Fiasco

Pushkin Industries•www.pushkin.fm

Host Leon Neyfakh transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of our country's most pivotal historical events, bringing to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present.

Benghazi unpacks the 2012 attack in Libya that left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Chris Stevens—and the ensuing political storm, which raised questions about America’s role in the world, established a playbook to weaponize attention in the social media age, and ultimately changed the course of U.S. history.

Iran-Contra exposes a secret war, a secret deal, and a scandal that threatened to destroy Ronald Reagan’s presidency—until it didn’t.

Bush v. Gore recounts what happened during the contested 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush, and the extraordinary legal battle that unfolded in Florida.

Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco: Benghazi, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Fiasco show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.

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Episodes

Bush v. Gore: Episode 3 – Ballot With Butterfly Wings

What happened in Palm Beach County when a bitterly-contested national election came to town–and who paid the price? For a full list of sources, check out the Fiasco website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 23, 2024•56 min•Season 2Ep. 3

Bush v. Gore: Episode 2 – Real Numbers

On election night 2000 an ad hoc network of statisticians, news producers, TV anchors, and political operatives tried to figure out what the hell was going on in Florida–and failed spectacularly. For a full list of sources, check out the Fiasco website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 16, 2024•51 min•Season 2Ep. 2

Bush v. Gore: Episode 1 – Homestead

How the largely forgotten race between Al Gore and George W. Bush roiled Florida long before anyone had ever heard of a hanging chad. For a full list of sources, check out the Fiasco website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 16, 2024•52 min•Season 2Ep. 1

Trailer: Bush v. Gore

Bush v. Gore recounts what happened during the contested 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush, and the extraordinary legal battle that unfolded in Florida in the aftermath of Election Day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 15, 2024•3 min

The AIDS Crisis: Episode 8 - No Harm

The Clinton administration promises a new approach to the AIDS epidemic — but gets bogged down in the politics of sex, drugs, and morality. You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/fiascopod If you like this series, mark your calendars: a new season of Fiasco is coming July 27, 2023, exclusively on Audible. Fiasco: Vigilante tells the story of a shooting that took place in 1984 on the New York City subway, leaving four Bronx teenagers gravely wo...

Jun 09, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 8

The AIDS Crisis: Episode 7 - Lazarus

After years of frustration and despair, scientists finally make a breakthrough. You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/fiascopod If you like this series, mark your calendars: a new season of Fiasco is coming July 27, 2023, exclusively on Audible. Fiasco: Vigilante tells the story of a shooting that took place in 1984 on the New York City subway, leaving four Bronx teenagers gravely wounded and turning a man named Bernie Goetz into a national f...

Jun 09, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 7

The AIDS Crisis: Episode 6 - Drugs into Bodies

A new coalition of AIDS activists takes on the American medical establishment, pushing for access to clinical trials and experimental drugs. You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/fiascopod If you like this series, mark your calendars: a new season of Fiasco is coming July 27, 2023, exclusively on Audible. Fiasco: Vigilante tells the story of a shooting that took place in 1984 on the New York City subway, leaving four Bronx teenagers gravely w...

Jun 09, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 6

The AIDS Crisis: Episode 5 - Leading Men

One of the most famous actors in Hollywood tries to keep his diagnosis under wraps - and ends up becoming the face of AIDS in America. You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/fiascopod If you like this series, mark your calendars: a new season of Fiasco is coming July 27, 2023, exclusively on Audible. Fiasco: Vigilante tells the story of a shooting that took place in 1984 on the New York City subway, leaving four Bronx teenagers gravely wounded...

Jun 09, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 5

The AIDS Crisis: Episode 4 - Blood

AIDS spreads through the country's blood supply, endangering people with hemophilia and leading to a breakthrough about the cause of the disease. You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/fiascopod If you like this series, mark your calendars: a new season of Fiasco is coming July 27, 2023, exclusively on Audible. Fiasco: Vigilante tells the story of a shooting that took place in 1984 on the New York City subway, leaving four Bronx teenagers grav...

Jun 09, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 4

The AIDS Crisis: Episode 3 - The Baths

This episode explores the intense debate in 1980s San Francisco over closing gay bathhouses due to the emerging AIDS epidemic. It highlights the conflict between public health officials like Dr. Mervin Silverman and gay rights advocates like Cleve Jones, who feared that such closures would erode hard-won civil liberties and fuel conservative anti-gay sentiment. The narrative tracks the struggle to contain the disease while preserving a crucial symbol of gay liberation, ultimately revealing the profound grief and loss experienced by the community.

Jun 09, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 3

The AIDS Crisis: Episode 2 - How to Have Sex in an Epidemic

As the AIDS crisis intensified in early 1980s New York, this episode chronicles the grassroots response from the gay community. It highlights the work of individuals like Sean Strube, Larry Mass, Richard Berkowitz, Michael Callan, and Larry Kramer, who sought to understand, inform, and care for those affected when medical science and government largely ignored the growing epidemic. The narrative covers the initial confusion and denial, the controversial debates over sexual practices, the founding of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), and the pivotal Denver Principles that asserted the rights of people with AIDS.

Jun 09, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 2

The AIDS Crisis: Episode 1 - Gay Plague

This episode recounts the initial encounter with the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s from the perspective of patients and doctors. It highlights the experience of Bobby Campbell, one of the first publicly known patients, and Dr. Jeffrey Green, an infectious disease specialist who saw early cases. The episode explores the mystery surrounding the disease, the initial assumption it was a "gay disease," the challenges doctors faced, and the beginning of the CDC's investigation amidst budget cuts and public indifference.

Jun 09, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Introducing Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis

From the co-creators of Slow Burn , Fiasco is a narrative podcast that transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of America’s most pivotal historical events. Using original interviews with dozens of key players, host Leon Neyfakh brings to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present day. The new season of Fiasco goes deep on the AIDS epidemic in America, with a special focus on the early years of the crisis, when a diagnosis was tantamount to a deat...

Jun 09, 2023•2 min

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