The Alarmist

Who’s to blame for the rent due in RENT? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) is wrapping up 2024 by keeping things all in the family with Associate Producer Krystal Dinsberg, Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Together, The Alarmist Crew take on the 1996 rock opera musical RENT and try to decide who or what is ultimately to blame for this year’s rent, last year’s rent...

On this week’s Aftermath REWIND, Rebecca speaks with author Alex Palmer about the years-long Santa Claus Association con. An actual relative of John Gluck(!), Alex offers fascinating insight into the man himself and the national mood at the time around charitable donations and the holiday spirit. Afterward, Producer Clayton Early and Fact Checker Chris Smith stop by to revisit the verdict and bask...

Who’s to blame for the Santa Claus Association Scandal? In this week's REWIND, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with fellow podcaster and Christmas expert Brian Earl about the Santa Claus Association scheme which defrauded thousands of New York City charitable donors and hopeful children in need. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Could America’s obse...

New Guest Expert! On this week’ Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Michelle Martinez about the 1984 film Gremlins. A Professor of Film Studies at Arizona State University, with a focus on the intersection of culture and media, Dr. Martinez masterfully articulates the historical context in which the film was released and the cultural significance of the themes touched on throughout the movie. After...

Who’s to blame for the Gremlins? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back Mary Grill to discuss the horrifyingly funny 1980’s holiday classic, Gremlins. It’s cute, it’s campy, it’s cringe. Heck, it’s Christmas! Could being too cute be deadly? Are Gremlins just a manifestation of the ugliness that’s inside all of us?  And why is everyone so completely blinded by their capi...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Professor Scott W. Berg about the unique set of circumstances leading up to The Great Chicago Fire. Author of, “The Burning of the World: The Great Chicago Fire and the War for a City’s Soul” Scott lends some much needed context to the hustle and bustle of Chicago life at the time as well as the socioeconomic dynamics at play. Afterwo...

Who’s to blame for The Great Chicago Fire? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes comedian Benny Blue to discuss the unfortunate circumstances that led to Chicago’s biggest and deadliest fire and the nasty rumors about its origins which circulated the country for decades afterwards. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Could an overworked Fire De...

Mailbag Alert! Hey Alarmy. The mailbag is turning into a bit of a mailroom…So, Rebecca, Clayton and Chris are heading on over to the mailroom to check in with you. We’ve got some exciting new episode suggestions to look forward to and a fascinating listener revelation about the year 1919. Plus, we’re reading our way through our next book club selection over on Patreon.  Foster  by Claire...

Who’s to blame for the Goiania Accident?  This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Katy Hearne-Church and Nathan Foster, hosts of Queens Podcast , to discuss the seemingly innocent, yet highly consequential Goiania Accident in Brazil. Could our affinity for shiny things be to blame? Does radioactive material have a branding problem? And why was something so lethal left behind...

In this week's Aftermath REWIND, Rebecca speaks with Pulitzer-prize winning American science journalist Deborah Blum. Director of the Knight Science Journalism program at MIT and author of six books, including The Poison Squad (2018) and The Poisoner’s Handbook (2010), she makes a compelling argument for a new potential verdict. Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early stop by to discus...

IS IT POSSIBLE THE FASHION INDUSTRY INFLUENCED THE BRADFORD SWEETS POISONING? On this week's REWIND, the Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) is joined by Special Guest Suni Reyes, Fact Checker Chris Smith, and Producer Clayton Early to discuss the 1858 Bradford Sweets Poisoning. Should sugar be added to the list of Illegal Substances?   Join our Patreon! We have merch! Join our Discord! Tel...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the Night of the Grizzlies with wildlife advocate and conservation scientist Dr. Peter Alagona. Pete’s current project is the California Grizzly Research Network studying the future of Grizzlies in the state and he has some pretty tough food for thought when it comes to bears and our co-existence with them. Afterward, Patreon subscribers...

Who’s to blame for the Night of the Grizzlies? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes writer and podcaster James III (co-host of the podcast Tiny Dinos ) to discuss the gruesome details of the Night of the Grizzlies in Glacier National Park. Is this yet another case of humans getting handsy or had America somehow forgotten about the dangers of bears in the wild? Could the animate...

On this week's Aftermath Rewind, Rebecca Delgado Smith talks with director of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Project for the engineering contractor Morton Thiokol at the time of the Challenger disaster, Allan McDonald, and what he says might change the verdict. Learn more about the Challenger Disaster by reading Allan Mcdonald's book, Truth, Lies and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challen...

On this weeks REWIND, The Alarmist, Rebecca Delgado Smith, decides who is to blame for the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. She is joined by Comedian Rebekka Johnson, Fact Checker Chris Smith, and Producer Amanda Lund. On the board this week: O-Rings, Nasa Company Culture and Pressure to Launch.  Join our Patreon! We have merch! Join our Discord! Tell us who you think is to blame at http://...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with true crime writer Diane Fanning about the Lisa Nowak scandal. Author of Out There , which recounts Astronaut Lisa Nowak’s attempted assault, Diane shares important details that help give some context to Lisa Nowak’s mental implosion at the time. Were we a little too easy on Bill?! Afterward, Patreon Subscribers can join Fact Checker C...

Who’s to blame for Lisa Nowak & The Astronaut Love Triangle? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back Sequoia Holmes (host of the podcast Black People Love Paramore ) to discuss the curious case of Astronaut Lisa Nowak who drove 14 hours straight from Houston to Orlando to confront her ex-lovers new girlfriend. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayto...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Joanne Davis about the fictional character Freddie Kruger and the ways in which real life unresolved trauma can potentially manifest in our dreams and nightmares months and often years later. With decades of experience in the field of nightmare and dream disorders, Dr. Davis lends some fascinating insight to this fictional nightma...

Who’s to blame for the Nightmare on Elm Street? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Cass Bugge to discuss the havoc Freddie Kruger is wreaking in the nightmares of the unfortunate teens on Elm Street. One, two Freddie’s coming for you. Three, four will locking your door even matter if he’s haunting you in your dreams? Is there a collective town trauma that’s being intentionall...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the Banana Massacre with Jack Werner, a Ph. D. Candidate in the Department of History at the University of Maryland College Park. Jack expertly describes the scene on the ground in Latin America as these newly liberated countries were establishing themselves and how those growing pains resulted in the complicated and problematic labor pr...

Who’s to blame for the Banana Massacre? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes comedian and musician James Eason to discuss the unthinkably brutal Banana Massacre in Cienaga, Colombia on December 5th 1928. Ever wondered where the phrase “Banana Republic” came from? It’s not a happy origin story. You might even find yourself deep in your thoughts about ethical employment and the i...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the 1982 film Sophie’s Choice with Jordanna Gessler. Jordanna is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and currently serves as the Chief Impact Officer at Holocaust Museum LA. Her input on both the film and the stark reality generations of Holocaust survivors have faced after the war is incredibly scrupulous and vital. Afterward, Patr...

Who’s to blame for Sophie’s Choice? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes writer and director Hannah Utt to discuss the film Sophie’s Choice and determine who’s ultimately to blame for the demise of Sophie and Nathan at the film's conclusion. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Could the immense guilt that Sophie endured as a result of her unth...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Programs Manager for the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, Natalie Belanger. Being from the Hartford area, Natalie reminds us of the significant and enduring impact the tragedy has on the surrounding community and shares harrowing new details about the day’s events. Afterward, hear the post-interview discussion with Fact Chec...

Who’s to blame for the Hartford Circus Fire? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Duncan MacEwan & Shane Rogers (hosts of the podcast Midnight Facts for Insomniacs ) to discuss the Hartford Circus Fire. This heart wrenching tragedy took the lives of 168 audience members, mostly women and children, and injured over 600 others. For added insight, our guest Shane literally gre...