Strange News: El Niño, Robots in the Ring, Library Books, Shatner, Toys'R'Us, Germany, and Inconvenience Stores

The annual Bilderberg Conference is one of the world's most elite get-togethers. Aristocrats, banking tycoons, arms dealers and more claim this is just a few pals getting together to hang. They also claim these meetings result in no actual laws or policy -- yet as Ben, Matt, and Noel discover in the second chapter of this two-part episode, these claims are... cartoonishly untrue. Despite noble intent, people at the top of a society rarely question that society's structure. Bilderberg is a bubble. And, soon, that bubble may burst.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jake asks for more details about the legendary Polybius game. Vengeance Rising inspires conversation about the real-life Illuminati. Willow walks through several long-standing conspiracies, from the death of Marilyn Monroe to the Epstein Files. Join Ben, Matt, and Noel for all this and more in this week's listener mail segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered whether the Illuminati is real? Ben, Matt, and Noel sure do. In the first chapter of this two-part series, they explore how a coalition of elites put together a hang-out at the Bilderberg Hotel in 1954 to -- apparently -- prevent a third World War. Yet as time went on, the group continues meeting up each year... prompting claims that there is a conspiracy afoot.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For several months, India has been in the grip of massive farm protests as millions gather to demonstrate against a series of controversial reforms collectively known as the Farm Bills. These bills, in theory, are meant to address problems with India's current agricultural system -- but a large percentage of India's farmers fear these new laws will only make their lives more difficult. Some even believe the Farm Bills are part of a conspiracy to sacrifice the livelihood of farmers for the profits of large businesses. On the other side of the protest line, members of the domestic media believe the protests themselves are a conspiracy designed to further the aims of separatist groups with ulterior motives. So which, if any, of these conspiracies are true? Tune in and learn more in the first part of this two-part episode.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts raise growing concerns about El Niño. An overdue library magazine is returned more than 130 years late. The rise of the far right in Germany echoes a global pattern. Toy'R'Us is back. William Shatner does metal. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you visited the Darién Gap? Ever been upset about javelina chomping around on your golf course, or wondered why thousands of people across the Midwest suddenly got explosive diarrhea? Nature is amazing -- and it's no secret that much of the Great Outdoors is in trouble. Big businesses, corrupt politicians, and a collapsing climate have all combined to endanger public lands. In tonight's interview, Ben and Matt welcome investigative journalist, author, and activist Dr. James Stout, the creator of the hit podcast Natural Causes, to learn more about the world outside.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the authors of horror stories, haunting isn't just for houses. In countless works of fiction, all sorts of objects can become to a spirit -- and, over the centuries, countless people have sworn they encountered a haunted object in real life. Today's episode asks whether an object can be haunted... and the ultimate answer may not be what you expect.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Denmark and the United States have allegedly reached an "agreement" regarding the fate of Greenland, the world is still deeply concerned that Uncle Sam may take economic or military action to gain full control over the world's largest island. In the second chapter of this special two-part series, Ben, Matt, and Dylan investigate why the US seems so set on annexation... and why the official statements may be a cover for secret, less noble motivations.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In tonight's Classic episode: It's a match for the ages. Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, boxing heavyweight champions in their own right, will soon vie for the title of the world's undisputed boxing champion. Irish native and current Dubai resident Daniel Kinahan has a life-long love of boxing -- and, according to Irish authorities, he is the heir to a criminal empire stretching from Dublin to Africa, South America, Southeast Asia and beyond. Recently, Fury set off a firestorm of speculation when he thanked Kinahan for brokering the fight. In today's episode, Ben and Matt dive into the world of Irish organized crime, the sport, science and art of boxing, all to ask: Is there Something They Don't Want You To Know?They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States officially confirms they have active weapons in space... but they're not saying exactly what these weapons are, or what they can do. Archaeologists have discovered the world's oldest evidence of habitual drug use. An athlete apologies for pooping like crazy during an event. FBI Director Kash Patel goes to D.C. to defend the FBI's new (bizarrely relaxed) hiring practices. Join Ben and Noel for all this and more in this week's strange news segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.