App Store

Google Play

Device Banner Block-copy 894x1036

Astu lugude lõputusse maailma

Loe ja kuula

The Free Press

The Free Press Investigates brings you gripping, deeply reported stories you can't find anywhere else—and the investigations others won’t dare to cover. Our new series, Spiral: Murder in Detroit drops soon. Until then, listen to Season 1: The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling

A man seen breaking into cars near the crime scene is arrested, and he lies to police about what he’s been up to. But does that make him a killer? As the case builds against him, his defense team uncovers a piece of evidence that could change everything.

---

Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe

----

Host: Frannie Block

Producer: Poppy Damon

Executive Editor: Emily Yoffe

---

Contact us at: spiral@thefp.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spiral | 2. Wrong Place, Wrong Time?

Samantha Woll, 40, was a beloved Detroit Jewish community leader with her life ahead of her. Tragically, she is found stabbed to death outside her home exactly two weeks after the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Investigators follow a mysterious figure caught on camera: Is this truly a hate crime, or something else?

---

Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe

----

Host: Frannie Block

Producer: Poppy Damon

Executive Editor: Emily Yoffe

---

Contact us at: spiral@thefp.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spiral | 1. One of 36 Angels

On October 21, 2023, beloved Detroit community leader Samantha Woll was found brutally stabbed to death outside her home—two weeks to the day after the October 7 attacks on Israel. It looks like an open-and-shut case—a hate crime. But swiftly the police rule that out. Instead they eventually find themselves with two unrelated suspects. When they charge one with murder, the case takes a turn that raises questions about antisemitism, race, and justice in America.

Hosted by The Free Press’s Frannie Block, this podcast series will be available October 21st 2025. It features exclusive interviews and explores the remarkable, too-short life of Samantha, and the impact she had. And Spiral tells the bizarre twists and turns of one of Detroit’s most haunting recent crimes.

----

Email us at Spiral@thefp.com

----

Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Trailer | Spiral: Murder in Detroit

Host Megan Phelps-Roper asks J.K. Rowling to respond to pushback from some of her critics. The two also discuss the difficulty of discernment—why it can be so hard to know what’s right.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 7. What If You're Wrong?

Transgender fans of Harry Potter share their criticism of J.K. Rowling—and the experiences that inform their views.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Megan Phelps-Roper, and Candace Mittel Kahn, with special thanks to Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 6. Natalie and Noah

After years of observing the conflict between advocates for trans rights and women’s rights, J.K. Rowling weighs in.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 5. The Tweets

The movement for trans rights hits its stride in the early 2010s, but encounters fierce resistance from an unexpected source. J.K. Rowling watches the battle unfold with mounting unease.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 4. TERF Wars

The early days of the internet collide with the feverish fandom of “Harry Potter,” and a sprawling, global community emerges. But the hopefulness of this new technology brings with it the darker impulses of human nature.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 3. A New Pyre

As "Harry Potter" becomes an international phenomenon, it coincides with the culture wars of the 1990s. In the backlash from Christians across America, author J.K. Rowling is accused of mainstreaming witchcraft and poisoning children’s minds.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 2. Burn The Witch

Host Megan Phelps-Roper writes a letter to J.K. Rowling—and receives a surprising invitation in reply: the opportunity for an intimate conversation in Rowling’s Scottish home.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 6. Natalie and Noah

Loe ja kuula

Muud podcastid, mis võivad sulle meeldida ...