American Criminal

Growing up in Memphis, George Kelly Barnes starts dabbling in crime from a young age. First he blackmails his father, then he grows a successful bootlegging business for himself. But how did this small-time crook earn one of the most famous names in criminal history? And why don't we talk about his most famous crime? To listen to all four episodes of 'Machine Gun Kelly' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AmericanCriminal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1930s, America was in the midst of an epidemic that no one could stop. But it wasn’t an illness we were up against, it was a crime: kidnapping. Every year, thousands of people were abducted and held for ransom while law enforcement struggled to deal with the massive problem. Watching all this go down was a small-time bootlegger turned bank robber: George “Machine Gun” Kelly. And he wanted in. Listen to American Criminal: Machine Gun Kelly wherever you get your podcasts, or to get early, ad-free access to the entire season first, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at Americancriminal.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Until 2020, the world had mostly forgotten all about the McDonald's Monopoly scandal that rocked the country. But like so many modern true crime stories, this one was revived thanks to a simple post on Reddit. We chat with James Lee Hernandez, co-director of the McMillions documentary series, about freedom of information requests, late night interviews, and getting the FBI on board. To listen to all three episodes of 'The Great McDonald's Monopoly Heist' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AmericanCriminal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cautionary Tales is the podcast that explores history's biggest missteps,and asks what we can learn from them. Whether it's a botched crime, a film flop, or a catastrophic plane crash, there is always a lesson. Each episode brings together storytelling, social-science analysis, and carefully crafted soundscapes. In "Number Fever: How Pepsi Nearly Went Pop", host Tim Harford explores the fallout from one of the most disastrous company promotions in history. When Pepsi accidentally printed winning numbers in 800,000 bottle caps, instead of two, chaos reigned. Thousands were told they were about to be lifted out of poverty, only to be informed it was all a mistake. People fight for what they've been promised, both in court and in the streets, resulting in several deaths. This episode looks at other examples of when company promotions have made mistakes, or customers have exploited poorly worded smallprint. Is the customer always right, or does the house always win? Listen to Cautionary Tales wherever you get podcasts. (Link: https://lnk.to/CTAmCriminal) To listen to all three episodes of 'The Great McDonald's Monopoly Heist' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AmericanCriminal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2001, the FBI receive an anonymous tip that the McDonald's Monopoly promotions have been rigged for years, and they set out to investigate. But what seems like a joke case at first soon turns deadly serious. And just when the story breaks, history happens, and a fast food competition doesn't seem so important anymore. To listen to all three episodes of 'The Great McDonald's Monopoly Heist' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AmericanCriminal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices