Scandals and conspiracies have remained a constant aspect of the modern news cycle, and most of these often captivating cases would have never seen any public attention had it not been for 'whistleblowers' sounding the alarm in the first place. On the latest episode of 4Thirty, Ben and Pat go public with their thoughts on some of the most interesting whistleblowers in history, including those that rang the bell on problematic situations dating back to the American Revolution, to those still finding themselves in headlines today. The guys also handle a handful of current events that are not-quite-so-newsworthy this week, while also sharing some listener updates and social media posts. Are internal government whistleblowers traitors, or necessary safeguards against unchecked overreach? Have some prominent whistleblowers found themselves in the spotlight unwillingly? Do whistleblower protection laws date back to the 18th century? Has Elton John become more machine than man now? For answers to these questions and too many more, please give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!

While none of us ever want to end up in prison, the idea of escaping to freedom is something many people find compelling, even if it means evading justice. On the latest episode of 4Thirty, Ben and Pat break out some of the greatest prison escape stories history has to offer, from daring attempts with unknown conclusions to others involving serious psychological manipulation and more. The guys also cover some irrelevant news headlines this week, while also sharing a few stories and providing some updates on the wide world of sports along the way. Could more than one Alcatraz escape attempt have actually been successful? Has a world-famous drug lord escaped prison not once, but twice? Are con-artists more adept at breaking free of incarceration than anyone else? Does 4Thirty have a new competitor in the world of podcasting? For answers to these questions and many, many more, please give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!

The guys have covered plenty of 'conspiracy theories' on the show over the years, but for every theory they've covered, two seem to pop up. On the latest episode of 4Thirty, Ben and Pat attempt to uncover the latest load of conspiracy-theories currently floating around on the internet, from those directly relevant to current-events, to some that are much more far-fetched, to say the least. The guys also handle their usual dose of news stories and random commentary this week, while braving thunderstorms in the process. Was Thomas Edison truly a great inventor, or much more of a cunning investor? Did 60's rock icon Jim Morrison fake his death to emerge as a prominent and influential radio host years later? Could Polynesian potatoes be a defining piece of evidence in the theory of Pre-Columbian, Trans-Pacific exploration and trade? Is Major League Baseball superstar Mookie Betts scared of ghosts? For answers to these questions and many, many, more, please give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!

The Olympics have been long-regarded by many as the pinnacle of global athletic competition, with the world's fastest sprinters, strongest lifters, and most agile gymnasts taking the center stage. But have the Olympics also featured contests that are a little... strange? On the latest episode of 4Thirty, Ben and Pat grab the torch and discuss some of the oddest events to be featured in the Olympics, from quirky on-off competitions that didn't quite stick the landing, to others that are still (somehow) featured in the games today. The guys also bring their usual dose of bargain-bin news stories to the table this week as they speculate on the future of the Olympics, and advocate for other events to be included down the road. Is the 'Modern Pentathlon' the strangest event still included in the Olympics today? Were animals harmed in the making of the 1900 Paris Olympics? Should 'tug-of-war' make a reemergence into the Summer games? Was Bigfoot accidentally caught on camera in a decades-old Canadian nature documentary? For answers to these questions and a decathlon more, please give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!

Everyone loves a good movie, but what exactly separates just a 'good' film from an 'epic' one? On the latest episode of 4Thirty, Ben and Pat take a trip to the historical cinema and discuss some of the truly 'epic' motion pictures that have graced the silver screen over the decades, while debating the criteria that separates an epic movie from the more pedestrian. The guys also break down a half-dozen or so new stories this week, while also sharing some fun facts and anecdotes along the way. Have streaming services dealt a catastrophic blow to the future of Epic Cinema? Do movie makers still struggle to top some of the epic films of the 1950s? Do certain actors tend to have a proclivity towards performing in 'epics'? Do flies really 'throw up' whenever they stop flying? For answers to these questions and many, many, more, please give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!

We've heard Ben and Pat discuss plenty of 'Ancient Alien' encounters on the show before, and plenty more stories that took place within the realm of recent history. But were UFO's lighting up the sky throughout the Dark Ages? On the latest episode of 4Thirty, the guys jump back into their flying saucer and travel to the Middle Ages, this time covering tales and incidents from medieval records that eerily mimic later recounts of alleged extraterrestrial contact. The guys also present a quartet of 'odd news' stories this week and share a story or two, while Pat provides a Sumo update from Nagoya, Japan that nobody asked for. Does medieval and renaissance art provide direct evidence of unidentified aerial phenomena? Could the Black Plague have been deliberately brought to Earth by aliens? Did an African tribe hold advanced interstellar knowledge centuries before the invention of the telescope? Are vending machines the safest and most convenient way to sell ammunition? For answers to these questions and too many more, please give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!

No place on earth harbors mystery quite like the ice-covered continent of Antarctica, and while conventional knowledge tells us humans only discovered Antarctica in 1820, could it have played a much earlier role in history? On the latest episode of 4Thirty, Ben and Pat bundle up and embark on an expeditious discussion to the land down under, covering anything and everything to do with Antarctica, the least inhabited place on earth. The guys also bring a healthy dose of news stories and current events to the table this week, while sharing a story or two and commenting on the latest internet sensation. Could pyramids be hidden under the mile-thick ice sheet covering Antarctica? Is there evidence that southernmost continent was once a life-filled and luscious oasis? Did Russian scientists really discover a highly-intelligent octopus-like creature lurking in a remote Antarctic lake? Did yet another monolith spring up in a random location recently? For answers to these questions and many, many more, please give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!

When most people hear the word 'extinct', they tend to think first towards the dinosaurs, or perhaps the wooly mammoth. But have some seemingly impossible animals just recently met their end as a species on earth? On the latest episode of 4Thirty, Ben and Pat excavate their way into natural history, this time dealing with the impact of extinction on earth's ever-changing fauna, while also hitting on some 'odd' news, and telling a tedious story or two in the process. What percentage of animal species that have ever lived on earth are now extinct? Has science already managed to resurrect an extinct species via cloning? Were the 'eagles' of Tolkein's Middle Earth inspired by a just-recently extinct bird? How much bribe money would it take for you to violate a judicial oath? For answers to these questions and too many more, be sure to give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!

Seventy-one percent of the earth's surface area is water, and within these depths lurk some of the strangest and most awe inspiring creatures ever known. While sharks and giant squid might seem fearsome enough, are there even more formidable beasts hidden in our oceans, lakes, and rivers? On the latest episode of 4Thirty, Ben and Pat navigate through the perils of mythical sea-creatures, discussing all forms of legendary aquatic life, from biblical beasts to North American lake monsters and more. The guys also tackle their usual helping of news stories this week, while sharing a few stories and cracking an inside-joke or two in the process. Could the 'Leviathan' of the Old Testament still be lurking in our oceans today? Did a famous explorer encounter mermaids during his first expeditions into the Americas? Is a legendary Japanese river monster still terrorizing citizens today? How long is 'too long' in between bathing? For answers to these questions and many, many more, please give the latest episode of 4Thirty in the Morning a listen!