27


    "The throne of grace runs through Jesus, always." Hebrews 5:1-10

    Ralph Nader Radio Hour
    Unions Hiding/A Solution to Gerrymandering

    Ralph Nader Radio Hour

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2026 111:33


    Ralph welcomes back union organizer, Chris Townsend, to discuss the reasons why the AFL-CIO shrinks from effectively fighting for its members and expanding the power of workers. Then, political scientist Lee Drutman lays out a system of proportional representation that would take away the incentive to gerrymander congressional districts. Plus, Ralph gives some quick takes on Thomas Massie's primary loss, fish hopped up on cocaine, and the situations in Lebanon and Ukraine.Chris Townsend has been a union member and labor leader for more than 45 years. He was most recently the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International Union Organizing Director. Previously, he was an International Representative and Political Action Director for the United Electrical Workers Union (UE), and he has held local positions in both the SEIU and UFCW.[The upcoming AFL-CIO] convention is deliberately kept secret. It's what I describe as sort of a hideout strategy. It enables the leadership to not have to discuss or take positions that for them are difficult, such as: What is the labor movement going to do to confront the rampant lawlessness and criminality of the Trump regime? What is the labor movement going to do to address the rampaging inflation that is eating up living standards? There's no wage policy. There's no bargaining policy of the Federation. What are they going to do to address the ongoing national health care crisis and disaster?... And what are they doing about the crisis of the unorganized?Chris TownsendThe labor movement finds itself (I would submit) with the leadership disinterested in going out and organizing the unorganized. But even for those who do (and there are some), the laws—Taft-Hartley primary among them—provide such a minefield that we have to run through, that our ability to organize on any scale for decades has been stopped. And therefore, we are condemned to a perpetual shrinking size, resources, and whatnot. [And what] might help for folks to figure out how or why this is happening is that the labor movement is systematically being converted from trade union fighting organizations, membership-driven fighting organizations, to harmless not-for-profit organizations. And this is today's administrative layer of trade union leaders that don't see anything wrong with that. But that doesn't help anyone in the shop, in the office, in the workplace. And it doesn't help anyone looking to the labor movement for something better—better treatment, better wages, better benefits, better conditions, better health and safety in the workplace.Chris TownsendLee Drutman is a senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, where he focuses on electoral reform, Congress, and democratic health. He writes the newsletter Undercurrent Events and co-hosts the podcast Politics in Question. And he is the author of The Business of America is Lobbying and Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America.The whole issue of gerrymandering is really just an outgrowth of this way that we use single-winner districts with winner-take-all votes. It's also what entrenches the two-party system in the US, which limits the choice of voters. So there's this one weird voting mechanism that we have that most countries have gotten rid of, that is an antiquated voting system, that preserves the two-party system and makes gerrymandering just inevitable—and that's the use of single-member districts. Now, in a proportional system, you take away the districts, and you do this statewide, you can carve up larger states into a few multi-member districts. And then seats get allocated proportionally by party share. That takes away the entire incentive of gerrymandering, it gives voters everywhere meaningful choices, meaningful votes, and it is just a superior system of representing the pluralism and diversity of our pluralistic and diverse society.Lee DrutmanPeople like the idea of proportional representation as basic fairness—that people think that parties should get seats in proportion to the share of votes they get. I did some polling on it a few years ago, and I'm hoping to do a little bit more… But I think that one of the challenges is people don't entirely understand how it works. And so it's a challenge to poll people on a concept that they don't know about. But I think more and more people understand it. And from the polling I've seen, at a principles-based level, people get the idea that proportionality is a form of fairness, and people like fairness.Lee DrutmanKaty O'Donnell is the editorial director at Haymarket Books, a radical, independent, nonprofit book publisher based in Chicago.News 5/22/26* Our first story this week has to do with what appears to be the impending downfall of ultrazionist media personality, Bari Weiss. Weiss, who resigned from the New York Times to found the Free Press and then sold that venture to become “Editor-in-Chief” for CBS News under the Ellison regime, is reportedly facing down the barrel of her role being scaled back substantially. Puck reports “As Paramount closes in on its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery…members of the senior leadership team have had informal discussions about changing Bari's mandate at CBS News—and, eventually, CNN—in ways that would give her less control over the linear product.” This piece cites her missteps stewarding CBS News, including her inability to improve the ratings for Evening News, even failing to secure new anchor Tony Dokoupil a travel visa to China in time for President Trump's recent visit to the People's Republic. While a total dismissal of Weiss seems unlikely in the near future, such a dramatic reduction in her clout would constitute a tremendous, humbling blow.* Moving to state-level news, last week, Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis announced he would be commuting the sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for tampering with voting systems to overturn Joe Biden's victory in the Centennial State. Peters will now be eligible for parole June 1st. This move has been widely condemned, most notably by the Colorado Democratic Party which voted by a margin of over 90% to officially censure Polis. In a statement, the CDP wrote, “Reducing [Peters'] sentence now, under pressure from Donald Trump, is not justice…It sends a message to future bad actors that election tampering has consequences, unless you're friends with the president.” According to NBC, the CDP also banned Polis from being able to “participate as an honored guest, speaker or officially recognized representative of the Colorado Democratic Party at party-sponsored functions.”* In more positive state-level news, NPR reports Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed a bill banning prediction market sites like Polymarket and Kalshi – which allow consumers to “place…wager[s] on…future outcome[s], like sports, elections, live entertainment” – from operating in the North Star State. This makes Minnesota the first state in the nation to ban the prediction betting platforms. As this story notes, the Trump administration is pursuing legal action on behalf of the platforms, ensuring a legal battle over whether states can act to protect their own consumers from these predatory betting services. Minnesota Rep. Emma Greenman, who introduced the measure, is quoted as saying, “We as a state should decide how best and what regulations we think should attach to gambling, to protect public safety, to protect our kids.” The administration, meanwhile, specifically the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is arguing in court that prediction market industry regulation should be the sole preserve of the federal government.* Looking toward Congress, this week saw a number of high-profile primaries, including in the state of Pennsylvania. Leading up to that primary, the Pennsylvania machine went all out against the congressional campaign of State Representative Chris Rabb. Rabb, who had won the endorsements of everyone from AOC and Rashida Tlaib to Jamie Raskin and Philly DSA to the Philadelphia Inquirer, was targeted by a barrage of anonymous text messages to Philadelphia voters accusing him of “spreading conspiracy theories and holding extremist views,” per the Inquirer. What is remarkable about this smear campaign, however, is that it was organized by Philadelphia's Democratic City Committee and that it violated federal election law by failing to disclose that fact. In another troubling portend of things to come, one of the texts featured an “AI-generated image of Rabb acknowledging his supposed lack of legislative accomplishments in Harrisburg.” Rumors have long circulated that Governor Josh Shapiro wanted Rabb to lose, and worked the backrooms to this end while avoiding public statements.* Yet, despite all of that, Rabb prevailed – winning over his two establishment-backed opponents with around 45% of the vote compared to his opponents, who each won approximately 30% and 24% respectively. The Pennsylvania primaries turned out to be a good night for progressives more generally, with Bob Brooks – a firefighter's union chief and former state rep. who successfully united the Democratic Party behind him, winning the endorsements of both Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Bernie Sanders. Brooks will face off against freshman Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie in November in the R+1 seventh district of Pennsylvania, while Rabb's general election campaign is seen as little more than a formality in the D+40 PA-03.* Yet, if it was a good streak for Democratic progressives, it was a very bad one for Trump critics within the GOP. This week, Thomas Massie lost his primary in Kentucky's fourth congressional district, buckling under the war chest deployed against him in what amounted to the most expensive House primary on record. Massie joked that “My vote was never for sale, so they bought a congressional seat. They found out what it cost.” Massie, perhaps Trump's most formidable intra-party opponent in the House during his second term, worked with Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna on bills ranging from the Epstein Files Transparency Act to War Powers Resolutions related to the administration's actions in Venezuela and Iran. In retaliation, Trump made it clear that he would go to any lengths to ensure Massie would not be reelected. That said, Massie will remain in the House until January and has indicated that he will make that time as painful for Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson as he possibly can. Moreover, during his concession speech, Massie's supporters chanted for him to run for president in 2028, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Whether he is even entertaining that thought is unclear, but if he did run as a right-wing independent candidate, one could easily imagine him capturing a large enough share of the vote to deny certain states to the Republican nominee. Meanwhile, his ally across the aisle, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, said in a statement that Massie “lost because he had the guts to stand up to the Epstein class and against the war…He won voters under 45 by 30 points…Tonight, I say to [his] voters who feel rejected by Trump. We welcome you. Join our coalition to take on a rotten system and stand for the working class over the Epstein class.”* Massie isn't the only Republican targeted in the latest round of Trump purges. Downballot, Trump loyalists have ousted the Indiana Republicans who resisted Trump's pressure to implement mid-decade redistricting, but the real scalps he is claiming are in the Senate. Last weekend, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost his primary runoff. Fox reports this makes Cassidy the “first elected Republican senator to lose renomination since Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana in 2012.” Trump wasted no time in dancing on Cassidy's political grave, writing on Truth Social, “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of a legend, and it's nice to see that his political career is OVER!” His supposed disloyalty, of course, refers to Cassidy's vote to convict Trump in the Senate trial for his second impeachment following January 6th. Former Senator Mitt Romney, who also voted to convict, is quoted in this article saying that Cassidy is a “person of character,” and that his “departure is a loss for the country.” Cassidy, however, is likely soon to be joined by longtime Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn. Cornyn is currently making his last stand against scandal-ridden Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in that runoff election. Trump has long prevaricated regarding whether and whom he would endorse in this race, at times leaning towards either candidate but remaining neutral up until this week, when he formally gave the nod to Paxton, per the Texas Tribune. This move has caused great consternation amongst Senate Republicans and cautious optimism among Democrats, who see Paxton as the weaker opponent to go up against Democratic nominee James Talarico in November – giving Democrats their best chance in years to flip a Senate seat in Texas.* What Cornyn's next move will be is a mystery, especially as he has not yet officially lost the Texas primary. Cassidy, however, appears to have chosen the Massie route of going down fighting. This week, Cassidy flipped his position to become the deciding vote in favor of the Senate War Powers Resolution on Iran – successfully pushing it through along with support from fellow Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul, despite disloyal opposition from Democratic Senator John Fetterman. The measure was then sent back to the House, but fearful it might actually pass – Democratic holdout Jared Golden had vowed to vote yes, and war-weary House Republicans Thomas Massie, Warren Davidson, Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Barrett were all signaling their support – leadership abruptly canceled the vote, per MSN.* One factor cited in the Republicans' calculus around this latest War Powers push was the absences of Members of Congress. In their view, the absences would have given Democrats the votes they needed to win. Two of these absences have garnered substantial attention in the media: those of Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey and Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson of Florida. The 83-year-old Wilson, who was missing for a month with little public acknowledgment or explanation, has finally resurfaced, saying that she was undergoing a major eye surgery but still plans to seek reelection. In a remarkably tone-deaf comment, a source close to the Congresswoman was quoted in Axios saying “missing votes is not a sign she's sick or retiring…She shows up when she wants to.” Still, at least her absence has been explained and she has now returned to her duties in the House. Congressman Kean's disappearance is more mysterious. As of May 21st, Kean has not “been seen in Washington for more than 75 days,” NOTUS reports. When his absence first began to gain media traction, his Chief of Staff added fuel to the fire with the cryptic remark “there are no cameras where Tom is.” Now it is being reported that his neighbors back in New Jersey haven't seen hide nor hair either. There has been some indication that Kean is dealing with a personal or medical issue, but Speaker Mike Johnson claims to have no knowledge of the particulars. It is not controversial to say that being an American Member of Congress is too important to simply be AWOL for long periods of time, especially without deigning to explain why to one's constituents. Something must be done.* Finally, we turn to Latin America, where former president Evo Morales has leveled claims that the government of his native Bolivia, in coordination with the DEA and the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is plotting to “detain or kill” him, TeleSUR reports. According to this report, “Morales detailed specific military units allegedly involved, including the Army's Ninth Division in the tropical region under Colonel Franz Andrade Loza, whom he said the government promised to promote to general and appoint as armed forces commander ‘if he finishes off Evo.'” Morales also “cited an F-10 unit under Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Giménez Ortuño,” a former aide to the defense minister in the government of the unelected U.S.-backed regime of Jeanine Áñez. These allegations sound somewhat outlandish, but in a moment when the U.S. has recently kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, worked to undermine the governments of Mexico and Colombia via the Hondurasgate scheme, and just recently moved to indict 94 year old Raúl Castro for his role in an incident three decades ago when the Cuban government downed a civilian aircraft that entered their sovereign airspace, it does not seem so far fetched.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

    Clemson Sports Talk
    The “Haircut Heard Around the NFL” Edition

    Clemson Sports Talk

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2026 84:48 Transcription Available


    Swanny reacts to another brutal Clemson baseball loss as the Tigers continue to spiral toward the ACC Tournament, and questions begin to swirl about the future under Eric Bakich. Plus, Trevor Lawrence sends the internet into a frenzy with a fake haircut during the Jacksonville Jaguars' viral schedule release video, sparking debate over whether the Clemson legend could ever actually cut his signature locks.

    WSJ What’s News
    What's News in Earnings: How AI Agents Are Boosting Nvidia–and Opening the Door to Challengers

    WSJ What’s News

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2026 6:59


    Bonus Episode for May 22. Financial results from Nvidia give investors a look into the “parabolic” demand for AI hardware. Wall Street Journal Reporter Robbie Whelan discusses how the rise of AI agents is shifting the company's business, and how Nvidia could benefit from blockbuster IPOs from SpaceX and OpenAI–even with rising competition in the chip industry. Heard on the Street columnist Dan Gallagher hosts this special bonus episode of What's News in Earnings, where we dig into companies' earnings reports and analyst calls to find out what's going on under the hood of the American economy. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Dream Job System Podcast
    What To Do If You Haven't Heard From A Company After An Interview | Ep #840

    The Dream Job System Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2026 8:12


    Austin shares his thoughts on how to follow up if you think you've been ghosted after an interview!Time Stamped Show Notes:[0:25] - What to do if you haven't heard back after an interview[1:04] - What is most likely happening[2:45] - Before you jump to conclusions[3:30] - Follow up with empathyEmail Template Mentioned In Today's Episode:Hi [Name],I hope you're having a great week!I know that you have a lot on your plate managing all of the processes for new candidates. I really appreciate everything you've done to help make mine easy.No rush on a reply here, but I did want to reach out to let you all know that I am still very excited about this opportunity. If there is anything I can do or provide that would be helpful, please let me know.I'm sending my best to you and everyone at [Company]!Best,[Your Name]Want To Level Up Your Job Search?Click here to learn more about 1:1 career coaching to help you land your dream job without applying online.Check out Austin's courses and, as a thank you for listening to the show, use the code PODCAST to get 5% off any digital course:The Interview Preparation System - Austin's proven, all-in-one process for turning your next job interview into a job offer.Value Validation Project Starter Kit - Everything you need to create a job-winning VVP that will blow hiring managers away and set you apart from the competition.No Experience, No Problem - Austin's proven framework for building the skills and experience you need to break into a new industry (even if you have *zero* experience right now).Try Austin's Job Search ToolsResyBuild.io - Build a beautiful, job-winning resume in minutes.ResyMatch.io - Score your resume vs. your target job description and get feedback.ResyBullet.io - Learn how to write attention grabbing resume bullets.Mailscoop.io - Find anyone's professional email in seconds.Connect with Austin for daily job search content:Cultivated CultureLinkedInTwitterThanks for listening!

    The Eric Zane Show Podcast
    Free clip - Who Are These Free Beers? Ep 098 - Mind Mold

    The Eric Zane Show Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2026 11:09 Transcription Available


    Get this whole, show FREE on Patreon! Click HERE for a 7-day free trialBen Glaze and EZ lean into fair-use laws to present a WEEKLY review of one of America's top radio shows. Heard all across the US on about 30 radio stations, The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show has grown steadily since it's inception in the late 1990's.In this FULL show on Patreon!*Ben Glaze features a fantastic example of "Steve's Echo."*The crew subjects a live audience to another pointless game.*Ben reviewed the gang reviewing a list of words they don't like. For 14 minutes, Free Beer would say a word and everyone would say they don't like it.*Numerous examples of Free Beer murdering words.*Free Beer blisters Today show host, Craig Melvin for asking a dumb question. Problem: Free Beer's set up for the clip makes HIM sound much worse.*The gang reviews some Amish reality show and the "bummer jokes" were flying.*Hot Wings knows what day it is, then immediately forgets.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    The Speaker Lab
    Which Type of Stuck Speaker Are You?

    The Speaker Lab

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2026 19:30


    "Preparation feels like progress. It's not."Welcome back to The Speaker Lab Podcast! After thousands of calls with speakers at every stage, host Dan Irvin has noticed something: it stops sounding like thousands of different stories and starts sounding like the same three. The names change. The cities change. The topics change. But the place where people are stuck? Almost always one of three patterns.In this solo episode, Dan breaks down the three speaker archetypes he sees on repeat — the Two-Year Thinker, the One and Done, and the Plateaued Earner — and gives you the honest, direct truth about what's actually keeping each one stuck. If you hear yourself in one of these today, that's not a bad sign. That's the first move.You'll learn:Why studying, researching, and redesigning your logo for the third time is not the same as building a speaking businessWhy "I just need to figure out my topic first" is almost always code for something elseWhat happens when a great talk goes nowhere — and why it's not because the moment was a flukeWhy the relationship and the room were always the real asset (not the talk)How speakers who are already getting paid hit a wall — and why it's a strategy problem, not a skill problemWhy the thing that got you a $1,000 fee will not get you a $10,000 feeHow Dan went from a self-described two-year thinker to eventually buying the company that taught himThe one thing all three archetypes have in common — and what actually breaks the patternWhy "my situation is different" might be the most expensive sentence in your speaking businessWhat 17,000 speakers who've broken through all have in commonAnd much, much more!"You are not lacking talent. You're not lacking passion. You're not lacking a message. You're lacking a system."--Heard yourself in one of those patterns? That's exactly the conversation Dan has on every Speaker Business Assessment call. Grab a free 15 minutes at thespeakerlab.com/SBA — no pitch, just a real look at where you are and what to do next.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    ManTalks Podcast
    Mother Hunger - The Hidden Wound Driving Men's Need for Female Approval

    ManTalks Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2026 23:52


    I dive into the concept of “mother hunger” - the hidden emotional wound that drives many men to seek constant approval, validation, and reassurance from women. I explore how early experiences with emotional neglect, inconsistency, or disconnection from our mothers can quietly shape our identity, relationships, and sense of self-worth as adults. We'll unpack the signs of mother hunger, how it shows up in relationships, and the difficult but necessary work required to heal it. If you've ever felt emotionally destabilized by a woman's disappointment or approval, this episode will help you understand why - and what to do about it.SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 - What Is Mother Hunger?02:05 - How Childhood Shapes Male Identity05:18 - When Her Disappointment Feels Like a Crisis06:27 - Hypervigilance Around Women's Emotions07:53 - The Collapse of Self-Worth08:52 - How Men Seek Validation From Women09:45 - Why Female Attention Never Feels Like Enough10:05 - Admitting the Wound Is There11:02 - Grieving What You Didn't Receive13:05 - Building Identity Independent of Women14:48 - Developing Internal Validation15:42 - The Real Cost of Mother Hunger17:18 - Discovering Who You Actually Are18:42 - Stop Asking Women for Permission20:05 - How Healing Changes Relationships21:02 - Dissolving the Need for Approval***Tired of feeling like you're never enough? Build your self-worth with help from this free guide: https://training.mantalks.com/self-worthPick up my book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/Heard about attachment but don't know where to start? Try the FREE Ultimate Guide To AttachmentCheck out some other free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your RelationshipBuild brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance. Enjoy the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they're looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | SpotifyFor more, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram

    Ken Webster Jr
    Cornyn hasn't heard the news

    Ken Webster Jr

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 22:36 Transcription Available


    Kenny Webster interviews @SteveLovesAmmo.

    ManTalks Podcast
    Emotional Avoidance in Modern Men - Live Coaching Session

    ManTalks Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 47:09


    I sit down with Scott to talk about grief, addiction, emotional suppression, and the long process of healing. We explore how unresolved pain can shape a man's identity, relationships, and sense of self for years without him fully realizing it. Scott shares parts of his personal journey through loss, sobriety, and learning how to confront emotions he spent years avoiding. This episode is an honest discussion about masculinity, recovery, and what it actually takes to heal.SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 Introduction02:07 Scott's Personal Journey05:42 Living With Grief10:52 Emotional Suppression in Men15:18 Addiction and Numbing Pain20:44 Learning Emotional Awareness27:11 Masculinity and Vulnerability33:26 The Cost of Avoidance39:50 Recovery and Self-Reflection46:12 Rebuilding After Loss52:37 Healing Through Connection58:41 Final Thoughts and Takeaways***Tired of feeling like you're never enough? Build your self-worth with help from this free guide: https://training.mantalks.com/self-worthPick up my book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/Heard about attachment but don't know where to start? Try the FREE Ultimate Guide To AttachmentCheck out some other free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your RelationshipBuild brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance. Enjoy the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they're looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | SpotifyFor more, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram

    Ralph Nader Radio Hour
    Varieties of Democracy

    Ralph Nader Radio Hour

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2026 85:52


    Ralph speaks to Dr. Marina Nord of the V-Dem Institute about this year's V-Dem Democracy Report and how the Trump Administration is dismantling democracy in the US. Then, Ralph welcomes Dr. Ralph Estes to discuss corporations' shady accounting practices.Dr. Marina Nord is a postdoctoral research fellow at the V-Dem Institute. She is co-author of V-Dem's Democracy Report 2026: “Unraveling The Democratic Era?”.Only six countries during the 21st century have registered larger one-year drops on the aggregate Liberal Democracy Index [than the United States] —and all of them are coups. If you look at the last almost 250 years (so for which we have data going back to 1789), there were only thirty-five instances of more rapid dismantling of democracy—almost all of them were either military coups or international interventions.Dr. Marina NordWe do not measure [Trump's] words. We measure how institutions function de facto. And what is a lot more important for us is not only what he says, but how other institutions (checks and balances) function to constrain him. And one of the things that we see, for example, is that Congress is not constraining him in any way. And this is very, very serious, because if you have a President who violates the law, who violates the Constitution, you should have the judiciary who stand up, the Supreme Court who should stand up to protect the Constitution. You should have the Congress who is not allowed to [abdicate power to the executive]. And this is something that is very, very concerning, a lot more concerning than what Trump is saying. What I find a lot more concerning is that there are no checks and balances to constrain him.Dr. Marina NordWhen looking at the data, we also looked at the countries who managed to stop autocrats similar to Trump. And we tried to analyze which factors contributed to stopping democratic backsliding and turning it around. So research shows that, of course, there is no single recipe, but there are several combinations of factors that may help. One of them is: use whatever institutional safeguards that you still have in the United States…The second thing that we know that still works quite well is robust societal action. And by that we mean not only demonstrations similar to the No Kings protests, but sustained protests, mass pro-democracy protests…And then, of course, one of the things that still should be a possibility to turn things around is the midterm elections.Dr. Marina NordDr. Ralph Estes is Emeritus professor of business and accounting at American University in Washington, D.C., co-founder and vice president of The Center for Advancement of Public Policy, and Emeritus Trustee at the Institute for Policy Studies. He is the author of several books, including Tyranny of the Bottom Line: Why Corporations Make Good People Do Bad Things and Fight the Corpocracy, Take Back Democracy: A Mad As Hell Guide for the 99%.The public has no way of fairly evaluating a corporation except through the press, what it sees in corporate press releases and their claims about being, for example, environmentally responsible and very favorable to customers. And there are no measures on that. Corporation doesn't give us any. Corporation produces a set of financial statements. You won't know how relevant those financial statements are to you and me. They're not relevant at all… In terms of social performance, there's nothing in the corporate reports, the formal reports, that is reliable. Again, you're stuck with what the corporation claims or what the politicians who are lobbying for contributions will admit corporations do… But this is a problem. If the corporation doesn't report it, if the citizens don't know about it, the politicians can try to do something, but they have to start from scratch.Dr. Ralph EstesNews 5/15/26* We begin this week with a bombshell story from Latin America. This week, El País broke what they are calling “Hondurasgate,” an expose centering on leaked audio recordings of conversations between President Donald Trump, Argentinian President Javier Milei and former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández – who was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking charges in the U.S. but pardoned by Trump last year. In these leaked recordings, the three current and former heads of state discuss the creation of a “channel of spreading fake news with the intention of misinforming and destabilizing” Leftist governments in the region, including those of Gustavo Petro in Colombia and Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico. According to this report, the leaks reveal the involvement of another world leader – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – in the decision to pardon Hernández. El País writes the leaks prove the pardoning of Hernández was “not a gesture of clemency, but the down payment of a broader agreement.” Expect more damning information to come out as more recordings are unearthed, even if so far the American media has largely blacked out this stunning story.* At the same time the Trump administration is seeking to subtly undermine governments like Mexico's, they are executing considerably less subtle covert operations there as well. On March 28th, an explosion blew up the car of alleged narco Francisco Beltran just outside Mexico City. CNN now reports that, while “Mexican authorities have maintained extreme secrecy around the explosion,” multiple sources confirm that this was “a targeted assassination,” carried out by the CIA. Not only that, this operation is reportedly just one of several assassinations carried out by the CIA against rank-and-file cartel members on foreign soil which began last year. Troublingly, CNN notes these operations could be illegal under Mexican law, which prohibits foreign agents from participating in law enforcement operations without the express permission of the federal government. Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico's Secretary of Security released a statement indicating that the Mexican government has not granted any such permission, writing “The Government of Mexico categorically rejects any version that seeks to normalize, justify, or suggest the existence of lethal, covert, or unilateral operations by foreign agencies on national territory.”* One ironic aspect of the joint right-wing destabilization effort and CIA covert operations campaign both currently underway in Mexico is the fact that the Sheinbaum government has affected a stunning reduction in murders throughout the country. According to Mexico Solidarity Media, the daily average of intentional homicides has been reduced by 40% between the beginning of the Sheinbaum administration in October 2024 and April 30, 2026, with that last month hitting the lowest level in over a decade – comparable in fact to the United States. We can only hope that Sheinbaum is able to stay the course and continue to drive down the murder rate while simultaneously avoiding the destabilization campaigns being waged against her government.* In Colombia, another state targeted in the Hondurasgate plot, Ivan Cepeda continues to consolidate progressive forces in that country ahead of the presidential election, aiming for a first round victory. This week, Luis Gilberto Murillo, a center-left presidential candidate, dropped out and endorsed Cepeda. While Murillo never rose very high in the polls, he has held high positions in the Colombian government – including Minister of Environment and governor of the department of Choco as well as Colombia's ambassador to the United States and later foreign minister under Gustavo Petro.Colombia One notes that this is the second such withdrawal in recent weeks, with Senator Clara López doing the same, indicating a serious intention among the progressive forces in Colombia to stave off a second round of the presidential election, which could see the right-wing consolidate against Cepeda in a way they have thus far been unable to do ahead of the first round.* Meanwhile, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, a standard bearer for the Latin American Right and a close ally of President Trump, is mired in a new scandal involving his dealings with the MS-13 gang and his ensuing attempts to silence the press. According to PBS, last month the Salvadoran outlet El Faro, in conjunction with PBS FRONTLINE released a documentary titled The Deal: Trump, Bukele & the Gangs of El Salvador, which “uncovered evidence that Bukele's administration had offered privileges to gang leaders in prison in exchange for a reduction in homicides and voter support in territories the gangs controlled.” Now, in retaliation for publishing this story, Bukele has reportedly “frozen the personal assets of two of [El Faro's] shareholders,” including editor-in-chief Carlos Dada who said in a press conference that “These are not fiscal measures…They are political measures trying to silence us.” This article notes that the facts presented in The Deal are particularly damning to Bukele, because of his public claims that he “would never negotiate with gangs” because it would grant them legitimacy. Just as it is ironic that the Trump administration is seeking to destabilize the Mexican government while it dramatically reduces murders, so too is it ironic that it is seeking to bolster the Bukele regime even as it carries out secretive deals with the very gangs the U.S. claims to be fighting.* In a wholly different part of the world, the centrist Labour Party government of Keir Starmer in the UK is teetering on the brink of collapse. Starmer's popularity has been declining precipitously ever since he entered office, but the crisis of confidence from within his own party accelerated after the disastrous results of the May 7th local elections. Now, according to CNN, over 100 members of his party in Parliament are calling for him to resign, but the only way to trigger a leadership challenge is for at least 81 Labour MPs to coalesce around a single challenger – and as yet, none have crossed that threshold. Starmer himself has refused to stand down, challenging any other claimants to come forward. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has come the closest to openly challenging Starmer, even resigning his post in the government but stopping short of formally announcing a leadership challenge, the BBC reports. For now, Starmer continues to cling to power but each day could be his last at No. 10.* Turning to American foreign policy news, this week the Senate voted down yet another War Powers Resolution on Iran – the seventh such attempt since the war began in late February. What is notable about this resolution is that it won the support of the most GOP Senators yet – Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – yet still failed by a margin of 50-49 because Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania crossed party lines to vote against the resolution. This from CBS. Even with Fetterman's disloyalty, this vote is significant for the number of Republicans who broke ranks, perhaps indicating a growing unease with the war and particularly its impact on the price of consumer goods, beginning with gasoline and cascading from there.* In more congressional news, Southern states are scrambling to act in the wake of the Callais decision. In South Carolina and Mississippi, state officials have rejected attempts to call special sessions to redraw congressional maps before this year's midterms. But, NPR reports Alabama is moving towards a new map that, like Louisiana, will likely include just one single largely Black, Democratic-leaning congressional district. However, even though some of these states are holding off on redrawing these districts today, it does not mean those districts will be safe tomorrow. And in Tennessee, where the legislature is moving ahead with a plan to do away with the state's majority Black 9th congressional district in a special session – resulting in a revolt by Democrats in the legislature – the Republicans are retaliating by stripping all Democrats from their standing committee seats for “creating disorder,” per StateAffairs.com. Expect this process to get more contentious, and plain uglier, as it grinds ahead.* Next, a story in Fortune highlights the cost of data center construction. According to this story, the nearly 50,000 permanent residents of the California ski resort town of Lake Tahoe – which regularly attracts 25 to 28 million visitors annually – will soon be disconnected from their traditional power source, NV Energy. NV supplies the power to Liberty Utilities, which services the area directly, and NV has informed Liberty that it will stop providing power after May 2027. That power will instead be redirected to data centers, leaving Liberty Utilities less than a year to find another power source. This story notes that “Northern Nevada has become one of the fastest-growing data-center corridors in the country,” with Google, Apple, and Microsoft all having built or planning to build facilities in the area. Gallingly, just last fall NV Energy's director of business development said the company was “eager to serve the new industrial load” but that it would not “impact [their] existing customer base.” This is a troubling preview of what may come as data center expansion continues unchecked.* Finally, in a story that proves once again that corporate greed knows no limits, the Lever is out with a new report on a class-action lawsuit by consumers against “private equity-backed bowling giant Bowlero.” According to the Lever, the suit accuses Bowlero of executing a “‘multi-year anticompetitive scheme to consolidate bowling centers,' which has led to skyrocketing bowling prices, deteriorating lanes, and ‘the veritable destruction of the decades-old pastime of bowling in America.'” The numbers back up this narrative. Bowlero, which had just six locations in 2012, has exploded to 350 today. The company is said to control roughly 35 percent of U.S. bowling revenue – and 95% of all lanes in some markets – as well as acquiring the Professional Bowling Association itself. As with any monopoly, once it had cornered the market Bowlero proceeded to jack up prices, even using AI to do so algorithmically. In a sense, this is a story we have all heard too many times to be surprised, but we can still be shocked by the base greed of corporate executives, even in something as seemingly anodyne as the bowling industry.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

    Advisory Opinions
    The TED Talk Heard ‘Round the World

    Advisory Opinions

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2026 67:07


    Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the Virginia State Supreme Court striking down the state's new congressional maps, Neal Katyal's TED talk that we don't want to talk about, and David plays a fun constitutional “Would You Rather” game. The Agenda:–Virginia's gerrymandering map is unlawful–The left can't get mad at the right when the right tried the independent state legislator argument–What really won the trillion-dollar Supreme Court case–Who is Harvey?–Shout out to the coolest AP Government teacher ever? Show Notes:–Supremely Cringe: Neal Katyal And ‘TED-Gate' Order Sarah's book here. Advisory Opinions is a production of SCOTUSblog and The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a nonpartisan perspective. Click here to sign up for our new Advisory Opinions newsletter, and click here to access all of The Dispatch's offerings, including audio versions of all our articles and newsletters. If you'd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices