The Weekly Download: What’s New In Podcasts This Week.

This week’s new shows include a look at the shadowy world of multinational espionage to secure the latest tech intellectual property secrets. There’s also a series that explores global effort to track down perpetrators of child sexual abuse on the dark web. And a podcast that asks the what-if question of what would have happened if JFK lived. Here’s some of what’s new this week in podcasting—

“The Sixth Bureau” is a new investigative podcast from Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts. Hosted by Bloomberg’s Drake Bennett and Jordan Robertson, the series examines China’s global campaign to acquire intellectual property from Western technology and manufacturing firms. At the center of those allegations is China’s intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security. The Sixth Bureau follows an MSS intelligence officer on a mission to obtain the crown jewels of American aerospace companies. Using aliases, blackmail, and the occasional break-in, he targeted some of the world’s biggest corporate giants. Through undercover recordings, insider accounts, and in-depth reporting, the podcast reveals a story of superpowers, their secrets, and how one Chinese spy was ultimately caught. The podcast is based on a 2022 Bloomberg Businessweek feature reported by Bennett and Robertson.

“The Man Who Lived” is a new historical fiction series from Caloroga Shark Media. The podcast is a limited-run drama in which President John F. Kennedy survives that fatal November day in Dallas. Across 10 episodes, the series will reimagine American history through speculative storytelling, exploring the political, personal, and cultural consequences of JFK’s survival in an alternate timeline. The season will examine whether Kennedy could secure a second term, or whether mounting tensions within the Democratic Party, escalating doubts over Vietnam and the space race, and a deeply strained marriage would slowly unravel both his presidency and his private life. New episodes will be released each Sunday.

“Wait a Second…” is a new podcast from Spotify’s The Ringer. It is hosted by Jason Concepcion (Binge Mode, X-Ray Vision, NBA Desktop) and featuring The Ringer’s Tyler Parker as co-host. Each episode takes one culturally sticky, slightly unhinged story or a news item they can’t stop talking about and follows all the threads, unpacking what actually happened, why it captured public attention, and what it reveals about the society we live in. The show treats these stories with genuine curiosity and intellectual rigor, while also embracing the absurdity and accidental comedy that make them spread in the first place. Concepcion and Parker will be joined by a rotating bench of Ringer voices, with occasional outside experts. The podcast is Concepcion’s first project with The Ringer since 2021. 

“History For The Reckoning” is a new long-form podcast examining chapters of the past that have been misrepresented, minimized, or deliberately erased, and the ways their consequences still shape the present. Hosted by writer and theater creator Spencer Ford, the first season examines the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Episodes trace the forced removal and incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans, examining the legality, politics, and lasting consequences of one of the most profound civil-rights violations in U.S. history. The series also highlights the decades-long fight for redress and healing led by the Japanese American community, and the relevance of this history today, particularly for younger generations. The first episode features a conversation with actor George Takei.

“Boys & Girls” is a new series from iHeartPodcasts and Vaaka Media. Hosted by Radhika Viswanathan, the show will offer a new take on the highs and lows of being on the arranged marriage carousel while looking for “Desi love,” the South Asian expression of romantic love shaped by social structures, family involvement, literary traditions. With 93% of Indians choosing arranged marriages, elements such as caste, class, family connections, and location act as stand-ins for compatibility. These relationships are engineered by a network of well-intentioned aunties, matchmakers and astrologers. For many, love comes later. Episodes will release weekly on Thursdays

"Crime & Justice with Donna Rotunno" is a new series from Fox News Podcasts. Hosted by criminal defense attorney and Fox News legal contributor Donna Rotunno, the twice-weekly podcast will break down the biggest crime stories and trials across the country. Rotunno will tap into legal and criminal experts along with Fox News reporters and contributors each week to uncover new angles surrounding the cases capturing the nation. The series will also feature special segments and bonus episodes, diving deep into new developments as they break.

“Up To Speed” is a new Formula 1 podcast from Global Studios that gives fans VIP access to the fastest sport in the world. The series is hosted by F1 journalist Will Buxton, racing driver-turned-broadcaster Naomi Schiff, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, and F1 presenter and content creator Jolie Sharpe. They will deliver race reactions, behind-the-scenes insight, and the stories everyone’s talking about — both on and off the track. The podcast will be released twice weekly. Monday episodes will offer fast, reactive analysis following the weekend’s race drama. Thursday episodes will dive deep into the biggest story of the week, alongside interviews with the biggest names in the sport.

“The Teardown: Gluckcast” is a new podcast from Dirty Mo Media. The show is a spinoff of the motorsports podcast “The Teardown.” Jeff Gluck, who hosts the main series with Jordan Bianchi, will host the new companion series. Each episode will dive into the biggest motorsports stories of the week and feature conversations with team insiders who understand how the sport really works. Episodes will drop every Thursday. Dirty Mo Media is the multimedia content platform created by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Gluckcast” episodes will be released in “The Teardown” feed.

“Top Comment” is a new podcast from BBC Sounds. Hosted by investigations correspondent Marianna Spring and investigative journalist Matt Shea, the podcast will explain and analyze the biggest conversations playing out on social media — and the real life consequences they spark. From global events that go viral across social media, to bizarre online moments that spill over into reality, it will unpack the trends, theories and digital chaos shaping the world. Episode one delves into the world of what is being called “decline porn,” a genre of social media content that portrays liberal cities as degenerate. 

“Cared For” is a new podcast from the production house Good Get and public media organization PRX. Hosted by comedian-performer and nurse Kelli Dunham, each episode tackles universally personal topics including aging, grief, helping your neighbor get groceries, and beyond. “Cared For is about how we care for each other and how we care for ourselves, and perhaps just as importantly, how we create a world where it’s easier to do both,” says Dunham. “This show is important now because everyone is exhausted. And maybe that just comes with the territory, but maybe we don’t all need to be.” New episodes will released each Monday.

“Beyond the Pitch Kansas City” is a new sports podcast from Audacy. Hosted by Kansas City radio personalities Scott Parks and Rob Brenton, the show spotlights the journey of how Kansas City won the bid to host the World Cup and how the execution will roll out. New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays until July 22. Guests will include Mayor Quinton Lucas, Kansas City Sports Commission President Kathy Nelson, and Kansas City Chiefs President Mark Donovan. 

“Paradise: Official Podcast” is a new nine-episode companion series to the Hulu show. It is hosted by actor, super fan and family member Ryan Michelle Bathé, who talks to the cast and crew that brought the spellbinding second season to life, from the show's biggest stars — like her husband, Sterling K. Brown, who stars in the show and is its executive producer — to creator Dan Fogelman and beyond. Produced by ABC Audio, video episodes will also be available on Hulu.

“Reportable” is a new local news podcast from Central Florida Public Media. Hosted by longtime Orlando journalist Steve Mort, the weekly local news show examines key issues affecting the region through conversations with local reporters. “Local journalists across Central Florida are doing important work, and this show creates the time and space to focus on that reporting,” said Mort. “Reportable” will air Wednesday evenings on the radio and then become available on demand as an audio podcast through all major platforms and as a video podcast on YouTube. For six years, Mort was the host and executive producer of WUCF’s “NewsNight,” which also aired on Central Florida Public Media, until the show was discontinued in 2025. 

“Wondergoal” is a new soccer podcast. Twice a week, Action Network European football experts Michael Leboff and BJ Cunningham handicap their way across the continent, covering Champions League, Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, and Ligue 1 action with in-depth gambling analysis. They offer breakdowns of top matches, juicy long shots and valuable futures picks.

NEW SEASONS

“Burden of Guilt” is launching the second season of the true crime podcast. In 1999, 18-year-old bartender Bobby Gumpright told police he was held at gunpoint by a man in New Orleans. He identified 20-year-old Jermaine Hudson as the perpetrator, and Hudson was sentenced to 99 years in prison. But Gumpright’s performance as the star witness in Hudson’s trial was a lie. For 22 years, only two people knew the truth — until a confession changed everything. Host Nancy Glass explores the harsh realities of Jim Crow-era Louisiana that helped seal Hudson’s fate, and the unlikely friendship that has grown between the two men since Gumpright came forward with the truth. New episodes will be released each Wednesday. The show is produced Glass Podcasts, the audio arm of Glass Entertainment Group, and iHeartPodcasts.

“Gone South” is launching a fifth season with a scope that is wider than true crime. Through deeply reported, narrative-driven episodes and interviews with journalists, historians, musicians, and people who’ve lived these stories firsthand, writer and host Jed Lipinski explores the myths, power structures, and legacies that continue to shape the South — and, by extension, the country. From re-examining the cultural meaning of the Alamo, to tracing the family history of Alex Murdaugh, to investigating the federal indictment of New Orleans’ former Mayor, each episode stands alone while contributing to a larger portrait of a region defined by contradiction, belief, and consequence. The show is produced by Audacy. New episodes in its 40-episode season will be released weekly on Wednesdays.

“World of Secrets” is releasing a new seasons with a six-part series titled “The Darkest Web.” The podcast follows U.S. agent Greg Squire and a dedicated network of specialist undercover investigators from around the world as they track down perpetrators of child sexual abuse on the dark web. These agents spend months, sometimes years, infiltrating hidden networks designed to be untraceable. Working across different time zones, the officers uncover encrypted forums where prolific abusers trade tactics, erase their digital footprints, and produce and distribute millions of images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Behind every username lies a potential victim in immediate danger, forcing investigators into a race against the clock. The series is produced by BBC Eye, the investigative team within the BBC World Service.

“Understood” is releasing a new season titled “Deepfake Porn Empire.” Non-consensual deepfake porn is becoming increasingly pervasive, and it didn’t just come out of nowhere. These deepfakes were created and curated by people, on platforms, inside online subcultures. And they were allowed to spread, while governments dragged their feet, tech companies shrugged, and the targets — almost always women — paid the price. Hosted by journalist Sam Cole, the series traces the decades-long rise of synthetic porn, the targets who are fighting back, and the global investigation that led to its Canadian kingpin. The series is produced by CBC Podcasts.

“Impact Podcast with John Shegerian” has announced a new season featuring conversations with business leaders from iconic organizations such as Mars, Morningstar, EY, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Prologis, Crocs, Rockwell Automation, Sanofi, FTI Consulting, Watershed, and author Jane Marie Chen, among others. Guests are invited to share with listeners first-hand accounts of how they work to make the world a better place on a daily basis. “I know our audience will be inspired,” says Shegerian.