This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a special preview of the first episode of Ritually, a brand new Brazen podcast exploring what spirituality looks like for our secular world.

Join journalist-turned-guinea pig Nelufar Hedayat as she tries a new ritual in every episode. From sacred readings of Harry Potter to tarot cards, Nelufar dives in with the help of a different spiritual guide each week to see if these practices can actually make us feel better. In episode one, Nelufar struggles with patriarchal interpretations of Islam and decides to enlist the help of feminist spiritual practitioner Sarah Zaltash. She tries a new ritual to deepen her connection to Islam: following the daily call to prayer. It’s a practice that unites 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. But this version is different — radical, actually! — because it’s in a woman’s voice.

There are new episodes of Ritually out now. To keep listening, search for Ritually, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app or at brazen.fm/plus.

For more, visit ritually/fm.

In May, Project Brazen released a podcast about Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal correspondent who was arrested by Russian authorities back in March. Evan was falsely accused of espionage, and he’s being held in a Moscow prison until his trial date in August.

In that episode, we explored questions around press freedom, journalist safety and security, and the future of foreign correspondence in an increasingly polarized and hostile world. For this episode, reporter Neha Wadekar spoke to another journalist - one who probably can relate to Evan’s situation better than anyone.

Jason Rezaian moved to Tehran in 2009 and became the Washington Post correspondent and Tehran bureau chief there. In 2014, Jason and his wife - who was also a journalist - were arrested on charges of espionage. Jason was held for 544 days and convicted of espionage, before finally being released and returning to the United States.

We interviewed Jason about the similarities and differences in the two cases and asked him to share a message for Evan Gershkovich.

This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a special preview from our new series of The Closer — the podcast that tells the inside story of deals that changed the world.

The Closer returns this summer with six dramatic new stories of groundbreaking deals. An epic fight from soccer's biggest stars, a private equity redemption story, the end of a toy empire, and so much more.

In episode one, The Closer takes a look at the US Women's National Soccer Team. It’s among the most decorated teams in the game but, until recently, it was paid a fraction of what the men took home. When the players decided to take up the fight for equal pay, they turned to sports attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who built a career out of representing some of the most high-profile athletes in labor disputes with professional leagues. He takes us inside the team’s strategy and reveals how they got the deal done.

To keep listening, search for The Closer wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts to unlock new episodes before everyone else, as well ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content.

This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a special preview of the first episode of Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe, Project Brazen’s podcast that takes you inside the hidden world of cocaine.

In this six-part podcast series from Project Brazen, host Mitchell Prothero explores Europe’s cocaine crisis through the dramatic stories of cartel leaders, cops, journalists, and the victims caught in the middle. From RPG attacks on newspaper offices to the slaughter of entire families, the war on drugs has arrived on Europe’s shores. And a lot of people are making a lot of dirty money. Reporting from Antwerp and Amsterdam, Project Brazen goes deep inside this crazy under-reported story.

There are new episodes of Gateway out now. To keep listening, search for Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app.

For more, visit brazen.fm/gateway.

This week on Brazen Presents, we’re bringing you a special bonus interview with the host and lead reporter of Brazen’s latest podcast: GATEWAY: Cocaine, Murder, & Dirty Money in Europe.

Launching 5 June 2023, GATEWAY is hosted by journalist Mitchell Prothero, and in this bonus episode he shares the inside story of the new six-part series exploring Europe’s cocaine crisis through the dramatic stories of cartel leaders, cops, journalists, and the victims caught in the middle. From RPG attacks on newspaper offices to the slaughter of entire families, the war on drugs has arrived on Europe’s shores. And a lot of people are making a lot of dirty money.

To listen to episode one, search for GATEWAY wherever you listen to podcasts.

Plus, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts and get early access to new episodes, along with ad-free listening and bonus content from the show.

www.brazen.fm/gateway

How did Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich end up wrongfully imprisoned in Russia, and what happens now?

On March 29, Russian authorities arrested Evan and accused him of spying on Russia on behalf of the US government. Evan was imprisoned in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, where he remains today. In this special episode from Project Brazen, you’ll hear from those close to Evan — his friends, newsroom colleagues, even his former soccer coach — about his shocking arrest, efforts to bring him home, and how he became the journalist he is today.

Evan is the first American reporter to be charged with espionage in Russia since the Cold War. The charge, which The Journal vehemently denies, can carry a sentence of up to 20 years. To support the campaign for Evan’s release or send him a message of support, visit www.freegershkovich.com.

This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a preview of Night of Show, the latest podcast from Project Brazen. To listen to the rest of this episode, search for Night of Show, wherever you get your podcasts.

In Night of Show, accomplished concert promoter Adam Wilkes joins music industry legends as they share behind-the-scenes stories about the pressures superstar artists faced when staging some of their biggest performances. Most Prince fans forget he was once in the wilderness after his 1980s heyday. He’d walked away from his record contract and had released a slew of albums that didn’t chart. Then, with John and Paul as promoters, he stages a major comeback.

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? You can listen to the full series, ad-free, by subscribing to Project Brazen’s channel on the Apple Podcasts app. Subscribe at: apple.co/night-of-show

nightofshow.com

This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a special edition of The Closer Weekly. Last month, Project Brazen launched The Closer, a new podcast sharing the inside stories of the deals that changed the world. Then, just as season one wrapped, signs came of a potential banking crisis, and we realised the story was just getting started. Enter: The Closer Weekly. Like The Closer, this new weekly edition will delve into the deals that shape the world around us, but with a fresh focus on the biggest stories shaking up business today. 

In episode one, The Closer Weekly dives into the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank with Financial Times journalist Tabby Kinder, one of the first to report on weaknesses at the bank. To keep listening, search for The Closer wherever you get your podcasts.

For ad-free listening, exclusive bonus content and early access to Project Brazen podcasts, subscribe to our channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to www.apple.co/thecloser

This week on Brazen Presents, we’re going back to Borodyanka, Ukraine. Laurel Chor travelled there for the first time last year when she was hosting our podcast “Resistance: Stories from Ukraine.” The series documented how ordinary Ukrainians have been resisting the Russian invasion.

Now, she brings us this story about how Borodyanka and the people she met there are doing today.

If you enjoyed this episode, you can catch up on the rest of the series by searching for Resistance: Stories from Ukraine, wherever you get your podcasts.

For ad-free listening, exclusive bonus content and early access to Project Brazen podcasts, subscribe to our channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/brazen

www.projectbrazen.com

This week on Brazen Presents, we’re bringing you an episode from the investigative podcast Motive from WBEZ Chicago.

Chicago gangs: Real people. Real stories. A way forward. The new season of Motive from WBEZ Chicago explores violence on the streets of Chicago and the former gang members working to stop it.

In episode 1, host Patrick Smith and Cecilia Mannion, takes listeners out to the streets where workers are desperately trying to prevent shootings and help the victims of gun violence.

Mannion, a former gang member herself, works for a nonprofit organization called Enlace. Her title is victim advocate. Basically, if you’re shot in Little Village, she shows up to try and help, to minimize the harm. She helps families navigate health care, funerals, counseling, she acts as a conduit between victims and cops, talks people out of retaliating, whatever is needed.

You can listen to the whole series wherever you get your podcasts – just search for Motive and subscribe.