Magnus Carlsen, the greatest chess player in the world, accused 19-year-old Hans Niemann of cheating. Why? Because Niemann beat him twice. Carlsen and the chess world can't prove Niemann is cheating, but they're convinced he is. The accusations are tearing apart the chess world and raising questions about maintaining fair play in a high-tech world. David Segal covered the story (and yes, the anal beads theory) for The New York Times.

You can read the whole article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/business/chess-cheating-scandal-magnus-carlsen-hans-niemann.html 

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One of the first computer hackers was a woman. She pulled some of the most elaborate computer hacks of the 80's and yet no one knows her name.

Host Joel Stein speaks to Claire L. Evans about her article in the Verge, “Searching for Susy Thunder.”

You can read the full story here: https://www.theverge.com/c/22889425/susy-thunder-headley-hackers-phone-phreakers-claire-evans

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New York’s curbside Christmas tree business is run by a small group of ruthless, shadowy men. Owen Long, a tree salesman in Brooklyn, takes us into his world and reveals the characters, crimes, and even murders of the New York City “tree men.”

You can read the full story here: https://www.curbed.com/article/christmas-tree-trade-secrets-gregs-trees-nyc.html 

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A group of DEA agents from Fresno, California figures out the real name of a Dark Web drug kingpin. But before they can make the arrest, they have to follow him to Thailand and into the on-line world of pick-up artists. Andy Greenberg's sprawling Wired article is so intense it made host Joel Stein want to take drugs. 

You can read the whole 6-part series here: https://www.wired.com/story/alphabay-series-part-1-the-shadow/ 

The Wired series is excerpted from Andy's book which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/Tracers-Dark-Global-Crime-Cryptocurrency/dp/0385548095/

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Iranian-American scholar Reza Aslan talks about his article for The Atlantic, "How to Avoid the White Savior Industrial Complex," which tells the story of his childhood hero, missionary Howard Baskerville. Reza argues that the world needs more good, white saviors like Baskerville. Joel wants nothing to do with trying to be a good, white anything in today's political climate. Reza tries to convince him anyway. 

You can read the full story here: https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/10/howard-baskerville-persian-constitutional-revolution/671787/

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A crime in Park Slope, Brooklyn – the heart of gentrified Brooklyn – leads residents to form a neighborhood watch group. Esther Wang, who writes for Hell Gate, attended the group's tiny first meeting, which somehow managed to showcase all the divisions roiling liberal politics. Host Joel Stein does his best to keep up. He doesn't do a great job. 

You can read the full story here: https://hellgatenyc.com/saturday-morning-with-the-prospect-park-panthers  

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While we're spending time with our families this week, here's another Pushkin show you'll like. On Some of My Best Friends Are, Khalil Gibran Muhammad and Ben Austen have real talks about race in America. In this clip, author and political professor Saladin Ambar talks about the complex stakes of interracial friendships throughout U.S. history. You'll hear about the famous bond between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe, and the relationship between former president Barack Obama and his VP Joe Biden. It’s a frank conversation about the political challenges, and political purposes, of interracial friendship in a fraught society.

You can hear more from Some of My Best Friends Are at https://link.chtbl.com/sotwbestfriends

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Michele McPhee traces a wild scam to bilk the U.S. Government out of $500 million. The plan was hatched by a young man from a polygamist Mormon sect in Utah and it soon involves the Armenian mob and the President of Turkey. McPhee lays out all the twists and turns in her article in Los Angeles Magazine. Host Joel Stein tries to keep up while still making as many polygamy jokes as possible. 

Read the full article here: https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/bleeding-the-beast-crooked-cops-an-armenian-mob-boss-a-500m-scam-and-an-unlikely-love-story/

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A.J. Jacobs spent a month following the most conservative interpretation of the Constitution possible. One not far from how the current Supreme Court has been ruling. Host Joel Stein, talks to him about his article for the Guardian, "Party Like It's 1789! My Weird, Enlightening Month Living Strictly by the U.S. Constitution." Does A.J. wind up pointing his musket at Joel? Tune in to find out.

You can read the full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/oct/01/supreme-court-roe-v-wade-abortion-gun-rights-us-constitution

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In this week's episode, we're LARPing, live-action roleplaying that gets you to step out of your own shoes and into a character's. Writer and first-time LARP-er Jason Anthony decides to go to Denmark to roleplay at a fake gay-conversion camp, which all seems like fun – until his queer American brain snaps. Also, host Joel Stein talks about his own experience crossing a fake Mexican-U.S. border. All of the above is handled in a culturally sensitive manner.

You can read the full story here: https://www.wired.com/story/my-4-days-in-fake-gay-conversion-therapy-nordic-larp/

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