S8 Ep149: 5/8. Thoreau, Extinction Denial, and the Destruction of America's Beaver Engineers — Dan Flores — Nineteenth-century intellectuals including Henry David Thoreau lamented the systematic extermination of iconic American fauna. Flores documents that the conc
       5/8. Thoreau, Extinction Denial, and the Destruction of America's Beaver Engineers — Dan Flores — Nineteenth-century intellectuals including Henry David Thoreau lamented the systematic extermination of iconic American fauna. Flores documents that the concept of species extinction was initially incomprehensible to European ideology, which posited a divinely perfect creation precluding per...
12m Dec 01, 2025
12m
S8 Ep149: 4/8. The Second Eurasian Invasion: Herding Culture, Wolves, and the Birth of the Global Market Economy — Dan Flores — European colonists expressed astonishment regarding the extraordinary abundance of American wildlife following the catastrophic populatio
4/8. The Second Eurasian Invasion: Herding Culture, Wolves, and the Birth of the Global Market Economy — Dan Flores — European colonists expressed astonishment regarding the extraordinary abundance of American wildlife following the catastrophic population decline of Native American societies. Flores explains that European settlers possessed a distinctive herding culture and ideology of human e...
8m Dec 01, 2025
8m
S8 Ep149: 3/8. Ten Thousand Years of Kinship: Native American Hunter-Gatherers and Ecological Balance — Dan Flores — Following the Pliocene extinction event, North America entered a 10,000-year period characterized by hunter-gatherer societies achieving sophisticat
3/8. Ten Thousand Years of Kinship: Native American Hunter-Gatherers and Ecological Balance — Dan Flores — Following the Pliocene extinction event, North America entered a 10,000-year period characterized by hunter-gatherer societies achieving sophisticated ecological equilibrium. Flores documents that Native American peoples consciously maintained deliberately restricted human populations (few...
12m Dec 01, 2025
12m
S8 Ep149: 2/8. Clovis Culture and the American Extinction: Early Humans as Ecological Simplifiers — Dan Flores — The Clovis culture, emerging approximately 13,000 years ago, rapidly spread across North America in a remarkably brief timeframe. Flores connects the Cl
2/8. Clovis Culture and the American Extinction: Early Humans as Ecological Simplifiers — Dan Flores — The Clovis culture, emerging approximately 13,000 years ago, rapidly spread across North America in a remarkably brief timeframe. Flores connects the Clovis expansion to the "American extinction," wherein large megafauna including mammoths disappeared with striking rapidity. Flores explains th...
7m Dec 01, 2025
7m
S8 Ep149: 1/8. The Deep History of North American Mammals and the Arrival of Human Predators — Dan Flores — Flores's book Wild New World examines North American fauna spanning 66 million years, detailing the evolutionary processes and intercontinental migration pat
1/8. The Deep History of North American Mammals and the Arrival of Human Predators — Dan Flores — Flores's book Wild New World examines North American fauna spanning 66 million years, detailing the evolutionary processes and intercontinental migration patterns that created the diverse Pliocene animal assemblage. Flores argues that Eurasian animals including deer and elk possessed significant ad...
12m Dec 01, 2025
12m
S8 Ep149: 8/8. Global Bird Consciousness and Human Responsibility — Steven Moss — Moss concludes by emphasizing that birds represent profound indicators of planetary ecological health and human stewardship. Moss argues that human societies have repeatedly demonstra
8/8. Global Bird Consciousness and Human Responsibility — Steven Moss — Moss concludes by emphasizing that birds represent profound indicators of planetary ecological health and human stewardship. Moss argues that human societies have repeatedly demonstrated catastrophic ecological mismanagement—from deliberate species eradication campaigns to inadvertent pesticide-driven collapse of insect pop...
9m Dec 01, 2025
9m
S8 Ep149: 7/8. The Snowy Egret, The Emperor Penguin, and the Climate Canary — Steven Moss — Moss describes the beautiful Snowy Egret, nearly driven to extinction during 19th-century "plumage wars," when its feathers, priced equivalently to gold, were harvested for
7/8. The Snowy Egret, The Emperor Penguin, and the Climate Canary — Steven Moss — Moss describes the beautiful Snowy Egret, nearly driven to extinction during 19th-century "plumage wars," when its feathers, priced equivalently to gold, were harvested for women's millinery fashion. Moss emphasizes that the resulting systemic cruelty toward birds catalyzed women to establish conservation organiza...
11m Dec 01, 2025
11m
S8 Ep149: 6/8. Mao's Sparrow Campaign and the Worst Human-Created Disaster — Steven Moss — Moss recounts Chairman Mao's 1958 order for systematic extermination of the Tree Sparrow, predicated on the erroneous belief that sparrows consumed excessive grain supplies.
6/8. Mao's Sparrow Campaign and the Worst Human-Created Disaster — Steven Moss — Moss recounts Chairman Mao's 1958 order for systematic extermination of the Tree Sparrow, predicated on the erroneous belief that sparrows consumed excessive grain supplies. Moss documents that the Chinese population executed massive killing campaigns, often exhausting sparrows to death through relentless pursuit. ...
9m Dec 01, 2025
9m
S8 Ep149: 5/8. Guano, Tragedy, and the Rise of Intensive Farming — Steven Moss — Moss discusses seabird guano (nutrient-rich droppings), first recognized as a valuable resource by the Incas and subsequently monetized by William Gibbs, who accumulated immense wealth
5/8. Guano, Tragedy, and the Rise of Intensive Farming — Steven Moss — Moss discusses seabird guano (nutrient-rich droppings), first recognized as a valuable resource by the Incas and subsequently monetized by William Gibbs, who accumulated immense wealth trading guano from arid Peruvian islands. Moss emphasizes that guano harvesting occurred under tragic human conditions, with Chinese indentur...
9m Dec 01, 2025
9m
S8 Ep149: 4/8. The Dodo and the Legacy of Extinction — Steven Moss — Moss examines the Dodo as the iconic symbol of species extinction, despite extinction being conceptually incomprehensible to contemporary observers when the species disappeared from Mauritius. Mos
4/8. The Dodo and the Legacy of Extinction — Steven Moss — Moss examines the Dodo as the iconic symbol of species extinction, despite extinction being conceptually incomprehensible to contemporary observers when the species disappeared from Mauritius. Moss explains that the Dodo, having evolved flightless on a predator-free island, was exterminated within 80 years by introduced species includin...
9m Dec 01, 2025
9m
S8 Ep149: 3/8. Darwin's Finches: The Evolution Myth and the Speed of Adaptation — Steven Moss — Moss corrects widespread misconceptions regarding Darwin's Finches, noting that Charles Darwin collected the specimens but failed to properly label their specific island
3/8. Darwin's Finches: The Evolution Myth and the Speed of Adaptation — Steven Moss — Moss corrects widespread misconceptions regarding Darwin's Finches, noting that Charles Darwin collected the specimens but failed to properly label their specific island origins, and subsequently employed pigeons rather than finches to explain evolutionary mechanisms. Moss discusses researchers Peter and Rosem...
11m Dec 01, 2025
11m
S8 Ep149: 2/8. Pigeons: The Great Communicators and Wartime Heroes — Steven Moss — Moss discusses the humble pigeon as a paradoxical feral bird species possessing extraordinary homing capabilities that made it invaluable as a communications mechanism. Although the
2/8. Pigeons: The Great Communicators and Wartime Heroes — Steven Moss — Moss discusses the humble pigeon as a paradoxical feral bird species possessing extraordinary homing capabilities that made it invaluable as a communications mechanism. Although the famous narrative of Nathan Rothschild using pigeons following the Battle of Waterloo is apocryphal, pigeons were genuinely crucial wartime mes...
6m Dec 01, 2025
6m
S8 Ep149: 1/8. The Wild Turkey, the Bald Eagle, and the Illogical Nature of Bird Names — Steven Moss — Moss introduces the Wild Turkey, discussing its successful reestablishment in New England and its domestication origin in southern Mexico. Moss critiques the turk
1/8. The Wild Turkey, the Bald Eagle, and the Illogical Nature of Bird Names — Steven Moss — Moss introduces the Wild Turkey, discussing its successful reestablishment in New England and its domestication origin in southern Mexico. Moss critiques the turkey's nomenclature as fundamentally illogical, derived from historical confusion involving exotic trade routes through Asia Minor. Moss examine...
11m Dec 01, 2025
11m
S8 Ep151: 4/4. The Perilous Return and Legacy of OSIRIS-REx — Dante Lauretta — The sample return capsule executed its descent over the Utah desert with dramatic complications. Critical anxiety ensued when the drogue parachute failed to deploy at the nominal 100,000
4/4. The Perilous Return and Legacy of OSIRIS-REx — Dante Lauretta — The sample return capsule executed its descent over the Utah desert with dramatic complications. Critical anxiety ensued when the drogue parachute failed to deploy at the nominal 100,000 feet altitude, invoking memories of the Genesis mission mishap. The primary main parachute deployed successfully at 60,000 feet, confirming m...
6m Dec 01, 2025
6m
S8 Ep149: 3/4. Encountering Bennu: Unexpected Terrain and Science — Dante Lauretta — Asteroid Bennu presented surprising geological characteristics, displaying unexpectedly rocky, boulder-strewn terrain rather than the predicted smooth, "beach-like" surface indicat
3/4. Encountering Bennu: Unexpected Terrain and Science — Dante Lauretta — Asteroid Bennu presented surprising geological characteristics, displaying unexpectedly rocky, boulder-strewn terrain rather than the predicted smooth, "beach-like" surface indicated by telescopic observations. Bennu, a dark, compositionally active object, contained abundant carbon, complex organic molecules, and water l...
14m Dec 01, 2025
14m
S8 Ep149: 2/4. Naming OSIRIS-REx and Overcoming Major Hurdles — Dante Lauretta — Following successive rejections, Lauretta systematically defined the mission's core scientific objectives—Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security—establishi
2/4. Naming OSIRIS-REx and Overcoming Major Hurdles — Dante Lauretta — Following successive rejections, Lauretta systematically defined the mission's core scientific objectives—Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security—establishing the OSIRIS framework and subsequently designating the mission OSIRIS-REx(Regolith Explorer). The mission received formal selection in 2011,...
8m Dec 01, 2025
8m
S8 Ep149: 1/4. The Genesis of the Asteroid Hunter Mission and Early Rejections — Dante Lauretta — Lauretta, hired by mentor Mike Drake at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL), initiated the asteroid sample return mission concept in 2004 following a pivotal meet
1/4. The Genesis of the Asteroid Hunter Mission and Early Rejections — Dante Lauretta — Lauretta, hired by mentor Mike Drake at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL), initiated the asteroid sample return mission concept in 2004 following a pivotal meeting with Lockheed Martin's Steve Price. The team submitted its initial proposal to NASA in July 2004, which received the agency's lowest compe...
9m Dec 01, 2025
9m
S8 Ep150: 4/4. Climate Pragmatism and Denial of Renewable Energy Constraints — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Anderson highlights Bjorn Lomborg's "climate pragmatism" framework, which advocates rational spending prioritizing immediate human needs rather than attempting
4/4. Climate Pragmatism and Denial of Renewable Energy Constraints — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Andersonhighlights Bjorn Lomborg's "climate pragmatism" framework, which advocates rational spending prioritizing immediate human needs rather than attempting to arrest climate change through technological transformation. Anderson confirms that genuine market adaptation is actively occurring, citing d...
8m Dec 01, 2025
8m
S8 Ep150: 3/4. Price Discovery, Trade Policy, and Government Market Distortions — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Anderson discusses Timothy Fitzgerald's analysis demonstrating that border carbon adjustment mechanisms frequently disguise protectionist trade policies, ali
3/4. Price Discovery, Trade Policy, and Government Market Distortions — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Andersondiscusses Timothy Fitzgerald's analysis demonstrating that border carbon adjustment mechanisms frequently disguise protectionist trade policies, aligning with the "bootleggers and Baptists" theoretical model. Anderson stresses that authentic price discovery in financial markets is absolutel...
13m Dec 01, 2025
13m
S8 Ep150: 2/4. Politics vs. Markets: The Failures of Incentivized Climate Solutions — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Anderson discusses adaptation barriers, noting that regulatory frameworks systematically impede Alaskan Native Villages' traditional ecological knowledge
2/4. Politics vs. Markets: The Failures of Incentivized Climate Solutions — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Andersondiscusses adaptation barriers, noting that regulatory frameworks systematically impede Alaskan Native Villages'traditional ecological knowledge and adaptive ingenuity. Anderson critiques incentivized climate solutions, particularly carbon taxation schemes, arguing they fail fundamentall...
9m Dec 01, 2025
9m
S8 Ep149: 1/4. Market Adaptations, Fossil Fuels, and Physical Limits of Renewables — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Anderson introduces Adapt and Be Adept, examining market-driven responses to climate change while applying Pascal's Wager analytical framework. The book e
1/4. Market Adaptations, Fossil Fuels, and Physical Limits of Renewables — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Andersonintroduces Adapt and Be Adept, examining market-driven responses to climate change while applying Pascal's Wageranalytical framework. The book emphasizes the necessity of localized control in climate adaptation strategies, exemplified by Alaskan Native Villages implementing place-based s...
10m Dec 01, 2025
10m
S8 Ep147: Wildlife Intelligence: Magpie Alliances and Cockatoo Defense — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis discussed his dog Dallas, who has become a skilled magpie whisperer, having cultivated alliances with five distinct magpie families throughout the neighborhood. Dallas dem
Wildlife Intelligence: Magpie Alliances and Cockatoo Defense — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis discussed his dog Dallas, who has become a skilled magpie whisperer, having cultivated alliances with five distinct magpie families throughout the neighborhood. Dallas demonstrates affection and respect toward the birds through deliberate head-bowing behavior, effectively communicating non-threatening intent. Da...
8m Nov 30, 2025
8m
S8 Ep148: First Ashes Test in Perth: Lopsided Victory and Food Surplus — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis detailed the first Ashes test match in Perth, which concluded rapidly due to Australia's dominant performance, resulting in a severely lopsided victory over England. The u
First Ashes Test in Perth: Lopsided Victory and Food Surplus — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis detailed the first Ashes test match in Perth, which concluded rapidly due to Australia's dominant performance, resulting in a severely lopsided victory over England. The unexpectedly brief match duration created massive oversupply of prepared catering and concession food, which event organizers successfully redi...
11m Nov 30, 2025
11m
S8 Ep147: Alarming Urban Home Invasion: Venomous Brown Snake in Canberra — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis reported on a concerning home invasion in Canberra involving a highly venomous great eastern brown snake, one of Australia's deadliest species. The family discovered the
Alarming Urban Home Invasion: Venomous Brown Snake in Canberra — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis reported on a concerning home invasion in Canberra involving a highly venomous great eastern brown snake, one of Australia'sdeadliest species. The family discovered the dangerous reptile in their residential hallway; the snake subsequently relocated to the toilet bowl, effectively trapping itself and facilitat...
9m Nov 30, 2025
9m
S8 Ep147: Bureau of Meteorology Website Renovation Fails — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis reported on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), which failed to accurately predict the La Niña weather cycle and subsequent rainfall patterns. A $96.5 million website renovation
Bureau of Meteorology Website Renovation Fails — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis reported on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), which failed to accurately predict the La Niña weather cycle and subsequent rainfall patterns. A $96.5 million website renovation project resulted in a broken, non-intuitive digital platform that systematically downplayed rainfall severity in visual representations. The ...
11m Nov 30, 2025
11m
S8 Ep146: 8/8 Trauma, Memory, and the Silence of "Eating Bitterness" — Tanya Branigan — Branigan characterizes the CR as a collective convulsion or "Maoist hysteria." Mental health infrastructure was historically underdeveloped in China, and psychology was official
 8/8 Trauma, Memory, and the Silence of "Eating Bitterness" — Tanya Branigan — Branigan characterizes the CRas a collective convulsion or "Maoist hysteria." Mental health infrastructure was historically underdeveloped in China, and psychology was officially condemned as "bourgeois pseudoscience." The pervasive cultural idiom "eating bitterness" reflects fatalistic endurance of suffering without...
9m Nov 30, 2025
9m
S8 Ep146: 7/8 The Unfilial Son and the Trauma of Informing — Tanya Branigan — This segment recounts the 1970 execution of Fu Zhong Mo, a devoted Communist Party member who was denounced following her criticism of Mao. Her seventeen-year-old son, Jiang Hong Bing, in
7/8 The Unfilial Son and the Trauma of Informing — Tanya Branigan — This segment recounts the 1970 execution of Fu Zhong Mo, a devoted Communist Party member who was denounced following her criticism of Mao. Her seventeen-year-old son, Jiang Hong Bing, informed state authorities against his mother, subordinating filial obligation to worship of Mao Zedong. Fu was publicly executed, and her corps...
11m Nov 30, 2025
11m
S8 Ep146: 6/8 Impersonators, Nostalgia, and the Fall of Lin Biao — Tanya Branigan — CR nostalgia manifests in organized commemorative groups and the remarkable phenomenon of Lin Biao impersonators. Lin Biao, once Mao's designated successor and principal architect o
6/8 Impersonators, Nostalgia, and the Fall of Lin Biao — Tanya Branigan — CR nostalgia manifests in organized commemorative groups and the remarkable phenomenon of Lin Biao impersonators. Lin Biao, once Mao's designated successor and principal architect of the personality cult, was subsequently vilified following his mysterious plane crash and disappearance. His dramatic downfall fractured revo...
8m Nov 30, 2025
8m
S8 Ep146: 5/8 Princelings, Purges, and the Politics of Red Nostalgia — Tanya Branigan — Princelings Bo Xilai and Xi Jinping, both children of senior Communist leadership, were themselves CR victims, experiencing persecution and hardship. Bo Xilai, known for his con
5/8 Princelings, Purges, and the Politics of Red Nostalgia — Tanya Branigan — Princelings Bo Xilai and Xi Jinping, both children of senior Communist leadership, were themselves CR victims, experiencing persecution and hardship. Bo Xilai, known for his conspicuous personal style, strategically exploited CR nostalgia by promoting "red songs" celebrating the revolutionary era. Xi Jinping, though m...
9m Nov 30, 2025
9m
S8 Ep146: 4/8 Persecution and Survival: The Composer Wang Xilin's Memory — Tanya Branigan — The biography of composer Wang Xilin, a zealous Communist Party member and peasant-background intellectual, illustrates the regime's betrayal of its devoted followers. Wang
4/8 Persecution and Survival: The Composer Wang Xilin's Memory — Tanya Branigan — The biography of composer Wang Xilin, a zealous Communist Party member and peasant-background intellectual, illustrates the regime's betrayal of its devoted followers. Wang endured systematic persecution including multiple struggle sessions, during which he anticipated execution. Branigan documents that rememberin...
7m Nov 30, 2025
7m
S8 Ep146: 3/8 Red August and the Idealism of Teenage Red Guards — Tanya Branigan — Yu Zhangzhen, who became a Red Guard at age thirteen, recalls "Red August" 1966, when Mao Zedong summoned millions of young people to massive rallies, explicitly endorsing the moveme
3/8 Red August and the Idealism of Teenage Red Guards — Tanya Branigan — Yu Zhangzhen, who became a Red Guard at age thirteen, recalls "Red August" 1966, when Mao Zedong summoned millions of young people to massive rallies, explicitly endorsing the movement and exhorting them to destroy the "four olds." Despite witnessing horrific violence, including corpse-filled athletic fields, Yu maintained...
12m Nov 30, 2025
12m
S8 Ep146: 2/8 Witnessing the First Red Guard Murder and the Contested Apologies — Tanya Branigan — This segment examines the 1966 murder of educator Bian Zhongyun by teenage Red Guards at a prestigious girls' secondary school. Her husband, Wang Jingyao, clandestine
2/8 Witnessing the First Red Guard Murder and the Contested Apologies — Tanya Branigan — This segment examines the 1966 murder of educator Bian Zhongyun by teenage Red Guards at a prestigious girls' secondary school. Her husband, Wang Jingyao, clandestinely preserved physical evidence including bloodstained clothing and photographic documentation of her body, ensuring the atrocity would not be ...
9m Nov 30, 2025
9m
S8 Ep146: 1/8 The Vanishing Museum of the Cultural Revolution — Tanya Branigan — Branigan's book Red Memory opens with the Pagoda Museum in Shantou, the sole institutional site documenting Cultural Revolution history and memory. Built by official Peng Qi'an to pres
1/8 The Vanishing Museum of the Cultural Revolution — Tanya Branigan — Branigan's book Red Memory opens with the Pagoda Museum in Shantou, the sole institutional site documenting Cultural Revolution history and memory. Built by official Peng Qi'an to preserve this era, the museum unflinchingly documents the period's widespread violence, social chaos, and estimated two million deaths. Official C...
9m Nov 30, 2025
9m
S8 Ep145: 8/8. Roosevelt's Landslide and the Realignment of American Politics — David Pietrusza — Contrary to the Literary Digest straw poll prediction of a close race, early returns confirmed Roosevelt's enormous landslide victory, securing 46 states and overwhelm
8/8. Roosevelt's Landslide and the Realignment of American Politics — David Pietrusza — Contrary to the Literary Digest straw poll prediction of a close race, early returns confirmed Roosevelt's enormous landslide victory, securing 46 states and overwhelming electoral dominance. The victory produced 74 Democratic senators and 334 Democratic house members, establishing commanding majorities in b...
5m Nov 30, 2025
5m
S8 Ep145: 7/8. The Campaign: Eleanor's Star Rises as FDR Welcomes Hatred — David Pietrusza — Alf Landon conducted a weak campaign that deteriorated sharply after attacking Social Security, alienating key voter constituencies. Eleanor Roosevelt, initially regarded a
7/8. The Campaign: Eleanor's Star Rises as FDR Welcomes Hatred — David Pietrusza — Alf Landon conducted a weak campaign that deteriorated sharply after attacking Social Security, alienating key voter constituencies. Eleanor Roosevelt, initially regarded as a political liability, emerged as a major campaign asset and political star, campaigning intensely for the critical African-American elector...
16m Nov 30, 2025
16m
S8 Ep145: 6/8. Alf Landon, the Unremarkable Candidate, Nominated by Republicans — David Pietrusza — Republicans deliberately rejected Herbert Hoover, instead considering mavericks like William Borah and mainstream figures like Arthur Vandenberg before ultimately no
6/8. Alf Landon, the Unremarkable Candidate, Nominated by Republicans — David Pietrusza — Republicansdeliberately rejected Herbert Hoover, instead considering mavericks like William Borah and mainstream figures like Arthur Vandenberg before ultimately nominating Alf Landon, the progressive Governor of Kansas, who had won his initial term through fortuitous electoral circumstances. Landon, deris...
9m Nov 30, 2025
9m
S8 Ep145: 5/8. William Randolph Hearst Breaks with Roosevelt over Tax Policy — David Pietrusza — Newspaper and radio magnate William Randolph Hearst, who initially opposed FDR in 1932, became progressively disaffected as Roosevelt moved leftward and proposed substa
5/8. William Randolph Hearst Breaks with Roosevelt over Tax Policy — David Pietrusza — Newspaper and radio magnate William Randolph Hearst, who initially opposed FDR in 1932, became progressively disaffected as Rooseveltmoved leftward and proposed substantial tax increases on wealthy Americans. FDR explicitly discussed the political utility of throwing wealthy opponents, particularly Hearst, "t...
9m Nov 30, 2025
9m
S8 Ep145: 4/8. FDR Deals with the Socialist and Communist Parties — David Pietrusza — Roosevelt expressed concern that the Socialist Party (led by Norman Thomas) and the Communist Party (led by Earl Browder) would siphon votes from the Democratic ticket. Due to Sta
4/8. FDR Deals with the Socialist and Communist Parties — David Pietrusza — Roosevelt expressed concern that the Socialist Party (led by Norman Thomas) and the Communist Party (led by Earl Browder) would siphon votes from the Democratic ticket. Due to Stalin's strategic pivot toward the Popular Front strategy opposing Hitler, the CPUSA, directed by Browder, tacitly supported Roosevelt by concen...
7m Nov 30, 2025
7m
S8 Ep145: 3/8. Social Security is Driven by the Townsend Plan and the Rise of Father Coughlin — David Pietrusza — Dr. Francis Townsend's proposal to provide $200 monthly to citizens over age 60 compelled a reluctant FDR to rapidly introduce the Social Security legi
3/8. Social Security is Driven by the Townsend Plan and the Rise of Father Coughlin — David Pietrusza — Dr. Francis Townsend's proposal to provide $200 monthly to citizens over age 60 compelled a reluctant FDR to rapidly introduce the Social Security legislation. Townsend subsequently aligned with the influential radio priest Father Charles Coughlin and Reverend Gerald L.K. Smith to establish a...
14m Nov 30, 2025
14m
S8 Ep145: 2/8. The Populist Challenge: Huey Long's Legacy and Eugene Talmadge — David Pietrusza — Roosevelt faced formidable challenges from both the populist left and the conservative South. Although Huey Long (representing the radical Share Our Wealth program) wa
2/8. The Populist Challenge: Huey Long's Legacy and Eugene Talmadge — David Pietrusza — Roosevelt faced formidable challenges from both the populist left and the conservative South. Although Huey Long (representing the radical Share Our Wealth program) was assassinated in 1935, his political strategy envisioned electing Republicans in 1936 to pave the path for his own presidential bid in 1940. ...
8m Nov 30, 2025
8m
S8 Ep145: 1/8. FDR's 1936 Campaign Begins Amid Loss and Opposition from the Right — David Pietrusza — Pietrusza's book Roosevelt Sweeps Nation details the opening phase of FDR's 1936 reelection campaign, commencing with the April death of Franklin D. Roosevelt's pr
1/8. FDR's 1936 Campaign Begins Amid Loss and Opposition from the Right — David Pietrusza — Pietrusza'sbook Roosevelt Sweeps Nation details the opening phase of FDR's 1936 reelection campaign, commencing with the April death of Franklin D. Roosevelt's principal political advisor, Louis Howe, a devastating personal and strategic loss. Roosevelt immediately confronted sharp opposition from the po...
11m Nov 30, 2025
11m
S8 Ep144: From Harding's Success to FDR's Political Evolution — David Pietrusza — Herbert Hoover chose affiliation with the Republican Party, finding the Democratic Party either excessively radical or institutionally corrupt. Hoover's persistent inability to establ
From Harding's Success to FDR's Political Evolution — David Pietrusza — Herbert Hoover chose affiliation with the Republican Party, finding the Democratic Party either excessively radical or institutionally corrupt. Hoover's persistent inability to establish authentic public connection ultimately undermined his effectiveness during the Great Depression. FDR, by contrast, was politically mature ...
9m Nov 29, 2025
9m
S8 Ep144: Harding's Landslide and the Imprisoned Socialist — David Pietrusza — Socialist candidate Eugene Debs conducted his presidential campaign from Atlanta Penitentiary, where he was incarcerated for speaking against American participation in World War I. The 1
Harding's Landslide and the Imprisoned Socialist — David Pietrusza — Socialist candidate Eugene Debsconducted his presidential campaign from Atlanta Penitentiary, where he was incarcerated for speaking against American participation in World War I. The 1920 election produced an overwhelming Republican victory, with Harding capturing 60% of the popular vote and 404 electoral votes through a meti...
11m Nov 29, 2025
11m
S8 Ep144: The 1920 General Election: The League and Campaign Oratory — David Pietrusza — Harding proved to be a surprisingly effective orator, earning substantial speaking fees on the Chautauqua lecture circuit despite his reputation for carefully evasive rhetoric.
The 1920 General Election: The League and Campaign Oratory — David Pietrusza — Harding proved to be a surprisingly effective orator, earning substantial speaking fees on the Chautauqua lecture circuit despite his reputation for carefully evasive rhetoric. Following his meeting with the infirm Wilson, Cox committed unreservedly to supporting the League of Nations, a political miscalculation that...
5m Nov 29, 2025
5m
S8 Ep144: The Democratic Convention: Forty-Four Ballots and the Two-Thirds Rule — David Pietrusza — The July 1920 Democratic National Convention required 44 grueling ballots to achieve nomination, constrained by the restrictive two-thirds supermajority rule. Presid
The Democratic Convention: Forty-Four Ballots and the Two-Thirds Rule — David Pietrusza — The July 1920 Democratic National Convention required 44 grueling ballots to achieve nomination, constrained by the restrictive two-thirds supermajority rule. President Wilson, pursuing an unprecedented third term, was effectively excluded from consideration due to his unpopularity and obstinate refusal to...
13m Nov 29, 2025
13m
S8 Ep144: The Republican Convention and the Rise of Harding — David Pietrusza — The June 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago failed to nominate any of the leading frontrunners, including Hiram Johnson, General Leonard Wood, or Herbert Hoover. Harding, wh
The Republican Convention and the Rise of Harding — David Pietrusza — The June 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago failed to nominate any of the leading frontrunners, including Hiram Johnson, General Leonard Wood, or Herbert Hoover. Harding, who initially sought the nomination primarily to enhance his Senate reelection prospects, ultimately prevailed because party delegates perceived...
6m Nov 29, 2025
6m
S8 Ep144: Introducing the Future Presidents: FDR, Coolidge, and Hoover — David Pietrusza — This segment introduces the remaining figures who would subsequently achieve the presidency: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. FDR, the ambitious As
Introducing the Future Presidents: FDR, Coolidge, and Hoover — David Pietrusza — This segment introduces the remaining figures who would subsequently achieve the presidency: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. FDR, the ambitious Assistant Secretary of the Navy, was not yet prepared for executive responsibility, and his marriage to Eleanor had already deteriorated into a ...
14m Nov 29, 2025
14m
S8 Ep144: Warren G. Harding: The Available Man from Ohio — David Pietrusza — With Theodore Roosevelt deceased and Wilson incapacitated, Republicans sought a viable candidate for what they perceived as a favorable electoral year. Warren G. Harding, a small-town news
Warren G. Harding: The Available Man from Ohio — David Pietrusza — With Theodore Roosevelt deceased and Wilson incapacitated, Republicans sought a viable candidate for what they perceived as a favorable electoral year. Warren G. Harding, a small-town newspaper publisher from the critical swing state of Ohio, emerged as the "available man," despite ranking only fifth or sixth among preferred con...
7m Nov 29, 2025
7m
S8 Ep143: Wilson's Stroke and the League of Nations in the 1920 Election — David Pietrusza — The 1920 presidential election opened with the tragedy of President Woodrow Wilson's stroke in October 1919, leaving him profoundly incapacitated for the remainder of his l
Wilson's Stroke and the League of Nations in the 1920 Election — David Pietrusza — The 1920 presidential election opened with the tragedy of President Woodrow Wilson's stroke in October 1919, leaving him profoundly incapacitated for the remainder of his life. His relentless advocacy for American membership in the League of Nations dominated the electoral debate. This issue deeply fractured the ...
11m Nov 29, 2025
11m
S8 Ep142: SHOW 11-28-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR The Genius of Early Photography: Nadar, Daguerre, and Dangerous Chemistry — Anika Burgess — Burgess details the risky and adventurous origins of photography as a practical medium. She examines Nada
SHOW 11-28-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1963 The Genius of Early Photography: Nadar, Daguerre, and Dangerous Chemistry — Anika Burgess — Burgess details the risky and adventurous origins of photography as a practical medium. She examines Nadar, a visionary figure who deployed a giant balloon named Léon to fund experiments in heavier-than-air flight, having previously conducted ...
6m Nov 29, 2025
6m