The time has finally come... we’ve made it to the end of the song. This episode description is being written on a tearstained laptop as we speak. But we PROMISE we’re going out with a very fizzy bang. The cola wars was a tense battle between soda giants Coca Cola and Pepsi, as they tried to be crowned the hippest, Americanest, tastiest cola. But it’s also the epitoment of American capitalism and the power of brands. So who won the war? What the hell was New Coke? And who wins in the battle of Madonna v George Michael? Plus there’s a cola taste test and a whole lotta reminiscing. Thanks for joining us listeners, we hope you enjoy ❤️‍🔥 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the penultimate episode, and Billy’s taken us back to China to talk about the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and the massacre that followed. In classic To this day, discussion of the events are strictly censored in China but in this episode we’ll explore it all. What happened to the protestors? Do we know who Tank Man was? What role did rock n roll play? And what’s the state of resistance and counter-culture in today’s China? We’re talking all that and more with modern China expert, Jeff Wasserstrom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you head to the beach, you expect to find some leftover sandcastles and nasty sunburns - not a tide of used syringes. But that’s what was found on the coast of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in 1987-88. It destroyed tourism and caused drastic changes in local waste disposal. It’s a horrifying thing to think about, but what we didn’t realise is how often this still happens. Medical waste disposal is a huge issue for anti-pollution campaigners, so to learn more about it all, we’re talking to Ruth Stringer, International Society and Policy Coordinator of Health Care Without Harm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ordinary guy turned vigilante icon, Bernie Goetz shook a crime-riddled New York City in 1984, after he shot 4 black teenagers on the subway. It created a rift within public opinion, and forced difficult conversations about race, self-defence, and gun rights. But when does self-defence go too far? How do we know Goetz truly felt threatened by teenagers he suspected would mug him? And was he properly punished? This week, we also explore the current case of Jordan Neely, a homeless black man who was recently killed on the subway after being placed in a deadly chokehold. It draws eery similarities to the Goetz case, so what does this say about the current state of America? Has anything changed since Goetz? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ruben Castaneda is a born storyteller and he's got an extraordinary story to tell. Ruben was The Washington Post's crime reporter in the early 90s when crack addiction was spreading across America, destroying livelihoods and ravaging communities. But what nobody knew is that at the same time as reporting on the crisis, Ruben was addicted to crack himself. WARNING: this episode contains explicit descriptions of drug use and addiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1980s, the world was gripped by a virus that was killing people in their thousands; savaging communities and creating a climate of fear, blame and ignorance. That virus was HIV, and here to sift the facts from the fiction and explain how the AIDS crisis transformed everything from sexuality to healthcare is Deborah Gold, CEO of the National AIDS Trust. One of our partners for today’s episode is Target Pilates. If you’d like to try out target pilates, head to targetpilates.online/fire to get 3 months for only £12. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Homelessness has always been present in America: you've probably seen it in movies and TV, from jovial Charlie Chaplin comedies, to traumatised Forrest Gump. But how did we go from the aimless vagabond to nationwide crisis? Why did Americans suddenly start to care after Vietnam? And is there anyway to tackle homelessness? We're chatting all this and more with the Manhattan Institute's Stephen Eide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve hit the 80s and Reagan’s low tax and defence spending have contributed to the America’s worst foreign debt in history. It turns out the US has consistently been in debt, so why does this time matter? Well, because they’re borrowing heavily from the Japanese, and have turned from creditors to creditees. It leads to the deindustrialisation of the Midwest, the rise of Sony and the Walkman, and even Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewsinky… But why did kids like Billy care? What does it mean for America’s political future? Can America ever be debt-free? Does that even matter? Iwan Morgan has even returned to talk us through it all! He’s sort of like a walking Economics for Dummies, which is perfect for a pair of economic dummies like us…. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

!sretratseriF kcab emocleW... What's that funny sentence? A secret hidden message of course! Because this week we're getting into the weeds of heavy metal and Satanic Panic. Were Judas Priest hiding secret messages in their songs? Was music threatening the very fabric of the modern world? And where did the moral panic go? It's a complicated, tragic, and often absurd story, so music journalist and metal-head Michael Hann is back to talk us through it all! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

RIDE SALLY RIDE! We can’t believe it’s true, but Sally Ride is the birth name of the woman who’d later to become the First American woman to orbit space. Talk about nominative determinism! And what an extraordinary woman she was: from tennis player mentored by THE Billy Jean King, to lifelong advocate for women in STEM, her impact can’t be understated. But why were people so averse to woman-astronauts? Why did she hide her sexuality for so long? And ohhhh god WHY did engineers try to give her so many tampons for a 6 day flight?!? It’s time to chat about the incredible Sally Ride, with author Sue Macy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the game that's spun its way into the hearts of millions: today we're taking a wild ride through the history of the ICONIC game show, Wheel of Fortune. But how did a billionaire's childhood memories of hangman, turn into a cultural phenomenon? What are things actually like behind the scenes? Who turned up drunk for an audition? And how did David Letterman nearly end up hosting it? Today we're joined by Wheel superfan and gameshow historian, Adam Needeff to chat all about Wheel of Fortune, why we love gameshows, and his own experiences working on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support the rise of communism in the country, beginning a series of constant conflict that Afghanistan still faces today. It’s also had huge impacts on our geopolitical climate today - to fight Russian communism, the US backed and funded rebels, who’d later become the Taliban, who rose to power, and continue to rule today, after the civil war which followers Russia’s eventual retreat. But how did one invasion lead to such huge consequences? How does the Taliban continue to rule today? What does it tell us about the war in Ukraine? And what does Afghanistan’s future look like? Today, we’re joined by an esteemed guest - foreign correspondent, Afghanistan expert, and the only journalist who was with the Taliban when they took Kabul in 1996, David Loyn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1979, Iran’s pro-Western Shah was overthrown by Ayatollah Khomeini, ushering in the Iranian Revolution and Iran’s shift to an Islamic Republic. But the hope many people thought Khomeini represented, quickly soured as his zeal led to increasing amounts of oppression. And despite it all, this revolution still holds strong today, only recently starting to face real threats to its stability. So how has it lasted so long? What do the women’s rights protests mean for Iran’s future? And what was it really like to live through the revolution? This week, we’re joined by award-winning British-Iranian journalist, documentary producer and author, Ramita Navai, to talk through the history and her personal experiences with the Iranian Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listeners, strap yourselves in. The late 20th century was an era of glamorous air travel, where you could saunter right through to the plane and buy your ticket in your seat (alongside your martini). But, alongside the glamour was a slew of sky-jackings, with hundreds of hijackings taking place across the world. But who were behind these? why were they so prevalent? How did it impact the public? And WHY did some hijackers bring a baby on board, and force the hostages to knit for them? This week, we’re chatting ‘Terror on the Airline’ with author, Brendan Koerner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why Billy chose to encapsulate this behemoth of a topic in a single lyric, we'll never know. But this week, we're talking Palestine and all it experienced in the 20th century. Wars, protests, land grabs, displacement: the atrocities of this era are still being felt, and carried out, today. It's not something we were ever taught much about, but luckily we're joined by the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and co-editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies, Rashid Khalidi, to discuss this hugely important topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ronnie was one of America's most beloved and controversial presidents. From his early days as a B-movie actor and union president, to his pivotal role in heating up the Cold War, Reagan was an icon of the 80s (even for British kids like Tom!). But what was he really like? How did he become president? And did he really bring an end to the Cold War, or was it all just a Hollywood-style illusion?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Menachem Begin was the sixth Prime Minister of Israel, and a signal of the state’s growing disillusionment. Since its founding, it had been run by socialist Ashkenazi elites, but Begin’s win signified a shift to a conservative coalition of marginalised Mizrahi and Jewish-religious communities. But what did this mean long term for Israel? How does it impact politics today? And what did it all mean for Billy? To discuss it all we’re joined by Henry Abramson, a Lecturer in Jewish History and Thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fluffies and spikies, get ready to ROCK! It's the music scene that shook (and scared) the 70s, and could've ended Billy's career... this week we're talking punk! How did it all start? Who's THE definitive band? Why was it so scary? And how did Billy feel about it?! We're ready to nerd out, and we're joined by music journalist Michael Hann to delve into all things punk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our friends at Podmasters have a new podcast you’re going to love: Jam Tomorrow. How did Britain’s dreams of a new postwar world go unfulfilled? And what does that mean for us today? In the first of a new documentary series from the makers of Oh God, What Now?, Ros Taylor looks at the legacy of the War itself. Ιdeals of the Blitz Spirit and dreams of wartime heroism still shape everything from pop culture and entertainment to the Brexit debate. But the truth of the War is more complex and less comforting. What will it take for us to see the Second World War – and ourselves – clearly? If you'd like to hear more, just search for Jam Tomorrow wherever you get your podcasts, or hit this link! https://link.chtbl.com/JamTmrwFD Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Voiceovers by Imogen Robertson. Original music by Dubstar. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmastersproduction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the 1970s, Richard Nixon's paranoia has reached new heights. He's become consumed with wiretapping, secret recording devices and surveillances, and he's convinced everyone's out to get him. He's dipping his toes into criminality, and the cover ups on top of cover ups are become more and more incriminating. But how does he get to this point? What's the point of new return? And how does it impact his legacy? It's the original scandal that broke the non-existent internet... let's chat Watergate with host of Nixon At War, Kurt Andersen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices