Brooke tells us how she beat addiction and a corrupt system to win her kids back. Her story starts in California, where doctor shopping spiraled into a pain-pill addiction, then heroin, then homelessness. Thirteen years sober, Brooke rebuilt her life in Missouri — but when a divorce and custody battle hit, the St. Louis family-court system made her feel like she was the problem. She wasn’t. As Brooke pulled back the curtain, she discovered what countless parents have been whispering for years: an ongoing RICO case, allegations of corruption inside the Missouri family courts, and GALs abusing their power. In this episode, she names names, breaks down the players, and explains how the system profits off vulnerable families. Despite being targeted and dismissed, Brooke documented everything, fought every ruling, exposed the misconduct, and ultimately won her children back — proving the system could be beaten. Today, she is an advocate, a court watcher, and a force working alongside high-profile cases to expose what’s really happening — and to protect parents who don’t know where to turn. #podcast #advocate #corruptionexposed

Karl joins us all the way from Sweden to share the story of the tick bite he got at his summer home in the archipelagos — a chain of islands off the coast of Sweden — a bite he barely noticed but that almost cost him his life. What began as an ordinary weekend turned into a full medical emergency when his body suddenly crashed, forcing doctors to airlift him by helicopter from the islands to Sahlgrenska University Hospital. There, he finally got the diagnosis: TBE — a tick-borne illness similar to Lyme disease in America, but far more deadly. Karl breaks down what TBE does to the body, the brutal symptoms he faced, and how the disease is becoming more common across Sweden as the climate shifts and tick populations explode. #podcast #tbe #sweden

Sharing some of my cooking videos with you all. This was the night before Thanksgiving — my second apple crisp ever — trying to put into practice what my occupational therapist has been teaching me at home. As a former chef, this is dope to be able to do again. Still learning, still improving, still grateful. They hear my whole story — check out my podcast Blink. #RecoveryJourney #CookingInRecovery #OT #OccupationalTherapy #RehabLife #ChefLife

In this chapter, Elizabeth walks us through the eight-year investigation into her sister Margaret’s death — the unanswered questions, the inconsistencies, and why certain details in this episode are censored and beeped because the case is still open. Margaret was 20 years old and pregnant when she died, adding even more weight to the mystery and the grief that followed. We also talk about her father, the root of so much of her trauma, and the moment he threatened to toss his daughter’s ashes if the kids didn’t come to his separate memorial with his questionably shady new girlfriend or significant other. Toward the end, the conversation opens up into self-talk — how Elizabeth’s has changed over time, and how myself and Big A share our own experiences with it. #podcast #mystery #realstory