Best Nerd Forensics Podcasts (2025)

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Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidate Kaiser Leib 24:07

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1+ y ago24:07

24:07

This week, we continue to hear from the candidates running to be Montana’s next governor. Libertarian Kaiser Leib worked as a software developer before starting his stand up comedy production company in Helena. We’ll talk today about how he views taxation, transgender rights, and climate change and how tangible libertarian ideals really are. After …

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Ryan Busse & Raph Graybill: "Get Your Montana Back" 36:57

1+ y ago36:57

36:57

From 1995 to 2020, Ryan Busse worked in the gun industry as the vice president of sales for Kimber America. This sparked his 2021 book, Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, and a period in his life when he began to question his political beliefs. His sons were 2 of the 16 plaintiffs in Held v. Montana, a landmark clima…

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The Woman Who Made Me Love Cooking 33:47

1+ y ago33:47

33:47

During the pandemic, I learned to love cooking. I picked up a copy of the Art of Simple Cooking ad started experimenting with salad dressings, pie dough, and breads. My guest today is who I have to thank for that. Alice Waters built her restaurant, Chez Panisse, off of the food culture in France, where she visited at 19, and the values of Maria Mon…

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35: Phantoms and Bad Comedians (Tales From the Crypt Original Movie Double Review) 1:02:44

2y ago1:02:44

1:02:44

Join Millicent Oriana, her co-host Jacob Urban, and SFTM producer Sofía Baca as they discuss two very bad (or should we say *scary* bad) films from none other than the folks from the show with way too much nudity and gore for what otherwise was written like Goosebumps; that's right: Tales From the Crypt. Find out why Dennis Miller is the worst ongo…

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34: Holding Out for a Hiroo (Japanese Holdouts) 1:04:05

2y ago1:04:05

1:04:05

Join Millicent Oriana, co-host Jacob Urban, and producer Sofía Baca as they discuss the phenomenon of Japanese holdouts from World War 2. References: "Tokyo Rose", Tokyo, Japan, 09/20/1945, US National Archives on YouTube The Speciality of Infantry/Hohei no honryo(歩兵の本領)[Japanese marching song][+English translation] on YouTube "Bart Gets an Elephan…

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33: This Episode Is Not About Sports Anime (Strange Sports Stories) 40:03

2y ago40:03

40:03

Join Millicent Oriana, her co-host Jacob Urban, and producer Sofía Baca as they discuss three very strange sports stories. Works Cited: Aqua Teen Hunger Force - "South Bronx Paradise" The Simpsons - "Burns, Baby, Burns", "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", "Homie the Clown", "Lisa's Rival", "Fear of Flying" Speed Racer (1967) Treasure of the Sierra …

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32: Der Unterbert (Final Review of Scott Adams' "God's Debris") 57:32

2+ y ago57:32

57:32

Join Millicent Oriana, her co-host Jacob Urban, and producer Sofia Baca as they finish their review of Scott Adams' book "God's Debris"! Squidbillies: "Limbitless" (S9E2) Bob's Burgers: "My Fuzzy Valentine" (S3E13), "Dr. Yap" (S2E6) The Venture Bros.: "Assisted Suicide" (S4E14) The Simpsons: "Round Springfield" (S6E22) It's Always Sunny in Phiadelp…

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David Cross: Pious As Ever 25:47

2+ y ago25:47

25:47

Hi, Technically we're off for the summer, but it's fun to break rules. Today, a conversation about religion, parenting, acting, and comedy with David Cross. Cross is best known for partnering with Bob Odenkirk in the 1990s to create Mr. Show, and acting in shows and movies such as Arrested Development, where he played the Tobias Funke, and Alvin an…

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31: The Berts from Brazil (Pt. 4 of the Critique of "God's Debris" by Scott Adams) 1:57:56

2+ y ago1:57:56

1:57:56

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofia Baca as they, once again, delve into a review of “God’s Debris”. References: Invader Zim: “Germs”. SpongeBob SquarePants: “Just One Bite”. Miracles by ICP. It’s Always Sunny - “The Gang buys a Boat”, “The Gang Saves the Day”. Documentary Now! - “Location is Everything”. Peep Show …

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Forensic Pathologist Werner Spitz 32:52

2+ y ago32:52

32:52

Today we talk to forensic pathologist Werner Spitz. Dr. Spitz is 96 but shows no signs of retirement. As we’ll find out, he wouldn’t even want to retire on his 100th birthday in 2026. Spitz was born in what was then Germany and is now Poland in 1926 to a Jewish family and moved to France early in Hitler’s rise to power. The family moved to Israel, …

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DC Update 0:56

2+ y ago0:56

0:56

-Ezra

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30: Das Bert (More "God's Debris" Review) 1:22:07

2+ y ago1:22:07

1:22:07

Join Millicent Oriana, her co-host Jacob Urban, and producer Sofía Baca as they tread once more into the realm of Scott Adams' perspective, and review more of his masterpiece "God's Debris".Works Cited:* The Simpsons: S8E18 "Homer vs the 18th Amendment"* Bob's Burgers: S2E6 "Dr. Yap"* The Simpsons: S13E14 "Tales from the Public Domain"* The Simpson…

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Radio Adventurer Barbara Bogaev 49:03

2+ y ago49:03

49:03

This week, the search for the perfect interview. Public Radio host Barbara Bogaev will join us to talk about her experience growing up in Philadelphia listening to Fresh Air with Terry Gross to eventually guest hosting the show. Bogaev also hosted the radio documentary series Soundprint and Weekend America. She has also guest hosted Marketplace Wee…

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King: A Life 35:32

2+ y ago35:32

35:32

I think it’s rare for a biography to be so well written that almost every aspect of a figure’s life is detailed. My guest today, Jonathan Eig, seems to have done just that and managed to keep my attention for more than 600 pages. Jonathan is the author of 5 other nonfiction books, as well as 4 children’s books. He was also a reporter. His upcoming …

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29: He Eats Theater People? (Review of Phantom of the Paradise) 35:26

2+ y ago35:26

35:26

Join Millicent Oriana, her co-host Jacob Urban, and producer Sofia Baca as they discuss Brian Depalma's famous drug-soaked movie.Works Cited:* Phantom of the Paradise (movie)* Carlito's Way (movie)* Just an Old Fashioned Lab Song (Dexter's Laboratory segment)* Picture Day (Dexter's Laboratory segment)* Irregarding Steve (episode of American Dad!)* …

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Former Trump Lawyer Peter Ticktin 49:52

2+ y ago49:52

49:52

Today, a conservative view of the April 4th Trump indictment brought by Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg. My guest today, Peter Ticktin, was a lawyer for Donald Trump who worked on a legal case against the Clinton campaign, the DNC, and other Democrats. Ticktin and the other lawyer working on the case argued that the Clinton campaign leveraged accusations…

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Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy And The Battle For Truth 51:35

2+ y ago51:35

51:35

When a gunman killed 20 first graders and 6 educators on December 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, many called for bipartisan action. My guest today will explain that this action never really came and in addition, conspiracy theorists including Alex Jones spread false claims that the shooting was staged by the government. Elizabeth William…

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Global Cooking With My Dad Year 34:06

2+ y ago34:06

34:06

Today we hear two interviews about youth in the limelight. First an interview with the CEO of Global Citizen Year, Erin Lewellen. She grew up in rural Oregon as the daughter of a logger and schoolteacher and now heads a nonprofit that sends high school graduates around the world on a global gap year to help solve specific problems in the world. Thi…

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28: The Decline of Western Civilization: Part IV: The Larper Years (Review) 15:05

2+ y ago15:05

15:05

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofía Baca as they review the seminal The Decline of Western Civilization: IV. This episode is distributed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) [Featuring: Millicent Oriana, Jacob Urban, Sofía Baca]…

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Even Mark Bittman Loves How To Cook Everything 32:29

2+ y ago32:29

32:29

Food royalty Mark Bittman joins us today to talk about a career spanning from the late seventies and early eighties until now. Of course he’s the author of the 1998 cookbook How To Cook Everything and the series that followed, he worked with the New York Times for 30 years including at his minimalist column, and has made America aware of the system…

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27: Scott Ist Wieder Da (Continued Critique of Scott Adam's book "God's Debris") 1:35:01

2+ y ago1:35:01

1:35:01

Join Millicent Orianna and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofía Baca in this part 2 of the review of Scott Adams'... "masterpiece", God's Debris. Clips: - Parks and Recreation: S5E8 - Squidbillies: S4E7, S2E6 - Robot Chicken: S7E3 (Terminator Dad Sketch) - The Simpsons: S7E6, S11E12, S5E4, S14E1 - Speed Racer: S1E5 - Book of Mormon (Soundtrac…

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Rikers 33:11

2+ y ago33:11

33:11

Rikers Island in New York City houses a complex of ten jails. Although some might think of the facility in terms of statistics and numbers, Reuven Blau and Graham Rayman's new book, Rikers: An Oral History documents Rikers' history from the 70s until today from the point of view of people that spent parts of their lives at the prison. The pair of j…

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26: Scott Adams vs. Rational Thought 1:19:14

2+ y ago1:19:14

1:19:14

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofia Baca as they review Scott Adams' forgotten "masterpiece": "God's Debris" Distributed under a Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 International License

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Michael Kimmelman ❤s NY 44:24

2+ y ago44:24

44:24

Have you ever thought about what New York City was like before Europeans settled the area? This is just one of the many questions answered by Michael Kimmelman’s latest small gem of a book, The Intimate City: Walking New York. The book combines Michael’s own knowledge of the city with other points of view. He invited planners, professors, and archi…

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Analyzing The White House With Peter Baker 24:19

2+ y ago24:19

24:19

Today we’ll analyze last week’s State of the Union Address with Peter Baker. Peter is the chief White House Correspondent for the New York Times. Biden is the third president Baker has covered with the times. He previously covered Bill Clinton and George W. Bush for the Washington Post. In between his time covering the White House at the Post, he w…

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25: The North Hollywood Shootout 49:30

2+ y ago49:30

49:30

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofía Baca as they discuss the North Hollywood Shootout. Also, Jacob says "f*ck" a f*ckload in this episode. So stick around for that. Clip References: * RoboCop [movie] * Old El Paso "Porque No Los Dos" commercial * Futurama [series]: "Hell Is Other Robots" * Archer [series]: "Placebo …

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The Fabulous Glenn Close! 41:32

2+ y ago41:32

41:32

Today, we’ll sit down with acclaimed actress Glenn Close. Close has won Tonys, Golden Globes, and Emmys for her work on screen. You probably know her best from movies such as Fatal Attraction, 101 Dalmatians, The World According to Garp, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs, The Big Chill, The Wife, and Hillbilly Elegy. She’s also possibly the most int…

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A Special Food Show With Christopher Kimball And Matt Sartwell 56:14

2+ y ago56:14

56:14

If last week’s show was for the history buffs today is for the people that love to eat. Today we have a gargantuan show with Christopher Kimball of Milk Street and Matt Sartwell of Kitchen Arts and Letters. First, we’ll play my recent interview with Christopher Kimball, the cook with the bowtie. You might know him for his work with America’s Test K…

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24: We're Talking About G2, People (Review of Gremlins 2) 50:19

2+ y ago50:19

50:19

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofía Baca as they discuss one of the most irritating movies of all time: the sequel to Gremlins; Gremlins 2. Clip References: * Key and Peele: Gremlins 2 (sketch), Charlie Sanders (sketch), God Drug (sketch) * Gremlins 2 * Dark Man * Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom * Peep Show: Ne…

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LE2: The Lost Continent of Mu 51:01

2+ y ago51:01

51:01

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofia Baca as they discuss the Lost Continent of Mu in this Lost Episode of Nerd Forensics! References included: - The Simpsons: "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken", "Treehouse of Horror VIII", "Lemon of Troy", "Insane Clown Poppy", "Homer to the Max", "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Gra…

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The Conspiracy To Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, And Churchill 37:06

2+ y ago37:06

37:06

Today we have a show for the history buffs out there. Nearly eighty years ago, a historic conference took place in Tehran. The three leaders fighting against the Nazis in World War II, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met in Iran after exhaustive planning and correspondence. They knew that the conference would help the three nations come together a…

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23: New Year, New Jack 55:27

3y ago55:27

55:27

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofia Baca as they discuss the most dangerous wrestler ever allowed in the ring in our first ever sports episode: New Jack! Clips: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops", "The Gang Hits the Slopes" The Simpsons: "Homer's Triple Bypass", "Homie the Clown" H…

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22: The Weirdest Christmas Movie Ever (Jingle All the Way Review) 51:08

3y ago51:08

51:08

Join Millie and her co-host Jacob and producer Sofia as they discuss the strangest mainstream christmas movie ever made, which features both Sinbad and Arnold Schwarzenegger!Samples:It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life, Charlie Got MolestedThe Miami ConnectionSimpsons - Grift of the Magi, Secrets of a Successful Marri…

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21: Comfort Shows (2022 Holiday Special) 1:08:30

3y ago1:08:30

1:08:30

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofia Baca for a holiday specuial as they kick back and discuss their favorite comfort shows.Clips Referenced:Cheers ThemeThe Good Place - Episode "Chidi Sees the Time-Knife"Bobs burgers - theme, Episode "Bob Belcher and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Kids"Movie "Oh Brother W…

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20: The Torture of Tomoaki Hamatsu 29:58

3y ago29:58

29:58

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofia Baca as they discuss the infamous TV show known as Susunu! Dempa Shonen. WIth clips used for commentary from: Susunu! Dempa Shonen, Laugh In!, Key and Peele Soul Food, It's Always Sunny - The Gang Escapes, It's a Wonderful Life

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It's Been A Year Since The Deadly Kentucky Tornadoes 20:06

3y ago20:06

20:06

This week marks the one year anniversary of a chain of deadly tornadoes that travelled through Kentucky and the surrounding states. 80 Kentuckians died in the tornadoes and many more were injured. One of the hardest hit towns in Kentucky was Mayfield. Many businesses were affected by the storm including Carr’s Steakhouse. Last year I talked to Dani…

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A New Perspective Of World War II With Matthew Delmont 34:10

3y ago34:10

34:10

The U.S. military has been racially integrated for less than a century, and the nation has fought some of the most significant wars with segregated troops. As this week’s guest will tell us, the often overlooked role of African Americans in the second World War is important; black troops fought in combat, supplied other troops with food and ammunit…

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Thanksgiving With J Kenji 31:45

3y ago31:45

31:45

I'm back from Italy with an interview with one of the great foodies of America. You might know J Kenji Lopez Alt from his cookbooks or maybe his work at Cook’s Illustrated and Serious Eats or maybe from social media, where he has hundreds of thousands of followers. Lopez Alt is known for his scientific approach to cooking in his books, videos, and …

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LE1: VIdeo Game Myths & Monsters (Lost Episode) 40:22

3y ago40:22

40:22

Join Millicent Oriana and her co-host Jacob Urban and producer Sofia Baca as they discuss video game myths and legends in their first ever... LOST EPISODE!!! *sci-fi sounds* 1. "RoboCop" movie by Paul Verhoeven (1987). 2. "The Interview", an episode of the tv show "Peep Show" (2003). 3. "Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender", an episode of t…

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Lula And The Amazon Rainforest 30:22

3y ago30:22

30:22

This week we’ll head south, to Brazil, where voters narrowly elected Lula Da Silva as the country’s next president. Lula previously was president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010 and won in Sunday’s run-off election against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Many were watching the race because of policy regarding the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. As to…

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19: Rock Me, Amadeus Arkham (The Arkham Video Game Series and TAS; SPOOKTAKULAR I) 40:12

3y ago40:12

40:12

Join Millicent Oriana and her guests Jacob Urban and Sofia Baca as they discuss Batman: The Animated Series, and the Arkham series of games in our first-ever HALLOWEEN SPOOKTAKULAR!!! 1. "Spiderman" movie (2002). 2. "Batman: the Animated Series", tv show (1992-1995) theme. 3. "Two-Face", an episode of the tv show "Batman: the Animated Series" (1992…

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18: The Nickelodeon Foot Club for Men 49:52

3y ago49:52

49:52

Join Millicent Oriana and her guests Jacob Urban and Sofía Baca as they discuss Nickelodeon in the 1990s, and why it's something that should NOT be replicated. Correction: the name of the person we called Rene Csupo is actually Gabor Csupo. Apologies. Clips from: I Am Sam (Film); Lockup Raw (TV Show); Futurama: Free Will Hunting; South Park: The Po…

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The Latest From Florida, Remembering Loretta Lynn, And Science Writer David Quammen 31:34

3y ago31:34

31:34

Following a slow start to the hurricane season, Hurricanes Fiona and Ian left many without electricity or even a house to return to after the storm. This week we’re joined by National Public Radio’s Miami correspondent Greg Allen, who has been covering the hurricanes. Allen got his start in radio in Pennsylvania where he hosted a weekly folk music …

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Remembering Queen Elizabeth With Robert Hardman 22:13

3y ago22:13

22:13

On this week’s News Nerds, remembering England’s Queen Elizabeth who died earlier this month at 96. Journalist Robert Hardman joins us to talk about his book, Queen Of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II, which was published in March of this year. Robert writes for the Daily Mail and has worked covering the royal family for more than 25 years. He’s…

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National Political Correspondent Gabriel Debenedetti On His New Book, The Long Alliance 29:24

3y ago29:24

29:24

Yo, News Nerds, I'm so glad to be back! This week I (virtually) sat down with NY Mag correspondent, Gabriel Debenedetti. The complicated relationship between Barack Obama and Joe Biden is mostly thought of through the lens of their two terms in the White House , but today’s guest, New York Magazine writer Gabriel Debenedetti tells us that the relat…

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17: Holes 53:31

3y ago53:31

53:31

Join Millicent Oriana and her guests Sofia Baca and Jacob Urban as they discuss... holes. And what not to do with them. Content warning: graphic description of traumatic injury, medical content Clip Bibliography: 1. "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy", The Simpsons: Season 5, Episode 14 (1994) 2. "Busy Prepositions", Schoolhouse Rock! (1993) 3. "The Gang Goes …

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16: The World's Wackiest Assassins 1:07:57

3y ago1:07:57

1:07:57

Join Millicent Oriana and her guests Jacob Urban and Sofía Baca as they discuss the blunders and wonders of the world's wackiest assassins! Image of Richard Paul Pavlick here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Paul_Pavlick Attributions: 1. "Dizzy Pilots", a short from The Three Stooges (1943) 2. "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?", episod…

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Professor Mary Ziegler On Roe Vs. Wade 30:47

3+ y ago30:47

30:47

We'll be gone for the summer, so I thought that I would leave you with a treat. Every week day this summer we'll be posting a new mini crossword that you can print or solve online. Have fun with those! This past week was noteworthy for the Supreme Court; along with rulings on religion and gun rights, the court overturned Roe Vs. Wade, a landmark de…

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[Fixed] 15: Too Much Jacking (The Identity of Jack the Ripper) 20:16

3+ y ago20:16

20:16

Join Millicent Oriana and her guest Jacob Urban as they discuss Victorial ideals, vigilante justice, the merits of yellow journalism, and, once and for all, REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF JACK THE RIPPER! Theme was Nerd Forensics Theme, and outro was Fivensicu by Elliot Smith of Albuquerque Clips: 1. "Treehouse of Horror XV" The Simpsons episode: Season 16…

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Writer Kathryn Schulz On Her New Book, Lost & Found 19:04

3+ y ago19:04

19:04

This week on News Nerds we’ll be speaking with Pulitzer Prize winning writer Kathryn Schulz. Her new book, Lost & Found grapples with the loss and then later discovery in Kathryn’s recent life. The book is split into three sections, lost, where she recounts the event of her father’s death and her grief afterwards, found, when we learn of her relati…