Podcast · History

American Scandal

by Audible · English · History

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New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 37 min
Latest: 6 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026 · 36 minNew

Varsity Blues | The Admissions Game | 5

The parents caught in Varsity Blues went to extraordinary lengths to get their kids into elite colleges. But the system was already tilted in their favor. Journalist Paul Tough explains how decades of rising competition, college rankings and enrollment management transformed higher education into a marketplace where wealth can open doors — and why fixing it may require changing the way America thinks about college itself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S78 · E4 · 29 Sep 2026 · 38 min

Varsity Blues | The Admissions Process | 4

Federal investigators uncover Rick Singer’s college admissions scheme, sparking national outrage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
28 Sep 2026 · 5 min

Listen Now: My Mom’s Murder

Lauren Malloy was a baby when her mother, Lori, was murdered in East Providence, Rhode Island. For thirty years, no one told her. Everyone said Lori died of natural causes. Then a stranger sent Lauren a message — and the lie collapsed. Now Lauren is investigating her own mother’s murder. She’s recorded hundreds of hours of interviews with law enforcement, family, childhood friends, and people who won’t stop contradicting each other. Every answer opens a darker question. Every person she trusts seems to be hiding something. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes the…
S78 · E3 · 22 Sep 2026 · 37 min

Varsity Blues | Setting the Standard | 3

Rick Singer expands his illicit college admissions scheme, using a network of corrupt insiders to manipulate his clients’ standardized test scores. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S78 · E2 · 15 Sep 2026 · 38 min

Varsity Blues | The Side Door | 2

Independent college counselor Rick Singer discovers a loophole that almost guarantees his wealthy clients entry into elite universities. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S78 · E1 · 8 Sep 2026 · 39 min

Varsity Blues | Future Stars | 1

As competition for places at America’s top universities reaches new heights, a charismatic college counselor helps wealthy families gain an edge in the admissions race. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S77 · E5 · 1 Sep 2026 · 32 min

The Rosenbergs | Inside the CIA | 5

David McCloskey spent nearly a decade as a CIA analyst before becoming a bestselling spy novelist, giving him a rare perspective on how intelligence really works and how it has changed since the Rosenbergs' time. In this conversation, we discuss what motivates people to spy, what the Rosenberg case reveals about the intelligence world, and how the CIA balances secrecy, accountability, and the challenge of preventing the next intelligence failure. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S77 · E4 · 25 Aug 2026 · 40 min

The Rosenbergs | The Martyrs | 4

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are put on trial for conspiracy to commit espionage, and the couple and their family are forced to reckon with a shocking sentence handed down by the judge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S77 · E3 · 18 Aug 2026 · 38 min

The Rosenbergs | The Implosion | 3

As the FBI works to identify the spy Harry Gold met with in New Mexico, the net closes in on both the Greenglasses and the Rosenbergs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S77 · E2 · 11 Aug 2026 · 38 min

The Rosenbergs | The Goose Chase | 2

David Greenglass begins working with his brother-in-law Julius Rosenberg to pass secrets from the Manhattan Project to Soviet intelligence. But after the Russians build a bomb of their own, the FBI races to uncover the Americans who helped them. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S77 · E1 · 4 Aug 2026 · 38 min

The Rosenbergs | The Cause | 1

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.
S76 · E4 · 28 Jul 2026 · 41 min

ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | What Really Happened | 4

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.
S76 · E3 · 21 Jul 2026 · 37 min

ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | Launch Day | 3

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.
S76 · E2 · 14 Jul 2026 · 37 min

ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | Acceptable Risk | 2

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.
S76 · E1 · 7 Jul 2026 · 38 min

ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | Bigger, Faster, Cheaper | 1

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.
S75 · E5 · 30 Jun 2026 · 26 min

Mafia Cops | The New Underworld | 5

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…
S75 · E4 · 23 Jun 2026 · 39 min

Mafia Cops | The Rat | 4

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.
S75 · E3 · 16 Jun 2026 · 36 min

Mafia Cops | The Crystal Ball | 3

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.
S75 · E2 · 9 Jun 2026 · 36 min

Mafia Cops | Murder For Hire | 2

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.
S75 · E1 · 2 Jun 2026 · 36 min

Mafia Cops | The Thin Blue Line | 1

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.
S74 · E5 · 26 May 2026 · 36 min

Chappaquiddick | The Weight of the Name | 5

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…
S74 · E4 · 19 May 2026 · 39 min

Chappaquiddick | Under Oath | 4

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.
S74 · E3 · 12 May 2026 · 37 min

Chappaquiddick | Circling the Wagon | 3

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.
S74 · E2 · 5 May 2026 · 35 min

Chappaquiddick | The Bridge | 2

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.
S74 · E1 · 28 Apr 2026 · 37 min

Chappaquiddick | The Kennedy Curse | 1

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.
S73 · E5 · 21 Apr 2026 · 25 min

Titan Sub Disaster | No Risk, No Reward? | 5

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.
S73 · E4 · 14 Apr 2026 · 38 min

Titan Sub Disaster | Warning Signs | 4

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.
S73 · E3 · 7 Apr 2026 · 39 min

Titan Sub Disaster | Full Speed Ahead | 3

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.
S73 · E2 · 31 Mar 2026 · 38 min

Titan Sub Disaster | Cyclops | 2

Driven by ambition and convinced that innovation justifies risk, entrepreneur Stockton Rush pushes forward with increasingly experimental submersible designs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S73 · E1 · 24 Mar 2026 · 35 min

Titan Sub Disaster | 12,000 Leagues Under the Sea | 1

In June 2023, the OceanGate submersible Titan vanishes during a dive to the wreck of Titanic, triggering a frantic multinational search involving ships, aircraft, and deep-sea robots. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

About American Scandal

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.

American Scandal is a English history podcast from Audible. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Audible
Language: English
Category: History
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 37 min
Latest episode: 6 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1435516849

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