More than a hundred thousand people sign a petition arguing that, once Jeff Bezos visits space, he shouldn't bother returning. A new study reveals numerous well-known makeup brands contain incredibly harmful chemicals. A would-be theatre mogul finds himself in hot water after lying on his resume. All this and more in this week's Strange News.
According to the legend, there's a spot in Durango, Mexico where radio signals fail -- where compasses spin wildly and strange, giant figures appear from nowhere before vanishing into thin air. This area, the zone of silence, is sometimes referred to as Mexico's Bermuda Triangle. But what is it, exactly? Where did this legend come from, and why does it continue today?
Thomas writes in for more information on the mysterious 'Big Hole' in North Carolina. Notta Sockpuppet gives a first-hand account of their time working with a CIA-funded tech company. Cynthia wants to know more about the man who recently got swallowed by a whale and survived. All this and more in this week's listener mail.
It's no secret that Americans love cheese. It's everywhere -- in fact, some restaurants specialize entirely in cheese products, like mac and cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches. Over the past few decades, cheese consumption has consistently risen, and as of 2019 the average person in the US ate over 40 pounds of cheese per year. So what led to this? The answer, oddly enough, is a genuine conspiracy. Tune in to learn more about the real-life Big Cheese.
Sure, the Trans-Pacific Partnership sounds like a snoozefest... but why does it matter? Why should you care about this secretive international agreement?
El Salvador may become the first country on the planet to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, prompting massive speculation about the future of currency and corruption. The New York Times publishes (and quickly deletes) a bizarre, fake story about watermelons on Mars. A catastrophic railway crash appears to be an act of sabotage -- and perhaps a hint of more attacks to come. All this and more in this week's Strange News.
It's no secret that the 'wilderness therapy' and 'troubled teen' industry has been accused of unethical and illegal behavior, but just how much do we know about how these situations actually occurred? In today's episode, the guys sit down with Josh Thane, the creator and host of Camp Hell: Anneewakee, for a disturbing look into the long-suppressed story of a horrific institution in the guys' own home state of Georgia.
A caller reports her first-hand experience with a cult. A listener asks for more information on the bizarre rumors about a cheese conspiracy throughout the United States. A new experience with creepy social media prompts a reexamination of privacy and corporate spying. All this and more in this week's listener mail.
If we’ve learned anything in Season 2 of How To Citizen with Baratunde, it’s that it takes a village, and by that, I mean the entire global community. From leaders of nonprofits, to Wall Street entrepreneurs, we need everyone to come together to build the economy we all deserve. And that even includes comedians. In this episode, we speak with fellow podcaster and comedian Hari Kondabolu about comedy’s role in shaping our future.
Guest: Hari Kondabolu - comedian, writer & podcaster
Twitter: @harikondabolu
Bio: Hari Kondabolu is a comedian, writer & podcaster based in Brooklyn, NY. He has been described by The NY Times as “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today.” In 2018, his Netflix special “Warn Your Relatives” was released and he was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch. Regarding his special, The NY Times wrote ” it was an artistic breakthrough for him, an incisively funny and formally adventurous hour that reveals a comic in command of his powers.”
SHOW NOTES + LINKS
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We are grateful to Hari Kondabolu for joining us! Follow him at @harikondabolu on Twitter, or find more of his work at harikondabolu.com.
ACTIONS
PERSONALLY REFLECT
When have you grown or helped others grow?
Hari reminded us that just because we’ve done wrong doesn’t mean we must accept wrong and that we can grow from mistakes. When have you grown from a mistake, and did others help you? When have you helped others grow?
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Tune Into Hari
Give Hari some love and support him by checking out The Problem with Apu streaming on HBO MAX, and his Netflix special Warn Your Relatives.
PUBLICLY PARTICIPATE
Immigrant Rights
Legal citizenship is something many of us take for granted and others struggle to achieve. Support the work of RAICES which helps refugees and immigrants navigate the confusing and often dangerous process of migration. https://www.raicestexas.org/take-action/
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How To Citizen with Baratunde is a production of iHeartRadio Podcasts and Dustlight Productions. Our Executive Producers are Baratunde Thurston, Elizabeth Stewart and Misha Euceph. Stephanie Cohnis our Senior Producer and Alie Kilts is our Producer. Kelly Prime is our Editor. Original Music by Andrew Eapen. Valentino Rivera is our Engineer. Sam Paulson is our Apprentice. This episode was produced and sound designed by Alie Kilts. Special thanks to Joelle Smith from iHeartRadio.
Few people look forward to visiting the dentist -- it can be an uncomfortable, but necessary, process. In the US, many people end up putting off their appointments due to anxiety or financial concerns, but in general everyone can agree dental hygiene is important, and dentists do incredibly important work. But how many of those procedures -- the root canals, the crowns and so on -- do you actually need? In today's episode, the guys dive into the Stuff They Don't Want You To Know about dentistry.
