Heidi Blake

Heidi Blake, a New Yorker writer specializing in powerful families, and Hrithik Kharia, host of Football for Sale, dive into the enigma of Buckingham Palace's secret swimming pool. They humorously unpack the stark contrast between the royal family's public image and the hidden aspects of palace life. With personal anecdotes and investigative flair, they explore cultural differences between the UK and the US regarding royal privacy, revealing the pool's surprising simplicity and the complexities of royal secrets.

Investigative reporter Heidi Blake joins In the Dark to discuss the incredible story of Dubai's runaway princesses. The podcast uncovers the luxurious lives of Dubai's royal women and their repeated attempts to escape the brutality of Sheikh Mohammed. Through secret correspondence and audio recordings, it reveals a story of astonishing courage and cruelty. The series explores Sheikh Mohammed's extravagant projects, exploitation of young women on his estate, and the denial of his attorneys. A gripping narrative of wealth, power, and escape.

Heidi Blake, a staff writer at The New Yorker known for her investigative work on environmental issues, joins to discuss the world of carbon offsets. She reveals how these programs can sometimes mislead regarding their true impact, especially in corporate practices. The irony is highlighted—while intended to fund sustainability projects, much of the funding enriches affluent intermediaries instead. This eye-opening conversation dives deep into the complexities and challenges of genuinely achieving environmental benefits.

No self-respecting sports fan is naïve about the role that money plays in pro sports. But, by any standard, the greed and cynicism behind the World Cup are extraordinary. The cloud of scandal surrounding FIFA, the international soccer organization, has led to indictments and arrests on charges of wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering around the globe. Headlines have been filled with reports of the deaths of workers who constructed the facilities. “People are normally careful enough not to leave a paper trail,” the contributor Heidi Blake notes. But she says, of investigating FIFA, “I’ve never seen graft and corruption documented in this kind of detail.” Blake speaks with David Remnick about “The Ugly Game,” which she co-authored with Jonathan Calvert, and how Qatar came to host the World Cup.

Heidi Blake, a staff writer for The New Yorker, joins In the Dark and reveals the shocking story of the royal women in Dubai's ruling family who risked everything to escape. The podcast explores the luxurious yet mysterious life of Dubai's ruling family, investigating allegations of sexual assault and discussing the immense power and wealth of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Muktou. It takes listeners behind palace walls, uncovering stories of astonishing courage and cruelty, as even members of the ruling family try to break free from control.