Ira Glass

I'm Ira Glass. And let's just get to it. One of our shows is called Best Actor in a Dramatic Role. Nancy Updike has our story about Venezuela. Here she is.

The last hurdle of the day, and it's a big one. After the break, stay with us. This is American Life from Ira Glass. We are in the middle of Nancy Updike's story about the Venezuelan election and the opposition's very elaborate attempt to get a real vote count. Nancy picks up where she left off.

The last hurdle of the day, and it's a big one. After the break, stay with us. This is American Life from Ira Glass. We are in the middle of Nancy Updike's story about the Venezuelan election and the opposition's very elaborate attempt to get a real vote count. Nancy picks up where she left off.

Nancy Updike. Her story was produced by Ana Yancey Diaz-Cortez. Ana Yancey was also the interpreter for Maria's interview. The story was edited by Laura Strachesky. Just this week, for the first time, President Biden started referring to the candidate whose 600K showed got the most votes, opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, as the president-elect of Venezuela.

Nancy Updike. Her story was produced by Ana Yancey Diaz-Cortez. Ana Yancey was also the interpreter for Maria's interview. The story was edited by Laura Strachesky. Just this week, for the first time, President Biden started referring to the candidate whose 600K showed got the most votes, opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, as the president-elect of Venezuela.

Coming up, an entire class of animals calls for a recount. They want an end to the lies about them. I mean, okay, I guess it's human beings who want to recount not the animals themselves, but you get the idea. Anyway, that's in a minute. I'm Chicago Public Radio. When our program continues. This is American Life from Ira Glass. Today's program, the official, unofficial record.

Coming up, an entire class of animals calls for a recount. They want an end to the lies about them. I mean, okay, I guess it's human beings who want to recount not the animals themselves, but you get the idea. Anyway, that's in a minute. I'm Chicago Public Radio. When our program continues. This is American Life from Ira Glass. Today's program, the official, unofficial record.

Stories about people trying to set the record straight against great odds, real and perceived. We have arrived at Act 2 of our show. Act 2, Meanwhile in America. I thought this was an interesting sign of the times. It started out in a very familiar scene and then went into a direction I did not expect. It happened on election night.

Stories about people trying to set the record straight against great odds, real and perceived. We have arrived at Act 2 of our show. Act 2, Meanwhile in America. I thought this was an interesting sign of the times. It started out in a very familiar scene and then went into a direction I did not expect. It happened on election night.

My co-worker Zoe Chase and I were in Michigan in separate locations. It was late, but nobody knew yet who was going to win. And Zoe was at what would later become the Trump victory party in Michigan. And she ambled up to some people she's talked to in the past, Republican activists, including Todd Gilman.

My co-worker Zoe Chase and I were in Michigan in separate locations. It was late, but nobody knew yet who was going to win. And Zoe was at what would later become the Trump victory party in Michigan. And she ambled up to some people she's talked to in the past, Republican activists, including Todd Gilman.

I don't know if you can catch that. He said the cheat is going to happen at 2 in the morning. and that a truck with California plates showed up at the convention center where they were at that very moment, counting absentee ballots for Detroit. Online, there was a video of three supposed culprits carrying suspicious packages into some building at 11 p.m.

I don't know if you can catch that. He said the cheat is going to happen at 2 in the morning. and that a truck with California plates showed up at the convention center where they were at that very moment, counting absentee ballots for Detroit. Online, there was a video of three supposed culprits carrying suspicious packages into some building at 11 p.m.

All right, let's do a quick camera cut to the convention center. Nice. Wow, good music too.

All right, let's do a quick camera cut to the convention center. Nice. Wow, good music too.

Okay, so I'm there in the Convention Center that night with hundreds of other very tired-looking people, not exactly watching the steal come in, but with someone who was on high alert for any possible vote-stealing shenanigans, one of the lead Republican poll challengers at the Convention Center, a guy named Jeff Schaper.

Okay, so I'm there in the Convention Center that night with hundreds of other very tired-looking people, not exactly watching the steal come in, but with someone who was on high alert for any possible vote-stealing shenanigans, one of the lead Republican poll challengers at the Convention Center, a guy named Jeff Schaper.

So, Zoe told me what you just heard about mysterious ballots arriving at the Convention Center at 11 p.m. in a truck with California plates. And this next moment, the one where I told Jeff about it, is the moment that I thought was so interesting. And to get its significance, I should tell you first that Jeff Shaper is a serious election skeptic.

So, Zoe told me what you just heard about mysterious ballots arriving at the Convention Center at 11 p.m. in a truck with California plates. And this next moment, the one where I told Jeff about it, is the moment that I thought was so interesting. And to get its significance, I should tell you first that Jeff Shaper is a serious election skeptic.

Stop the count! Okay, so that's where Jeff was back then. A Republican-led investigation in the state Senate later found no fraud, no harm to the vote count in Detroit. But Jeff is still convinced to this day the Democrats were in there throwing illegal ballots into the system.