Unmissable Episodes

  1. The Spooky Saga of the Icelandic Dracula

    6d ago

    The Spooky Saga of the Icelandic Dracula

    Since Bram Stoker’s Dracula was first published in 1897 it has inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of other fictional vampires. But none are quite as strange as that found in the frigid climes of Iceland. There, just a few years after Dracula was first printed, emerged a so-called translation that diverged so radically from Stoker’s that it introduced new characters, new scenes, and new themes—and yet seemed to have been published with Stoker’s blessing. People have since spent years trying to figure out how exactly this Nordic Dracula came to be—and who its true author is. It all makes for a seasonally appropriate literary mystery—one full of doppelgängers, supervillains, plot twists, and vampires who just refuse to die. In this episode, you’ll hear from Ásgeir Jónsson, literary enthusiast and Governor of the Central Bank of Iceland; Helen Zaltzman, host of The Allusionist podcast; Icelandic publishing scholar Kristján B. Jónasson; publisher Rickard Berghorn; and Benjamin Mier-Cruz, Assistant Professor of Scandinavian Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Thank you to Birna Anna Björnsdóttir, Hans Corneel de Roos, Ingmar Söhrman, Bjarni Bjarnason, and Benjamin Frisch. This episode was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Max Freedman. Our show is also produced by Alesandra Tejeda and Evan Chung, our supervising producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com or leave a message on our hotline at (347) 460-7281. Get more of Decoder Ring with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of Decoder Ring and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Decoder Ring show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus for access wherever you listen. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. EXCLUSIVE: The Question Laura Was Afraid To Ask Kim Kardashian (And Her Surprising Response)

    2d ago ·  Video

    EXCLUSIVE: The Question Laura Was Afraid To Ask Kim Kardashian (And Her Surprising Response)

    Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Niecy Nash-Betts are on The Spill for an Australian exclusive, and Laura has some unfinished business with the women of All’s Fair. Last time Laura interviewed the cast, she walked away convinced Kim Kardashian hated her. This time, she gets a second chance — and thankfully, the vibes are very different. With season two of All’s Fair about to arrive, Laura asks the cast what we can expect after a first season that was absolutely savaged by critics but became a huge ratings hit anyway. And yes, she asks Kim and her co-stars how it actually felt to read those brutal reviews, leading to a surprisingly candid response from Kim. Then Laura and Tina unpack everything that happened in the interview, the very different energy in the room this time around, and why Laura can finally retire her one-sided feud with Kim Kardashian.Listen to our Brutally Honest Review of All's Fair Season 1 here.  Take our three minute survey for a chance to win a $1,000 gift voucher AND help shape what we do here at Mamamia. Subscribe here for 30% off your annual Mamamia subscription for Black Friday with code BLACK30. Code applied at the checkout. Offer ends November 30. Become a Mamamia subscriber and get an all-access pass to everything we make, including exclusive podcasts and early listening, subscriber-only articles, monthly giveaways and our home workout app, MOVE. Built to work around your real life, MOVE adapts to whatever season you're in. That's why we've created a brand new collection of feel-good weight workouts, designed for any body, anywhere. No hectic challenges or intimidating gym setups, just simple, easy-to-follow sessions, designed to help you build strength at your own pace.MOVE is feel-good fitness by Mamamia. For less than a coffee a week, get unlimited access to hundreds of workouts, ranging from five to 45 minutes. Plus, you get unlimited access to everything across Mamamia, including subscriber-exclusive podcast episodes, articles, discounts and giveaways. Get your MOVE goodness here. Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We’ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to veryperi.com.au and join me today. You hot? Same. Buy today and save 40%THE END BITS Find and follow us on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespillpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thespillpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thespillpodcast/ Support independent women's media Want to join the conversation? Have feedback or a topic you want us to discuss? Send us a voice message or email us at thespill@mamamia.com.auand we’ll get back to you ASAP! Executive Producer: Monisha Iswaran Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. The Buried Bodies Case

    4d ago

    The Buried Bodies Case

    In 1973, a massive manhunt in New York's Adirondack Mountains ended when police captured a man named Robert Garrow. And that’s when this story really gets started. In this episode, that we first released in 2016, we consider a string of barbaric crimes by a hated man, and the attorney who, when called to defend him, also wound up defending a core principle of our legal system. When Frank Armani learned his client’s most gruesome secrets, he made a morally startling decision that stunned the world and goes to the heart of what it means to be a defense attorney - how far should lawyers go to provide the best defense to the worst people? NOTE: This episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault and violence, listener discretion is advised. Special thanks to Tom Alibrandi, author of Privileged Information, with Frank Armani, Laurence Gooley, author of Terror in the Adirondacks: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert F. Garrow, Charl Bader and the students in her Criminal Defense Clinic at Fordham University, Leslie Levin and the students in her Legal Profession class at The University of Connecticut School of Law, Clark D. Cunningham at Georgia State University College of Law, Debra Armani, Mary Armani, Lohr McKinstry, Tom Scozzafava, Stephanie Jenkins, Brian Farrell, Jennifer Brumback and Nick Capodice.  EPISODE CREDITS:Reported by - Brenna Farrellwith help from - Simon AdlerProduced by - Matt Kielty and Brenna Farrell EPISODE CITATIONS: Sworn to Silence: The Truth Behind Robert Garrow and the Missing Bodies' Case, by Jim Tracey.Sign up for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Signup (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org. Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Tim Minchin loves Matilda’s connection with its neurodivergent fans

    Oct 22

    Tim Minchin loves Matilda’s connection with its neurodivergent fans

    Please welcome to Outsiding our first Aussie guest… Tim Minchin! And in true Australian fashion, the autumnal temperatures of the UK were far too chilly for Tim. Thankfully, Caitlin had an array of coats for him to choose from in her own wardrobe. Yes, he went with the faux fur. While Tim didn’t come armed with a jacket, he did bring a whole load of animal anecdotes. From wombats determined to ruin his fire pit to a 7ft carpet python that took up residence in his house, it’s textbook Australian madness from the get-go. Tim is also the proud owner of some bush (translated for non-Aussies: rainforest), which he does his best to keep free of pesky weeds and maintain as the perfect habitat for lyrebirds, whipbirds and, less ideally, leeches. He’s currently celebrating 15 years of Matilda the Musical in the West End, a show that holds a very special place in many of our hearts. Tim opens up about the importance of children and parents alike having the opportunity to see a show that celebrates being your authentic self and owning it. Oh, and we have a first for Bird of the Week... we've gone Jurassic!   Let us know if you’re enjoying Outsiding and please send us your favourite outside places, memories, smells and gardening questions to hello@outsiding.co.uk Follow Outsiding on Substack for gardening tips, tricks, upcoming live Q&As with Adam and the progress of Caitlin’s garden project. Find us on Instagram too.  You can watch full episodes of Outsiding on Spotify and YouTube.  Outsiding is a Cold Glass Production. 00:00 Welcome back & catch up 02:54 Today’s guest is Tim Minchin 04:14 Listener questions 07:10 Tim’s relationship to London 12:00 Growing up in Australia 15:38 Connections with the ocean 21:44 Tim’s garden 24:51 Custodianship and land acknowledgement 27:33 Scary Australian animals 31:48 Matilda and the show’s lasting impact 42:28 BOTW 45:11 Adam’s gift for Tim 47:04 Goodbye! 47:20 Join our community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Navi Pillay

    Oct 22

    Navi Pillay

    Navanetham 'Navi' Pillay has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026. The 85-year-old South African jurist and former UN Human Rights chief initially thought the news was a joke. Born in Durban, South Africa, to a Tamil family, her grandparents had come to South Africa as indentured labourers to work in the sugarcane fields. Born under apartheid rule neither of her parents were educated and her mother fought for her daughters to attend school where Navi's teachers saw her potential. The community then raised money enabling her to attend university. In 1967 she was the first woman to establish a law practice in Natal Province defending apartheid activists and political prisoners. She made international news in 1973 when she secured greater legal rights for the prisoners on Robben island including future president, Nelson Mandela. Once president, Mandela appointed Pillay the first non-white woman judge in the South African High Court. Soon after she was made a judge on the UN’s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She became UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and then in 2021 she chaired a UN Commission which accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israel has said awarding Pillay the Nobel Prize legitimised "anti-Israel hatred" and and both the US and Israel have since issued sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes, said she had been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.

  6. Sharon Horgan is buzzing about our fresh tuna puttanesca pasta

    Oct 21

    Sharon Horgan is buzzing about our fresh tuna puttanesca pasta

    Leaving her hungry would be nothing short of a Catastrophe… Writer, actor, director and producer Sharon Horgan joins us to chat about her new show, Youth. A dramedy exploring the perils of ageing and finding love after divorce, it's a fitting addition to Sharon's impressive back catalogue that delves into the less glamorous corners of domestic life. The series sparks conversation in the studio, from the realities of motherhood to fluctuating feelings about ageing. Having grown up on a turkey farm and spent years as a vegetarian, Sharon has seen her food tastes take a few turns along the way, including a return to meat eating. With lasagne among her favourites, it feels like a good excuse to kick things off with Alex Szrok’s recipe for lasagne fritti. These are enjoyed alongside a bitter, sweet and suitably buzzy tequila and grapefruit sbagliato, before Angela serves up fresh tuna puttanesca pasta. It’s accompanied by a bottle of Ayala Brut Majeur Champagne, selected by the Waitrose wine experts. As expected, Sharon proves as entertaining a guest as she is a writer, recalling the bold childhood career plans she shared with her mum at a very young age. Those ambitions have since paid off in shows like Catastrophe, Bad Sisters and Motherland, which counts Nick, Angela and even Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher among its devoted fans.  With years spent both behind and in front of the camera, Sharon is the perfect person to settle a debate that’s been on our minds for some time: when it comes to feeding a film crew, does Hollywood really do it best?  You can watch full episodes of Dish on YouTube and on Spotify.  All recipes from this podcast can be found at waitrose.com/dishrecipes The recipe for the lasagne fritti was created for Waitrose by Alex Szrok A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish If you want to get in touch with us about anything at all, contact dish@waitrose.co.uk  Dish from Waitrose is made by Cold Glass Productions 00:00 - Coming up on Dish… 00:53 - Welcome!  01:58 - Mesh enters his chef era 03:51 - Catching up with Stanley Tucci  04:44 - Today’s guest! 05:49 - Let’s chat pears 08:07 - Sharon Horgan is here!  10:14 - Press life  12:16 - Tequila cocktails & lasagna fritti to begin  14:02 - Sharon’s food likes  17:30 - Sharon’s food dislikes  18:10 - Returning to meat eating 22:06 - Christmas  24:06 - Career aspirations  25:51 - Pasta is served!  28:21 - Champagne pairing  29:40 - Sharon’s new show ‘Youth’  32:15 - From motherhood to age  38:39 - The timelessness of Motherland & character writing  42:17 - Liam Gallagher loves Motherland!  44:17 - Seeing Oasis  44:38 - Fast food quiz  46:52 - End of the show question Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Charles Ponzi's scheme (plus a new scam)

    Oct 7

    Charles Ponzi's scheme (plus a new scam)

    Charles Ponzi was down on his luck. In 1919, the Italian immigrant had spent a decade and a half in the U.S. He was looking for a way to get rich and tried his hand at everything — including bookkeeping, sign painting, grocery clerk, dishwasher, and librarian. He caught a lucky break in August, when he received a letter from Europe. In the envelope was an International Reply Coupon, a clever way to prepay for international postage. Ponzi realized he might be able to use these coupons to make his fortune. All he needed was investors. What happened next made him a household name. This is the story of the man behind the eponymous Ponzi scheme — a tale of financial fraud that lives up to its linguistic legacy. (Note: The original version of this episode ran in 2023.) Read Planet Money:  • Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life  • Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletter • Our weekly Indicator round-up newsletter Follow Planet Money:  • Instagram • TikTok • YouTube • Facebook Listen to more Planet Money:  • Our short, daily podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money • Over 1,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App Merch:  • NPR Shop • The Planet Money game, Sell Me A Sasquatch Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. This episode was produced by James Sneed. It was fact checked by Sierra Juarez, mastered by Natasha Branch, and edited by Jess Jiang. It's based on the book Ponzi's Scheme, by Mitchell Zuckoff. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy