The News Junkie: Interviews

In the glory days of the Internet, shock websites were everywhere. Believe it or not, I worked closely with more of these homes on the dark side of the Internet than I'd like to admit. On this Small Talk episode of The News Junkie: Interviews we chat with Hayden Hewitt, co-founder of Live Leak about the future of shocking content, censorship and the Internet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Each day nearly one million people pick up the phone and dial 911. But what is it like to be on the other side of that call? What information do they know about you? What does the office look like? Dispatch Dan has worked as a 911 dispatcher for over a decade. He's saved lives, helped deliver babies and heard it all. This week we find out what it's like to be a 911 dispatcher. See omnystudio.com/l...

Ron Thomson has killed 5,000 elephants, 800 buffalo, 60 lions, 40 leopards and countless more wild animals not to collect their hides and horns but to save their species. Trophy hunting is a wildly controversial topic and the conversation has been dominated by animal rights advocates. But, could it possibly be true that we have it all wrong? Does big game trophy hunting actually save animals? See...

Is competitive eating a sport? Competitive eating has winners and losers, cheaters and liar and even groupies. People from all over the world come to events like the annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York. This week we talk with competitive eater Michael Jenkins to get the secrets behind a phenomenon that excites some and grosses others out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Do your political leanings, whether Liberal or Conservative, come from your genes? Genopolitics may sound boring but the investigation of what makes you tick, what makes you vote for one politician over another, is a truly interesting topic. This week we talk to Professor John Hibbing of the University of Nebraska, a man who has spent his life searching for the answer to this amazing question. See...

What in the hell did I get myself into? That was the question I asked myself as I took on the task of doing an investigative crime podcast on my own. The story had it all: a rich woman murdered, a pest control guy with a gambling problem arrested and more twists and turns than you could ever imagine. But where did it all go? What's happening now? What happened to Millionaire Murder? See omnystudio...

What is it like to climb Mount Everest? It's an experience that only about 5,000 people on the planet can explain. More than 300 people have died while attempting to make it to the top. Recently, news stories suggest long lines and crowds are causing chaos on Everest. This week we talk to Matthew Dieumegard, one of the few who have reached the top, about how much it costs, the sights, sounds and d...

Is Lenore Skenazy the worst mom in the world? Free-range parenting has landed parents in jail, kids in state care and proponents in the headlines. This week we talk to the founder of the movement, Lenore Skenazy, to discuss modern day parenting, media scare tactics and when free range parenting goes too far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does comedy have a free speech problem? All across the country, most notably on college campuses, comedians are being silenced, their views deemed offensive to others. This week we talked to controversial comedian Nick Di Paolo about the current state of comedy, the clash between free speech and social justice and so much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the celebrity sex cult NXIVM? A story of manipulation, sex, celebrity and power has hit headlines across the world but many people find it all hard to understand. This week we talk to Frank Parlato, the whistleblower who brought the secret sex cult out of the shadows, on a quest for some answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did the circus die? What was once a treasured American institution has fallen victim to protests and falling ticket sales. This week we talk to Johnathan Lee Iverson, who calls himself The Last Ringmaster, about what it was like to lead the Greatest Show on Earth in the final days of the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it like to be blind? How do blind people find love, surf the Internet and travel the world? How do they want you to help (or not help) them out? This week we talk to Dan Barra-Berger, a blind man who traveled the world and is now finding his way as a standup comedian. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What will the world look like in 2045? What will we be eating, driving and doing for fun? How will education change for children? In a now famous segment from 1994, the Today Show cast was bewildered by this new thing called The Internet. 25 years later so much has changed. Let's chat with famed futurist David Houle about what life looks like in the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

In the wake of the shocking sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson in the Leaving Neverland documentary, hardcore MJ fans are disputing allegations and defending the King of Pop. Rebuttal documentaries are gaining lots of viewers but the mainstream media seems to be all but ignoring this defense. Let's chat with a 'Michael Jackson Truther' to see if Michael Jackson is guilty as charged o...

The first exclusive FREE podcast from The News Junkie debuts soon. The News Junkie: Interviews will be interesting, intriguing and different interviews with newsmakers, celebrities and people just like you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.