Reveal
389 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 7.6K ratingsReveal’s investigations will inspire, infuriate and inform you. Host Al Letson and an award-winning team of reporters deliver gripping stories about caregivers, advocates for the unhoused, immigrant families, warehouse workers and formerly incarcerated people, fighting to hold the powerful accountable. The New Yorker described Reveal as “a knockout … a pleasure to listen to, even as we seethe.” A winner of multiple Peabody, duPont, Emmy and Murrow awards, Reveal is produced by the nation’s first investigative journalism nonprofit, The Center for Investigative Reporting, and PRX. From unearthing exploitative working conditions to exposing the nation’s racial disparities, there’s always more to the story. Learn more at revealnews.org/learn.
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Episodes
Russia’s new scapegoats
April 22, 2017 04:05 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBIn light of recent reports about Chechnya’s anti-gay kidnappings, torture and killings, Reveal revisits stories that expose what it’s like to be gay in Russia. Right now, hateful rhetoric against the LGBT community appears on a daily basis on Russian TV and in speeches by Russian politicians. Reveal traces the roots of the anti-gay movement and shows how President Vladimir Putin uses this agenda to quash political dissent, exert influence on neighboring nations and bash the West. H...
Russia’s new scapegoats
April 22, 2017 04:05 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBIn light of recent reports about Chechnya’s anti-gay kidnappings, torture and killings, Reveal revisits stories that expose what it’s like to be gay in Russia. Right now, hateful rhetoric against the LGBT community appears on a daily basis on Russian TV and in speeches by Russian politicians. Reveal traces the roots of the anti-gay movement and shows how President Vladimir Putin uses this agenda to quash political dissent, exert influence on neighboring nations and bash the West. H...
Toxic burden
April 15, 2017 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBAt a time when environmental protections are under more threats than ever, Reveal visits minority communities facing toxic burdens. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and on Twitter @reveal. And to see some of what you’re hearing, we’re also on Instagram @revealnews.
Al Letson Reveals: The color of feminism
April 13, 2017 04:05 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBFrom women’s 19th-century fight for the right to vote to the Women’s March this year, racism has affected feminist movements. In this podcast special, Al Letson recalls the #BlackWomenAtWork stories that went viral recently and talks with Kimberly Foster, the founder of For Harriet and a very frank video commentator, about her dream to “bring down the system.” Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and on Twitter @revea...
If you can’t afford a lawyer
April 08, 2017 04:05 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBIf you can’t afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you – that’s how it’s supposed to work. But in New Orleans, the lawyer in charge of representing poor people accused of crimes is saying no. His office doesn’t have enough money or time to do a good job, he says, so he’s refusing some serious cases, which is jamming up the courts and leaving hundreds of people stuck in jail with no lawyer. His goal? To break the system in order to fix it. Reveal follows up on this story that we...
If you can’t afford a lawyer
April 08, 2017 04:05 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBIf you can’t afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you – that’s how it’s supposed to work. But in New Orleans, the lawyer in charge of representing poor people accused of crimes is saying no. His office doesn’t have enough money or time to do a good job, he says, so he’s refusing some serious cases, which is jamming up the courts and leaving hundreds of people stuck in jail with no lawyer. His goal? To break the system in order to fix it. Reveal follows up on this story that we...
Against their will
March 25, 2017 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBPowered by the internet, the sex trade is reaching into all corners of the country. Reveal follows up on what’s happened since we first took you inside the hidden places – real and virtual – where people are exploited for sex. Produced in collaboration with APM Reports, we’ll hear stories from the pot fields of Northern California to the streets of Chicago and suburban Seattle. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and...
Al Letson Reveals: Former NATO official imagines war with Russia
March 23, 2017 04:05 - 10 minutes - 19.6 MBSince President Donald Trump took office, we’ve heard plenty about Russia. Some have said tensions with the country could lead to conflict – even another world war. In this podcast special, Al Letson talks to former top NATO commander Richard Shirreff, who spells out these fears – which are very real for him – in his new novel. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and on Twitter @reveal. And to see some of what you’r...
Richard Spencer’s cotton farms
March 18, 2017 04:05 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBOn this episode of Reveal, three stories of men are at the center of controversy. He’s been punched on the streets of Washington, D.C., and kicked out of a major conservative political gathering, and yet white nationalist Richard Spencer has left Montana to set up shop in the nation’s capital. What does he have to show for it? A Marine veteran breaks the news of hundreds – possibly thousands – of naked photographs of female service members being shared online. We hear his story....
The smuggler
March 11, 2017 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MBIn 2015, French radio reporter Raphael Krafft was covering the refugee crisis. On the border with Italy, he met desperate families turned away by his country. Then one family asked Krafft for his help crossing the border. As a journalist, he was supposed to be objective, but that was getting harder to do. So he followed his moral compass, which led him on the journey of a lifetime. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReve...
Al Letson Reveals: Sebastian Gorka on America
March 09, 2017 06:38 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBThis week, Reveal host Al Letson speaks to Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Donald Trump. Usually, Gorka is sent out by the White House to discuss threats outside the U.S. In this special podcast, he and Al discuss domestic issues. Gorka talks a lot about the backbone of America, “real Americans” and the people he calls “the chattering classes.” But who are the “chattering classes”? And what is “the real America”? The outspoken Trump adviser lays bare his views on the...
Up against the wall
March 04, 2017 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBPresident Donald Trump wants to build a wall between America and Mexico. Hundreds of miles of border fence are already in place, but most of the nearly 2,000-mile stretch is uncovered. This episode of Reveal explores the political, logistical and geographic barriers that may get in the way of the president’s plans. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and on Twitter @reveal. And to see some of what you’re hearing, we’...
Al Letson Reveals: Vicente Fox on Trump’s wall
March 02, 2017 05:05 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBMany people have strong feelings about President Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox is among the most outspoken. In this podcast special, host Al Letson digs into whether Fox doesn’t like the wall – or the new U.S. president. Watch for F-bombs. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and on Twitter @reveal. And to see some of what you’re hearing, we’re...
The religious freedom loophole
February 25, 2017 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBAmerica was built on the idea of protecting religious liberty. But what happens when religious groups take advantage of these special freedoms to make money, skirt rules or hurt children? We revisit an hour of Reveal that explores the tricky territory of religious freedom and how different groups have exploited this loophole. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and on Twitter @reveal. And to see some of what you’re ...
School haze
February 18, 2017 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBAcross the country, thousands of public schools are within 500 feet of pollution-choked roads like highways and truck routes. Next time on Reveal, we investigate the high levels of exhaust surrounding U.S. schools and how the bad air is affecting the millions of children who are breathing it in. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and on Twitter @reveal. And to see some of what you’re hearing, we’re also on Instagram...
Video: In Sickness and in Health
February 16, 2017 19:47 - 65.3 MB VideoJohn Williams Jr.’s life changed irrevocably in 2014 when he was in a horrific crane accident while working at a VT Halter shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Williams, an experienced crane operator, lost part of his skull, his vision and his independence. He suffered severe brain damage that left him with the mental capacity of a child. Wanda, his wife of almost 20 years, now takes care of him. Their love remains strong, but they have lost the life and relationship they once k...
Trial by fire
February 04, 2017 05:22 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBIn 1988, two powerful explosions shook Kansas City, Missouri, killing six firefighters. Nine years later, five people were convicted of arson and sent to prison for life – but were they innocent? Reveal investigates problems in the case and whether federal agents pressured witnesses to lie. This month, one of the defendants will make his case for freedom before a federal judge. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and...
Split down the middle
January 28, 2017 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBAt a time when Donald Trump is assuming leadership of a divided nation, Reveal heads to Jacksonville, Florida, one of the most divided cities in America. We look at policing, immigration, education and other issues through the eyes of people with very different perspectives and find out that residents here are not on the same page. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and on Twitter @reveal. And to see some of what y...
Dropped and dismissed: Child sex abuse lost in the system
January 21, 2017 08:12 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBThis week, Reveal revisits the story of a woman who decides to confront the man she says abused her decades earlier. Reporter Tennessee Watson was sexually abused by her gymnastics coach when she was a kid. Over 25 years later, when she learned he still was coaching children, she called the police. Her inside account of the arduous process of seeking justice in her own case exposes discrepancies in prosecutors’ responses to reports of child sexual abuse and spotlights a lack of acc...
Water wars
January 14, 2017 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBNext to the air we breathe, it’s the planet’s most precious resource: fresh water. And it’s disappearing. The world’s largest food company describes the lack of water as a looming catastrophe that is expected to play out in the coming decades. In this episode of Reveal, we look at what’s happening in places that already are running out of water. Help us hold the powerful accountable and speak for the most vulnerable. Please go to www.revealnews.org/donate to support our work today....
America’s digital dumping ground
January 07, 2017 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBYou got that new computer or phone you wanted for the holidays – but what happens to your old gadgets? They might not end up where you expect. Next time on Reveal, environmentalists follow the global trail of America’s electronic castoffs. Help us hold the powerful accountable and speak for the most vulnerable. Please go to www.revealnews.org/donate to support our work today. Head over to revealnews.org for more of our reporting. Follow us on Facebook at fb.com/ThisIsReveal and o...
The year in Reveal
December 31, 2016 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBThis year on Reveal, we’ve dug into issues that affect people’s lives across the country. We told stories about worker abuse, toxic schools, women’s sports and private prisons. So we decided to round out this season with something different: This hour, we look back at stories you, our listeners, told us were the most memorable. Help us hold the powerful accountable and speak for the most vulnerable. Please go to www.revealnews.org/donate to support our work today. Head over to rev...
Turbulent times, turbulent skies
December 17, 2016 05:05 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBOn this episode of Reveal, we explore the backstory of Donald Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon. Plus, just in time for the holidays, we take a look at some real travel nightmares and the airlines that cause them.
Secrets of the Watchtower
December 10, 2016 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBFor the past two years, Reveal reporter Trey Bundy has been uncovering how the Jehovah’s Witnesses hide sexual abuse in their congregations – in fact, it’s official policy. The religion’s leaders have been going to extreme lengths to keep the details from public view. On the next Reveal, we track down people who know the religion’s dark secrets.
A welfare check
November 26, 2016 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBThis week, Reveal’s bringing you an episode we first aired this summer. With Republicans in full control of the Federal government, there’s a good chance Welfare Reform will be an issue they may take on. So in anticipation of that, it is worth taking another look at what’s worked and what hasn’t. Today, only a quarter of welfare dollars actually goes toward basic assistance – housing, transportation or essential household items. So we’ll revisit a road trip we took with Marketplace...
Glare of the spotlight (rebroadcast)
November 19, 2016 05:05 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBIn this hour of Reveal, we’re going to revisit an Oscar-winning movie about The Boston Globe’s investigative team that exposed the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal: “Spotlight.” We’ll take you behind the scenes of that investigation, look at the legacy of the groundbreaking story and see how other journalists went on to expose more crimes by Catholic priests around the world.
The secret Trump voter
November 12, 2016 05:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBHow did everyone miss the Donald Trump supporters who were hiding in plain sight? On Reveal, we’ll learn why they kept a low profile – until Election Day that is – and hear what they have to say now that their candidate is headed for the White House. We’ll also meet an emerging leader of the alt-right movement who is packing his bags and leaving rural Montana for Washington D.C., where he’ll advocate for a white supremacist agenda.
A frank conversation with a white nationalist
November 10, 2016 21:08 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBThis week, Reveal’s been working on a show about – what else – the election. But first you need to hear this: Our host Al Letson spoke with Richard Spencer the day after the election. Like many people, Spencer was both thrilled and surprised that Donald Trump won – and he has a specific agenda. Spencer’s a white nationalist. He sees Trump’s election as the first solid steps toward a new, post-America, whites-only nation. Listen in as Al has a frank conversation with Spencer that r...
Host of problems
November 05, 2016 06:23 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBAu pair is a French term meaning “on par with,” a relationship of equals. Every year, thousands of young people travel to the United States as au pairs to provide child care for American “host families” while experiencing a new culture. But life as an au pair isn’t always easy. Reveal takes a look at the problems that can leave au pairs adrift and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
And justice for some
October 29, 2016 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBUnless you’ve been caught up in the justice system, most Americans’ understanding of courts come s from what you see on TV. In popular dramas like “Law & Order,” everyone gets a lawyer, the crime is solved in a neat and timely way, and – of course – justice is served. But in real life, it doesn’t always work out that way. On this Reveal, we take a look at the cracks in the system that prevent people from getting a fair shake.
How to (really) steal an election
October 22, 2016 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBWith the presidential race in the homestretch, it seems like we hear talk about rigged elections and threats of cyberattacks just about every week. So, how safe are our votes? Is it possible to steal an American election? Reveal looks at the technology we’ll be using to vote next month, and whether the trend toward internet voting will make our ballots more vulnerable.
[Update] Billion-dollar scam
October 15, 2016 04:05 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThis week, we’re revisiting California’s workers’ compensation program that covers 15 million workers across the state. Reporter Christina Jewett discovered serious fraud in the system after reviewing thousands of documents. They showed that in the past decade, more than 80 people have been accused of cheating California’s workers’ comp medical system out of $1 billion. Find out what’s happened since we first aired that episode. And at the end of this week’s episode, we tell you ab...
America’s Ring of Fire
October 08, 2016 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBWildfires are getting bigger, more expensive to fight and closer than ever to where people live. The consequences can be deadly. The next episode of Reveal examines how wildfires got so dangerous – and how some areas are fighting back.
Voting rights – and wrongs
October 01, 2016 04:05 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBThis presidential election is the first since the Supreme Court gutted historic voter rights protections. Reveal examines the impact of state laws that rushed in to fill the void. Are they fighting fraud or changing election outcomes?
No choice: Failing America’s veterans
September 17, 2016 04:53 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBTwo years ago, the system that provides American veterans with health care was rocked by scandal when whistleblowers told the world that vets were dying while the Phoenix VA concealed them on a secret waiting list. Reveal revisits the Phoenix scandal, and then investigates what happened next, examining how a national effort to get veterans faster care turned Alaska’s homegrown health care system upside down, and how a deeply troubled VA hospital in Cincinnati responded to its own sc...
Against their will
September 10, 2016 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBPowered by the internet, the sex trade is reaching into all corners of the country. Reveal takes us into hidden places – real and virtual – where people are exploited for sex. Produced in collaboration with APM Reports, we’ll hear stories from the pot fields of Northern California to the streets of Chicago and suburban Seattle.
[Update] The man inside: Four months as a prison guard
September 03, 2016 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBThis week, Reveal revisits an hour with Mother Jones reporter Shane Bauer inside a private prison on lockdown. We take an unfiltered look at America’s private corrections industry and follow up on some big news.
[Update] Sick on the inside: Behind bars in immigrant-only prisons
August 27, 2016 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBRecently we got some big news: The Department of Justice will end its use of private prisons. This means that about a dozen prisons – that house about 22,000 people convicted of federal crimes – will be shut down. It’s the biggest announcement in the history of private prisons. In light of this news, we’re revisiting an hour of Reveal that investigates medical negligence in the private prison system for immigrants. And in a new segment, we learn about the roadblocks prison regulato...
[Update] Cat Fight
August 20, 2016 04:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBFind out what’s happened since we first took a look at two cats whose fates diverged. One, an invasive predator, is encouraged to thrive and hunt; the other, a native wildcat, is being hunted and trapped. We revisit these cat stories on the next Reveal.