Jeffrey Epstein, millionaire sex offender and friend to presidents and royalty, is back in the news. It seems his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, holds the key to what went on at Epstein’s private retreats with his powerful friends. Attorney Alan Dershowitz calls her the Epstein Rosetta Stone. But her backstory is just as fascinating. Her father, Robert Maxwell, was cut of the same cloth as Epstein. Ambitious and wildly successful . . until they weren’t. Ghislaine’s father and her lover, both died under mysterious circumstances as their lives were collapsing around them.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nothing like a swim in the ocean on a hot summer day. But the movie Jaws, out 50 years ago this summer, took away some of our innocence. It still makes us all a little nervous about what’s beneath us as we paddle around. The inspiration for Jaws came from some horrifying shark attacks, including several along the Jersey Shore in July of 1916 that left 4 dead, as well as the shark attacks on as many as 150 sailors from the torpedoed USS Indianapolis in World War Two.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queen Victoria, who ran the British Empire for 63 years, defined the buttoned-up, conservative era named for her… the Victorian Era. But it turns out… her many pleasures included opium, cocaine, and sex!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the Prohibition era of the 1920s and early 1930s, speakeasies and gin joints were the place to be to get ahold of “evil booze.” How did the government try to control access? They purposely poisoned industrial alcohol that was being repurposed for cocktails. It wound up killing and maiming tens of thousands of would-be partiers!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No Time Like the Present to Revisit an Eye-Catching Topic! Sex Has Been... Complicated... Throughout History. At Times Celebrated as a Life Force... and at Other Times Vilified. But Get This!! Some of the Items Invented to Discourage Sex Included the Pricking Ring... and Believe It or Not... Corn Flakes!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the 4th of July . . a perfect time to revisit an unsung hero during the Revolutionary War! We all know about the midnight ride of Paul Revere at the onset of the Revolution. But what about Sybil Ludington . . the female Paul Revere. She was just 16 years old when she made her little known 40 mile ride to warn about approaching British troops in Connecticut.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connection is as strong a need as air. For folks that can’t find it, there have been plenty of cults that offer community, acceptance, and love. But it all comes at a price.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maybe you’ve seen death masks of famous people like King Tut or Napoleon. But the 1888 death mask of a completely unknown teenager in Paris was used to create Resusci-Annie . . the CPR doll. And that inspired one of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FBI has had some pretty astounding moments of transformation in its 117-year history. But the bloodiest shootout in its history changed the way they do their job forever. It took place less than 40 years ago.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Got a co-worker who likes to monkey around at work? Don’t be so quick to give them the thumbs down. There are lots of actual animals that are amazing at jobs most humans can’t do. But this is a story of an official railroad worker who was a real baboon . . literally.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.