In 1944, a young Black GI shot a white lieutenant on the Ledo Road—and vanished. Months later, Herman Perry reappeared deep in the Indo-Burma jungle, living with a Naga headhunter village, married to the chief’s daughter, speaking the language, and rumored as the “jungle king.” Journalist Brendan I. Koerner, author of Now the Hell Will Start, retraces the greatest manhunt of World War II and the system that pushed Perry to the brink: segregated units, brutal stockades, disease, drugs, and a boondoggle road project that washed away within a year.

We dig into how a footnote sent Koerner across archives and mountains—FOIA files, an MP’s long-lost booklet, and a journey along the remains of the Ledo Road. He explains Perry’s mental collapse, his improbable reinvention among the Naga, the Army’s relentless pursuit, and the execution that followed. We also talk about Spike Lee’s option of the book, the missing child Perry fathered in the hills, and what this story reveals about America—race, authority, and who pays for decisions made far from the ground.

If you’re into WWII true crime, untold Black military history, and field reporting that smells of mud, opium, and monsoon, this one pulls you upriver.

Follow, rate, and share with anyone who thinks they’ve already heard every WWII story. They haven’t.

Is our education system ready for AI—or still grading with yesterday’s rules? In this episode of Back in America, Stan talks with Shahid, an award-winning fractional CTO and CISO with 35+ years in regulated industries, from medical devices to federal health tech. He argues that AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a colleague, a co-student, and a force multiplier—if teachers and teams learn context engineering and treat AI as a companion.

We dig into:

• AI in education: hyper-personalized learning, teacher workflows, and why schools must let students “pair program” with AI.
• Hiring in the AI era: why entry-level jobs are shrinking, how juniors can win by mastering prompts and fundamentals, and the risk of skipping a generation of talent.
• Safety and ethics: lessons from life-or-death medical device software, where reliability, empathy, and human oversight matter.
• Parents & teachers: practical ways to co-work with AI without abdicating judgment.

Clear take: AI can elevate learning and work—if humans stay in the loop and standards stay high.

In this episode of Back in America, I sit down with Clayton Weimers, Executive Director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) USA, to talk about the state of press freedom in America and beyond. From the decline of local journalism to the rise of AI in newsrooms, we explore the paradox of living in an age of information abundance while losing access to trustworthy reporting.

Clayton explains why the U.S. now ranks 57th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index, how economic pressures are creating “news deserts” across the nation, and why trust in journalism continues to erode. We also discuss the role of citizen journalism, podcasts, and independent newsletters in reshaping the media landscape.

The conversation touches on broader themes that Back in America often explores: the fight against disinformation, the legacy of democratic ideals, and the tension between freedom of expression and corporate or political power.

World Press Freedom Index 2025: over half the world's population in red zones
https://rsf.org/en/world-press-freedom-index-2025-over-half-worlds-population-red-zones

Americans remain concerned about press freedoms, but partisan views have flipped since 2024
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/04/24/americans-remain-concerned-about-press-freedoms-but-partisan-views-have-flipped-since-2024/

Revitalizing America’s News Deserts
https://progressive.org/magazine/revitalizing-americas-news-deserts-pickard/