The Truth of the Matter with Natasha Zouves

Natasha Zouves
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The Truth of the Matter with Natasha Zouves isn’t just another podcast — it’s a fight to uncover what powerful institutions want hidden. From secret human experiments the government carried out on unsuspecting citizens to toxic cover-ups poisoning communities, Emmy and Murrow Award-winning journalist Natasha Zouves brings you the stories people in power don’t want told. Each week, we expose evidence buried in archives, amplify the voices of those who’ve been silenced, and hold the powerful accountable. From radioactive “oatmeal experiments” on children, to cancer causing chemicals destroying farms, to veterans erased from history — these are the stories that matter. This is journalism that refuses to look away. The Truth of the Matter is about transparency, and justice for the people left behind.

  1. 3D AGO

    The Man Secretly Injected With Plutonium After a Car Accident

    Eighteen Americans were secretly injected with plutonium without their knowledge or consent. The first was Ebb Cade, a healthy 55-year-old African American man in Tennessee. After a car accident in March 1945, he expected to have his broken bones set. Instead, he became a test subject. Scientists injected plutonium into his veins, then pulled his teeth and cut pieces of bone from his body to track how the radioactive element spread. Cade eventually escaped the hospital, leaving before he was discharged — and abruptly moved to another state, dying just eight years later. He was only the beginning. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Eileen Welsome, author of "The Plutonium Files," joins Natasha Zouves, host of "The Truth of the Matter," to uncover the story of Cade and the 17 others used in secret government experiments. Why were these patients chosen? What role did Oppenheimer’s Los Alamos play? And how close did America come to burying this history forever? This is the hidden story of the plutonium files — and the Americans turned into test subjects in the name of national security and scientific advancement. The Truth of the Matter with Natasha Zouves isn’t just another podcast — it’s a fight to uncover what powerful institutions want hidden. From secret human experiments the government carried out on unsuspecting citizens to toxic cover-ups poisoning communities, Emmy and Murrow Award-winning journalist Natasha Zouves brings you the stories people in power don’t want told. Each week, we expose evidence buried in archives, amplify the voices of those who’ve been silenced, and hold the powerful accountable. From radioactive “oatmeal experiments” on children, to cancer causing chemicals destroying farms, to veterans erased from history — these are the stories that matter. This is journalism that refuses to look away. The Truth of the Matter is about transparency, and justice for the people left behind.   Connect with host Natasha Zouves   WATCH the St. Louis investigation part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_-G_q3wEc&t=1s   WATCH the St. Louis investigation part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upYvUe6hWEk&t=817s   READ the full St. Louis investigation: https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/military/did-government-poison-st-louis/   You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-of-the-matter-with-natasha-zouves/id1804707066 https://open.spotify.com/show/2iQ85VHlMmBfLBaTtSp8tF   This podcast is put together by: Ryan Kerr Mia Balbin-Cuesta Allie Purser Natasha Zouves         Connect with host Natasha Zouves

    1h 25m

  2. OCT 24

    Did the Government Poison an American City? Inside the Army’s Secret Tests in St. Louis

    In the 1950s and 60s, the U.S. Army sprayed a mystery fog over thousands of Americans who lived in a neighborhood in St. Louis. Mothers shut their windows against it, children ran through it.   The Army later admitted the fog contained zinc cadmium sulfide, a chemical that contains cadmium — now a known human carcinogen. But to this day, the Army does not admit harm.   This is part two of our conversation with Dr. Lisa Martino-Taylor, sociologist and author of Behind the Fog. She tells host of “The Truth of the Matter,” Natasha Zouves, why she believes the experiments in St. Louis were part of a larger program spun out of the Manhattan Project — marked by secrecy, deception, and the use of unwitting Americans as test subjects.   Why was St. Louis chosen? What else might have been in that spray? And why does this researcher believe the truth remains buried in classified government documents?   This is one of the darkest, least-known chapters in American history. And the fight for answers is still unfolding.   The Truth of the Matter with Natasha Zouves isn’t just another podcast — it’s a fight to uncover what powerful institutions want hidden. From secret human experiments the government carried out on unsuspecting citizens to toxic cover-ups poisoning communities, Emmy and Murrow Award-winning journalist Natasha Zouves brings you the stories people in power don’t want told.   Each week, we expose evidence buried in archives, amplify the voices of those who’ve been silenced, and hold the powerful accountable. From radioactive “oatmeal experiments” on children, to cancer causing chemicals destroying farms, to veterans erased from history — these are the stories that matter.   This is journalism that refuses to look away. The Truth of the Matter is about transparency, and justice for the people left behind.     Connect with host Natasha Zouves   WATCH the St. Louis investigation part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_-G_q3wEc&t=1s   WATCH the St. Louis investigation part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upYvUe6hWEk&t=817s   READ the full St. Louis investigation: https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/military/did-government-poison-st-louis/   You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-of-the-matter-with-natasha-zouves/id1804707066 https://open.spotify.com/show/2iQ85VHlMmBfLBaTtSp8tF   This podcast is put together by: Ryan Kerr Mia Balbin-Cuesta Allie Purser Natasha Zouves         Connect with host Natasha Zouves

    1h 25m

  3. OCT 10

    U.S. Government’s Secret Human Experiments: Radioactive Oatmeal, Pregnant Women, and a Mystery Fog

    From radioactive oatmeal fed to children, to pregnant women given a radioactive cocktail, to chemical spraying over St. Louis, Dr. Martino-Taylor connects the dots and reveals how she believes these were not isolated incidents, but part of a program spun out of the Manhattan Project — marked by secrecy, deception, and the targeting of the most vulnerable.   Dr. Lisa Martino-Taylor, sociologist, researcher and author of Behind the Fog, joins Natasha Zouves, host of “The Truth of the Matter,” for a groundbreaking conversation about one of the darkest, least-known chapters in American history: secret human experiments carried out by the U.S. government.   Why St. Louis? What did researchers hope to achieve? And what does this history tell us about government transparency, ethics, and the human cost of secrecy?   The Truth of the Matter with Natasha Zouves isn’t just another podcast — it’s a fight to uncover what powerful institutions want hidden. From secret human experiments the government carried out on unsuspecting citizens to toxic cover-ups poisoning communities, Emmy and Murrow Award-winning journalist Natasha Zouves brings you the stories people in power don’t want told.   Each week, we expose evidence buried in archives, amplify the voices of those who’ve been silenced, and hold the powerful accountable. From radioactive “oatmeal experiments” on children, to cancer causing chemicals destroying farms, to veterans erased from history — these are the stories that matter.   This is journalism that refuses to look away. The Truth of the Matter is about transparency, and justice for the people left behind.   Connect with host Natasha Zouves   WATCH the St. Louis investigation part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_-G_q3wEc&t=1s   WATCH the St. Louis investigation part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upYvUe6hWEk&t=817s   READ the full St. Louis investigation: https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/military/did-government-poison-st-louis/   You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-of-the-matter-with-natasha-zouves/id1804707066 https://open.spotify.com/show/2iQ85VHlMmBfLBaTtSp8tF   This podcast is put together by: Ryan Kerr Mia Balbin-Cuesta Allie Purser Natasha Zouves

    37 min

  4. JUN 16

    “The Mission That Broke Me—And How I Came Back." Decorated Combat Pilot, Major Glenn Ignazio

    He served on the razor’s edge of danger, flying combat rescue missions to extract downed pilots and special forces deep behind enemy lines. But it was one failed mission that left a mark no medal could erase. In this episode of The Truth of the Matter, host Natasha Zouves sits down with Major Glenn Ignazio for a gripping, unflinching conversation. Maj. Ignazio opens up about the moment he couldn’t save a life, the high-altitude accident that ended his flying career, and the silent battles he fought long after the missions were over — PTSD, addiction to prescription opioids, and the collapse of everything he once knew. From the cockpit to the edge of despair and back again, Ignazio shares how he rebuilt his life from rock bottom, and how he's now leading a different kind of rescue mission: helping fellow veterans find purpose and healing. This is a raw, powerful story about failure, redemption, and the unseen toll of service. “The Truth of the Matter" goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories shaping our world.   These stories are more than just hidden truths—they’re blueprints for navigating our own lives, offering rare insights into the human experience and lessons learned. You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-of-the-matter-with-natasha-zouves/id1804707066 https://open.spotify.com/show/2iQ85VHlMmBfLBaTtSp8tF   Connect with host Natasha Zouves

    33 min

  5. MAY 29

    She Survived a Violent Attack — Then Became an FBI Agent

    Jennifer Coffindaffer shares the brutal, life-altering attack she survived as a college freshman — and how that trauma ignited a fire to protect others and seek justice, setting her on a path towards decades in the FBI and law enforcement. This episode deals with sexual assault, listener discretion advised. In this episode, “Truth of the Matter” host Natasha Zouves sits down with Coffindaffer for a searingly personal conversation — former FBI agent, counterintelligence and counterterrorism expert. From excelling in the grueling training grounds of Quantico, to going head-to-head with violent gang members and apprehending dangerous criminals, she pulls back the curtain on the physical and mental toll of the job. She speaks candidly about suffering a concussion during combat training and the reality of sexual harassment in law enforcement. As one of the few women in her position, she reveals what it took to not just survive in that environment, but to carve out a place of her own.  This is a raw, riveting conversation about resilience, justice and the human cost of service. “The Truth of the Matter" podcast goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories shaping our world. These stories are more than just hidden truths—they’re blueprints for navigating our own lives, offering rare insights into the human experience and lessons learned. You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts.   Connect with host Natasha Zouves

    36 min

  6. MAY 22

    AI Is Coming for Your Job. Here’s What To Do Now, With Simon Willison.

    He's one of the most thoughtful voices in the world of Artificial Intelligence. In this episode, “Truth of the Matter” host Natasha Zouves sits down with the pioneering technologist and co-creator of Django, Simon Willison. As AI accelerates at breakneck speed, Willison helps us cut through the hype to confront the real stakes: Which jobs are most at risk in this new era, and which might actually thrive? How do we “AI-proof” our own lives and careers when the ground is shifting under our feet? In this wide-ranging conversation, Willison pulls back the curtain on the future we’re building, often faster than we can fully understand it. From disinformation campaigns to automations’ quiet creep into white-collar work, he explains what keeps him up at night — and why the U.S. may be flying blind if global competitors like China reject regulatory guardrails. This is a frank, fascinating conversation about power, risk and the responsibility we all carry as we shape the future of intelligence itself. “The Truth of the Matter" podcast goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories shaping our world. These stories are more than just hidden truths—they’re blueprints for navigating our own lives, offering rare insights into the human experience and lessons learned. You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts.   Connect with host Natasha Zouves

    1h 1m

  7. MAY 15

    Erin Brockovich Isn’t Done Fighting — And She’s Naming Names

    Many of us know Julia Roberts' portrayal of Erin Brockovich's fight for justice in that Oscar-winning film. In this episode, “Truth of the Matter” host Natasha Zouves sits down with the real Brockovich, the outspoken advocate, environmental crusader and best selling author. In a deeply personal conversation, Brockovich opens up about the values her father instilled in her — the roots of her resilience and sense of justice. She shares what it’s like to carry the weight of so many environmental battles, candidly admitting to moments of depression and moral fatigue, and what keeps her going despite it all. She also reflects on Julia Roberts’ iconic portrayal of her — what the film got right and how it shaped the public’s understanding of who she really is beyond the high heels and bold talk. From poisoned water supplies to corporate accountability, Brockovich lays out the biggest environmental and human rights challenges facing Americans today — and why you don’t need a law degree to make a difference. WATCH Erin Brockovich in Natasha's Emmy Nominated Special, “Growing Broke: Forever Chemicals in America’s Heartland" “The Truth of the Matter" podcast goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories shaping our world. These stories are more than just hidden truths—they’re blueprints for navigating our own lives, offering rare insights into the human experience and lessons learned. You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts. Connect with host Natasha Zouves

    23 min

  8. MAY 8

    Michio Kaku: Secrets of the Multiverse, UAPs and Elon Musk's Mission to Settle Mars

    He's considered one of the most brilliant scientific minds of our time: Dr. Michio Kaku — renowned astrophysicist, futurist, and co-founder of string theory, sits down with “Truth of the Matter” host Natasha Zouves.   He explores Elon Musk’s bold timeline to settle Mars — and the extraordinary technologies that could make it possible, including satellites designed to melt the planet’s polar ice caps and create life-sustaining water, literally terraforming the red planet.   Professor Kaku also weighs in on the future of artificial intelligence — what excites him, and what he believes could become one of the greatest threats we face. He shares powerful insights into the rise of UAPs and what action he believes humanity must take in response.   And finally, we dive into one of the most provocative ideas in modern physics: the multiverse. Could there be countless versions of you, of all of us, running in parallel universes we may never touch? Dr. Kaku breaks down the science.   This is a conversation about the future — of space, technology, and the very nature of reality.   WATCH Harvard Professor Avi Loeb discuss crypto-terrestrials and the possibility that aliens might already be present on Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAk4bLlYYmM   “The Truth of the Matter goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories shaping our world.   These stories are more than just hidden truths—they’re blueprints for navigating our own lives, offering rare insights into the human experience and lessons learned. You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts.   Connect with host Natasha Zouves

    1h 1m
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About

The Truth of the Matter with Natasha Zouves isn’t just another podcast — it’s a fight to uncover what powerful institutions want hidden. From secret human experiments the government carried out on unsuspecting citizens to toxic cover-ups poisoning communities, Emmy and Murrow Award-winning journalist Natasha Zouves brings you the stories people in power don’t want told. Each week, we expose evidence buried in archives, amplify the voices of those who’ve been silenced, and hold the powerful accountable. From radioactive “oatmeal experiments” on children, to cancer causing chemicals destroying farms, to veterans erased from history — these are the stories that matter. This is journalism that refuses to look away. The Truth of the Matter is about transparency, and justice for the people left behind.

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