Radiolab

The Radiolab episode tells the story of Oliver Sipple, a gay ex-Marine who saved President Gerald Ford's life in 1975 by deflecting an assassination attempt by Sarah Jane Moore. Despite his heroism, Sipple's life was devastated when journalists outed him without his consent, estranging him from his family and ultimately contributing to his lonely death at age 47.

Reporter Alex Neeson explores her intense fear and disgust of American cockroaches through encounters with exterminators, an edible insect chef, and entomologists. Her journey takes an unexpected turn when she learns the American cockroach arrived in the U.S. on slave ships, forcing her to reckon with the deeper racial and social dimensions of pest hatred. The episode ultimately reframes the roach as a forest creature native to Africa, obscured by layers of human history and filth.