CNN Presents

To date, the FBI has released no explanation of why they shot and killed Ilya Beloozerov in 2024. But after more than a year investigating the case, Isabelle is able to give his family the closest thing they’ve had to an explanation. And the only thing more shocking than how he died is why.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last person to talk to Ilya Beloozerov was Kennon Green, who was living out of his truck in a McDonald’s parking lot when Ilya approached him with an offer: $30,000 to take him to southern California. Days later, Ilya was shot to death by the FBI in a hotel parking lot. To understand what happened, reporter Isabelle Chapman meets Ilya’s family, and learns that the answer may lie in Ilya’s job as a contractor for the Department of Defense.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s 1989. James Gibson is back in Chicago for Christmas when he’s picked up by police on suspicion of murder. He will end up spending nearly 30 years in prison, convicted of a crime he’d one day be cleared of. That cold December night would spark a decades-long fight for justice — one that’s entwined in a dark legacy of torture perpetrated by Chicago police commander Jon Burge and his “Midnight Crew.” This is part one of a three-part series. This episode contains descriptions of violence. Host: Omar Jimenez Producers: Graelyn Brashear, Madeleine Thompson, Emily Williams, Kyra Dahring, Sofia Sanchez, and Lauren Kim Editor: Lacy Roberts Technical director: Dan Dzula Executive producer of CNN Podcasts: Steve Lickteig Production help from: Jake Sorgen, Joe DeCeault, David Guggenheim, and Jessica Pupovac An earlier version of this episode stated James Gibson's initial trial was in 1990. It was in 1991. This episode has been updated to reflect that change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the presence of torture, can real justice still exist? With the truth of torture under Chicago police commander Jon Burge and his detectives finally out in the open, the city and victims grapple with a terrible legacy, while James Gibson continues his struggle to clear his name and reclaim his life. This is the conclusion of a three-part series. This episode includes descriptions of violence. Host: Omar Jimenez Producers: Graelyn Brashear, Madeleine Thompson, Emily Williams, Kyra Dahring, Sofia Sanchez, and Lauren Kim Editor: Lacy Roberts Technical director: Dan Dzula Executive producer of CNN Podcasts: Steve Lickteig Production help from: Jake Sorgen, Joe DeCeault, David Guggenheim, Jessica Pupovac, Miriam Annenberg, and Jordan Guzzardo Special thanks to: Haley Thomas, Robert Mathers, Alex Manasseri, Jo Parker, Kate Carroll, Emma Lacey-Bordeaux, Frank LaMonte, Ferlon Webster Jr., Ed Kelly, and the Chicago Police Torture Archive Journalist John Conroy and civil rights attorney Flint Taylor devoted years to ensuring the story of police torture in Chicago was heard. Their original reporting and fact-finding was essential to this series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If loneliness and social isolation are part of what pushes people down the rabbit hole, what’s the cure? CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan sits down with a cult survivor who explains why conspiracy theories can have such a powerful hold on believers, and he learns from a pair of documentary filmmakers who have a prescription for a fractured, lonely society. Diane Benscoter is the founder of the nonprofit Antidote, and she's the author of Shoes of a Servant: My Unconditional Devotion To A Lie. You can listen to more of Donie's conversation with Diane on YouTube. Pete Davis and Rebecca Davis are the directors and producers of the documentary Join or Die. You can learn more about their film here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Conspiracy theories are not new. They’re as old as time itself. But if you feel like they’re everywhere right now, you’re not alone. So, what do you do when somebody you love has fallen down a rabbit hole? CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan has been covering the world of misinformation for more than a decade, but now he's less interested in what people believe than why they believe it. So, he’s trying to find out. See more of Donie's interview with Dr. Samuel Veissière⁠ on YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With just hours before election day, we’re returning to a handful of people who represent a crucial voter segment: unhappy Pennsylvania Republicans. John King interviews three people who voted for Nikki Haley in the state’s primary back in the spring — long after she’d dropped out. How they and others like them fill out their ballots this week may decide the next president of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris’ goal in Georgia is to turn out the coalition that barely tipped the newly purple state to Joe Biden in 2020. That means firing up the base, convincing the unconvinced, and driving turnout as high as possible. Donald Trump, meanwhile, is hoping Georgians think the shift left was a mistake. There's no question that women of color are a huge part of the Georgia equation. John sits down with two who show it would be a mistake to think they’re voting as a bloc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a presidential race destined to come down to a handful of swing states, Arizona is a political puzzle: a Sun Belt state that’s historically gone red, but went for Biden in 2020. Do the changing demographics prime it for Harris, or will it turn back to Trump? John King talks with two swing voters who exemplify how Arizona defies stereotypes — and represent exactly who the parties are trying to win over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the 2020 election, there was perhaps no bigger upset than Joe Biden carrying Georgia. This was the first time a Democrat had won the reliably red state in three decades — in years past, Democrats didn’t even think to campaign in the state. So, how do Georgia voters feel about their newfound swing state status? And will this change the way they vote in November? On this second installment of our series “All Over the Map,” John King and his team visit with two small-business owners aware of their electoral power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices