Author: iHeartPodcasts

It’s an open secret that the Chinese government has engaged in a global campaign to acquire intellectual property from foreign rivals. At the center of that campaign is the Ministry of State Security, China’s elusive intelligence agency. The US has apprehended hundreds of people accused of giving information to the MSS, but the agency’s inner workings have been a mystery – until now.The Sixth Bureau from Bloomberg News follows an MSS intelligence officer whose mission was to snatch the crown jewels of American aerospace companies. With aliases, blackmail and the occasional break-in, he targeted corporate giants. In the end though, After years of work, his sloppiness – and a cunning FBI sting – led to a stunning reversal: Xu Yanjun became the first Chinese intelligence officer ever convicted on American soil.The Sixth Bureau is the story of superpowers, their secrets and how one Chinese spy got caught.

Listen here and subscribe to The Sixth Bureau on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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Let's be honest: a lot of people feel like no one listens to them. Wouldn't you love a friend who was always available, praised all your ideas, and supported you in all things? If you ask Wall Street, "AI" technology is amazing. Internet users across the world -- individuals, businesses and even governments -- are leveraging iterations of big data and chatbots for all sorts of stuff. Yet, as Ben, Matt and Noel discover in tonight's episode, chatbots in particular may pose a serious mental dangers for vulnerable users. This is the story of "AI Psychosis" -- and, spoiler, this is just the beginning of a larger problem.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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Does laser technology explain the recent US government airport shutdowns? What did the former President Barack Obama imply in a recent conversation about extraterrestrials? All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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When’s the last time you picked up groceries? Some of us hit up a local market every week; some folks buy in bulk at a Wal-Mart or a Costco, and some of us just go to whatever's closest. Overall, it's the same old story: you gotta eat. Yet as Ben, Matt and Noel discover in today's episode, it turns out there's more going on behind the scenes. Leveraging big data and mass surveillance, your grocery store now knows more about you than ever before. There's a conspiracy in your grocery aisle, and it could well affect your bottom line.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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It's bizarre to think that -- not too long ago -- the idea of having something as powerful as a smart phone in your pocket would seem like something out of Star Trek. But now these handy devices go with us throughout most of our lives. A steady stream of feel-good chemicals from social media, dangerously convenient ways of buying things through apps, health and location tracking and more. And every piece of data is, somehow, tracked. While it's no secret that companies use information like this for targeted advertising, the true potential of this data aggregation, and the true danger this aggregation poses for society, has only recently come to light. Join the guys to learn more about what happens in a world where you become your phone.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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With no warning to the public or the local government, the FAA suddenly announced airspace in El Paso would be completely shut down until February 20th -- only to rescind the order less than 11 hours afterward. Cue the conspiracy theories. The guys review some of the recent Epstein revelations, mysterious phone call cover-ups, the story of a mysterious biolab in Vegas, and more in this week's strange news segment.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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As global tensions rise and the world order seems increasingly imperiled, the nation of Iran is suffering a massive crisis of legitimacy. A collapsing currency, economic chaos, exploding prices, a water crisis and brutal government oppression have led to an unprecedented wave of protests. The government responded by blacking out the internet, and cracking down on civilians with torture, arrests, live fire and murder. In today's episode, the guys make contact with Conspiracy Realists in the country to learn more about what's really going on in Iran -- and what may happen next.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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Could a mysterious slab of stone near Kensington, Minnesota hold the key to a forgotten piece of ancient history? According to the true believers, this stone, discovered in the late 1800s, proves that Vikings made it deep into the interior of North America in the 1300s -- only to disappear soon afterward, leaving no trace but a grisly story carved in runes upon the stone. Tune in to learn more.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Less than 40 miles or so north of Dallas-Fort Worth, the town of Denton, Texas is famous for all sorts of stuff: its universities, music, and arts scene have garnered it the nickname "Little Austin". Yet as Ben, Matt and Noel discover, the town of Denton is also home to one of the strangest artifacts of the Cold War -- a 1960s-era bunker built to withstand nuclear disaster, and continue the US government after the collapse of civilization. Tune in to learn how this happened, what became of the bunker today... and why so many locals are convinced it's only one part of a secret subterranean world.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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Almost a thousand years after the reign of the original Order of Assassins, you might think assassination tactics would be universally illegal -- however, that's not the case. Assassination is a valuable tool for both corporations and nations alike. It's also a big business, a web of conspiracies with an at-times global reach, evolving in step with the world's latest technological innovations. Listen in to learn more about assassination in the modern day in the second part of this two-part series.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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