Strange News Dissected On 'Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know'

Once a week, Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know hosts Ben Bowlin, Noel Brown, and Matt Frederick discuss strange news headlines they’ve discovered relating to conspiracy realist interests, and on this episode, they discuss the cruise industry, ponder the implications of a Ghost Ship Ferry Trip in the UK and what it means for other abandoned places, and bemoan the conditions for cruise workers. The story of a large child trafficking ring getting busted in Georgia kicks off a debate about the role of law enforcement. But first, the news that conspiracy fan favorite, The X-Files, is getting an animated spin-off series leads to an enjoyable conversation about the merits of reboots and spin-offs, other shows inspired by The X-Files, and reminiscing about their favorite episodes of the sci-fi series (or, in Matt’s case – and much to Noel’s shock – The Lone Gunman).

The child trafficking ring bust in Georgia was a triumph of law enforcement collaboration: Led by the U.S. Marshals with cooperation from 20 counties’ local law enforcement, 39 children were rescued and nine arrests were made in Georgia and Florida. This is good news, but it also raises a sobering question: When will the next one be found? Unfortunately, this isn’t even the largest bust of its size; a sting operation led by metro Atlanta police recovered 106 children a few years ago, Ben points out. Because of its famously busy airport, proximity to several highways, and its bustling convention industry, Georgia has been a hub for human trafficking for a long time. This is also an example of law enforcement doing what it does best, at a time when much-needed scrutiny is being placed upon those agencies, leading to a discussion of the difference in training given to federal agents and police officers. 

The pandemic hasn’t been kind to many industries, but perhaps one of the hardest-hit has been the cruise industry. As some of the first places to experience major outbreaks – leading to staff and paying passengers spending weeks in quarantine on a boat, unable to debark in any country – they were also the first industry to shut down. But cruise ships are entirely too large to remain docked in any active port, so instead, they moor these giant “ocean casinos” a few miles offshore. There they float, eerily silent, the waterslides dry, the salad bars empty. And one enterprising guy named Paul Derham turned them into a business opportunity. Hear more about the Ghost Ship Ferry Trip, dead malls and abandoned office parks, the national child trafficking issue, and of course a lot of love for The X-Files, on this strange news episode of Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know.

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