American Scandal

Elizabeth Holmes has an idea that could revolutionize medicine—and make her very rich. But first, she'll need to find investors and put together a company. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or visit wondery.app.link/IM5aogASNNb now.  ...

On October 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 crashes just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board. At first, the cause of the crash is a mystery, especially since the plane was a brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg suggests the crash was due to pilot error. But soon, it comes out that a mysterious piece of software called MCAS may be to bl...

Warren G. Harding is elected president in 1920, thanks in part to a backroom deal between Republican Party power brokers and influential oil men. To make good on that deal, Harding’s Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, quietly leases the federally owned Teapot Dome oil field in Wyoming and two others in California to oil magnates Harry Sinclair and Edward Doheny. But to hand out the leases, Fa...

After marrying and dropping out of bible college in the early 1960s, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker launch a traveling evangelical show with puppets, which catches the attention of televangelist Pat Robertson. Robertson offers them their first TV show on his new Christian Broadcasting Network. By the 1970s, the Bakkers strike out on their own, launching their own ministry and television network, Praise...

In the spring of 1978, reporter Mike Brown begins publishing a series of articles in the Niagara Gazette about potentially harmful chemicals leaking into the soil and water in Love Canal, a neighborhood built around what had been a dumping ground for the Hooker Chemical company. The news is a jolt to local residents, like mother Lois Gibbs, who fear for their families’ health. When government offi...

In 1976, at the height of the Cold War, Robert Hanssen joins the FBI to work in their counterintelligence division. Hanssen is valued for his technical skills, and put in charge of databases containing some of the country’s most valuable secrets. But he’s socially awkward, and constantly passed up for promotions and field work, leaving him resentful of his employers. Soon, he decides to turn to an...

Two decades before he was arrested in 2008 on corruption charges while still serving as Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich got his start in the dog-eat-dog world of Chicago politics under the tutelage of his mentor and father-in-law, Richard Mell. But after winning a seat in the Illinois house, Blagojevich chafes at his nickname, "Representative Son-in-Law." He's determined to prove he's his own m...

In 2017, seven members of an elite Baltimore police unit called the Gun Trace Task Force were arrested and charged with robbery, extortion, fraud, and selling drugs seized during police operations. While some were quick to dismiss the arrests as a case of a few bad apples, a subsequent investigation revealed a culture of corruption within the Baltimore Police Department that had allowed rogue cops...

Ted Kaczynski faces a painful rejection in high school. Then he endures an abusive psychology experiment at Harvard. Kaczynski may be an academic prodigy, but he feels lonely and out of place. His solution? He's going to get revenge on modern society. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Unabomber? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy excl...

The sports world was shocked in 2013 when Aaron Hernandez, star tight end for the New England Patriots, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. But dating back to his days as a heavily recruited college athlete, there had been signs of ominous changes in his behavior: paranoia, failed drug tests, and run-ins with the law. And after Hernandez's death, some wondered if those changes could...

American farmers flock to the Southern Plains, lured by the promise of riches. Soon, a strange storm appears on the horizon. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Dust Bowl? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts...

In Indiana, a young preacher forms his own church. The goal: to spread a radical political message. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Jonestown? Episodes 2-6 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or visit  wond...

The FBI launches an operation to catch white-collar criminals. To pull off the sting, agents partner with a lifelong conman—who offers an unusual plan. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Abscam? Episodes 2 and 3 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Won...

Spiro Agnew is trapped in a dead-end job. But Agnew has large ambitions, and with the urging of his mentor, the future vice president decides to take a risk. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Spiro Agnew: Downfall of a Vice President? Episodes 2-5 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-f...

Richard Sackler charts a new course for his family’s company, Purdue Pharma. At the center of the plan: a painkiller that could be the next blockbuster drug.  Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Opioids in America? Episodes 2-5 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your f...

Two Pennsylvania judges hatch a plan. If they pull it off, they'll score nearly a million dollars. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The "Kids for Cash" Kickback Scheme? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, Sp...

Protesters descend on Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. Their goal: pressure the Democrats to stop supporting the Vietnam War. But as the activists begin their rally, Chicago police mount an aggressive response. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Chicago Seven? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge n...

Iran elects a new prime minister, one promising to reclaim the country’s oil industry. Sensing a threat to Western power, the U.K. and the U.S. launch a secret operation. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of America's Coup in Iran? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. S...

An explosion rips through downtown Oklahoma City. The FBI launches a nationwide manhunt. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Oklahoma City Bombing? Episodes 2-5 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or visit  won...

Media heiress Patricia Hearst moves to Berkeley, intent on building a new life. In Oakland, a group of political radicals plot a deadly attack. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst? Episodes 2-45are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free tria...

Fidel Castro seizes power in Cuba. President Kennedy authorizes a coup, but sets in motion an unexpected chain of events. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Cuban Missile Crisis? Episodes 2-6 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple...

Filmmaker Laura Poitras gets a tip from a mysterious informant. Despite the enormous risks, Poitras pursues the story, and teams up with reporter Glenn Greenwald. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Edward Snowden? Episodes 2-5 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free t...

A devastating plague strikes a cattle farm in West Virginia. As he investigates the mystery, an attorney uncovers a secret that threatens a corporate empire. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of DuPont Chemical Cover-Up? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your f...

Jon Burge is a star detective in the Chicago Police Department. He's known as a man who can crack the most difficult cases, and send the worst criminals to jail. But underneath his success is a dark secret—one that could shatter the city of Chicago. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Midnight Crew? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy ex...

President Nixon’s reelection campaign hatches a plan. It's dangerous and risky. But it could secure a victory in the upcoming election. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Watergate? Episodes 2-6 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple P...