Thanks to her McDonald’s fortune, Joan Kroc was one of the world’s wealthiest people. And she was determined to die nearly broke.

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Special thanks to our guests Lisa Napoli, Dick Starmann, and Stephanie Bergsma. Go check out Lisa's excellent book Ray & Joan. 

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

You can always reach us at [email protected].

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comic Sans is a punchline. A design crime. Cultural shorthand for bad taste. But the notorious font's legacy isn't one of failure. Because Comic Sans succeeded in ways its critics never saw coming.

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Bess Lovejoy
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Bess Lovejoy
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Today's episode was produced in partnership with School of Humans. For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the winter of 1939, Finland faced overwhelming odds. The Soviet Union was invading with hundreds of thousands of troops. Standing in their way was an unlikely defender: a shy farmer and expert marksman who would later become known as “The White Death.” But behind the myth was simply a reserved man fighting for his homeland.

Today's episode is a production of School of Humans and iHeartPodcasts. It was written by Lucas Reilly.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gene Fleming and his pet goose Andy made headlines around the world. They brought out the best in the people of Hastings, Nebraska. But amid all this attention, Andy also brought out the worst. And three decades later, Andy's legacy is still reverberating around their hometown.

Note: This episode includes the murder of a beloved goose. And don't forget to check out Dana's new book, The Arcane Arts. Out this week in bookstores everywhere!

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Very Special Thanks to Jessica Korgie for sharing her family's story with us.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Sara Schleede and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Acast
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June 1970, Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates somehow tossed a no-hitter while tripping on acid. The LSD stunt made him a legend, but it overshadowed a much deeper story: a man who spent the second half of his life searching for redemption, purpose, and a way to help others escape the same darkness that once enveloped him.

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Today's episode was produced in partnership with School of Humans. For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott.

Special thanks to American Public Media’s Weekend America, and to Todd Snider.

- “Dock Ellis: An LSD No-No” from American Public Media  
- “America’s Favorite Pastime” by Todd Snider

Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Zaron Burnett
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Jesse Nighswonger
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Zaron Burnett
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1978, Soviet geologists flying over Siberia spotted something impossible: a family living in total isolation, untouched for decades by the modern world. But when outsiders finally reached their remote cabin, the family’s hidden world began to change forever.

Special thanks to Rebecca E. Marshall for letting us share clips from her documentary, The Forest in Me. We also want to shout out the film's composer, Xylouris White. You can stream The Forest in Me right now on MUBI.

Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's installment of Very Special Episodes is a tour of New York’s secret history with a very special guest!

Greg Young of the beloved Bowery Boys podcast joins Dana Schwartz to prove the world is a very interesting place, if you just know where to look. There's hidden history in subway grates, SoHo stores, Central Park statues, and Hamilton lyrics. 

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Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1960s, a newly independent Zambia entered the space race with a bold — and baffling — plan. Led by self-declared “Minister of Space” Edward Nkoloso, a team of would-be astronauts trained in oil drums, dreamed of Mars, and captured the world’s attention. To Western observers, it looked like a joke. But Zambia's space ambitions may have been a front for something far more earthly — and far more dangerous.

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Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas Reilly
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott. Thanks to Anthony West for his excellent voiceover work!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the winter of 1980, the world turned its eyes to Lake Placid, New York, host of the Winter Olympics. But behind the pageantry, another structure loomed in the Adirondack woods. Built to house 1,800 athletes, the Olympic Village looked less like a dormitory than a detention center — because that’s exactly what it was designed to become.

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Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Zaron Burnett
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1897, a Swedish engineer set out to reach the North Pole ... by balloon. With two companions, a crate of champagne, and the faith of a nation, he rose into the Arctic fog — and vanished. Decades later, their frozen journals and undeveloped film emerged from the ice, revealing the haunting truth behind one of exploration’s great mysteries.

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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, Dana Schwartz tells one incredible story each week. Follow her down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. New episodes starting February 4th!

This episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.