Operation Midnight Climax

Rosey Grier has a habit of showing up at turning points of American history: the greatest NFL game ever played, Free to Be…You and Me, and Bobby Kennedy’s 1968 presidential run. But one night at the Ambassador Hotel made the football star a reluctant hero. It also gave him a mission he’s spent the rest of his life carrying out.

Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing...

Stoughton’s police chief orders an internal investigation into Sandra Birchmore’s ties to the department, and to the men inside it. What it uncovers changes not only the story of Sandra’s death, but the story of her life.

Listen to What Happened to Sandra Birchmore on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Massachusetts State police interview the man Sandra was seeing, married Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell. During a non-recorded conversation in a school parking lot, Farwell refers to Sandra as a casual fling. But her friends tell the police a very different story. And Sandra’s death certificate puts investigators and the family further at odds.

Listen to What Happened to Sandra Birchmore on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plenty of Harry Potter fans love Severus Snape. A few truly worshipped him. In the early 2000s, these fans found each other online and came to believe Harry’s least favorite professor was real. A god in an alternate universe that bled into our own. Nothing in the world could shake their devotion to Snape.

Until their sisterhood imploded.

Listen to Very Special Episodes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by...

In February 2021, 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore is found dead in her apartment in eastern Massachusetts. Officers quickly label the death a suicide. This news confounds her family, because Sandra was pregnant and planning for her future. And they worry about the mystery man she was dating—an older, married cop from her hometown.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. Please take care while listening.

Listen to new episodes of What Happened to Sandra Bi...

Ryan sits down with actor Taye Diggs for a deeply personal conversation about the drive to keep achieving — and what happens when you finally stop. Taye opens up about growing up around poverty and abuse, being bullied for his dark skin, and discovering a sense of belonging and possibility through theater. He looks back at joining the original cast of Rent, becoming an unexpected sex symbol in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the ambition that kept him chasing the next level even as his dreams were coming true. They explore how divorce and fatherhood upended the life he...

In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart ducked out of a White House event and commandeered an airplane. The First Lady and the first lady of aviation flew to Baltimore and back. The event was documented by journalists, and later recounted in books. But there was more to this spontaneous joyride that didn't make the papers. 

Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re two best friends having unfiltered conversations about the modern sh*t we all go through, with a rotating cast of top therapists to help us unpack it all. 

We’re not experts, just very curious, slightly unhinged, and can label our feelings (most of the time).

Come hang with us as we have the uncomfortable conversations about dating, love, sex, mental health, loneliness, friendships, grief and everything else that only Alex Cooper talks about.

Listen to Free Therapy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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What's the biggest risk you'd take to see the world? Ria Xi will be the first person to run the length of the Silk Road across Asia and Europe, and she'll run it alone. Ria believes travel should happen at the pace of a single footstep - slow enough to savor everything between point A and B. Julie catches Ria from her nomadic training route, but stick around to the end of the episode to hear an update from Ria along her record-breaking run!

To support Ria's run, check out her GoFundMe and follow along on Instagram...

Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa star in the untold true story of how the New York Mafia exploited the aftermath of 9/11. Nearly 3,000 families lost loved ones that day, and a shocked world mourned alongside them. But for Five Families—the New York Mafia—the day meant something very different. While the world saw an unspeakable tragedy, they saw an opening: the business opportunity of a lifetime. They might have succeeded were it not for one dedicated and courageous cop. Because of him, many of the men involved were convicted and imprisoned. UnderGround Zero: 9/11 & The Mob is the shocking true stor...

Chapter One: As New York reels from the attacks of 9/11, NYPD Lieutenant Commander Frank Sturiano races toward the devastation. He is soon handed the difficult task of overseeing the World Trade Center cleanup, unaware that the Five Families are already plotting to turn the tragedy into a fortune.

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UnderGround Zero: 9/11 & The Mob is the shocking true story born in the immediate aftermath of 9/11—one that has never been told. Names of the guilty have been changed to protect the innocent. Starring Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Ray Abruzzo and Arthur J. Nascarella.

All episodes ou...

Ryan sits down with actress and advocate Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos, Entourage) for an unfiltered conversation about awakening through adversity. Jamie opens up about living with multiple sclerosis for 25 years, the belief that she was "a problem" that shaped her early life, and how vulnerability finally set her free. They explore codependency and letting parents own their own healing, the terrifying near-death experience of her son Beau and what he brought back from it, and the on-set moments with James Gandolfini and Aida Turturro that pushed her toward authenticity. This episode begins with a short guided morning meditation before...

Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. But her biggest mystery unfolded outside the pages of her books. In this episode, Dana examines the 11 days in 1926 when the beloved author went missing, and the rollicking media circus inspired by her disappearance.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1981, 11-year-old Matt DeMeritt got a call that would change his life. He wasn’t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a suburban kid enjoying his summer break. But Matt had something no other kid had. Something Steven Spielberg needed to make his most ambitious movie yet. 

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Note: This episode contains discussions of suicide. Please take care while listening.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Marisa Brown
Editing and Sou...

Ryan sits down with actress Jennifer Grey about what a good death can look like. They discuss her mother's recent passing and what it meant to be truly present for someone as they leave this world — being hyper-intentional and dignified in those final moments. They explore how facing death instead of turning away from it can actually help us live more beautifully right now: the gift of a terminal diagnosis, the power of forgiveness, saying goodbye on your own terms, and the difference between the body we live in and who we really are underneath it. 

You can...

After a party at Nicolas Cage’s Bel-Air mansion, one of the rarest comic books on Earth disappeared. Action Comics #1 — the comic that introduced Superman — is worth millions of dollars. With almost no evidence and a suspect list that includes employees and celebrity guests alike, Cage and his trusted comic book dealer launch a decade-long investigation into one of the strangest art heists ever attempted.

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If you want to continue down the Nic Cage rabbit hole, you can listen to the whole series on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart. 

See omnystud...

When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape. 

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We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us — [email protected] — and we'll recommend something else you can listen to instead!

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Acast Creative Studios
Produced by Jo...

They met backstage at an NSYNC concert twenty-five years ago and stayed up until 5am laughing. They’ve been showing up for each other ever since.

In this live conversation from the Waking Up with Ryan launch in Venice, actresses Jenna Dewan and Emmanuelle Chriqui get honest about what it actually takes to keep a friendship alive for a quarter century, especially two women in the same industry, often up for the same roles.

They talk about the “ugly stuff” nobody admits to: the early envy and competitiveness, and how they learned to turn it into a...

Velvalee Dickinson ran a doll shop on Madison Avenue that catered to wealthy collectors. But in one of the strangest espionage cases of World War II, Dickinson's clients had no idea she was using correspondence about doll orders to transmit coded U.S. military intelligence to the Japanese.

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We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us — [email protected] — and we'll recommend something else you can listen to this week!

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Joe...

In 1966, England hosted the FIFA World Cup, an incredible honor and landmark moment for English football. Just one problem: someone made off with the cup itself just weeks before the start of play. How can you have a global tournament with no prize? How can England save face? Enter Pickles, the pooch with a nose for sirloin and purloined goods.

Check out Ridiculous Crime wherever you're getting your podcasts these days. Thanks to Zaron, Elizabeth, and Producer Dave for letting us share this one! 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Episode 001 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here.

Every episode starts with one unforgettable sports moment, and together we relive the feeling to figure out why it still matters.

For this first episode, Olympic champion and legendary broadcaster Rowdy Gaines joins me to revisit his unforgettable call of the 2008 Olympic 4x100 freestyle relay, where Jason Lezak chased down Alain Bernard and in the process kept Michael Phelps’ dream of eight gold medals in one Olympic Games alive.

The moment still cracks me open. But it a...

In this deeply personal conversation, recorded at the launch of Waking Up with Ryan at The Lighthouse in Brooklyn, Ryan sits down with his dear friend Ricki Lake to explore the real work of spiritual awakening. Together, they trace Ryan’s journey—from a decades-long career in entertainment to walking away from it all in a single day and building a life devoted to helping others heal. The episode also features reflections from Danielle Robay and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who share the profound impact Ryan has had on their lives. They talk about letting go of the ego, coming out and...

Your morning doesn’t just start your day — it shapes it. In this episode, Ryan shares why the first few minutes after you wake up are the most important of your day, and how a simple morning practice can help you feel more grounded, present, and connected to who you really are.

You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks to her McDonald’s fortune, Joan Kroc was one of the world’s wealthiest people. And she was determined to die nearly broke.

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Special thanks to our guests Lisa Napoli, Dick Starmann, and Stephanie Bergsma. Go check out Lisa's excellent book Ray & Joan. 

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo...

Did Americans always send their children to public school?

Not even close.

In this episode of American History Hotline, Bob calls up historian and author Dixie Dillon Lane to explore the surprising history of education in America. From colonial classrooms and the self-taught education of Abigail Adams to the rise of public schools, compulsory education laws, and the modern homeschooling movement, this conversation reveals how Americans have thought about learning for more than 250 years.

Why did reformers like Horace Mann champion public schools? How did immigration, industrialization, the Great Depression, and the Cold...

Comic Sans is a punchline. A design crime. Cultural shorthand for bad taste. But the notorious font's legacy isn't one of failure. Because Comic Sans succeeded in ways its critics never saw coming.

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Bess Lovejoy
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Bess Lovejoy
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy...

Someone you love is grieving and you have no idea what to say. So you say nothing, and that's the one thing you shouldn't do.

Grief therapist and author Claire Bidwell Smith has sat with thousands of people through loss and written five books on grief. With Father's Day approaching, Ben opens up about losing his dad Mickey three years ago. Claire breaks down how to actually show up for someone who's grieving, why anxiety after loss is something nobody talks about, and how conscious grieving can give you the tools to heal.

If you've...

In 1968, a woman wrote a romantic story about Kirk and Spock, passed it quietly among friends, and hoped it would never see the light of day. Before vanishing entirely, The Ring of Soshern had become the stuff of legend. The quest to recover it would lead back to a community of women who'd been building something remarkable in the shadows for generations.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Edie Allard 
Story Editor is Carmen Borca-Carrillo 
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Add...

In the winter of 1939, Finland faced overwhelming odds. The Soviet Union was invading with hundreds of thousands of troops. Standing in their way was an unlikely defender: a shy farmer and expert marksman who would later become known as “The White Death.” But behind the myth was simply a reserved man fighting for his homeland.

Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Senior Producers are Josh Fisher and Emilia Brock
Additional Production by Edeliz Perez
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Edit...

The average age of a U.S. Representative is in the 50s. In the Senate, it's in the 60s. Many Congressional members are also white and wealthy. And this is not representative of the country as a whole. So, what's keeping Congress from being more reflective of nation's population, and therefore, actually getting things done? So. Many. Things. 

Bob calls up political scientist Maya Kornberg, author of Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress, to unpack why Congress feels frozen in place ... and how we can fix it. 

From campaign money and so...

What was it really like to come to America through Ellis Island? For millions of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this little spit of land in New York Harbor was the gateway to a better future … IF they could pass a physical exam.

To get the real-life experience of coming through Ellis Island, Bob calls up historian Vincent Cannato (author of American Passage: The History of Ellis Island – A Sweeping Epic of Immigration at the Nation's Landmark Port of Entry).

From quick and dirty medical exams to some weird name changes, Cann...

Emma has never felt the sun on her skin. Born with a rare condition that makes UV light dangerous, she lives by sunscreen, meters, and moonlight. But she’s also part of a community finding extraordinary ways to make ordinary childhood possible. And thanks to new research, the future may actually be bright.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Original Music by...

This week we sit down with therapist Leah Miller to talk about the TikTok-ification of mental health and why it might be doing more harm than good. The pendulum has swung. Mental health is finally mainstream, which is great, except now everyone is self-diagnosing from 30-second videos and walking away convinced something is deeply wrong with them.

We get into the words that are suddenly everywhere (narcissism, gaslighting, trauma dumping), what they actually mean clinically, and how they're being used in ways that are making people worse, not better. Leah explains the algorithm trap that turns one...

When Ian Fleming needed a name for the secret agent at the center of his new novel, he stole one from the cover of a birdwatching book. The real James Bond wasn’t a martini-drinking spy, but a shy American ornithologist who spent decades exploring the Caribbean. Then one surreal day, he finally tracked down the man who stole his identity.

Special thanks to Jim Wright and his excellent book, The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue, and Ian Fleming (From Schiffer Publishing). 

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Bur...

You can't spell "hero" without JFK. Ok, so you can. But that doesn't take away from the fact that a young John F. Kennedy saved a man's life in WWII — a war he wasn't even supposed to be in!

Bob calls up Alexis Coe, New York Times bestselling presidential historian and author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957, to uncover the thrilling true story of JFK towing an injured crew mate through shark infested waters (by his teeth!) to safety. 

Alexis also helps us understand why JFK fought so hard to serve in WW...

A secret night on the Mekong offers Joseph and Lan a glimpse of the life they want — just as Saigon is shaken by assassination and political terror. As alliances harden and the city tightens around them, survival begins to take precedence over love.

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One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart… Saigon is an epic saga of love, blood and revolution starring Kelly Marie Tran and Rob Benedict.

Listen to all episodes of Saigon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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A championship tennis match becomes a flashpoint between French colonial power and Vietnamese resistance. Newly returned American Joseph Sherman is drawn into a world of old friendships, dangerous loyalties and sudden desire — and by nightfall, one family is shattered.

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One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart… Saigon is an epic saga of love, blood and revolution starring Kelly Marie Tran and Rob Benedict.

Listen to all episodes of Saigon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Gene Fleming and his pet goose Andy made headlines around the world. They brought out the best in the people of Hastings, Nebraska. But amid all this attention, Andy also brought out the worst. And three decades later, Andy's legacy is still reverberating around their hometown.

Note: This episode includes the murder of a beloved goose. And don't forget to check out Dana's new book, The Arcane Arts. Out this week in bookstores everywhere!

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Very Special Thanks to Jessica Korgie for sharing her family's story with us.

See omnystudio.com/listener...

In June 1970, Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates somehow tossed a no-hitter while tripping on acid. The LSD stunt made him a legend, but it overshadowed a much deeper story: a man who spent the second half of his life searching for redemption, purpose, and a way to help others escape the same darkness that once enveloped him.

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Today's episode was produced in partnership with School of Humans. For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott.

Special thanks to American Public Media’s Weekend America, and...

Good artists borrow, great artists steal. Apparently, Thomas Jefferson got the memo. It turns out some North Carolinians penned their own Declaration of Independence nearly a year before TJ scribed his. 

So, if Thomas Jefferson stole (borrowed/homaged) the language for the Declaration of Independence, why have we never talked about this? Well, there was one heck of cover up! 

To get the full story, we call up David Fleming, author of Who's Your Founding Father?: One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...