In the first half, historian, author, and speaker, Neil Howe discussed his work on generations and how they shape history as well as the twenty year cycle of crisis facing the US as predicted in his book The Fourth Turning. Howe foresaw the rise in populism and his ideas have been studied by the current White House chief strategist, Steve Bannon. Howe suggested that the current 'fourth turning' began in 2008 with the financial crisis, and the election of Barack Obama. Right now, there is a lot of instability in the political scene, yet the stock market is at an all time high. He doesn't see the market maintaining that position for much longer.

Contrary to some of the press coverage, the Millennial generation (those born in the 1980s and beyond) have a lot of strength and optimism and are actually better read than the Gen Xers' were at their age, he reported. As they move into leadership positions, Generation X brings a lot of grit, resilience and determination to the table, he added. Howe has observed a certain bifurcation among Baby Boomers in life expectancy-- the educated, white collar/technology types are eating well and living longer, but some of the working class have a higher mortality rate, with poorer lifestyle choices and healthcare options.

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In the latter half, author and expert on Shadow People and the Hat Man, Heidi Hollis, described and chronicled these dark supernatural figures that she believes menace people around the globe. The Hat Man, she explained, is a solid entity (compared to the more transparent manifestation of a Shadow Person), usually quite tall (7-8 ft.), may have glowing red eyes, and wears a distinctive hat such as a gaucho, top hat, or derby. "The sensation that people get when they meet him is one of deep fear of losing their soul," she remarked, adding that the entity is occasionally seen along with aliens, and incidents of missing time are sometimes reported with the encounters.

Hat Man could be thought of as a demon, and preys upon people's fears, she outlined. He is a soul reaper, and recruiting humans to join his mission, Hollis continued. Interestingly, she thinks that in the case in Wisconsin where two girls stabbed a friend as a way to placate the urban legend known as 'Slenderman,' the teens may actually have been dealing with Hat Man, without realizing it. She contends that having faith, using prayer, and calling out the name of Jesus, are viable ways to combat or repel such evil entities.

News segment guests: Jerome Corsi, Connie Willis, Steve Kates

Guest Podcaster: Michael Decon, "End of Days"

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