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Operation Midnight Climax

iHeartPodcasts

George White ran the CIA brothel. He watched from a hidden room while men were dosed with LSD — and he convinced himself the fate of the nation depended on it.

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Yesterday · 56 min
Echoes of Krakatoa [from Very Special Episodes]
When a sleepy volcano in Indonesia began smoking in 1883, a steamship company started selling tickets. Tourists hiked up Krakatoa until the soles of their shoes melted, sure they were watching a harmless spectacle. Three months later, it let loose one of the loudest sounds in recorded history, giving the world one of its first breaking news stories. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Adrien Behn Story Editor is Carmen Borca-Carrillo Senior Producer is Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs Additional Editing by Mary Dooe Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English Today’s episode was produced in partnership with Acast Creative Studios. Very Special Episodes is a production of iHeartPodcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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November 5 · 39 min
Introducing: My Brother David
In the face of awful news, David and Sarah decide to do the only thing possible: start a podcast. Follow My Brother David on Instagram and sign up for our mailing list on linktr.ee to make sure you don’t miss a beat. For more information on the show, David's story, and resources for people dealing with disease please check out: https://mybrotherdavid.com/ David’s song picks from the recordings featured in this episode: Queen: I Want it All and One Year of Love See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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November 4 · 48 min
Rosey & Bobby [from Very Special Episodes]
Rosey Grier has a habit of showing up at turning points of American history: the greatest NFL game ever played, Free to Be…You and Me, and Bobby Kennedy’s 1968 presidential run. But one night at the Ambassador Hotel made the football star a reluctant hero. It also gave him a mission he’s spent the rest of his life carrying out. Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English Written by Dave Roos Senior Producer is Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs Additional Editing by Mary Dooe Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English You can always reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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October 29 · 40 min
What Happened to Sandra Birchmore: Part 3
Stoughton’s police chief orders an internal investigation into Sandra Birchmore’s ties to the department, and to the men inside it. What it uncovers changes not only the story of Sandra’s death, but the story of her life. Listen to What Happened to Sandra Birchmore on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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October 27 · 34 min
What Happened to Sandra Birchmore: Part 2
Massachusetts State police interview the man Sandra was seeing, married Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell. During a non-recorded conversation in a school parking lot, Farwell refers to Sandra as a casual fling. But her friends tell the police a very different story. And Sandra’s death certificate puts investigators and the family further at odds. Listen to What Happened to Sandra Birchmore on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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October 22 · 53 min
The Secret Lives of Snape Wives
Plenty of Harry Potter fans love Severus Snape. A few truly worshipped him. In the early 2000s, these fans found each other online and came to believe Harry’s least favorite professor was real. A god in an alternate universe that bled into our own. Nothing in the world could shake their devotion to Snape. Until their sisterhood imploded. Listen to Very Special Episodes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Katie Mattie Senior Producer is Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington Story Editor is Virginia Prescott Additional Editing by Mary Dooe + Josh Fisher Voice Actors are Jonathan Washington, Bee Haskins, Katie Mattie, and Josh Fisher Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English Special thanks to our guest Dr. Zoe Alderton, author of Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion Within the Harry Potter Fandom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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October 15 · 29 min
Introducing — What Happened to Sandra Birchmore: Part 1
In February 2021, 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore is found dead in her apartment in eastern Massachusetts. Officers quickly label the death a suicide. This news confounds her family, because Sandra was pregnant and planning for her future. And they worry about the mystery man she was dating—an older, married cop from her hometown. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. Please take care while listening. Listen to new episodes of What Happened to Sandra Birchmore every Thursday in the What Happened to Her feed on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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September 25 · 46 min
Taye Diggs on Trauma, Ambition, and the Discomfort of Sitting Still [from Waking Up With Ryan]
Ryan sits down with actor Taye Diggs for a deeply personal conversation about the drive to keep achieving — and what happens when you finally stop. Taye opens up about growing up around poverty and abuse, being bullied for his dark skin, and discovering a sense of belonging and possibility through theater. He looks back at joining the original cast of Rent, becoming an unexpected sex symbol in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the ambition that kept him chasing the next level even as his dreams were coming true. They explore how divorce and fatherhood upended the life he thought he had figured out, why even spirituality can become another form of striving, and the possibility that after a lifetime of searching, the next step isn’t another practice or achievement at all. Maybe it’s simply learning to stop, sit with what’s there, and hear the words: “Relax. You’re okay.” Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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September 19 · 44 min
The Joyride: Amelia and Eleanor's Excellent Adventure
In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart ducked out of a White House event and commandeered an airplane. The First Lady and the first lady of aviation flew to Baltimore and back. The event was documented by journalists, and later recounted in books. But there was more to this spontaneous joyride that didn't make the papers. Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Dec 6, 2025 · 33 min
American History Hotline: Why Were There So Many Serial Killers in 1970s America?
Was it the rise of hitchhiking? Lead in the water pipes? Or was it something a little darker in our culture? Bob rings up private investigator and host of the podcast Hell & Gone: Murder Line — Catherine Townsend — to learn why there were so many serial killers in America during the 1970s. From Ted Bundy to the Night Stalker and John Wayne Gacy, we dive into the “golden age” of serial killers to see how difficult it was to catch predators in a world before DNA testing, cell phones, and surveillance cameras. But that also begs the question: Are there fewer serial killers today? Listen, and find out! GUEST: Catherine Townsend, host of Hell and Gone: Murder Line and Red Collar Listen to Bob Crawford's American History Hotline wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Feb 14, 2025 · 51 min
Very Special Episodes: Live From New York, It's Your Grandmother
During its first 50 seasons, Saturday Night Live has welcomed legendary actors, superstar athletes, and notable politicians. But for one memorable night in 1977, Lorne Michaels turned the show over to an 80-year-old amateur. * On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Search 'Very Special Episodes' on your favorite podcast platform. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Jake Rossen Produced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English Special thanks to Connie Crawford for sharing her story. And thanks to the great Bill Carter for stopping by! You can read more of his work at LateNighter, or check out his many classic books. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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May 12, 2021 · 42 min
The Climax
Sidney Gottlieb thought he’d erased all traces of Operation Midnight Climax and MK-ULTRA from the government’s collective memory. While the world will never know the full extent of the CIA’s experimentation with LSD, an unlikely source revealed many of the victims. These breakthroughs came courtesy of George White, who testified from beyond the grave. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S1 · E7
May 5, 2021 · 33 min
Tripping
As the walls closed in on Operation Midnight Climax, George White took lessons he’d learned from a world-class magician to explore the last uncharted frontier of the psychonaut — the general public. It’s how White would make San Francisco’s sanity disappear. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S1 · E6
Apr 28, 2021 · 31 min
A Waste of Sin
After Frank Olson’s death in New York, George White had to move his whole operation to San Francisco. And the CIA added a twist: while they’d been occupied with using LSD as a mind-control drug, now they wanted him to weaponize sex. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S1 · E5
Apr 21, 2021 · 39 min
The Window
For 70 years, people have debated what happened to Frank Olson at the Hotel Statler. Did the CIA’s grand experiment with LSD lead to the sanctioned execution of a government employee? For George White, Frank Olson’s death would change everything. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 14, 2021 · 11 min
Smoking Out Castro
Today we wanted to share a bonus mini-episode. Here’s how George White’s LSD adventures tied in with the CIA’s increasingly bizarre attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro. We’ll be back with a new installment next Wednesday. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S1 · E4
Apr 7, 2021 · 35 min
Uncharter Waters
As the CIA’s LSD experiments went increasingly rogue, an aspiring actress realized what George White had done to her. But unlike others who’d complained, she reported White by name to the New York Police Department. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S1 · E3
Mar 31, 2021 · 33 min
The Pad
To immerse himself in his CIA role, George White needed a new identity. In Greenwich Village, he set up a safehouse and became Morgan Hall, a struggling artist. But it wasn’t long before the wrong kind of people started showing up at his door — including the FBI Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S1 · E2
Mar 24, 2021 · 36 min
Brainwash
If George White could manipulate the mafia with an old-fashioned wartime truth serum, what could he do with something more potent? What secrets could he uncover with the full support of the CIA and a supply of LSD? The world was about to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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S1 · E1
Mar 17, 2021 · 28 min
Mayhem and Murder
In the 1950s, the CIA conducted highly controversial research on mind-altering drugs to prepare for brain warfare with global superpowers. But after a checkered past, George White’s off-the-books Operation Midnight Climax took whatever flimsy rulebook the CIA had and threw it out the window. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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