Behind the Bastards

Ilya Ayoub, Lebanon- and Middle East-focused historian and journalist, outlines Lebanon’s devastation and regional stakes. Michael Phillips, historian and author, and Stephen Monicelli, political extremism reporter, dig into the Fifth Circuit and Judge James Ho’s influence. Molly Conger, journalist and podcaster, with Mia Wong, breaks down shadow banking risks and modern financial fragilities.

Kava Hoda, physician and podcaster who hosts The House of Pod, joins to discuss Reza Shah. They cover foreign meddling in Persia after WWI. They trace Reza’s rise from military strongman to authoritarian modernization. They outline cultural reforms, clashes with Britain and oil interests, alignment with Germany, and his forced abdication and exile.

Dr. Kaveh Hoda, a physician and podcaster who offers historical commentary, guides a deep dive into Iran’s early 20th-century turmoil. The conversation traces British and Russian imperial maneuvers, the rise of the Persian Cossack Brigade, oil’s strategic lure, wartime occupation, and the Great Persian Famine. Personal exile memories and why this origin story still matters are also touched on.

Shanley, a VC InfoDocs researcher who maps venture capital networks, and Dana Elkurd, a political scientist specializing in Palestinian politics, join the conversation. They tackle venture capital's role in shaping tech power, crypto and the network state. They also cover Gaza: ceasefire violations, debates over armed tactics, disarmament and political legitimacy. Short, sharp, and provocative takes.

Cal Penn, actor and commentator known for film and political work, joins to react to the rise and unraveling of Sylvia Browne. They cover her TV persona, hypnotic past-life sessions, and dramatic claims about the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The conversation digs into cold reading, financial and legal troubles, and high-profile wrong predictions that caused real harm.

Cal Penn, actor and former Obama White House staffer, reacts to the life of Sylvia Browne, the famous psychic detective. They unpack her public image, harmful false readings like the Amanda Berry case, and how her career rose on fabricated credentials. Conversations touch on her early life, claimed spirit guides, founding the Nirvana Foundation, and the real-world consequences of her work.

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file.  - UFOs, Spies, and Pizzagate: The Clinton Epstein Deposition  - Is the Economy About to Explode? - Outlaw: Criminalization of ICE Watch in Minneapolis - The Fake Crisis Behind Trump's Tariffs - Executive Disorder: War on Iran, Kristi Noem, Sea Mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Proton Mail You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! http://apple.co/coolerzone Sources/Links: UFOs, Spies, and Pizzagate: The Clinton Epstein Deposition https://oversight.house.gov/release/chairman-comer-clintons-must-be-held-accountable-for-refusing-to-comply-with-duly-issued-bipartisan-subpoenas/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siiAk6WXc0M https://www.cpr.org/2026/02/26/lauren-boebert-photo-hillary-clinton-pausing-epstein-deposition/ https://nypost.com/2026/03/03/us-news/hillary-clintons-team-demanded-beauty-lighting-for-oversight-deposition-was-wary-of-looking-like-a-hostage-source/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgJrYKAl6T0 Is the Economy About to Explode? https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/04/south-korea-stocks-kospi.html https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/persian-gulf-oil-squeeze-d9a39190 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/09/nikkei-225-hang-seng-index-kospi-crude-wti-brent-oil-futures-iran-war-gulf-hormuz.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/08/stock-market-today-live-updates.html https://x.com/weijia/status/2031086856679412042?s=20 Outlaw: Criminalization of ICE Watch in Minneapolis To learn more about how the law is used to crush dissent, check out the other episodes of Outlaw, an anti-repression podcast. Follow https://www.instagram.com/outlaw.pod/ on Instagram & @outlawpod.bsky.social Bluesky, & Substack https://outlawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe Get in touch: outlawpod@proton.me Solidarity with Isavela: Support Her Legal Fight https://www.gofundme.com/f/solidarity-with-isavela-support-her-legal-fight Follow Home Girlz 4 Isa to stay updated on her case https://www.instagram.com/homegirlz4isa Help keep vulnerable Minneapolis neighbors housed: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-phillips-families-in-urgent-need The Fake Crisis Behind Trump's Tariffs https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/10/senate-democrats-bill-small-businesses-trump-tariffs https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trumps-new-tariffs-shift-focus-balance-payments-economists-see-no-crisis-2026-02-24/ https://archive.vn/E3fwh#selection-479.0-482.0 https://www.toyassociation.org/PressRoom2/News/2026-News/court-orders-refunds-for-ieepa-tariffs-implementation-process-ongoing.aspx https://www.stlouisfed.org/open-vault/2026/feb/us-dollar-role-as-reserve-currency https://sudanreeves.org/2018/05/10/the-collapse-of-sudans-economy-is-accelerating-along-with-human-suffering/ https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/page-one-economics/2016/11/01/international-trade https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/ap-macroeconomics/ap-open-economy-international-trade-and-finance/the-balance-of-payments/a/the-balance-of-payments https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/bolivias-balance-payments-crisis-brings-back-bad-memories https://www.elibrary.imf.org/display/book/9781557758286/ch02.xml https://www.krwg.org/local-viewpoints/2026-03-10/scotus-decision-on-tariffs https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gov-healey-demands-refunds-mass-182527561.html https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5775500-businesses-sue-trump-tariffs/ https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/page-one-economics/2025/oct/what-is-the-balance-of-payments https://www.investopedia.com/insights/what-is-the-balance-of-payments/ https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-congress/house-bill/10710/text https://www.rba.gov.au/education/resources/explainers/the-balance-of-payments.html https://adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-434-back-to-the-1970s-again https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/frbslreview/rev_stls_196103.pdf https://muse.jhu.edu/article/952314 https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/022/0003/003/article-A003-en.xml https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3545&context=faculty_scholarship Executive Disorder: War on Iran, Kristi Noem, Sea Mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Proton Mail https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-isis-supporters-charged-attempting-detonate-explosive-devices-during-protests-outside  https://www.npr.org/2026/03/05/nx-s1-5737562/justice-department-missing-epstein-files-trump https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/09/trump-is-delaying-texas-senate-endorsement-to-pressure-gop-senators-on-save-america-act-00819991?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/03/president-trump-secures-historic-commitment-to-keep-electricity-costs-down-amid-data-center-boom/  https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-advances-energy-affordability-with-the-ratepayer-protection-pledge/  https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/03/ratepayer-protection-pledge/  https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ratepayer-protection-pledge-proclamation/ https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/detail?itemid=91c3f239c18349fdb409f901c50b7e71&mediatype=video https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-cuba-may-or-may-not-be-friendly-takeover-2026-03-09/ https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/03/cuba-trump-iran-venezuela/686203/  https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/06/politics/trump-cuba-marco-rubio-fall https://archive.ph/n8IuV#selection-615.200-615.231 https://bsky.app/profile/proton.me/post/3mgfkfdazls2c Shield of the Americas - Doral 2026  https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/2029647010002055467  https://www.usaspeShield of the Americas - Doral 2026nding.gov/award/CONT_AWD_70CMSW25P00000055_7012_-NONE-_-NONE-  https://fbodaily.com/archive/2025/08-August/21-Aug-2025/FBO-07556474.htm  https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2026/markwayne-mullin-smell-of-war/  ​​https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/many-150-us-troops-wounded-so-far-iran-war-sources-say-2026-03-10/  https://x.com/Southcom/status/2030056869624955036?s=20  https://x.com/SecWar/status/2029675198115401932?s=20  https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/09/terrorist-designations-of-los-choneros-and-los-lobos  https://x.com/Southcom/status/2029011785567572285?s=20  https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/  https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/commitment-to-countering-cartel-criminal-activity/  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/06/russia-iran-intelligence-us-targets/  https://hengaw.net/en/reports-and-statistics-1/2026/03/article-6  https://x.com/BaxtiyarGoran/status/2031747170588577931?s=20  https://www.patreon.com/posts/trump-model-for-152819826?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kat Abugazela, journalist and Illinois congressional candidate, digs into incel history, online radicalization, and gendered violence. They map early attacks and manifesto-driven copycats. Conversations cover how incel language spread into mainstream platforms, looks-maxing trends, TikTok grifters like Clavicular, and how online isolation and platform shifts fuel dangerous communities.

Kat Abu Ghazaleh, former researcher and journalist now running for Congress in Illinois, walks through the rise of incel culture and its migration into influencer spaces. She and Robert trace Elliot Rodger’s impact, the spread of opaque jargon, lookism and race science, and how looksmaxing morphed into viral figures like Clavicular. Short, sharp takes on dangerous online subcultures and their mainstreaming.

Gordayin, a Kurdistan-based journalist in Germany, discusses bombings in Iran, regional dynamics, Kurdish forces, and humanitarian fallout. Vicky Osterweil, author and media critic, explores Hollywood consolidation, IP power, and cultural effects. Danielle Cantor, mutual aid organizer with Culture of Solidarity, talks about grassroots aid in Israel/Palestine, leftist organizing, and protective community work.