The Professor: Hunting for the Mafia's Missing Masterpiece: Recent Episodes
Brazen
William Veres is in trouble. In 2018 he was arrested following the largest ever investigation by the Italian police’s art squad. They accuse him of running a pan-European art-smuggling ring with ties to the Sicilian mafia. He is alleged to have stolen $40 million worth of art and antiquities from Italy. Charged with 14 counts, including money laundering, forgery, wire fraud and conspiracy, he faces a jail term of up to 20 years.
But he has a plan to get out of trouble. In this four-part podcast, host Simon Willis follows him as he puts that plan into action. It’s a story that takes listeners deep into the underworld, and into the dark heart of the most famous criminal organization of them all – Cosa Nostra.
It is a story of drug dealers, hitmen, smugglers, spies – even a corrupt prime minister. And in the middle of it all is William Veres’s quest to save himself. How? By solving the coldest cold case in the history of art crime – the theft of Caravaggio’s Nativity.
The Professor is a series for Hidden Worlds, the home of unbelievable true stories and gripping investigations into shadowy places.
Stay subscribed to Hidden Worlds and get brand new series delivered to your favorite podcast app year-round. One podcast, endless stories.
For more, visit brazen.fm/hidden-worlds.
This week on Brazen Presents, Project Brazen co-founder Tom Wright talks with Zeke Faux about his investigation into the wild world of crypto, and his new book on the subject, Number Go Up.
In 2021, cryptocurrency entered the mainstream. Investment funds were buying it, celebrities were endorsing it. But Zeke, an investigative reporter, couldn't help questioning – what if it was all just a confidence game of epic proportions? In Number Go Up, he shares the story of his global quest to try and answer this question – and how, in 2022, he had a front row set when the bubble suddenly burst.
In this episode, Zeke and Tom sit discuss some of the book's crazy details and the ultra-wealthy characters he came across during his investigation, including former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, now on trial for fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, the shadowy Tether exec Giancarlo Devasini, and Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky, recently charged with charged with fraud and market manipulation by US authorities.
Number Go Up is out now, and available at all good bookshops.
This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a special preview of Spy Valley: An Engineer's Nuclear Betrayal. This new series uncovers Silicon Valley’s origins as a laboratory for espionage.
At the dawn of the hi-tech age, Moscow’s spies opened up shop in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. In this podcast, you’ll get to know the group of FBI spy hunters who assembled to stop them—and solve the case of a lifetime.
Hosted by national security journalist Zach Dorfman, Spy Valley will walk you through a maze of technology theft, double agents, and unbelievable events that put an American engineer at the center of it all.
There are new episodes of Spy Valley out now. To keep listening, search for Spy Valley: An Engineer's Nuclear Betrayal, wherever you get your podcasts.
To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app, or visit brazen.fm/plus to subscribe on other platforms.
This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a special preview of the first episode of Ritually, a brand new Brazen podcast exploring what spirituality looks like for our secular world.
Join journalist-turned-guinea pig Nelufar Hedayat as she tries a new ritual in every episode. From sacred readings of Harry Potter to tarot cards, Nelufar dives in with the help of a different spiritual guide each week to see if these practices can actually make us feel better. In episode one, Nelufar struggles with patriarchal interpretations of Islam and decides to enlist the help of feminist spiritual practitioner Sarah Zaltash. She tries a new ritual to deepen her connection to Islam: following the daily call to prayer. It’s a practice that unites 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. But this version is different — radical, actually! — because it’s in a woman’s voice.
There are new episodes of Ritually out now. To keep listening, search for Ritually, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app or at brazen.fm/plus.
For more, visit ritually/fm.
In May, Project Brazen released a podcast about Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal correspondent who was arrested by Russian authorities back in March. Evan was falsely accused of espionage, and he’s being held in a Moscow prison until his trial date in August.
In that episode, we explored questions around press freedom, journalist safety and security, and the future of foreign correspondence in an increasingly polarized and hostile world. For this episode, reporter Neha Wadekar spoke to another journalist - one who probably can relate to Evan’s situation better than anyone.
Jason Rezaian moved to Tehran in 2009 and became the Washington Post correspondent and Tehran bureau chief there. In 2014, Jason and his wife - who was also a journalist - were arrested on charges of espionage. Jason was held for 544 days and convicted of espionage, before finally being released and returning to the United States.
We interviewed Jason about the similarities and differences in the two cases and asked him to share a message for Evan Gershkovich.
This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a special preview from our new series of The Closer — the podcast that tells the inside story of deals that changed the world.
The Closer returns this summer with six dramatic new stories of groundbreaking deals. An epic fight from soccer's biggest stars, a private equity redemption story, the end of a toy empire, and so much more.
In episode one, The Closer takes a look at the US Women's National Soccer Team. It’s among the most decorated teams in the game but, until recently, it was paid a fraction of what the men took home. When the players decided to take up the fight for equal pay, they turned to sports attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who built a career out of representing some of the most high-profile athletes in labor disputes with professional leagues. He takes us inside the team’s strategy and reveals how they got the deal done.
To keep listening, search for The Closer wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts to unlock new episodes before everyone else, as well ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content.
This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing a special preview of the first episode of Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe, Project Brazen’s podcast that takes you inside the hidden world of cocaine.
In this six-part podcast series from Project Brazen, host Mitchell Prothero explores Europe’s cocaine crisis through the dramatic stories of cartel leaders, cops, journalists, and the victims caught in the middle. From RPG attacks on newspaper offices to the slaughter of entire families, the war on drugs has arrived on Europe’s shores. And a lot of people are making a lot of dirty money. Reporting from Antwerp and Amsterdam, Project Brazen goes deep inside this crazy under-reported story.
There are new episodes of Gateway out now. To keep listening, search for Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app.
For more, visit brazen.fm/gateway.
This week on Brazen Presents, we’re bringing you a special bonus interview with the host and lead reporter of Brazen’s latest podcast: GATEWAY: Cocaine, Murder, & Dirty Money in Europe.
Launching 5 June 2023, GATEWAY is hosted by journalist Mitchell Prothero, and in this bonus episode he shares the inside story of the new six-part series exploring Europe’s cocaine crisis through the dramatic stories of cartel leaders, cops, journalists, and the victims caught in the middle. From RPG attacks on newspaper offices to the slaughter of entire families, the war on drugs has arrived on Europe’s shores. And a lot of people are making a lot of dirty money.
To listen to episode one, search for GATEWAY wherever you listen to podcasts.
Plus, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts and get early access to new episodes, along with ad-free listening and bonus content from the show.
www.brazen.fm/gateway
A Ukrainian refugee shares the story of his fraught escape from Russian-occupied Kherson.
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A strategically important port in the south of Ukraine near the Black Sea, Kherson was the first major city to fall into Russian hands in the early days of the war. But last week, after more than eight months of occupation, Russia withdrew its forces and Ukrainian soldiers entered the city, greeted by cheering locals. It’s a triumphant moment for Ukraine, but along with the celebrations, there’s a long road ahead to restoring normalcy.
Around 300,000 people lived there before the invasion, but Ukrainian authorities estimate that more than half have now fled. As they share their stories, we’re beginning to get a fuller picture of what life looks like for the Ukrainians trapped behind Russian lines.
In this interview, Alex, a Ukrainian refugee, speaks with producers Susie Armitage and Alex Gendler about his experience under occupation, and what it took to escape.
Thanks for listening. You can find “Resistance: Stories From Ukraine” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
Make sure to subscribe to Brazen Presents for more – and, as always, you can follow our latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting.
www.projectbrazen.com
This week on Brazen Presents, we share an exclusive listen to episode one of Corinna and the King, a new eight-part series from Project Brazen and PRX. You can find the full series by searching for Corinna and The King, wherever you get your podcasts.
It’s February 2004, and 39-year-old businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein attends an aristocratic hunting party in the Spanish countryside. The host? Juan Carlos I, the king of Spain. An expert in guns, Corinna catches the king’s attention, and he later invites her for lunch at the Madrid hunting lodge Corinna would come to call their casita. The king makes his intentions clear — he might be married, but he wants to be more than friends. Soon after, hundreds of hand-written letters and bouquets of flowers arrive at Corinna’s door. But as her romance with Juan Carlos intensifies, she discovers a darker side to the palace, hidden from the public.
Thanks for listening. You can find Corinna and The King and the Spanish-language version, Corinna y El Rey, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to subscribe and for more information visit: www.corinnaandtheking.com
This week on Brazen Presents, we share the trailer for Corinna and the King, a new eight-part series from Project Brazen and PRX.
When Corinna, a worldly and well-connected businesswoman, fell in love with Juan Carlos I, the King of Spain, he seemed too big to fail. Their secret romance stretched across continents, but its unraveling would open a window into a dangerous world of greed, corruption, and crime. Vast pools of hidden wealth; international espionage and conspiracy; scandal, elephant hunting, and unstoppable lust… all tracing back to one of the most secretive royalties in the world.
The podcast will be available in both English and Spanish. In English, Corinna and The King is narrated by “Vida” and “Riverdale” star Mishel Prada. The Spanish-language version, Corinna y El Rey, is narrated by “Orange is the New Black” actress Laura Gómez.
Subscribe to Corinna and the King, out November 7th, 2022.
To find out more, visit www.corinnaandtheking.com
Reporter Susie Armitage speaks to Ukrainian journalist Bogdan Logvynenko, founder of Ukrainer.net, a multilingual publication covering the war and all things Ukraine. In this episode, Bogdan shares stories from his travels around the country interviewing Ukrainians in recently liberated areas, plus two music videos his team created with Ukrainian rappers Alyona Alyona and Palindrom celebrating the resilience of cities still occupied by Russia.
Thanks for listening. You can find “Resistance: Stories From Ukraine” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow Bogdan on Instagram at @logvynenko and Ukrainer at @ukrainer_en.
Make sure to subscribe to Brazen Presents for more – and, as always, you can follow our latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting.
www.projectbrazen.com
How did an Ivy League activist become a global fugitive? In this bonus audio episode, Bradley Hope, co-founder of Project Brazen, recounts his first encounter with Adrian Hong, who led an underground organization to undermine the Kim Jong-un regime by helping top North Korean diplomats defect. After a fake kidnapping of a top North Korean diplomat in Madrid went awry, a wanted poster for Adrian was circulated by the U.S. Marshals, sending him into hiding.
This episode of BRAZEN PRESENTS features an exclusive interview with Christopher Ahn, the only person to be arrested after the failed kidnapping stunt in Madrid. Christopher describes meeting Adrian over ten years ago and how he got involved with his underground group. In 2017, Christopher played a key role in ferrying Kim Han-sol, the nephew of Kim Jong-un, to safety after his dad Kim Jong-nam was assassinated in Malaysia. Christopher’s life has been upturned in the aftermath of the Madrid incident, and he is currently fighting extradition to Spain.
The Rebel and the Kingdom is out 1 November 2022. To learn more about the unbelievable story of Adrian, Christopher and Free Joseon, and to pre-order the book, visit www.rebelandthekingdom.com. Audiobook and e-book versions are also available.
Make sure to subscribe to Brazen Presents for more – and, as always, you can follow our latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting.
www.projectbrazen.com
The reporting team behind “RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” shares updates on the changing face of war in Ukraine and what they see for the future of the conflict.
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Nicholas Brennan, Executive Producer of “RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine”, sits down for an interview with Laurel Chor and Arman Dzidzovic, the host and producers of the series. Laurel and Arman talk about how the situation in Ukraine has changed since RESISTANCE first aired, and share an update on some of the stories featured in the podcast. They also reflect on the ongoing resistance of the population, and what they see for the future of the conflict.
Thanks for listening. You can find “RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
Make sure to subscribe to Brazen Presents for more – and, as always, you can follow our latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting.
www.projectbrazen.com
Original reporting you’ve come to expect from Project Brazen—extraordinary stories from around the world, told without fear or favor
Project Brazen is a global journalism studio based in London and Singapore investigating some of the biggest scandals and stories of our time. Stay subscribed.
Learn more: https://projectbrazen.com/
Lucy Woods, Managing Producer of Kabul Falling – Project Brazen’s series following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan – interviews an Afghan family torn apart by the chaos.
Hakim Shakib was separated from his wife Paimana, and his young daughters Neyo and Seto, in July 2021. In this bonus interview, the family charts the anxiety of their separation as Kabul fell to the Taliban – trapping Hakim, an employee at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs – in the city. The Shakibs describe the tireless work that went into reuniting them, the challenges of resettlement, and their fears and hopes for Afghanistan’s future.
Thanks for listening. You can find Kabul Falling on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to Brazen Presents for more – and, as always, you can follow our latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting.
Siddhartha Mahanta sits down with composer Arson Fahim to chat about his soundtrack for Kabul Falling, the latest podcast from Project Brazen.
In this exclusive audio interview, recorded live at the PRX Podcast Garage in Boston, Arson talks about what drew him to the project, and what makes his connection to it—as an Afghan-born composer and musician—so personal and important.
He shares his own experiences of leaving Afghanistan just two weeks before the Taliban takeover last year, and how Afghan musicians around the world can use their craft as a form of resistance, ensuring that the nation’s music continues to flourish in difficult circumstances.
Thanks for listening. You can find Kabul Falling on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to Brazen Presents for more – and, as always, you can follow Project Brazen’s latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting.
In this episode, we catch up with Afghan refugees to hear about life after evacuation. How is the fall of Kabul still impacting them? Who do they feel is responsible for the Taliban takeover? What could have been done differently? You’ll hear how many Afghans feel abandoned as the world’s attention moves to Ukraine and the ensuing refugee crisis in Europe. Famine grips Afghanistan and the Taliban’s harsh reign faces little international scrutiny. But Afghans continue to fight: for their freedom, for the truth to be heard and for accountability from those who let them fall.
We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag #kabulfalling.
For a transcript of this episode and additional material, visit: https://www.kabulfalling.com
Correction: In this episode, we stated that an earthquake hit the provinces of Paktia and Khost in Afghanistan in June. This is an error. The earthquake occurred in the provinces of Paktika and Khost.
A young Taliban member, radicalized by the US invasion of Afghanistan, shares why he left social work and NGO employment to join the militant group. Obaidullah Baheer, a former lecturer in transitional justice at the American University of Afghanistan and the grandson of a feared warlord, reflects on the possibility of reconciliation with the Taliban.
We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag #kabulfalling.
For a transcript of this episode and additional material, visit: https://www.kabulfalling.com
With the US Army and allied forces gone, Taliban fighters are consolidating control over Afghanistan. The regime’s leaders make assurances that there will be no retribution for their enemies, but the reality on the ground is different. With the help of journalist Danna Harman, Muhammad Javed Khan, who had worked for the Afghan government, reaches the Tajik border but must then turn around and make a last-minute journey back to Kunduz to retrieve a batch of passports. In order to escape, he must come face to face with the Taliban, members of whom had arrested and tortured him just weeks earlier.
We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag #kabulfalling.
For a transcript of this episode and additional material, visit: https://www.kabulfalling.com
With security now on high alert at the Kabul airport, it is nearly impossible for Afghans to fly out of the country to escape the Taliban takeover. Danna Harman, the journalist who profiled Rodaba Noori and her all-girls robotics team, comes up with a wild plan to evacuate the women to Tajikistan by bus, along with a group of female cyclists. Tajik journalist Anahita Saymidinova is waiting on the other side to receive them. But they have to work with the Taliban to bring the women out of Afghanistan and over the border — putting them face to face with the very men they’re afraid of. Meanwhile, Mohammed is turned away from one of the very last evacuation flights leaving Afghanistan and must say goodbye to his wife.
We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag #kabulfalling.
For a transcript of this episode and additional material, visit: https://www.kabulfalling.com
With the evacuation deadline looming, Afghans race to Kabul airport in hopes of getting on a flight and escaping the Taliban regime. With help from Jake, an ex-Marine Corps officer, Tariq and his family manage to get in and board their plane for evacuation, after spending a harrowing night outside in a desolate yard. Abdul and his family also make it out — just hours before a suicide bomber detonates his explosive belt, killing at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the United States military. You’ll also hear from newlyweds Mohammed and Taara as they confront the possibility that they will be separated, as only Taara has the proper paperwork to flee Afghanistan and fly to the US.
We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag #kabulfalling.
For a transcript of this episode and additional material, visit: https://www.kabulfalling.com
As the US and NATO prepare to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan by the deadline of August 31, the evacuation of Afghan allies and partners quickly spins out of the control of Western governments. There is chaos as desperate crowds try to enter the airport in Kabul, where final evacuation flights are departing. Those lucky enough to make it over the high cement walls wait for hours on the tarmac under the hot sun with no food or water. This includes Fatima Faizi, an Afghan journalist working for the New York Times. Informal networks of foreign volunteers quickly spring up to help their Afghan friends and colleagues navigate the chaos and evacuate the country. Ultimately, for many Afghans, getting out comes down to who is in their WhatsApp contacts list.
We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag #kabulfalling.
For a transcript of this episode and additional material, visit: https://www.kabulfalling.com
With the Taliban back in power, Kabul’s streets were mobbed with traffic as thousands rushed to escape, many heading towards the capital’s airport. At particular risk of retribution were Afghans who had worked with the US Army or the international community, those who'd served in Afghanistan’s government and women who had pursued full lives outside the home. In this episode, you’ll hear how quick thinking — and chance — helps former CIA interpreter Abdul and TV journalist Ogai Wardak evade Taliban fighters and pass through checkpoints towards Kabul airport. Amidst the chaos, Tariq, a young father and former US contractor, walks for 8 hours across the blisteringly hot city to get his son from kindergarten and then tries to take his family to the airport. But with huge crowds of desperate Afghans surrounding the gates, there is no easy way in.
We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag #kabulfalling.
For a transcript of this episode and additional material, visit: https://www.kabulfalling.com
On August 15, 2021, the Taliban regained control of Kabul, nearly 20 years after the US Army and Coalition Forces had cast them out of power. To many Afghans and observers watching from abroad, the fall of Kabul came as a shock. The news thrust thousands of Afghans into a terrifying journey to flee the country, leaving their old lives behind. In this episode, you’ll hear from Ogai Wardak, a young journalist at a women’s TV station, and Abdul, a former CIA interpreter and father of four, describing how they began planning their escape as Taliban fighters patrolled the streets.
We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag #kabulfalling.
For a transcript of this episode and additional material, visit: https://www.kabulfalling.com
In August 2021, the Taliban regained control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The takeover sent shockwaves throughout the country. It forced thousands of Afghans to leave their old lives behind and embark on a hellish journey for survival. In this eight-episode podcast, Afghans themselves will tell you how it happened. You’ll hear stories about big risks, close calls, and unexpected moments of kindness — or luck — that changed everything. You’ll meet Afghan women and men from different walks of life, and even a young man who chose to fight with the Taliban — in his eyes, to protect the country he loves.
This is the story of a home ripped apart — and of a courageous new beginning. KABUL FALLING, coming August 1.
Bradley Hope sits down with host Nelufar Hedayat to chat about Project Brazen’s upcoming podcast, Kabul Falling.
In this exclusive audio interview, Nelufar talks about what it’s been like working on Kabul Falling, an eight-part series on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last year, and what makes her connection to it — as an Afghan-born journalist—so personal and important.
She shares her own experiences of leaving Afghanistan with her family as a young child, and how the Taliban’s takeover has affected Afghans in the country and around the world.
Stay tuned for KABUL FALLING, coming 1st August. And, as always, you can follow our latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting. Thank you for listening.
How can journalists, activists, opposition figures, and even lawyers and business leaders protect themselves from the threat of private surveillance? In this Project Brazen Originals bonus episode, co-founder Bradley Hope sits down with Oscar Zero, the managing director of a private counter-surveillance company, to uncover the secrets of a shadowy industry frequently weaponised by intelligence agencies and the ultra-rich.
To watch the full documentary, visit: www.projectbrazen.com/hiddenworlds
A jury in San Diego returned verdicts in the trials against several Navy officers implicated by Fat Leonard. Project Brazen founders Bradley Hope and Tom Wright discuss the latest developments in the case and news about a TV series based on the Fat Leonard podcast.
Tom Wright sits down with Laurel Chor to hear the backstory on the making of her podcast RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine. In this audio interview, Laurel shares the experiences she had on the ground as Russia invaded Ukraine and how the conflict continues. She also talks about the surprising similarities she sees in what’s happening in Ukraine today and in her home in Hong Kong, while giving advice to other journalists heading to conflict zones.
This is the final episode of RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine. Stay tuned for more series from Project Brazen in the months to come. And, as always, you can follow our latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting. Thank you for listening.
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistance
Escaping a city so close to the Russian border – and the stories of those who choose to stay. In Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, a community fights to survive devastating Russian shelling.
Laurel continues following the journey of Larisa, a disabled woman being evacuated from her apartment in one of Kharkiv’s most dangerous neighborhoods. Volunteers race Larisa to the train station for her onward journey to Poland, in hope of refuge and a better future. In a surgical hospital in Kharkiv, Laurel meets civilians recovering from injuries inflicted by shelling. Sheltering in a metro station deep under the city, Violeta, a new mother, explains to Laurel why she stays in the city.
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistance
Under devastating Russian shelling in Ukraine's second largest city, a community fights to survive.
Explosions from weapons that could range from Grad rockets and artillery shells to phosphorus and thermobaric bombs have destroyed much of Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. It’s only 30 miles from the Russian border.
Laurel meets with the locals surviving these attacks. In one apartment complex, a family clears broken glass after the windows are blown out by a recent blast. Downtown, a youth pastor shelters parishioners in the basement of his church. And in one of the worst-hit neighborhoods in the city, volunteers rush to evacuate a disabled woman who has been unable to leave her apartment even as the shelling collapses buildings around her.
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistance
Underground artists fueling Ukraine’s wartime production in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war. Laurel meets seamstresses sewing bulletproof vests, artists welding anti-tank obstacles in Kyiv and even advertising executives using online targeted ads to break through Russian propaganda. Some work alone, in their kitchens or home studios. Others are more organized, building production lines in community halls and co-working spaces. All over the country, people are contributing whatever skills they have to offer to fight back.
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistance
War stories from four neighbors who fought the Russian occupation despite being impossibly outnumbered and outgunned. The adrenaline from the explosions of battle has barely worn off and this is the first time they share what they lived through. With the war still raging, most people fighting in Ukraine haven’t had the chance to tell their stories yet. But Russian forces have retreated from the small town of Borodyanka, along with nearby Bucha and Irpin, so we hear from four of this town’s defenders.
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistance
A new film puts a face to the devastation and resilience of everyday Ukranians finding life in the midst of war.
Announcing “RESISTANCE: Returning Home”, a documentary film that gives a visual connection to the gripping stories we’ve been hearing across this podcast series.
In the film, Laurel Chor travels to the liberated towns outside Kyiv in the days following Russia's withdrawal. It was a raw, difficult time. We witness the heartrending images of Bucha, travel with a couple from Irpin as they return home to their neighborhood for the first time, and we see the absolute destruction caused by the aerial bombardment of Borodyanka.
To see the full film, visit: www.projectbrazen.com/resistance
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
Voices of those resisting Russia’s invasion through the very ways they think, speak, and sing. In Kyiv, songwriter and producer Denis Musaev makes music to inspire his country’s victory, and Olga, a linguist and English teacher, has abandoned her first language of Russian to embrace Ukrainian instead. Elsewhere in the capital, we meet with Yarmak, a rapper-turned-soldier who has gone from fighting Russian aggression with his lyrics to taking up arms with the Ukrainian military.
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
For more reporting, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistance
Fighting back with the weapons we all carry in our pockets…our smart phones. We begin in Kyiv with Anastasiya at the country’s largest children’s hospital and Andriy Dubchak from @Donbas.Frontliner. Both Anastasiya and Andriy use their phones to capture different aspects of the Russia-Ukraine war. Anastasiya shares images of civilians wounded by the war, while Andriy is on the frontlines capturing the conflict up close and gathering the news. In Lviv, we meet with young hackers bringing the experiences of war to everyday Russians through cyberspace…and dick pics.
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
For more reporting, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistance
Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to the suburbs of Kyiv to meet ordinary Ukrainians who have joined the war effort by becoming soldiers. Journalist Artem and lawyer Oleksandr guard a military checkpoint. PE teacher and two-time war vet Vladimir finds his farm completely destroyed by Russian forces as payback. Ecologist, beekeeper and drag queen Arthur recalls being stationed in Bucha and witnesses the horrific aftermath of senseless killings.
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“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
For more reporting, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistance
Project Brazen, a global journalism studio based in London and Singapore, is investigating some of the biggest scandals and stories of our time. This feed, called Project Brazen Originals, will feature those stories, told without fear or favor. Stay subscribed.
Latest Series — “RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine”
What happens when war lands on your doorstep? Ordinary Ukrainians are rising up and fighting back in every way they can.
“RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.
http://www.projectbrazen.com/resistance
A lot has happened since we wrapped up the first season of the "Fat Leonard" podcast, and host Tom Wright is back with all the updates - the good, the bad and the unexpected. Includes new interviews with whistleblower Marcy Misiewicz, David Loy (Legal Director of the First Amendment Coalition) and Don Christensen (President, Protect Our Defenders). Stay tuned for updates from the trial in the coming weeks.
With Leonard in jail, the Navy investigates hundreds of officers. But they spare top admirals. Tom’s relationship with Leonard reaches breaking point. A major trial of U.S. Navy officers is set to start in February. Watch out for bonus episodes.
Beaten and angry, Marcy Misiewicz makes a decision that will bring down Leonard, and her husband along with him.
A cocksure Navy officer called David Schaus takes on Leonard. He’s joined by a principled Navy supply official called Teresa Kelly. Finally, they force Navy admirals, who for years have given him cover, to take Leonard’s fraud seriously.
Leonard’s cruel treatment of his Filipina girlfriend, Morena De Jesus, and their children together, exposes his dark side. A fraught relationship with his own father could hold the key to understanding Leonard.
Michael Misiewicz was a rising star in the Navy before Leonard corrupts him with prostitutes, cash and free travel. We see the descent of one officer into graft and violence through the voice of his wife, Marcy Misiewicz.
How Leonard buys his own warship, the Braveheart, complete with a mercenary army, and deploys it to help fight Al Qaeda. He secretly records orgies with Navy officers, causing one of the U.S.’s worst ever national security breaches.
We look back at the Tailhook sexual assault scandal of 1991 through the voice of Navy whistleblower Paula Coughlin. The Navy’s problem with misogyny is deep seated and it set the stage for Leonard’s rise.
Out of jail, aged 21, Leonard begins his career as a defense contractor, just as the U.S. embarks on its Forever Wars. Through skill, bribes and luck, we chart the Wolf of Wall Street-like rise of Leonard, on the back of a product called the Ring of Steel.
Leonard Francis became the most powerful military contractor in the Pacific, running a mafia organization at the heart of the U.S. Navy. He’s over 300 pounds, and charming. We meet him in jail, and explore why he’s talking exclusively to our host, author and journalist Tom Wright. We explore Leonard’s troubled childhood. It turns out this isn’t his first time in prison.
Leonard Francis, AKA Fat Leonard, is angry, and he’s talking for the first time. His explosive story will change the way you look at the U.S. Navy forever.