Ep 91: Soviet Union (Part 2)

In this bonus episode, Solving JFK reviews and critiques PBS Nova's JFK Cold Case documentary in response to a question from a listener. We'll be back with Part 3 on the Soviet Union series next week. Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the United States and the Soviet Union ever came to nuclear war—a thirteen-day period where decisions made in real time carried unimaginable consequences. In this episode, we break down how the crisis developed, why Khrushchev chose to place nuclear missiles in Cuba, and how American intelligence and leadership responded as the situation escalated. Inside the Kennedy administration, there was no consensus. Military leaders urged immediate force, while Kennedy weighed options that might avoid triggering a nuclear exchange. As the pressure intensified, miscommunications, near-misses, and rogue actions on both sides pushed the world closer to disaster than most people realized at the time. This episode examines the internal tensions within the U.S. government, the role of backchannel diplomacy, and the narrow margin by which catastrophe was avoided. It’s a look at leadership under extreme stress—and what this moment reveals about power, perception, and the risks that defined the Cold War.Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this bonus episode of Solving JFK, Matt Crumpton speaks with John Kirby, director, and Libby Handros, producer, of the ongoing documentary film franchise Four Died Trying. The project explores the lives—and assassinations—of President John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, asking what connects these four pivotal murders of the 1960s and how they reshaped American political history. Through more than 130 interviews with family members, colleagues, eyewitnesses, and others connected to these events, the series revisits these tragedies with fresh research and a wide range of perspectives.John and Libby discuss the origins of the project, the decision to structure the films as a series of stand-alone chapters, and the themes introduced in the newly released Prologue. We also talk about the challenges of researching and presenting such historically complex and debated events, and what they hope audiences take away from revisiting this turbulent era of American history.Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We recently completed a four-part series examining whether Israel played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In this episode, we revisit the strongest claims, examine the weakest links, and discuss what the evidence actually shows.Joining me is former Washington Post reporter and leading JFK researcher Jefferson Morley, author of The Ghost, the definitive biography of CIA counterintelligence chief James Angleton. We take a deeper look at Angleton’s close relationship with Israeli intelligence, his role in Israel’s nuclear development during the Kennedy administration, and whether any of that connects in a meaningful way to November 22, 1963. We also address rebuttals, counterarguments, and what still remains unresolved.If you’re following the Israel series, this conversation is essential. And if you’re new to Solving JFK, this episode offers a focused deep dive into James Angleton, Israel, and the broader intelligence landscape surrounding the assassination.Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the final episode of our Israel series, we bring together the remaining evidence and arguments relied upon by researchers who believe Israel may have played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. We revisit Jack Ruby through the lens of his alleged connections to Mickey Cohen and Meyer Lansky, examine the operational capabilities of the Mossad in the early 1960s, and explore newly declassified material touching on Israel’s involvement in covert operations related to Cuba. We also analyze claims involving Cuban exile foreknowledge, including the Homer Echeverria file, and address allegations surrounding Israeli intelligence ties to Oliver Stone’s film JFK.After weighing motive, means, opportunity, and the available evidence, we assess whether the case against Israel holds up under scrutiny. Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the theory of Israeli involvement in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by expanding the lens beyond James Angleton. We revisit Meyer Lansky through the specific context of his ties to Israel, organized crime, offshore banking, and intelligence-adjacent networks, examining whether those relationships plausibly intersect with Dealey Plaza. Along the way, we explore Lansky’s connections to figures like Jim Braden, the Corsican mafia, and the murky financial world that sat at the crossroads of intelligence agencies and criminal enterprises.We then turn to Permindex, a shadowy international trade organization that has long fueled speculation among assassination researchers. Was it simply a failed commercial venture, or a covert financial cut-out tied to intelligence operations and political violence abroad? By analyzing its leadership, banking relationships, alleged ties to the CIA, and its connection to Clay Shaw, we weigh what can be supported by documentary evidence against what remains unresolved. As always, we separate what is provable from what is possible—and leave you to decide how compelling the case really is.Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode centers on CIA Counterintelligence Chief James Angleton and his exceptionally close, largely unsupervised relationship with the Israeli government and its intelligence services. We trace Angleton’s rise inside the CIA, his exclusive liaison role with Mossad, the extraordinary authority he exercised with minimal oversight, and his deep personal ties to senior Israeli political, intelligence, and nuclear figures during the critical years leading up to 1963. We then turn to Israel’s secret nuclear program and the unresolved mystery of the missing highly enriched uranium from the NUMEC facility in Pennsylvania.Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, we begin a multi-part examination of Israel, focusing on whether serious and escalating policy disputes between the Kennedy administration and Israeli leadership could constitute motive.This episode examines four major areas of conflict: Kennedy’s effort to enforce the Foreign Agents Registration Act on pro-Israel lobbying groups, his comparatively pro-Arab Middle East policies, disputes over UN Resolution 194 concerning Palestinian refugees, and—most critically—his confrontation with Israeli leaders over Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program at Dimona. Drawing from historical records, declassified materials, and firsthand accounts, this episode lays the groundwork for a deeper exploration of Israel’s potential role.Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this bonus episode of Solving JFK, I’m joined by acclaimed JFK researcher and author Jim DiEugenio for a conversation that begins with reflections on the recent passing of Rob Reiner and Robert Tanenbaum, both of whom previously appeared on this podcast. Jim discusses his work with Reiner on the project that ultimately became the Who Killed JFK podcast, and why Reiner’s late-career involvement in the JFK case was significant.The discussion then turns to Tanenbaum’s underappreciated role on the House Select Committee on Assassinations, before shifting into a rebuttal of several claims made in the recent Mafia series on Solving JFK. Jim critiques key sources, offers alternative interpretations, and lays out his overarching theory on the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby.Patreon - Patreon.com/solvingJFKTwitter - 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.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy