Tom Cruise gets France’s highest honor despite its Scientology scorn

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: We were on France’s side with the naked blue guy and the spectacle of the opening ceremony, but it lost us with this mystifying decision to honor Scientology’s chief stooge in a secret ceremony. What gives? [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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Scientology’s top-down control of its Narconon rehabs? I was part of it.

[Scientology’s biggest Narconon (inset) was once located on an Indian reservation]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: At the Underground Bunker we’ve provided mountains of evidence that Narconon rehabs are a branch of Scientology, even if Narconon reps say otherwise to credulous reporters. Now, we have an account of that control and his role in it, once again from the excellent Bruce Hines. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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Scientology moving minors across state lines for intense labor: There’s a word for that

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: One of the best things about Scientology is that as much as it denies its controversies in ludicrous statements to the public, it just can’t help documenting its own crimes in detail in fliers and mailers for its own people. And this week, we received a copy of a real doozy. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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Miss Lovely is still dishing on Scientology: It’s Paulette Cooper’s birthday!

[Paulette and her husband, Paul Noble]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Every year, we celebrate the birthday of the woman who is the reason we started the Underground Bunker in the first place, to support our book about her, ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely.’ Happy birthday, Paulette Cooper! ALSO: Scientology’s Paris Org looks dead as Olympics open [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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Scientology asks for more time to talk Whitney Mills’ mom out of wrongful-death lawsuit

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: The Scientology defendants in the Whitney Mills wrongful-death lawsuit have asked for another 30 days to respond. And while that’s not too unusual on its own, there are some interesting statements and suggestions about the case in the 7-page document they filed. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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Scientology does have a tax-exemption fight on its hands: But not in the US

[Scientology is in Dutch in the Netherlands]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Two years ago we told you that Scientology gained a big victory in the Netherlands as it ruled that David Miscavige’s organization was tax-exempt. However, new documents show that the Dutch IRS is denying 95 percent of what the church wants covered, and Dave is furious. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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Scientology debacle: Rent comes due on the double life of Aaron Kyro

[Aaron Kyro the Scientology staffer, and Aaron Kyro the skateboard mogul]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Aaron Kyro is a 20-year staff member of Scientology’s San Francisco ‘Ideal Org,’ but in his other life he’s proprietor of the YouTube empire Braille Skateboarding. We wondered how he kept both going at the same time, and this week, it looks like he’s hit some major trouble. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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When Scientology sent out its baddie to ‘handle’ the Lisa McPherson protests

[The protest, memorialized at Jeff Jacobsen’s Lisa McPherson website]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Some new photos have surfaced that document one of Scientology’s darkest scandals and how it handled public criticism. And wait till you see who shows up in them! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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Scientology says construction has begun on its next Ideal Org — in Puerto Rico!

[The money is flowing in PR!]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Thanks to one of our readers, we have another Scientology fundraising letter, and this one claims that construction has begun on the Ideal Org project in Puerto Rico. Didn’t Boston say it was going to be next? Those Beantown OTs better pick up the pace! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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The telex machine wasn’t Scientology’s only old-tech obsession

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Val Ross is back with another great look at her time in Scientology and the bizarre ways of the Sea Org, and the slavish dedication to old technology that was demanded by founder L. Ron Hubbard. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading The telex machine wasn’t Scientology’s only old-tech obsession

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