18 chapters across the catalog
A segment describes how the FBI meticulously monitored the Five Percent Nation, even purchasing record collections to analyze the lyrics and "science" being taught to the youth. The hosts discuss how hip-hop became a vehicle for conspiratorial knowledge, mentioning the Illuminati references in the music of Prodigy and Tupac. They also mock MSNBC's Ari Melber for his frequent, often "suspect," use of hip-hop lyrics on his news program.
Public health officials are using wastewater monitoring to track the spread of monkeypox, a technique previously used for COVID-19 and polio. The hosts discuss the possibility of the virus spreading through urban rat populations in cities like New York and D.C. They jokingly warn of "Russian rats" climbing through toilets to spread disease, combining wastewater surveillance with bioweapon fears.
The hosts discuss a recent scandal involving libertarian figure Tom Woods and allegations regarding his past relationship with a minor. They express concern that the technological apparatus used for "purity tests" and social credit scores will be equally dangerous regardless of which political faction wields it. They define the desire for total thought control as a form of "witchcraft" or extreme manipulation.
Drill rap is characterized as a dangerous online game where rappers use violence to trigger social media algorithms and secure record deals. The discussion explores how this cultural phenomenon provides a pretext for increased policing and the implementation of "justice by AI." Predictions are made regarding the rise of private security firms for the wealthy and robotic surveillance for lower-income neighborhoods.
The hosts examine the role of modern surveillance technology in debunking the Smollett hoax. Chicago's "POD" cameras, combined with private Ring doorbells and GPS data from ride-sharing apps, allowed investigators to track the Osundaro brothers' movements from the scene to the airport. This level of tracking makes it increasingly difficult to stage crimes without detection.
A retrospective look at the FBI's 2017 "Black Identity Extremist" (BIE) assessment reveals how the bureau used unrelated attacks on police to justify invasive surveillance of activists. The hosts argue that this classification was a precursor to current efforts to label various groups as domestic threats. They express concern that being labeled a "conspiracy analyst" could lead to inclusion on government watchlists.
A former FBI executive describes the post-9/11 bureau culture as one where "the rules don't apply anymore" in the pursuit of preventing another attack. The hosts discuss a 2009 Time Magazine article claiming that then-FBI Director Robert Mueller had his own office inside the Facebook building. They argue that the internet has become a tool for government propaganda rather than a bastion of free speech.
The conversation turns to modern surveillance, specifically the Ring doorbell network and its integration with local police departments. The hosts argue that Amazon uses "native ads" disguised as news stories about crime to scare people into installing cameras. They also discuss reports of the Spotify app draining iPhone batteries due to excessive background data processing, suggesting that users are being mined for data to shape their behavior.
A clip from "The Wire" featuring Senator Clay Davis illustrates the intersection of the church, the police, and city politics. This is followed by a historical account of how the FBI and NSA used COINTELPRO tactics to start a Black Panther Party chapter in Baltimore for surveillance purposes. The police department reportedly used this intelligence to undermine Black mayoral candidates in 1971.
The merits and dangers of financial apps like Credit Karma are debated, focusing on the trade-off between user education and total surveillance. While one perspective appreciates the gamification of credit scores as a tool for financial literacy, the other warns that these apps grant companies deep access to personal bank transactions and spending habits. The segment notes how the information age has changed the landscape for Black entrepreneurs by providing direct access to global markets.
Former FBI agent Michael German criticizes the Bureau for creating the Black Identity Extremist label to justify surveillance of activists protected by the First Amendment. The hosts discuss the "six-week cycle" theory, where the FBI allegedly manufactures or hypes threats to maintain public relevance and secure budget increases. They argue that the Dallas and Baton Rouge shootings were rolled into a single movement label for administrative convenience.
The hosts speculate that liberal media outlets suppressed the Black Identity Extremist narrative because it discredited Black Lives Matter, while Fox News amplified it for the same reason. They discuss how the "terror group" classification allows the FBI to circumvent standard legal protections and employ invasive surveillance tactics against targeted individuals.
Representative Karen Bass, chair of the subcommittee on crime and terrorism, calls for the FBI to retract the Black Identity Extremist document. She argues the designation is a "declaration of open season" on young black activists and compares it to her experiences with police repression in Los Angeles. The hosts examine her claim that the FBI should focus on white identity extremists instead.
Investigators used Micah Johnson's Facebook "likes" to establish a motive of racial rage. The hosts argue that this "guilty by association" tactic allows the FBI to put anyone who follows similar pages on a watch list. They criticize the media for turning a personal journal into a "manifesto" to fit the BIE narrative.
A news report from San Diego features Fasika Tafara, a mother who found evidence of intruders in her home, including open cabinets and a camera in her son's bedroom. She recorded audio of people rummaging in her house and discovered a hole cut into her attic. The hosts use this as evidence that "gang stalking" claims may have a basis in physical reality rather than just hallucination.
The hosts describe credit scoring apps like Credit Karma as "slave control mechanisms" that grant banks total surveillance over a user's financial behavior. They argue that modern algorithms are "super racist" and are used to determine everything from loan eligibility to criminal sentencing. This technological shift represents a more sophisticated version of the racial data points used in the original redlining maps.
The history of the FBI's Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO) is detailed, highlighting its role in infiltrating and discrediting civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Panthers. The hosts suggest that while the program officially ended in 1971, its tactics of subversion remain active in modern political discourse.
The history of James Wormley Jones, the first African-American FBI special agent hired in 1919, is explored. Jones worked exclusively in an undercover capacity under J. Edgar Hoover to monitor influential black Americans, setting a precedent for the Bureau's use of black agents to surveil their own communities.
