Final Warnings

In the waning months of Jonestown, the only primary American officials in touch with the Rev*.* Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple were U.S. diplomats at the tiny embassy in Georgetown, Guyana. We tell you about a 6-year-old boy who became central to Jones and to the existence of the commune, a flirtation with the KGB and the Soviet Union and preparations for mass murder and suicide. How much did embassy officials know? We ask: Were American diplomats negligent? You decide.

Om Podcasten

On Nov. 18, 1978, more than 900 Americans died in Jonestown, Guyana. Some committed suicide. More were murdered. And until 9/11, it was the largest single mass killing of American citizens. U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan was assassinated as he tried to rescue Jonestown residents desperate for freedom. In CQ Roll Call's new podcast, we investigate Jonestown through the prism of congressional oversight, telling a story of corruption, international intrigue, race and betrayal. Oversight. How can the lessons of the past inform decisions of today?