On December 17th, 2010, at approximately 11:30 AM, a 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi approached the governor’s office in his town, Sidi Bouzid. Standing in the middle of traffic, he shouted, “How do you expect me to make a living?” before dousing himself in gasoline and lighting a match. Bouazizi never recovered from a coma and died in a Tunisian hospital several weeks later. But his self-immolation would literally ignite protests across Tunisia against state corruption...
Dec 15, 2020•43 min•Ep. 41
On Monday, April 26th, 1999, at approximately 11:30 AM, BBC presenter Jill Dando approached the front door of her house in Fulham, London. As she was about to put her keys into the lock, someone grabbed her from behind. He forced Jill Dando to the ground, so her face was almost touching the front step. According to one of Britain’s leading pathologists, the assailant then used his left hand to fire a single shot into Dando’s left temple. She died instantly. Jill Dando was beloved among the Briti...
Dec 08, 2020•39 min•Ep. 40
Chances are, most of your closet probably consists of ready-made garments — clothing manufactured en masse to fit most people. And, most of us probably know that the conditions in these factories are less than ideal. International corporations like Nike and Gap have repeatedly been caught exploiting workers — having them work long hours with little pay in factories with few safety precautions. On April 24th, 2013, a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 1,134 people and injuri...
Dec 01, 2020•41 min•Ep. 39
If you had internet access in 2012, you likely remember a film and social media campaign dubbed ‘Kony 2012’ — a drive to apprehend Ugandan militia leader and war criminal Joseph Kony. The 30-minute viral video created and posted by an organization called Invisible Children, Inc. urged viewers to spread awareness of Kony, with the mission of apprehending him by the end of that year. In this episode, we have two stories unfolding at the same time: the first is the calamity of the Kony 2012 campaig...
Nov 24, 2020•54 min•Ep. 38
On May 13th, 2006, British mountaineer David Sharp set out on a solitary expedition to the summit of Mount Everest. Though an experienced hobbyist climber, David never made it back down the mountain and is thought to have died on the 15th of May, 2006, at age 34. Whether he reached the peak is unknown. Ascending and descending Mount Everest is extraordinarily dangerous; people die nearly every year climbing the mountain, bringing the total recorded death count to over 300 people. But David Sharp...
Nov 17, 2020•41 min•Ep. 37
On August 6th and August 9th of 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Combined, these bombs killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people. The two bombs — named Little Boy and Fat Man — were the first and only nuclear weapons used in armed conflict, though the global nuclear arsenal has increased to an alarming size. In this episode, we discuss the atomic bombings of Japan — the precipitating events, the explosions themselves, and the controversy that has...
Nov 10, 2020•54 min•Ep. 36
Henry Kissinger. George Schultz. James Mattis. William Perry. David Boies. What do these men have in common — besides being war criminals or attorneys representing war criminals? They all invested millions of dollars in a Silicon Valley start-up called Theranos. Unfortunately for them, the company once worth $9 billion dissolved in 2018 amid fraud investigations. Founder Elizabeth Holmes is set to face trial in 2021 for her role in this fraud. But who is Elizabeth Holmes, and how did a 19-year-o...
Nov 03, 2020•46 min•Ep. 35
On August 3rd, 2019, a gunman attacked the Walmart Supercenter near the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas. Armed with a Romanian WASR-10 rifle, the shooter killed 23 people and injured 23 others. As El Paso has a large population of reported Hispanic or Latino people, and that specific Walmart serves people from both the El Paso area and neighboring Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, the assault has been described by The New York Times as “the deadliest anti-Latino attack in modern American history.” In ...
Oct 27, 2020•43 min•Ep. 34
In the first few weeks of South Korea's coronavirus onset, efforts to test, contact trace, quarantine, and treat kept recorded infections down to just 30 people in the entire country. Then came Korea’s very own Typhoid Mary — Patient 31. The 61-year-old's escapades around the city of Daegu led to a cluster of over 5,000 cases in the area. Even stranger are Patient 31's connections to Shincheonji, Church of Jesus — a new religious movement many consider to be a cult. In this episode, we break dow...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 33
If you’ve been listening to our podcast for a while now, you’ll likely have noticed that we fall pretty firmly on the side of prison abolition, but one big question looms: What about the sexually-motivated criminals? In this episode, we tackle the case of Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger and discuss whether prison successfully rehabilitated this misogynist menace to society, and how we might create a world that is safer for everyone. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: htt...
Oct 13, 2020•42 min•Ep. 32
In 1960, Israeli secret agents tracked down Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann to a house on Garibaldi Street in Buenos Aires. Without assistance from the Argentine government or police, they planned and executed Eichmann’s capture and clandestinely brought him back to Israel. The following year, Eichmann was tried and eventually convicted of 15 counts of crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership in a criminal organization. He was hanged shortly after mi...
Oct 06, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 31
On May 4th, 2017, Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher of SEAL Team 7 allegedly stabbed and killed a teenage prisoner-of-war in Mosul, Iraq. The events that followed prompt questions about war crimes, rules of engagement, and American exceptionalism. We discuss the case and these topics in this episode about the case centering on U.S. soldier / right-wing Instagram influencer Eddie Gallagher. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw Aamer's Radio War Nerd episo...
Sep 28, 2020•42 min•Ep. 30
On October 23rd, 1998, Dr. Barnett Slepian was shot and killed by a sniper rifle while in his kitchen in East Amherst, New York. Slepian was targeted for his work at the Buffalo Womenservices clinic, where he provided a spectrum of OB-GYN care, including safe, legal abortions. The killer — an anti-choice extremist named James Charles Kopp — fled the country, but he couldn't hide forever... AAMER'S RADIO WAR NERD EPISODE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41683290 Aamer is expected to return shortly!...
Sep 21, 2020•38 min•Ep. 29
On September 30th, 1965, people in Indonesia went to bed thinking that the following day would be like any other. However, that assumption was sadly wrong. In the early hours of October 1st — before the sun had even risen — members of the Gerakan 20 September (G30S) initiated a failed putsch for power that triggered a genocide. In a campaign of bloodletting that would shake Indonesia to its core, General Suharto attacked communists, feminists, and all believed to associate with them. Over a peri...
Sep 14, 2020•49 min•Ep. 28
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. We are about to embark upon a dark and twisted journey into The Black Circle — the infernal heart of Norway’s heavy metal scene. On this adventure, we will encounter ear-splitting music, edgelords, Satanism, arson, Nazis, and murder. Join us as we discuss the life and times of characters with titles like Euronymous, Dead, Faust, and Count Grishnack, gate-keeping fan cultures, death of the author, and the artistic merit of the hit song, WAP. If you are having ...
Sep 07, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 27
You’ve heard all the references and allegations, the accusations and wild claims, the guesses and suspicions. You’ve probably seen Rachel Maddow scream about Russia interfering with US elections on MSNBC at least once over what feels like a century ago. Terms like ‘interference, ‘kompromat,’ and ‘leaks’ have been drilled into our heads. Despite the countless hours pundits have debated Russiagate on CNN , it remains as baffling and utterly incomprehensible as ever. In this episode, we break down ...
Aug 31, 2020•57 min
From 1992 to 1993, 26-year-old white American Fulbright Scholar Amy Biehl lived and worked in Cape Town, South Africa, while studying women’s participation in the anti-apartheid struggle and transition to democracy. On the 25th of August, 1993, Amy decided to give some of her Black friends a ride home. While passing through the township of Gugulethu, the car was attacked by a crowd of Black residents, who shouted “anti-white slurs.” Some of these angry young men zeroed in on Amy Biehl — stabbing...
Aug 24, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 25
On September 21, 1976, at roughly 9:35 AM, a massive explosion pierced the quiet Washington DC air at Sheridan Circle. A bomb placed under their vehicle killed exiled Chilean Ambassador Orlando Letelier and his colleague, Ronni Moffitt. The murder corresponds to a shady campaign of terror called Operation Condor, which ultimately traces back to the United States government and Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet himself. In this episode, we discuss the life and death of Orlando Letelier, and the s...
Aug 17, 2020•50 min•Ep. 24
In the summer of 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased their dream family home at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey. Soon after, the Broadduses started receiving strange and threatening letters from a person only known as The Watcher. Someone was fixated on 657 Boulevard and wanted the Broadduses out... Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
Aug 10, 2020•50 min•Ep. 23
In 1966, the Jules Rimet Trophy (which was awarded to winners of the FIFA World Cup) was stolen from a display in London, only to be recovered a week later in the most miraculous of ways. Seventeen years later, the trophy was swiped yet again from its case in Rio de Janeiro. Join us as we discuss the corruption of FIFA, Nazi plundering, composite sketches, and a dog named Pickles. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw...
Aug 03, 2020•43 min•Ep. 22
In October of 2000, Pakistani police stumbled across an ancient artifact that would shake the archaeological world: a mummified Persian princess. The cuneiform on her coffin claimed that she was Rhodugune — a daughter of the great king Xerxes. The story brought news coverage from around the world as Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan all fought to declare possession of the princess. But soon, the story would take a shocking turn… Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3...
Jul 27, 2020•49 min•Ep. 21
Most of us are probably at least somewhat familiar with the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Born in Palestine at the beginning of the 1st century CE, Jesus would eventually lead a Jewish movement and be crucified by the Romans for the crime of sedition. But, despite the obvious political overtones of such a tale, Jesus’s story is often decontextualized and therefore depoliticized. The fact is, Jesus of Nazareth was a guy with some pretty incendiary ideas for the time which put him in the crosshairs ...
Jul 20, 2020•44 min•Ep. 20
Cleopatra VII is one of the most famous figures in popular culture and one of the world's most ancient sex symbols. She’s frequently painted as a seductress and an accessory to the Roman generals in her life, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. But we often neglect Cleopatra’s legacy as a politician and commander in her own right. She was Egypt’s last independent ruler, and spent the latter part of her life unavailingly trying to keep her Kingdom out of Rome’s imperial clutches. In this episode, we d...
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 19
In this first episode of our ancient assassinations mini-series, we talk about the life and death of one of history's greatest conquerors, Gaius Julius Caesar. Was Caesar really a rising tyrant bringing about the end of the Roman Republic? Or was he a "people's dictator" who instituted some progressive reforms despite some unsavory methods of governance? We talk about Caesar's time as a military leader, numerous love affairs, some ironic execution methods, and Aamer's gift for tongue twisters. P...
Jul 06, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 18
On the 29th of August, 2005, the tropical cyclone known as Hurricane Katrina made landfall over southern Louisiana and Mississippi, most famously devastating the city of New Orleans. The damage was catastrophic: over 1,800 people died — almost all of them poor and Black — prompting Kanye West to utter his famous line: “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” Six days later, New Orleans police gunned down Katrina survivors and tried to cover up what they'd done. In this episode, we bring yo...
Jul 01, 2020•37 min•Ep. 17
On the night of November 12th, 1988, a 28-year-old student and Ethiopian immigrant named Mulugeta Seraw was beaten to death by three strangers outside his Portland, Oregon apartment. The case of racial violence would shock Portland and bring to light the horrific underbelly of present-day Neo-Nazis in the United States. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw...
Jun 29, 2020•42 min•Ep. 16
Aamer & Erin examine talking to your family about race as a religious conversion process. Plus, we discuss police abolition, White Fragility, Bahraini organized crime, and the Premier League's Kafkaesque noise spectacle. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
Jun 24, 2020•38 min
Between May 31st and June 1st of 1921, mobs of white people in Tulsa, Oklahoma rampaged through the predominantly Black Greenwood district, reducing the neighborhood to rubble and ash. The violence saw dozens - if not hundreds - of people killed and many more expelled from their homes. In this episode, we discuss the Tulsa Race Massacre and its relevance to current politics and pop culture, including as a setting in HBO's Watchmen series. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascriminal Sources: http...
Jun 22, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 15
In 1987, two different women in Huntington, West Virginia were attacked by the same stranger. Police collected physical evidence from the scenes and soon zeroed in on Glen Woodall — a 29-year-old groundskeeper who was convicted of the crimes based on testimony from the state's leading forensic serologist, Fred Zain. As technology advanced, Woodall's defense team pushed for the evidence from the crime scene to be re-tested against Woodall's DNA. It didn't match. Glen Woodall was exonerated after ...
Jun 15, 2020•52 min•Ep. 14
SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER: https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/ Aamer and Erin review some protesting tips and tricks before discussing the so-called "grievance studies hoax." They also discuss chemistry, right-wing grifters, and the worst subreddit yet. Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
Jun 10, 2020•48 min
