Podcasts about lyndon johnson

In Episode 14 of the Noss Gold Treasure, the investigation shifts to the early 1970s as President Richard Nixon positions himself to gain access to the vast fortune hidden inside Victorio Peak. The episode explores a pivotal July 6, 1970 meeting at Nixon's Western White House in San Clemente, California, where geologist Keith Alexander—representing a coalition of treasure hunters known as the "Filthy 50"—met with Nixon and Domestic Affairs Advisor John Ehrlichman. Alexander revealed secret knowledge of 742 gold bars weighing 40 to 50 pounds each (totaling over 3 million troy ounces) stockpiled at White Sands, seeking executive immunity and an official agreement to monetize the gold through the U.S. Mint.Three days after the San Clemente meeting, Ehrlichman dispatched a personal memorandum to Treasury Secretary David M. Kennedy inquiring how the group could legally recover and sell the treasure. On July 17, 1970, Secretary Kennedy responded with an accommodating roadmap, noting that no federal license was required to search for or possess buried treasure, while proposing a 50/50 split with the government based on the prior Fort Huachuca precedent. However, when Kennedy proved too rigid regarding strict regulatory compliance, Nixon replaced him on February 11, 1971, with former Texas Governor John Connally—a close associate of Lyndon B. Johnson and an alleged co-incorporator of the LaRue Corporation, an entity formed in 1967 to manage and launder Victorio Peak gold proceeds.The episode then unpacks one of the most consequential economic maneuvers in modern American history: Nixon's live televised address on Sunday, August 15, 1971, closing the gold window and ending the direct convertibility of U.S. dollars into gold. By dismantling the Bretton Woods monetary system, Nixon eliminated international audits and physical reserve accountability, effectively creating a systemic blind spot where missing national reserves or illicitly extracted military gold could no longer be tracked or audited.Connecting internal White House memorandums, Treasury Department correspondence, corporate records, and Watergate-era disclosures, Episode 14 details how Nixon installed key gatekeepers and altered global monetary policy to set the stage for the massive thefts that followed. From San Clemente to the Oval Office, this episode exposes how presidential authority and monetary policy intersected with the covert plundering of America's most controversial treasure. Join us for this latest episode as we tell the story so well documented by  author John Clarence.

In 1958, Air Force Captain Leonard Fiege, Airman Tom Berlett, and civilian Bill Schriever entered a cave at Victoria Peak, discovering massive, pyramid-shaped stacks of gold bars stamped with Spanish double crosses alongside the remains of 29 human skeletons. Choosing to act honorably and follow proper legal procedures rather than stealing the gold, Fiege and Berlett left the cave untouched. They subsequently hired senior Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps colonels to form "The Seven Heirs" corporation to legally assert their rights as the discoverers of the treasure.Seeking official permission to complete their recovery, the airmen presented their findings in Washington, D.C., leading the U.S. Secret Service to administer federal polygraph examinations to both Fiege and Berlett on September 5, 1961. Both officers passed without any indication of deception, providing official, government-verified proof that the massive gold cache inside Victoria Peak was real. However, instead of granting legal access, Secret Service Agent Lilburn "Pat" Boggs issued a chilling warning directly to Captain Fiji: "The government will never let you get to the gold".Behind the scenes, federal authorities were already executing a covert extraction. Transcribed phone calls from July 31, 1961, between White Sands Commander Major General John Shinkle, Leland Howard of the U.S. Mint, and Agent Boggs reveal a top-secret military operation set for August 1, 1961, to excavate and seize the gold while strictly barring Fiji and Berlett from the base. Shortly after, a special Pentagon team led by Captain William Orby Swanner inspected, photographed, and inventoried the gold, allegedly shipping portions to Fort Knox without any official public accounting or receiving records.The aftermath exposed a ruthless cover-up designed to erase the discovery and silence all witnesses. Base photographer Charles Abston later recalled seeing General Shinkle personally using a forklift to load heavy, sealed containers into a moving van prior to transferring commands, while Captain Fiji and his family endured decades of relentless death threats whenever he attempted to go public. Episode 12 lays bare how federal agencies used lie detector technology to confirm the reality of the Victoria Peak treasure—only to secretly steal it and threaten the service members who found it.

This week's episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' “Parsing Immigration Policy” podcast features Nicolas Pouvreau-Monti, co-founder and executive director of the French immigration think tank L'Observatoire de l'Immigration et de la Démographie (OID), discussing how record immigration, failed assimilation, and growing public frustration have made immigration the dominant political issue in France ahead of next year's presidential election.The discussion examines immigration's demographic, economic, and cultural impacts on France, as well as the emergence of OID as one of the country's leading sources of non-partisan immigration research at a time when immigration has become the central issue in French politics.Founded just three years ago by six co-founders concerned about France's migration crisis, OID was established to fill what Monti describes as a void in public debate by providing reliable data, research, and analysis on immigration.Among the topics discussed:France's foreign-born population has reached a historic high, with immigration increasingly originating from outside Europe.Why most French citizens support lower immigration levels, yet government policy has largely failed to respond.The economic effects of large-scale immigration, including workforce participation, welfare spending, and pressure on public services.France's retreat from assimilation and the challenges of integrating immigrants from culturally distinct regions.Why immigration is expected to be the defining issue in France's 2027 presidential election.Monti is the author of the award-winning book Immigration, Mythes et Réalités, which challenges common claims about immigration using demographic and economic data. OID is a member of the International Network for Immigration Research (INIR), joining the Center for Immigration Studies and other partner organizations in the United States, Israel, and Hungary.In his commentary, Krikorian, the Center's executive director, introduces new CIS Fellow Mahvash Siddiqui, a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer. Siddiqui's first analyses for the Center examine industrialized fraud in the H-1B visa program, based on her experience as a consular officer, and a recent federal court decision striking down the Trump administration's $100,000 entry fee for H-1B visa holders .HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestNicolas Pouvreau-Monti is the co-founder and executive director of the French immigration think tank L'Observatoire de l'Immigration et de la Démographie (OID).LinksL'Observatoire de l'Immigration et de la DémographieImmigration, Mythes et RéalitésMahvash SiddiquiIntro Voices in the opening montage:Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

SCHEDULE FOR THE JBS, 7-23-20261950 ONTARIO WILDFIREEvan Ellis examines Mexico's economy, increasingly integrated into the American market and moving beyond oil into diverse manufacturing sectors. Despite Trump administration objections to the USMCA, the treaty includes provisions requiring a ten-year exit process. Current negotiations reflect tensions over Chinese inputs, automotive tariffs, and labor standards. President Claudia Sheinbaum manages these diplomatic challenges while cooperating with the US on extradition, drug lab seizures, and stemming illegal immigration through Mexican territory. (1)Evan Ellis reports Cuba faces a severe humanitarian crisis with failing electricity, yet the communist regime maintains tight control. A recent State Department report labels Cuba the "capital of 21st-century communism," citing its subversion of Latin American democracies and involvement in left-wing political terrorism. Meanwhile, in Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have officially abolished future elections, claiming the opposition seeks to "capture power" through voting. This moves the country toward becoming a "hermit kingdom." (2)Evan Ellis notes former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández returned to Honduras following a pardon by President Trump, despite previous US convictions for cocaine trafficking. In Venezuela, the US has collected over $13 billion in oil revenue, yet economic recovery remains muted following recent earthquakes. The lack of transparency regarding these funds raises concerns about their management under the Rodríguez regime. Simultaneously, Colombia's new leader faces the challenge of dismantling entrenched cocaine cartels. (3)Evan Ellis surveys Brazil's high-stakes election, with Lula da Silva currently leading Flavio Bolsonaro in polling. New 25% US tariffs threaten nearly 26% of Brazil's exports, totaling $15 billion in goods. Tensions rise as the Supreme Courtblocks high-profile visitors like Argentina's Javier Milei from meeting the elder Bolsonaro. Many Brazilians believe the elder Bolsonaro's influence triggered these punitive trade measures, while the military remains the largest force in South America. (4)Kaitlyn Tiffany recounts how, following JFK's assassination, Lyndon Johnson convened the Warren Commission to consolidate intelligence from the FBI, CIA, and Dallas police. The commission included controversial figures like Allen Dulles and Gerald Ford, the latter of whom clandestinely back-channeled with the FBI. Chief Justice Earl Warren was reluctant to serve, fearing the political nature of the committee and its impact on the American image. Critically, the commission lacked its own independent investigative staff. (5)Kaitlyn Tiffany describes how FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover quickly established the "lone gunman" theory, asserting Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots from the Texas School Book Depository. However, Shirley Martin, a grieving Oklahoma housewife, began independently investigating the case and badgering the FBI with tips. Her relentless correspondence frustrated Hoover, who viewed her as a nuisance to the bureau's formal investigation. Martin interviewed overlooked witnesses in Dallas and became a key critic of the official narrative. (6)Kaitlyn Tiffany profiles Sylvia Meagher, a World Health Organization secretary who became obsessed with the disorganization of the Warren Commission's evidence. Drawing on professional experience, she created a comprehensive index for the commission's twenty-six volumes of supplementary materials. Meagher was particularly suspicious of Dallas security lapses, having witnessed heads of state protected at the UN. She joined other women, including wealthy soprano Maggie Field, in scrutinizing photographic evidence and government claims. (7)Kaitlyn Tiffany describes the 1965 gathering of independent researchers known as "warologists" at Sylvia Meagher's apartment to discuss missing pieces of the JFK investigation. While they allied with lawyer Mark Lane, they grew frustrated with his territorial and inaccurate behavior. The group was also wary of Marguerite Oswald, who insisted on her son's innocence but was demanding and unpredictable. They focused on inconsistencies in eyewitness testimony and the implausible "magic bullet" theory. (8)Kaitlyn Tiffany notes that by 1966, the media labeled these researchers as "housewives" to dismiss their work, describing them as a "keening pack of speculators." Central to their dissent was the "magic bullet" theory, which claimed a single pristine projectile caused multiple wounds in both JFK and Governor Connally. Dissenters highlighted the bullet's lack of deformation and the FBI's initial reports of a non-exiting back wound. They also investigated the Grassy Knoll for additional shooters. (9)Kaitlyn Tiffany recounts District Attorney Jim Garrison's 1967 high-profile investigation into a New Orleans-based conspiracy to kill the president. He targeted Clay Shaw, alleging a mysterious, powerful figure orchestrated the plot. While some researchers supported Garrison for his willingness to investigate, others like Sylvia Meagher felt he was reckless with facts and self-serving. The investigation ultimately failed with a not-guilty verdict, causing a permanent rift within the community of critics. (10)Kaitlyn Tiffany relates how personal tragedy struck Shirley Martin when her daughter died in a car accident, effectively ending her research. In 1977, the House Select Committee on Assassinations reopened the case, initially concluding a fourth shot from the Grassy Knoll indicated a "probable conspiracy." This finding was based on a police motorcycle radio recording analyzed by scientists. However, later analysis revealed the recording was made after the shooting, causing the conspiracy evidence to crumble. (11)Kaitlyn Tiffany tours modern-day Dallas, a strange mix of somber memorials and pop-culture commercialization of the assassination. Visitors can tour Ruth Paine's house or the rooming house where Oswald lived, which plays As the World Turns on a loop. While some local businesses sell "magic bullet coffee," the Sixth Floor Museum provides a staged look at the sniper's perch. Extensive archives of the critics' work are preserved at Hood College and the Mary Ferrell Foundation. (12)Anatol Lieven warns the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are converging into a global energy crisis, with refined oil products like diesel in short supply. Ukrainian drone attacks have severely damaged Russia's refining capacity, while US refineries struggle to keep pace. Leadership instability in Kyiv, including the dismissal of the defense minister, further complicates the war effort. Meanwhile, Houthi threats against Saudi tankers jeopardize the world's ability to secure reliable oil exports. (13)Anatol Lieven assesses new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who faces a country demanding increased spending on health, prisons, and defense despite rising debt costs. While popular for his management of Manchester's transport system, he must navigate radical tax proposals targeting millionaires to raise revenue. Burnham is under pressure to resolve the "net zero" debate and potentially expand North Sea fracking to lower energy prices. He remains wary of reopening the divisive Brexit debate. (14)Anatoly Zak recounts the July 1976 Soviet launch of the Salyut 5 mission, a secret military reconnaissance project camouflaged as civilian research. The mission, dubbed the "Keystone Cosmonauts," was plagued by accidents, including a truck blocking a fuel train and a failed automated docking system. Onboard, the crew faced extreme stress, power failures, and a mysterious illness that incapacitated one cosmonaut. These failures forced an emergency landing and a premature end to the expedition. (15)Anatoly Zak reports Roscosmos is currently developing the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) to replace its segment of the International Space Station after retirement. This modular station is intended to test hardware for future lunar exploration, including a habitat module similar to the American Gateway project. Russia still hopes for potential international cooperation with NASA and the ESA in lunar orbit. The ROS will typically host two to three cosmonauts for long-term deep space validation missions. (16)Corrections applied, pending your confirmation for the log: Kaitlyn Tiffany (transcribed as "Caitlin" — the Atlanticwriter), Anatoly Zak (transcribed as "Anatoli" — his own byline spelling at RussianSpaceWeb), and Allen Dulles in segment 5 (transcribed as "Alan").

Kaitlyn Tiffany recounts how, following JFK's assassination, Lyndon Johnson convened the Warren Commission to consolidate intelligence from the FBI, CIA, and Dallas police. The commission included controversial figures like Allen Dulles and Gerald Ford, the latter of whom clandestinely back-channeled with the FBI. Chief Justice Earl Warren was reluctant to serve, fearing the political nature of the committee and its impact on the American image. Critically, the commission lacked its own independent investigative staff. (5)1961

Julia Azari, Professor of Political Science at Marquette University, has a new, award-winning[*] book centering on the connection between race and the American presidency, specifically in the reaction to presidents who made progress on the issue of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents: From Transformative to Reactionary Leaders in American History focuses on four different periods in American political history and a number of different presidential administrations including: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. Race and the American presidency are not usually topics that are looped together, and this is also part of the point that Azari is making in the book, since presidents often try to elide racial politics and policy issues. Race is also not usually connected to presidential impeachments, but this is yet another key point that Azari raises, connecting racial progress, the backlash responses, and the subsequent impeachments. In noting these connections, Azari threads examples over time where presidents directly confronted race in American politics, working towards more racial equality, and how these efforts also prompt a backlash response. The key case studies in Backlash Presidents are Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War in the 1860s, Lyndon Johnson's efforts in the 1960s in regard to the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, as well as anti-poverty legislation, and finally Barack Obama as the first Black president of the United States, which was both symbolic and structural. Backlash Presidents traces not only the progress made during these administrations, but also the responses that followed in the subsequent administrations. It is these next administrations, of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump, where each of these presidents were either impeached or were about to be impeached, and how this dynamic pulls together a variety of different threads to help us to understand presidential politics, institutional development, and American political history all in context of the question of race. Azari's research is connected to the idea of political time, but with the important addition of pulling out the problem of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents contributes to our thinking about not only the time and context of presidents and their administrations, but also to thinking about what it is that presidents do to politics itself. Part of this analysis also interrogates populism, positioning these movements within the context of racial backlash, while also building out the understanding of the president's position within his own party, especially during these fraught periods. In each of the key examples, Azari highlights the ways in which Johnson, Nixon, and Trump were outsiders to what was going on inside their parties—in each case the Republican Party at the time—and how these shifting partisan foundations opened up different kinds of vulnerabilities for these presidents. In each of the case studies, there is also the discussion of the role that the U.S. Congress plays, since they are the actors who move towards impeaching and trying the president. Members of the House of Representatives need to move beyond constraints in order to impeach a president, and in these instances, they have concluded that the president is not correct in some basic and meaningful way, that the president is not upholding his oath of office, and is also undermining the forward movement on race and racial equality. Backlash Presidents: From Transformation to Reactionary Leaders in American History is a deeply researched analysis, with important historical context and details to help flesh out the particular time period under consideration. The examination is further complicated and built out with important understandings of party politics in the United States, and how president fits into their political party, or may be seen as an outsider. Racial dynamics in the United States undergirds the entire theory, and helps us see the tensions within partisan politics, presidential politics, and American democracy. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume I: The Infinity Saga (University Press of Kansas, 2022), and of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume II: Into the Multiverse (University Press of Kansas, 2025) as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social [*] The Presidents and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association awarded Backlash Presidents the 2025 Richard E. Neustadt Best Book Award, given for the best book on executive politics published during the year. 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

Julia Azari, Professor of Political Science at Marquette University, has a new, award-winning[*] book centering on the connection between race and the American presidency, specifically in the reaction to presidents who made progress on the issue of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents: From Transformative to Reactionary Leaders in American History focuses on four different periods in American political history and a number of different presidential administrations including: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. Race and the American presidency are not usually topics that are looped together, and this is also part of the point that Azari is making in the book, since presidents often try to elide racial politics and policy issues. Race is also not usually connected to presidential impeachments, but this is yet another key point that Azari raises, connecting racial progress, the backlash responses, and the subsequent impeachments. In noting these connections, Azari threads examples over time where presidents directly confronted race in American politics, working towards more racial equality, and how these efforts also prompt a backlash response. The key case studies in Backlash Presidents are Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War in the 1860s, Lyndon Johnson's efforts in the 1960s in regard to the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, as well as anti-poverty legislation, and finally Barack Obama as the first Black president of the United States, which was both symbolic and structural. Backlash Presidents traces not only the progress made during these administrations, but also the responses that followed in the subsequent administrations. It is these next administrations, of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump, where each of these presidents were either impeached or were about to be impeached, and how this dynamic pulls together a variety of different threads to help us to understand presidential politics, institutional development, and American political history all in context of the question of race. Azari's research is connected to the idea of political time, but with the important addition of pulling out the problem of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents contributes to our thinking about not only the time and context of presidents and their administrations, but also to thinking about what it is that presidents do to politics itself. Part of this analysis also interrogates populism, positioning these movements within the context of racial backlash, while also building out the understanding of the president's position within his own party, especially during these fraught periods. In each of the key examples, Azari highlights the ways in which Johnson, Nixon, and Trump were outsiders to what was going on inside their parties—in each case the Republican Party at the time—and how these shifting partisan foundations opened up different kinds of vulnerabilities for these presidents. In each of the case studies, there is also the discussion of the role that the U.S. Congress plays, since they are the actors who move towards impeaching and trying the president. Members of the House of Representatives need to move beyond constraints in order to impeach a president, and in these instances, they have concluded that the president is not correct in some basic and meaningful way, that the president is not upholding his oath of office, and is also undermining the forward movement on race and racial equality. Backlash Presidents: From Transformation to Reactionary Leaders in American History is a deeply researched analysis, with important historical context and details to help flesh out the particular time period under consideration. The examination is further complicated and built out with important understandings of party politics in the United States, and how president fits into their political party, or may be seen as an outsider. Racial dynamics in the United States undergirds the entire theory, and helps us see the tensions within partisan politics, presidential politics, and American democracy. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume I: The Infinity Saga (University Press of Kansas, 2022), and of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume II: Into the Multiverse (University Press of Kansas, 2025) as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social [*] The Presidents and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association awarded Backlash Presidents the 2025 Richard E. Neustadt Best Book Award, given for the best book on executive politics published during the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

This week's episode of Parsing Immigration Policy is a rebroadcast of a recent installment of the Center's Immigration Newsmaker series featuring the White House Border Czar Tom Homan.In the interview hosted by Center Executive Director Mark Krikorian, Homan discusses the recent pause in traffic stops, the administration's enforcement priorities, recent record-setting ICE arrests, sanctuary jurisdictions, and the future of mass deportations.A highlight of the conversation is Homan's proposal to dramatically expand I-9 inspections by creating a centralized operation staffed by contractors to conduct large-scale audits. Rather than relying exclusively on armed Homeland Security Investigations agents to review employment records, Homan argues that contractors could identify criminal and administrative violations and refer those cases to investigators — freeing agents to focus on criminal investigations and enforcement operations.In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian discusses a regulatory change that will end the Department of Homeland Security's “duration of status” policy for F, J, and I nonimmigrant classifications.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestTom Homan is the White House Border Czar.LinksImmigration Newsmaker Press ReleaseImmigration Newsmaker Videommigration Newsmaker TranscriptImmigration Newsmaker SeriesDHS Ends ‘Duration of Status' for Students, Exchange Visitors, and Foreign MediaIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Julia Azari, Professor of Political Science at Marquette University, has a new, award-winning[*] book centering on the connection between race and the American presidency, specifically in the reaction to presidents who made progress on the issue of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents: From Transformative to Reactionary Leaders in American History focuses on four different periods in American political history and a number of different presidential administrations including: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. Race and the American presidency are not usually topics that are looped together, and this is also part of the point that Azari is making in the book, since presidents often try to elide racial politics and policy issues. Race is also not usually connected to presidential impeachments, but this is yet another key point that Azari raises, connecting racial progress, the backlash responses, and the subsequent impeachments. In noting these connections, Azari threads examples over time where presidents directly confronted race in American politics, working towards more racial equality, and how these efforts also prompt a backlash response. The key case studies in Backlash Presidents are Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War in the 1860s, Lyndon Johnson's efforts in the 1960s in regard to the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, as well as anti-poverty legislation, and finally Barack Obama as the first Black president of the United States, which was both symbolic and structural. Backlash Presidents traces not only the progress made during these administrations, but also the responses that followed in the subsequent administrations. It is these next administrations, of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump, where each of these presidents were either impeached or were about to be impeached, and how this dynamic pulls together a variety of different threads to help us to understand presidential politics, institutional development, and American political history all in context of the question of race. Azari's research is connected to the idea of political time, but with the important addition of pulling out the problem of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents contributes to our thinking about not only the time and context of presidents and their administrations, but also to thinking about what it is that presidents do to politics itself. Part of this analysis also interrogates populism, positioning these movements within the context of racial backlash, while also building out the understanding of the president's position within his own party, especially during these fraught periods. In each of the key examples, Azari highlights the ways in which Johnson, Nixon, and Trump were outsiders to what was going on inside their parties—in each case the Republican Party at the time—and how these shifting partisan foundations opened up different kinds of vulnerabilities for these presidents. In each of the case studies, there is also the discussion of the role that the U.S. Congress plays, since they are the actors who move towards impeaching and trying the president. Members of the House of Representatives need to move beyond constraints in order to impeach a president, and in these instances, they have concluded that the president is not correct in some basic and meaningful way, that the president is not upholding his oath of office, and is also undermining the forward movement on race and racial equality. Backlash Presidents: From Transformation to Reactionary Leaders in American History is a deeply researched analysis, with important historical context and details to help flesh out the particular time period under consideration. The examination is further complicated and built out with important understandings of party politics in the United States, and how president fits into their political party, or may be seen as an outsider. Racial dynamics in the United States undergirds the entire theory, and helps us see the tensions within partisan politics, presidential politics, and American democracy. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume I: The Infinity Saga (University Press of Kansas, 2022), and of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume II: Into the Multiverse (University Press of Kansas, 2025) as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social [*] The Presidents and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association awarded Backlash Presidents the 2025 Richard E. Neustadt Best Book Award, given for the best book on executive politics published during the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Julia Azari, Professor of Political Science at Marquette University, has a new, award-winning[*] book centering on the connection between race and the American presidency, specifically in the reaction to presidents who made progress on the issue of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents: From Transformative to Reactionary Leaders in American History focuses on four different periods in American political history and a number of different presidential administrations including: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. Race and the American presidency are not usually topics that are looped together, and this is also part of the point that Azari is making in the book, since presidents often try to elide racial politics and policy issues. Race is also not usually connected to presidential impeachments, but this is yet another key point that Azari raises, connecting racial progress, the backlash responses, and the subsequent impeachments. In noting these connections, Azari threads examples over time where presidents directly confronted race in American politics, working towards more racial equality, and how these efforts also prompt a backlash response. The key case studies in Backlash Presidents are Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War in the 1860s, Lyndon Johnson's efforts in the 1960s in regard to the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, as well as anti-poverty legislation, and finally Barack Obama as the first Black president of the United States, which was both symbolic and structural. Backlash Presidents traces not only the progress made during these administrations, but also the responses that followed in the subsequent administrations. It is these next administrations, of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump, where each of these presidents were either impeached or were about to be impeached, and how this dynamic pulls together a variety of different threads to help us to understand presidential politics, institutional development, and American political history all in context of the question of race. Azari's research is connected to the idea of political time, but with the important addition of pulling out the problem of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents contributes to our thinking about not only the time and context of presidents and their administrations, but also to thinking about what it is that presidents do to politics itself. Part of this analysis also interrogates populism, positioning these movements within the context of racial backlash, while also building out the understanding of the president's position within his own party, especially during these fraught periods. In each of the key examples, Azari highlights the ways in which Johnson, Nixon, and Trump were outsiders to what was going on inside their parties—in each case the Republican Party at the time—and how these shifting partisan foundations opened up different kinds of vulnerabilities for these presidents. In each of the case studies, there is also the discussion of the role that the U.S. Congress plays, since they are the actors who move towards impeaching and trying the president. Members of the House of Representatives need to move beyond constraints in order to impeach a president, and in these instances, they have concluded that the president is not correct in some basic and meaningful way, that the president is not upholding his oath of office, and is also undermining the forward movement on race and racial equality. Backlash Presidents: From Transformation to Reactionary Leaders in American History is a deeply researched analysis, with important historical context and details to help flesh out the particular time period under consideration. The examination is further complicated and built out with important understandings of party politics in the United States, and how president fits into their political party, or may be seen as an outsider. Racial dynamics in the United States undergirds the entire theory, and helps us see the tensions within partisan politics, presidential politics, and American democracy. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume I: The Infinity Saga (University Press of Kansas, 2022), and of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume II: Into the Multiverse (University Press of Kansas, 2025) as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social [*] The Presidents and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association awarded Backlash Presidents the 2025 Richard E. Neustadt Best Book Award, given for the best book on executive politics published during the year.

Julia Azari, Professor of Political Science at Marquette University, has a new, award-winning[*] book centering on the connection between race and the American presidency, specifically in the reaction to presidents who made progress on the issue of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents: From Transformative to Reactionary Leaders in American History focuses on four different periods in American political history and a number of different presidential administrations including: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. Race and the American presidency are not usually topics that are looped together, and this is also part of the point that Azari is making in the book, since presidents often try to elide racial politics and policy issues. Race is also not usually connected to presidential impeachments, but this is yet another key point that Azari raises, connecting racial progress, the backlash responses, and the subsequent impeachments. In noting these connections, Azari threads examples over time where presidents directly confronted race in American politics, working towards more racial equality, and how these efforts also prompt a backlash response. The key case studies in Backlash Presidents are Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War in the 1860s, Lyndon Johnson's efforts in the 1960s in regard to the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, as well as anti-poverty legislation, and finally Barack Obama as the first Black president of the United States, which was both symbolic and structural. Backlash Presidents traces not only the progress made during these administrations, but also the responses that followed in the subsequent administrations. It is these next administrations, of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump, where each of these presidents were either impeached or were about to be impeached, and how this dynamic pulls together a variety of different threads to help us to understand presidential politics, institutional development, and American political history all in context of the question of race. Azari's research is connected to the idea of political time, but with the important addition of pulling out the problem of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents contributes to our thinking about not only the time and context of presidents and their administrations, but also to thinking about what it is that presidents do to politics itself. Part of this analysis also interrogates populism, positioning these movements within the context of racial backlash, while also building out the understanding of the president's position within his own party, especially during these fraught periods. In each of the key examples, Azari highlights the ways in which Johnson, Nixon, and Trump were outsiders to what was going on inside their parties—in each case the Republican Party at the time—and how these shifting partisan foundations opened up different kinds of vulnerabilities for these presidents. In each of the case studies, there is also the discussion of the role that the U.S. Congress plays, since they are the actors who move towards impeaching and trying the president. Members of the House of Representatives need to move beyond constraints in order to impeach a president, and in these instances, they have concluded that the president is not correct in some basic and meaningful way, that the president is not upholding his oath of office, and is also undermining the forward movement on race and racial equality. Backlash Presidents: From Transformation to Reactionary Leaders in American History is a deeply researched analysis, with important historical context and details to help flesh out the particular time period under consideration. The examination is further complicated and built out with important understandings of party politics in the United States, and how president fits into their political party, or may be seen as an outsider. Racial dynamics in the United States undergirds the entire theory, and helps us see the tensions within partisan politics, presidential politics, and American democracy. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume I: The Infinity Saga (University Press of Kansas, 2022), and of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume II: Into the Multiverse (University Press of Kansas, 2025) as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social [*] The Presidents and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association awarded Backlash Presidents the 2025 Richard E. Neustadt Best Book Award, given for the best book on executive politics published during the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Azari, Professor of Political Science at Marquette University, has a new, award-winning[*] book centering on the connection between race and the American presidency, specifically in the reaction to presidents who made progress on the issue of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents: From Transformative to Reactionary Leaders in American History focuses on four different periods in American political history and a number of different presidential administrations including: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. Race and the American presidency are not usually topics that are looped together, and this is also part of the point that Azari is making in the book, since presidents often try to elide racial politics and policy issues. Race is also not usually connected to presidential impeachments, but this is yet another key point that Azari raises, connecting racial progress, the backlash responses, and the subsequent impeachments. In noting these connections, Azari threads examples over time where presidents directly confronted race in American politics, working towards more racial equality, and how these efforts also prompt a backlash response. The key case studies in Backlash Presidents are Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War in the 1860s, Lyndon Johnson's efforts in the 1960s in regard to the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, as well as anti-poverty legislation, and finally Barack Obama as the first Black president of the United States, which was both symbolic and structural. Backlash Presidents traces not only the progress made during these administrations, but also the responses that followed in the subsequent administrations. It is these next administrations, of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump, where each of these presidents were either impeached or were about to be impeached, and how this dynamic pulls together a variety of different threads to help us to understand presidential politics, institutional development, and American political history all in context of the question of race. Azari's research is connected to the idea of political time, but with the important addition of pulling out the problem of race in the United States. Backlash Presidents contributes to our thinking about not only the time and context of presidents and their administrations, but also to thinking about what it is that presidents do to politics itself. Part of this analysis also interrogates populism, positioning these movements within the context of racial backlash, while also building out the understanding of the president's position within his own party, especially during these fraught periods. In each of the key examples, Azari highlights the ways in which Johnson, Nixon, and Trump were outsiders to what was going on inside their parties—in each case the Republican Party at the time—and how these shifting partisan foundations opened up different kinds of vulnerabilities for these presidents. In each of the case studies, there is also the discussion of the role that the U.S. Congress plays, since they are the actors who move towards impeaching and trying the president. Members of the House of Representatives need to move beyond constraints in order to impeach a president, and in these instances, they have concluded that the president is not correct in some basic and meaningful way, that the president is not upholding his oath of office, and is also undermining the forward movement on race and racial equality. Backlash Presidents: From Transformation to Reactionary Leaders in American History is a deeply researched analysis, with important historical context and details to help flesh out the particular time period under consideration. The examination is further complicated and built out with important understandings of party politics in the United States, and how president fits into their political party, or may be seen as an outsider. Racial dynamics in the United States undergirds the entire theory, and helps us see the tensions within partisan politics, presidential politics, and American democracy. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume I: The Infinity Saga (University Press of Kansas, 2022), and of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume II: Into the Multiverse (University Press of Kansas, 2025) as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social [*] The Presidents and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association awarded Backlash Presidents the 2025 Richard E. Neustadt Best Book Award, given for the best book on executive politics published during the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

On June 5, 1963, President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson made a highly orchestrated visit to White Sands Missile Range. While the official itinerary claimed the 139-minute stop was merely to witness a missile demonstration and inspect an unpaved desert runway known as the Northrup Strip, the reality was far more secretive. The trip—which required nine months of meticulous preparation—was actually an elaborate cover allowing the President and Vice President to personally inspect the Noss treasure at Victoria Peak, located just a five-minute helicopter ride away.Following this secret inspection, a plan was set in motion to settle the decades-long treasure dispute. By November 1963, Ova Noss was waiting at the prestigious Brown Palace Hotel in Denver for a direct meeting with President Kennedy, arranged by Attorney General Robert Kennedy. The plan was for the President to take control of the treasure and finally ensure the Noss family received a fair share. However, on November 22, the tragic news of JFK's assassination in Dallas shattered those hopes. Watching the fateful broadcast, Ova devastatingly realized that once again, getting close to a settlement had been derailed by murder.Even more chilling than the canceled meeting is the military cover-up that concluded just 24 hours before the assassination. During the summer of 1963, the Museum of New Mexico conducted an authorized excavation at Victoria Peak under strict military control. When the museum's archaeologist drafted a truthful report documenting previous military excavations, secret polygraph tests, and Treasury Department involvement, army officials ordered it to be heavily censored. All incriminating evidence was scrubbed from the record, and the falsified report was finalized on November 21, 1963—exactly one day before Kennedy was killed.This episode unravels the haunting six-month timeline leading up to the JFK assassination and explores the dark questions surrounding the military's actions. The censored scientific report didn't just hide past military thefts; it created the plausible deniability that protected Lyndon B. Johnson's upcoming operations. Tune in to discover how the tragedy in Dallas effectively handed the most powerful office in the world to LBJ, paving the way for him to systematically loot the Victoria Peak treasure using military aircraft over the next decade.

Pat Oliphant, one of the most influential political cartoonists of the 20th and 21st centuries, has died. Considering his legacy on DMZ are editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left), Scott Stantis (from the Right) and Mike Thompson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American editorial cartoonist known for his sharp wit and bold, expressive style. Born in 1964, he is widely syndicated. Thompson's work frequently appears in USA Today and other major outlets. Born Patrick Bruce Oliphant on July 24, 1935, in Adelaide, Australia, he began his career as a news illustrator for The Adelaide Advertiser before moving to the United States in 1964.Hired by The Denver Post, Oliphant quickly gained national attention for his bold, fluid line work and savage wit. In 1974 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. His cartoons appeared in over 500 newspapers through universal syndication, making him a daily fixture in American political discourse for more than five decades.Oliphant's signature creation was “Punk,” a small, irreverent, tufted bird who often appeared in the corner of panels delivering a final dry or biting comment. His style blended elegant draftsmanship with ferocious satire, skewering presidents from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama with equal glee. He famously said he drew “not to change minds, but to make people angry enough to think.”Later in life he expanded into sculpture and fine-art painting while continuing to produce cartoons. Oliphant's work is held in major collections including the Library of Congress. He died in 2026 at age 90, leaving behind a legacy as a defining voice of modern American editorial cartooning.Support the showThe DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrallWeb: Rall.com

Pat Oliphant, one of the most influential political cartoonists of the 20th and 21st centuries, has died. Considering his legacy on DMZ are editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left), Scott Stantis (from the Right) and Mike Thompson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American editorial cartoonist known for his sharp wit and bold, expressive style. Born in 1964, he is widely syndicated. Thompson's work frequently appears in USA Today and other major outlets. Born Patrick Bruce Oliphant on July 24, 1935, in Adelaide, Australia, he began his career as a news illustrator for The Adelaide Advertiser before moving to the United States in 1964.Hired by The Denver Post, Oliphant quickly gained national attention for his bold, fluid line work and savage wit. In 1974 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. His cartoons appeared in over 500 newspapers through universal syndication, making him a daily fixture in American political discourse for more than five decades.Oliphant's signature creation was “Punk,” a small, irreverent, tufted bird who often appeared in the corner of panels delivering a final dry or biting comment. His style blended elegant draftsmanship with ferocious satire, skewering presidents from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama with equal glee. He famously said he drew “not to change minds, but to make people angry enough to think.”Later in life he expanded into sculpture and fine-art painting while continuing to produce cartoons. Oliphant's work is held in major collections including the Library of Congress. He died in 2026 at age 90, leaving behind a legacy as a defining voice of modern American editorial cartooning.Support the showThe DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrallWeb: Rall.com

Immigration courts are frequently in the headlines, with stories about massive backlogs, judicial turnover, and widely varying asylum approval rates. But how does the immigration court system actually work, and why has it become one of the biggest bottlenecks in immigration enforcement?In the latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' Parsing Immigration Policy podcast, Fellow in Law and Policy Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge, provides a comprehensive tutorial on the immigration court system, explaining its history, structure, and the challenges it faces.Arthur discusses:Why immigration judges are Department of Justice attorneys—not life-tenured Article III judges—and how the immigration courts and Board of Immigration Appeals are organized.How removal proceedings work and why a final removal order is required before most aliens in the interior can be deported.How the surge in immigration cases during the Biden administration drove the court backlog to historic levels.Why the Biden-driven backlog is beginning to decline as the border and ports become more secure and immigration court case completions reach record levels.Whether hiring more immigration judges alone can solve the problem.Why asylum grant rates differ among judges and courts, and what those statistics do—and do not—show.Pending Supreme Court cases that could reshape immigration detention and court procedures.In closing, Mark Krikorian acknowledges the contributions to immigration policy of two recently deceased: Senator Lindsey Graham and Norm Matloff, professor at the University of California, Davis.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestAndrew Arthur is the Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksSen. Lindsey Graham's Unique Immigration LegacyDOJ: Immigration Court Asylum Grants PlummetFederal Judge Vacates Biden Administration ‘Quiet Amnesty' RuleDOJ Tweets About Decline in Immigration Court Backlog — but Where Are the Stats? Norm Matloff's Publications for CISIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

It's Monday, July 13th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Texas police officers vs. Christian preachers at “pride” event Today, our persecution of Christians story comes surprisingly from Texas. On June 27th, Rich Penkoski and like-minded believers spoke the truth and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a bullhorn at the Trinity Homosexual Pride Fest in Fort Worth, Texas.  Not surprisingly, homosexual activists and nearby business owners complained to police about both his message and the amplification. When police responded, the officers threatened to arrest and cite the preachers, telling them that phrases like “homosexuality is a sin” were offensive. Listen to a portion of one video posted by preacher Penkoski of his interaction with a female officer. POLICE OFFICER: “If someone is offended by your talking, then we have a problem.” PREACHER: “That's a constitutional violation of our rights. If you shut us down for talking or speech …” (crosstalk) POLICE OFFICER: “No. If they are offended by speech, …” PREACHER: “I don't care if they're offended.” POLICE OFFICER:  “Okay, then I'll write you a ticket, and we'll go from there.” PREACHER: “Wait, you're going to ticket us for offensive speech?” POLICE OFFICER: “Yes, absolutely.” PREACHER: “Are you serious? You're going to cite us for offensive speech.” POLICE OFFICER: “It's called disorderly conduct.” Plus, according to another video, a male police officer also said if the preacher used biologically accurate pronouns for someone pretending to be the opposite gender that also could be considered an offense. The preacher was warned that continued use of the bullhorn would violate the city's noise ordinance before ultimately receiving a disorderly conduct citation after continuing to use the device. Subsequently, the Fort Worth Police Department acknowledged that an officer made "certain statements that were not accurate," reports Fox News. In last Thursday post on X, Penkoski wrote, "Police officers have been violating preachers' 1st amendment rights for years. This isn't new, we just got it on video, and they can't walk it back or deny it.” He added, “As a street preacher, it is not my job to coddle anyone or go soft on sin. People are dying and going to hell every day and we have to warn them. ​… Christians need to wake up. We have got to stop sitting in the safety and comfort of our church pews and start taking the Gospel back to the streets. If we refuse to exercise our constitutional rights, we are going to lose them." In Matthew 5:13, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the Earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Homosexual couple sues surrogate who refused to abort baby with cleft lip A homosexual male couple in Canada has sued a surrogate mother who believes she is being punished because she refused a request to abort the baby after doctors detected a cleft lip and a possible heart defect, reports The Christian Post. They used a donor egg and sperm from each of the intended fathers. In a suit filed in Ontario Superior Court in May, the homosexuals allege the surrogate mother failed to keep them informed about the baby's health, caused them emotional distress, and violated their confidentiality, reports The National Post. The lawsuit came two years after the perverted couple asked her to abort the baby at 22 weeks — a request she refused. Specialists at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto later determined that the baby was otherwise healthy, except for the cosmetically fixable cleft lip. The couple accepted this assessment, agreed to continue the pregnancy, and took the baby boy home after birth. The surrogate unsuccessfully sought repayment of about $10,000 in out-of-pocket costs. Ironically, the couple filed a lawsuit for $600,000 in damages against the single mother for her failure to abort their now living son. More than 50 countries prohibit both commercial and altruistic surrogacy. And here in the United States, surrogacy laws vary by state. New video: Senator Mitch McConnell loaded into ambulance New video posted on July 10th shows Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky being loaded into an ambulance after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest at his Capitol Hill home last month, reports the New York Post. McConnell has been absent from the Senate for nearly a month as he continues to recover in the hospital. The 84-year-old lawmaker is not seeking re-election this November and will retire when his term ends in January. California puts abortion pill reversal on trial Heartbeat International, a pro-life group, is on trial in a California court for daring to inform women that the effects of the Abortion Kill Pill can sometimes be reversed, reports The Washington Stand. Their attorney, Danielle White, said, “Women deserve to know all of their options. They don't lose that right after beginning a chemical abortion.” In 2023, Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta  sued Heartbeat and a pro-life pregnancy center for “advertising Abortion Pill Reversal as safe and effective.”  Factually speaking, the abortion pill reversal protocol simply requires the use of the natural hormone progesterone which is both safe and helps save 65% of the babies. Bonta asked the court to impose a penalty of more than $20 million against Heartbeat and $600,000 against the pregnancy center. That would amount to a financial death sentence for the pro-life non-profits. The case went to a bench trial on June 24, 2026, and the trial may continue for another three weeks. Thomas More Society's Paul Jonna said, “A ruling in California's favor would hand attorneys general across the country a roadmap to penalize any non-profit organization that provides women with information the state disagrees with. If the [California] Attorney General prevails and our clients cannot deliver free, truthful, and lifesaving information to women who request it, then countless babies that could survive may not — and countless women may never meet the children that they wanted to carry to term.” Marriage advocate Mike McManus entered Heaven On a personal note, my father, Mike McManus, entered the gates of Heaven on July 5th at the age of 85 in Nashville, Tennessee.  Standing at 6'8” tall, he might have had to duck to walk through. To be sure, Dad had a God-sized vision to make a difference. After graduating from Duke University, he was employed at Time Magazine where he was stationed in Bueno Aires, Argentina and later covered President Lyndon Johnson at the White House, writing two cover stories. In 1973, my Dad organized a public participation campaign, “Choices for ‘76” to engage 10 percent of the 20 million people of the New York Metropolitan region in policy issues as the U.S. approached its Bicentennial. The project aimed to spark public debate through a series of television town meetings on issues like housing, transportation, the environment, poverty and urban growth. After becoming informed, citizens were invited to express their opinion on possible public policy tradeoffs, using ballots available in newspapers, banks and libraries. Then, he wrote two self-syndicated weekly newspaper columns which appeared in 100 newspapers.  The first, called “Solutions,” was politically focused and offered practical public policy suggestions. The second, “Ethics & Religion,” was inspired by the preaching of Pastor Terry Fullam of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Darien, Connecticut. It grappled with church news and moral issues like abortion, pornography, and the homosexual agenda. I remember helping him copy, collate, stuff, stamp, address, and seal the envelopes to send out his weekly columns to newspaper editors across the country before the advent of the internet and email. We were always racing to the post office to get there before the deadline at 11pm at night. In 1993, he published his first book Marriage Savers: Helping Your Friends and Family Stay Married. Other books included 50 Practical Ways to Take Our Kids Back from the World and Living Together: Myths, Risks and  Answers. In a 2013 phone interview on American Family Radio, Dad talked about the major myth that women believe about living together. MIKE McMANUS: “One of the myths, believed widely by women, is that ‘'If I live with him, he's going to see how wonderful I am, and he'll ask me to marry him.' But he knows that this woman would marry him if he asked her. He's living together with her because he doesn't want to get married. He wants the sex, he wants the companionship, and the shared rent. But he doesn't want to get married. “She believes this myth until about a year and a half, two years into the relationship, when she realizes he's not going to ask her to marry him, and she sadly walks away. Unfortunately, by that time they may have already had a child. The unwed birth rate has risen right along with cohabitation. “This is an unbiblical position, of course. I mean, the church has been silent on the problem, and it's part of the problem.” Cognizant of the clarity of Malachi 2:16 in which God says He “hates divorce,” my father's passion on the issue led to his founding of the non-profit Marriage Savers with my mother, Harriet, to whom he was married for 61 years and whom he simply adored.  He said, “Most divorces are filed by one person who alleges incompatibility, while the other spouse wants to save the marriage. Sadly, divorce is always granted. When adultery or abuse is not alleged, divorce should only be granted if there is 'mutual consent' by husband and wife. What was entered into by two people, should not be ended, unless both people agree." They organized 10,000 pastors in 229 cities in 43 states to sign a Community Marriage Policy agreement that established rigorous premarital preparation for engaged couples and trained volunteer mentor couples to help people in troubled marriages. The Baptist Press reported that the divorce rate in those cities dropped by 17.5%. Think about the heartache that saved untold families and children! Their work led to appearances on ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, CBN News, The O'Reilly Factor, The Ricki Lake Show, Breakpoint with Chuck Colson, Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson, Truths that Transform with D. James Kennedy, and Moody Radio's Janet Parshall. I treasure the books that Dr. Dobson personally inscribed to my father as a fellow warrior for the family that are now in my library. And Chuck Colson, President Richard Nixon's former hatchet man who was gloriously saved on his way to prison over Watergate and founded Prison Fellowship, wrote the forward to one of Dad's books after their friendship blossomed. Having always aspired to live on the water, he eventually moved into his dream home with his bride in Kilmarnock, Virginia, just 50 feet from Indian Creek that fed into the Chesapeake Bay.  A great day for him was enjoying the view from his leather chair, reading the paper, listening to classical music, and talking with my mother, who was his great joy. My father taught me how to write clearly and think Biblically. I remember him quizzing us three boys at the dining room table about current events. And he was a faithful husband who pointed the family to faith in Jesus Christ, His legacy lives on in my two younger brothers, John and Tim, and in me, as I strive, with my bride Amy, to disciple Honor, Mercy, and Valor in the ways of the Lord, urging them not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds in the Word of God, as Romans 12:2 articulates. 9 Worldview listeners gave $2,055 And finally, toward our $30,875 goal during the first full week of our month-long fundraiser, 9 listeners stepped up to the plate by 10:30pm Central on Saturday and invested their treasure to fund the six-member team behind The Worldview for another 365 days. Our thanks to 12-year-old Halen in Blum, Texas who gave $5 as well as Mark in Newark, Ohio and Brigitte in Brookings, South Dakota – both of whom gave $25. We're grateful to God for Julie in Victoria, Texas who gave $50, Dirk in Englewood, Colorado who gave $100, and Twyla in Ellensburg, Washington who gave $150. And we were touched by the generosity of Jason in Calhoun, Georgia who gave $200, Elaine here in San Antonio, Texas who gave $500, and Stephen in California, Maryland who gave $1,000. Those 9 gifts add up to $2,055. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll sound effect) $23,098 (sound effect of people cheering) That means, in all candor, we missed last Friday's goal by $7,777. Please, do not wait until the last minute.  Every gift gets us closer to our $123,500 goal by July 31st.  So far, out of our tens of thousands of listeners, the most people who have donated in a single day is 15 people. Help us double that.  Will you be one of 30 to step up? Make a donation today to help us hit our $56,565 goal by this Friday, July 17th.  We need to find 7 Worldview listeners who will pledge $100/month for 12 months or give a one-time gift of $1,200, 20 folks who will pledge $50/month or give a one-time gift of $600 and 40 listeners who will pledge $25/month or give a one-time gift of $300. Go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish.  What has the Lord placed on your heart to give? Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, July 13th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

The Peter Boyles Show - July 11, 2026 HR 4: The final hour of The Peter Boyles Show brings another lively Saturday conversation as listeners tackle some of the biggest questions in history, politics, and current events. Peter explores the historical roots of Iran, the influence of socialism, the role of faith in public life, Colorado politics, and why understanding the past is essential to making sense of today's headlines. Along the way, callers weigh in on Victor Marx's gubernatorial campaign, education, church involvement in politics, the USS Liberty, Lyndon Johnson, Texas political history, and the enduring lessons that continue to shape America and the world. If you enjoy thoughtful historical context, spirited listener calls, and conversations that connect today's news with yesterday's events, this hour is classic Peter Boyles. -- The opinions expressed by the hosts and guests on this program are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Salem Media Group, its management, employees, affiliates, or advertisers. This content is intended for commentary and discussion purposes only, and the perspectives shared during the broadcast belong solely to the individuals expressing them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neal Boortz returns to The Kimmer Show for a wide-ranging conversation covering the Charleston attacks, media coverage, Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin, frivolous lawsuits, illegal immigration, the long-term impact of Lyndon Johnson and Joe Biden, the future of Iran, and why Boortz believes the U.S. must finish the job with the Iranian regime. Plus, a few laughs about elk, moose, country music, and the strange world of "trans furries."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the latest episode of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast, Executive Director Mark Krikorian speaks with Jordan Knight, founder of Migration Watch Australia, about how record immigration levels are reshaping Australia's politics and public debate.After experiencing net negative migration during the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia saw housing costs stabilize and pressure on public services ease. But in 2023, the government admitted an unprecedented 737,000 migrants into a nation of just 27 million people. Knight explains how the resulting strain on housing affordability, homelessness, infrastructure, and public services has transformed immigration into one of Australia's defining political issues.The discussion explores the rapid rise of Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, which has gained momentum by advocating for significantly lower immigration levels and questioning Australia's decades-long embrace of multiculturalism over assimilation. Knight also examines the changing positions of Australia's major political parties, growing public skepticism toward historically high legal immigration (skilled and unskilled), the expansion of foreign student programs, and the cultural impact of high immigration levels.As Australia prepares for its next federal election in two years, Knight discusses whether mounting public concern over immigration will translate into electoral gains for One Nation and reshape the country's political landscape.In closing, Krikorian discusses the Trump administration's expanding interior enforcement efforts. As Border Czar Tom Homan has noted in recent media appearances, ICE is now making more than 2,000 arrests a day. While large numbers of those arrested have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, increasing numbers of ordinary illegal aliens are also being taken into custody. Krikorian argues that sustained worksite enforcement will be essential if the president's promise of dramatic reduction of the illegal population is to be met.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestJordan Knight is the founder of Migration Watch Australia.LinksJordan Knight's Sky News ArticlesSenator Pauline Hanson Addresses the National Press Club of AustraliaJordan Knight X AccountIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Geoffrey Wawro, guest author, explores the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964, which served as a political catalyst for the Vietnam War. Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara sought an incident to galvanize domestic support against conservative critics accusing them of a "no-win" policy. Though the attack was largely concocted or provoked by covert CIA operations, it provided the "blank check" needed from Congress to escalate the conflict. President Johnson initially moved cautiously to avoid Chinese intervention, a fear rooted in the Korean War experience. The shift from an advisory role to direct combat troop commitment began in early 1965, with General Westmoreland taking command as bases were increasingly targeted by the Viet Cong. Ultimately, the war is characterized as a political war of choice driven by high-level politicians rather than existential necessity. The Vietnam War: A Military History (1)

Professor William Taubman, guest author, recounts how the assassination of JFK forged a deep, "opaque" bond between McNamara and Jackie Kennedy, as he spent the night following the murder sitting at her feet while she recounted the tragedy. Despite his grief, he immediately transitioned to serving Lyndon Johnson, who relied on McNamara's "tone for action" to justify the escalation of the Vietnam War. McNamara became the fiercest public advocate for the war, often suppressing his own growing doubts to please a commander who, unlike Kennedy, did not tolerate dissent. McNamara at War: A New History (4)

In the latest episode of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast, Fellow in Law and Policy Andrew Arthur and Senior Legal Fellow George Fishman examine three landmark Supreme Court immigration decisions issued over the past two weeks and discuss their implications."Two of these decisions went in the administration's favor, but the birthright citizenship was a big loss. Anyone who calls this a politicized Court should review all three and see for themselves."Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Why the Court ruled that Congress meant what it put into statute—no judicial review of TPS designations—and what the decision means for the Trump administration, and why Congress—not the courts—must ultimately reform a program that has evolved beyond its original "temporary" purpose.Asylum at the Border: How the Court confirmed that a foreign national only becomes an "alien" eligible to apply for asylum once they have entered the United States. The Court found that one has not arrived in the United States while still on foreign soil, regardless of whether they want to make an asylum claim.Birthright Citizenship: Why the Court rejected President Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, why Justice Kavanaugh's opinion leaves open the possibility of congressional action, and what policy options remain to address birth tourism and other incentives created by current law.The discussion also explores how these rulings could shape future litigation, immigration enforcement, and legislative action.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsGeorge Fishman is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration StudiesAndrew Arthur is a Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration StudiesLinksThe ‘Birthright Opinion' Is In — and Trump Won't Like ItDOJ Vows to Crack Down on Birth Tourism in Response to ‘Birthright' OpinionCitizenship FolliesIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

HER 250, Episode 2: Race, Erasure, and the Women Who Were Told to Wait Their TurnIn 1913, more than five thousand women marched on Washington to demand the vote — and Black women were told to march at the back. Ida B. Wells refused.In Episode Two of HER 250, Dr. Crystallee Crain pulls apart the suffrage movement's celebrated history to show what it cost the women it left behind. She names what's usually left out of the textbooks: Elizabeth Cady Stanton's documented opposition to Black men receiving the vote before "educated" white women,and Susan B. Anthony's strategic distancing of the movement from Black suffragists to preserve support among white Southern women.Then she turns to the women who built power anyway. Ida B. Wells, born into slavery in 1862, founded the first Black women's suffrage club in Chicago and stepped back into a segregated march rather than accept the back of the line. Mary Church Terrell co-founded the National Association of Colored Women in 1896, building national infrastructure for Black women's civic power at a time when white-led organizations shut the door. And Fannie Lou Hamer — sharecropper, organizer, and survivor of a forced sterilization she later named the "Mississippi appendectomy" — delivered 1964 Democratic National Convention testimony so powerful that President Lyndon Johnson called an emergency press conference just to keep it off live television. It aired anyway.The episode closes with Dr. Crain connecting this history to Kimberlé Crenshaw's 1989 framework of intersectionality — naming what Black women had been living and organizing around for a century before it had a name.References[1] The scale and date of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession is documented by the Brennan Center for Justice, "The 19th Amendment, Explained" (brennancenter.org).[2] The order for Black women to march at the back of the 1913 procession is documented by the National Park Service, "A Noble Endeavor: Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Suffrage" (nps.gov).[3] Elizabeth Cady Stanton's documented opposition to Black men's enfranchisement ahead of white women is sourced from the National Women's History Museum, "Votes for Women Means Votes for Black Women" (womenshistory.org), and corroborated by the Brennan Center for Justice.[4] Susan B. Anthony's strategic distancing from Black suffragists is documented in Paula J. Giddings, Ida: A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching (Amistad/HarperCollins, 2008), as referenced by the National Park Service and American Heritage magazine.[5] Ida B. Wells's founding of the Alpha Suffrage Club (January 1913) and her defiance of the segregation order at the Washington march are documented by AAUW (aauw.org), WTTW Chicago, and the National Park Service.[6] Mary Church Terrell's 1896 founding of the National Association of Colored Women is documented by the Brennan Center for Justice and the National Women's History Museum.[7] Fannie Lou Hamer's 1961 forced sterilization, her coining of the term "Mississippi appendectomy," and her August 22, 1964 DNC testimony are documented by PBS American Experience (pbs.org), the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (nmaahc.si.edu), and the Center for Constitutional Rights (ccrjustice.org).[8] Kimberlé Crenshaw's introduction of "intersectionality" is sourced from her foundational paper, "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics," University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989.SoundEpidemic SoundSeaview Title: Sulu

The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' Parsing Immigration Policy podcast features Dan Vara, a veteran of both the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), discussing how immigration enforcement evolved into a critical component of national security, counterterrorism, and criminal investigations and enforcement.Drawing on more than two decades of service as a lawyer with INS and ICE, Vara, a Center board member, recounts pivotal cases that demonstrated the growing value of immigration authorities in combating drug trafficking, organized crime, espionage, terrorism, and human rights violators. The conversation highlights numerous real-world examples in which immigration authorities proved essential to broader public safety and national security missions, illustrating how the role of immigration enforcement expanded dramatically over the course of Vara's career.Through first-hand accounts spanning the Cold War, the drug wars of the 1980s and 1990s, and the post-9/11 era, Vara illustrates how immigration authorities often provided investigative and enforcement tools unavailable to other agencies – making immigration enforcement a true force-multiplier for law enforcement.Among the topics discussed:How immigration authorities became integrated into major drug-trafficking and organized crime investigations.The role immigration law played in dismantling terrorist networks after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.The use of immigration enforcement to pursue criminals and national security threats when other charges were unavailable.The role immigration enforcement played in seizing boats during the Cuban migrant crisis in 1993.How immigration law became an increasingly important tool in counterintelligence, counterespionage, and national security investigations.The evolution of INS into ICE following the September 11 attacks.Commentary from Mark Krikorian, the Center's executive director and podcast host, highlights recent high-profile welfare fraud investigations. While arguing that aggressive enforcement and prosecution are essential, he cautions against allowing headline-grabbing fraud cases to distract policymakers from the larger issue. Lasting reform requires changes to immigration statutes and regulations that reduce overall immigration levels and eliminate the environment that allows fraud to grow.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestDaniel N. Vara, Jr. is a Board Member of the Center for Immigration StudiesLinksImmigration — Rules and RealityIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Send us Fan MailGlorify God, even in the face of unjust punishment or situations in your life.Psalm 34:1-2: I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.Support the show

Episode 9 plunges into the darkest chapter of the Victoria Peak saga, a chilling period between 1955 and 1963 when the United States military transformed from guardian to thief. Based entirely on the exhaustive, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this episode details the heartbreaking aftermath of Ova Noss's forcible eviction from the Hembrillo Basin. With the claim site now officially a restricted military zone, the Army's actions turned vicious—Ova's beloved horses were left to die in their corral, and her rock house camp was shot to pieces. The family was effectively exiled, but the mountain's secrets could not be contained.The narrative takes a staggering turn in February 1958 when active-duty Air Force personnel, Captain Leonard Fiege and Airman Thomas Berlette, accidentally rediscovered the exact treasure chambers Doc Noss had found 20 years prior. Crawling into a hidden cavern, they were met with stacks of crude gold bars piled like cordwood, ancient artifacts, and the remains of numerous human skeletons. Their astonishing find was later validated when both men easily passed formal military polygraph examinations. However, their attempts to secure a legal claim through official channels only alerted corrupt military brass to the exact location of the unimaginable fortune.With the treasure exposed, the vault guards officially became the robbers. Under the command of Major General John G. Shinkle, the military orchestrated massive, top-secret extractions in the early 1960s, pulling bullion out under the cover of night using chain-gang style operations. To conceal these brazen thefts, the Army sponsored a sham, tightly controlled civilian excavation in 1963, only to deliberately censor the archaeologists' final report. Military officials wiped out all seismic evidence of the caverns and eyewitness accounts of prior military digs, creating a fraudulent public document to support their narrative that the gold was entirely a myth.The episode concludes with a chilling cascade of violence and a heartbreaking missed opportunity. On November 22, 1963, Ova Noss was waiting in a Denver hotel for a scheduled meeting with President John F. Kennedy, who intended to finally resolve her legal ownership of the gold—a meeting that was tragically canceled by his assassination in Dallas. What followed was a grim era of relentless surveillance, death threats, and a string of brutal murders linked to the stolen gold. Tune in to hear how patriotism became a cover for unchecked greed. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com

Episode 7 picks up in the immediate, chaotic aftermath of Milton "Doc" Noss's tragic murder on March 5, 1949. Based entirely on the exhaustive, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this episode shifts the focus to his steadfast wife, Ova Noss, who is left to face a bitter, multi-front war for the Victoria Peak treasure. While Doc's double-crossing killer managed to walk free despite the testimony of five eyewitnesses, Ova soon found herself staring down an even more formidable nemesis: the United States government.Before she could even properly grieve, Ova was plunged into a vicious probate battle. The legal proceedings revealed a shocking secret: Doc had covertly annulled their marriage in an Arkansas court in 1945 and married another woman named Violet. Navigating this heartbreaking personal betrayal, Ova made a brilliant legal pivot on the advice of her attorneys, asserting her rights not merely as a widow, but as the legal co-discoverer of the 1937 treasure. Meanwhile, the probate inventory exposed the terrifying reach of federal authorities, listing seized maps, documents, and dozens of gold bars that had already been confiscated by the Secret Service and the Denver Mint.Refusing to surrender her claim, Ova doubled down on the physical extraction of the gold. She hired contractors to carve a drivable road up the rugged mountain and engineered a new "lower Noss shaft" to bypass the catastrophic 1939 cave-in. But as she inched closer to regaining access to the fabled treasure rooms, the U.S. Army's presence at the White Sands Proving Ground morphed into a hostile occupation. Under the command of Brigadier General George Eddy, the military initiated condemnation proceedings, dismissed Ova's valid state permits, and explicitly threatened Ova and her daughter that they would be "shot on sight" if they returned to the peak.Surrounded by treacherous former partners conspiring to steal her lease and a military apparatus determined to lock her out of her own fortune, Ova stood as a lone David against an impossible Goliath. Tune in to hear how this resilient woman fought to keep her family's massive discovery alive in the face of insurmountable corruption. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com.

Episode 8 escalates the bitter war between Ova Noss and the United States military from bureaucratic red tape into outright hostility. Based entirely on the exhaustive, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this episode details how the U.S. Army systematically dismantled Ova's physical access to Victoria Peak. Under the command of Brigadier General George Eddy—who openly displayed a map of the treasure site in his office and explicitly threatened that Ova and her daughter would be "shot on sight" if they returned—the military transformed from a neighboring installation into a hostile occupying force.The climax of this David versus Goliath struggle arrives on July 23, 1955. Despite holding valid state prospecting permits that were not set to expire for another three months, Ova and her excavation crew were forcibly ejected from the Hembrillo Basin without any due process of law. The timing was agonizing, as Ova's crew had just uncovered a diagnostic sign carved into the lower shaft and believed they were only feet away from the treasure. Upon a brief, permitted return to the site shortly after the eviction, the family discovered a heartbreaking and gruesome scene: the military had padlocked their excavated shafts, shot their rock house camp full of bullet holes, and left Ova's beloved horses dead and bloated inside their corral.To survive this onslaught, Ova relied on a complex legal loophole and a dedicated group of allies. While the federal government had condemned the surface of the land to expand the White Sands Proving Ground, the state of New Mexico legally retained the subsurface mineral rights. With the help of loyal contractors, proxy filers, supportive U.S. Senators, and New Mexico Land Commissioner Guy Shepard, Ova managed to keep her legal claim alive on paper. Yet, she found herself fighting a multi-front war, battling not only the Army's brute force and corrupt local politicians, but also facing devastating allegations that her own sons had secretly sold her out for million-dollar payoffs.Tune in to hear how the tragic 1955 eviction officially transitioned Victoria Peak from a private family mining claim into a restricted military vault, perfectly setting the stage for the massive, top-secret government thefts to come. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com.

Episode 4 propels us into a chaotic twelve-year period from 1937 to 1949, where the Noss family's dream of extracting the Victoria Peak treasure begins to violently unravel. Based entirely on the exhaustive, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this episode details how the formidable obstacles of World War II, a sprawling military expansion, and Milton "Doc" Noss's own personal demons collided to seal the mountain's riches tighter than a government vault.Desperate for capital following the devastating 1939 shaft collapse, Doc formed the Cheyenne Mining Company, unknowingly appointing a venomous Secret Service informant named Merl Horesman to his inner circle. Matters worsened in November 1940 when a second reckless dynamite charge triggered a massive landslide, completely entombing the gold. As the Noss workforce marched off to fight in WWII, the U.S. Army swallowed up the desolate Hembrillo Basin to create the White Sands Proving Ground. In a truly surreal moment of history, Doc and Ova Noss found themselves barred from their own claim by soldiers just in time to witness the Trinity atomic blast on July 16, 1945—literally standing as spectators at the dawn of the nuclear age while their treasure slipped into military hands.Fearing imminent government confiscation, a deeply paranoid Doc scattered 110 gold bars—weighing roughly 4,000 pounds—across over a dozen secret desert caches. Drifting and desperate, he partnered with a Texas businessman named Charlie Ryan in late 1948. Together, they concocted an elaborate scheme to smuggle the bullion into Old Mexico aboard a surplus DC-3 aircraft, even clearing a secret runway under the guise of a lead and silver mining operation. But the joint venture quickly turned lethal when Doc overheard Ryan plotting to double-cross him and fly the fortune out alone.Tune in to hear how this treacherous web of betrayal set the stage for a frantic, midnight race to dig up and re-hide the gold, leading Doc directly toward a deadly confrontation. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com.

Episode 5 takes us deeper into the post-WWII era, where personal betrayal and unprecedented military expansion collide to choke the Noss family's access to the gold. Based entirely on the exhaustive, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this episode explores Milton "Doc" Noss's spiraling paranoia and his prolonged absences from Victoria Peak. In a shocking maneuver, Doc secretly annulled his marriage to Ova in an Arkansas court in October 1945 and later married another woman, a decision that plunged the Cheyenne Mining Company—and the legal rights to the treasure itself—into a chaotic battle for control.While the Noss family fractured from within, the U.S. Army transformed from a neighboring presence into an occupying force. In a truly surreal twist of history, the military utilized the newly formed White Sands Proving Ground to host Operation Paperclip, a top-secret initiative that brought 350 Nazi scientists and captured V-2 rocket components to the New Mexico desert. Even more astonishing are the allegations that stolen Holocaust loot and Nazi gold were covertly brought to the United States under this classified cover and hidden within the very same cave systems as the Noss treasure.As the military initiated condemnation proceedings to seize exclusive possession of the land, a defiant Ova Noss stepped up to legally secure the family's claim, successfully reorganizing the company and filing renewals in her own name. Meanwhile, a drifting and financially desperate Doc formed a fateful partnership with a Texas businessman named Charlie Ryan in late 1948. What began as a front for a lead and silver mining operation was actually an elaborate scheme to smuggle the Victoria Peak gold into Old Mexico using a surplus DC-3 aircraft. However, this volatile alliance quickly soured as Doc's erratic behavior, heavy drinking, and history of swindling pushed Ryan to his breaking point.Tune in to hear how this intricate web of secret marriages, military takeovers, and dangerous smuggling plots set the perfect stage for Doc's tragic demise. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com.

In Episode 6, the simmering tensions between Milton "Doc" Noss and his double-crossing partner, Charlie Ryan, finally boil over into a deadly 48-hour window. Based on the exhaustive, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this gripping episode breaks down the frantic, minute-by-minute events of March 4th and 5th, 1949. The chaos begins with a tragic airplane crash at Victoria Peak involving Doc's stepson, Marvin Beckwith, which provides Doc with the perfect cover to slip away from Ryan's watchful eyes without raising suspicion.Knowing that Ryan was planning to steal 110 gold bars and fly them to Mexico without him, Doc seized this momentary distraction to act. Under the cover of a freezing desert night, he enlisted the help of a rodeo cowboy named Tony Jolly. Together, they embarked on a frantic midnight operation, digging up roughly 4,000 pounds of crude gold bullion and scrambling to re-bury the 110 bars across several new, secret caches. By dawn, the gold was safely hidden from Ryan, but Doc had unknowingly set the stage for his own demise.The climax of the episode arrives at noon on March 5th in Hatch, New Mexico. Furious that the gold was missing, Ryan marched Doc into a rented house at gunpoint. Following a chaotic scuffle where Doc shoved a table into Ryan and attempted to flee toward his truck, Ryan shot the unarmed Doc Noss just below his right eye, killing him instantly against his front bumper. With that single gunshot, the man who held the keys to the greatest treasure in North American history was silenced forever.Adding insult to fatal injury, the episode concludes with the staggering mockery of justice that followed. Listeners will be stunned to learn that both the presiding judge and the defense attorney in Ryan's murder trial were actually secret investors in Doc's mining company—a glaring conflict of interest that ultimately allowed Ryan to walk away a free man, despite the testimony of five eyewitnesses who watched him shoot a fleeing man. Tune in to hear the tragic final hours of Doc Noss. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com

Join me in the greatest wander yet on JFK The Enduring Secret. In one of the most unlikely of story tells, we explore an extraordinary event  that crosses a path with President Kennedy and more importantly, with Lyndon Johnson too.  To understand it's meaning, you must understand it's context. And so, I'm pleased to announce that our  explosive new mini-series uncovering the greatest treasure discovery—and the greatest theft—in North American history will begin tonight. Be patient on this wander, and you will discover an equally  extraordinary story that will both entertain and challenge your thinking related and especially as it relates to President Lyndon Johnson.  This entire series is based on the extensive, decades-long research done by John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), who compiled the definitive and most exhaustively documented account of the Victorio Peak treasure ever assembled. Hidden in plain sight since the 1930s, this saga evolves from a humble family's desert treasure hunt into a dark, true story of unchecked greed, military overreach, and presidential corruption. We bring it to life in podcast form. In early 1937, Milton "Doc" and Ova Noss stumbled upon an unimaginable fortune hidden inside a New Mexico mountain, discovering a cavern filled with stacks of crude gold bars, ancient artifacts, and chilling secrets. But as Ova once warned, "where gold goes, blood flows". The first nine episodes of this series chronicle the Noss family's triumphs and tragedies, culminating in a freezing March night in 1949 when a desperate Doc Noss scrambled to rebury 110 gold bars across the desert. That desperate gamble ultimately resulted in his murder the very next morning at the hands of his double-crossing partner.However, Doc's murder was just the beginning of the conspiracy. After World War II, the U.S. military swallowed the land to build the White Sands Missile Range, forcibly evicting Ova Noss and orchestrating top-secret extractions of the gold under the guise of national security. Uniquely intersecting with our ongoing podcast focus, this saga will eventually reveal how this massive theft reached the highest office in the land, heavily implicating Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, while casting JFK as a surprising ally to the Noss family. Step inside Victoria Peak before we release the first nine episodes TONIGHT, and be sure to listen to find out how you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com. 

Welcome to the Prelude episode of our explosive investigation into the Victoria Peak treasure—the site of one of the most shocking and massive crimes in American history. Based entirely on the exhaustive, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this series uncovers a conspiracy of unchecked greed and military overreach that stretches far beyond the deserts of New Mexico. It is a story where the very government sworn to protect its citizens became modern-day tomb raiders, ultimately implicating U.S. Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon in the theft of billions of dollars in gold bullion.To understand the scale of this monumental heist, we must begin with the original discoverers. In early 1937, Milton "Doc" Noss and his wife Ova unearthed a staggering fortune hidden deep inside Victoria Peak. This forgotten warehouse of history contained crude gold bars piled like cordwood, ancient artifacts, and human skeletons chained to the cavern walls. But as Ova ominously warned, "where gold goes, blood flows". Doc was tragically murdered by his business partner in 1949, and by 1955, the U.S. military forcibly evicted Ova from her legal mining claim, absorbing the land into the highly secure White Sands Missile Range.With the Noss family locked out, the vault guards became the robbers. This prelude outlines the staggering scale of the ensuing government thefts. You'll hear how Major General John G. Shinkle orchestrated covert military extractions in the early 1960s, how Lyndon Johnson allegedly masterminded an international money-laundering operation to steal 257 tons of gold using a remote Mexican ranch and B-24 bombers, and how Richard Nixon sanctioned the theft of another 36.5 tons to manage the unfolding Watergate crisis.Tune in to discover how this breathtaking conspiracy was hidden through falsified reports, political whitewashing, and sheer violence, leaving the Noss family to fight for their rightful claim for generations. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com.

Following the monumental discovery detailed in our last episode, Episode 3 plunges deep into the treacherous caverns of Victoria Peak. Based entirely on the exhaustive, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this episode chronicles the perilous efforts of Milton "Doc" and Ova Noss to extract their newfound fortune—and the intense paranoia that soon consumed them.Navigating broken ancient ladders and toxic, blistering bat guano, Doc slowly retrieved the first pieces of the horde in the spring of 1938. What he found was staggering: crude gold "cactus" bars piled like cordwood, a gold crown, ancient artifacts, and the chilling remains of chained human skeletons. But with unimaginable wealth came immediate danger. Rumors of the discovery triggered kidnapping threats that forced the family to temporarily flee to Gallup, New Mexico. Doc's extreme caution reached a fever pitch, fueled by the trauma of a prior kidnapping where his captors had savagely burned the bottoms of his feet attempting to extract the location of another gold cache.The situation turned catastrophic in 1939 with two devastating blows. In August, a hired engineer set off an excessive dynamite charge, causing a massive landslide that sealed the main treasure shaft under tons of rock. Desperate for capital to clear the debris, Doc took a massive gamble in the fall of 1939 by taking four or five gold bars to the Denver Mint. Though the bars were officially assayed at $97,000, the Mint confiscated the bullion and issued a "hold certificate," refusing to pay Doc unless he revealed the exact location of the remaining treasure.This brazen confiscation confirmed Doc's deepest fears that the federal government intended to seize his entire fortune. It thrust the Noss family into a perilous legal war against the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 and drew relentless, around-the-clock surveillance from both the Secret Service and the FBI. Tune in to hear how the dream of Victoria Peak quickly devolved into a nightmare of dynamite, deception, and government overreach. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com

Following our prelude, Episode 2 steps back into the dust bowl era to explore the origins of our protagonists, Milton "Doc" Noss and his steadfast wife, Ova "Babe" Noss. Based on the exhaustively documented, decades-long research of investigative author John Clarence (the pen name of Jack Staley), this episode delves into Doc's complex past as a part-Cheyenne foot doctor whose lifelong obsession with treasure was sparked by a childhood encounter with the Apache chief Geronimo and a crude, ancient map received from a patient.Before the monumental find at Victoria Peak, Doc and Ova successfully unearthed a sizable cache of gold and artifacts in the Caballo Mountains in early 1937. However, their early pursuits were overshadowed by Doc's struggles with alcohol and his proximity to the chilling "Caballo Gold Vanishing"—a 1935 unsolved double murder of two Illinois couples. Though Doc was cleared, the tragedy ensnared him in a relentless web of false accusations fueled by a bitter adversary, eventually forcing the couple to pivot their search to the desolate Hembrillo Basin.The climax of this episode arrives on November 7, 1937, when a routine deer hunting trip changed history forever. Seeking a better vantage point, Doc stumbled upon a hidden ventilation shaft matching his crude map, plunging deep into Victoria Peak. Descending into the treacherous, ancient caverns, Doc and Ova discovered a "forgotten warehouse of history" containing an estimated $22 million in crude gold bars piled like cordwood, conquistador artifacts, a gold crown, and the macabre remains of chained human skeletons.However, this unimaginable wealth instantly thrust the Noss family into a perilous legal minefield against the federal government, clashing with the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 and drawing the intense scrutiny of federal authorities. Tune in to experience the breathless moment of discovery that ignited a decades-long war for the gold. And remember, if you want to read the definitive account of this incredible saga, you can secure a rare, signed copy of John Clarence's Gold House trilogy by contacting Jeff Crudele directly at podcastjfk@gmail.com. 

The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' Parsing Immigration Policy podcast features a wide-ranging conversation with Frank Morris Sr., who recently retired from the Center's Board of Directors after 38 years of service.Morris – a former Foreign Service officer, Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and Dean of Graduate Studies at Morgan State University – joined CIS Executive Director Mark Krikorian to discuss how immigration policy has evolved over the decades and why its impact on American workers, particularly African Americans, first drew him to the Center.Morris was invited to join the CIS board after publishing research examining immigration's effects on black workers, an issue he believes remains relevant today.Among the topics discussed:Why tight labor markets have historically provided the greatest economic opportunities for African Americans.How immigration policy affects wages, employment, and labor market competition.The changing relationship between the Democratic Party and working-class voters.Why concerns about immigration's impact on black workers have largely disappeared from mainstream political debate.The divide between political leadership and grassroots opinion on immigration.The role of institutions such as churches, civil rights organizations, fraternities, and historically black colleges in advancing economic opportunity.Why Morris believes understanding immigration requires a deeper appreciation of American history, particularly labor markets, immigration, and economic opportunity.Reflecting on nearly four decades with CIS, Morris discusses the personal and professional costs of taking unpopular positions, the future of the immigration debate, and why he believes policymakers must pay closer attention to the interests of American workers.In his closing commentary, Krikorian drew attention to the recent federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a group which libeled CIS as a “hate group” in an attempt to police the immigration debate, drawing particular attention to New York Post reporting on Heidi Beirich, who was responsible for the “hate group” designation.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestFrank Morris, Sr. is an Emeritus Board Member of the Center for Immigration StudiesLinksA 2013 interview with Frank MorrisSPLC boss funneled $1.2 million to lover in neo-Nazi group — pair even had joint bank accountHow labeling my organization a hate group shuts down public debateIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The official story has Lee Harvey Oswald firing three shots from a sixth-floor window, yet the witnesses on the stairs never saw him flee, the paraffin test on his cheek came back clean, and J. Edgar Hoover himself admitted the voice on the Oswald tape from Mexico City belonged to another man.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/ConspiracyInDallasREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8hjttrFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Was there a conspiracy to murder President John F. Kennedy in Dealey Plaza in 1963? (Conspiracy In Dallas) *** A Weirdo family member tells of his own personal experience with what might've been a hell hound. (The Dog That Wasn't There) *** One island, one couple, one murder. We'll look at the strange life and death of Rolf Neslund. (The Rolf Neslund Murder) *** She was murdered in November of 1901. Her lover spent more than a dozen years in prison, proclaiming his innocence, before being pardoned by the governor. So why did he commit suicide soon after getting out of prison? We'll look at the strange murder of – and eventual haunting by - Nell Cropsey. (The Lingering Ghost of Nell Cropsey)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:01:09.039 = Show Open00:02:46.404 = Conspiracy In Dallas00:20:59.391 = The Dog That Wasn't There ***00:22:36.375 = The Rolf Neslund Murder 00:31:41.043 = Lingering Ghost of Nell Cropsey ***00:40:08.752 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:
“Conspiracy In Dallas” posted at The Unredacted: http://bit.ly/weirddarkness2YVxMdq“The Dog That Wasn't There” by Weirdo family member Daniel Mulberry“The Rolf Neslund Murder” by Elizabeth Tilsa: http://bit.ly/weirddarkness2KywOAX“The Lingering Ghost of Nell Cropsey” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/weirddarkness2UnJ2Rb(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: November 28, 2021Weird Darkness host Darren Marlar moves from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas to a phantom black dog in the English county of Dorset, the murder and dismemberment of a retired sea captain on a quiet island in Washington's San Juan archipelago, and the 1901 killing of a young woman in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, whose spirit is said to still walk her family home.It opens in Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, where President John F. Kennedy was shot and the Warren Commission, headed by Judge Earl Warren, concluded in 1964 that ex-Marine Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots alone from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. Eyewitnesses undercut that account from the start: Arnold Rowland saw two men at the window minutes earlier, one holding a rifle and neither matching Oswald, while secretaries Victoria Adams and Sandra Styles and caretaker Jack Dougherty never saw Oswald flee down the only staircase he could have used. The episode dismantles Arlen Specter's single-bullet theory — the claim that Commission Exhibit 399 passed through Kennedy's neck and inflicted five separate wounds on Governor John Connally before turning up nearly pristine on a Parkland Hospital stretcher — a conclusion Connally and his wife Nellie both rejected and Abraham Zapruder's home film contradicts on timing. Oswald's negative paraffin test, his suspicious 1959 defection to the Soviet Union and fluent Russian, his leafleting against the Fair Play for Cuba Committee alongside FBI-linked investigator Guy Banister, and a Mexico City impersonation so plain that J. Edgar Hoover told President Lyndon Johnson the recorded voice and surveillance photograph did not match the man in custody all steer the evidence away from a lone gunman. The thread ends with Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby, whose out-of-state mob contacts spiked twenty-fivefold before he shot Oswald on live television and whose 1965 hint that the truth would never surface still shadows the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle that remains the strongest piece against the accused.From there the tone turns to folklore and a listener's firsthand sighting of Black Shuck, the spectral black dog reported for centuries across Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and East Anglia and long treated as an omen of coming disaster. Camping alone beside a medieval moat near Raoul Castle in East Dorset, he watched the dark shape of a large dog settle on the far embankment and stare back at him, then rise and dissolve into nothing as every nearby sound of wildlife cut out, leaving him zipped inside his tent until morning.Next comes the disappearance of Rolf Neslund, an 83-year-old retired sea captain who in 1978 drove a 550-foot freighter into the West Seattle Bridge before retreating into a drink-soaked marriage on Lopez Island in Washington's San Juan Islands. When Rolf vanished in August 1980, his wife Ruth insisted he had flown home to Norway, yet his prescriptions went unfilled, his American and Norwegian bank accounts went untouched, and no Christmas card reached his relatives that December. In 1982 Ruth's brother told police she had confessed that on August 8, 1980, a second brother held Rolf down while she shot him twice in the head, after which the body was dismembered in the bathtub, burned in a backyard barrel, and scattered on the manure pile. A search turned up replaced carpet over bloodstains, spatter on the ceiling, and a bloodstained .38-caliber Smith & Wesson hidden in Ruth's dresser, tying her to a killing that began as a fight over the roughly $80,000 she had quietly moved into an account bearing only her name; convicted in 1985 and sentenced to twenty years, she maintained her innocence until her death at seventy-three.The episode closes with nineteen-year-old Nell Cropsey, who walked onto the front porch of her family's Elizabeth City, North Carolina home with her suitor Jim Wilcox on the night of November 20, 1901, and was never seen alive again. Her body surfaced in the Pasquotank River on December 27, her death caused by a violent blow to the left temple, and Wilcox — the son of the local sheriff, known for a fierce temper — was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to thirty years before Governor Thomas Walter Bickett pardoned him in 1918. Once freed, Wilcox sought out newspaper editor W.O. Saunders to reveal something so startling that Saunders began planning a book, but Wilcox killed himself with a shotgun before he could tell it, Saunders died soon afterward in a car wreck, and whatever he knew went with them. More than a century on, the former Cropsey home still answers with lights that switch on and off, doors that open by themselves, faucets that run with no hand on the tap, and a pale young woman glimpsed crossing empty rooms and gazing from an upstairs window — recognized by more than one resident as Nell, her killing never truly solved.

Darrell Castle talks about a bill currently working its way through the U.S. Congress which would, if passed, literally integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries and would put funding for the Israeli military on auto pilot. Will it pass and be signed by the President? Many people seem to think it will so he takes a look at it today. THE ISRAELIZATION OF THE U.S. MILITARY Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 12th of June in the year of our Lord 2026. I will be talking about a bill currently working its way through the United States Congress which would, if passed, literally integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries and would put funding for the Israeli military on auto pilot. Will it pass and be signed by the President. Many people seem to think it will so we take a look at it today. Yes, unfortunately it seems that certain members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States are now ready to complete the process of uniting the two countries militaries. The first bill introduced in the House would have literally combined the two. Many of the Israel first politicians are already dual citizens so why not complete the process and stop all the hypocrisy. Just go ahead and make the U.S. military the official enforcement arm of Israeli foreign policy. The most egregious provision of the original bill is that the benefits due to American veterans like me, such as medical and educational benefits would have also been available to all Israeli veterans. That would have been a supreme insult to every American veteran who has ever served. The last time I checked there were about 15 million living American veterans so why not just insult them all while they are still alive. Just tell them all that “your service to this nation meant nothing” but certainly no more to America than an Israeli veteran meant to America. Fortunately, that portion of the bill was pulled before it advanced but there are rumors that it is still out there in Congress or at least in some of their minds and it will be added back in. The bill being considered is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would fund the U.S. military for another year. According to members of the House whose opinions I have read, there is near certainty that Section 224 of that bill will pass through the House and become law with the President's signature. Congressman Ro Khanna, Democrat, and Thomas Massie, Republican tried to pass an amendment to delete Section 224 but the amendment failed. That section will set up a “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative” that integrates US-Israeli military research and development co-production of weapons systems, licensing agreements, AI, directed energy. Data integration, and missile defense. It creates the framework for bilateral research and development, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, licensing agreements, and virtually every manner of U.S.-Israeli military cooperation. The Director of this “Initiative” who will be responsible for coordination of the work will reportedly be an Israeli. The funding will come 100% from the U.S, treasury through part of the $1.5 trillion defense budget requested by President Trump. The purpose as stated is to fully connect the functionality of the U.S. military with that of the Israeli military in what is being described as an equal partnership that will include the government of Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces as full partners. There will be intelligence sharing and in fact the bill includes a requirement that intelligence must be shared. Israeli forces will be included in the planning process of how U.S. weapons are developed and procured.  This serves to explain at least in part why Netanyahu has been indicating recently that Israel might be willing to forego some of the mandatory $3.8 billion the U.S. gives it every year. He obviously knows there is an even bigger slice of American Pie coming his way via Section 224. The intelligence sharing portion of the bill was introduced by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas which he calls “US-Israel Intelligence Sharing Enhancement.” Interestingly, at the same time the New York Times recently carried an article entitled “Pentagon Sees Growing Espionage Threat from Israel.” The article is sourced to the Defense Intelligence Agency which says that the espionage threat from Israel is at the highest possible level and even says that Israel eavesdropped on negotiations between the United States and Iran conducted in Pakistan. The senators pushing this bill often refer to Israel as our best friend and most trusted ally but at the same time the DIA has that country listed as the highest possible espionage threat. Just to keep following this espionage threat let me tell you or remind you of a couple of things this best friend has done during its roughly 78 years as a political nation. In 1984 when a man named Yitzhak Shamir was prime minister and Ronald Reagan was the US president; Israel dispatched an American of dual citizenship named Jonathan Pollard to do some spying against the US. Pollard worked in the US defense establishment and had access to some of the most highly classified military secrets. He stole and delivered the entire 10 volume DIA manual of in person or human intelligence operatives all over the world. The manual contained the names and locations of US intelligence operatives working in the Soviet Union and Communist China both countries in a desperate cold war with the US. Pollard delivered the manual along with many other vital intelligence documents to his handlers in Israel. Can you guess what our best friend and most trusted ally did with the manual and other information. Yes, that's right, they gave it to the Soviet Union and Communist China in exchange for “favors”. Thousands of US personnel along with foreign operatives working with US Intelligence were arrested and many were killed so I guess as the saying goes with friends like that who needs enemies. Pollard did his work in 1984 and in 1987 he was sentenced to life in prison and he served exactly 30 years plus five years of probation. He was then allowed to move to Israel where he has hero status. The American Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, had him over to the US Embassy for a little get together recently. That Pollard incident illustrates the one-sided relationship the US has with Israel quite clearly but as bad as it was it was not the worst. No, the worst happened in 1967 when a man named Levi Eshkol was Prime Minister of Israel and Lyndon Johnson was US President. In fact, last Monday the 8th of June was the 59th anniversary of the Israeli attack on an American ship named USS Liberty. The Liberty was an intelligence gathering ship operating in International Waters in the Eastern Mediterranean when it was attacked by air forces of Israel. This attack was not an accident or improper identification or anything except a deliberate act of murder. The Liberty, an unarmed vessel, was relentless bombed and strafed by Israeli jets while clearly flying the American flag. The attack severed the radio mast and cut off the crew's ability to send a distress call but one crewman managed to climb on deck despite strafing fire, raise an antenna and get off a distress call. Out in the Med a US carrier heard the message and immediately launched jets for a rescue effort. I can tell you from a lot of personal experience that there is nothing that motivates US soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines like coming to the rescue of brothers in trouble. Unfortunately, the US Commander in Chief, Lyndon Johnson personally ordered the Carrier captain to withdraw his jets. They left Liberty to die on its own but the little ship and its crew refused to die. 34 men were killed and 171 wounded but the ship would not sink and made it back to port. The pilots of our most trusted friend and ally even machine-gunned wounded sailors in the water something honorable men do not do even when their nations are at war. No real investigation by government investigators with subpoena power has ever been conducted to my knowledge. Oh, there was a cursory inquiry as there always is but according to reporter Donald Jeffries who did a yeoman's job of private investigation and who has written extensively about the matter President Johnson ordered the board of inquiry to rule it an accident. Why did the Israelis attack the USS Liberty. Without going into a lot of what amounts to guesswork, it was probably because Israel was fighting what came to be known as the six-day-war against a coalition of enemy nations one of which was Egypt. The Liberty was to be sunk and the incident blamed on the Egyptians which would have given the US an excuse to enter the war against Egypt as retaliation. In both the Liberty attack and the Pollard incident not a single thing regarding US policy toward Israel changed. Not one dollar was cut from the very generous support.  Compare this to the reaction upon news this week that an Apache Attack Helicopter had been shot down in the Persian Gulf near Hormuz. The President said he would retaliate with a massive bombing attack and would “take over” Iran's petroleum industry. I don't believe the story which makes no sense but not much in this war makes sense. An Apache is an attack helicopter with a mission of finding and destroying enemy armor but it can be used for armed reconnaissance as well. Perhaps that was its mission over the Gulf. It landed in the water with no injuries to crew so no I don't believe it and it was probably done by Israel if it was done at all. I don't think it was more than an excuse to resume the war. Finally, folks, the US has reportedly given Israel more than $300 billion since its founding in 1948 but it is on the brink of an even more egregious relationship whereby it combines its military with that of Israel. Something causes Washington politicians to shower our money that we work for on Israel and to support it while it robs the US at home and commits mass murder abroad. Why is the question. If all our politicians are blackmailed prostitutes shouldn't we have some knowledge of our worth, How much do they get from the pimps who own them. At least that's the way I seen it. Until next time folks, This is Darrell Castle, Thanks for listening.

At a recent Immigration Newsmaker hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies, Rodney Scott, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, joined Center Executive Director Mark Krikorian for an in-depth conversation on the challenges facing CBP and the administration's broader enforcement strategy. The discussion examined current efforts to secure both the southern and northern borders, combat human smuggling and cartel activity, expand border wall system construction, strengthen coordination with ICE, and facilitate lawful trade and travel while protecting national security.Commissioner Scott oversees the front lines of America's border and national security operations. Under the leadership of DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, CBP has taken on an increasingly central role in implementing the administration's immigration and border security agenda, making Commissioner Scott one of the most consequential voices in immigration policy today.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestRodney Scott is the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.LinksPress ReleaseVideoTranscriptIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Faithful listeners of the podcast know it has been several months since our last regular episode, but this hiatus was for a very good reason. Behind the scenes, I have  been collaborating with John Clarence, the premier researcher on the Noss/Victorio Peak Gold Story, to develop an expansive new podcast series on that topic. You might be wondering why a JFK podcast is pivoting to a story about buried treasure. The truth is, the Victorio Peak gold story directly intersects with the lives of JFK and RFK, exposing hidden sides of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon that will give you serious pause and fundamentally change how you evaluate those presidencies…and perhaps for at least one of those men, how you evaluate his potential involvement in the JFK assassination.However, before we can understand Victorio Peak, we need a prelude. That prelude starts this weekend with a multi-episode deep dive into a well-documented, yet often overlooked, World War II event: the discovery of the Merkers salt mine. In April 1945, advancing American forces uncovered the staggering wealth of the Third Reich, mostly stolen from neighboring countries during the war.  At this late stage of the war, it was now hidden deep underground, including 8,198 gold bars and a horrifying quantity of SS loot stripped from concentration camp victims. This well documented historical event is crucial because it goes directly to understanding how the U.S. government and  our military at the time looked upon massive treasures of stolen gold, and how they may have ultimately handled portions of it. It sets the foundational stage for the Victorio Peak story that follows.If the idea of the government secretly moving and hoarding massive caches of gold sounds like a fictional tie-together, a chilling coincidence from this past week proves otherwise. In this 7-minute teaser, I weave our upcoming historical narrative covering the Merkers mine  with the shocking, breaking news of David Rush. Rush, a former senior CIA officer with top-secret clearance, was arrested after an FBI raid on his home uncovered 303 one-kilogram gold bars—valued at roughly $40 million—sitting in a basement safe. Prosecutors allege that Rush created a fake, highly classified "black box" Special Access Program to request this incredible wealth directly from the CIA for supposed "work-related expenses".This modern-day scandal takes the historical rumors of hidden government gold and makes them very real in the modern realm. It forces us to pause and rethink what is possible as we begin to stitch this massive web together. The hiatus is over. Listen in to this teaser as we prepare to journey into the Merkers Mine, with four episodes due out this weekend, telling this chilling World War II  story. And from there... we go to Victorio Peak, and beyond.

The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast examines a recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo emphasizing that adjustment of status - the process allowing certain aliens, either temporary visa holders or unlawfully present, who are eligible for permanent residence to obtain it without leaving the United States - is a discretionary benefit and not a guaranteed alternative to consular processing abroad.The discussion between Senior Legal Fellow George Fishman and Director of Policy Studies Jessica Vaughan is accompanied by a new report and a policy blog on the subject.Among the key findings:Congress created adjustment of status under section 245 of the new Immigration and Nationality Act in 1952 largely to eliminate the need for temporary visa holders already in the United States to travel outside the U.S. for immigrant visa processing to permanent status.In FY2023, which is the most recent year for which statistics on adjustment of status admissions are available, the number of adjustments was 608,260 out of 1,172,910 total immigrant admissions, or 52 percent. Of these adjustments, by far the largest share were in the category of Immediate Relatives (315,830). In contrast, in 2023 only 146,880 people adjusted in all the employment categories combined, although this represented 75 percent of all employment LPR admissions.The policy change is expected to have its greatest impact on certain family-based applicants, including some who overstayed visas, violated the terms of admission, or entered illegally and received parole.While USCIS has broad discretion in adjustment decisions, courts have held that such discretion is not unlimited and may be reviewed for abuse of discretion.Existing legal precedent does not clearly support treating the mere act of seeking adjustment of status as a negative factor weighing against an applicant.USCIS has indicated that it may exercise discretion and offer some applicants the opportunity to adjust if it is in the national interest, such as in the case of applicants with meaningful employment or for humanitarian considerations.Fishman's report concludes that the legal significance of the directive will depend on how USCIS implements it in practice. If denial rates rise substantially or applications are denied absent meaningful adverse factors, litigation challenging those decisions is likely to follow (if federal courts allow legal challenges to adjustment denials outside of removal proceedings).Vaughan argues that the policy could strengthen the integrity of the immigration system as overstayers and parolees will no longer apply for fear of being caught for extended unlawful presence.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.George Fishman is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksUSCIS Upends the Status Quo for Adjustment of StatusUSCIS Blocks Green Card Shortcut for Overstayers and ParoleesIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In 1976 historian George H. Nash wrote The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945, a celebrated historical accounting that established much of the narrative for how we think about the development of modern conservatism even today.  But much has changed since the seventies.  What can the history of conservatism tell us about this present moment, and what can it tell us about where things may be heading?  Dr. Nash joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to unravel the past, present, and future of conservatism in the United States.   About George H. Nash George H. Nash is the epitome of a gentleman and a scholar.  A graduate from Amherst College who received his Ph.D. in History from Harvard University, Dr. Nash is an authority on the histories of American conservatism and the life of President Herbert Hoover.  Dr. Nash is an independent scholar, historian, and lecturer.  He speaks and writes frequently about the history and present direction of American conservatism, the life of Herbert Hoover, the legacy of Ronald Reagan, the education of the Founding Fathers, and other subjects.  His writings have appeared in the American Spectator, Claremont Review of Books, Intercollegiate Review, Modern Age, National Review, New York Times Book Review, Policy Review, University Bookman, Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.  He has lectured at the Library of Congress; the National Archives; the Herbert Hoover, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson presidential libraries; the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum; the Hoover Institution; the Heritage Foundation; the McConnell Center; and at various universities and conferences in the United States and Europe.  Several of his lectures have been featured on C-SPAN.  He has also been interviewed by C-SPAN, National Public Radio, numerous radio stations, and the print media.  Dr. Nash lives in Massachusetts.  

The New York Times‘ obituary (5/18/26) for former LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman quotes him saying that “policemen never get the benefit of the doubt.” The racism of Mark Fuhrman, the Los Angeles police detective whose involvement in the O.J. Simpson murder investigation helped sink the prosecution's case, was so well-known comedian Dana Carvey once mocked him with a Nazi salute, calling him “Mark the Fuhrer-man.” Fuhrman's death this month (New York Times, 5/18/26) took middle-aged and older Americans back to 1995, when the televised trial of Simpson, accused of murdering his ex-wife and her friend, dominated media for much of the year. During the trial, audio recordings and witness testimony revealed Fuhrman's use of the n-word and other racist views, sinking his credibility as the cop responsible for recovering the “bloody glove,” the key piece of evidence tying Simpson to the killings. Because he had previously testified that he never used the word, it opened an opportunity for the defense to suggest he wasn't honest about other things—and had a motivation to frame a Black celebrity. Unrelenting racism In July 2017, CNN‘s Kyra Phillips played new excerpts from the Fuhrman tapes. The tapes portrayed hours of unrelenting racism. “All these n*****s in L.A. city government…all of them should be lined up against a wall and fucking shot,” he said. And often sexism as well: “What if I’ve just been raped by two buck n*****s, and a female shows up?” During the trial, witness Kathleen Bell testified that Fuhrman had said, “If I had my way, all the n*****s would be gathered together and burned.” Bell told the court, “When he sees a Black man with a white woman driving in a car, he pulls them over,” with no traffic violation needed (Washington Post, 9/5/95). Fuhrman became the national representation of the American racist cop. He invoked the Fifth Amendment when questioned about his handling of evidence (LA Times, 9/7/95), offering the shadow of a doubt the jury needed to acquit the former football and movie star. In his fiery closing argument, defense attorney Johnnie Cochran characterized Fuhrman as “this perjurer, this racist, this genocidal racist.” Fuhrman pleaded no contest to a perjury charge a year later (CNN, 10/2/96). But there was something bigger about Fuhrman, and it's something we can deeply feel in the media environment today. ‘Unwitting catalyst’ Mark Fuhrman interviewed in ESPN‘s OJ: Made in America (2016). The legal “dream team” Simpson assembled certainly focused on pushing the jury for an acquittal—that's a defense lawyer's job. But as outlined in both the dramatized The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story on FX and ESPN's OJ: Made in America, defense lead Cochran also built a larger case for a larger audience. (Side note: FAIR's Janine Jackson briefly appears in the ESPN documentary in a segment about media coverage of the trial.) Nicole Brown Simpson was killed at her Los Angeles home, along with Ron Goldman, on June 12, 1994, just two years after the city was engulfed in racial rioting as a result of an acquittal of police officers who had been videotaped brutally beating a Black man, Rodney King. For much of America, the rioting was a dividing moment. Civil rights activists saw it as the explosion of a powder keg under pressure of decades of tension between LA's Black community and the cops. A great deal of white America saw the rioting as an inexplicable overreaction. Press voices had their doubts too. Newsweek (5/10/92) called the looting “a manic fiesta, a TV game show with every looter a winner.” Cochran set out to change the narrative, to demonstrate to the white public that Black Los Angeles has systemically suffered from racist policing. Ben Ehrenreich (Guardian, 4/22/20): “The thousands of African Americans who migrated to Los Angeles from the Jim Crow south had found similar cruel realities awaiting them.” In Set the Night on Fire, Mike Davis and Jon Weiner outline the ongoing war against the Black community by LA cops in the 1960s, erupting in the 1965 Watts riots. From the Guardian‘s review (4/22/20): LA's police make dramatic appearances in almost every chapter, clubbing peaceful protesters, brutalizing activists and killing so many Black men, and with such absolute impunity, that Davis and Wiener's claim that “the Manson gang were bit players compared to the forces of law and order” ends up feeling more than fair. In the authors' telling, the wanton violence of the police acted as a consistent if unwitting catalyst to historical change: It was the chaos that followed a ferocious LAPD assault on anti-war protesters that added to Lyndon Johnson's decision not to run for re-election in 1968, and the LAPD's murder of a Black Muslim named Ronald Stokes—seven other Muslims were shot in the same incident—that pushed Malcolm X towards a broader vision of Black liberation. The shared experience of LAPD violence, Davis and Wiener write, forged a “common culture of resistance” among Black and Chicano youth, white hipsters and anti-war activists, and the city's gay community. This situation hardly improved with the economic turmoil of the 1970s, or the reactionary retreat of the 1980s. For many Black Angelenos, the 1992 riots weren't about one videotape, but about this entire history. Cochran had an opportunity to reveal the situation in the early ’90s to America. And with Fuhrman, who was called by the prosecution to bring the bloody glove into evidence, Cochran was able to show a feverishly racist man at the center of this investigation. ‘Kill somebody and go have some chicken’ Sean Hannity (Hannity, 1/10/23) interviewing Pam Bondi (then a former Florida attorney general) and Mark Fuhrman. In the end, Simpson was acquitted, and Fuhrman became a symbol of a divided America. It’s quite telling that the disgraced cop later found a landing place on Fox News. The Murdoch media empire created the news network the year after the Simpson trial as the antithesis to what it claimed was a liberal slant in corporate television news. Bringing on Fuhrman as a recurring guest—and, later, giving him his own show on Fox Nation—didn’t just promote his own public rehabilitation, it foretold a shift in “acceptable” discourse on right-wing TV. Fox‘s Greta van Susteren (5/19/05) defended having him on as a frequent guest: Mark happens to be a very, very, very smart detective—one of the best I have ever worked with and I have worked with many. He really thinks about the investigations we book him on the show to discuss. But Fox was attracted to Fuhrman not by his smarts, but by his hate. The racism that spilled out in the Simpson trial—Fuhrman's animosity toward the people who he was sworn to protect and serve—catered directly to the Fox audience. Another Fox star that routinely showcased Fuhrman was Sean Hannity (Extra!, 9/13). On Hannity & Colmes (11/16/06; cited by Media Matters, 11/20/06), Fuhrman asserted that the the type of “people” he “dealt with … for 20 years” will kill somebody and go have some chicken at KFC. You will catch them eating chicken and drinking a beer after they just murdered three people. He added that “these people are out there. They’re all over the place.” In another appearance, Hannity (Hannity, 7/16/13) brought the ex-cop on to speculate on whether Black people would riot if George Zimmerman were found not guilty of murdering an unarmed Trayvon Martin in Florida. “Mark, it seems to me like it's going to be a dangerous scenario for the cities where this is going to occur,” said Hannity. Fuhrman replied, “I think you're right, Sean,” and proceeded to fantasize about protesters “assaulting people, assaulting officers, so when you cross that line, it's pretty obvious, and, you know, this is completely drawn on racial lines now.” ‘They just take more and more’ “You can always find something that doesn’t look like justice was served one way or another,” Mark Fuhrman tells Megyn Kelly (and right-wing novelist Brad Thor) on Fox‘s Kelly File (7/8/16). Fuhrman had nothing but contempt for the Black Lives Matter movement erupting in Ferguson, Missouri. He told Fox News' Megyn Kelly (8/10/15): Stopping traffic is not a lawful demonstration. Stopping pedestrians is not a lawful demonstration.  Stopping regular traffic on sidewalks in front of buildings. That is not lawful demonstrations. And they should enforce it. And you know, when you allow some kind of, you know, leeway, they just take more and more. And now we have people that are not on the city council and they’re not on the police department, no matter how represented the Black community is. They are not there. You’re dealing with gang members and street drug dealers that are just hanging out. They’re armed and they’re taking advantage of a hesitant police department. How did Fuhrman respond to a video of “a white school police officer in a Columbia [South Carolina] classroom grabbing an African-American student by the neck, flipping her backward as she sat at her desk, then dragging and throwing her across the floor” (New York Times, 10/26/15)? He made the officer a saint on Fox. Media Matters (10/27/15) quoted Fuhrman: He requested her. He verbally did that. The next level is he put a hand on her. She escalated it from there. He used soft control. He threw her on the ground, he handcuffed her. He didn’t use mace. He didn’t use a Taser. He didn’t use a stick. He didn’t kick her. He didn’t hit her. He didn’t choke her. He used a minimal amount of force necessary to effect an arrest. In 2019, he attacked Democratic presidential hopefuls for their police reform rhetoric on the Ingraham Angle (8/2/19), saying those politicians were looking to win “that 18-to-25-year-old base that is involved in all these movements—these anti-government, anti-establishment, anti-republic, anti-Trump” movements. He eventually was given his own show on Fox News spinoff Fox Nation, the Fuhrman Diaries, which ran from 2018 to 2022. (Fox promoted him as “America's most controversial detective”—LA Times, 11/29/18.) ‘Total reputational annihilation’ Just because someone lied under oath about using racial slurs dozens of times doesn’t mean they should be canceled (Wall Street Journal, 5/20/26)—and by “canceled,” we mean given their own TV show. People can and do change over time. Fuhrman gave a somewhat nuanced view on Fox News (Ingraham Angle, 5/29/20) about the police killing of George Floyd, which resulted in widespread political unrest. He called Floyd's killing “a slow-motion homicide,” and said the video footage was “a slow and really painful thing to watch of somebody grinding somebody’s face into the pavement until they’re dead.” At the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal, columnist Matthew Hennessey (5/20/26) christened Fuhrman a victim of cancel culture, admitting that he was a “bad cop,” but that he was among the first to suffer the total reputational annihilation that has become a hallmark of life in the digital era, where everything you say—or have ever said—will one day be used against you in the court of public opinion. It’s a strange sort of “reputational annihilation” that gets you regularly showcased on a national cable TV network, and then gives you your own show. Fuhrman’s afterlife as a commentator foretold a media conservatism that flips the narrative about racist policing on its head, where prejudice becomes a sign of expertise. It’s a legacy we live with today in MAGA America, even with Fuhrman having departed this world. Research assistance: Priyanka Bansal

Send us Fan MailWe look at LBJ's Great Society and determine its legacy.  

The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast examines how the federal government can reduce illegal immigration through administrative, financial, and workplace enforcement measures designed to encourage self-deportation rather than relying primarily on large-scale arrest operations.Andrew Arthur, the Center's fellow in law and policy, joins George Fishman, the Center's senior legal fellow, to discuss what they describe as “briefcase immigration enforcement” — the wide range of legal and regulatory tools available to federal agencies that can make it more difficult for illegal aliens to remain and work in the United States indefinitely.The discussion follows recent Center blogs analyzing President Trump's Executive Order, “Restoring Integrity to America's Financial System,” which directs federal agencies to examine how banking regulations, lending practices, and identification requirements may facilitate illegal immigration and unlawful employment.The podcast examines measures such as requiring proof of legal status to send remittances abroad, restricting access to the U.S. banking system for those here unlawfully, and imposing criminal and civil penalties on aliens who fail to depart within 90 days of receiving final removal orders. The discussion covers proposals to send Social Security “no-match” letters to employers, make more it difficult for illegal aliens to obtain identification documents and driver's licenses, revoke commercial driver's licenses issued improperly, and expand employers' access to photo-matching verification to confirm worker identity and employment eligibility.In the final commentary, Mark Krikorian, the Center's executive director and podcast host, discusses a recent Center report arguing that Congress should consider increasing the waiting period for naturalization to give applicants more time to demonstrate their character and commitment to the principles of the Constitution. The “1798 Solution”, so named because from 1798 to 1802 the wait was 14 years, may be one of the most effective tools available to prevent individuals who pose national security threats from obtaining U.S. citizenship.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsAndrew Arthur is a Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.George Fishman is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksBig Banks and U.S. Treasury Have Been Enabling Illegal Immigration for Two DecadesTrump to Banks: Illegal Aliens are Bad Credit RisksDHS and DOJ Begin Imposing Massive Fines on Aliens Who Refuse to LeavePreventing Naturalization National Security Threats: The 1789 SolutionIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

May 22, 2026In a graduation speech at the University of Michigan in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson laid out his vision for “the Great Society,” It was a forward looking vision of a country that used its post-World War II prosperity to look toward greater things, and to advance civil rights and end poverty, Congress would pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and the Food Stamp Act, Democrats were able to pass 84 new laws to put the Great Society into place, Congress took on voting rights, access to education, health insurance, and the rights of consumers, It enacted laws protecting the environment and supporting the arts, In his speech at the University of Michigan, Johnson charged the graduates to lead America toward a new age, reminding them that Americans have the power to shape the civilization that we want.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

Prager University- Black Fathers Matter, Are Fathers Necessary? John Stossel- Watt's the Problem with Data Centers? Steve Forbes- The Case for Capitalism   Prager University- Black Fathers Matter | 5 Minute Video Are Fathers Necessary? | 5 Minute Videos | PragerU John Stossel- Watt's the Problem with Data Centers? The Truth About Energy Use, Costs, and the Panic Over Progress The Case for Capitalism: Steve Forbes Explains Why Free Markets Work and Socialism Doesn't A Few Moments With Ted Turner   Black Fathers Matter | 5 Minute Video Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/FszQelEQ2KY?si=LHIRgWs9K_RX8eON PragerU 3.45M subscribers 4,212,596 views Jun 13, 2016 5-Minute Videos Which poses a bigger threat to black communities: Racism? Or the absence of fathers? Drawing on a sea of official data and his own upbringing, talk-show host Larry Elder shows just how important black fathers are in turning boys into responsible and happy men--and how their absence has had a tragic impact on millions of black Americans.  Donate today to PragerU! http://l.prageru.com/2ylo1Yt Joining PragerU is free! Sign up now to get all our videos as soon as they're released. http://prageru.com/signup Download Pragerpedia on your iPhone or Android! Thousands of sources and facts at your fingertips. iPhone: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsnbG Android: http://l.prageru.com/2dlsS5e Join Prager United to get new swag every quarter, exclusive early access to our videos, and an annual TownHall phone call with Dennis Prager! http://l.prageru.com/2c9n6ys Join PragerU's text list to have these videos, free merchandise giveaways and breaking announcements sent directly to your phone! https://optin.mobiniti.com/prageru Do you shop on Amazon? Click https://smile.amazon.com and a percentage of every Amazon purchase will be donated to PragerU. Same great products. Same low price. Shopping made meaningful. VISIT PragerU! https://www.prageru.com FOLLOW us! Facebook:   / prageru   Twitter:   / prageru   Instagram:   / prageru   PragerU is on Snapchat! JOIN PragerFORCE! For Students: http://l.prageru.com/29SgPaX JOIN our Educators Network! http://l.prageru.com/2c8vsff Script: Years ago, I interviewed Kweisi Mfume, then the president of the NAACP. “As between the presence of white racism and the absence of black fathers,” I asked, “Which poses the bigger threat to the black community?” Without missing a beat, he said, “The absence of black fathers.” It was President Barack Obama who said, "We all know the statistics. That children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of school and 20 times more likely to end up in prison.” The Journal of Research on Adolescence confirms that even after controlling for varying levels of household income, kids in father-absent homes are more likely to end up in jail. And kids who never had a father in the house are the most likely to wind up behind bars. In 1960, 5 percent of America's children entered the world without a mother and father married to each other. By 1980 it was 18 percent, by 2000 it had risen to 33 percent, and fifteen years later, the number reached 41 percent. For blacks, even during slavery when marriage for slaves was illegal, black children were more likely than today to be raised by both their mother and father. Economist Walter Williams has written that, according to census data, from 1890 to 1940, a black child was more likely to grow up with married parents than a white child. For blacks, out-of-wedlock births have gone from 25 percent in 1965 to 73 percent in 2015. For whites, from less than 5 percent to over 25 percent. And for Hispanics, out-of-wedlock births have risen to 53 percent. What happened to fathers? The answer is found in a basic law of economics: If you subsidize undesirable behavior you will get more undesirable behavior. In 1949, the nation's poverty rate was 34 percent. By 1965, it was cut in half, to 17 percent -- all before President Lyndon Johnson's so-called War on Poverty. But after that war began in 1965, poverty began to flat line. From 1965 until now, the government has spent over $20 trillion to fight poverty. The poverty rate has remained unchanged, but the relationship between poor men and women has changed – dramatically. That's because our generous welfare system allows women, in effect, to marry the government. And this makes it all too easy for men to abandon their traditional moral and financial responsibilities. Psychologists call such dependency "learned helplessness." How do we know that the welfare state creates disincentives that hurt the very people we are trying to help? They tell us. In 1985, the Los Angeles Times asked both the poor and the non-poor whether poor women "often" have children to get additional benefits. Most of the non-poor respondents said no. However, 64 percent of poor respondents said yes. Now, who do you think is in a better position to know? Tupac Shakur, the late rapper, once said: "I know for a fact that had I had a father, I'd have some discipline. I'd have more confidence." He admitted he began running with gangs because he wanted the things a father gives to a child, especially to a boy: structure and protection. “Your mother cannot calm you down the way a man can,” Shakur said. “You need a man to teach you how to be a man."   Are Fathers Necessary? | 5 Minute Videos | PragerU https://youtu.be/daS69gf0Tzc?si=UJ0grFAG2chSNjuM PragerU 3.45M subscribers 3,752,405 views Premiered Jun 7, 2021 5-Minute Videos Until recently, the need to explain why fathers are necessary would have been regarded as, well, unnecessary. But that's not the case anymore. Dennis Prager explains why this isn't just concerning—it's dangerous. Follow PragerU: Instagram:

SPONSORS: 1) BLUEPRINT: For a limited time only, our listeners get 20% off + free shipping at https://blueprint.bryanjohnson.com by using code JULIAN at checkout. #Blueprint #ad JOIN PATREON FOR EARLY UNCENSORED EPISODE RELEASES: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey CLIPPERS DISCORD: https://discord.gg/8QmWEKJ3BT (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Stu Wexler is an author and researcher. Stu's investigative journalism work over the years includes the JFK Assassination, MLK Assassination, RFK Assassination, and CIA Covert Operations. STU's LINKS BOOK: https://a.co/d/0ego1NzP FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY IG: https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://x.com/juliandorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 0:00 - JFK Assassination Investigation, MLK & JFK similarity, Grassy Knoll 6:26 - Sewer Shooting Theory, Stu's history with case, Devil's Chessboard 18:31 - Case Complications, “Cut the head off the dog,” Stu's father's theory 27:58 - Castro & JFK, Lyndon Johnson, the Soviets, hijacked autopsy, JFK bombshell 38:58 - How JFK Case falls apart, Curtis LeMay, Felilx Rodriguez, Truman & JFK 48:08 - CIA Cloak & Dagger Ops, Alan Dulles, 1954 Guatemalan Coup d'etat 58:54 - CIA's mask off moment, Carl Jenkins, Iran Contra, JFK vs. Castro plans 1:10:41 - Danny Jones Felix Rodriguez Sitdown, Kiki Camarena 1:24:15 - Nuclear War Threat, Harold Malmgren, Bay of Pigs 1:37:35 - New JFK Files, Why Bobby Kennedy disliked, William Harvey, Rome & the Mafia 1:47:06 - Gap in Joannides Records, David Morales 2:01:31 - Daniel Pearl, Why Bobby Kennedy taken out 2:11:07 - Lyndon B. Johnson & JFK, American Revolution post JFK & MLK, James Earl Ray 2:23:14 - MLK Assassin James Earl Ray & the gov, MLK & Charlie Kirk, Extremist Groups 2:35:31 - Extremist influence, FBI & MLK, Donald Nissin 2:46:52 - FBI Investigation, Kathy Ainsworth, Stu's take on conspiracy 2:56:35 - What was Ray supposed to do, Ray's attorneys, “Dancing on streets” after MLK 3:05:34 - Fred Hampton, FBI War, Informant knew King was going to be shot, Tommy Terrance 3:15:37 - Stu's Work CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 422 - Stu Wexler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ron Jacobs is a author of various works dealing with the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s, he also writes for counterpunch magazine about various areas of politics. This discussion will focus on former president Lyndon Johnson and some of the evolving perspective that Mr. Jacobs has from a counterculture perspective.