Reveal

Susan Horton, a mother of five, shares her shocking experience with child welfare after consuming a poppy seed salad. Despite her explanations, a hospital drug test falsely indicated opiate use, leading to the immediate removal of her newborn. The discussion dives deep into the systemic failings of drug testing for expectant mothers, highlighting the emotional turmoil these inaccuracies cause. Horton passionately advocates for better understanding and reform, showcasing the chilling impact such misdiagnoses have on families across the country.

Jade Dass, a mother navigating the challenges of opioid addiction treatment during pregnancy, shares her harrowing story. After following medical advice, she faced an investigation by child welfare authorities and lost custody of her newborn daughter. The podcast delves into systemic issues surrounding addiction medicine and the stigmatization of mothers using prescribed medications. It sheds light on racial biases in child welfare policies and highlights Jade's desperate fight to keep her family together against a backdrop of legal complexities and societal judgment.

David Leavitt, a wealthy Utah politician, shares his controversial adoption story, revealing how he leveraged connections to secure custody of a Native child. The discussion uncovers the emotional complexities of the adoption process and highlights the fraught implications of the Indian Child Welfare Act. Investigators explore the ethical dilemmas and the pain felt by the child's Native family due to federal oversight failures. Tensions surrounding tribal sovereignty and historical injustices further complicate the narrative, shedding light on the deep scars left by such adoptions.

Ibram X. Kendi, a prominent author and historian known for his groundbreaking work on antiracism, joins the discussion to debunk the myth of COVID-19 as 'the great equalizer.' He highlights how the virus disproportionately affected people of color, with mortality rates nearly double that of White individuals. Kendi also reveals the challenges faced by The COVID Tracking Project in navigating CDC data discrepancies and stresses the need for reform in public health infrastructure to prepare for future crises.

Amy Gleason, a health care technologist and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, shares her harrowing experiences managing COVID-19 data. She reveals shocking gaps in federal data reporting that hindered effective responses. Gleason recounts the chaotic early days of pandemic response, where her team battled bureaucratic red tape and a severe lack of essential medical supplies. The conversation highlights the pivotal role of The COVID Tracking Project, which provided invaluable real-time data, illuminating the emotional weight and urgency behind their work during a national crisis.

In this conversation, Rob Meyer and Alexis Madrigal, both reporters from The Atlantic, delve into the harrowing early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. They reveal how a lack of reliable data and testing created chaos, leading to over a million deaths in the U.S. Their reporting spurred the COVID Tracking Project, a grassroots initiative that gathered critical data when federal agencies struggled. The duo emphasizes the urgent need for transparency and collaboration in public health to prepare for future pandemics.

Adam Aurand, a former mechanic, shares his transformative journey from battling schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and substance abuse to finding hope. He reveals the chaotic loop of emergency rooms and psychiatric hospitals that many face in the flawed U.S. mental health system. The conversation dives into the emotional turmoil faced by families during hospital discharges and underscores the systemic failures in support for those with mental illness. Historical insights illuminate the urgent need for reform and community resources in improving mental health care.

Paul Rytting, Director of the Mormon church's risk management division, meets with Chelsea and Lorraine to discuss sexual abuse allegations. The episode reveals the church's legal playbook to keep abuse evidence from authorities and exemptions from reporting laws. It explores the Goodrich case and the church's handling of abuse allegations, shedding light on systemic issues within the Mormon Church.

When the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department in California wanted to purchase new firearms, it sold its used ones to help cover the cost. The old guns went to a distributor, which then turned around and sold them to the public. One of those guns—a Glock pistol—found its way to Indianapolis. That Glock was involved in the killing of Maria Leslie’s grandson, and the fact that it once belonged to law enforcement makes her loss sting even more. “My grandson was in his own apartment complex. He lived there,” Leslie said. “He should not have been murdered there, especially with a gun that traces back all the way to the California police department’s coffers.”Across the nation, it’s common practice for police departments to trade in their old weapons rather than destroy them. Tens of thousands of old cop guns are ending up in the hands of criminals. This week, in a collaboration with The Trace and CBS News, reporter Alain Stephens traces the journey of some of those guns from the police departments that sold them to the crime scenes where they ended up.  Then Stephens brings us reporting from The Gun Machine podcast series from WBUR and The Trace. He explores the reasons why police and other law enforcement agencies have greatly expanded their arsenals over recent decades.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On a summer night in 1995, a sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed in a hotel parking lot in Birmingham, Alabama. When investigators arrived at the scene, they found no eyewitnesses and almost no evidence pointing to the shooter. Detectives ultimately zeroed in on a man named Toforest Johnson, who on that same night was with friends at a nightclub miles away. Johnson was tried twice for the murder and eventually convicted on the testimony of an “earwitness” – a woman who claimed to have overheard Johnson confessing to the crime. He has spent more than 25 years on Alabama’s death row.In 2019, investigative journalist Beth Shelburne began covering the case, finding details that cast major doubts about Johnson’s guilt. This week, in partnership with Lava for Good and the Earwitness podcast, Shelburne tells us the story of Johnson’s case. Click here to hear the full Earwitness podcast.This episode originally aired in November 2023. Support Reveal’s journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/newsletter Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices