Episodes
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...
Published 07/19/23
John Quincy Adams finally defeats the Gag rule, but his feud with Andrew Jackson lasts until the bitter end.  And Congressman Abraham Lincoln witnesses from the House floor the dramatic final hours of Adams' life. Founding Son is a Curiosity Podcast and is a co-production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 05/11/23
When the fates of the enslaved captives of the Amistad are put into the hands of the Supreme Court, John Quincy Adams feels it's his duty to represent them. Adams’ son and wife would have preferred he stayed away from the case altogether.  Founding Son is a Curiosity Podcast and is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 05/04/23
Hi, Operation Midnight Climax Fans! Sanctum Unmasked is the story of how party promotor Damon Lawner founded SNCTM - a members only roving night club that would come to be called ‘the most exclusive celebrity sex club in the world.’ About Sanctum Unmasked: In 2013 a nearly penniless party promotor named Damon Lawner founded SNCTM, a members only roving night club that would come to be called ‘the most exclusive celebrity sex club in the world,’ hosting a who’s who of global rich and famous,...
Published 04/26/23
Warning: This episode contains a brief description of violence.  Andrew Jackson ascends to the presidency after defeating John Quincy Adams in an 1828 rematch. But Jackson is tested by another rival: his own vice president.  Meanwhile, Adams arrives in Congress and finds himself in the middle of the slavery debate. Founding Son is a Curiosity Podcast and is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 04/20/23
A contentious 1824 presidential election and accusations of a “corrupt bargain” by rival Andrew Jackson raise the stakes for John Quincy Adams as he prepares to take the office his father held just two decades earlier. Founding Son is a Curiosity Podcast and is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 04/15/23
As the conspiracy to overthrow the United States government rushes from idea to action, Major General Smedley Butler draws a line in the sand. From what he can tell, the country’s most powerful people have both the money and the political will to betray their own nation. And he knows the plotters' mercenary army could outnumber U.S. forces. Smedley orders a pizza and then blows the whistle, triggering a Congressional investigation. Yet, it seems, Smedley forgot one important thing: the...
Published 03/27/23
Alex and Ben have done their best to be fair and objective in their exploration of the coup, but one Marine objects. In this week’s episode, Smedley Butler (played by Joe Kinosian) takes the mic to tell the story from his perspective. Looking back on his career as a hard-nosed death-dealer for Big Business, Smedley wonders: What led him to this point? Where will he go next? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 03/20/23
The MySpace era was incredibly influential, and incredibly messy. And it remains largely underexplored. Young people talk about MySpace like a cool scene they wish they could have experienced. Like CBGB, or Studio 54. But before we get into the experiences that users had — from bored teens to up-and-coming musicians to soldiers stationed abroad — let’s start at the very beginning. Because MySpace does not have a typical Silicon Valley origin story.  Special thanks to our guests Julie Angwin...
Published 03/16/23
You may say time machines don’t exist… but this week iHeart sends Ben and Alex back to the 1930’s for a gut-busting, guided tour of the dark, smoky rooms where a clandestine crew of ultra-wealthy schemers concocted the Business Plot. Our hosts consult with a cavalcade of sketchy historical figures, leading Ben and Alex to begin connecting the dots of the grand conspiracy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 03/13/23
While history books and Hollywood like their stories in simple black and white, real life is much more complicated. So, what made Major General Butler the ideal candidate to lead a coup? In this week’s episode – against Smedley’s wishes – Ben and Alex dive into the Major General’s dark backstory to explore why the bankers believed he was the man they were looking for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 03/09/23
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Published 03/08/23
Nowadays, most people can agree that fascism is, well, a bad thing. But back in the 1930s, life absolutely sucked for most Americans, and fascism still had a sort of new car smell. Wall Street bankers were convinced they could take their country back from the clutches of ‘class traitors’ like Roosevelt, sink the New Deal and put the United States on a better – meaning more profitable – path.  They had the money. They had an army. Now all they needed was a leader.   See...
Published 03/03/23
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Published 02/22/23
Traveling at five miles a second, 250 miles above the Earth’s surface, Soviet cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev wakes to a message from his handlers on the ground: the Soviet Union is collapsing. And so is the Soviet Space agency. You have a choice: come down as planned and abandon the world’s only space station to an unknown fate. Or stay, protect the final outpost of a falling empire and risk your life?  Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram.  See...
Published 02/15/23
What happened to Dean?    A warning, this episode discusses suicide, so please take care where and when you listen.  Red Elvis is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans and is part of the Curiosity Audio Network. It's based on the Curiosity Stream documentary Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy. Check out the doc at https://curiositystream.com Got tips, questions or comments? Email [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 01/18/23
Dean considers moving back to the U.S. and relaunching his career there. But a promotional tour and a 60 Minutes profile exposes Dean to just how much America has changed since he left. Red Elvis is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans and is part of the Curiosity Audio Network. It's based on the Curiosity Stream documentary Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy. Check out the doc at https://curiositystream.com Got tips, questions or comments? Email [email protected] See...
Published 01/11/23
Dean settles into a life of superstardom behind the Iron Curtain. His friends back in South America pay a horrific price for their political beliefs, while Dean's trip to the U.S. to promote a film lands him in jail. Red Elvis is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans and is part of the Curiosity Audio Network. It's based on the Curiosity Stream documentary Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy. Check out the doc at https://curiositystream.com Got tips, questions or comments?...
Published 01/04/23
Dean and Patti relocate to Italy, where Dean emerges as a spaghetti western film star. But after his daughter Ramona is born, he inserts himself back into the political fray in Chile and Argentina, landing him in jail and his marriage in crisis. Red Elvis is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans and is part of the Curiosity Audio Network. It's based on the Curiosity Stream documentary Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy. Check out the doc at https://curiositystream.com Got...
Published 12/21/22
After struggling in Hollywood, Dean is a surprise hit in South America-even more popular there than Elvis. But he experiences a political awakening that brings him and his new wife Patti unwelcome attention. Red Elvis is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans and is part of the Curiosity Audio Network. It's based on the Curiosity Stream documentary Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy. Check out the doc at https://curiositystream.com Got tips, questions or comments? Email...
Published 12/14/22
Decades after singer Dean Reed's mysterious death, his daughter Ramona digs through a treasure trove of documents left behind by her mother to learn more about the man she called Papa...and to figure out what really happened to him. Red Elvis is a co-production of iHeart Podcasts and School of Humans and is part of the Curiosity Audio Network. It's based on the Curiosity Stream documentary Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy.  Check out the doc at https://curiositystream.com Got tips, questions...
Published 12/07/22
Dean Reed's Hollywood career was brief, but he became an international superstar during the height of the Cold War, living in Latin America and communist Europe. After going public about wanting to return home to the United States, Dean's life came to a mysterious end. Decades later, his daughter Ramona is determined to find out what really happened to him. Listen to Red Elvis on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts....
Published 12/07/22
Nicolas Cage weds Lisa Marie Presley, but Memphis beckons for another reason. Another rare Cage comic turns up in the soulful city, leading police to think they’ve finally cracked the case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 11/16/22
Nicolas Cage’s copy of Action Comics #1 wasn’t the only one stolen. Another was taken just weeks prior to the Cage theft — from the safe of a billionaire. Was it a coincidence, or a rehearsal?
Published 11/09/22
One of Cage’s comics turns up in Connecticut, which seems like a slam dunk for investigators. And we meet a renowned (but reformed!) art thief, who explains the true motive behind its appearance.
Published 11/03/22