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History tends to remember the loudest voices in the room. But sometimes the person who actually helped prevent disaster is the one sitting in the middle.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the world stood just hours away from nuclear war. Most of us remember the names Kennedy and Khrushchev. What we often forget is the man working behind the scenes at the United Nations, trying to slow things down before the world lost its mind. His name was U Thant.

This week on Here’s What We Know, we sit down with historian and author Thant Myint-U, who also happens to be U Thant’s grandson. His book Peacemaker tells the story of a schoolteacher from a small town in Burma who somehow found himself standing between the superpowers at one of the most dangerous moments in modern history.

We talk about the Cold War, the role of the United Nations, and what it was like for a grandson to discover the real scope of his grandfather’s life by digging through archives decades later.

This episode is a fascinating story about diplomacy, history, and the people who sometimes carry the biggest responsibility. Listen now!

In This Episode:

• The Forgotten Peacemaker Behind the Cuban Missile Crisis
• Growing Up With the UN Secretary General
• When Did He Realize His Grandfather Was a Global Leader?
• Why U Thant Was Left Out of the Cuban Missile Crisis Story
• From Burmese Schoolteacher to UN Secretary General
• The Human Side of a World Leader
• Taking Over the UN During the Cold War
• Political Assassinations and Cold War Tensions
• The Golden Age of the United Nations
• Can the United Nations Still Prevent Global Conflict?
• The Power and Limits of the UN Security Council
• What the UN Was Originally Designed to Do
• The Decline of UN Peacekeeping Influence
• Why the UN Still Matters Today
• The Personality of U Thant: Calm, Pragmatic Leadership

This episode is sponsored by:

Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter (Use code “Gary” to get $89 off any service!)

License #: 679261

Bio:

Thant Myint-U is a historian, author, and former United Nations official specializing in the history and politics of Myanmar and Southeast Asia. Educated at Harvard, Johns Hopkins SAIS, and Cambridge, he served on UN peacekeeping missions in Cambodia and the Balkans and later worked at the UN Secretariat in New York on humanitarian and political affairs. He has also advised Myanmar’s government on economic reform and peace negotiations and founded the Yangon Heritage Trust to preserve the city’s historic architecture.

Website: https://www.thantmyintu.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thant-myint-u-340aa99/

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Sometimes what looks like an overnight success story is really a 25 year journey that most people never see. Country artist Chas Collins knows that road well.

This week on Here’s What We Know, we sit down with Chas Collins to talk about what the music business really looks like behind the curtain. They dive into the long road of touring, the reality of chasing a dream, and why some artists are finally finding success later in life.

Chas shares stories from 25 years of performing across the country, the moment he realized people were actually paying attention, and why faith and timing can sometimes matter more than raw talent.

If you have ever chased something that took longer than you expected, this conversation will probably feel very familiar. Tune in now!

In This Episode:

• How Chas Collins built a fan base singing karaoke
• Why success in country music doesn’t have an expiration date anymore
• The grind behind life on the road that fans rarely see
• Why faith and timing matter in creative careers
• What it feels like when 25 years of work finally starts paying off

This episode is sponsored by:

Reed Animal Hospital

Dignity Memorial

Be sure to tell them Gary sent you!

Bio:

Chas Collins is a country music artist and Nashville recording artist known for powerful storytelling, raw emotion, and high-energy performances. Blending deep country roots with an influence of 80s rock, his music captures life’s most vivid moments, from the thrill of a Saturday night to the quiet ache of life on the road.

Born in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, Chas overcame personal loss and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina before heading to Nashville with just $500 and a dream. Those experiences shaped a songwriting style grounded in authenticity, resilience, and heart.

Standing 6'6" with a commanding stage presence, Chas has performed more than 3,500 shows across 43 states, building a loyal grassroots fanbase through relentless touring and genuine connection with audiences. Now based in Tampa Bay while continuing to record in Nashville, he continues to share stories of life, loss, faith, and hope through music that resonates with fans across the country.

Website: https://www.chascollins.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chascollinsmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chascollinsmusic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chascollinsmusic

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What does it really take to build a fictional universe that readers cannot get enough of?

This week on Here's What We Know, let’s welcome back bestselling author Shawn Inmon, the wildly prolific and deeply thoughtful author behind the Middle Falls series, to explore the discipline behind writing every single day, the emotional depth of the Middle Falls series, and the surprising origin of the Universal Life Center and “the machine” that connects his stories.

Shawn shares how he writes six to seven books a year, why he never waits for inspiration, and how internal dialogue became the secret weapon behind his most beloved characters.

We’ll dive into redemption arcs, writing action scenes, killing off favorite characters, franchising fiction across continents, and what happens when creativity is fueled by instinct rather than outlines.

If you are a writer, a creative, or simply someone fascinated by how stories shape us, this one is for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why he refuses to write multiple projects at once
• The secret behind writing powerful internal dialogue
• Killing off characters you love
• Why action scenes are actually the easy part
• The origin of the Universal Life Center and “the machine”
• Expanding Middle Falls beyond America
• What redemption really means when someone resists it

This episode is sponsored by:

Sterling Oak Cabinetry (Be sure to tell them Gary sent you!)

Bio:

Shawn Inmon is a small-town kid who dreamed of being a writer. Today, he is now a full-time author who lives in Tumwater, Washington, USA. He worked several dozen jobs - retail, real estate, traveling with the Unlimited Hydroplanes, crabbing in Alaska, morning disc jockey and station manager, and many others he can't remember to list. These jobs gave him a wonderful base to write what he knows because he knows a little about a lot.

He achieved his dream of becoming a full-time writer in 2016 and has never looked back. One reviewer called him "The King of Redemption stories." Shawn says he doesn't feel like a king of anything, but he does love a good tale of second chances.

He is the author of the ever-growing The Middle Falls Time Travel series, 18 books and counting, and The Alex Hawk Time Travel Adventure series. He is also the author of Feels Like the First Time, a bestselling memoir of growing up in a small town in the seventies, falling in love, and messing everything up.

He lives with his high school sweetheart - now wife -Dawn, two happy-go-lucky Chocolate Labs, and a slightly schizo cat named Georgie.

Website: https://www.shawn-inmon.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShawnInmonWriter/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawninmon/

X: https://twitter.com/ShawnInmon

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Thank you for listening. Let us know what you think about this episode. Leave us a review!