{"podcast":{"title":"Solving JFK","slug":"solving-jfk-5778054","podcast_index_feed_id":5778054,"rss_url":"https://feeds.redcircle.com/217f60b5-3935-4cc6-8d92-71f1e769cba2","website_url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/solving-jfk","image_url":"https://media.redcircle.com/images/2025/3/5/1/038679c7-4614-47e0-b2a0-a15ff35f13d9_-ee94b091fdc5_dcab817530a3a94057ea9b0893518c03.jpg","author":"Matt Crumpton","episode_count":142,"summary":"Solving JFK examines each issue in the JFK Assassination by looking at the arguments from both those who believe Oswald acted alone and those who believe there was a conspiracy to kill president Kennedy. Host Matt Crumpton analyzes each tree in the forest and then zooms out to look at the big picture. Objective truth is the paramount goal of the podcast, with every factual proposition cited. In season one, we look at whether the Warren Report got it right that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin, and if not, what the open questions are that still need to be resolved.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-17T14:17:25.494282+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/solving-jfk-5778054"},"episode":{"title":"Ep 90: Soviet Union (Part 1)","slug":"ep-90-soviet-union-part-1","published_at":"2026-03-18T04:05:08+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/solving-jfk-5778054/ep-90-soviet-union-part-1","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/solving-jfk-5778054","url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/217f60b5-3935-4cc6-8d92-71f1e769cba2/episodes/8ee647cb-ae4f-4c3d-8e8d-2dfc1476e606","audio_url":"https://audio2.redcircle.com/episodes/8ee647cb-ae4f-4c3d-8e8d-2dfc1476e606/stream.mp3","summary":"In Part 1 of this new series, Solving JFK zooms out to examine the Cold War backdrop that shaped the world leading up to President Kennedy’s assassination. From the so-called “missile gap” and early U.S.–Soviet tensions to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, this episode explores the fragile and often volatile relationship between Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. While often portrayed as either a Cold War hawk or dove, Kennedy emerges here as something more complex—navigating intense pressure from both sides while attempting to avoid catastrophic conflict. The episode also dives into the high-stakes geopolitical flashpoints of 1961, including Berlin, Vienna, and the creation of a secret backchannel between the White House and the Kremlin through Soviet agent Georgi Bolshakov. As tensions escalate to the brink of nuclear confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie, listeners begin to see how close the world came to disaster—and how critical Kennedy’s decision-making may have been in preventing it. This foundational episode sets the stage for examining the Soviet angle in the JFK assassination, including Lee Harvey Oswald’s connections to the USSR and the mysterious events in Mexico City. Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFK Twitter - https://twitter.com/solvingjfk Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/solvingjfk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/solvingjfkpodcast Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@solvingjfk Transcripts and Sources - https://www.solvingjfkpodcast.com Our Sponsors: * Check out Mood and use my code JFK for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy","meta_description":"In Part 1 of this new series, Solving JFK zooms out to examine the Cold War backdrop that shaped the world leading up to President Kennedy’s assassination…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1732,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/solving-jfk-5778054/episodes/ep-90-soviet-union-part-1/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/solving-jfk-5778054/ep-90-soviet-union-part-1.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}