Best Darren Root Podcasts (2025)

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Oliver Hardy ~ The Southern Son of Comedy 21:47

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3h ago21:47

21:47

Send us a text Episode 224 It is the spring of 1892 in Harlem, Georgia. The air is heavy with the scent of pine and the sharp sound of train whistles drifting across the small Southern town. In a modest home, a boy named Norvell Hardy — later known to the world as Oliver — is born into a family that knows both comfort and tragedy. His father, a res…

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Dr. Barnardo ~ How One Man Reshaped Childhood 14:19

2d ago14:19

14:19

Send us a text Episode 223 Fog drifts over the East End of London. The narrow alleys echo with the clatter of horse hooves and the cries of market traders. But beneath the noise and bustle lies another world — one of ragged children huddled in doorways, barefoot, hungry, and forgotten. Into this desperate landscape walks a young man with a fiery vi…

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"Plain Jayne", Extraordinary Life: A Conversation with Jayne Kennedy - Part Two 23:31

4d ago23:31

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In Part 2 of our special Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America series, Jayne Kennedy opens up about the most difficult chapter of her life — a season of heartbreak, isolation, and doubt that nearly silenced her. But what makes her story extraordinary is not the fall, it’s the rise. With courage, faith, and the determination to reinvent herself yet …

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LinkedIn, ghosts in the studio, new endeavors, and too much noise - Episode 107 24:50

5d ago24:50

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Join John and Darren from the new BE studio!By Darren Root and John Mitchell

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Episode #222: EBOO and TPE: Breakthrough Therapies for Chronic Illness with Dr. Tami Lyday, DO, MS 2:06:41

7d ago2:06:41

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Why You Should Listen: In this episode, you will learn about breakthrough therapies for chronic illness recovery including EBOO and TPE. About My Guest: My guest for this episode is Dr. Tami Lyday. Tami Lyday, DO, MS has been a physician since 2006 and a functional and integrative specialist since 2017. Prior to that, she spent 11 years as a family…

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Tom Bawcock ~ The Fisherman Who Saved a Cornish Village 13:04

7d ago13:04

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Send us a text Episode 222 "On the far southwestern edge of Britain, where the Atlantic hurls itself against granite cliffs and the wind scours the land raw, lies a village small in size but vast in legend. Mousehole, a Cornish fishing port with roots older than memory, has known hardship, hunger, and the endless pull of the sea. But one winter’s n…

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Canelo Álvarez ~ Red Fire 9:14

10d ago9:14

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Send us a text Episode 221 In a sun-scorched town outside Guadalajara, a skinny boy with freckled skin and bright red hair stood out like a flame in the crowd. The locals teased him, called him Canelo — cinnamon. But the name that began as a joke would soon echo through packed arenas, whispered with awe and respect. This is the story of how a boy, …

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Terence Crawford ~ Omaha Roots to Global Glory 17:00

12d ago17:00

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Send us a text Episode 220 On the streets of Omaha, Nebraska, a boy learns to fight long before he ever steps into a boxing ring. It’s not a game. It’s survival. Every punch, every scar, every lesson in pain becomes a step toward something greater. From narrow neighborhood gyms to the bright lights of world arenas, his journey is as much about resi…

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Jozef Gabčík ~ Operation Anthropoid: To Kill the Butcher of Prague 14:36

17d ago14:36

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Send us a text Episode 219 In the dark heart of Nazi-occupied Europe, resistance was more than an act of defiance—it was a gamble with certain death. Among those who dared to play this deadly game was a young Slovak soldier named Jozef Gabčík. Trained in Britain, parachuted into his homeland, and tasked with a mission few would ever return from, he…

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"Plain Jayne", Extraordinary Life: A Conversation with Jayne Kennedy - Part One 27:45

20d ago27:45

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Jayne Kennedy is more than a trailblazer—she’s a cultural force who has broken barriers in beauty, sports, television, and film. From Miss Ohio to Hollywood, from Bob Hope’s world tours to making history on The NFL Today, her journey has been one of courage, reinvention, and what she calls “strategic pivoting.” Now, with the release of her long-awa…

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Davy Jones ~ Stable Boy to Stardom 23:49

21d ago23:49

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Send us a text Episode 218 The 1960s. A decade of revolution. Music, fashion, youth culture—all exploding in colour and sound. Out of this whirlwind steps a boy from Manchester, slight in stature but larger than life, with charm enough to disarm the world. He isn’t meant to be here. His path was toward the racetrack, not the stage. Yet fate has oth…

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Edgar Allan Poe ~ The Raven's Dark Shadow 18:23

27d ago18:23

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Send us a text Episode 217 His life begins in turbulence and ends in mystery. Orphaned before he can form a memory, carried from place to place, he grows in the shadow of loss. Genius fuels his pen, yet poverty dogs his steps. He loves deeply, yet death claims those closest to him. In taverns and lecture halls, on quiet streets and in crowded parlo…

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Peter Grant ~ Led Zeppelin’s Ruthless Protector 17:57

1M ago17:57

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Send us a text Episode 216 He was a giant of a man, both in size and in reputation. Peter Grant, the manager who turned Led Zeppelin into the biggest band on the planet, wasn’t cut from the same cloth as other music executives. Fiercely loyal, brutally protective, and unafraid of confrontation, he ripped up the old rules of the music business and w…

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227 | Courts, Treaties, and Power — A Conversation with John Echohawk 28:51

1M ago28:51

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On this episode of COLORS, we’re joined by John Echohawk—a citizen of the Pawnee Nation and the co-founder/longtime executive director of the Native American Rights Fund, the legal backbone behind hard-won advances in tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, voting rights, and natural resources for more than five decades. He’s often described as the “Thu…

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Episode #221: Getting to the Roots of Hair Loss with Dr. Alan J. Bauman, MD 1:57:57

1M ago1:57:57

1:57:57

Why You Should Listen: In this episode, you will learn about hair loss and some of the leading edge treatment options available today. About My Guest: My guest for this episode is Dr. Alan J. Bauman. Alan J. Bauman, MD is an acclaimed board-certified hair restoration physician with nearly 30 years of experience in the medical field. He is the found…

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Alan Turing ~ Cracking the Uncrackable 29:26

1M ago29:26

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Send us a text Episode 215 The war is raging across Europe. German U-boats stalk the Atlantic, threatening to cut Britain off from supplies. Hitler’s armies seem unstoppable. But in a quiet English country house, a small group of mathematicians, chess players, and linguists are working around the clock on something invisible—an enemy of numbers and…

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Common Conflicts - Of Hobos & Buried Legs 13:30

1M ago13:30

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This episode traces several 1889 newspaper excerpts detailing criminal and unusual incidents in Kansas. The primary focus is a series of events in Burrton involving "tramps" and train-men, escalating from a fight and shots exchanged to a serious incident where a passenger was nearly killed by a bullet fired into the train. Subsequent reports track …

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Crimes & Punishments - Ralph, Haber, Coffee Jim, & Fosdyk 11:52

1M ago11:52

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This podcast presents several distinct criminal cases from 1888 Kansas, each offering a snapshot of local legal and social issues on the Prairie. The newspaper articles detail incidents ranging from a violent land dispute between farmers that escalated into a shooting, to an assault with a razor, and even the capture of an elderly man accused of in…

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Survival mode, hero complex, professional maturity and the ongoing struggle with guarding our time - Episode 106 28:08

1M ago28:08

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John and Darren lead another introspective conversation about time.By Darren Root and John Mitchell

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#94 – The best SciComm is unfiltered: Darren interviewed by Univ. of Rochester colleague Jeff Koslofsky 54:45

2M ago54:45

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Since arriving in my role at the University of Rochester, I've developed a great collaboration with Jeff Koslofsky, Senior Marketing Strategist at the U Rochester Medical Center. Here, he asked me about my own particular brand of scientific communication, which eschews production flourishes in favor of honesty. (At least that's what I tell myself. …

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Victims of Circumstance 13:20

2M ago13:20

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What do a horse thief, a county seat war, and a man buried under a cloud of murder rumors have in common? In late 19th-century Kansas, the answer lies not in fiction—but in the yellowed pages of local newspapers, where truth and speculation often shared the same column. Welcome to Prairie Tales, where forgotten headlines come alive and the past ref…

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When Bitterness Takes Root - The Murder of Phoebe Wilcox 16:51

2M ago16:51

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n the shadowed corners of 1886 Kansas, a chilling tale unfolds—one of obsession, vengeance, and the unraveling of a man consumed with bitterness. This episode dives deep into the murder of Phoebe Wilcox in 1886, a crime that shocked the community and exposed the dark undercurrents of a long-standing feud. We trace the twisted path of Alfred Denham:…

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Tijan Watt: Dreaming of the Continent as Cradle, Compass, and Catalyst 52:43

2M ago52:43

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In this episode, we travel to Gorée Island in Dakar to speak with Tijan Watt, an entrepreneur and impact investor building a bold future for African innovation. Rooted in a transatlantic heritage that includes Tuskegee and Senegal, Tijan shares how both his African and Black American family history, HBCU education, and deep cultural pride shaped hi…

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Hulk Hogan ~ An American Goliath 31:02

2M ago31:02

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Send us a text Episode 214 It’s the 1980s. America’s malls are packed. Rock ‘n’ roll blares from cassette players. Kids trade action figures like currency. And in living rooms across the country, a new kind of superhero body-slams his way into pop culture. Towering, tanned, wrapped in red and yellow, he’s part-myth, part-man. He preaches vitamins a…

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226 | "Reclaiming Roots: Darren Brown’s Journey Home" 30:47

2M ago30:47

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He was adopted as a baby—his roots, a mystery. Years later, a search began… And what he found changed everything. Darren Brown’s journey into his Native American heritage is raw, real, and unforgettable. And he's back with part two of his story. This is Colors—where identity isn’t just explored, it’s reclaimed. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out…

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Ozzy Osbourne ~ A Controlled Burn 28:40

2M ago28:40

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Send us a text Episode 213 Before he was the Prince of Darkness, before the bat, the bites, and the black leather — there was just John Michael Osbourne. A working-class kid from Aston, Birmingham, born into poverty, dyslexia, and a life that didn’t seem to promise much more than the factory floor. But behind the thick accent and troubled childhood…

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The Heart of Night - Behind Closed Doors 16:29

2M ago16:29

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In the dusty rail-town of Newton, Kansas—where steam engines whistle through the prairie and justice rides a slow train—tragedy and truth clash across the 1880s frontier. From the chilling discovery of an infant left on the tracks to shootouts that echoed down Main Street, today we delve into a decade defined by lawlessness, vigilance, and moral re…

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Death By Sandbag - Adam Kuntz 14:41

2M ago14:41

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A shattered skull, a silent jury, and a Civil War veteran buried far from the town where his final breath drew suspicion—this is the story of Adam Kuntz. In the waning heat of late August 1877, a German immigrant was found bloodied and unconscious beside the railroad tracks in Newton, Kansas. What looked at first like a tragic accident soon unravel…

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Farah Mami: Dreaming of Liberation Rooted in Love 39:27

2M ago39:27

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In this episode, we journey to Tunis to speak with Farah Mami, philanthropist, impact investor, and social entrepreneur committed to leading with heart, integrity, and deep cultural pride. Rooted in both Tunisia and France, Farah moves between worlds—geographically, spiritually, and professionally. She shares a powerful story of reclaiming authenti…

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225 | Dr. Dana Williams discusses her new book about Toni Morrison 35:34

2M ago35:34

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In this compelling episode, we sit down with literary scholar and author Dana A. Williams to explore her new book, Toni at Random. Best known as a Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison also spent over a decade as a formidable editor at Random House—amplifying Black voices, shaping cultural memory, and changing the face of American publishing.…

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#93 – Chemical & biological engineering at a National Lab: leadership, communication, & commercialization 44:46

2M ago44:46

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I sat down with Brian H. Davison, PhD, Chief Scientist of Systems Biology & Biotechnology in the Biosciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Center for Bioenergy Innovation. Brian is a graduate of the University of Rochester and Caltech and candidate for President of the American Institute for Chemical Engineering (AIChE). Brian d…

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Feven Tsehaye: Dreaming of What Heals and Holds Us 41:57

2M ago41:57

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In this episode, we travel to Addis Ababa to speak with Feven Tsehaye, a purpose-driven entrepreneur, healer, and founder and CEO of Chakka Origins—a social enterprise reclaiming the wisdom of Ethiopia’s ancestral knowledge around biodiversity and indigenous plants while working with female smallholder farming communities. Feven’s story is rooted i…

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Runaway! Travel Dangers On The Frontier 9:33

2M ago9:33

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Imagine the thundering sound of hooves echoing down a dusty Kansas street—startled screams, overturned wagons, and the chaos left in the wake of panicked horses. Between 1884 and 1887, Newton, Kansas found itself repeatedly at the mercy of runaway teams, their unpredictable bolts through town leaving behind splintered carriages, shattered bones, an…

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Why Was Nellie Naughty? 33:39

2M ago33:39

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What happens when a murder mystery meets the Wild West, and the woman at the center becomes both a suspect and a sensation? In 1883, the death of Clement Bothamley in Indian Territory set off a whirlwind of scandal, suspicion, and sensational headlines. At the heart of it all was Nellie (Benthusen) Bailey — a young woman whose life story reads like…

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Laurent Fignon ~ Le Professeur of the Peloton 18:11

2M ago18:11

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Send us a text Episode 212 He had the glasses, the grit, and the gall to defy cycling tradition. With flowing blond hair and an unapologetic attitude, Laurent Fignon wasn’t just racing the clock—he was battling a sport that didn’t always welcome rebels. Twice a Tour de France champion, he was as famous for how he won as for the heartbreak of how he…

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Episode #220: Harnessing Quantum Energy to Transform Health with Todd Shipman 2:04:22

2M ago2:04:22

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Why You Should Listen: In this episode, you will learn about quantum energy and how to harness the power of quantum energy to transform health. About My Guest: My guest for this episode is Todd Shipman. Todd Shipman is a wellness enthusiast, entrepreneur, and advocate for cutting-edge quantum technologies that enhance health and well-being. With a …

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224 | Richard Prince, legendary journalist and DEI advocate 31:22

2M ago31:22

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In this episode we talk with newly inducted SPJ Hall of Fame journalist Richard Prince—a legendary voice in American media and a tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. From his groundbreaking column “Journal-isms” to decades of work spotlighting issues of representation in the newsroom and beyond, Prince has shaped the conversation…

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Harvey Milk ~ The Mayor of The Castro 13:08

2M ago13:08

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Send us a text Episode 211 He wasn’t born a symbol. He didn’t grow up dreaming of shaking up City Hall, or of becoming a voice for millions who’d been told to stay silent. Harvey Milk was a Navy veteran. A math teacher. A camera shop owner. And for much of his early life, he kept his identity tucked away—hidden from view, like so many others in his…

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Home Fires Burning - Dangers of The Prairie Home 15:09

2M ago15:09

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1882-21. Imagine your dress catching fire from a single spark—no synthetic fabrics, no fire extinguishers - just blazing skirts and helpless screams. In the late 1800s, everyday chores often turned into deadly infernos, and women and children paid the price. Today, we unearth shocking, real-life newspaper tales of clothing-fired tragedies — and one…

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Deliver Us From Evil - The Taylor Brothers 16:53

2M ago16:53

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In the winter of 1882, as John Taylor stood shackled for murder of Captain Fletcher, a small riverboat owner, John's brothers Andy and Bob unleashed a hail of bullets on a train rolling through a sleepy Missouri town—killing Sheriff W.S. Cate and Deputy John Conway in a desperate bid to free him. What follows is a whirlwind manhunt that ends in a b…

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Madji Sock: Dreaming of Shared Wealth and Shared Wisdom 34:15

2M ago34:15

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In this episode, we head to Dakar to speak with Madji Sock, an insightful entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder whose work bridges tradition and innovation across Senegal and beyond. Madji brings a grounded, fearless presence shaped by a childhood split between continents, a deep reverence for Senegalese culture, and a belief in the transfo…

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223 | What is... Colors? 11:28

2M ago11:28

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Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America is a fearless, deeply human podcast that cuts through noise and cliché to confront the raw realities of race, identity, and power in America. Hosted by veteran journalist JJ Green, Colors blends investigative depth with emotional resonance—featuring unfiltered conversations with voices often ignored or silenced…

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Alan Watts ~ Smiling at the Great Illusion 26:36

2M ago26:36

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Send us a text Episode 210 Imagine a voice—calm, curious, playful—asking you whether you are the universe pretending to be a person. In the chaotic swirl of 20th-century thought, where science clashed with religion and the East met the West in coffeehouses and lecture halls, one man emerged not with answers, but with questions that made the answers…

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On The Mean Streets with a Horse - Benjamin Ball 15:53

3M ago15:53

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Today our Wagon Train to the past stops by to see an angry outburst by J.C. Wilson - from his initial stabbing of young Benjamin Ball, through Wilson's escape, recapture, and eventual sentencing, even mentioning a later pardon request. We also see William Gazolo who killed a female partner in crime before being caught in Minnesota, and Claud Wilson…

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The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly - David Rasure 12:46

3M ago12:46

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1878-18 This episode offer a biographical account of David Rasure, a figure whose life was marked by both civic responsibility and personal turmoil. Beginning with his experiences as a Confederate prisoner of war and subsequent service in the Union Army, his career progressed from railroad night watchman to City Marshal and then to U.S. Deputy Mars…

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Ore Disu: Dreaming of New Worlds in Conversation with Old Ones 40:02

3M ago40:02

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In this episode, we travel to Benin City, Nigeria, to speak with Ore Disu, a visionary cultural strategist and founding director of the Institute of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA). Ore is reshaping how we understand history, art, and African identity. From childhood days spent leafing through family photo albums in Lagos to building a groun…

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Diogo Jota ~ The Number 20 13:04

3M ago13:04

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Send us a text Episode 209 He wasn’t born into a football dynasty. He didn’t grow up in the spotlight. But Diogo Jota carved out his own place in the world of football — with grit, precision, and an eye for goal that left fans across Europe speechless. From the streets of Massarelos to the thunder of Anfield, he rose quietly, steadily — the underdo…