We have a special episode for you today. We’re sharing an episode of the new podcast from APM Studios and Western Sound called “Ripple.”The largest oil spill in American history captivated the public’s attention for the entire summer of 2010. A

Listen to This: The Loudest Girl in the World

Sep 12th, 2022 11m 50s

The Loudest Girl in the World is a new podcast from that tells the story of Lauren Ober's journey to understand what the hell it means to be on the autism spectrum and how to live life as a newly diagnosed autistic person. It's about finding y

Listen to This: What's Your Problem?

Mar 25th, 2022 13m 29s

You may know Jacob Goldstein as the former host of the Planet Money podcast. Now, he’s combining his expertise about the money and business worlds with his passion for technology on a brand new show called What’s Your Problem? from Pushkin Indu

Sqirl finds itself in a jam

Oct 5th, 2020 37m 57s

The Los Angeles restaurant Sqirl had lines down the block for brunches that featured its famous house-made jams on toast. But then a photo of discarded mold scraped from the jam, snapped by someone in the Sqirl kitchen, blew up the internet...a

NYC Taxi Medallions' steep fare

Sep 28th, 2020 37m 25s

Even before Uber and Lyft pulled into town, NYC yellow cabs were having a rough ride. Reckless lending practices and inflated taxi medallion prices racked up profits for the city and debt for drivers. Then, the bubble did what bubbles do. Our s

Subprime times at Countrywide Financial

Sep 21st, 2020 43m 2s

Before the housing bubble burst, Countrywide Financial was one of the nation’s largest home mortgage lenders. But after years of predatory lending practices, the predator went extinct.Our sponsors this week:Indeed - Indeed.com/spectacularPolicy

Pan Am hits major turbulence

Sep 14th, 2020 39m 49s

Pan Am made air travel cool—from chic crew uniforms to exotic locations to square-jawed flyboy pilots. But a couple of bad business deals, massive deregulation, and a devastating terrorist attack sunset the airline for good.Our sponsors this we

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A dairy giant gets milked

Sep 7th, 2020 37m 45s

Got milk? These days, chances are maybe not. Americans have been saying no thanks for years now, and changing consumer tastes have been bad news for what used to be the nation’s largest milk processor, Dean Foods.Sign up to receive our brand ne

Napster fought the law and the law won

1 Aug 31st, 2020 38m 25s

The recording industry, Metallica, and ultimately federal court put the brakes on Napster’s music file sharing. But before exiting the stage, Napster changed the way we listen to music—and how much we’re willing to pay for it.[Editor’s note - S

The toxic tale of the Love Canal fail

Aug 24th, 2020 39m 39s

When Hooker Chemical sold its infamous toxic waste landfill to the Niagara Falls School Board, the $1 deal left Niagara residents seriously ill. But few believed the company could truly be at fault...until it was too late.Our sponsors this week

The curtain falls on a big Broadway company

Aug 17th, 2020 41m 54s

Livent was a showstopper of an operation. But eventually, forgery and fraud stole the scene, the money exited stage left, and the lead actor landed behind bars.Our sponsors this week:Indeed: indeed.com/spectacularNetSuite: netsuite.com/spectacu

Forever 21 goes from rags to riches to bankruptcy court

Aug 10th, 2020 35m 39s

The mom-and-pop fast-fashion retailer exploded into malls across the globe. But eventually, Forever 21 unraveled like the hem on a cheap crop top.Our sponsors this week:Fiverr: fiverr.com promo code SPECTACULARNetSuite: NetSuite.com/SPECTACULAR

Blue Apron wilts, then rises to a new challenge

Aug 3rd, 2020 35m 15s

The meal kit delivery service was almost belly-up before the pandemic hit. But then people stuck cooking at home gave the brand a lifeline. Investors found it tastier than ever, but will customers still hanker for the big blue box once this is

Trailer

Spectacular Failures - Season Two

Jul 20th, 2020 1m 30s

Spectacular Failures is back for season two, starting August 3rd! 2020 has been a year of fail. Global pandemic, check. Economic meltdown, check. Political unrest, check. Busted businesses and collapsed corporations are having a moment, and who

Trump's big gamble on Atlantic City

Aug 19th, 2019 41m 38s

By the time the final dice were thrown, Trump's Atlantic City casino operations had gone bankrupt six times. Despite that, Trump won the long game.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_sh

Toys R Us goes bust

Aug 12th, 2019 36m 5s

No amount of nostalgia could save Toys R Us from the private equity firms that owned it.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagra

Lincoln Savings loses it all

Aug 5th, 2019 37m 11s

Charles Keating robbed working people of their life savings and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. All under the watch of powerful politicians.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show

The inferno that transformed American labor

2 Jul 29th, 2019 35m 39s

The aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire helped usher in higher wages, safer conditions and a prohibition on child labor. But the problems that led to the fire haven’t gone away. Not even close.You can follow Spectacular Failures o

Family fighting sends U-Haul on a detour

Jul 22nd, 2019 33m 37s

Failed therapy sessions, fistfights in the board room and even murder accusations. U-Haul’s trip to bankruptcy will make you think twice about mixing business and family.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failure

Kodak misses its moment

1 Jul 15th, 2019 32m 29s

The world's largest photography company pioneers the snapshot, invents the digital camera and... declares bankruptcy.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren

A funeral industry giant keels over

Jul 8th, 2019 26m 49s

A family-owned business fights a billion-dollar, multinational company. And wins.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @o

Schlitz Beer goes bad, then worse

Jul 1st, 2019 28m 34s

"The beer that made Milwaukee famous" cuts corners. And loses its most loyal customers. You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagra

MoviePass begins with plenty of drama

1 1 Jun 24th, 2019 29m 1s

Unlimited movie theater tickets for $9.99 a month? It sounds too good to be true and, well... it might be.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram, where you can see photos

A Christian theme park plunges into scandal

1 Jun 17th, 2019 31m 11s

How Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s wildly popular Christian theme park was upended by fraud, scandal and lavish spending.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram, where you ca

Trailer

Introducing Spectacular Failures

May 30th, 2019 2m 30s

Corporate crookedness. Family feuding. Hilariously half-baked decisions. Host Lauren Ober tackles some of the most spectacular business failures of all time, and what could have been done to avoid them. Coming June 17.