The Free Press Investigates
Listen to our new series, Spiral: Murder in Detroit, out now. Free Press reporter Frannie Block investigates the murder of a beloved community leader. 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. You can also listen to our first series, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.
Episodes
February 13, 2023 • 1 min
The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling premieres Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Learn more
Read an essay by host Megan Phelps-Roper
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Mark as Played
February 21, 2023 • 45 mins
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...
Mark as Played
February 21, 2023 • 53 mins
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...
Mark as Played
February 28, 2023 • 60 mins
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 ...
Mark as Played
March 7, 2023 • 60 mins
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 pe...
Mark as Played
March 14, 2023 • 57 mins
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. Vis...
Mark as Played
March 21, 2023 • 70 mins
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 m...
Mark as Played
March 28, 2023 • 60 mins
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....
Mark as Played
October 17, 2025 • 1 min
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,...
Mark as Played
October 21, 2025 • 42 mins
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?
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Mark as Played
October 21, 2025 • 42 mins
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.
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Host: Frannie Block
Producer: Poppy Damon
Ex...
Mark as Played
October 28, 2025 • 38 mins
Samantha Woll’s ex-boyfriend calls 911 in a panic. He tells the police he thinks he might have killed her. When they bring him in for questioning, he explains he was having a drug-induced temporary break.
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Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe.
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Host: Frannie Block
Producer: Poppy Damon
Executive Editor: Emily Yoffe
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Mark as Played
November 4, 2025 • 52 mins
The prosecution believes the case is airtight, but when the defendant takes the stand, the case takes a turn. With alternate suspects introduced, the jury must decide what they believe really happened to Samantha Woll.
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Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe.
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Host: Frannie Block
Producer: Poppy Damon
Executive Editor: Emily Yoffe
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Mark as Played
November 11, 2025 • 49 mins
A startling legal twist changes the case’s outcome, possibly forever. As we reflect on Samantha Woll’s legacy—especially that of a bridge builder between opposing views, her loved ones undertake the hard work of healing as they continue to fight for justice.
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Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe.
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Host: Frannie Block
Producer: Poppy Damo...
Mark as Played
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