Podcasts You Should Listen To

I thought I would switch things up today and share some podcasts today. I’m going to include series and a few specific episodes that stood out to me over the past few months. Some of these podcasts are new and some are old!

I’m going to include the Spotify descriptions but I’m the worst at not spoiling things.

Series

A Killing on the Cape

“It was a crime that rocked an idyllic seaside town in Cape Cod -- the 2002 murder of Christa Worthington, who was found stabbed to death with her 2-year-old daughter, unharmed at her side. What came next was a three-year search for her killer that would involve unorthodox steps by police, a lengthy list of potential suspects, and an entire town under suspicion. Christa's trash collector, Christopher McCowen, would eventually be convicted of the crime, but his trial would raise questions about the evidence, investigative methods, and whether racial prejudice played a role. Now, ABC Radio and "20/20" take a look at all the evidence and for the first time ever, hear directly from Christopher McCowen, to examine whether the right man is behind bars.”

Broken Harts

“Markis, Hannah, Devonte, Abigail, Jeremiah, and Sierra Hart—six beautiful black children, ranging in age from 12 to 19—were all adopted by Sarah and Jennifer Hart, both white. On Jen’s Facebook page, it looked as if they were the perfect blended family, even earning the nickname “Hart Tribe” from friends. Then, on March 26, 2018, the family’s GMC Yukon was found belly-up on the rocks below California’s Highway 1. The news of the murder-suicide shocked their friends and made national headlines, leaving many wondering what possibly led to the fatal crash. Could these lives have been saved? Broken Harts, a new podcast from Glamour and HowStuffWorks, investigates this question with more than 30 never-before-heard interviews. Cohosts and Glamour editors Justine Harman and Elisabeth Egan and reporter Lauren Smiley follow the family’s journey from South Dakota through Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, and finally to that 100-foot cliff in California.”

Hell and Gone

“14 years ago, Rebekah Gould was brutally murdered in a small town in Arkansas. Now Catherine Townsend has moved back to the Ozarks with one mission: to bring her killer to justice.”

Doctor Death

“We’re at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. We trust the person at the other end of that scalpel. We trust the hospital. We trust the system. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Which begs the question: who - or what - is that system meant to protect? From Wondery, the network behind the hit podcast Dirty John, DR. DEATH is a story about a charming surgeon, 33 patients and a spineless system. Reported and hosted by Laura Beil.”

Dirty John

“Debra Newell is a successful interior designer. She meets John Meehan, a handsome man who seems to check all the boxes: attentive, available, just back from a year in Iraq with Doctors Without Borders. But her family doesn’t like John, and they get entangled in an increasingly complex web of love, deception, forgiveness, denial, and ultimately, survival. Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Times.”

Monster: The Zodiac Killer

“From Tenderfoot TV and HowStuffWorks, 'Monster: The Zodiac Killer' dives into one of the most notorious, unsolved serial killing sprees in history. Despite sketches, cyphers and taunting letters to the press, the question still remains: who is the Zodiac? While you're here, don't forget to listen to Season 1, 'Atlanta Monster', which tells the true story of one of Atlanta’s darkest secrets, almost 40 years later.”

Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.

“Football star Aaron Hernandez went from the bright lights of the Super Bowl to a convicted murderer in a few years. The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team, best known for its investigation of the sexual abuse scandal inside the Catholic Church, takes a hard look at the crisis facing football through the lens of Aaron Hernandez’s life and terrible crimes. From Wondery, the podcast team that brought you Dr. Death, Spotlight asks: Did a brain badly damaged by football contribute to Hernandez’s violent behavior? Did he keep secrets about his sexuality that collided with a hyper-masculine football culture? Did elite coaches and teams look the other way as Hernandez was spiraling out of control? Spotlight uncovered new documents, audio, and interviews to go deep into the story of what happened to Aaron Hernandez, and what it means for those of us who cheer on a violent game.”

I, Survivor

“Women get assaulted. Women get attacked. Women get harassed, manipulated, intimidated, but women are survivors. Time and time again, she persists, even against all odds. Hosts Jenna Brister and Wagatwe Wanjuki share their stories, and those of the men and women who fought back, who won, and who live rising above the trauma of their experiences.”

Five Minute Mental Health

“Five minutes of mental health with Hayley Dobbs. Hayley is an entrepreneur, new podcaster and mental health advocate from the UK. She knows first hand how mental health can affect your day to day life and wants to share every tip and trick she has learnt to help make your journey easier.”

Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids

“Travel back in time to remember the good, bad, and awkward parts of growing up. Recorded live on stage, adults share the weird and wonderful things they wrote as children and teens. Embarrassing, moving, and hilarious, these readings are powerful reminders of who we used to be”

Legal Wars

“The courtroom can be a battlefield over money, people’s rights, and even their lives. For some cases, the consequences can affect us long after the verdict is read.Based on extensive interviews and court transcripts, Wondery’s new podcast LEGAL WARS puts you inside the jury box of some of the most famous court cases in American history, including Hulk Hogan’s courtroom wrestling match with Gawker, the battle for free speech on the internet, and the Rodney King trial that set off the LA Riots. Host Hill Harper, actor and Harvard Law School graduate, brings you the drama, the larger-than-life characters, and the real-world impact these cases had on our society.”

Episodes I Loved

I have separated episodes by series!

Stuff Mom Never Told You: The Singlehood Stigma

“More people are delaying or avoiding marriage, and also raising children outside of wedlock. Are single people penalized? In this classic episode, learn more about the singlehood stigma and how it impacts all the single ladies the most.”

Stuff Mom Never Told You: Mass Shootings are a Feminist Issue

“Like many mass shooters, the Parkland shooter had a history of troubling behavior against women.”

This podcast literally made me think for months about this topic!

Stuff You Should Know: The Insidious Abuse of Stalking

“Stalking has only recently been recognized for what it is – a profound form of psychological abuse where the victim’s life is ‘infected’ by the stalker, as one survivor put it. Stalking can go on for years, and in some cases may be the prelude to murder.”

Stuff You Should Know: How Schizophrenia Works

“Up to 24 million people worldwide have schizophrenia. Despite the vast amounts of research, the disorder remains mysterious. In this episode, Josh and Chuck delve into the nature of schizophrenia, from the history of the disorder to the latest research.”

Stuff You Should Know: How Grief Works

“You can probably name the five stages of grief - from denial to acceptance - they've become pretty well known since being proposed in 1969. But later researchers are finding that grief is rarely that cut and dried, and it may not be as widely experienced as we once thought. Join Josh and Chuck as they look at the sad science of grief.”

Goal Digger: The Truth About Therapy (and if it’s right for you)

“It’s time to talk about mental health and normalize therapy. Today’s guest, Elyse Snipes, is a marriage and family therapist skilled at bringing practical solutions to everyday problems with a little creative magic and a whole lot of truth. She works with her patients to unlock their limiting beliefs and build a healthier narrative that makes room for healing, connection, and personal freedom… And she does it all from her restored 1953 vintage trailer parked on the beach. I invited Elyse on the show because as entrepreneurs, we’re welcoming a bonus layer of expectation, stress, anxiety, and decision-making into our lives, and in order to be successful in our businesses, and our personal lives, we need tools to manage these often challenging hurdles. I love Elyse’s mission to normalize therapy, and do it a little different than I’ve ever seen before. If you have questions about therapy, or if you think you might benefit from working with a therapist but you don’t even know where to begin, Elyse will walk you through it in this episode”