By 2012, undercover DEA agents had cracked holes in an underground criminal conspiracy. It was the “Amazon.com of Drugs” – the Silk Road. But to take down its shadowy founder, they’d have to team up with a surprising number of federal agencies – and go to criminal lengths themselves.
The audiobook edition of American Kingpin by Nick Bilton is available for ... Show More
Oct 7
Panic in the Streets: The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast
On Halloween Eve, 1938 Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds aired on CBS radio. It detailed an alien invasion so realistic that, according to legend, it caused widespread panic among listeners. People really believed aliens were invading Earth. The mass hysteria is an important pa ... Show More
47m 40s
Sep 30
Did a Psych Experiment Turn Ted Kaczynski into the Unabomber?
On April 3, 1996, Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski – better known as the Unabomber – was arrested, ending a 17-year-long bombing spree that left 3 dead and 23 injured. He promised to end his campaign of terror only after outlets published his 35,000-word manifesto; in his view, technolog ... Show More
42m 36s
Sep 23
Did Andy Kaufman Fake His Own Death?
No comedian surprised people like Andy Kaufman. He was always one step ahead of the audience. In fact, he was so good at pulling pranks that when he died in 1984, some of his friends thought it was a joke. But what if it really was? Today, some people still believe that Andy fake ... Show More
48m 11s
Jun 2024
Silk Road: Murder, Drugs & Crypto
In this RE-RELEASE episode, Tess takes us through the journey of Ross Ulbricht’s founding of Silk Road, the dark web known as “the Amazon for drugs.” Meant to be a place for buyers and sellers to conduct marijuana transactions using Bitcoin, it quickly escalated to offering hard ... Show More
1h 27m
Jun 2023
Inside The Dark Web: Taking Down The Silk Road
Beneath the surface web, the websites and search engines we use on a daily basis, lies the dark web, a hidden network of dangerous websites which are hidden from public access. In 2011, a man operating under the pseudonym, "Dread Pirate Roberts," created the Silk Road, a dark web ... Show More
49m 36s
Oct 2024
North Korea's Meth Trafficking: The Hermit Narco-Kingdom
When a bizarre group of international gangsters shook on a massive meth deal with a DEA agent in Bangkok, Thailand eight years ago, it kicked off a manhunt ensnaring Hong Kong Triads, Outlaws bikers and an ex-US Army sniper’s band of contract killers. But the bust also shone a li ... Show More
54m 33s