Trump’s ICE Raids, Pharma Ad Crackdown, Courtroom Firestorms & “What the Hales” Drama

Episode 55 of The Unknown Podcast packs a heavy punch, with co-hosts Michael Volpe and Richard Luthmann tackling immigration crackdowns, Big Pharma, courtroom chaos, and the wild world of cancel culture.

The episode opens with breaking news from Chicago, where President Trump sent ICE agents into sanctuary city Cook County. Volpe and Luthmann spar over local resistance, drug cartel covers disguised as flower stands, and whether Governor Pritzker is angling for 2028 by grandstanding against federal enforcement. Luthmann invokes biblical “cities of refuge,” while Volpe insists ICE is simply doing its job

Full Episode 55

.

Next, the pair dive into the pharmaceutical advertising war. With RFK Jr.’s FDA poised to end vaccine loopholes and rein in deceptive “educational” ads, both co-hosts blast the industry’s manipulation of consumers. Luthmann calls U.S. drug advertising “snake oil at scale,” while Volpe argues it should be banned outright

Full Episode 55

.

The global stage comes next. China hosts Putin, Kim Jong-Un, and India in a parade signaling new alliances, while Ukraine bleeds on. Luthmann compares Trump’s foreign policy to a “Godfather presidency,” urging covert sabotage against Russia. Volpe warns Trump’s tariffs are backfiring, driving India closer to America’s enemies

Full Episode 55

.

In the fiery “What the Hales” segment, Volpe and Luthmann unload on YouTubers Jeremy Hales and Danesh Noshirvan. Volpe plays clips of Megan Fox calling him a “terrible journalist,” which he skewers as projection, pointing to Wayne Dolcefino’s praise of his work. Luthmann jokes Fox must have a crush on Volpe. Then the conversation turns to Luthmann’s own defamation suit against Noshirvan, who ignored discovery deadlines and faces sanctions after skipping court to play Mario Kart in Las Vegas

Full Episode 55

.

The hosts also break down Matt Grant’s collapsing RICO lawsuit in St. Louis family court, Judge Michael Aloise’s corruption in Queens, and the bizarre saga of Venkatesh Bhogireddy, a Chicago man jailed for plotting to kill his ex-wife’s uncle. They close with the shocking case of Petra, a cancer patient denied boarding by United Airlines for “odor,” who ended up hospitalized with sepsis instead of receiving life-saving treatment

Full Episode 55

.

It’s another explosive, unfiltered hour of journalism you won’t hear anywhere else—where courtroom battles, political showdowns, and media hypocrisy all collide.