Podcasts about Iron Curtain

Over the span of a single decade, VHS technology changed the relationship between privacy and entertainment, pried open the closed societies behind the Iron Curtain, and then sank back into oblivion. Its meteoric rise and fall encapsulated the dynamics of the '80s and foreshadowed the seismic cultural shifts to come after the Cold War.In the West, its advent deepened the trends of the age: individualism, consumerism, the fragmentation of society, and the consolidation of corporate power in the entertainment industry and its victory over the regulatory powers of the state. In the East, it encouraged new forms of socialization and economic exchanges, while announcing the gradual crumbling of government control over the imagination of the people.By the mid-1990s, the VHS format was displaced by the DVD. The DVD would eventually give way to streaming. As explored in Videotape (Bloomsbury, 2025), by Dr. Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy in the Object Lessons series, the cultural legacy of the videotape continues to inform our relationship to technology, privacy, and to entertainment. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

Over the span of a single decade, VHS technology changed the relationship between privacy and entertainment, pried open the closed societies behind the Iron Curtain, and then sank back into oblivion. Its meteoric rise and fall encapsulated the dynamics of the '80s and foreshadowed the seismic cultural shifts to come after the Cold War.In the West, its advent deepened the trends of the age: individualism, consumerism, the fragmentation of society, and the consolidation of corporate power in the entertainment industry and its victory over the regulatory powers of the state. In the East, it encouraged new forms of socialization and economic exchanges, while announcing the gradual crumbling of government control over the imagination of the people.By the mid-1990s, the VHS format was displaced by the DVD. The DVD would eventually give way to streaming. As explored in Videotape (Bloomsbury, 2025), by Dr. Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy in the Object Lessons series, the cultural legacy of the videotape continues to inform our relationship to technology, privacy, and to entertainment. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Over the span of a single decade, VHS technology changed the relationship between privacy and entertainment, pried open the closed societies behind the Iron Curtain, and then sank back into oblivion. Its meteoric rise and fall encapsulated the dynamics of the '80s and foreshadowed the seismic cultural shifts to come after the Cold War.In the West, its advent deepened the trends of the age: individualism, consumerism, the fragmentation of society, and the consolidation of corporate power in the entertainment industry and its victory over the regulatory powers of the state. In the East, it encouraged new forms of socialization and economic exchanges, while announcing the gradual crumbling of government control over the imagination of the people.By the mid-1990s, the VHS format was displaced by the DVD. The DVD would eventually give way to streaming. As explored in Videotape (Bloomsbury, 2025), by Dr. Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy in the Object Lessons series, the cultural legacy of the videotape continues to inform our relationship to technology, privacy, and to entertainment. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies

Over the span of a single decade, VHS technology changed the relationship between privacy and entertainment, pried open the closed societies behind the Iron Curtain, and then sank back into oblivion. Its meteoric rise and fall encapsulated the dynamics of the '80s and foreshadowed the seismic cultural shifts to come after the Cold War.In the West, its advent deepened the trends of the age: individualism, consumerism, the fragmentation of society, and the consolidation of corporate power in the entertainment industry and its victory over the regulatory powers of the state. In the East, it encouraged new forms of socialization and economic exchanges, while announcing the gradual crumbling of government control over the imagination of the people.By the mid-1990s, the VHS format was displaced by the DVD. The DVD would eventually give way to streaming. As explored in Videotape (Bloomsbury, 2025), by Dr. Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy in the Object Lessons series, the cultural legacy of the videotape continues to inform our relationship to technology, privacy, and to entertainment. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

Over the span of a single decade, VHS technology changed the relationship between privacy and entertainment, pried open the closed societies behind the Iron Curtain, and then sank back into oblivion. Its meteoric rise and fall encapsulated the dynamics of the '80s and foreshadowed the seismic cultural shifts to come after the Cold War.In the West, its advent deepened the trends of the age: individualism, consumerism, the fragmentation of society, and the consolidation of corporate power in the entertainment industry and its victory over the regulatory powers of the state. In the East, it encouraged new forms of socialization and economic exchanges, while announcing the gradual crumbling of government control over the imagination of the people.By the mid-1990s, the VHS format was displaced by the DVD. The DVD would eventually give way to streaming. As explored in Videotape (Bloomsbury, 2025), by Dr. Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy in the Object Lessons series, the cultural legacy of the videotape continues to inform our relationship to technology, privacy, and to entertainment. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Over the span of a single decade, VHS technology changed the relationship between privacy and entertainment, pried open the closed societies behind the Iron Curtain, and then sank back into oblivion. Its meteoric rise and fall encapsulated the dynamics of the '80s and foreshadowed the seismic cultural shifts to come after the Cold War.In the West, its advent deepened the trends of the age: individualism, consumerism, the fragmentation of society, and the consolidation of corporate power in the entertainment industry and its victory over the regulatory powers of the state. In the East, it encouraged new forms of socialization and economic exchanges, while announcing the gradual crumbling of government control over the imagination of the people.By the mid-1990s, the VHS format was displaced by the DVD. The DVD would eventually give way to streaming. As explored in Videotape (Bloomsbury, 2025), by Dr. Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy in the Object Lessons series, the cultural legacy of the videotape continues to inform our relationship to technology, privacy, and to entertainment. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

The Green Belt and Rethinking Liberty 30 Years Later. Matthew Longo reflects that thirty years after the Iron Curtain fell, the border site is now an unremarkable "green belt." Researcher Longo considers the meaning of freedom, contrasting Isaiah Berlin's negative liberty—freedom from state interference—with Hannah Arendt's concept of plurality and solidarity. He notes the disappointment felt by some East Germans who missed the community they knew in the East. Guest: Matthew Longo. Retry

Young Activists Plan the Audacious Pan-European Picnic. Matthew Longo describes how in late June 1989, young activists Fedins and Maria in Debrecen conceived an audacious plan to throw a protest party—The Picnic—at the Iron Curtain near Sopron. They aimed to challenge communism and celebrate freedom. Though the Curtain was a deadly "death zone," not a simple fence, they secured a unique one-time crossing, allowing Austrians to join the Hungarians. Guest: Matthew Longo.

Elite Politics and the First Crack in the Iron Curtain. Matthew Longo details the July 1989 Warsaw Pact meeting where reformer Nemeth faced off against old-guard Ceausescu. Nemeth had received Gorbachev's "green light" to dismantle the Iron Curtain's deadly fencing in Hungary. Gorbachev secretly confirmed the presence of a nuclear arsenal, urging discretion, revealing how delicate his own political position was. Guest: Matthew Longo.

Stanislav Grof, born in Prague in 1931, was among the most influential figures in the early clinical use of LSD. Sometimes referred to as the Godfather of psychedelic psychotherapy, Grof was was trained as a Freudian psychoanalyst in Prague and was on track to follow in Freud's footsteps when his path was derailed by a powerful LSD session. He changed his life path and became one of the principal investigators of early psychedelic research behind the Iron Curtain, conducting systematic LSD psychotherapy at the Psychiatric Research Institute in Prague. Grof's approach was largely psycholitic - meaning that in contrast to the single high-dose mystical model, he favored smaller doses that could be given consistently over the course of multiple sessions, thus emphasizing the very gradual revealing of the layered strata of the human unconscious. In this talk, Grof describes how the same substance can evoke vastly different experiences in different individuals, from childhood regression, to episodes resembling psychosis, to genuine mystical revelation. He offers accounts of patients reliving early developmental trauma and what appeared to be birth agony, followed by experiences of renewal or “rebirth.” He also touches on the emergence of archetypal and transpersonal imagery in advanced stages of therapy, giving insight into the collective and cosmic dimensions of mind. Here's the brilliant Stan Grof in 1969 at Esalen institute. Photo by Joyce Lyke

Send us a textIn this episode of the 'Midlife with Courage™' podcast, host Kim interviews Christine Sadry, who shares her incredible story of leaving Poland as a young girl and overcoming numerous challenges to become a UN peacekeeper and author. Christine recounts moments of deep courage, navigating life in a foreign country, and her experiences working in conflict zones around the world. Her journey emphasizes the importance of self-belief, resilience, and financial independence for women. Don't miss this inspiring conversation filled with remarkable life lessons and compelling anecdotes.00:00 Welcome to Midlife with Courage00:19 Meet Christine Sadri01:09 Christine's Journey to America03:12 Challenges and Triumphs in a New Land06:34 Reconnecting with Family09:47 A New Path at the United Nations13:05 A Blessing from the Pope20:55 Adventures in Angola24:29 A Close Call on a Dangerous Road26:49 A New Mission in Mozambique27:32 A Chance Encounter at a Birthday Party29:51 Navigating the Yugoslavian Conflict31:17 Challenges and Triumphs in Vukovar34:33 Returning to Angola and New York35:04 A New Mission in Sierra Leone36:50 Reflections on Resilience and Purpose42:31 Reconnecting with Family in Poland45:04 Final Thoughts and EncouragementYou can find our more about Christine's story including her book 13 Years Lost on her website www.christinesadry.com. Get your free ebook called Daily Habits for Hormonal Harmony by going to my website. This free guide will help you balance your hormones through some easy daily activities. Just add your email to the popup and your guide will be on its way to your inbox.From morning until bedtime, you can help yourself feel better! Reserve your spot today to get in on the very first Courage & Confidence Hour!Support the showKim Benoy is a retired RN, Certified Aromatherapist, wife and mom who is passionate about inspiring and encouraging women over 40. She wants you to see your own beauty, value and worth through sharing stories of other women just like you. My Courage & Confidence Circle is now open! Join a supportive group of other midlife women who are ready to live with courage and stop waiting for someday! This 3-month program starts in November and I would love to see you there! REGISTER HERE Want to be a guest on Midlife with Courage™-Flourishing After Forty with Kim Benoy? Send Kim Benoy a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1646938231742x613487048806393700 Would you like to get each episode delivered right to your inbox a day early? Subscribe to my website to get my weekly inspirational message and a link to that week's podcast episode. Just click the link below to get on the list! SUBSCRIBE WEBSITEFACEBOOK

In addition to advocacy at home, including through efforts like the twinning program, a number of activists working on behalf of Soviet Jewry traveled to the USSR, arranging meetings with Jews living behind the Iron Curtain in an effort to provide support and gain access to information to bring back to the United States. The journey was dangerous, and entailed a great deal of risk as the KGB enacted tighter and tighter restrictions on foreign visitors, and looked at each traveler with intense suspicion. Narrated by Rebecca Naomi Jones and featuring Dr. Shaul Kelner, author of A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews. Image: In October of 1985, American travelers Cheryl Pollman and Mark Werbner meet with the Pevzner family in Odessa, from the National Conference on Soviet Jewry Records, I-181. The Wreckage is made possible by funding from the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided through the American Jewish Education Program, generously supported by Sid and Ruth Lapidus.

I met a man once who grew up in Eastern Europe, underneath the Iron Curtain and Soviet rule, where Christianity was illegal.You can find a transcript of this video and over 900 more devotions like this one on our website at PeaceDevotions.com.If you find value from these devotions we'd encourage you to support our ministry. You can support us by praying for our pastors, sharing and commenting on our videos, or by donating at https://peacedevotions.com/donateConnect with us on social media, our website, or get these emailed to your inbox.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeaceDevotions/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peace_devotions/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2pFo5lJV46gKmztGwnT3vAWebsite: https://peacedevotions.com/Email List: https://peacedevotions.com/emailYou can also add Peace Devotions to your Flash Briefing on Amazon Echo Devices.https://peacedevotions.com/echo/

John le Carré was still a working secret agent when he wrote The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, the book that shocked the Britain of 1963 with its portrait of espionage not as heroic but as sordid, morally compromised and utterly without glamour. In comparison James Bond's escapist world of girls and gadgets seemed naive and shallow. As a new stage adaptation of The Spy opens, its playwright David Eldridge talks to Andrew Harrison about adapting le Carré's deep, dark vision for 2025 – why he expanded the role of George Smiley – and what The Spy has to say about the West's new Cold War with Putin. • The Spy Who Came In From The Cold runs @sohoplace Theatre in London's West End from 17 Nov-21 Feb, ahead of a major UK tour in 2026. Tickets are available from https://spyonstage.com/ • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production by Robin Warren. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reagan's Pragmatic Cold War Victory, Don Regan's Disastrous Tenure, and the Iran-Contra Near-Death Experience. Max Boot discusses how Ronald Reagan had no patience for communism, and in his first term, his policy toward the Soviet Union was somewhat unsuccessful, though it improved in 1985 with the ascension of Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan's genius was recognizing that Gorbachev was a different communist leader he could "do business with," and they established a rapport that allowed them to constructively reduce nuclear armaments and peacefully end the Cold War. The transition into Reagan's second term saw a catastrophic personnel decision when Reagan allowed Jim Baker and Don Regan to swap jobs. Regan lacked political instincts and presided over problems that culminated in the Iran-Contra scandal. Reagan was highly exercised by American hostages seized by Hezbollah, and National Security Advisor Bud McFarlane suggested shipping weapons to supposed Iranian moderates in exchange for hostage releases, which was a fiasco. The scandal intensified when McFarlane's successor, John Poindexter, and Oliver North diverted the profits from the weapon sales to fund the anti-communist Contras in Nicaragua. This incident could have led to impeachment, but Reagan's salvation was his reputation for being hands-off and disengaged. Reagan also faced criticism over a human rights double standard, speaking eloquently about violations behind the Iron Curtain but being less exercised about apartheid in South Africa.

In this eye-opening episode, Animoca Brands co-founder & chairman Yat Siu joins host Constantin Kogan to unpack his extraordinary journey - from a 15-year-old Austrian kid coding MIDI software on Atari and getting paid via mailed checks, to building one of the first ISPs in Hong Kong, dominating early mobile gaming (200M+ downloads!), and getting deplatformed overnight by Apple in 2012.Yat Siu reveals:

The clip centers on the profound peace and strength found in intimate communion with God, especially amid suffering and persecution. Drawing from personal experiences behind the Iron Curtain and a letter from Siberia, it highlights how persecuted believers consistently pray not for deliverance, but for the grace to endure and remain faithful to the narrow path. The central theological theme underscores the victory of faith over fear, emphasizing that true safety lies not in escaping hardship, but in trusting God's sustaining power. The tone is both pastoral and convicting, calling listeners to a deeper reliance on divine strength rather than worldly solutions. Ultimately, the message affirms that enduring faith, rooted in prayer and surrender, is the hallmark of genuine spiritual victory.

This spooky season on Parallax Views, we venture behind the Iron Curtain with historian Alexander Herbert, author of Fear Before the Fall: Horror Films in the Late Soviet Union. Herbert uncovers a hidden world of Soviet horror cinema — films that reflected the fears, contradictions, and collapsing certainties of late socialism. We talk about Viy (1967), the first officially Soviet horror movie and a chilling adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's tale about a terrified seminarian forced to pray over a witch's corpse. From there, Herbert explores how later Soviet filmmakers created movies that were either horror or horror-adjacent. It's an exploration of a rather unexplored topic. It's a conversation about horror, history, and ideology — and how the Soviet Union's final decades produced some of the most fascinating and overlooked genre films ever made.

Newt talks with former Acting Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Modly about his book, “Vectors: Heroes, Villains, and Heartbreak on the Bridge of the U.S. Navy.” Modly discusses his tenure as Acting Secretary and insights into the challenges facing the U.S. Navy. The son of Eastern European immigrants, he shares how his parents' experiences helped shape his views on America and his decision to serve in the U.S. Navy. He reflects on the transformation of Hungary post-Iron Curtain and the importance of a strong U.S. military. Modly highlights the need for a national maritime strategy and addresses the Navy's current challenges, including shipbuilding and financial audits. He emphasizes the importance of effective leadership, communication, and agility in military operations. Modly also offers advice to Naval Academy graduates, urging them to focus on their commitment to the Constitution and the people they lead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Groovegsus Plays only Tracks from Patrice Baumel Patrice Bäumel has carved a singular path through the global techno landscape. A Beatport chart-topping producer and internationally acclaimed DJ, he's known for releases on iconic labels such as Kompakt, Get Physical, and Watergate, and for his celebrated residency at Amsterdam's legendary Trouw — the club that shaped his sound and reputation. His music has soundtracked dancefloors from Ipanema to Ibiza, combining emotional depth, precision, and raw club energy. Born in East Germany during the Communist era, Patrice's story is one of self-determination and resilience. Growing up mixed-race in a conservative environment, he found early refuge in music — records from Depeche Mode, Yello, The Cure, and Skinny Puppy igniting a lifelong fascination with electronic sound. The fall of the Iron Curtain opened new horizons, and a high-school exchange year in Utah gave him the confidence to explore beyond borders. By 17, he was DJing everything from gabber to Detroit techno, already building the foundation of his diverse musical identity. Moving to Amsterdam, Patrice initially pursued a career in technology before rediscovering his passion for music. A small home studio and local bar gigs soon led to early releases on Frankfurt's Trapez label, but it was his 2008 track “Roar” on Get Physical — a worldwide club hit championed by Pete Tong and Danny Tenaglia — that launched him onto the international stage. His Trouw residency in the early 2010s became a defining chapter: marathon seven-hour sets where he honed his storytelling ability and explored the emotional extremes of techno. When the club closed, Patrice took the opportunity for deep personal reinvention — quitting intoxicants, embracing discipline, and focusing on music with intention and clarity. The result was a new creative phase that balanced strategic precision with raw human connection. Influenced by the experimental sounds of Andy Stott and Autechre, Patrice blends intellect with intuition, always seeking the perfect balance between chaos and control. His philosophy is clear: club music must be brave, radical, and driven by emotion.

In November 1989, the world changed when the Berlin Wall came down, marking the beginning of the unraveling of the Iron Curtain. Almost a month later, on December 16, 1989, Romania faced a sudden revolution that led to the fall of its central government in just over a week.  While Romania was one of many Eastern European Communist countries that revolted in 1989, the revolution there, unlike those in other countries, was violent and deadly.  Learn more about the 1989 Romanian Revolution and how it unfolded on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Stash Go to get.stash.com/EVERYTHING to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase. Newspaper.com Go to Newspapers.com to get a gift subscription for the family historian in your life! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do Stalin, Trump, and Viktor Orbán have in common? They're all fragile men terrified of truth, artists, and of anyone with a moral compass. In this week's Gaslit Nation, we talk with 91-year-old Peter Hidas, who as a young student helped ignite the 1956 Hungarian Uprising, a movement born of courage and faith in a better world. Peter's story is a testament to what ordinary people can do when they refuse to bow to tyranny. The revolts that shook the Iron Curtain in 1956 laid the groundwork for the movements that would one day bring down the Soviet empire, to the unforgettable soundtrack of Swan Lake played on repeat on Soviet TV by a collapsing regime. Today, a new generation of brave Russians has reclaimed that symbol: the “Swan Lake Collective” is being played by artists on the streets of Russia, creating a rallying cry “Let the swans dance!” for peace, freedom, and the end of Putin's Fox News–style dictatorship. Gaslit Nation is here to remind you that Putin's days are numbered.  This week's show also celebrates the heroes of the No Kings protests, the Gen Z meme pirates toppling corruption crime sprees pretending to be governments, how Trump and Putin might try to save Orban's doomed April 2026 election, and more.  So keep marching. Keep creating.That's how we win.  The song featured in this week's episode is “Election Day” by The Spiders. Check out their music at thespidersband.com If you have a song to share on Gaslit Nation, submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628 Join the Gaslit Nation + Sister District Halloween Phonebank this Wednesday at 6pm ET – every phone call to Virginia plants seeds of hope! RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/847185/ Andrea's graphic novel In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones won the Ringo Award! Get your signed copy by subscribing to the show at the Producer-level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit, starting this week. All active donors at the Producer-level and higher, who help make Gaslit Nation possible, will receive a special thank you gift in early 2026: a signed copy of Andrea's soon-to-be-released graphic novel Mrs. Orwell.  Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: How to Overthrow a Dictator (Featuring the history of Andrea's father-in-law Mihai Sedaru Barbul) https://sites.libsyn.com/124622/how-to-overthrow-a-dictator From Epstein's Chief Accuser, a Memoir Both Sad and Devastating: Virginia Roberts Giuffre's posthumous “Nobody's Girl” doesn't break political news, but might break your heart. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/books/review/virginia-roberts-giuffre-nobodys-girl-memoir.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uk8.Fe6u.LwC3e8hbHgjq&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Videos Show Russian Youths Chant Anti-War Song in St. Petersburg https://www.newsweek.com/videos-russian-youths-chant-anti-war-song-st-petersburg-10883035 Trump says he did not want 'wasted meeting' after plan for Putin talks shelved https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjp73gp41o Hungary PM Orbán's advisor in hot water for saying resisting Russia is irresponsible https://www.euronews.com/2024/09/26/hungary-pm-orbans-advisor-in-hot-water-for-saying-resisting-russia-is-irresponsible What to know about the Trump administration's $20B bailout for Argentina https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administrations-20b-bailout-argentina/story?id=126513232 The Rise of the Inflatable Chicken Resistance https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/opinion/no-kings-protest-chicago-tactical-frivolity.html Smearing Virginia Giuffre: What New Allegations Against Prince Andrew Reveal About Power and Silence https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/opinion/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-smear-campaign-sex-abuse-survivor-social-security-met-police The Tech Right Gets Its Own Phyllis Schlafly: Katherine Boyle, an influential venture capitalist who is a friend of the vice president, thinks the country's path forward involves cultural conservatism and more weapons production. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/business/katherine-boyle-andreesen-horowitz-american-dynamism.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vE8.7WA9.glWQrABz11-S&smid=url-share The Contagious Gen Z Uprisings: It's a good time to start paying attention to the youth-led protests that are spreading around the world and that have toppled governments. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/gen-z-revolutions-protests-louvre-heist-gaza.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u08.Yg4j.Swx4JtTHBLbC&smid=url-share Yekaterinburg Street Musician Detained After Performing in Support of Arrested Band https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/10/21/yekaterinburg-street-musician-detained-after-performing-in-support-of-arrested-band-a90887 Democratic win in Iowa special election breaks GOP supermajority https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democratic-win-in-iowa-special-election-breaks-gop-supermajority Trump and Putin's planned summit in Hungary boosts an authoritarian ally https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna238138 Europe Is Answering Putin's Challenge: Members of the NATO alliance are showing real grit—and, for now, the U.S. is with them. https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/archive/2025/10/nato-putin-trump-europe-ukraine/684592/ CLIP 1: https://bsky.app/profile/courtwing.bsky.social/post/3m3ij7nu23c2f CLIP 2: https://bsky.app/profile/us-political-news.bsky.social/post/3m3i5tuagec2l CLIP 3: Springtime for Hitler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovCf9VRLnDY CLIP 4: https://x.com/visegrad24/status/1978242426461368656

Tara exposes the alarming rise of digital totalitarianism in Europe and its creeping threat to Americans. From the UK fining 4chan, to German courts backing LinkedIn censorship of truthful COVID posts, to Switzerland imprisoning a man for stating biological facts about gender — the free speech landscape is collapsing. As U.S. tech companies comply with European censorship laws, Tara warns: what happens in Europe today could become law here tomorrow.

‘Billy Bragg: A People's History' is just out, a new and wholly original kind of memoir written by himself, friends, collaborators and fans, and packed with old snapshots, concert bills, reviews and ephemera. It's very good indeed. He looks back here with us at … … meeting Taylor Swift – “and we both knew who the other was!” … a total of 2,700 gigs – “not counting prisons, In-Stores, Port-A-Stacks and picket lines” … old blokes trying to take selfies … finding old diaries in his archives and sensing how the memory plays tricks … songs that get you out of trouble on stage … bootlegging albums on his reel-to-reel, aged 12, complete with noises off - eg “Bridge Over Troubled Water plus a voice telling me Reach For The Sky was on telly!” … a word-perfect recitation of Mr Tambourine Man … listening to the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll when the rest of the school was Glam Rock … buying Ronnie Lane's amp, “like returning home with a religious relic” … “the power of music”: meeting someone who'd heard him on the radio beyond the Iron Curtain … anxiety about American border control: “I was advised to get a new phone. As if that'll make any difference. I'm Billy Bragg, political songwriter!” … lost off-grid in Salt Lake City in the days before internet … “Music can't change the world but it gives you the ability to think it can be changed” …plus Ian McLagan, Desmond Dekker, Ry Cooder, Jam b-sides and Motown Chartbusters Vol 3. Order Billy Bragg: A People's History here: https://burningshed.com/billy-bragg_a-peoples-history_book https://www.billybragg.co.uk/product/billy-bragg-a-peoples-history-an-oral-history-in-the-words-of-people-who-have-been-moved-by-his-music/Help us to keep The Longest Conversation In Rock going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Billy Bragg: A People's History' is just out, a new and wholly original kind of memoir written by himself, friends, collaborators and fans, and packed with old snapshots, concert bills, reviews and ephemera. It's very good indeed. He looks back here with us at … … meeting Taylor Swift – “and we both knew who the other was!” … a total of 2,700 gigs – “not counting prisons, In-Stores, Port-A-Stacks and picket lines” … old blokes trying to take selfies … finding old diaries in his archives and sensing how the memory plays tricks … songs that get you out of trouble on stage … bootlegging albums on his reel-to-reel, aged 12, complete with noises off - eg “Bridge Over Troubled Water plus a voice telling me Reach For The Sky was on telly!” … a word-perfect recitation of Mr Tambourine Man … listening to the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll when the rest of the school was Glam Rock … buying Ronnie Lane's amp, “like returning home with a religious relic” … “the power of music”: meeting someone who'd heard him on the radio beyond the Iron Curtain … anxiety about American border control: “I was advised to get a new phone. As if that'll make any difference. I'm Billy Bragg, political songwriter!” … lost off-grid in Salt Lake City in the days before internet … “Music can't change the world but it gives you the ability to think it can be changed” …plus Ian McLagan, Desmond Dekker, Ry Cooder, Jam b-sides and Motown Chartbusters Vol 3. Order Billy Bragg: A People's History here: https://burningshed.com/billy-bragg_a-peoples-history_book https://www.billybragg.co.uk/product/billy-bragg-a-peoples-history-an-oral-history-in-the-words-of-people-who-have-been-moved-by-his-music/Help us to keep The Longest Conversation In Rock going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Billy Bragg: A People's History' is just out, a new and wholly original kind of memoir written by himself, friends, collaborators and fans, and packed with old snapshots, concert bills, reviews and ephemera. It's very good indeed. He looks back here with us at … … meeting Taylor Swift – “and we both knew who the other was!” … a total of 2,700 gigs – “not counting prisons, In-Stores, Port-A-Stacks and picket lines” … old blokes trying to take selfies … finding old diaries in his archives and sensing how the memory plays tricks … songs that get you out of trouble on stage … bootlegging albums on his reel-to-reel, aged 12, complete with noises off - eg “Bridge Over Troubled Water plus a voice telling me Reach For The Sky was on telly!” … a word-perfect recitation of Mr Tambourine Man … listening to the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll when the rest of the school was Glam Rock … buying Ronnie Lane's amp, “like returning home with a religious relic” … “the power of music”: meeting someone who'd heard him on the radio beyond the Iron Curtain … anxiety about American border control: “I was advised to get a new phone. As if that'll make any difference. I'm Billy Bragg, political songwriter!” … lost off-grid in Salt Lake City in the days before internet … “Music can't change the world but it gives you the ability to think it can be changed” …plus Ian McLagan, Desmond Dekker, Ry Cooder, Jam b-sides and Motown Chartbusters Vol 3. Order Billy Bragg: A People's History here: https://burningshed.com/billy-bragg_a-peoples-history_book https://www.billybragg.co.uk/product/billy-bragg-a-peoples-history-an-oral-history-in-the-words-of-people-who-have-been-moved-by-his-music/Help us to keep The Longest Conversation In Rock going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I first received the Holy Spirit, I had asked for the Gift of Faith – now I wanted to see how far God could/would reveal His Power – if I stepped out in faith.  My adventure going to Jerusalem in 1961 was the start. Going where no man had gone before. The first in the world to make the unknown and dangerous overland crossing behind the Iron Curtain, through the communist countries and Arab nations on a war-footing with Israel, I received a medal from the Israeli Government when I arrived, and I was on TV when I got home! Now, aged 93, I have not reached the limits of God's Power HERE, ON EARTH! But the faith driving me is not in my head, it's in my heart.

Anna Dobrowolska's new book Polish Sexual Revolutions. Negotiating Sexuality and Modernity behind the Iron Curtain, published at the Oxford University Press this year, reveals fresh perspectives in the scholarship about the socialist states. In our podcast, she explains how Poland and Eastern Europe developed their own distinct approaches to sexual modernity under state socialism.While Western observers assumed sexual liberation was incompatible with communist rule, Poland was quietly developing its own sophisticated approach to sexual modernity. In her book, Anna Dobrowolska aimed to map these differences and nuances. Throughout the conversation, we learn that the conventional narrative of state oppression versus societal resistance proves to be inadequate when examining Poland's sexual revolution. Dobrowolska's archival research reveals a complex ecosystem of actors: sexologists, journalists, cultural institutions, who negotiated sexual discourse largely independent of central party directives. These middle-level negotiations created unexpected spaces for sexual expression within the socialist framework, as the book shows. Perhaps most surprisingly, censorship archives reveal that sexual content often received official approval precisely because it served broader state modernisation goals. Conservative citizens frequently petitioned authorities for stricter moral oversight, only to find officials defending more liberal positions.

Tune in here to this Thursday's edition of the Brett Winterble Show! Brett kicks off the program by talking about President Trump’s upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest and the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy. He reflects on the historical significance of the former Soviet bloc and praises leaders like Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Lech Wałęsa for their roles in dismantling the Iron Curtain. Brett expresses hope that Trump will remind Putin that the territory is no longer his. Later, Brett dives into a powerful monologue examining the ideological evolution of the Democratic Party, tracing its shift from a working-class coalition to a technocratic, elite-driven platform. He outlines how Bill Clinton’s embrace of globalism, Wall Street, and Beijing marked the start of a neoliberal era, later fueled by Silicon Valley’s cultural influence. Brett argues that the 2008 financial crisis catalyzed a progressive uprising—Occupy Wall Street, Bernie Sanders, and AOC—pushing the party further left. Listen here for all of this and more on The Brett Winterble Show! For more from Brett Winterble check out his YouTube channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I'm joined by two esteemed team owners, Andrew Martin of the Jim Bob Cooters & Morgan McBride of Bishop Backers. We unpack what went down in Week 6 and what's to come in the heated matchups in Week 7 as teams prepare for the in-season tournament. 

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Anne Applebaum joins journalist Madeleine Brand for a timely and urgent conversation about Applebaum's latest book, Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World. Together, they explore the growing network of authoritarian regimes, the methods they use to consolidate power, and the global threats they pose to democratic institutions.Anne Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute. Her acclaimed works include Gulag: A History, Iron Curtain, and Twilight of Democracy.Madeleine Brand is the host of Press Play on KCRW, an award-winning daily news and culture program offering deep insight into national and international stories through a Southern California lens.This event is part of the America at a Crossroads virtual series, founded by Jews United for Democracy & Justice and the Community Advocates, Inc., bringing leading voices together to discuss the most pressing issues facing our democracy.

This week Justin talks with Kati Marton. Kati is an author, journalist, and correspondent who has worked with National Public Radio and later with ABC News where she was the bureau chief in Germany. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Times of London, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, and many other publications. She's also published nine books and has served as an advocate for human rights all over the world, including as the chair of the International Women's Health Coalition and on the board of Directors for the International Rescue Committee. You might remember Kati from her first appearance on the podcast for episode 132 when they discussed her book, True Believer: Stalin's Last American Spy. Now she's back to discuss her own life and family. Kati's parents were journalists in Hungary who were both arrested and imprisoned as spies prior to the 1956 revolution. Check out Kati's first appearance in ep 132 here. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1780478/episodes/14395405Connect with Kati:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kati_MartonCheck out Kati's book, Enemies of the People, here.https://a.co/d/4XTcC7lConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Subtack: spycraft101.substack.comFind Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.Support the show

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author Kasia Jaronczyk about her novel, Voices in the Air (Palimpsest Press, 2025).  What would drive women to risk the lives of their children and innocent people to leave their mother country forever? On April 30, 1982, two women and their families hijack a Polish passenger plane flying from Breslau to Warsaw in a bold attempt to escape Martial Law in Communist Poland and find safety in West Berlin. Among the hijackers are a cotton spinner whose husband wants to avoid a long prison sentence, a schoolteacher with a sick daughter, a pregnant fourteen-year-old who has visions of the Virgin Mary, and an ambitious young filmmaker. Inspired by real events, Voices in the Air is told from the point of view of these four women and a stewardess in love with the married pilot. Will they find happiness beyond the Iron Curtain or was the hijacking not worth the risk? Told using traditional narrative and documentary film-style interviews, Voices in the Air follows the main characters' lives before and after the hijacking, and through real-life events as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the fight for women's rights in modern Poland, the Covid pandemic and the refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarus border. A must-read novel exploring ambiguous moral choice, censorship, emigration, fate and regret. Kasia Jaronczyk is a Polish-Canadian writer, artist and microbiologist. She immigrated to Canada at the age of 14. Her debut short story collection Lemons was published in 2017 by Mansfield Press. She is a co-editor of the only anthology of Polish-Canadian short stories Polish(ed): Poland Rooted in Canadian Fiction (Guernica Editions, 2017). Her stories were short-listed for the Bristol Prize 2016 and long-listed for CBC Short Story Prize 2010. She has published in Canadian literary magazines such as TNQ, Room, Prairie Journal, Carousel, The Nashwaak Review, Postscripts to Darkness, and in anthologies Wherever I Find Myself. Essays by Canadian Immigrant Women (Miriam Matejova, Ed. Caitlin Press, April 2017) and The Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology (2016. Vol 9.). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author Kasia Jaronczyk about her novel, Voices in the Air (Palimpsest Press, 2025).  What would drive women to risk the lives of their children and innocent people to leave their mother country forever? On April 30, 1982, two women and their families hijack a Polish passenger plane flying from Breslau to Warsaw in a bold attempt to escape Martial Law in Communist Poland and find safety in West Berlin. Among the hijackers are a cotton spinner whose husband wants to avoid a long prison sentence, a schoolteacher with a sick daughter, a pregnant fourteen-year-old who has visions of the Virgin Mary, and an ambitious young filmmaker. Inspired by real events, Voices in the Air is told from the point of view of these four women and a stewardess in love with the married pilot. Will they find happiness beyond the Iron Curtain or was the hijacking not worth the risk? Told using traditional narrative and documentary film-style interviews, Voices in the Air follows the main characters' lives before and after the hijacking, and through real-life events as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the fight for women's rights in modern Poland, the Covid pandemic and the refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarus border. A must-read novel exploring ambiguous moral choice, censorship, emigration, fate and regret. Kasia Jaronczyk is a Polish-Canadian writer, artist and microbiologist. She immigrated to Canada at the age of 14. Her debut short story collection Lemons was published in 2017 by Mansfield Press. She is a co-editor of the only anthology of Polish-Canadian short stories Polish(ed): Poland Rooted in Canadian Fiction (Guernica Editions, 2017). Her stories were short-listed for the Bristol Prize 2016 and long-listed for CBC Short Story Prize 2010. She has published in Canadian literary magazines such as TNQ, Room, Prairie Journal, Carousel, The Nashwaak Review, Postscripts to Darkness, and in anthologies Wherever I Find Myself. Essays by Canadian Immigrant Women (Miriam Matejova, Ed. Caitlin Press, April 2017) and The Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology (2016. Vol 9.). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

As the Iron Curtain was coming down in Eastern Europe in the 1990s, the gospel was on the move. Many in the “orthodox” churches were spiritually numb; they never read the Bible, never heard the gospel preached, and were, as a consequence, never changed by the Word of the King. But a gospel revival began as the Curtain fell, and those who came to a faith in Christ that transformed them were often mocked. They were called by a nickname called “repenters” for they were marked by soft hearts, their profound grief over their sins, and their willingness to turn from anything, everything, in their whole-hearted embrace of a completely new life as citizens of the Kingdom of God. I wonder if anyone would call us repenters? Let's find out Sunday!

In Shouting Out Loud: Lives of The Raincoats (Da Capo Press, 2025) Audrey Golden traces the history of the iconic band The Raincoats staring of the founding by Art students Gina Birch and Ana da Silva in 1977. Since the release of their seminal early records, the band has been revered by punk, queer, feminist, and indie pop artists alike.The Raincoats reimagined the nature of experimental music and DIY design, and went on to inspire Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and an entire generation of Riot Grrrl and queercore musicians. Shouting Out Loud: Lives of the Raincoats tells this story, which resonates at the heart of late twentieth century radical art, in three distinct lives of the band. In The Raincoats' first life, they recorded three full-length albums now regarded as classics and were the first punk band to play behind the Iron Curtain in Warsaw. Nearly a decade later in 1992, the band's second life took off when Kurt Cobain's love of the band catalyzed their renaissance, and The Raincoats became renowned as 'godmothers of grunge and Riot Grrrl' only to go on hiatus again in 1996. In 2001, The Raincoats reemerged in a third and ongoing iteration marked by performances in art museums such as New York's MoMA, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and London's National Portrait Gallery. The Raincoats have and continue to be a singular phenomenon and influence for so many. Featuring exclusive interviews and never-before-seen images from The Raincoats' archive, Shouting Out Loud is the first biography of this pioneering group of women who paved the way for hundreds of artists who have followed in their footsteps and the must-have account of a legendary band that holds a vital place in twentieth and twenty-first century sonic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In Shouting Out Loud: Lives of The Raincoats (Da Capo Press, 2025) Audrey Golden traces the history of the iconic band The Raincoats staring of the founding by Art students Gina Birch and Ana da Silva in 1977. Since the release of their seminal early records, the band has been revered by punk, queer, feminist, and indie pop artists alike.The Raincoats reimagined the nature of experimental music and DIY design, and went on to inspire Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and an entire generation of Riot Grrrl and queercore musicians. Shouting Out Loud: Lives of the Raincoats tells this story, which resonates at the heart of late twentieth century radical art, in three distinct lives of the band. In The Raincoats' first life, they recorded three full-length albums now regarded as classics and were the first punk band to play behind the Iron Curtain in Warsaw. Nearly a decade later in 1992, the band's second life took off when Kurt Cobain's love of the band catalyzed their renaissance, and The Raincoats became renowned as 'godmothers of grunge and Riot Grrrl' only to go on hiatus again in 1996. In 2001, The Raincoats reemerged in a third and ongoing iteration marked by performances in art museums such as New York's MoMA, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and London's National Portrait Gallery. The Raincoats have and continue to be a singular phenomenon and influence for so many. Featuring exclusive interviews and never-before-seen images from The Raincoats' archive, Shouting Out Loud is the first biography of this pioneering group of women who paved the way for hundreds of artists who have followed in their footsteps and the must-have account of a legendary band that holds a vital place in twentieth and twenty-first century sonic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music

In Shouting Out Loud: Lives of The Raincoats (Da Capo Press, 2025) Audrey Golden traces the history of the iconic band The Raincoats staring of the founding by Art students Gina Birch and Ana da Silva in 1977. Since the release of their seminal early records, the band has been revered by punk, queer, feminist, and indie pop artists alike.The Raincoats reimagined the nature of experimental music and DIY design, and went on to inspire Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and an entire generation of Riot Grrrl and queercore musicians. Shouting Out Loud: Lives of the Raincoats tells this story, which resonates at the heart of late twentieth century radical art, in three distinct lives of the band. In The Raincoats' first life, they recorded three full-length albums now regarded as classics and were the first punk band to play behind the Iron Curtain in Warsaw. Nearly a decade later in 1992, the band's second life took off when Kurt Cobain's love of the band catalyzed their renaissance, and The Raincoats became renowned as 'godmothers of grunge and Riot Grrrl' only to go on hiatus again in 1996. In 2001, The Raincoats reemerged in a third and ongoing iteration marked by performances in art museums such as New York's MoMA, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and London's National Portrait Gallery. The Raincoats have and continue to be a singular phenomenon and influence for so many. Featuring exclusive interviews and never-before-seen images from The Raincoats' archive, Shouting Out Loud is the first biography of this pioneering group of women who paved the way for hundreds of artists who have followed in their footsteps and the must-have account of a legendary band that holds a vital place in twentieth and twenty-first century sonic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

In this follow-up episode, Mark Headley shares his extraordinary experiences within Scientology and the Sea Organization. He recounts being recruited into the Sea Org, working under extreme conditions in Los Angeles, and eventually being promoted to the international headquarters. Mark reveals the demanding nature of life in the Sea Org, including grueling work schedules and minimal pay. He details his unexpected role as a pre-clear for Tom Cruise and provides an inside look at the complicated, often bizarre practices within Scientology. Additionally, Mark discusses David Miscavige's leadership style, the organization's financial strategies, and the differences in how ex-members view life inside and outside of Scientology. This episode is rich with personal anecdotes and critical insights, offering a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one of the world's most controversial organizations.Menu: 00:00 Introduction and Tom Cruise Anecdote00:33 Joining the Sea Org02:07 Promotion to International Headquarters03:34 Tom Cruise's Scientology Training05:37 Car School and Auditing07:54 Meeting with Marty Rathman09:28 Auditing with Tom Cruise20:56 David Miscavige and the IRS Event29:03 Scientology's Financial Exploitation31:57 A Life of Misery and Overwork32:28 The Decision to Escape33:34 The Harsh Reality of Life Inside36:52 The Violent Doctrine of Scientology39:01 Financial Manipulations and Power45:09 The Cult's Financial Strategies55:14 The Aftermath Foundation's MissionFollow Marc's work and podcast at theaftermathfoundation.org and blownforgood.com and on YouTube @TheAftermathFoundation and @blownforgood.Also check out our past episodes with ex-Scientologists Mike Rinder and Claire Headley and Marc's book, Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Keep it classic and cozy this fall—with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code CULTY at MonarchMoney.com in your browser for half off your first year.If you're 21+, head to ViiaHemp.com and use the code CULTY to receive 15% off.Head to Superpower.com to learn more and lock in the special $199 price while it lasts. After you sign up, they'll ask how you heard about them—please make sure to mention A Little Bit Culty to support the show. Whether you're chasing deeper sleep, better focus, or just some peace between your streaming marathons—this is how adults get elevated now. If you're 21 or older, now's your chance to float above the stress—because IndaCloud is giving all new customers 25% off their first order plus free shipping. Just use code CULTY or click the link in the show notes to claim your discount. That's IndaCloud.co.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Audrey Golden in conversation with David Eastaugh https://store.whiterabbitbooks.co.uk/products/shouting-out-loud https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shouting-Out-Loud-Lives-Raincoats/dp/1399624865 Art students Gina Birch and Ana da Silva formed The Raincoats in 1977. Since the release of their seminal early records, the 'godmothers of grunge' have been revered by punk, queer, feminist and indie pop artists alike. The Raincoats reimagined the nature of experimental music and DIY design and went on to inspire Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and an entire generation of Riot Grrrl and queercore musicians. Shouting Out Loud: Lives of the Raincoats tells their astonishing story in three extraordinary lives. In The Raincoats' first life, they recorded three full-length albums now regarded as classics and were the first punk band to play behind the Iron Curtain in Warsaw. Nearly a decade later in 1992, the band's second life took off when Kurt Cobain's love of the band catalysed their renaissance.    

This episode is a conversation between a former member of the Sea Organization, an elite group within the Church of Scientology, and a host, Marc Headley. Part 1 of this discussion covers the former member's experiences in Scientology, including his family's involvement, the numerous relocations during his childhood, and working at Scientology's international base. Marc details the manipulation through family ties, the rigorous daily routine, and the psychological control employed by the organization. It also touches on the controversial beliefs and practices within Scientology, such as the infamous story of Lord Zenu. Moreover, the episode hints at a cliffhanger involving a significant encounter with Tom Cruise, promising more detailed revelations in Part 2. Menu: 00:00 Reunion in Vancouver00:09 Diving into the Book00:28 Life in Scientology03:26 The International Base05:31 The Secret Government Facility06:46 Old Man Gilman's Scam07:16 Scientology's Deceptive Purchases07:55 L. Ron Hubbard's Training Films15:05 Mark's Journey into Scientology20:11 Life in Hollywood22:26 Living the Scientology Way22:57 Childhood in Scientology25:28 Working for Scientology as a Child30:17 The Financial Side of Scientology33:14 Space Opera and Scientology Beliefs34:12 Personal Experiences and Reflections40:24 Family and Social Status in Scientology41:43 Teaser for the Next EpisodeFollow Marc's work and podcast at theaftermathfoundation.org and blownforgood.com and on YouTube @TheAftermathFoundation and @blownforgood. Also check out our past episodes with ex-Scientologists Mike Rinder and Claire Headley and Marc's book, Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mary Clayton Crow's life has been marked by radical generosity from the very beginning. After coming to faith in the Jesus Movement of the 70s, Mary Clayton's parents freely shared all they had while living in community with other Believers, regularly opening their home to missionaries, and eventually becoming missionaries themselves behind the Iron Curtain. This model of radical generosity set a strong foundation for Mary Clayton's adult life as she lives to “give generously, expecting nothing in return.”   Mary Clayton has a rich passion for relational, spontaneous generosity, often giving away personal items admired by others as a way to express God's love while resisting the trap of materialism. She is also passionate about collaborative giving, and takes part in several giving communities that invest in local ministries, not only with their finances, but with their time and talents as well.   Major Topics Include: Making generosity your own Being stretched and challenged in generosity Wrestling the “elder brother” mentality What does it really mean to expect nothing in return? A Lenten generosity challenge Resisting materialism with generosity  Modeling generosity to your family The power of community giving to local ministries  Guarding against generosity burnout Hearing from the Holy Spirit through other people Creating a visual reminder to give generously QUOTES TO REMEMBER “You can never outgive God. It's going to come back to you 10-fold, 20-fold, 30-fold, 100-fold. And it may not be in dollars and cents, but it will be in joy.” “I love generosity because it makes sharing the gospel so easy.” “Expecting nothing in return means releasing the result and putting it in the Lord's hand.” “We need to detach ourselves from things owning us so we can be stewards of the things God has given us.” “Generous tipping is one of the easiest ways to be an evangelist.” “I'm excited to chase God.” “I'm looking forward to God disrupting my life for new adventures.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Julie Wilson, President of Women Doing Well (see our past interview here) Young Life One Hundred Shares The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Luke 21:3-4 | The Widow's Offering   And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”   John 3:16 | The Ultimate Giver   “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.   Luke 15:11-32 | The Prodigal Son   Matthew 20:1-16 | The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

Are we in a religious revival? Peggy Noonan’s piece “Charlie Kirk and the New Christian GOP” from The Wall Street Journal. Evangelical support for Western values and Israel. A clip from President Reagan speaking about the joy of knowing God, praying for those who were trapped behind the Iron Curtain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As hostilities behind the Iron Curtain worsened, a large number of Soviet Jews began to apply for exit visas, most commonly to Israel. Most of these applications came from Jews living in territories in the Western part of the Soviet Union, including regions annexed during World War II. The vast majority of these applications were denied, giving rise to the plight of the Refuseniks. Narrated by Rebecca Naomi Jones and featuring Gemma R. Birnbaum, executive director of the American Jewish Historical Society. Image: From the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews collection at AJHS, P-906. The Wreckage is made possible by funding from the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided through the American Jewish Education Program, generously supported by Sid and Ruth Lapidus.

Smuggling bibles into the Communist East Bloc of Europe was a high stakes game back in the 1970s and 1980s. Back then, many Christians in the West had no clue that fellow believers under authoritarian regimes were actively persecuted for their faith. Some Christians did, however.A handful even took it upon themselves to try and help those suffering under Communism, by getting them Bibles and Christian literature.“Thomas” was one of those Western Christians taking risks to help the Persecuted Church. He and a small band of believers ran smuggling routes to equip and encourage the faithful. This is a part of Christian history that far too few know about. But the growing cultural pressures today resemble the authoritarian pressures endured by Christians under Communist regimes during the Cold War.So it's critical we ramp up our knowledge of this historical era. That is precisely why Thomas joined this episode of the Christian Emergency Podcast. Thomas relates his experience taking risks to help the faithful. Those risks eventually led to real costs, including jail time.A costly faith is what Christians need to ponder today. How can you respond to growing cultural pressures? What lessons can you take away from the believers who ran bibles behind the Iron Curtain? How can we collectively play small roles to help the Church stand? Listen in and learn fascinating insights relevant for today's challenges.If you find this episode helpful, please giveus a positive rating and review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also share this episode with a friend so they too can be blessed by these insights.To learn more about resources mentioned in this episode, see the following.Tripping: The True Story of Bible Smugglers inGermany, by Thomas Henderson (book)Christian Emergency Alliance (Website)Christian Emergency Alliance (Twitter / X):@ChristianEmerg1Christian Emergency Alliance (Facebook):@ChristianEmergencyChristian Emergency Alliance (Instagram)The Christian Emergency Podcast is aproduction of the Christian Emergency Alliance.Soli Deo Gloria

In this episode of American Potential, host David From sits down with Marlena Pavlos-Hackney, who grew up under the weight of communist rule in Poland before finding freedom and opportunity in America. She shares vivid memories of empty store shelves, ration cards, and the solidarity movement that helped bring down the Iron Curtain—experiences that instilled in her a deep appreciation for liberty. Marlena eventually built her American dream, opening a restaurant in Michigan and serving her community for decades. But in 2020, government lockdown orders threatened to take it all away. Rather than close her doors, she chose to resist mandates she believed echoed the heavy hand of the regime she left behind. In part one of her powerful story, Marlena reflects on her journey from surviving communism to defying destructive COVID restrictions in defense of freedom.

Irina Nistor worked as a translator of TV programs in Romania under the Communist regime, and is known for secretly voicing over thousands of banned movie titles on VHS tapes smuggled in from the West in the four years between 1985 and the revolution. She was reckeoned to be the 2nd most famous voice in Romania after the Communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu. In a basement with two TVs, a VCR, and a microphone, she voiced four to six films a night, from Doctor Zhivago to cartoons her children watched. Though distribution was handled by her recruiter, Teodor Zamfir, her Romanian-language voice overs spread across the country, reaching crowded living rooms where families gathered around rare VHS players. These films offered Romanians a forbidden glimpse of life beyond the Iron Curtain—stories free of ideology, filled with possibility and freedom. While her precise role in communism's fall is immeasurable, Nistor's voice became one of defiance, opening a window to the wider world and inspiring hope under Ceaușescu's repressive regime. Related episodes: Childhood Memories of the 1989 Romanian Revolution https://pod.fo/e/2d696e Cold War, Warm Hearts – Hitchhiking behind the 1960s Iron Curtain https://pod.fo/e/2098ae A Childhood under the eye of the Secret Police https://pod.fo/e/a4730 My life laid bare through secret police files https://pod.fo/e/12e45f A Hungarian childhood in Cold War Romania https://pod.fo/e/1190aa Escaping from Cold War Romania https://pod.fo/e/11ad63 Emanuela – a Cold War Romanian Childhood https://pod.fo/e/f0376 Reporting the 1989 Romanian Revolution https://pod.fo/e/1ea8c Episode extras ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode419/⁠ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love history? Join Intohistory ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Closing out What the Hell's summer book series, we offer a timely reminder of the value of free speech and critical thinking from a time when it wasn't taken for granted. Charlie English discusses his book, The CIA Book Club: The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature (Random House, 2025). Charlie chronicles George Minden's 1980s covert intelligence operation that smuggled literature into Poland from beyond the Iron Curtain. From its Manhattan headquarters, Minden's “book club” secretly sent ten million banned titles into the East and combated communist censorship, creating a vibrant culture in Poland that would outlast the toppled Soviet regime. What is the value of printed word in our society? Can ideas beat out on the battlefield? Charlie reminds us they can.Charlie English is a London-based non-fiction writer and the author of three internationally acclaimed books. He has appeared on NPR, the BBC and Channel 4, written for numerous newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Independent, and given talks at Hay, Jaipur and the Royal Geographical Society, where he is a fellow. Formerly, he was Head of International News at Guardian News and Media.Find The CIA Book Club: The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature here.Find the transcript here.

A sinister house in Prague hides many dark secrets. Delta Green sends Marcus Abrams and several other agents through a secret path under the Iron Curtain. They find a lair filled with abominations and occult power. Can they find its secrets and survive its dangers?

Today, legendary singer, songwriter, and friend of Israel, Pat Boone, joins me to talk about Pat's life and work—and his role in helping launch The Fellowship onto the national stage.Join us as Pat discuss his important bond with my father, Fellowship Founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, of blessed memory—a friendship that dates back to the early 1990s. After the Iron Curtain fell, my abba approached Pat and asked him to co-host a program, appealing for Christians to help fund the freeing and transporting of Russian Jews to Israel. Pat didn't hesitate, and the Christian community immediately responded with an outpouring of donations and support. It's a partnership and friendship that has only grown over the years!Join me and Pat Boone as we discuss this lasting friendship and Pat's love for Israel and The Fellowship.