logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2022
50m 57s

Strange News: Uncle Sam's Top Secret Pla...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Brazen thieves make off with priceless religious artifacts in Brooklyn. AI pushes the boundaries of art. Recent sleuthing reveals the US government has a collection of contingency plans for any imaginable number of apocalyptic scenarios. Congress has no idea what they are -- which means American voters have no say in what might go down. All this and more in this week's Strange News.

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.

Up next
Yesterday
Oh, DOGE!
Despite being neither an official government department nor, arguably, all that efficient, Elon Musks's "Department of Government Efficiency" has made a lot of waves over its short life span. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the origin of DOGE... and why so many p ... Show More
1h 5m
Yesterday
CLASSIC: Natural Disaster and Revolution
The history of human civilization is, in many ways, a history of conflict. Empires rise and fall, countries come and go, and humanity soldiers on. Yet multiple investigations have found a troubling correlation -- it seems not all revolutions are the result of social instability o ... Show More
1h 2m
Feb 26
How To Resist Interrogation at Home and Abroad
From World War II through the Cold War to the modern evening, comprehensive research proves you *will* snitch at some point during torture or interrogation. However, through certain approaches, you may deny the bullies and criminals access to harm your missions, dreams and compat ... Show More
1h 13m
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
AI-pocalypse: predicting the threat from artificial intelligence
<p>Wiping out a tenth of the world? Possible. Wiping out all of humanity? Less likely, but not entirely impossible. We examine how two groups of experts have arrived at these <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/07/10/what-are-the-chances-of-an-ai-apocal ... Show More
23m 24s
Jun 2022
No magic bullet: a Congressional agreement on guns
<p>Mass shootings in Buffalo, Tulsa and Uvalde appear to have broken a longstanding impasse over federal <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/06/13/americas-senators-manage-to-reach-a-deal-on-gun-control" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gun laws</a>. A ... Show More
22m 57s
Jun 2022
No magic bullet: a Congressional agreement on guns
<p>Mass shootings in Buffalo, Tulsa and Uvalde appear to have broken a longstanding impasse over federal <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/06/13/americas-senators-manage-to-reach-a-deal-on-gun-control" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gun laws</a>. A ... Show More
22m 57s
Dec 2022
Like biding a Reich: Germany’s alleged coup plot
<p>Raids across the country netted 25 far-right extremists suspected of trying to overthrow the government. We look into what is known about a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/12/07/german-police-arrest-two-dozen-alleged-conspirators-in-a-hare-brained-plot-to-restor ... Show More
25m 21s
Feb 2023
Long division: America’s busy state legislatures
<p>America’s Congress may be gridlocked, but its <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/01/24/congress-is-gridlocked-americas-statehouses-are-very-much-not?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonym ... Show More
26m 17s
Jul 2023
States, disunited: the controversy around cluster bombs
<p>Despite considerable opposition from allies in NATO, America has agreed to send them to Ukraine. The highly controversial munitions could speed up Ukraine’s counteroffensive, but at what cost? As excitement around AI continues to generate, our new index examines how American f ... Show More
27m 19s
Feb 2023
Long division: America’s busy state legislatures
<p>America’s Congress may be gridlocked, but its <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/01/24/congress-is-gridlocked-americas-statehouses-are-very-much-not?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonym ... Show More
26m 17s
Apr 2023
File-sharing: America’s huge intelligence leak
<p>A trove of once-secret <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/04/10/a-leak-of-files-could-be-americas-worst-intelligence-breach-in-a-decade?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_showno ... Show More
24m 16s
Aug 2021
No-sanctuary cities: the Taliban’s latest surge
<p>Sweeping <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/07/26/the-taliban-grab-more-of-afghanistan-as-america-slips-out?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rural ... Show More
21m 15s
Sep 2021
Hunger gains: Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis
<p>Economic collapse and halting international aid following the Taliban’s takeover have compounded shortages that were already deepening; we examine the <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/ce86348064f870f0f4a4f72d42413062?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_ ... Show More
20m 28s