What is diplomatic immunity? Part III: Shadow Diplomacy

On March 13th, 1997, thousands of people in Nevada, Arizona and Mexico reported seeing bizarre lights in the evening sky -- today, more than two decades later, the Phoenix Lights are still considered to be one of the most significant UFO sightings in recent history. But what exactly were they? What really happened that night in March? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

28 Aug 201941min

Across the course of his strange and checkered career, pilot and smuggler Barry Seal was called many things: An informant, a criminal, an asset for America's alphabet soup of intelligence agencies and more. He met an ignoble end in February of 1986, when he was fatally shot outside the Salvation Army facility where he'd been ordered to work in court-mandated public service. However, it turns out the official explanation of his death hasn't convinced everyone -- to this day, journalists, theorists and more continue to ask: Who really killed Barry Seal? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

23 Aug 201958min

Born Nur Maznah Binti Ismail in Kangar, Perlis, the musician Mona Fandey achieved national success with her song Ku Nyanyikan Lagu Ini in 1987 -- yet her career seemed destined to slowly fade away, with Mona and her husband living out their lives in comfortable obscurity. Until, that is, in 1993, when Mona Fandey became the prime suspect in a gruesome murder that led many people to believe she'd secretly been an evil bomoh, practicing the art of dark sorcery for decades before finally being brought to justice. So what's the truth? Was Fandey mentally ill? Was she framed? Or was there something more sinister and sorcerous afoot? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

21 Aug 201943min

Earlier this year the guys traced the rise of the enigmatic financier and child abuser Jeffrey Epstein, discovering a quagmire of crime, corruption and cover-ups implicating some of the world’s most powerful individuals. It seemed Epstein’s connections effectively placed him above the law - at least, that is, until renewed public scrutiny and criminal investigations found Epstein arrested once again and, this time, placed in a real prison. Many speculated Epstein would never go to trial. On August 10th, he was found dead in what the media described as an “apparent suicide”. So what happened?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

16 Aug 20191h 9min

Love it or hate it, Facebook is one of the world's most popular social media platforms. Over a relatively short span of time, the company has exploded into numerous areas of human interaction (and created no small amount of controversy along the way). In May of 2009, Facebook experimented with a virtual currency concept called Facebook Credits. It didn't last long, but there may be a new scheme on the horizon. Join the guys as they explore the fact, fiction and conspiracy surrounding the Facebook Libra, the proposed virtual currency that -- according to critics -- could allow this social media platform to function like a central bank. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

14 Aug 201959min

From the late 1970s to the 1980s, the US Government paid for intelligence officers to undergo weeklong training sessions at a remote place called the Monroe Institute. Training sessions themselves aren't particularly abnormal -- but these officers weren't learning new languages, the latest news about satellites and so on. Instead, the Institute was using hypnosis to teach them astral projection, ESP and clairvoyance. The news went public via a declassified CIA document released in 1984, but questions remain: Was this all a waste of money? Or was there something else to the story? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

9 Aug 201941min

As police officers, researchers and other professionals can attest, delving into the darkness can take an unexpected — and heavy — toll. In today’s episode, the guys sit down with returning guest Scott Benjamin to learn more about his journey through the world of true crime, the unanticipated consequences of staring into the abyss of human depravity and more in his new podcast Monster Presents: Insomniac. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

7 Aug 201959min

How did a young, struggling German immigrant build one of the country's most successful criminal empires? In this live episode, the guys join with Holly Frey, cohost of the award-winning podcast Stuff You Missed in History Class, to explore the life, times and reign of America's first mob boss, Marm Mandelbaum. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

2 Aug 201958min