What in the World is Happening

🚨 From astrologers faking terror plots to billionaires plotting colonies on Mars — this episode has it ALL.

A Noida astrologer tries to frame his friend with a WhatsApp terror hoax during Ganesh Visarjan. A “dead man” in Gurugram walks home after his own cremation. A Tinder date in Delhi turns into a €50,000 scam. And if that wasn’t enough, a priest-disguised thief robs the Red Fort.

Then we shift gears: Trump’s love-hate drama with Modi, Big Tech’s billion-dollar dinner at the White House, Russia-Ukraine tensions, Canada’s Khalistan admission, Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar robot dreams, Spotify vs Apple, and India’s cosmic leap toward Mars.

🔥 Wild hoaxes, global power plays, and sci-fi futures — all in one ride. Buckle up, you won’t believe how bizarre and connected the world really is.

Chapters

• 0:00 Festival Panic & The Astrologer’s Plot
• 2:00 Are You Kidding Me? Segment
• 2:16 Revenge Plot Gone Wild
• 3:26 Gurugram’s “Dead Man Walking”
• 4:38 Tinder Scam in Delhi
• 5:35 Red Fort Robbery
• 6:45 Geopolitical Rollercoaster
• 8:17 Big Tech at the White House
• 9:32 Cold War Echoes: Russia & Ukraine
• 10:41 Canada’s Khalistani Conundrum
• 11:52 Tech & Economy Whirlwind
• 13:32 Streaming Wars: Spotify vs. Apple
• 14:39 India’s Contrasts: Astrology & Space
• 16:07 Closing Thoughts

Transcript

[Laurie] (0:00 - 0:23)
Okay, let's dive right in. Imagine this, you're totally hyped for a massive festival, the city's electric, right? Music everywhere.

And then bam, your phone blows up. Oh. Yeah.

News of a major terror threat. We're talking 14 Pakistani terrorists, 400 Kilogram RDX, targeting Mumbai during Ganesh Visarjan, the big idol immersion festival.

[Dan] (0:23 - 0:25)
Sounds like straight out of an action movie.

[Laurie] (0:25 - 0:25)
Right.

[Dan] (0:25 - 0:27)
Or maybe a really bleak streaming series.

[Laurie] (0:27 - 0:37)
Totally. Except, get this, the mastermind, the villain behind it all, not some international shadowy figure. Nope.

It was a 50-year-old astrologer.

[Dan] (0:37 - 0:38)
An astrologer. Seriously.

[Laurie] (0:38 - 0:50)
From Noida, Ashwin Kumar Supra. His motive, trying to frame an old friend because of some money dispute. Wow.

An astrologer with a grudge during a huge public festival. You honestly cannot script this stuff better.

[Dan] (0:51 - 0:51)
You really can't.

[Laurie] (0:52 - 1:03)
So yeah, this is the deep dive. Today, we're cutting through all that noise. You sent us your sources, the crazy, the weird, the world-changing headlines from September 6th, 2025.

And we're going to give you the curated version, the good stuff.

[Dan] (1:03 - 1:04)
Sifting through it all.

[Laurie] (1:05 - 1:17)
Exactly. We're finding the juicy bits, connecting the dots, basically giving you the shortcut to knowing what's actually going on. No overload, just distilled knowledge.

Yeah. With maybe a few laughs, hopefully tasteful ones.

[Dan] (1:17 - 1:31)
And what's really fascinating, I think, is seeing how these moments of just bizarre human behavior, petty fights, revenge plots, how they suddenly crash into huge global politics, or cutting-edge tech.

[Laurie] (1:31 - 1:32)
Right.

[Dan] (1:32 - 1:45)
Today's deep dive is such a perfect example of that. Shows how everything from one guy's weird vendetta to a billionaire's, let's say, ambitious plans, shapes the world around us.

[Laurie] (1:45 - 1:49)
It's true. It reminds you there's always a human story underneath. Sometimes a very, very strange human story.

[Dan] (1:49 - 1:50)
Absolutely. Okay.

[Laurie] (1:50 - 2:00)
So let's kick off with our daily dose of, are you freaking kidding me? The section where reality just dials it up to 11. Unexpected twists, local weirdness, stories that make you go, huh.

[Dan] (2:00 - 2:01)
Bring it on.

[Laurie] (2:01 - 2:16)
So first up, let's circle back to our astrologer friend, Ashwin Kumar Supra, and his, let's call it, ambitious, if poorly planned, scheme. Right. So the Mumbai police are saying this guy sends a WhatsApp message.

He's pretending to be his former buddy, Feroze.

[Dan] (2:16 - 2:16)
Okay.

[Laurie] (2:16 - 2:36)
And the message, ouch, the detailed terror plot for Ganesh Visarjan. You know, 14 Pakistani terrorists, 34 vehicles, 400 kilograms of RDX. That's serious military grade explosive stuff.

Wow. All aiming to kill, and I quote, one core people. That's 10 million.

[Dan] (2:36 - 2:38)
10 million. And the reason was?

[Laurie] (2:38 - 2:40)
A money squabble with Feroze. That's it.

[Dan] (2:40 - 2:40)
Unbelievable.

[Laurie] (2:41 - 2:53)
Forget the villain with the volcano layer and the laser beam. This guy had a burner phone and a serious grudge. I was like, it's always sunny in Philadelphia, but, you know, if the gang escalated to national security threats.

[Dan] (2:53 - 2:53)
Yeah.

[Laurie] (2:53 - 2:54)
The sheer nerve.

[Dan] (2:55 - 3:03)
The nerve is one thing, absolutely jarring. But the crucial insight, I think, is the real world impact these hoaxes have, especially during sensitive times like a major festival.

[Laurie] (3:04 - 3:05)
Right. It's not just a weird headline.

[Dan] (3:06 - 3:08)
Exactly. It triggers massive immediate security responses.

[Laurie] (3:09 - 3:09)
Yeah.

[Dan] (3:09 - 3:23)
Pulls resources away from other things and creates genuine fear among the public. So this one personal grudge just blown up through WhatsApp, it completely blurs that line between individual malice and public panic.

[Laurie] (3:23 - 3:23)
Yeah.

[Dan] (3:24 - 3:26)
The police have to treat it as real until they know otherwise.

[Laurie] (3:26 - 3:33)
Scary stuff. Okay, if you thought that was wild, brace yourself. Next up, the Gurugram dead man walking.

[Dan] (3:33 - 3:36)
Oh, I heard about this one. Incredible.

[Laurie] (3:36 - 3:55)
Right. This guy literally strolls back home days after his family had already identified someone else's body as him and held the cremation. Oh my god.

Can you even imagine the family WhatsApp chat on that particular day? It's like you try to ghost your Monday responsibilities, but fate's like, nah, new game plus for you, buddy. Just, you know, slightly smokier.

[Dan] (3:56 - 3:56)
Oh.

[Laurie] (3:57 - 3:59)
Seriously, M. Night Shyamalan would be jealous of that twist.

[Dan] (3:59 - 4:05)
What's really striking there, though, beyond the sort of dark humor, is the profound human error in identification.

[Laurie] (4:06 - 4:07)
Yeah. How does that even happen?

[Dan] (4:08 - 4:16)
Well, it highlights potential flaws in official processes. And think about the emotional whiplash for the family. They grieved, they cremated, and then he walks in.

[Laurie] (4:17 - 4:17)
Unimaginable.

[Dan] (4:17 - 4:27)
So it's a different kind of impact than the hoax, less malicious, but it shows how even non-criminal mistakes can have these devastating, bizarre personal outcomes.

[Laurie] (4:28 - 4:38)
True. Okay, from the resurrected, let's pivot to romance, or maybe the lack thereof, and financial loss in the digital age.

[Dan] (4:38 - 4:40)
Ah, the perils of online dating.

[Laurie] (4:40 - 4:56)
You got it. A guy in Delhi says a Tinder date ended with him getting scammed at a 50,000 euro at a cafe in Karkar Dooma. Ouch.

Yeah. Swiped right for love, apparently swept left with his wallet. Less happily ever after, more happily ever after my cash disappeared.

[Dan] (4:56 - 4:59)
Yeah. Yeah. A cautionary tale, for sure.

[Laurie] (4:59 - 5:00)
Definitely. Watch your wallets out there, folks.

[Dan] (5:00 - 5:04)
And this ties right into the bigger picture of online scams, right? As more of our lives go digital.

[Laurie] (5:04 - 5:05)
So do the scams.

[Dan] (5:05 - 5:15)
Exactly. The opportunities for deception just multiply. And the insight here, I think, is that these scams don't just target your bank account, they often exploit that basic human desire for connection.

[Laurie] (5:15 - 5:16)
Makes sense. You let your guard down.

[Dan] (5:17 - 5:26)
Precisely. So digital savviness isn't just about strong passwords anymore. It's about being really aware of how trust itself can be weaponized online, often in very clever ways.

[Laurie] (5:26 - 5:35)
Good point. Okay, final one in our Are You Kidding Me segment. The Red Fort Robbery.

Truly a gem of a story. Literally.

[Dan] (5:35 - 5:36)
What happened?

[Laurie] (5:36 - 5:49)
A guy dressed up as a Jain priest, full disguise, and managed to steal a gem studded urn worth apparently one crore that's like, what, over $100,000 from Red Fort Park during some kind of religious ceremony.

[Dan] (5:49 - 5:50)
Wow. Dressed as a priest.

[Laurie] (5:50 - 6:01)
Yeah. Talk about method acting. Forget the fake mustache.

This guy went full holy man. All for a shiny urn. It's like Ocean's Eleven meets Indiana Jones's, but with more piety.

[Dan] (6:01 - 6:03)
Yeah. Less George Clooney, maybe.

[Laurie] (6:04 - 6:10)
Definitely less George Clooney. And probably a lot more CCTV footage for the police to sift through checking every supposed holy person.

[Dan] (6:10 - 6:18)
What's compelling there isn't just the boldness, it's the location. The Red Fort. Huge historical site.

Exactly. Immense significance in India.

[Laurie] (6:18 - 6:18)
Yeah.

[Dan] (6:18 - 6:24)
Stealing a religious artifact from there. It really highlights how even supposedly secure public spaces can be vulnerable.

[Laurie] (6:24 - 6:26)
Especially with a good disguise. Right.

[Dan] (6:26 - 6:34)
It shows the lengths people will go to for things they see as valuable and how a clever bit of social engineering essentially can bypass normal security.

[Laurie] (6:34 - 6:45)
Okay. Wild stuff. Let's shift gears now.

From local oddities to the big stage, global power plays, let's ride the geopolitical roller coaster.

[Dan] (6:45 - 6:46)
Buckle up.

[Laurie] (6:46 - 6:56)
And who better to start with than, well, Donald Trump and his relationship status with India's PM Modi. Status. It's complicated.

[Dan] (6:56 - 6:58)
Yeah. Understatement of the year.

[Laurie] (6:58 - 7:04)
Probably. So first Trump drops this line saying the US lost India to China. Pretty intense.

[Dan] (7:04 - 7:05)
Very direct language, yeah.

[Laurie] (7:05 - 7:14)
But then almost immediately he does a total 180. Says he'd always be friends with PM Modi. And Modi's response, he fully reciprocates.

[Dan] (7:14 - 7:14)
I ate.

[Laurie] (7:14 - 7:20)
It's like that political WhatsApp group chat we talked about. Send the angry text, instantly follow with a heart emoji and everyone just pretends it's fine.

[Dan] (7:21 - 7:23)
Ah, it's classic diplomatic maneuvering.

[Laurie] (7:23 - 7:28)
Especially with that whole tariff row still simmering, right? The duties on steel and aluminum.

[Dan] (7:28 - 7:29)
Exactly.

[Laurie] (7:29 - 7:29)
Yeah.

[Dan] (7:29 - 7:35)
But this fire and heart emoji thing, as you put it, it actually shows that strategic tight rope walk.

[Laurie] (7:35 - 7:36)
How so?

[Dan] (7:36 - 7:47)
Well, despite the public statements, which are often for domestic consumption or trade leverage, there's this underlying need for a strong US-India relationship, especially thinking about China.

[Laurie] (7:47 - 7:49)
Ah, the strategic counterweight.

[Dan] (7:50 - 8:00)
Precisely. So that often forces a quick pivot back to cooperation. And notice right around the same time you have the US-India Business Council publicly praising India's GST reforms.

[Laurie] (8:00 - 8:01)
Oh, yeah.

[Dan] (8:01 - 8:09)
Yeah. It shows how those economic interests, those business ties can often smooth things over politically, no matter the rhetoric flying around.

[Laurie] (8:09 - 8:17)
Interesting dynamic. OK, speaking of influential figures and maybe awkward conversations, let's talk about Big Tech's big White House dinner.

[Dan] (8:17 - 8:19)
Ah, yes. The charm offensive.

[Laurie] (8:19 - 8:25)
Totally. Picture this. You're at a swanky White House dinner.

Trump's hosting. He asks you, you know, how much you're going to invest in the US.

[Dan] (8:26 - 8:26)
High pressure situation.

[Laurie] (8:26 - 8:38)
You bet. So Mark Zuckerberg from Meta, apparently caught a bit flat footed, blurts out this blunt investment apology, pledging Meta would invest $600 billion.

[Dan] (8:39 - 8:41)
$600 billion. Just like that.

[Laurie] (8:41 - 8:48)
Just like that, apparently. Meanwhile, Tim Cook from Apple was reportedly just playing it cool, offering a constant thank you.

[Dan] (8:49 - 8:49)
Different strategies.

[Laurie] (8:49 - 8:56)
It's like watching tech titans at a super high stakes show and tell, trying desperately to impress the teacher and get extra credit.

[Dan] (8:56 - 9:12)
Well, these dinners, they're not just social calls, are they? They're negotiations. Investments get pledged.

Future policies get hinted at. It's serious business. Right.

And it connects directly to things like the talk around stricter H-1B visa rules. You know, the visas for highly skilled foreign workers.

[Laurie] (9:12 - 9:15)
Ah, which impacts tech companies massively.

[Dan] (9:15 - 9:26)
Hugely. So the government wants jobs and investment in the US. The tech leaders are trying to deliver that while still chasing their global goals, probably keeping one eye on their stock price the whole time.

It's a complex dance.

[Laurie] (9:26 - 9:32)
Definitely. OK, next up. Russia, Ukraine, and those Cold War echoes just keep getting louder.

[Dan] (9:33 - 9:34)
Yeah, the situation remains tense.

[Laurie] (9:35 - 9:44)
It feels like the geopolitical version of a superhero movie, you know? The villain gets a power up, maybe from a successful trip to China in Putin's case, while the heroes are trying to talk peace.

[Dan] (9:45 - 9:47)
A fraught comparison, but I see the analogy.

[Laurie] (9:47 - 9:59)
We've seen Putin basically rejecting Western security ideas, warning about troops. Meanwhile, Zelensky's having none of Putin's invites, flat out calling Moscow a terrorist capital.

[Dan] (9:59 - 10:02)
Very strong language. Rejects any dialogue on those terms.

[Laurie] (10:02 - 10:09)
Yeah. It's incredibly high stakes drama, but the consequences are devastatingly real. No CGI involved here.

[Dan] (10:09 - 10:14)
And this whole situation, it does echo historical patterns. It's a long game international strategy.

[Laurie] (10:14 - 10:16)
Like spy versus spy stuff.

[Dan] (10:16 - 10:40)
Sometimes. Yeah. Think about the Cold War.

The U.S. covertly getting hold of Soviet MiG-29 fighter jets just to study them and keep them out of enemy hands. Point is, every public statement, every rejection, every diplomatic move, it's all part of this incredibly complex, multi-layered chess game. Nations testing boundaries, lining up allies, projecting power.

And the ripples are felt globally. Heavy stuff.

[Laurie] (10:41 - 10:46)
OK, last one for this geopolitical section. Canada's Khalistani conundrum.

[Dan] (10:47 - 11:00)
Yes, this is significant. Reports say Canada has now admitted that Khalistani groups, these are separatists, wanting an independent Sikh state, Khalistan, carved out of India, are getting funds for politically motivated terror.

[Laurie] (11:00 - 11:16)
That's a major admission from the Canadian government. Why is it such a big deal? Because India has been raising concerns about anti-India activities by Khalistani elements operating from Canadian soil for decades.

It's been a major source of friction in their relationship.

[Dan] (11:16 - 11:18)
Right. I remember tensions flaring up over this before.

[Laurie] (11:19 - 11:52)
Exactly. So for Canada to acknowledge the funding for politically motivated terror suggests a potentially crucial shift in their position. The insight here is that this could really reshape diplomatic ties, maybe lead to more joint security cooperation.

It highlights how domestic issues in one country can have serious international fallout, especially when extremism is involved. Got it. OK, let's leave the present geopolitical tensions behind and hurdle towards the future, because apparently the future is now and it's kind of hilarious and also kind of mind bending.

[Dan] (11:52 - 11:54)
Ready for the tech and economy whirlwind.

[Laurie] (11:54 - 12:01)
Let's do it. Tech, economy and humanity's next steps. And you basically can't talk future without talking Elon Musk, right?

[Dan] (12:01 - 12:03)
He does tend to dominate the conversation.

[Laurie] (12:03 - 12:11)
So we're talking his potentially trillion dollar dream with a T. He could get a one trillion dollar Tesla salary package.

[Dan] (12:11 - 12:12)
Trillion dollars.

[Laurie] (12:12 - 12:21)
Yep. But big but only if he hits some absolutely insane targets like massive car sales numbers, a fully working robotaxi fleet.

[Dan] (12:21 - 12:22)
The elusive robotaxi.

[Laurie] (12:22 - 12:26)
Exactly. And AI powered humanoid bots. Actual robots.

[Dan] (12:27 - 12:27)
Optimist bots.

[Laurie] (12:27 - 12:35)
Right. And on top of that, he's out here claiming his AI grok, that's ex-AI's chatbot thing, tops predictions and is the best measure of intelligence.

[Dan] (12:35 - 12:36)
Bold claim.

[Laurie] (12:36 - 12:53)
Totally. If he actually pulls all this off, we're not just talking self-driving cars anymore. We're talking like real life Westworld.

Hopefully fewer robot uprisings though. It's like he's playing SimCity but with actual billions, maybe trillions. And grok is his ultimate cheat code telling him where to build everything.

[Dan] (12:53 - 13:17)
It's a fascinating structure, isn't it? His pay package basically privatizes innovation on a massive scale. How do you mean?

Well, his personal fortune is directly tied to achieving things most people think are sci-fi robotaxis, general AI. This extreme incentive, it turbocharges development, sure, but it also really centralizes control over these potentially world-changing technologies.

[Laurie] (13:18 - 13:20)
So one guy's setting the direction.

[Dan] (13:20 - 13:32)
In a very real sense, yes. It brings up huge ethical questions, right? Who controls the future of AI and robotics?

What does accountability look like when that much power is concentrated? It's something we need to grapple with.

[Laurie] (13:32 - 13:40)
Definitely food for thought. Okay, next up for all you music streamers and tech watchers, the streaming wars are heating up again. Spotify versus Apple.

[Dan] (13:40 - 13:41)
The ongoing saga.

[Laurie] (13:41 - 13:45)
Headlines are buzzing about inside Spotify's plot to take down Apple. Sounds dramatic.

[Dan] (13:45 - 13:47)
It is dramatic in a corporate sense.

[Laurie] (13:47 - 13:59)
It feels like the ultimate tech rivalry, you know, like Batman versus Superman. But instead of fighting over Gotham City, they're battling for your monthly subscription fee and control of the whole tech ecosystem.

[Dan] (13:59 - 14:01)
Yeah, get the popcorn ready indeed.

[Laurie] (14:01 - 14:03)
So what's the plot really?

[Dan] (14:04 - 14:17)
Well, Spotify's plot is less cloak and dagger and more strategic, legal, and PR battles. They're fundamentally challenging Apple's walled garden approach, especially that 30% commission Apple takes on App Store purchases.

[Laurie] (14:17 - 14:19)
Ah, the App Store tax.

[Dan] (14:19 - 14:35)
Exactly. The real insight here is that this fight isn't just about Spotify or music. It could set precedents globally for all app developers.

It could fundamentally change the economics of digital platforms affecting games, social media, everything. And ultimately, it impacts consumer choice and pricing.

[Laurie] (14:36 - 14:38)
So bigger than just who streams your tunes.

[Dan] (14:38 - 14:39)
Much bigger. Right.

[Laurie] (14:39 - 14:46)
OK, finally, let's swing back to India, where, as we kind of joked earlier, it seems like one part of the country is dealing with revenge-clotting astrologers.

[Dan] (14:46 - 14:48)
While another part is aiming for Mars.

[Laurie] (14:48 - 15:02)
Exactly. Talk about a nation of contrasts. So we've got updates on India's GST 2.0 reforms. The finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, is calling it the final piece in big tax reforms.

[Dan] (15:02 - 15:04)
Simplifying the goods and services tax further.

[Laurie] (15:04 - 15:23)
Yeah, and even the U.S.-India Business Council is praising it, which, as you mentioned, is notable. But wait, there's more. India's also got these super ambitious space plans.

We're talking a Mars settlement. Wow. And a crude moon base by 2047, plus a Chandrayaan-5 moon mission planned with Japan.

[Dan] (15:23 - 15:24)
Serious long-term vision there.

[Laurie] (15:24 - 15:26)
Seriously cosmic goals.

[Dan] (15:26 - 15:32)
And connecting those two things, the GST reforms aim to boost the domestic economy, make business easier, which is kind of the foundation.

[Laurie] (15:32 - 15:33)
Right, got to pay for the rockets somehow.

[Dan] (15:34 - 15:50)
Well, yes, it builds economic strength. And then the space plans, the Mars settlement idea, the lunar base by 2047, collaborating with Japan on Chandrayaan-5. This shows this major long-term strategic bet on science, technology, and being a leader in space exploration.

[Laurie] (15:50 - 15:52)
Like the old space race, but different.

[Dan] (15:52 - 16:07)
Kind of. It echoes those ambitions, but maybe with a more modern collaborative approach in some areas. Like the Japan mission.

It's about scientific prowess, technological capability, and really cementing India's place as a major player on the global space stage.

[Laurie] (16:07 - 16:09)
Quite a journey we've been on today.

[Dan] (16:09 - 16:09)
Absolutely.

[Laurie] (16:09 - 16:25)
So from an astrologer nearly causing a citywide panic over a personal feud, to tech CEOs making billion-dollar promises at dinner, to entire countries planning Martian colonies and redesigning digital markets. Wow. It's been a ride.

What really jumps out at you from all this?

[Dan] (16:26 - 16:54)
I think this deep dive really underscores that knowing stuff isn't just about collecting facts, right? It's about connecting those dots, seeing the bigger picture, and understanding that wild, unpredictable, very human element that drives so much of what ends up in the headlines. The sheer range of these stories, from the intensely personal and kind of absurd, to the globally game-changing all happening at once.

It just speaks to the incredible and often bizarre complexity of the world we're living in.

[Laurie] (16:55 - 17:17)
Yeah, absolutely. And it leaves you thinking, in a world where humanity's future might involve AI humanoids and colonies on Mars, but our present still includes people faking bomb threats to get back at someone. It really makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Are we evolving technologically way faster than we are? Maybe emotionally or ethically? And what does that mean for the next big story that's waiting just around the corner?