Fur & Loathing

People Like Us is a groundbreaking conversation show hosted by award winning journalist Kim Ghattas, bringing people together to connect the dots between today’s Middle East and the world, how it works and why it matters to everyone, wherever they are. Kim talks to film makers, activists, authors, refugees, politicians, a sexologist, exploring a pressing theme in every episode, from Roe v Wade to impunity in Syria and Ukraine, bringing a fresh, distinctive perspective on current events and cultural trends. Anchored in Kim’s home city of Beirut, the show takes a step back from the headlines to discuss the big questions, uncovering surprising connections and the powerful personal stories of the speakers, doers, movers and shakers from across the region, as well as ordinary people doing extraordinary things. People Like Us is THE show that makes sense of the Middle East and the world. Visit peoplelikeuspod.com for more, or follow the show on Instagram and Twitter @peoplelikeuspod. People Like Us is a Project Brazen production. For more fearless storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from geopolitics and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Don’t stay in the dark. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, as well as ad-free listening and early access to new shows. For the latest from Brazen delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters at brazen.fm/newsletters.  Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

The Closer brings you the inside story of deals changing the world, as told by the people who know how it all went down. Understand the human motivations behind groundbreaking business decisions, and learn dealmaking lessons through a deep dive into one deal each week, with host Aimee Keane. The Closer is a Project Brazen production. For more thrilling storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works. From landmark business deals to international espionage and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus to and get exclusive bonus episodes for The Closer and all our shows, as well as ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts. For the latest from Brazen delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters at brazen.fm/newsletters. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Mark Lombardi, a conceptual artist on the cusp of international success, had everything to live for. So why was the 48-year-old found dead, and his death ruled a suicide? Was it the ultimate conceptual art, an afterlife laugh at those who doubted his brilliance? He did, after all, carry business cards eerily portending "death defying acts of art and conspiracy." Or was he ultimately overwhelmed by the subject of his work: the financial networks connecting some of the most powerful and corrupt people on earth? His intricate drawings traced hot money, from Cold War funding to the heroin trade. But his most dogged scrutiny fell on the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, a global money laundry bankrolling fraudsters, smugglers, and CIA operations abroad. Since his death, Lombardi's masterwork on the rogue bank has been held at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Could it be responsible for his demise? The answer can only be found within Lombardi himself. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

For 50 years, Douglas Latchford was the world’s premier expert on Cambodian art, supplying priceless statues to Western museums and rich collectors. But his fame masked a dirty secret. Douglas had colluded with the Khmer Rouge, a genocidal regime, to loot Cambodia’s entire cultural heritage. As the country descended into bloodshed, Douglas stole almost everything. A network of art world cronies were on hand to help him sell these blood statues, including a senior curator at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. When a band of art sleuths get on their case, Douglas and his co-conspirators mount a rearguard action to save themselves. This is a story the art world doesn’t want told. Unlike the Elgin Marbles, and other brewing controversies over stolen art, our story isn’t ancient history. This tale is happening now. For more information, visit dynamitedoug.com. To learn more about looted antiquities held by the world’s most venerated institutions, check out thelootmuseum.com. Dynamite Doug is a Project Brazen production. For more fearless storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Don’t stay in the dark. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, as well as ad-free listening and early access to new shows. For the latest from Brazen delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters at brazen.fm/newsletters. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban regained control of Kabul, nearly 20 years after Coalition Forces had cast them out of power. The takeover sent shockwaves throughout the country and the international community. It forced thousands of Afghans to leave their old lives behind and embark on a hellish journey for survival. In Kabul Falling, Afghans themselves tell you how it happened. You’ll hear how they maneuvered their way through panicked crowds; waded through sewage in a desperate attempt to get into the Kabul airport; withstood beatings and torture; and finally, if they were lucky, boarded a flight into the unknown. You’ll hear stories about big risks, close calls, and unexpected moments of kindness — or luck — that changed everything. Kabul Falling is a Peabody nominated podcast that explores big questions: How does a war end, and who is accountable for the human wreckage left in its wake? How do those involved grapple with the aftermath of the fall and work to rebuild their lives? Kabul Falling is a Project Brazen production. For more fearless storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

This is WHALE HUNTING, a weekly podcast that pulls back the curtain on the hidden worlds of money and power, hosted by investigative journalists Tom Wright and Bradley Hope. Previously long-time reporters for the Wall Street Journal, Tom and Bradley now run Project Brazen, a journalism studio that’s published stories on everything from US Navy corruption to spycraft in Silicon Valley and embezzlement at the heart of Spain’s royal family.  Now, on the Whale Hunting podcast, you can join them as they share what’s got them talking this week, from the headlines to underworld gossip. Each episode will offer something different, but you can expect obscene tales of corruption, insights on the bizarre habits of billionaires, and conversations with reporters, spies, hostage negotiators, cops, authors, and the occasional criminal. Think of it as dropping in on the watercooler chat at Project Brazen’s office.  So join us. Subscribe to Whale Hunting, and find out how the world really works.  For more, or to sign up to our newsletter, visit whalehunting.projectbrazen.com. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/