How did a young, struggling German immigrant build one of the country's most successful criminal empires? In this classic live episode, the guys join with Holly Frey, cohost of the award-winning podcast Stuff You Missed in History Class, to explore the life, times and reign of America's first mob boss, Marm Mandelbaum.

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A tragic airplane crash -- coupled with a series of sinister, earlier explosions -- prompts serious concerns that someone, cough, cough, Russia, may be executing test runs for global espionage. KFC steps back promise to stop using 'Frankenchickens' in the UK. Mobile game Pokémon Go may be in bed with militaries, leveraging data for mass surveillance. Dutch police find a gnome made of MDMA during a drug bust. A new revelation regarding the mysterious 1971 D.B. Cooper skyjacking, and much, much more in this weekly strange news segment.

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Did the real Paul McCartney die in a car accident, only to be replaced by a doppleganger? What about the similar stories surrounding Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne, Saddam Hussein and more? Join the guys as they explore the facts, fiction and plausibility of celebrity body doubles, replacements and more.

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Darcy prompts a conversation about the etymology of "Kangaroo Court." Blue About Blue Zones inspires Ben, Matt and Noel to explore what may well be an ongoing conspiracy to ignore inconvenient facts. Beefy shares a first-hand experience with television programs appearing to be genuine courts. In Letters From Home, the guys learn multiple naughty puns. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment, brought to you by Thanksgiving and our good friends at Illumination Global, Unlimited.

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From prince to pauper, from empress to enemy, literally everybody poops. And even now, in 2024, civilization is learning more about the fascinating, disturbing implications of gut flora -- the world hidden within you, as you listen to tonight's episode. Join Ben, Matt and Noel as they explore the strange science of fecal transplants, the idea that you can put one person's poop in someone else and, just maybe, save their life.

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There have always been conspiracy theories about secret structures on the lunar surface, and in modern decades numerous fringe researchers have alleged that various governments have already built some sort of permanent structure on the moon. It sounds pretty out there, but could there be a grain of truth to the stories? Tune in to learn more about Project Horizon in tonight's Classic episode.

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A Swedish leader is terrified of bananas. A group of ne'er-do-wells get busted for bear fraud. Some Iraqi politicians want to lower the legal age of consent to 9 years old. The Onion buys Infowars. A US defense contractor pays out 43 million USD for its role in torturing Abu Ghraib detainees. Over in Peru, China's building a megaport - and no one's sure what will happen next. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.

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Modern-day Myanmar remains home to a unique cultural heritage and stunning natural beauty -- yet today it's also home to a wide range of deeply disturbing conspiracies and crimes. In part two of this special two-part series, Ben and Matt explore the booming criminal industries of the country - especially entire communities dedicated to human trafficking and online scams.

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In this week's listener mail segment: Old Makalya responds to the hubbub surrounding the tragic death of Peanut the Squirrel. Bones prompts a larger conversation about elections and conspiracies. Anonymous Owl provides a step-by-step guide for saving animals in the wild. All this and more - plus, side note, we absolutely called it on the undersea cable sabotage.

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Most people in the global west aren't too familiar with Myanmar. Formerly known as Burma, the Southeast Asian country has a deep history as a cultural and geographical crossroads -- and this has become both a gift and a curse. In the first part of this special two-part episode, Ben and Matt explore the history of Myanmar, its descent into chaos, and how multiple forces conspired to make it a modern hotbed of instability, crime, and corruption.

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