Tased and Confused: The Truth Behind the Shock & The Taser #TrueCrimeTuesday

When you hear the word Taser, what comes to mind... safety, control, compliance? But what if behind that word lies a story of unchecked ambition, corporate influence over public safety, and a device that has contributed to the deaths of over 1,000 people in the U.S. alone?On this episode of Up + Adam, Adam Montiel welcomes award-winning journalist and filmmaker Nick Berardini, the voice and mind behind the powerful new podcast Absolute: Taser Incorporated. From the boardrooms of Axon Enterprises to the streets of America’s most policed neighborhoods, this series pulls back the curtain on a billion-dollar empire born from a brotherhood and fractured by it.We talk about the Smith brothers who built the Taser business, the whistleblowers who risked everything to speak out, and the questions we should all be asking about the tools we’ve handed to law enforcement. This isn’t just a story about tech. It’s a story about power, accountability, and the blurred line between protection and profit.If you're into true crime, deep reporting, or journalism that truly holds power to the fire, this conversation will leave you thinking long after it ends.• Listen to Absolute: Taser Incorporated: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-absolute-275471765/• Watch Nick’s documentary Killing Them Safely (available on multiple streaming platforms)********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Window Coverings By DesignWe Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

Headaches are universal, but for millions, they’re more than a nuisance. They’re life-altering, misunderstood, and often misdiagnosed. In this episode, Adam sits down with award-winning science journalist and former New York Times reporter Tom Zeller Jr., whose powerful new book, The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction, dives deep into the mysterious world of chronic head pain, especially the brutal beast known as cluster headaches.From the ER to experimental drug trials, to the emotional weight of invisible pain, this conversation blends science, soul, and storytelling in a way only Up+Adam can. If you’ve ever said “I’ve got a headache,” you might want to listen twice.The Headache is available now! • Buy it here on AmazonLearn more about Tom’s work and his award-winning science magazine:Visit: https://undark.org********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

What really happened on America’s Next Top Model? Sarah Hartshorne joins Adam Montiel with the kind of honesty that flips the script on everything you thought you knew about reality TV. A contestant on Cycle 9 and the author of You Wanna Be On Top?, Sarah unpacks the contracts, the calorie limits, the casting manipulation, and the emotional aftermath of living inside a show that was built for drama, not truth.They talk about how the show shaped her body image, what it was like to be the only plus-size contestant, how the producers crafted characters from real people, and why the model house didn’t even have a microwave. This conversation isn’t about spilling tea. It’s about reclaiming the story from inside the machine.• Buy the Book: You Wanna Be On Top? - Penguin Random House• Follow Sarah on Instagram and TikTok: @sarahbhartshorne• Learn More: https://www.sarahbhartshorne.com********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

Today’s episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the smallest items make the biggest impact. Adam sits down with Cami Statler, Executive Director, and Lydia Gong, Bilingual Operations Manager and Lactation Educator at Pregnancy and Parenting Support of San Luis Obispo County (PPS), a nonprofit many are calling “the sweetest on the Central Coast.”They talk openly about the emotional realities of parenthood, the transformative power of early support, and why something as basic as a diaper can be the difference between a parent staying in school or having to drop out. PPS isn’t just handing out baby gear, they’re nurturing dignity, mental health, and generational impact.Right now, they’re teaming up with Meathead Movers for the #FillThoseTrucks Diaper Drive to restock the county’s only diaper bank after federal funding was cut. That truck you’re seeing at Target in SLO? That’s the one. And it’s filling up with hope, one diaper at a time.LIVE TODAY (July 9th): • Target in San Luis Obispo • 11990 Los Osos Valley Rd • 9 AM to 5 PM (OR LATER) • Stop by, grab some diapers or unscented baby wipes, and help fill the truck for SLO families in need!Want to help? Here's how: • Donate diapers (sizes 3–6) and unscented baby wipes through July 10th at Meathead Movers HQ: 3600 S. Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 • Make a monetary donation (just $25 covers a week’s worth of diapers and wipes for a family): ppsslo.org, click the pink “Donate” button • Venmo: @PPS-SLO • Spread the word on social using #FillThoseTrucksWant to donate gently used baby items? • PPS accepts high-quality gear, clothing, cribs, car seats, and more, all tax-deductible.This is more than a diaper drive, it’s about investing in futures. Let’s show up, Central Coast.Learn More: • Pregnancy and Parenting Support of San Luis Obispo County (PPS) • [email protected] | [email protected] • 805-541-3367 (Call or Text Line) • Baby Boutique Location: 1807 Santa Barbara Ave., SLO********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

What do Shakespeare, Steve Jobs, Queen Victoria, and a pope with a taste for cocaine wine have in common? According to historian and viral storyteller Sam Kelly, more than you’d think. In this episode, Adam chats with the author of Human History on Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous but Entirely Truthful Look at History Under the Influence to uncover the hilariously human, shockingly drug-laced past of some of the world’s most iconic figures.Adam talks psychedelic breakthroughs, presidential dependencies, the birth of AA, mushrooms in power, modern meds like Ozempic, and how history might just be one long, strange trip. Buy the book: Human History on Drugs on Amazon Follow Sam on social media: @human_history_on_durgs on TikTok********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Window Coverings By DesignWe Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

From comedy royalty to soul-stirring truth-teller, Lisa Lampanelli is back, but not like you remember her. In this episode, Adam sits down with the iconic “Queen of Mean” turned self-help sage to talk about her powerful (and hilarious) new podcast, Shrink This! Alongside co-host Nick Scopoletti, Lisa tackles listener-submitted problems with the kind of tough love and hard laughs only she can deliver.In this candid conversation, Lisa opens up about walking away from insult comedy, embracing reinvention, and why authenticity is the new punchline. We talk therapy, self-sabotage, letting go of what hurts us, and the surprising joy of dying alone (yes, really). It’s funny, raw, and full of takeaways that hit harder than any roast.• Listen to Lisa’s podcast: Shrink This! with Lisa Lampanelli • Follow Lisa on Instagram: @lisalampanelli • More from Lisa: https://lisalampanelli.com********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Window Coverings By DesignWe Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

In this gripping follow-up conversation, Adam welcomes back investigative journalist and bestselling author Howard Blum, just one day after Bryan Kohberger, accused in the shocking 2022 Idaho college murders, pled guilty to four counts of first-degree murder. Blum, author of When The Night Comes Falling: A Requiem for the Idaho Student Murders, breaks down what this plea really means for justice, the unanswered questions that still linger, and the emotional fallout for the victims' families.With Howard’s signature blend of old-school reporting and narrative mastery, this conversation goes beyond headlines, from courtroom strategy to the lingering shadows of the white Hyundai Elantra, this episode is essential listening for anyone following the case or anyone who wants to understand what justice sounds like when it’s unfinished.• Grab the Book: When The Night Comes Falling on Amazon • Learn More About Howard Blum: www.howardblum.com • Follow on Instagram: @howard_blum_author********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Window Coverings By DesignWe Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

In this episode of Up+Adam, we crank the dial all the way up with journalist and author Brian Anderson, whose debut book Loud & Clear tells the jaw-dropping story of the Grateful Dead’s legendary Wall of Sound. Even if you’ve never spun a Dead record in your life, this conversation is for you. Because it’s not just about the music, it’s about ambition, obsession, and the kind of wild, world-changing creativity that rewrites the rules.Brian walks us through the rise and wild fall of the Wall. A live sound system so massive and ahead of its time, it bent physics, maxed out bank accounts, and still echoes in everything from concerts to your AirPods. He’s got stories, he’s got heart, and yes, he’s even got a piece of the original Wall in his living room.• Whether you're an audiophile, a Deadhead, or just curious how the loudest, clearest sound in rock came to be, this one’s got you. • Grab the book: Loud & Clear: Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound & the Quest for Audio Perfection • Follow Brian on Instagram: @brandersonian********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Window Coverings By DesignWe Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

What really happens when we die? Or... what if we don't?On this episode of Up+Adam, I chat with filmmaker and podcast host Dan Bush, the creator of Alive Again, a gripping series that explores near-death experiences and the people who live to talk about them. These aren’t just brushes with death; they’re deep dives into the stories, sensations, and transformations that follow. We talk about the patterns that show up again and again, regardless of culture, gender, or age, and ask the big questions: Where does skepticism fit in? What happens 10 or 25 years later? Are these visions a trick of the brain or something more?This one will stop you in your tracks in the best way. Hit play and prepare to feel something.Listen to Alive Again: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-alive-again-274161390/Follow Dan Bush on Instagram: @aliveagainprojectHave your own story to share? Email: [email protected]********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Window Coverings By DesignWe Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com