Greatest True-Crime Stories Debuts; Underwater Takes A Deep Dive; Drilled Adds Climate Change Warriors

 iHeart debuts The Greatest True-Crime Stories Ever Told

  iHeartPodcasts and Diversion Audio have debuted “The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told,” a new podcast hosted by true-crime writer Mary Kay McBrayer. Each week, McBrayer will walk the audience through "the most riveting true-crime stories ever told."

That's a tall order to fill.

iHeart is full of confidence: "Not only are these stories deeply researched, but many episodes often include interviews with authors and experts on the cases."

 The true-crime genre too often takes gleeful fascination in crimes against women. Diversion has identified stories in which women are not the victim, but instead are our protagonists. These women can be the perpetrators, such as the murderers or scammers, but may also be the heroes of the story, such as the lawyer, detective, scientist, or family of the victim who never stopped fighting for answers. 

iHeart tells us that "McBrayer is not just concerned with the 'what' of each case, but the 'why?' This podcast delves into the good, the bad, the difficult, and all the nuances that can be uncovered. Because these are the stories we need to know to understand the intersection of society, justice, and the fascinating workings of the human psyche."

  Follow the podcast HERE.

 A new episode & Jason Derulo spills the beans on the "Underwater" origin.
Starring Jason Derulo and Alexandra Shipp, Underwater creates an innovative and immersive listening experience in its eight episodes, blending a seamless narrative, original music, and superb voice acting.

This week's episode takes us back to Los Angeles as we learn what made Ana flee to the island in the first place. The story then continues on the island, where Nico waits in jail and Ana comes by to seek answers to her growing list of questions. Ana walks Nico through her troubled past, and Nico becomes more determined than ever to keep Ana safe. Check out a clip from the episode, where Nico and Ana reunite at the island’s jail HERE, and a snippet of Jason Derulo’s song ‘Better Off Alone’ HERE.

If you haven't listened to this story yet, here's a summary to catch you up: Nico works for nightlife mogul Marcus, whose clubs are window dressing for his criminal activity. If anyone else ordered Nico to return to the island where he’s from and find a woman staying there, he would have refused, but he owes Marcus too much… Nico arrives at the island and checks into the high-end resort Destino where his target Ana is known to be staying. Nico’s got plenty of experience with this kind of gig, and he’s confident his charm will soon have Ana wrapped around his finger. But everything changes the moment he meets her. Because Nico has finally met his match.

What ensues is a passionate and dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, and not even Nico and Ana know where the deception ends and their real feelings begin. As their dark pasts become present threats, they must decide once and for all: will they destroy each other or give each other something to live for?

Also, check out Jason Derulo telling the unexpected backstory of how “Underwater” came to be HERE. What was intended to be an animated story about two polar bears in love evolved into the innovative and immersive listening experience that is “Underwater,” a groundbreaking event at the cutting edge of audio entertainment.

 

 Drilled Climate Podcast Adds Reporters & Journalists

 It's a positive sign in the fight against climate denialism and obstructionism that the Drilled podcast is adding resources to do battle with governments and the fossil fuel industry. 

Drilled, the global climate reporting network has announced three new hires: Senior Editor Alleen Brown, previously a staff reporter at The Intercept whose reporting on state and corporate repression of Indigenous-led Dakota Access Pipeline opponents at Standing Rock has been cited in civil rights cases; Senior Editor and Writer Mary Annaïse Heglar, former Hot Take co-host known for her essays that dissect and interrogate the climate crisis; and Senior Editor and Reporter Molly Taft, who won a 2023 SEAL Environmental Award for their work at Earther.

Additionally, the company is expanding its global reporting network with two investigative journalists. Jason Pinas is an investigative reporter in Suriname where he covers government corruption and the oil and gas industry as it grows in the region. Estacio Valoi is a seasoned investigative journalist in Mozambique where he has spent many years reporting on the government, the fossil fuel industry, and environmental and human rights abuses.

"I'm thrilled to get to work with some of the people I've long admired for doing the most creative thinking on climate in expanding our coverage, not just into new countries but new topics and formats as well," Drilled founder and executive editor Amy Westervelt said.

In addition to its award-winning climate podcasts (Damages, Drilled, and Inherited), Drilled produces long form investigative stories, essays, blogs, and data-driven reports all geared toward helping the public understand how climate obstruction has worked and how to overcome it.

The climate change battle is heating up.