Episode
The Cruise Ship Virus & The $8M "Tape Cleaner" King
- Published
- May 4, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3794
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/opie-radio-67207/episodes/the-cruise-ship-virus-the-8m-tape-cleaner-king/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/opie-radio-67207/the-cruise-ship-virus-the-8m-tape-cleaner-king.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
The world is getting weirder, and Opie is here to keep score. In today’s episode, we are joined by Comedian Tony P to break down the terrifying news of a Hantavirus outbreak aboard the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius. We discuss the symptoms, the rodent connection, and why anyone still pays thousands of dollars to be trapped at sea with a "mouse virus." Then, we dive into the bizarre story of the "Tape Cleaner King," an Austin man who just pleaded guilty to moving $8.4 million in illegal poppers under the guise of "Pumpkin Spice" VCR maintenance. We also tackle the sheer frustration of the Five Boro Bike Tour holding New York City hostage, Rudy Giuliani’s critical condition in Florida, and the questionable quality of day strippers. It’s a Monday mix of high-stakes crime, medical horror, and essential New York observational humor. Subscribe to the Opie Radio podcast to join the conversation.