Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra cover image

Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra

Episode 3: The Day

Oct 17, 2022
38:34

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The Hercules Powder Plant explosion in 1940 highlighted the government's failure to address warning signs and testimonies of sabotage, downplaying the possibility of foul play.
  • Leon Lewis and his network of undercover agents infiltrated and exposed fascist groups' detailed plots for violence, despite facing resistance and indifference from law enforcement.

Deep dives

The Hercules Powder Plant Explosion

In 1940, the Hercules powder plant in Kenville, New Jersey, which had been repurposed to supply the US military, exploded, causing 52 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and extensive property damage. The explosion occurred at a shift change, maximizing the number of casualties. Despite warning signs and testimonies of sabotage, law enforcement downplayed the possibility of foul play.

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