Mykal Riley’s name isn’t mentioned alongside the likes of Steph Curry or Larry Bird. But neither of those guys can say they hit a three-pointer that literally saved thousands of lives. * VERY SPECIAL CREDITSHosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Dave RoosProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Thanks for...

Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy was a French countess with a dubious claim to nobility and one brilliant idea: she was going to steal a diamond necklace from Louis XVI. After weaseling her way into court, Jeanne impersonates Marie Antoinette in a series of letters, starts a tabloid scandal, and inadvertently lights the fuse of the French Revolution. *On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by...

This week, we present a smattering of stories you might have missed. If you've inhaled all these, email us — [email protected] — and we'll recommend something else worth your time. Operation Lunar EclipseApple • Spotify • iHeart Boat TripApple • Spotify • iHeart The PledgeApple • Spotify • iHeart Old Man on CampusApple • Spotify • iHeart Seed WarsApple • Spotify • iHeart We're back with a new episode on May 15th! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha's Vineyard once was a place you could gossip with neighbors, shop for supplies, or play a cutthroat game of cards — all without saying a word. That's because it had a thriving Deaf community. Residents, Deaf and hearing alike, communicated with a unique version of sign language that predates ASL. But it's mostly forgotten today.  Today we dig into Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) and the folks who are working to keep its history. * On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell...

Right now thousands of people are on a mathematical treasure hunt from the comfort of their home offices. Our own Zaron Burnett is one of them. Here's how you can join him — and compete for $50,000. *On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas ReillyProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Emily MarinoffMixing and...

In the 1870s, Palisade, NV was the meanest little town west of the Mississippi. Every week, newspapers announced another gunpowder-fueled cowboy showdown. Palisade put the wild in the “Wild West.” But there was a lot more to the story that didn’t make the papers. * Very Special Episodes is a podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas...

Hi, OMC fans! iHeartPodcasts and TenderfootTV are excited to tell you about To Die For, a brand-new true crime podcast exploring the dark world of Russian intelligence through the lens of a sex spy. Since you love our podcast, we think you'll like To Die For, too. You don't have to take our word for it, though. Check out this trailer and decide for yourself! About "To Die For:"  Imagine you were a fly on the wall at a dinner between the mafia, the CIA, and the KGB. That’s where this...

In the summer of 2016, the entire world was going crazy for a new mobile game. All these years later, it’s easy to forget the wildest part about Pokémon GO: the whole thing began as an April Fools’ joke. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Episodes usually go up on Wednesdays. We made an exception for April Fools' Day. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Dave RoosProduced, Edited and Sound Designed by Josh...

A Superman fan in Illinois is horrified to discover his entire stockpile of memorabilia has gone missing. As police search for the thief, the collecting community delivers their own brand of justice. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Jake RossenProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by...

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event. The greatest botany rivalry in history! It's Vavilov vs. Lysenko for the fate of the Soviet Union.  In the 1920s and '30s, Nikolai Vavilov was a big deal. He was studying seed genetics and learning how to prevent famines. Everyone wanted to work with him. Including a young kid named Trofim Lysenko.   Lysenko studied with Vavilov. They were friends. But years later, Lysenko turned on his mentor, and turned against science. This became a...

In 2011, after many delays, one of the most anticipated musicals in theater history finally opened on Broadway. The show was Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. The powerhouse creative team included a MacArthur Genius and Bono. But its downfall would be long and treacherous. Here's the story of what went wrong — and why we're still pushing for a revival. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole...

The biggest Nancy Drew mystery isn’t hidden in the plots of the books. It’s right there on the cover. If “Carolyn Keene” is a pseudonym, who really wrote the series? For 50 years, two women laid claim to that title. And in 1980, with help from an amateur detective, the truth came out in court. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason...

With help from "Leap Day Lady" Raenell Dawn, Dana Schwartz makes the case for making Leap Day a national holiday.  * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. We're back with a full episode next Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Dave RoosProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Josh ThaneResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Dave RoosOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy...

In today's Episode, Dana, Zaron and Jason tackle a 130-year-old mystery. Although American schoolchildren still recite The Pledge every morning in nearly every classroom, we still aren't sure who actually wrote it. And all these years later, the long-accepted story is showing some cracks. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten...

After a middle-aged manual laborer goes back to school to turn his life around, he’s reborn as a college football standout. But as midlife crises go, this one is going to hurt. (Portions of today's episode were recorded on Radio Row in Las Vegas before Super Bowl 58.)  * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Jake...

When a teenage astronomy fan is gifted a piece of the moon by NASA, he’s inadvertently pulled into the seedy underground moonrock trade. But don’t worry. With help from H. Ross Perot, NASA secret agents are on the case. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story every week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie!” Follow us down a different rabbit hole every...

On the last day of filming in Nova Scotia, someone poisoned the cast and crew of James Cameron’s Titanic with PCP. Bedlam ensued on a tight-knit set. Everyone became a suspect. Almost three decades later, we unravel a ‘90s Hollywood mystery. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story every week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie!” Follow us down a different rabbit...

On Very Special Episodes, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Listen here and on the iHeartRadio app.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, Operation Midnight Climax fans! Tenderfoot TV, iHeartPodcasts, and Campside Media have teamed up for a riveting podcast called Radical. Hosted by journalist Mosi Secret, Radical investigates an Atlanta crime story to assess if justice was truly served. Since you enjoyed our show, we think you'll like this podcast too. Don't just take our word for it, though. Check out this trailer and start listening on 12/5! Show Description: On March 16, 2000, two police officers were shot in one of...

Who Killed JFK? For 60 years, we are still asking that question. In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's tragic assassination, legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner teams up with award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien to tell the history of America’s greatest murder mystery. They interview CIA officials, medical experts, Pulitzer-prize winning journalists, eyewitnesses and a former Secret Service agent who, in 2023, came forward with groundbreaking new evidence....

Hi, OMC fans! iHeartPodcasts is pleased to introduce the second installment of the "What Happened to" series, which covers the tragic story of Libby Caswell. You can expect host Melissa Jeltsen's same in-depth, thorough reporting and exceptional storytelling in each episode of "What Happened to Libby Caswell," starting on November 2nd. Here's a peek into the season, so check it out and start listening to Libby's story today! Show Description: In 2017, Libby Caswell was found dead in a motel...

Since she was a little girl, Marcy DePina felt drawn to a man called Daddy Grace, a charismatic immigrant from Cabo Verde, West Africa, who – during the violent Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras – traveled around the United States preaching, healing, and building his megachurch.  But who was Daddy Grace? For all his accomplishments, he seems to raise more questions than answers. Like why isn’t he more known and celebrated in the Cape Verdean community? And when Marcy brings him up to her...

Hi, Operation Midnight Climax fans! Learn more about Bishop Charles Manuel “Sweet Daddy” Grace who was once the richest Black man in America! Six decades after his death, his descendants grapple with his life and legacy. Listen now on Sweet Daddy Grace. About Remus: Sweet Daddy Grace: A personal deep dive into the life of Bishop Charles Manuel ‘Sweet Daddy’ Grace, an ambitious and gifted African immigrant and one of the 20th century’s most fascinating and overlooked figures. With hundreds of...

Since she was a little girl, Marcy DePina felt drawn to a man called Daddy Grace, a charismatic immigrant from Cabo Verde, West Africa, who – during the violent Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras – traveled around the United States preaching, healing, and building his megachurch.    But who was Daddy Grace? For all his accomplishments, he seems to raise more questions than answers. Like why isn’t he more known and celebrated in the Cape Verdean community? And when Marcy brings him up to her...