The Franco-Mexican Pastry War

This 2020 episode examines how the U.S. got to the point of having one resource, specifically for poisoning, that’s so reliable and available that it gets printed on the labels of consumer products.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Tracy and Holly talk about their favorite pens, and Tracy describes a unique radio she had as a child.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Edwin Howard Armstrong isn’t exactly a well-known inventor, but his work in radio literally changed communications around the globe. But his most famous invention – FM radio – became a source of constant frustration after he developed it. Research: Armstrong, Edwin H. “Frequency ... Show More

You've probably heard that France takes its bread seriously -- but did you know France had specific laws governing the lives of bakers? For centuries the country regulated how and when bakers could close or take vacation. Although this may sound amusing now, in the past it was a ... Show More

Among the conflicts that convulsed Europe during the nineteenth century, none was more startling and consequential than the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. Deliberately engineered by Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the war succeeded in shattering French supremacy, deposi ... Show More

In July 1936, Spain erupts into civil war. But Francisco Franco is marooned far away in the Canary Islands. A devious rescue mission ensues. Back on Spanish soil, Franco begins the process of conquering his homeland, butchering his enemies as he goes. Mussolini and Hitler lend a ... Show More

You've probably heard that France takes its bread seriously -- but did you know France had specific laws governing the lives of bakers? For centuries the country regulated how and when bakers could close or take vacation. Although this may sound amusing now, in the past it was a ... Show More

Spanish dictator Francisco Franco came to power during the Spanish Civil War, just in time to face the rise of Hitler and Mussolini in Europe. As the world went to war, Franco saw he would have to choose sides — or would he? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices. ... Show More

The ‘White Terror’ continues. Spain’s strongman assumes power in Madrid, herding his defeated enemies into concentration camps. Franco commissions a movie to tell his own life story. Up in the mountains, die-hard rebels continue to resist. After World War Two, Franco seeks to re- ... Show More

During the dark years of the Nazi occupation, many French and Allied citizens risked and sacrificed their lives fighting against their oppressors. Their networks undermined the Nazis through intelligence, sabotage and guerilla tactics, and eventually grew into a huge clandestine ... Show More

In 1848, after almost two years of fighting, the US annexation of former Mexican territory was signed into a treaty. Mexico lost a third of its territory, land which would later yield metals and stretch the United States from coast to coast. To find out how the war broke out, and ... Show More

France 1346: The army of King Philip VI is Europe's pre-eminent killing machine. It's accustomed to crushing any force stupid enough to oppose it, and now fully expects to annihilate a motley band of English invaders in a field near the village of Crecy. Except as night falls, it ... Show More

The French Revolution was a watershed event in world history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens radically altered their political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as the mon ... Show More