Forensic Tales

#179 - In April 1964, a one-day old infant, Paul Fronczak, was kidnapped from a Chicago, Illinois hospital by a woman disguised as a nurse. But decades later, Paul's true identity came into question after his DNA was submitted to a commercial DNA website. Who is the real Paul Fronczak?   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating w...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday June 2, 2023: [00:30] Angry environmentalists and the US debt deal  [4:00] Recycling centers create lots of microplastics (and lots of problems) [8:00] What you need to know about a gigantic log pile in Canada [11:00] "Rapidly growing catastrophic exposure" and home insurance changes   Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainab...

Countless online articles jammed with affiliate links entice readers to modernize. To swap what's working with something better. To stay relevant with the sleekest and newest. Some such guides even amplify the health and safety benefits associated with upgrading certain home items. But is replacement our only option? How can consumers truly know? On today's show we take 8 common household...

Sustainability chatter often centers around the importance of being selfless: Do better for waterways and ecosystems. Do better for endangered animals and, of course, do better for future generations, won't you? But humans tend to be self-centered as a species, and expert marketing has trained us to prioritize our personal whims over the collective. The result? Many tend to help others only if...

#178 - In 1977, the body of an unidentified man was found floating in a septic tank on an abandoned farm in Alberta, Canada. Not only did the Canadian authorities have difficulty identifying him, but they also couldn't find his killer.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and fri...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday May 25, 2023: [00:30] The future of plastic [3:00] The relationship between heat and a poor night's sleep [5:00] Yay or nay: Should we relocate species endangered by climate change? [10:00] The Colorado River's woes   Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,   Instagram  +  Youtube . Email me a...

It's almost always advisable to refrain from rash actions when emotionally charged, and rage decluttering is no exception. While filling that trash bag may feel great in the moment, enter guilt and shame shortly after. Often feel the impulse to rage clean and declutter? Today I speak with coach  Leslie Alder  about what to do instead.   Here's a preview: [3:00] Rage decluttering isn't...

#177 - A court reporter is found stabbed to death inside her Sacramento apartment in 1970. With very few investigative leads, the case turns up and became one of Sacramento county's oldest, unsolved homicides cases. Can advanced DNA testing and the use of forensic genetic genealogy help bring Nancy Bennallack's killer to justice?   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday May 18, 2023: [00:30] Indonesia's sinking problem [4:00] Trees can't walk but they're still moving north [7:00] Prepare yo'self! Extreme heat's a-coming in the next 5 years [13:00] Updates from beloved Yellowstone   Resources mentioned:  Donate to the Greater Yellowstone Commission Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. S...

Maintaining a balanced life isn’t effortless. It takes constant adjustment and re-adjustment to remain steady. The good news? When our health, wellness, or happiness feels a little off, the solution is often as simple as a few tweaks to our mostly-working routines. It pays to take time to re-focus on the basics, and that's what we're doing today. Here's a preview: [6:30] Are you a Toyo...

Big tech trains kids to become consumers from ... well, birth. Child-targeted marketing is cringe-worthy at best and unethical at worst. It also undermines our children's healthy development because it robs them of opportunities to play, imagine, and learn freely without manipulation. Today I speak with  Dr. Susan Linn  about the ways in which technology exploits children (and what we can do a...

#176 - In January 1959, nine experienced and young Russian hikers began an expedition in the Ural Mountains of the Soviet Union. The group was on their way to one of the mountain's peaks, but they never made it. And the events that took place between January 25th, 1959 and February 1, 1959, would become one of Russia's most enduring mysteries of all time. Can forensic science help explain the myst...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday May 12, 2023: [00:30] An Alberta wildfires update [2:00] Unplugged and offshore: The risks associated with 14,000 unplugged oil and gas wells in the Gulf [6:30] Renewable energy and 266,410 square miles [13:00] A sneak peek into our electric vehicle future   Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,   I...

Are you consuming the news, or is the news consuming you? While it's certainly important to be informed, there's a line in the sand between being adequately informed and over-informed. For many of us, regularly crossing that line leads to negative health and wellness effects. On today's show: how to protect your headspace while also staying informed. Here's a preview: [3:00] 5 reas...

From an early age we’re taught that personal fulfillment is dependent on both our accomplishments and our possessions. Yet despite advancing in our careers and overflowing our homes, many of us remain unsatisfied. What's missing? According to today's guest, we are far too concerned with living from the outside-in when we should be doing the opposite.  There is indeed a reality in which yea...

#175 - Sixteen year old Carol Sue Klaber left her parent's house in Boone County, Kentucky, on June 4, 1976, to go out with a friend after dropping her bike off. But after she left her parents house, she was never seen alive again. The hunt for her killer sent investigators on a four-decade long hunt.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a p...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday May 5, 2023: [00:30] Dear gas stoves, Buh-bye! Love, New York [2:00] Move over, Arabica: Why Liberica excelsa coffee may soon be in your mug [5:00] Harnessing the knowledge of indigenous communities to curb global warming [11:00] The world's leaders are looking to solar geo-engineering for quick, easy warming wins. Here's why   Resources mentione...

Nonprofit organizations work tirelessly for the better good and they depend on donations from you and me to fund their programs. But giving is not equally distributed: in 2021, just 3% of all donation dollars went to environmental and animal welfare organizations ( source ). While we do indeed have the power to use every dollar we earn for change, giving can be confusing. There’s a massive differe...

In the name of convenience, manufacturers sold us the promise that their products make life easier. And while such gadgets, appliances, and electronics have indeed taken over much of the physical labor associated with living, they have also eliminated many of the core competencies that once grounded us, connected us, and made us whole. It's no surprise that many of us feel like something's...

#174 - A six year old, missing for just 15 minutes, is found dead just a few houses away from her own in Elder Circle, Texas.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have acces...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday April 28, 2023: [00:30] Allergies, pollen, and climate change [3:00] Fellow wine lovers, unite! Benefits to lighter bottles [5:00] Enviro-implications re: SpaceX's Starship launch [11:00] Everything you didn't know you wanted to know about nuclear energy   Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Faceboo...

Low waste living sounds great in theory, but in practice? Thanks to life's obstacles, it's much harder to commit for the long-haul. Add children into the equation and intentionally creating less trash can feel like a daily, uphill slog. On today's show I speak with blogger and life coach  Rebekah Lara  about recommitting to your low waste goals despite waning motivation. Here's a p...

#173 - In 1980 a young woman was found murdered inside her Sacramento, California, apartment. With very few investigative leads, the case quickly turned cold despite having her killer's DNA.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you w...

We all have habits we’d like to banish, and often we believe our success or failure comes down to discipline and willpower. But discipline and willpower don't tell the whole story, and that's because the brain doesn’t make changes easily. Breaking a bad habit CAN be done, and today's show is here to help. Today's content is specifically framed around a listener's question re: b...

Welcome to Living On Purpose week! Living on purpose isn't about changing who you are; it's about rising up and becoming the best version of you. But amidst the chaotic rush of our days it's easy to get caught up in the “doing”. And when we hyper-focus on doing, we often neglect the important and intentional act of reflection. Today best-selling author  Tanya Dalton  brings us both cut...