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? This episode originally aired July 28, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

In the summer of 1952, America’s mental hospitals were bursting at the seams. There were too many patients and too few treatments. One state took a novel approach -- mass lobotomies. The plan, pioneered by West Virginia, became known as Operation Ice Pick. This episode originally aired July 20, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. This episode originally aired July 14, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. This episode originally aired July 7, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On June 24th, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The court ruled that the right to an abortion does not exist in the Constitution, effectively overturning 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision. One fearless woman, Mary Calderone, assembled a group of doctors, public health experts, and psychologists, 67 years ago to tal

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. This episode originally aired June 16, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buffalos, horses, wagons and trains: These are all icons of the U.S. expansion west. But a camel? This Pride Month, Simone tells comedian and culture writer Ashley Ray the story of the U.S. Army’s little-known Camel Corps and reveals its surprising link to the creation of a queer city. This episode originally aired June 15, 2022. Show notes: Shout out to Jon Ponder from the West

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. This episode originally aired June 2, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. This episode originally aired June 2, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On May 25th, 1925, 97 years ago this week, the state of Tennessee indicted a science teacher for teaching evolution. The case against John Scopes became known as Scopes the “monkey trial,” and it got the whole country talking. What should be taught to children and what does that say about who we are as nation? Scholars say this trial drove a wedge between Americans -- a wedge t