Not Past It

Ever heard of lady crime boss, Ma Barker? On July 26, 1932, her alleged gang of thieves stole over $200,000 from a Kansas bank without firing a single shot. The Barker-Karpis gang stole millions before Ma was killed in a shootout with the FBI. But was she a criminal mastermind or just a scapegoat?

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Sally Ride was the first woman to rocket off into space for NASA. On July 23, 2012, she died and left behind a legacy for women and girls in STEM. We dig into the limits of being labeled “first” and learn about the woman inside the space suit.

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Fed up with not receiving funding to fix their crumbling water infrastructure, the residents of a small town in Minnesota took matters into their own hands. On July 13th, 1977, the town of Kinney voted to secede from the U.S.

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Think you know the Illuminati? Well, it's more than a rumored celebrity cult. And on July 4, 1798, the speech "The Duty of Americans at the Present Crisis," was delivered to warn of the group's threat to American democracy.

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Did you know that backlash from Indiana Jones and Gremlins led to the PG-13 rating? On July 1, 1984, the MPAA announced the rating that changed film forever. This week Simone reviews the rating system and it's hidden Puritan agenda.

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How a Nazi Battle on June 22, 1941, led to the one of the biggest movie musicals of all time. Can you guess how we get there? This week Simone connects the dots. 

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Paris Hilton’s sex tape ushered in a new era of celebrity obsession. On June 15, 2004: it went on sale after her ex made a deal with a pornographic distributor. Simone reflects on the scandal, fallout and impact it had on a generation of young women.

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis, played the best game of his career while tripping on acid. On June 12, 1970:Ellis pitched a no-hitter. Simone tells the story of his trip and what it can teach us about psychedelic drugs and performance anxiety.

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How are cornflakes and eugenics connected? On May 31, 1895: the Kellogg brothers filed the patent for what would eventually become Corn Flakes. Simone digs in to the cereal’s bizarre, dark origins and examines its lasting impact on the wellness industry today.

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Did you know there was almost an AIDS vaccine? On June 3, 1998: AIDSVAX VAX004 reached the final stage of trials before widespread approval. Simone gets the facts on the vax and why it never made it to the masses.

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