Episode 9: Their Last Declaration: Death on the Fourth of July

Episode 13 - Public Enemies: The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde

In this episode, Lo is flying solo and takes you through the rise and fall of America’s most infamous outlaw couple. From the poverty of West Dallas to the piney woods of East Texas, Public Enemies unpacks the myth, the murders, and the legacy that still lingers nearly a century later. Sources: Guinn, Jeff. Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde. Simon & Schuster, 2009. Blanche Caldwell Barrow. My Life with Bonnie and Clyde. Edited by John Neal Phillips, University of Oklahoma Press, 2004. Phillips, John Neal. Running with Bonnie and Clyde: The Ten Fast Years of Ralph Fults. University of Oklahoma Press, 1996. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA): “Bonnie Parker” “Clyde Barrow” FBI Vault: Bonnie and Clyde – Federal Bureau of Investigation Texas Ranger Hall of Fame: Frank Hamer Biography The Dallas Morning News Archives Texas Monthly, “The Ambush of Bonnie and Clyde” NPR, On the Trail of Bonnie and Clyde: Then and Now Connect with us!Instagram: @thekingstalkpod Email: thekingstalkpod@gmail.com

Episode 12: Superstition at Sea - The Legends Sailors Swear By

This week on King’s Talk, we dive into ten of the strangest, saltiest, and most enduring maritime superstitions, from cursed bananas and topless figureheads to tattoos as protection and the ghostly lights that sailors feared most. So whether you're a sailor, a land lover, or just afraid of foggy lights and folklore, this one’s for you. Sources: Tall Ship Providence Foundation – Women on Ships: https://tallshipprovidence.org/women-bad-luck/ [https://tallshipprovidence.org/women-bad-luck/] Lloyd’s Register Heritage & Education Centre – Women, Ships, and the Sea: https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/women-ships-and-the-sea-the-dangers-of-custom-and-superstition [https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/women-ships-and-the-sea-the-dangers-of-custom-and-superstition] NZ Maritime Museum – 20 Sailing Superstitions: https://www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/collections/top-20-sailing-superstitions [https://www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/collections/top-20-sailing-superstitions] Hubbard’s Marina – Why Are Bananas Bad Luck on Boats?: https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/bananas-bad-luck-on-a-boat/ [https://www.hubbardsmarina.com/bananas-bad-luck-on-a-boat/] NOAA – What causes red sky at night?: https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/weather-atmosphere/red-sky-at-night Carl Linnaeus – Systema Naturae (18th century taxonomy reference) Wikipedia – Line-crossing ceremony: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony] Military.com – Unofficial U.S. Navy Certificates: https://www.military.com/history/2021/10/07/5-of-rarest-unofficial-us-navy-certificates.html [https://www.military.com/history/2021/10/07/5-of-rarest-unofficial-us-navy-certificates.html] USN for Life – Golden Shellback History: https://usnforlife.com/blogs/usnforlife-blog/what-it-means-to-be-a-golden-shellback [https://usnforlife.com/blogs/usnforlife-blog/what-it-means-to-be-a-golden-shellback] Emerging Civil War – Shellbacks and Polliwogs: https://emergingcivilwar.com/2022/07/25/shellbacks-polliwogs-and-crossing-the-equator-amid-civil-war/ [https://emergingcivilwar.com/2022/07/25/shellbacks-polliwogs-and-crossing-the-equator-amid-civil-war/] National Ocean Service – Bioluminescence in the ocean: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/biolum.html Maritime tattoo traditions compiled from various naval folklore archives Next episode: Public Enemies: The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde

Episode 11: Into the Deep - The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis

On July 30th, 1945, just weeks before the end of World War II, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, sinking in a matter of minutes. Nearly 900 men were thrown into the Pacific Ocean. What followed was five harrowing days adrift facing relentless heat, dehydration, hallucinations, and the deadliest shark attack in recorded history. Sources & References: Britannica: Timeline of the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis [https://www.britannica.com/story/timeline-of-the-sinking-of-the-uss-indianapolis] Smithsonian Magazine: The Worst Shark Attack in History [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/sinking-uss-indianapolis-triggered-worst-shark-attack-history-25715092/] National WWII Museum: Surviving the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis [https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/surviving-sinking-uss-indianapolis] USS Indianapolis Wikipedia Entry [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Indianapolis_(CA-35)] Paul Allen’s Discovery of the Wreck – YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjwDBiElGxE] Survivor Interviews – YouTube Documentaries [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MiEAkuRV7I] and Part 2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5mACRL3Vl0] Follow Us for Episode Visuals & Extras: Instagram: @thekingstalkpod [https://www.instagram.com/thekingstalkpod] Email: thekingstalkpod@gmail.com Next Up: Superstition at Sea: The Legends Sailors Swear By Ghost ships, lucky charms, and the rituals that keep you afloat. Premiering this Friday.

Episode 10: Dead president's Club - America's Wildest Political Deaths

From cherry-induced chaos to cult ambushes and courtroom reenactments gone horribly wrong, this episode of King’s Talk explores the most bizarre and shocking political deaths in American history. Lo and Presley walk you through everything from presidential missteps to state-level tragedies Content warning: Sudden death, political violence, medical negligence, and true crime. Sources: Zachary Taylor: Miller Center – Death of the President [https://millercenter.org/president/taylor/death-of-the-president] History.com – President Zachary Taylor Dies Unexpectedly [https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-9/president-zachary-taylor-dies-unexpectedly] YouTube – The Mysterious Death of President Zachary Taylor Link [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua9HPPCM0ZE] William Henry Harrison: American Battlefield Trust – William Henry Harrison Biography [https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/william-henry-harrison] Miller Center – Death of the President [https://millercenter.org/president/harrison/death-of-the-president] YouTube – The Tragic Presidency of William Henry Harrison Link [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub1NaHsEbFQ] James A. Garfield: Wikipedia – Assassination of James A. Garfield [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_James_A._Garfield] PBS – The Dirty, Painful Death of President Garfield [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/dirty-painful-death-president-james-garfield] American College of Surgeons – Medical Paper on Garfield’s Death [https://www.facs.org/media/g1qn0eja/03_james_garfield.pdf] Huey P. Long: Wikipedia – Assassination of Huey Long [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Huey_Long] HueyLong.com – Life & Times: Assassination [https://www.hueylong.com/life-times/assassination.php] State Affairs Pro – Huey Long Death Summary [https://pro.stateaffairs.com/la/governor/huey-long-death] Leo Ryan: Slate – The Forgotten Non-Kool-Aid Drinking Victims [https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/11/leo-ryan-jonestown-the-forgotten-non-kool-aid-drinking-victims-of-the-jonestown-massacre.html] PBS – Biography: Leo Ryan [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/jonestown-bio-leo-ryan/] FBI – Famous Cases: Jonestown [https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/jonestown] Sonny Bono: History.com – January 5: Sonny Bono Killed in Skiing Accident [https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-5/sonny-bono-killed-in-skiing-accident] YouTube – The Tragic Death of Sonny Bono Link [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPsxO7MONUQ] Clement Vallandigham: Wikipedia – Clement Vallandigham [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Vallandigham] Tennessee Bar Association – Law Blog Entry [https://www.tba.org/?pg=LawBlog&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=13146] All That's Interesting – The Man Who Killed Himself to Prove His Client’s Innocence [https://allthatsinteresting.com/clement-vallandigham] Linda Collins: ABC News – Victim’s Best Friend Convicted in Gruesome Murder [https://abcnews.go.com/US/victims-best-friend-convicted-gruesome-murder-security-camera/story?id=90999338] KUAR/NPR Arkansas – Suspect Pleads Guilty to Murder of Former State Senator [https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2020-08-06/suspect-pleads-guilty-to-murder-of-former-arkansas-state-senator-linda-collins] Follow us on Instagram: @thekingstalkpod [https://instagram.com/thekingstalkpod]Email us your thoughts or case requests: thekingstalkpod@gmail.com 🎧 Next episode drops Tuesday: Into the Deep – The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis A haunting survival story, government cover-ups, and the deadliest shark attack in naval history.

Episode 9: Their Last Declaration: Death on the Fourth of July

What are the odds that three U.S. Presidents, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe, all died on the Fourth of July? In this episode of King’s Talk, Lo and Presley unravel the eerie synchronicity, the symbolism, and the very human end-of-life moments of the men who shaped the American Revolution. Sources: Boston University, “The Last Days of Jefferson and Adams” https://www.bu.edu/historic/battin.htm [https://www.bu.edu/historic/battin.htm] Library of Congress, “The Deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson” https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2022/07/deaths-of-john-adams-and-thomas-jefferson-on-july-4th/ [https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2022/07/deaths-of-john-adams-and-thomas-jefferson-on-july-4th/] National Constitution Center, “Three Presidents Die on July 4th – Just a Coincidence?” https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/three-presidents-die-on-july-4th-just-a-coincidence [https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/three-presidents-die-on-july-4th-just-a-coincidence] Study.com video lesson on Adams and Jefferson https://study.com/learn/lesson/video/john-adams-and-thomas-jefferson.html [https://study.com/learn/lesson/video/john-adams-and-thomas-jefferson.html] Wikipedia: James Monroe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Monroe [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Monroe] University of Mary Washington, James Monroe Papers – “Mr. Monroe’s Dying Request” https://academics.umw.edu/jamesmonroepapers/2018/11/30/mr-monroes-dying-request/ [https://academics.umw.edu/jamesmonroepapers/2018/11/30/mr-monroes-dying-request/] Los Angeles Times Archive, “Deaths of Founding Fathers Reverberated Across the Young Nation” https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=77802cc8-f7b9-49a1-8be5-17ca0bb47178 [https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=77802cc8-f7b9-49a1-8be5-17ca0bb47178] Hamilton (Broadway Musical) for pop culture reference and framing Questions, case suggestions, or theories? Email us at thekingstalkpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram: @thekingstalkpod