(Image courtesy of Entropy Media.)

A new podcast explores how a chance meeting at an Irish bar in Florida turned into one of the most successful espionage endeavors in FBI history. We talk to the creator of a gripping new podcast that explores how a hulking long-haul trucker managed to infiltrate and ultimately help dismantle the violent IRA splinter faction known as the Real Irish Republican Army. The podcast has been selected as a finalist in three Sunshine State Awards categories by the Society for Professional Journalism.

Guest:

• Abdon Pallasch, co-host of the podcast, Underbelly: The Rebel Kind.

Then, from German U-Boats sinking ships off Florida's coast to Nazi spies landing in Ponte Vedra, the First Coast has a rich and compelling World War II-era history. We discuss an upcoming exhibit and presentation focusing on the boon in military bases, business expropriation and civilian defense teams, along with how the wartime mindset forever changed the physical landscape of the Sunshine State.

Guests:

• Susan Gold, archives and collections manager at the Beaches Museum.
• Chris Hoffman, Jax Beach mayor and executive director at the Beaches Museum.

And, summertime is typically a drought season for lifesaving blood donations, a paucity that hits when the need is especially high. In preparation for those emergency demands, local blood banks are urging everyone to consider donating for a first time, and reminding regulars not to forget their generous habit.

Guest:

• James Skahn, district recruitment manager, LifeSouth Community Blood Centers.