Shoe repair shops are a dying breed — but for those that remain, demand is higher than ever. Zachary Crockett goes in for a shine.

• SOURCES:
  • Jim McFarland, owner of McFarland’s Shoe Repair in Lakeland, Florida.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Shoe cobbler becomes unlikely TikTok star," (NBC News, 2024).
  • "Cobblers face extinction - and are busier than ever," by Diana Nelson James (AP, 2019).
  • Shoe Service Institute of America.

• EXTRAS:
  • America's Cobbler (Jim McFarland), (YouTube).

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The market for gustatory pain is surprisingly competitive. Zachary Crockett feels the burn.

• SOURCES:
  • Ed Currie, founder and president of the PuckerButt Pepper Company.
  • Stephanie Walker, associate professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist at New Mexico State University

• RESOURCES:
  • "Pepper X Dethrones Carolina Reaper as World’s Hottest Chili Pepper," by Sanj Atwal (Guinness World Records, 2023).
  • "The Shocking, Stupendous Rise of Superhot Chillies: ‘The Stomach Cramps Can Last for 14 Hours,’" by Tim Dowling (The Guardian, 2023).
  • "14-Year-Old Dies After Trying The Paqui ‘One Chip Challenge,’" by Bruce Y. Lee (Forbes, 2023).
  • "Beyond Neuronal Heat Sensing: Diversity of TRPV1 Heat-Capsaicin Receptor-Channel Functions," by Yaroslav M. Shuba (Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2021).
  • "Training Your Tongue to Love Spicy Food Benefits More Than Your Taste Buds," by Maddie Oatman (Mother Jones, 2019).
  • "Fire-Eaters," by Lauren Collins (The New Yorker, 2013).
  • "The Arms Race to Grow World's Hottest Pepper Goes Nuclear," by Spencer Jakab (The Wall Street Journal, 2013).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Why Do People Love Horror Movies?" by No Stupid Questions (2022).
  • Hot Ones, YouTube talk show.

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How much does it cost to design and build a mini-golf course? And what’s it like to run one? Zachary Crockett putts things in perspective.

• SOURCES:
  • Katie Conaboy, CEO and co-owner of Harris Miniature Golf.
  • Sal Conaboy, president and co-owner of Harris Miniature Golf.
  • Mike Matsinger, owner of Surf's Up Mini Golf.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Evolution of Miniature Golf," (National Golf Foundation, 2022).
  • "Who Made Mini-Golf?" by Hilary Greenbaum and Dana Rubinstein (New York Times, 2012).

• EXTRAS:
  • Harris Miniature Golf.
  • Surf's Up Mini Golf.

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How do flavorists capture the essence of a fruit and put it in a can of sparkling water, or a tub of yogurt? Zachary Crockett takes a bite.

• SOURCES:
  • Terry Miesle, master flavorist at Sensient Technologies Corporation.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Flavor and Well‐Being: A Comprehensive Review of Food Choices, Nutrition, and Health Interactions," by Sakhawot Hossain, Abdul Wazed, Sharmin Asha, Alomgir Hossen, Nur Muhammad Fime, Shamiha Tabassum Teeya, Lubna Yeasmin Jenny, Diptho Dash, and Islam Shimul (Food Science & Nutrition, 2025).
  • "What is artificial banana flavor made of? A food neuroscientist reveals the truth," by Elana Spivack (Inverse, 2024).
  • "Are ‘Natural Flavors’ Really Natural?" by Roni Caryn Rabin (New York Times, 2019).
  • "The Inexorable Rise Of Synthetic Flavor: A Pictorial History," by Nadia Berenstein (Popular Science, 2015).
  • "The Flavor Industry: From 1945-1995," (Chemical Sources Association).

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A day on the job includes hundreds of quarters, giant balls of lint, and fishing weird stuff out of machines. Zachary Crockett throws in a load.

• SOURCES:
  • Jordan Berry, owner of Laundromat Resource.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Appliances in U.S. homes, by housing unit type, 2020," (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2023).
  • "How the Washing Machine Liberated The Masses," by Allen Therisa (Culturescape, 2023).
  • "Industry Overview," (Coin Laundry Association).

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Running a campground isn’t all eating s'mores around the campfire. Zachary Crockett fans the flames.

• SOURCES:
  • Mark Lemoine, owner, Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Holiday campground; sr. vice president, franchise operations at Kampgrounds of America.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Economic Impact of Parks," (National Recreation and Park Association, 2023).
  • "Campground Industry Analysis," (CHM Government Service, 2020).

• EXTRAS:
  • Coloma/St. Joseph KOA.

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When gas prices skyrocket, do station owners get a windfall? And where do their profits really come from? Zachary Crockett pulls up to the pump.

• SOURCES:
  • Garrett Golding, assistant vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
  • Jeetander P. Sethi, founding member of the American Petroleum and Convenience Store Association.
  • Kai Trimble-Lea, owner of a B.P. gas station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Top Numbers Driving America's Gasoline Demand," by Lem Smith (American Petroleum Institute, 2022).
  • "Electric Cars Are Coming. How Long Until They Rule the Road?" by Brad Plumer, Nadja Popovich and Blacki Migliozzi (The New York Times, 2021).
  • "Petroleum & Other Liquids," (U.S. Energy Information Administration).

• EXTRAS:
  • "In the 1890s, the Best-Selling Car Was … Electric," by Freakonomics Radio (2022).
  • "Is it Too Late for General Motors to Go Electric?" by Freakonomics Radio (2020).

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Every year, thousands of products are recalled from store shelves. How does the process work — and who foots the bill? Zachary Crockett gets a refund on his frozen shrimp.

• SOURCES:
  • Chris Harvey, senior vice president at Sedgwick.

• RESOURCES:
  • "FDA Advises Public Not to Eat, Sell, or Serve Certain Imported Frozen Shrimp from an Indonesian Firm," (FDA, 2025).
  • "U.S. product recalls reach second-highest level in six years during 2024," (Sedgwick, 2025).
  • "Lot Codes For Food Tracing: How Are They Used?" by Thomas Burke (Forbes, 2021).
  • "How Globalization Challenges Safety In The Food Supply Chain," by Elliot Maras (Food Logistics, 2015).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts," (FDA).
  • "Recalls & Public Health Alerts," (USDA).
  • "Recalls & Product Safety Warnings," (CPSC).
  • "Check for Recalls," (NHTSA).

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In a sport that generates more than $3.5 billion a year, teams compete in cars that cost $70 million to develop and build — and a split-second to crash. Zachary Crockett assesses the damage.

• SOURCES:
  • Steve Cripps, chief financial officer at Williams Racing.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Everything you need to know about F1 – Drivers, teams, cars, circuits and more," (Formula 1, 2025).
  • "How Williams, F1’s ultimate underdog, found success — and might again," by Madeline Coleman (New York Times, 2025).
  • "How fast do F1 cars go?" by Amanda Clark (Red Bull, 2024).
  • "Aerodynamics in Formula 1 | F1 Explained," (Formula 1 Youtube, 2024), 
  • "Williams Racing," (Formula One History).

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The world’s oldest advertising medium has reconfigured itself for the digital age. Zachary Crockett looks up.

• SOURCES:
  • Anna Bager, president and C.E.O. of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of America.
  • Dan Levi, chief marketing officer at Clear Channel Outdoor.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Advertising Proves Resilient Amidst Economic Uncertainty," (Magna Global, 2025).
  • "Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. Reports Results for the First Quarter of 2025," (Clear Channel Investor Relations, 2025).
  • "The Bigger, The Bolder: Outdoor Advertising," by Judy Gonyeau (Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, 2024).
  • "How Digital Billboards Target Passersby (Hint: It's Cellphone Data)," by Karen Duffin (NPR, 2020).
  • "The hottest advertising trend of 2018? Billboards." by Zachary Crockett (The Hustle, 2019).
  • "Model Legislation for Banning Billboards," (Scenic America).

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