To some, the Freight Train Riders of America is a vast, secretive criminal network -- deadly ghosts, haunting the country's rails. To others, the FTRA is a loose collection of outcasts doing their best to help each other survive. To still others, the FTRA is nothing more than an urban legend, and never existed at all. In tonight's episode, Ben and Matt dive deep into the hidden world of trainhopping culture, searching for answers to these conspiratorial tales. Be advised this episode may not be appropriate for all audiences.
An exhibit at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Eugene, Oreg. assembles works by Native LGBTQ2 artists that express this moment in time. It is among the hundreds of events, including parades and panel discussions, to mark Pride Month. This year’s push for awareness will have to go on without acknowledgement by the federal government, which is foregoing any mention of Pride. And the annual report by the advocacy group, GLAAD, notes that while violent incidents against gay and lesbian people are down as a whole in the past year, attacks against trans citizens has significantly increased. We’ll check on the status of Native Pride.
Plus, we'll get career highlights of the late actor Jonathan Joss (Comanche and White Mountain Apache) who died this week.
On paper, non-governmental organizations often sound like something everyone can get behind: these institutions are often dedicated to addressing some of the most dangerous, long-running problems on the planet. It may be surprising, then, to learn that a growing number of nations are taking increasingly aggressive actions to ban NGOs, especially foreign ones. Supporters of NGOs argue these nations are attempting to fight progress in hopes of saving their own corrupt regimes -- but the opponents inside these countries claim many of those do-gooder NGOs are more sinister than they'd have you believe: instead of saving the world, critics argue, these insitutions are foreign-owned fronts for everything from illegal activities of intelligence agencies to acts of industrial espionage, forced regime change and more.
In which a crusading social psychiatrist drums up the moral panic that gets two mega-popular comic book genres banned from America's newsstands, and John agrees that punching Hitler is unmissable. Certificate #44894.
Today marks the 30th anniversary of Native America Calling’s first national radio broadcast. Started in the studios in Albuquerque public radio station, KUNM, NAC has been the daily voice for Native issues, politics, entertainment, and arts ever since. Tribal leaders, activists, educators, bureaucrats, aunties, presidents, and everyday people have all made their way onto the airwaves on NAC, all with one common thread: to talk about the things that are important to Native Americans from a Native point of view. We’ll mark the occasion by hearing from some of the voices associated with Native America Calling over the years.
Secret ciphers. Hidden treasure. Enigma breakers. Mysterious manuscripts. And … hog Latin. Cryptology expert and author of “The Code Book,” Simon Singh finally lets me ask him about the small mistakes that lost huge battles, the prison plots of Mary Queen of Scots, a cryptology reality show that I wish existed, the legacy of Alan Turing, Indigenous code-talking war heroes, hiding messages in your skin and guts, the role of A.I. in future deciphering and the possibility of a quantum computing apocalypse. Also: one whole ball of wax that you do not want to get into.
Browse Dr. Singh’s books including The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography, available on Bookshop.org and Amazon
We've all heard of Bigfoot, the Swamp Ape and so on. Western science largely dismisses the existence of these cryptids. Yet: Did you know there's another associated cryptid in China? Unlike Bigfoot, or the closely-associated Yeti, the Yeren became a subject of intense scientific scrutiny out in the hinterlands of interior China. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore China's multimillion dollar endeavor to prove the existence of their own Bigfoot.
The increase in highly publicized deportations is unnerving both undocumented and documented migrants in the United States. Indigenous people from other countries, some who have visas or are awaiting decisions from immigration proceedings, are among those caught up in the Trump administration’s focus on mass deportations. Many of those who remain say they live in fear of being apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The New York Times reports immigration actions appear to have ramped up in May. The top deportation destination are Guatemala and Honduras, places where Indigenous people are fleeing violence and poverty. We’ll talk with people working with migrants about what is happening on the ground and what is different than actions in the past.
