In the first half, author and columnist Jerome Corsi reacted to current events, such as today's shooting at a school in Oregon, as well as offered analysis on ISIS and situations in the Middle East. The shootings at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon appear to be committed by an angry young man who was a loner, and not a student at the college, though not much else is known about him at this point, he cited. Yet, the campus was a "gun-free zone"--even the security officers at the school were not armed, "and clearly one of the issues that prevents murderers from going on is how quickly law enforcement or school authorities can respond" to stop a potential shooter, Corsi remarked. Increasingly, we need to look for warning signs of people that may be on the verge of violent breakdowns, he added.
The problem of ISIS is a regional one, and will require some type of local solution, Corsi said. A lot of their weapons actually come from other countries (such as the US) who shipped them into the region, and later they ended up being confiscated by ISIS for use in a very violent capacity. Commenting on the 2016 presidential race, Corsi said voters are making clear they're most interested in outsider candidates at this time. He also spoke about new regulations for financial services, in which advisors must avoid giving out recommendations that they stand to financially benefit from.
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In the latter half, writer, travel blogger, and photographer, Tui Snider discussed the quirky sites, overlooked history, cultural traditions, and haunted lore of Texas. Over in Eastland County, an embalmed lizard, 'Old Rip,' is on display in a small velvet-lined casket at the courthouse. The toad, she explained, was buried alive in the building's cornerstone for 31 years, and was revived when the cornerstone was re-opened to make way for a new one. Looking into the town of Jefferson, Snider uncovered that Steven Spielberg had a disturbing experience while staying at the Excelsior House Hotel, where he saw the ghost of a little boy standing at his bed. It's said that this episode may have inspired the movie Poltergeist.
Snider talked about her work developing a field guide to historic cemetery symbols, and strange acronyms on headstones. One of the more interesting monuments, she noted, is what people call "The Jesus in Cowboy Boots," seen in a cemetery in Paris, Texas. She has also looked into a strange grave marker in Aurora, Texas, where according to lore, an alien was buried after it crashed in a UFO in 1897. Snider was speaking to George from the haunted Miss Molly's-- a hotel in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards district, that's become a mecca for ghost hunters. For more, check out this set of intriguing photos she shared with us.
News segment guest: John R. Lott