What Happened to Talina Zar unravels the chilling mystery of a woman who vanished during the COVID-19 lockdown, the internet sleuths who wouldn’t let it go, and the dark subcultures and betrayals they unearthed. Listen here or on the iHeart Radio app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Very Special Episodes: Operation Lunar Eclipse
In 1973, NASA gifted a piece of the moon to a teenage astronomy fan, inadvertently pulling him into the seedy underground moonrock trade. NASA special agents (and H. Ross Perot) are on the case. * On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one great story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Subscribe to VSE wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Very Special Episodes: North by North Korea
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. SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING A Kim Jong-Il Production, by Paul FisherThe Observant, by Ravi ManglaMichelle Cho, assistant professor, University of Toronto"Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Kim Jong Il" [Ridiculous Crime podcast]Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. State DepartmentBig Brother: North Korea's Forgotten Prince [An iHeart Original Podcast]"Kim Jong Il, the Director he Kidnapped, and the Awful Godzilla Film They Made Together" [Mental Floss Magazine]The Korean War [PBS] * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Wonder Media NetworkProduced by Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Mary DooeFact-Checking by Austin ThompsonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason EnglishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Very Special Episodes: How Gatsby Went From Total Flop to Great American Novel
When he published The Great Gatsby 100 years ago this week, F. Scott Fitzgerald thought he'd written the Great American Novel. But it was a commercial flop. The year Fitzgerald died, he received a royalty check for a paltry seven copies. It would take an unlikely series of events to posthumously pluck a masterpiece from obscurity. * On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Subscribe to VSE wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Very Special Episodes: Live From New York, It's Your Grandmother
During its first 50 seasons, Saturday Night Live has welcomed legendary actors, superstar athletes, and notable politicians. But for one memorable night in 1977, Lorne Michaels turned the show over to an 80-year-old amateur. * On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Search 'Very Special Episodes' on your favorite podcast platform. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Jake RossenProduced by Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Chris ChildsOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Special thanks to Connie Crawford for sharing her story. And thanks to the great Bill Carter for stopping by! You can read more of his work at LateNighter, or check out his many classic books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
George White ran the CIA brothel. He watched from a hidden room while men were dosed with LSD — and he convinced himself the fate of the nation depended on it.