Best of 2025: Born in Flames w/ Bench Ansfield

As this year comes to a close, we’re releasing a Best of 2025 series—by no means objective, and making plenty of tough decisions to leave a few favorites out. Each of these will also be posted in the public feed. We’ll be back early in the new year with new episodes. This episode was originally released November 3rd for Death Panel patrons and is being unlocked today for the first time. To support the show and help make episodes like this one possible, become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod Original description: Beatrice and Tracy speak with Bench Ansfield about their new book charting the rise of the FIRE economy (finance, insurance, real estate) in the 1970s and how this new evolution of racial capitalism led landlords to set fire to their own buildings in the Bronx and throughout the US, placing the blame on—and pathologizing—the very tenants they were dispossessing. Find Bench's book, Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City, here: https://bookshop.org/a/118130/9781324093510 Show links: We're testing out a new Bookshop.org page (still under construction), where you can find books by past guests and book recommendations from the hosts. Find it here: bookshop.org/shop/deathpanel Get Health Communism here: bookshop.org/a/118130/9781839765179 Find Tracy's book Abolish Rent here: bookshop.org/a/118130/9798888902523 Find Jules' latest book, A Short History of Trans Misogyny, here: bookshop.org/a/118130/9781804291603 Outro by Time Wharp: timewharp.bandcamp.com/track/tezeta