Episodes

  • COVID Lockdowns Ep. 1: When the World Stopped

    COVID Lockdowns Ep. 1: When the World Stopped
    Feb 22 2026
    March 2020: playgrounds chained shut, empty streets stretching for miles, and billions of people—sick or healthy—ordered to stay home. It had never happened in human history. Journey from Wuhan's dramatic first lockdown to Italy's fateful decision that would reshape the entire Western world. What made leaders try something so extreme? Learn more at pallascenter.com
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    10 mins
  • Thinking Green Ep. 1: When Doomsday Didn't Come

    Thinking Green Ep. 1: When Doomsday Didn't Come
    Feb 12 2026
    In 1970, a Smithsonian scientist warned that 80% of all animal species would vanish by 1995. A Stanford professor predicted hundreds of millions would starve in the 1970s. Another expert said we'd run out of oil and the planet would freeze 11 degrees colder. None of it happened. This episode explores the dramatic environmental predictions that gripped a generation—and why they were spectacularly wrong. Learn more at pallascenter.com
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    8 mins
  • Cesar Chavez Ep. 1: Who Picked Your Breakfast?

    Cesar Chavez Ep. 1: Who Picked Your Breakfast?
    Feb 4 2026
    The strawberries in your cereal, the grapes in your jam—who picked them? For most of American history, farmworkers remained invisible. Young Cesar Chavez lived happily on his Arizona ranch, gathering eggs and listening to his grandmother's stories, until the Great Depression swept everything away. Discover how a boy who described himself as "a wild duck with clipped wings" would one day help millions step out of the shadows. Learn more at pallascenter.com
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    11 mins
  • Women Who Changed America Ep. 1: Invisible by Law

    Women Who Changed America Ep. 1: Invisible by Law
    Jan 29 2026
    What if getting married meant you legally ceased to exist? In early America, that was reality. Under coverture laws, a wife couldn't own property, control her money, or even claim her own children—the law said she and her husband were one person, and that person was him. Yet women found ways to fight back, from running farms during the Revolution to becoming spies with bounties on their heads. Learn more at pallascenter.com
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    7 mins
  • Presidential Power Ep. 1: The Fear of Creating a King

    Presidential Power Ep. 1: The Fear of Creating a King
    Jan 22 2026
    They had just escaped one king—the last thing America's founders wanted was to create another. In the sweltering summer of 1787, men gathered in Philadelphia to answer an impossible question: how do you build a leader strong enough to govern, but not so powerful he becomes a tyrant? Discover the fierce debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists that shaped the presidency we know today. Learn more at pallascenter.com
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    9 mins
  • Valentine's Day Ep. 1: A Martyr, Not a Matchmaker

    Valentine's Day Ep. 1: A Martyr, Not a Matchmaker
    Jan 20 2026
    Think Valentine's Day started with a kind priest secretly marrying young lovers? Think again. The real Saint Valentine—actually several men by that name—died as Christian martyrs in ancient Rome, executed for refusing to worship Roman gods. One restored a blind girl's sight; another healed a crippled boy. But neither had anything to do with romance. So how did their story become about love? Learn more at pallascenter.com
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    6 mins
  • Inaugurations Ep. 1: When Washington Forgot the Bible

    Inaugurations Ep. 1: When Washington Forgot the Bible
    Jan 8 2026
    George Washington's first inauguration was supposed to happen on March 4, 1789—but Congress couldn't count the votes in time. When the ceremony finally took place nearly two months late, officials made a startling discovery: they'd forgotten the Bible and had to borrow one from a nearby Masonic lodge. Discover how this improvised, chaotic beginning launched one of democracy's most sacred traditions. Learn more at pallascenter.com
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    3 mins
  • Inaugurations Ep. 1: When Washington Forgot the Bible

    Inaugurations Ep. 1: When Washington Forgot the Bible
    Jan 8 2026
    George Washington's first inauguration was supposed to happen on March 4, 1789—but Congress couldn't count the votes in time. When the ceremony finally took place nearly two months late, officials made a startling discovery: they'd forgotten the Bible and had to borrow one from a nearby Masonic lodge. Discover how this improvised, chaotic beginning launched one of democracy's most sacred traditions. Learn more at pallascenter.com
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    3 mins