Épisodes

  • Episode 6: Cease and Desist

    Episode 6: Cease and Desist
    Dec 14 2025

    Cori Shepherd Stern's attorney sends a second warning but it is legal? And why is she friends with the famous family that made a fortune in Liberia and then helped finance the brutal civil war that destroyed it?

    Show Notes:

    TikTok Video from @TheReckoningCo

    https://www.cagoldberglaw.com/

    Firestone Wedding Announcement- https://web.archive.org/web/20150605043849/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/fashion/weddings/10firestone.html

    Firestone Sisters - https://firestonesisters.com/journal/a-gift-that-gives-back-the-akawelle-necklace-to-support-the-strongheart-fellowship

    Cheryl Saban Article - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/living-life-as-a-refugee_b_881002

    Grace Freeman Interview - https://youtu.be/rIZsVkVybOQ?t=3965

    Firestone and the Warlord by Frontline

    https://www.propublica.org/article/firestone-and-the-warlord-chapter-2

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaVzhCqfPQk&t=8s

    Charles Taylor and Civil War:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjpvsup0pnk

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRuSS0iiFyo&rco=1

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRuSS0iiFyo&rco=1

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt9_95PPYDk

    https://allafrica.com/stories/200101090216.html



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    38 min
  • Episode 5: Congratulations! We're Closed.

    Episode 5: Congratulations! We're Closed.
    Dec 6 2025
    (Trigger Warning at 4 min.) The kids in Liberia are shocked to learn Strongheart is moving to Texas and leaving them behind. Their permanent home of healing is converted into a surf hostel. Some of the kids stay on to work while the owners try to generate a tourism industry in Liberia from the ground up. But why didn't Strongheart report the sale? And why is the Pope involved?Contact: micajringo@ pm dot meShow Notes:Cori Shepherd Stern, American Refugee - https://youtu.be/9dolEOdduNU?t=24662012 Form 990 - https://app.candid.org/profile/8940934/the-strongheart-group-26-2190101?activeTab=7Strongheart House - https://web.archive.org/web/20120831205113/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/shhouse.phpVolunteer Describes Experience - https://share.google/1xdd1O98rgLMDonXOStern's Quote "It's so twisted" and "hate masquerading as love" - https://kitchentablecult.com/2023/07/14/s5e14-shiny-happy-people-part-2-cori-shepherd-stern/Daniel Hopkins Interview https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2014/10/12/ebola-wipes-out-liberia-surf-camp-plan/BBC Profile - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-18523721Time - https://time.com/119491/liberia-goes-from-warzone-to-surfing-mecca/On Surfari w Shane and Shannon McIntyre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBgwdsqCavk Cori on "Being a Producer" - https://kitchentablecult.com/2023/07/14/s5e14-shiny-happy-people-part-2-cori-shepherd-stern/Alphanso Appleton:2009 Reuters Video - https://web.archive.org/web/20210720192441/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zDpO1YT8ukBYU Profile - https://kealakai.byuh.edu/campus-community/capturing-a-full-lifeAudio Interview - Therapist Uncensored https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu109-this-is-resilience-in-action-with-guest-alphanso-appleton/French Interview - https://observers.france24.com/en/20140609-surfing-waves-liberia-robersport-beachPoetry - # [Strongheart](https://alphansosworldofpoetry.blogspot.com/2011/01/strongheart.html)https://www.theinertia.com/surf/the-thriving-surf-culture-and-perfect-empty-lineups-of-west-africa/https://www.surfer.com/news/survivors-surf-clubSean BrodySean Brody as Messiah - https://web.archive.org/web/20140709020418/https://kwepunha.com/team/Surfing Prevents Conflict: https://m.naharnet.com/stories/en/131993-liberia-on-the-crest-of-a-wave-as-surfing-takes-offTouting political connections and community ties: https://1library.net/article/brody-social-impact-business-sustainable-stoke-transitions-sustainability.qvpnoedqGeneral Background - https://htmedge.blogspot.com/2012/11/sean-brody-from-liberia.htmlPublished Credits - https://www.stokecertified.com/team/sean-brody/ESPN Post - https://web.archive.org/web/20130105214238/http://espn.go.com/action/surfing/blog/_/post/8676924/the-rise-liberiaScholas Occurentes:Sean Brody and Pope - https://youtu.be/MOrIV9AkCkQ?t=4241Surfers Visit Vatican - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8JZCOcZK1oScandals: https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2020/10/24/financial-and-operational-questions-surround-scholas-occurentes-pontifical-foundation/https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/246398/does-a-pontifical-foundation-use-pope-francis-to-spread-gender-ideologyKwepunha Surf Retreat - first page in wayback machine is March 11, 2012https://web.archive.org/web/20130608131233/https://kwepunha.com/https://web.archive.org/web/20131013203158/http://kwepunha.com/vision/https://web.archive.org/web/20140710015040/http://www.kwepunha.com/properties/Grace Freeman Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZsVkVybOQLiberia Tourism:https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20151022-the-making-of-child-surfers-not-child-soldiershttps://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/destinations/africa/chasing-adventure-corners-world/https://bubblegumclub.co.za/community/the-emergence-of-liberias-surfing-culturehttps://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diegans-try-to-save-liberia-surf-shop-after-ebola/62635/Circumstantial Indicators of Trafficking:https://www.ungm.org/Shared/KnowledgeCenter/Pages/OpIndhttps://www.ungm.org/Shared/KnowledgeCenter/Pages/SHTFLResourcesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    45 min
  • Episode 4: Stern's Tots

    Episode 4: Stern's Tots
    Nov 15 2025
    What's worse than promising needy kids a full ride to college but only giving them a laptop battery? Promising them a permanent home base of healing.... that isn't so permanent. Or healing.Show Notes:Grace Freeman Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZsVkVybOQLovetta on US Homelessness - sourceid=&smenu=87&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=719&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1846&hn=oakhillgazette&he=.netCori on Lovetta seeing photographs of African women: https://youtu.be/e7L4xJ6TCmc?t=2621Blog with Spanking Comments https://web.archive.org/web/20231203083412/https://kingsemantics.blogspot.com/2009/07/young-liberians-urged-to-forget.html 2007 Living in Austin - https://web.archive.org/web/20071107052517/http://www.txconferenceforwomen.org/conference/speakers.htm#contoLovettas Drive to Help Others - http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/lovettaconto.phpCoco Chanel Reference in Article Full of Lies - https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts/the-art-of-war-1.599900The next mlk - https://web.archive.org/web/20071111004842/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/press.phphttps://web.archive.org/web/20160104084549/https://medhum.med.nyu.edu/view/12400/20071111004837/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/lovettaconto.phpCori Recruiting Volunteers in Blog Commments - https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ten-days-in-south-america-recipe.html#recipeVolunteer Blog:https://web.archive.org/web/20140103114840/http://janajohnsonhealingworks.com/Therapist Uncensored Volunteer Comments https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu109-this-is-resilience-in-action-with-guest-alphanso-appleton/2010 990 - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262190101/2011_12_EO%2F26-2190101_990EZ_2010122011 - 990 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262190101/2014_09_EO%2F26-2190101_990EZ_201112Bringing Down the House Clip: https://youtu.be/Sh8ZsnzoZMU?t=289https://web.archive.org/web/20120112042013/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/shhouse.phpVolunteer Blog Entries:Sept 21: https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-20-liberia.htmlSept 23 - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-23-liberia.htmlSep 24 - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-24-liberia.htmlSep 26 - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-26-liberia.htmlOct 6 - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-6.html12 Hour Excursion on Bad Roads: https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/10/liberia-october-10.htmlAsking for donations/praising press coverage - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/10/Orphanage Tourism/Trafficking:https://www.ipu.org/news/voices-and-videos/2025-03/orphanage-trafficking-hidden-crisis-aided-good-intentionshttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-tourism/articles/10.3389/frsut.2023.1177091/full#B51https://www.abta.com/sustainability/human-rights/orphanage-tourismSurf Retreat: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20151022-the-making-of-child-surfers-not-child-soldiersSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    53 min
  • Episode 3: Psych Ward to Savior

    Episode 3: Psych Ward to Savior
    Nov 8 2025
    Cori Shepherd Stern, former psych patient turned Hollywood producer, has reinvented herself as a humanitarian. Through her non-profit Strongheart, she recruited a 15 year old Lovetta Conto as the first fellow and primary fundraiser. Selling homemade jewelry made from spent bullets, together they rake in more than a quarter million dollars in the first 3 years, but where does that money go?Show Notes:emirates article https://voice.laverne.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/11/2015-Fall.pdfComparing refugee child's looks to satirized cartoon characters - https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2006/01/19/160/Deceptive Fundraising for Orphans - https://web.archive.org/web/20090301191712/http://www.givemeaning.com/project/stronghearttina"Except for Us" plea - https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/why-im-in-africa/Strongheart House: Ten Days Trip - https://web.archive.org/web/20081120145807/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/tendays.phphttps://web.archive.org/web/20090414112432/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org:80/tendays.phphttps://web.archive.org/web/20090425173625/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/shhouse.phpCurriculum - https://web.archive.org/web/20090425173625/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/curriculum.phpHow it Works - https://web.archive.org/web/20090306003310/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/howworks.phpGrace Freeman Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZsVkVybOQDirector's Blog:Recounting Separation and homelessness - https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2018/03/07/people-in-your-la-jolla-neighborhood-meet-oscar-nominated-cori-shepherd-stern/ -My big deal, no longer homeless - https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/today/Liberia:Westerners in Liberia are a rare breed - [https://www.wabash.edu/magazine/index.cfm?news_id=8942]Therapist Volunteer First Hand Account - https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu109-this-is-resilience-in-action-with-guest-alphanso-appleton/Rape Culture - https://world.time.com/2012/04/30/history-of-violence-struggling-with-the-legacy-of-rape-in-liberia/President's Comments on Lack of Rape Prosecutions - https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/when-things-fall-apartRobertsport, rebel stronghold: https://www.wastedtalentmag.com/blog/2024/12/30/a-year-in-review-2-the-5th-county/Audit - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CoSA_tsA_WglA2_As2A86v7ysdkgjRj4/view?usp=sharingEmirates Article citing tourism - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w9WY_c298BuDhC6T8iubiPujEm7pFwHm/view?usp=sharingPhase One Accomplishments2008 990 Tax Form - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262190101/2010_12_EO%2F26-2190101_990EZ_2008122009 990 Tax Form - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262190101/2010_12_EO%2F26-2190101_990EZ_200912Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    38 min
  • Episode 2: American Refugee

    Episode 2: American Refugee
    Nov 1 2025
    After leaving Hollywood, Cori Shepherd Stern rebrands herself as an “American refugee” in Africa.Always a talent scout, she selects several minor refugee children and eventually gains custody of them. Promoting their stories in the press turns camera time into credibility, the kind that opens doors to elite global circles, from the Clintons to the World Bank.Sources:https://www.telluridefilmfestival.org/show/showroom#https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/hillary-clinton-abortion-documentary-zurawski-v-texas-1235988766/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/la-jolla-light/https://kitchentablecult.com/2023/07/14/s5e14-shiny-happy-people-part-2-cori-shepherd-stern/Director's Blog:https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2003/01/24/40/ - First trip to Ivory Coasthttps://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2003/01/30/45/ - Extremely Dangeroushttps://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2003/03/31/59/ - Trip 2 https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/why-im-in-africa/https://www.flickr.com/photos/73034471@N00/210740637/ - Description of NatGeo camermanBook: Lethal Decisions https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Lethal_Decisions/RbwpEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0ABC Person of the Week: https://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/broadcasts/816962https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text-childrens-versionhttps://www.unicef.org/media/96136/file/Childrens-Rights-Business-Principles-2012.pdfEvelyn Apoko CNN - CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/uganda-war-survivorhttps://www.npr.org/2006/12/23/6668530/group-seeks-to-aid-ugandas-youngest-victimshttps://www.greeleytribune.com/2009/05/19/liberian-shares-lesson-at-franklin-middle-school/Lovetta Contohttps://web.archive.org/web/20110701155008/http://strongheartfellowship.org/documents/LiberiaGlobalReport.pdfChosen for Strongheart - https://morganhilltimes.com/from-civil-war-refugee-camp-to-jewelry-designer/LA Times - https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/all-the-rage/story/2008-11-26/adventures-in-gift-giving-akawelle-jewelry https://carlottasplendor.blogspot.com/2010/08/lovetta-conto.htmlUN Rights of the Child - https://downloads.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/UNCRC_united_nations_convention_on_the_rights_of_the_child.pdfLovetta Audio pulled from:Lovetta Conto Tedx from Liberia - https://youtu.be/AHMuOSIF0iM?si=bKQGy8B_cQl5sh8_&t=318with Dalai Lama: https://youtu.be/uokdokgi-34?si=rucoe6tpK8QKBLYnSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    1 h et 3 min
  • Episode 1: What Would You Do?

    Episode 1: What Would You Do?
    Oct 24 2025

    By all appearances, Oscar nominated director Cori Shepherd Stern was both a Hollywood hit maker and a humanitarian. Whether it was directing Shiny, Happy, People for Amazon Prime, arranging medical care for African kids in extreme need, or starting a home for Liberian refugees, she developed a reputation for tackling the hardest cases in the hardest places.

    So why is she framing the star of her latest show, a whistleblower, for a crime? Targeted unjustly, Mica Ringo sets out to investigate. Listen while each thread pulled unravels a shocking world of power and deceit where loyalty is currency and truth is a liability. How far would they go for a lie? And how far would you go for the truth?

    And what exactly was the nature of her relationship with a 16 year old Ryan Gosling?

    A tale of deception and betrayal — and the high-stakes power games that define our perception of truth

    Part investigation, part cultural commentary and part audio diary - The Unraveling examines the tactics of manipulation, power, and psychological warfare — and what it takes to break free from the covert influence that controls us in our media, our institutions, and our own minds.

    Inquiries: Mx. Mica Ringo (ze/zir)

    email: micajringo at pm.me

    www.micaringo.com


    Shownotes and Sources:

    Sarah Brown https://www.sarahbrown.net/transcript

    Sarah Brown Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xvILg8mYgI

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mLdm8E3xCk

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eejtMrYRS_4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIhGC9qoW5I

    Haim Saban, Shuki Levy and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/haim-saban-power-rangers-hillary-clinton-top-donor/

    Animation World Quiz: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/so-you-wanna-be-animation-executive

    CNN Ryan Gosling Story: https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/sport/sailing-class-afloat-breaker-high/index.html

    Breaker High Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUPx-EqvAMY&list=PLV4Ztn9euy7Q2AnT5-ky0iKmdAxXcyPEY&index=1

    Cori Shepherd Stern Interview on Kitchen Table Cult Podcast: https://kitchentablecult.com/2023/07/14/s5e14-shiny-happy-people-part-2-cori-shepherd-stern/



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    54 min
  • Welcome to "The Unraveling: How Your Reality Is Made Up"

    Welcome to "The Unraveling: How Your Reality Is Made Up"
    Oct 21 2025

    A psychological cat-and-mouse game — but who is the cat, and who is the mouse? The stories we consume become the realities we live in. But who is telling the story… and why?

    A tale of deception and betrayal, The Unraveling pulls back the curtain on Hollywood’s reality-making machine — revealing how predators hide in plain sight and manufacture the narratives they want us to believe. Follow the evidence to uncover what’s truth… and what’s illusion. By understanding the tactics of psychological manipulation, we can begin dismantling their influence — in our media, our institutions, and our own minds.

    Because inside the dream factory, reality itself is under construction — and nothing is what it seems.



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    1 min