Paul DeBole is an assistant professor of Political Science at Laswell University, a small private college just west of Boston. At Laswell, he teaches courses in American government, the American presidency, American political institutions, and perhaps his most popular course, the Conspiracy in American Politics. He joined Ian Punnett (Twitter) on Saturday's program to take a deep dive into conspiracies. "You can look at various times in our history where the grip on the wheel (by powerful forces) has been very strong," DeBole said, noting Abraham Lincoln was almost assassinated on the way to his first inauguration.
DeBole reported on a robbery-murder case from the 1920s involving two Italian immigrants, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. During that time, those who immigrated from Italy to the United States were considered lower class and derogatorily referred to as "garlic eaters," he explained. In 1921, the two were found guilty of robbing and murdering a guard and a paymaster, and sentenced to death. "They always maintained their innocence, and at the trial there was exculpatory evidence that was suppressed that would tend to indicate that both Sacco and Vanzetti were far away from... where the robbery occurred," DeBole revealed. The weight of anti-immigrant animus pervaded the entire trial, he added.
DeBole commented on the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, pointing out that certain people in positions of power encouraged the suspicions of those who had gathered in Washington that day because they believed the election had been rigged. "There are actors inside our government that are facilitating and fanning the flames of these passions," he suggested. DeBole also talked about the press, describing two branches of media: the professional media and other media he called "citizen journalists." The latter tend to publish first and find out if its true afterwards. According to DeBole, citizen journalists do not have the benefit of editors telling them to find more proof. "It's the lack of proper editing that leads to a lot bad information being out there," he said.
The Devil's Perch
Butte, Montana, often referred to as "The Devil's Perch," is intent on rebuilding its image, but it seems every renovation project is digging up a paranormal nightmare with people reporting terrifying ghostly encounters. In an unlikely partnership, the mayor and sheriff called in paranormal investigators, including former C2C host Dave Schrader. In the first hour, Schrader reported on the town's story and his investigations there. He talked about some of the special equipment they used to gather audio and visual evidence in Butte, noting not all of the equipment produces results — it often depends on the kind of paranormal activity being investigated. Schrader pointed out that his tried-and-true recorder captured incredible EVPs. "We were able to almost carry on a one-on-one conversation with the spirit realm," he revealed. Schrader's investigation of The Devil's Perch is part of a brand new TV show on Discovery+.