Today

How gambling became the game

How did sports betting go from being illegal to being EVERYWHERE? The answer lies in the convergence of daily fantasy sports apps, a bombshell New York Times op-ed, and the potential of a multi-billion dollar payout. This episode of Understood: The Big Bet tells the story of how ... Show More

39m 20s

Oct 9

Brazil rides the 'Donroe Doctrine's' orange wave

Right now former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is on house arrest, after being sentenced to 27 years in prison. On Sunday his son Flavio won the first round of that country's presidential elections, his wife, and two more of his children were voted into office. A runoff elec ... Show More

32m 24s

Oct 8

Decoding the Russian plague scare

Since last week, there have been a series of alarming bits of news emerging from Siberia. It began with the mysterious death of a woman who worked at a plague research institute. Russia has said she contracted pneumonia but has been slim on details. But the World Health Organizat ... Show More

26m 58s

Sep 2025

How Rupert Murdoch remade the world

Murdoch started his media empire in Australia, sharpened his playbook in the UK, and became one of the most powerful people in the world once he came to the United States. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen with help from Denise Guerra, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-c ... Show More

26m 32s

Oct 2025

The Rise of Rupert Murdoch: Making of a Mogul (Part 1)

Why is Rupert Murdoch considered such an influential figure? What was his childhood and family like growing up in Australia? How did he establish his groundbreaking media presence in the UK? Alastair is joined by two-time Rupert Murdoch biographer, Michael Wolff, to discuss all t ... Show More

9m 9s

Oct 2025

The Phone-Hacking Scandal: How Murdoch's UK Empire Fell (Part 3)

What was the phone-hacking scandal and how did it escalate into a major crisis? How was Alastair himself implicated? What did Rupert Murdoch's marriage to Wendi Deng mean for his family's fortune? Alastair is joined by two-time Rupert Murdoch biographer, Michael Wolff, to discuss ... Show More

8m 47s

Oct 2023

Rupert Murdoch: a retrospective of a media mogul

Rupert Murdoch, the titan behind global media empire News Corp and Fox Broadcasting, has announced he is stepping down. This marks the end of a staggering 70-year career that has had far-reaching influences in business, entertainment, and politics. Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan ta ... Show More

24m 37s

Aug 2024

The Secret Succession Fight That Will Determine the Future of Fox News

<p>For years, Rupert Murdoch seemed content to let his children battle it out for control of his conservative media empire once he’s gone.<br /><br />Jim Rutenberg, who writes about media and politics for The Times, discusses how a secret change to that plan by Mr. Murdoch touche ... Show More

27m 12s

Nov 2025

The Monster He Made: Murdoch, Trump, and the Price of Power (Part 4)

What was the nature of the relationship between Fox News and Donald Trump? What, or who, caused Rupert Murdoch's marriage to Wendi Deng to end? What were the consequences of Fox News promoting election fraud conspiracies after the 2020 election? Alastair is joined by two-time Rup ... Show More

21m 45s

Oct 2025

A Deal With the Devil? Murdoch and New Labour (Part 2)

What was the nature of Rupert Murdoch's relationship with Margaret Thatcher? What led to News Corp's near-collapse in the late 1980s, and how did the company recover? Why and how did Tony Blair's "New Labour" court Rupert Murdoch's support in the 1990s? Alastair is joined by two- ... Show More

14m 44s

How Rupert Murdoch changed the world