The Alarmist

Who’s to blame for the 1995 Tokyo Metro Sarin Gas Attack? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with return guest and friend of the show Georgia Mischak about the insidious 1995 sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo cult on the Tokyo metro system. What attracted young, educated and often well connected citizens to this apocalyptic group? Was this a classic case of the charismatic...

New Mailbag! This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) sits down with Producer Clayton Early and Fact Checker Chris Smith to read your post-Thanksgiving holiday mail. Like our tummies, this mailbag is full! Hear great new episode recommendations, listener reactions to recent episodes and the conclusion (or is it?) of the great anatomy of an apple debate. Then, write in, rate and share your r...

Who’s to blame for the Enron Scandal? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with Tommy Byrnes and Steve Smith, owners of Jalapa Jar Salsa, about the infamous Enron Scandal and the wave of new regulations it brought about. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. This board is packed! Is Market Euphoria to blame! What does Financial Engineering really...

Who’s to blame for The Alarmies’ holiday disasters?! This Thanksgiving, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) is giving thanks and staying alarmed by tackling some of our listeners' greatest holiday disasters with Producer Clayton Early and Fact Checker Chris Smith. That’s right. A few brave listeners have shared their holiday woes and the verdicts are in! Hear about a families decades long debate...

Who’s to thank for the Modern American Thanksgiving Menu? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes comedian and fellow podcaster Deanna Ortiz to discuss what we think of when we’re contemplating a modern Thanksgiving feast and who we have to thank for it. Step aside turkey! There’s about to be a new star this Thanksgiving holiday season. Could it be Angelus Marshmallows? Or how abo...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Professor Marcia M. Gallo about the murder of Kitty Genovese and what drew her to this tragic story as a young person herself growing up in 1964. Author of “No One Helped”: Kitty Genovese, New York City, and the Myth of Urban Apathy , Marcia helps us understand the real story behind Kitty and her murder which transformed a neighborhoo...

Who’s to blame for the murder of Kitty Genovese? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with author and fellow podcaster Margo Donohue about the gruesome 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in Kew Gardens, NY. The notorious murder which resulted in numerous psychological studies and the origins of the very alarming Bystander Effect. They’re joined by Associate Producer/Fact Checker Alex...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with professor, author, and historian Jacob Mundy about Libya’s fraught political and social economic history. Author of the book Libya , Professor Mundy expertly guides us through key moments between Libya and the United States and provides a backdrop to the Pan Am 103 Bombing. Afterward, Producer Alex Paul and Fact Checker Chris Smith st...

Who’s to blame for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back The Alarmists very own Amanda Lund to discuss the very tragic and very complicated bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Did ongoing sanctions from the US lead to tension and, eventually, retaliation? Is there something to...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with writer and journalist Ray Connolly about the life and death of Elvis Presley. Author of the Elvis biography Being Elvis - A Lonely Life , Ray helps us understand the life experiences and dynamics at play which shaped the original King of Rock and Roll, a first of his kind. Afterward, Producer Clayton Early and Fact Checker Chris Smith...

Ep Title : Amazon Music Presents: I Hear Fear Episode Description:  Nothing is as terrifying as the sounds we hear in the dark. The slow creak of a door opening late at night... or a whisper in a room when you thought you were alone... or a distant scream in the wind. One noise at the wrong time or place can scare us for days.   Each episode of I HEAR FEAR p...

Who’s to blame for the death of The King: Elvis Presley? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with Julianne Turkel about the King of Rock and Roll himself and who, or what, was ultimately to blame for his untimely death. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Was this the result of prescription drug abuse? Or perhaps the abuse of Elvis himself by h...

New Mailbag Episode! On this week’s Aftermath, The Alarmist is putting out a CALL TO THE ALARMY! That’s right, we want to hear from you for our Thanksgiving Aftermath. Call the Earios Hotline at 626-604-6262 and share your holiday feud or comedy of errors and we’ll break it down during the episode. Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early share some examples for your enjoyment. And Rebe...

Who’s to blame for The Blair Witch Project?  This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with comedian and fellow podcaster Julie Merica about The Blair Witch Project and who’s ultimately to blame for the documentary filmmaker’s mysterious disappearance. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Was Heather too arrogant? Were Mike & Josh too trustin...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Professor Lynn Wood Mollenauer about all things La Voisin and the Affair of the Poisons. Specializing in the history of France between the Renaissance and the Revolution, and having coined the phrase “Criminal Magical Underworld” herself, Professor Mollenauer lends fascinating new insight to this dark underworld in 17th century Paris....

Who’s to blame for the demise of La Voisin?    This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes a dear friend (and potential real life witch!) Jen Curran to discuss the Affair of the Poisons which ultimately led to the execution of the French “wise woman” La Voisin. Are witches real or were they the product of the religious mystique at the time? Could the Criminal Magical Un...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with New York Times staff writer Jonathan Abrams about who’s to blame for the Malice at the Palace. Jonathan’s Oral History of the event was featured in ESPN’s Grantland and he helps remind us of the big emotions, both personal and professional, that were all coalescing during this historic moment in the NBA. Afterward, Producer Clayton Ea...

Who’s to blame for Malice at the Palace?  This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes old friend and legendary sports personality Kenny Mayne to discuss the infamous sporting debacle known as Malice at the Palace. And with Kenny’s long tenure on ESPN, who better to help break it down for The Alarmy?! Will Mob Mentality take the fall for this one? Could Ben Wallace’s armband be to...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Tim Lehman about The Battle of Little Bighorn and the complicated series of events leading up to this unusual battle. Dr. Lehman is a Professor of History and Political Science at Rocky Mountain College in Montana and author of the book Bloodshed at Little Bighorn: Sitting Bull, Custer, and the Destinies of Nations . Afterward, Pr...

Who’s to blame for the Battle of Little Bighorn? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with comedian and television host Adam Conover about the Battle of Little Bighorn and why this battle was even necessary in the first place. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Was this the result of Manifest Destiny? Was the term even used at the time? Or was...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Marc Bekoff about the killing of Harambe, The Cincinnati Zoo Toddler Incident and zoo culture in general. Marc is a professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, a Fellow of the Animal Behavior Society, and a past Guggenheim Fellow. With Jane Goodall, Marc co-founded the organization Ethologists...

Who’s to blame for the death of Harambe and The Cincinnati Zoo Toddler Incident? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) talks with actor and comedian Andreé Vermeulen about the toddler who fell into an exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo resulting in the death of the Gorilla Harambe. Should we really be keeping animals in captivity? And why was it so easy for a 3 year old to crawl into a wild G...

New NEW Mailbag! First of its kind on The Alarmist. This week, Rebecca sits down with Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early for an all new Alarmy Mini-Alarms episode. That’s right, this one’s dedicated to you Alarmy. Tune in and find out what’s been Alarming the Alarmy these days. Listener MaryBeth from Portland, OR is stressing about puppets. Maybe you can relate?! If not, write in...

Who’s to blame for Penn State’s Jerry Sandusky Scandal? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with actor and friend Charlie Hewson about the systemic failures in place that allowed for the decades of abuse by Jerry Sandusky at Penn State. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Could Penn State’s legendary football culture explain the university's po...

New Guest Expert! For this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Ariel Ramchandani about her extensive knowledge of the Ruby Red Slippers lore and their eventual theft from the Judy Garland Museum in August of 2005. Ariel is a freelance writer and host of the podcast No Place Like Home . Her work has appeared in Mother Jones, The Atlantic and The Guardian among other publications. Afterward, Produ...