Ioan Grillo (@ioangrillo) is a contributing writer at The New York Times specializing in crime and drugs. He is the author of El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency; Gangster Warlords: Drug Dollars, Killing Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America; and Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels. [This is part two of a two-part episode. Make sure to check out part one here!] What We Discuss with Ioan Grillo: The Iron River may sound like something you'd find on a map of Westeros, but it's just a quaint term for the 200,000 guns manufactured or sold in the US moving across the border to Mexico every year. The private-sale loophole that allows "collectors" in the US to sell guns without requiring identification, background checks, or paperwork — often to criminals and cartels at a tidy profit. How "straw buyers" — that is, people with clean records — are paid by gun traffickers to pass background checks and buy firearms en masse without raising any red flags. If they are arrested in the act, however, their punishment rarely exceeds probation. There are 130,000 licensed firearms dealers in the US from which ill-intentioned gun traffickers can make their shady purchases. If that doesn't sound like that many, consider that there are only 14,000 McDonald's restaurants. Thanks to a Reagan-era law enacted ostensibly to protect the privacy of gun owners, the ATF finds its ability to efficiently trace guns hobbled because it can't use searchable, digital databases of sales. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/701 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss the conversation we had with behavioral economist Dan Ariely about the invisible (and often frustrating) clockwork that makes us tick? Catch up with episode 417: Dan Ariely | The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations here! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Ioan Grillo (@ioangrillo) is a contributing writer at The New York Times specializing in crime and drugs. He is the author of El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency; Gangster Warlords: Drug Dollars, Killing Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America; and Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels. [This is part one of a two-part episode. Stay tuned for part two later this week!] What We Discuss with Ioan Grillo: How did Ioan Grillo -- a journalist from the UK -- find himself covering the illicit guns and drugs trade from behind the scenes in cartel-controlled Mexico and other pockets of Latin America? The opulent cemetery where narcos are buried in multi-leveled, air-conditioned mausoleums that would make the ancient pharaohs blush. The most devastating examples of human catastrophe Ioan has witnessed while reporting narcos-related crimes over the past two decades. How much danger is a journalist like Ioan really in while reporting from the thick of such unfettered violence? How thousands of children are recruited or forced into doing the cartels' most bloody work. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/700 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss our interview with Freeway Rick Ross, the crack empire kingpin gone good? Catch up with episode 121: Freeway Rick Ross | Life in the Crack Lane here! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Your wife and you agree that introducing BDSM and ethical non-monogamy into your marriage has brought you some of the happiest and closest times in your relationship. On the other side of the coin, this new level of communication and honesty has made her more vulnerable than ever to the anxiety and depression she's suffered since childhood. Is there a way to get past the bad without giving up the good this lifestyle provides, or should you just go back to the way things were before? Welcome to Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/699 On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Opening your marriage and indulging in BDSM fantasies have brought you and your wife closer than ever, but there's a big downside: it sometimes triggers the anxiety and depression she's experienced since childhood. Is this lifestyle worth the trouble, or should you consider this a failed experiment and go back to the way things were before? Growing up without much in the way of money or luxury, you can't get past feeling guilty now that you have a well-paying job and can finally afford some of the nicer things you've missed out on -- especially when so many of your peers are in debt. Do you deserve to feel guilty for having it good when others don't? Your mother-in-law is a pathological liar. When she's not telling blatant untruths, she's omitting important details -- like your father-in-law's cancer. Worse, a lifetime spent with her seems to have rubbed off on your husband, who clearly has a problem with honesty. Is it possible to break this cycle and actually trust your family? You've decided to seek help for your addiction by going to rehab, but how do you break the news to your employers -- at a job you find fulfilling and don't want to lose -- that you'll need to be gone for six weeks? Your husband has never been emotionally available, and even warned you at the start of your relationship that he'd probably never be able to really open up to you. After a conversation with his sister, you discovered he was bullied as a child by his alcoholic father to the point of self-harm that landed him in the hospital. Do you patiently wait for him to tell you this huge secret, or do you confront him and disclose that you know this piece of his puzzle? Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect...

Sam Harris (@samharrisorg) is a neuroscientist, author, and philosopher; he’s also a staunch critic of religion (while being an advocate of mindfulness) who joins the show to discuss some views that — fair warning — many may find controversial. [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh pass through your earholes!] What We Discuss with Sam Harris: When does stubbornness stop being a virtue and become a confession of intellectual dishonesty? In what ways does Sam consider himself a bit of an Anti-Trump? Why do so many people subscribe to the package beliefs of their political parties or religions even when clearly proven scientific facts prove contradictory to these beliefs? If Sam Harris considers himself primarily a philosopher, how did he wind up with a PhD in neuroscience? Why do we lie — even when we know how destructive it can be? And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/698 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss our two-part conversation with the Danish family man who infiltrated the illicit North Korean arms trade? Catch up beginning with episode 527: Ulrich “The Mole” Larsen | Undercover in North Korea Part One here! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Peter Santenello (@petersantenello) is a videomaker, traveler, and entrepreneur whose videos shine a light on the world the media fails to capture -- without political polarization. What We Discuss with Peter Santenello: Why Ukraine was an ideal base of operations for Peter's immersive, culture-hopping videos -- and what made him move to the US just before Russia decided to invade. For all the problems the US faces on the home front, what do Americans take for granted that people from other countries notice and appreciate right away? What video equipment does Peter use to stay as mobile (and non-threatening) as possible while maintaining fairly professional quality? As an American, how does Peter navigate travel in countries with governments that have a less-than-friendly relationship with the United States? What does Peter do to ensure he doesn't cross any boundaries when interviewing people whose cultures and experiences differ radically from his own -- while keeping his videos interesting for fellow outsiders? And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/697 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss our conversation with tech entrepreneur Rob Reid about the potential for synthetic biology to be leveraged for very good -- and very bad -- outcomes in the not-too-distant future? Catch up with episode 244: Rob Reid | Synthetic Biology for Medicine and Murder here! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Your spouse is a louse with a heart that's been cheating. Though you long to leave him, your resolve has been fleeting. You know you should go, so what's making you stay? We'll try to find out on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/696 On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Did you know The Jordan Harbinger Show not only helps cure cancer, but it safeguards you against being kidnapped in foreign lands? It's true! When his cheatin' heart has told on him, what's really keeping you from leaving the sneaky snake in the dust where he belongs? As the cool uncle, would it be appropriate for you to guide your college-age nieces and nephews toward the relief CBD can offer while warning them of the risks to avoid should they seek their kicks with harder drugs typically available on campus? As a young woman, you're happy the coworkers at your new job don't treat you with blatant disrespect and subject you to emotional abuse like the male-dominated team at your last place of employment. Unfortunately, you find yourself expecting mistreatment and don't want it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. How can you leave the baggage of the old job behind? You'd think your spouse might have matured over 10 years of being together and raising three kids, but nope. He still acts like he's 21 -- with the lack of personal responsibility this suggests (for most people). Do you dare hope he'll evolve into an equal partner, or should you look toward moving on? You want to level up in life, but you struggle to find a way there in spite of doing all the "right" things. How do you handle surrounding yourself with the successful people who might be able to help when they often cause you to feel completely inferior? Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi. Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss...

Malcolm Gladwell (@gladwell) has written multiple bestsellers that are probably on your shelf right now, including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, and Talking to Strangers. His latest book is The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War. What We Discuss with Malcolm Gladwell: Why you're probably worse at detecting when other people are lying to you than you think you are (but at least it's for a good reason). We judge people's honesty based on their demeanor, but not everyone's behavior matches what is expected of them -- which often leads to false impressions. Why do we trust some institutions and people in authority almost without question, and what happens when that trust is (or is perceived to be) violated? How does Malcolm decide what to explore and study for his next book or podcast, and what happens to the ideas that get discarded along the way? Why Malcolm finds storytelling that assembles an imperfect puzzle more satisfying than a flawless conclusion. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/695 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss our episode with nonverbal communication expert Joe Navarro? Catch up with episode 135: Joe Navarro | How to Identify and Protect Yourself from Harmful People here! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Carole Hooven (@hoovlet) teaches and co-directs the undergraduate program in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, and is the author of T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us. What We Discuss with Carole Hooven: What creates differences between the sexes? How testosterone is at the core of who we are, regardless of gender. The ways testosterone shapes our minds and bodies in the womb and beyond. What we've learned about testosterone from people who have transitioned between genders. How politics is affecting science and research in testosterone. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/694 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss our interview with entrepreneur, actor, producer, reality TV personality, and former professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek? Catch up with episode 498: Rob Dyrdek | Manufacturing Amazing with the Dyrdek Machine here! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Millions of people play the lottery every day. Is it just a harmless game, or something more insidious? Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and fact-checker, comedian, and podcast host David C. Smalley break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/693 On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: How much do people really spend on lottery tickets, and who does most of the buying? Winning an Oscar, being struck by lightning, or becoming an astronaut are just three things you're more likely to do than win the lottery. What do governments do with the money brought in by lottery sales? At least some of it is put to good use, right? Why winning the lottery isn't a guaranteed way to fulfill your dreams -- and is more likely to turn your life into a nightmare. Why you're better off using the money you'd spend on lottery tickets on almost anything else. Connect with Jordan on Twitter, on Instagram, and on YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know! Connect with David at his website, on Twitter, on Instagram, on TikTok, and on YouTube, and make sure to check out The David C. Smalley Podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts! If you like to get out of your house and catch live comedy, keep an eye on David's tour dates here and text David directly at (424) 306-0798 for tickets when he comes to your town! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider leaving your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Your faith in the justice system has been shaken because you were arrested for defending yourself against a gun-wielding ex who was threatening to end your life. Now you want to use what you have left of your GI bill to become a criminal defense attorney to help others, but you're still struggling to overcome the trauma you endured from the system's unjust actions against you. What can you do to move on? Welcome to Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/692 On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Your ambition to become a criminal defense attorney to help others seems to be on hold until you can trust the system that had you arrested for defending yourself against a gun-wielding ex who was threatening to end your life. What can you do to move on? You had a dream job in the medical field, but proximity to opioids proved too tempting and it led to termination and a criminal record. Now on the path to recovery, you're in search of work you find fulfilling that won't coax you back into the arms of addiction. But where do you even begin? Your kind and hardworking mother-in-law nearing retirement could be renting out her spare house to help pay mounting medical bills, but instead, it's occupied by her deadbeat nephew who contributes nothing. How can you intervene on her behalf to ensure he starts chipping in without stirring up family drama (and sticking you with the eventual bill)? Now in your 30s, you'd like to have a baby sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, your husband seems content to keep stalling and you worry that maybe he never really wants to have kids at all. It doesn't help matters that you've found flirty messages between him and his coworker, but you feel like leaving him to find someone new to start a family is risking time you don't have. What do you do? A decade ago, you and your best friend were very much of the same negative, expect-the-worst mindset. Since then, you've lucked out with a great partner who's been supportive, and your trajectory has been on the up and up. Your friend, however, remains stuck struggling with many of the same problems you once shared, and you find it harder to be there for him in a way that's helpful. What's the best tack to take here? Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Gabriel...