Every scandal begins with a lie. But the truth will come out. And then comes the fallout and the outrage. Scandals have shaped America since its founding. From business and politics to sports and society, we look on aghast as corruption, deceit and ambition bring down heroes and celebrities, politicians and moguls. And when the dust finally settles, we’re left to wonder: how did this happen? Where did they trip up, and who is to blame? From the creators of American History Tellers, Business Wars and Tides of History comes American Scandal, where we take you deep into the heart of America’s dark side to look at what drives someone to break the rules and what happens when they’re caught. Hosted by Lindsay Graham. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of American Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
During World War II, New York communist Julius Rosenberg begins spying for Soviet intelligence and recruiting other Americans to join him. But when his wife’s brother joins the Manhattan Project, Julius targets him as a valuable new recruit and inadvertently sets the stage for the ultimate betrayal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | What Really Happened | 4
41 min
Following the Challenger disaster, engineers grapple with guilt and the consequences of raising concerns about the space shuttle’s flaws. Amidst public outcry, the Rogers Commission’s inquiry, including Richard Feynman’s stark demonstration of the O-Rings' vulnerability, uncovers what was known about the design failures and the economic pressures that led officials to move forward anyway. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas
4 min
“I am not Nicholas Rossi!” gasps Arthur Knight through an oxygen mask in March 2022. Recently discharged from a Covid ward in Glasgow, he's in a wheelchair. The police say he’s Nicholas Rossi, suspected of faking his death and wanted for rape in Utah. The story makes headlines globally. When journalist Jane MacSorley meets Arthur Knight and his wife Miranda, she thinks the police have made a mistake. She embarks on a yearlong investigation, making a unique discovery which changes everything. Listen to I Am Not Nicholas Season 1 on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad-free by joining Audible on the Audible App or on Apple Podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | Launch Day | 3
37 min
In the tense hours leading up to the Challenger launch, engineers and managers at NASA and its contractor Morton Thiokol heatedly argue over whether to move forward, despite freezing temperatures that threaten to compromise the rocket boosters’ O-Rings. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | Acceptable Risk | 2
36 min
As NASA struggles to keep its ambitious launch schedule on track, engineers at contractor Morton Thiokol raise concerns about a key component of the space shuttle’s rocket boosters: O-Rings, which are designed to prevent fuel leaks. Amid this tension, the Teacher in Space program captivates the nation after Christa McAuliffe is selected, raising public interest in the launch. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto
8 min
Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, follow Dan Taberski ( Hysterical, 9/12, Missing Richard Simmons ) as he sets off on his most complicated quest yet: to reclaim the manifesto and write his own. Dan attempts to rescue the manifesto as a form from the sweaty clutches of cynical politicians and mass shooters and return it to its rightful place: with the artists, the warriors, the visionaries, and the mildly crazy regular folks with something to say, the passion to say it, and the courage to do something about it. From Audible Originals and Please & Thanks Productions, this 6-part series explores the power of the manifesto and asks: Can we get inspired again… and can we do it without a bullet? Listen to Dan Taberski's Manifesto wherever you get your podcasts. Or binge all episodes of Manifesto ad-free right now on Audible. Start your Audible subscription in the Audible App or on Apple Podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
In January 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle was poised to make history, carrying seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher and civilian selected for space travel. The launch was part of a decade-long effort by NASA to make flights cheaper and more frequent with the use of a reusable space shuttle. But years of budget cuts and risky design choices set the stage for disaster. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Mafia Cops | The New Underworld | 5
26 min
For decades, the Mafia was the face of organized crime in America. But while the mob's power has faded, organized crime itself has become more global, more sophisticated, and harder to track. Virginia Commonwealth University criminologist Jay Albanese has spent decades studying how criminal organizations adapt and survive. In this conversation, he explains how law enforcement weakened the traditional Mafia, how criminal enterprises shifted from controlling neighborhoods to trafficking across borders, and why he believes corruption remains one of the most important challenges facing modern societies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Mafia Cops | The Rat | 4
39 min
In 1997, investigator William Oldham learns that imprisoned mobster Burton Kaplan once worked with two corrupt NYPD detectives. What Kaplan knows could put Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa away for life. But getting him to talk won’t be easy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Mafia Cops | The Crystal Ball | 3
35 min
In the aftermath of an FBI raid on New York’s crime families, Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa are threatened with exposure by the mobster they’ve been working for. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Mafia Cops | Murder For Hire | 2
35 min
After surviving an assassination attempt, mobster Anthony Casso turns to his police contacts for help identifying his attacker. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Mafia Cops | The Thin Blue Line | 1
35 min
In 1969, police cadet Stephen Caracappa meets fellow recruit Louis Eppolito. The two officers soon rack up allegations of misconduct—but nothing is proven, and before long, their dealings with the Mafia lead to murder. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Chappaquiddick | The Weight of the Name | 5
35 min
Ted Kennedy spent the rest of his life in the shadow of Chappaquiddick. The accident that killed Mary Jo Kopechne effectively ended his chances at the presidency, but raised longlasting questions about whether a less powerful man would have faced far greater consequences. Peter Canellos is a veteran political journalist and editor of Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy. In this conversation, he examines how the Kennedy machinery closed ranks after the accident, what it meant to be the last surviving Kennedy brother, and how a man defined by his failures ultimately became what many consider the most legislatively consequential senator of the twentieth century. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Chappaquiddick | Under Oath | 4
38 min
Ted Kennedy thinks he has put the mysterious incident on Chappaquiddick behind him, when a new legal threat emerges that threatens to destroy his political future. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Chappaquiddick | Circling the Wagon | 3
36 min
Police on Chappaquiddick Island recover the body of a young woman from Ted Kennedy’s Oldsmobile and begin to question the Senator’s story about what happened. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Chappaquiddick | The Bridge | 2
34 min
Following a car accident on the island, Ted Kennedy and his associates rush to save Mary Jo Kopechne. Afterward, Kennedy’s friends encourage him to report the crash, but while Kennedy delays, the wrecked car is discovered and a police investigation begins. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Chappaquiddick | The Kennedy Curse | 1
37 min
The young Ted Kennedy follows in the footsteps of his older brothers and enters the world of politics. But he struggles to cope with the burden of his family’s ambition and with the grief of losing his older siblings in tragic circumstances. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Titan Sub Disaster | No Risk, No Reward? | 5
24 min
Is the genius American innovator just a myth? In this special episode of American Scandal, tech journalists Mark Harris and Kara Swisher, and former CEO and author Safi Bahcall unpack the dangerous allure of this narrative, and how Stockton Rush and OceanGate were far from the only examples. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Titan Sub Disaster | Warning Signs | 4
38 min
Two years later than scheduled, Titan finally takes its first paying passengers to the wreck of the Titanic. But amid the crushing pressure of delivering on his business plan, Stockton Rush ignores red flags about his submersible’s safety, and his dream of deep-sea exploration ends in tragedy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Titan Sub Disaster | Full Speed Ahead | 3
39 min
As OceanGate’s experimental submersible Titan begins deep-sea testing, engineers and industry experts raise urgent safety concerns—only to be ignored by CEO Stockton Rush. Driven by ambition and convinced the rules don’t apply to him, Rush pushes Titan deeper and deeper, setting the stage for catastrophe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Observed July 31, 2026.
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