Garrett M. Graff has spent more than a dozen years covering politics, technology and national security. In the first half of the program, he revealed the elaborate procedures the U.S. Government has set in place to preserve the line of succession that will lead the nation following a catastrophic decimation of leadership. A few years ago, Graff was handed an ID badge that a government official had dropped in a parking lot. To his amazement, the back of the badge contained directions to a secret bunker outside of Washington, D.C. When Graff looked at the place on satellite photos, he saw "concrete doors on the side of a mountain." He found that facilities like this exist throughout the country in order to evacuate government officials in the event of a catastrophic event, particularly a nuclear war.
Graff says these bunkers are staffed 24 hours a day are either giant spaces that look like warehouses or, in the case of the facility called 'Raven Rock,' "parallel caverns with freestanding buildings inside them." Graff said that the genesis of these plans and facilities grew out of the post WWII world and the idea of limited nuclear exchanges, but early plans to save most of public were soon abandoned as impossible due to the increasing proliferation and strength of the weapons. An anonymous caller in the second hour claimed that he made deliveries to Raven Rock, and described constant armed escorts while he was inside, as well as extensive and well- lit "office building" type facilities. Graff said although there are many secret facilities that still exist, "a lot has been declassified over the years."
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Ann-Margaret Carrozza is a practicing wealth and estate-planning attorney who served as a New York State assemblywoman for fourteen years. in the second half, she recalled horror stories related to money and offered advice to avoid disaster. She pointed out that laws, especially those covering marriages and relationships, are not as set in stone as we might think. For instance, those without prenuptial agreements may be at the mercy of a judge’s decision on who receives the lions share of assets in states with so-called "equitable distribution" laws. There are also post-nuptial agreements that have gone awry. Carrozza recalled a case where a couple split up when the wife fell in love with a woman with whom they shared a threesome. The infidelity clause in their agreement did not apply since he was consenting.
Carrozza pointed out that even couples who are living together are not immune from financial legal issues. She related the story of a man who won the lottery and had registered at a hotel with his girlfriend as married in a state with common law marriage provisions on their books. The woman successfully sued him for divorce and got half of his winnings. Some believe that we are not giving children enough of a sense of responsibility, which Carrozza said deprives them of the "the joy of delayed gratification." She referred to an experiment involving schoolchildren who were tested on their patience when presented with a scenario of a greater reward if they waited. The children who showed better impulse control were eventually more successful in life. Carrozza also cautioned listeners not to sign any legal agreements when grieving or not otherwise in a sound state of mind.
News segment guests: Andre Eggelletion / Peter Davenport