The Alarmist

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the downfall of notorious mobster Al Capone with historian and author Dr. Luciano Lorizzo. Having written a biography on Capone and even growing up in Park Slope Brooklyn, where Capone spent his early days, Dr. Lorizzo shares some fascinating insights on the people and places that shaped Capone’s outward persona. Afterward, Patreon subsc...

Who’s to blame for the downfall of Al Capone? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes writer Seth Reiss to take on the downfall of one of history’s most infamous mobsters, Al Capone. And we nailed it! Or did we? If indeed Capone had a downfall, who was ultimately to blame? Did his violent leadership style lead to his eventual demise? Was it the familiar tale of tax evasion? Or is...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Privacy AI researcher Jen Caltrider about the rising dominance of AI and the role it plays in the fictional thriller M3GAN. Full disclosure, Jen couldn't watch the movie because horror films are too scary for her. But, trust us when we say what she shares about her work and privacy concerns with developing AI is MUCH scarier. Afterwar...

Who’s to blame for M3GAN (The Movie)? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with Actor Farah Merani about the artificial intelligence gone dreadfully awry in the 2023 box office blockbuster M3GAN. Are humans really prepared for the power of AI? Is the lure of convenience clouding our better judgment? Do we honestly think AI and childcare are a good mix? Needless to say, we’re than...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the tragic murder/suicide of Chris Benoit with author Irv Muchnick. Having written numerous books about the dark side of the sports industry, Irv thoughtfully depicts the historical culture of pro wrestling and contemplates the idea of bigger risk equaling bigger reward, but at what cost? Afterward, Patreon subscribers can hear the post-...

Who’s to blame for the Chris Benoit Murder/Suicide? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes return guest, and host of the Hatch true crime audio series Pillow Talk, Deanna Ortiz to discuss the tragic circumstances around the murder/suicide of professional wrestler Chris Benoit in 2007. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. We know who did it, but c...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Gabi Hegerl about her expertise in climate system science and how her research on the record breaking heat waves during the 1930’s in America’s great plains led her to one of their biggest contributing factors, what we now know as The Dust Bowl. Afterward, Patreon subscribers can hear the post-interview breakdown with Producer Cla...

Who’s to blame for The Dust Bowl? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes fellow podcaster Mike Rugnetta, host of Never Post , to discuss a major bump in the road during America’s westward expansion. Well, more like a big bowl of dust which swept up the country's notion of manifest destiny. Was this wheat bubble also part of our destiny or was it created by poor planning and farmi...

Guest Expert? Make it a double! As promised, we have the first ever Aftermath Doubleheader this week. First up, join Rebecca as she chats with historian Dr. Josiah Osgood about the assassination of one of Rome’s most famous citizens, Julius Caesar. Then, stay tuned as she revisits the Cancellation of Armie Hammer with Dr. Gloria Brame, a published author with a PHD in Human Sexuality. And if you’r...

Who’s to blame for the cancellation of Armie Hammer? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes friends and hosts of the podcast Non Drinking Buddies Rebekka Johnson and Anne Gregory to discuss the highly disturbing circumstances around the cancelation of Hollywood celebrity Armie Hammer. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. How does kink shaming fac...

New Mailbag! This week, we’re pushing back our Julius Caesar Aftermath just a tad for a much needed Mailbag catch up session. We’ve got new insights on past episodes, a few Alarmy members writing in to defend Fact Checker Chris and some intriguing new listener suggestions for future topics. Plus, there’s a new wing in The Alarmist Jail! Tune in to hear all about it. And don’t worry, we’re not done...

Who’s to blame for the Assassination of Julius Caesar? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes comedian DeAnne Smith to discuss the alluring life of Julius Caesar and his dramatic ascension to prominence, adoration and ultimately assassination. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Were Caesar’s dictator tendencies the cause of his demise? Was Brut...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca returns to the Mary Kay Letourneau case with Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic. Dr. Jeglic is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at John Jay College in New York. Together, they discuss the process of sexual grooming, the gender stereotypes and misconceptions at play at the time and the shift this case represented for American culture. Afterwa...

Who’s to blame for the Mary Kay Letourneau Case? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes award winning journalist and cohost of the podcast In Retrospect Jessica Bennett to revisit the long and complicated case of Mary Kay Letourneau and her 12 year old student Vili Fualaau. Why was Mary Kay given such a lenient initial sentencing? Were the 90’s media and entertainment industries...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Arjune Rama about the untimely death of music legend Kurt Cobain. Arjune Rama, MD is a psychiatrist and a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. In his private practice he provides psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and medication management. He can be rea...

Who’s to blame for the Death of Kurt Cobain? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) keeps things in-house with Producer Clayton Early and Fact Checker Chris Smith to discuss the life, death and legacy of Kurt Cobain. The anti-pop star who forever transformed the music landscape, whose life was cut short at the young age of 27. What were the factors that contributed to his death by suicide...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the devastating 1931 Central China Floods with history professor Dr. Zhigou Ye. In her work, Dr. Ye touches on the transformation of China from an agricultural empire into a modernized society and the hazards that came along with that rush to industrialization. Especially when those efforts encounter a once in a lifetime environmental di...

Who’s to blame for the 1931 Central China Floods? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes friend and Amaro maker David Bly to discuss the devastating 1931 floods along the Yangtze River in China and the catastrophic loss of life that followed. There’s only so much we can do when Mother Nature slaps us with a deluge of unprecedented weather events, but could better flood control me...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with relationship therapist and Love Talk Live podcast host Jaime Bronstein about the complicated relationship dynamics playing out in the popular rom-com My Best Friend’s Wedding. Jaime reflects on marriage pacts, dating culture shifts, effective communication and reminds us that it’s always a good idea to be in touch with your own feelin...

Who’s to blame for My Best Friend’s Wedding?  This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes the host of That's A Gay Ass Podcast Eric Williams to discuss the highly chaotic sabotage and shenanigans in the 1997 rom-com My Best Friend’s Wedding starring America’s sweetheart herself, Julia Roberts. Is the societal pressure to marry young to blame? Perhaps Jules and Michael aren’t the...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with author and NYTimes health journalist Gina Kolata about the devastating 1918 flu pandemic and its lasting legacy. Gina draws parallels from our recent experience with Covid-19 and reminds us that viruses truly never go away, people often just choose to forget about them. Afterward, Patreon subscribers can listen as Rebecca and Producer...

Who’s to blame for the Spanish Flu? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Actor Avital Ash to the show to discuss the catastrophically devastating flu pandemic which wreaked unprecedented havoc throughout the world from 1918-1920. What conditions were in place at the time that allowed for such a widespread outbreak? Could the war effort be to blame? Were poor living conditions a...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Communications Strategist Robbie Vorhaus about the fallout from the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show featuring Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Robbie highlights some important pop culture moments that happened shortly before this epic event, details the extreme precision and scrutiny that goes into a halftime show production and...

Who’s to blame for the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show Controversy? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes comedian Blaire Postman to discuss the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” (aka Nipplegate) turned Super Bowl Halftime show scandal-extraordinaire between Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson…Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty. Did the rise of YouTube contribute to the massive fallout?...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with British historian and author Jerry White about the disastrous sinking of the SS Princess Alice. Jerry highlights important context to the meaning of The River Thames at this moment in history and shares harrowing first hand accounts and crucial new information which potentially calls the initial verdict into question. Afterward, Patre...