Things That Go Boom

For a century, the weapons industry has helped shape St. Louis — from the McDonnell Douglas fighters that once symbolized American air power to Boeing’s sprawling factories today. But when thousands of machinists walked off the job this year, something cracked in “Fighterland, USA.”In this episode, we head to the picket line to hear from the workers who build America’s bombs and jets — those struggling to afford rent, groceries, and daycare while assembling weapons worth more than their annual salaries. Reporter Sophie Hurwitz takes us inside a city reckoning with its identity: Can St. Louis really become the “Silicon Valley of defense” when the jobs it’s banking on are shrinking? What happens when an economy built on war no longer guarantees stability? And what does labor power look like in an industry whose products help shape conflicts worldwide?While some in town are fighting to keep defense dollars flowing, others want St. Louis to imagine a different future. This is the story of a strike, a city, and a century-long relationship with the military-industrial complex now reaching its breaking point.Guests: Sophie Hurwitz, Reporting Fellow, Inkstick Media; Breanna Donnell, Rick Perdue, Mason, and other Boeing Machinists; Stephen Quackenbush, Professor and Director of Defense and Strategic Studies, University of Missouri; Maxi Glamour, 3rd Ward Committeeperson, St. LouisAdditional Resources: “How One Dissenter Left Boeing,” Sophie Hurwitz, Inkstick Media “The Year Arms Contractors Stopped Supporting Pride,” Sophie Hurwitz, Inkstick Media

San Diego’s Barrio Logan is a place defined by both proximity and resistance — pressed against naval shipyards, fenced in by freeways, and crowned by the Coronado Bridge. For decades, the community has lived with the noise, the pollution, and the promises that never quite came true.When the USS Bonhomme Richard went up in flames in 2020, the Navy said there was “nothing toxic in the smoke.” Residents knew better. It was just the latest chapter in a long story of damage left unresolved — one that began when the waterfront was seized for the war effort and continued through decades of rezoning fights, health crises, and a ballot-box battle that pitted neighbors against the city’s most powerful industry.In this episode, Things That Go Boom travels to San Diego to ask: what does it mean to live — and keep fighting — in the shadow of the military’s hometown? Featuring voices from across the neighborhood, we trace how a community beneath the bridge built its own language of survival.GUESTS: Dr. Alberto López Pulido, Professor of Ethnic Studies, University of San Diego; Brent Beltrán, Publisher, Calaca Press; community activist; Ramón “Mr. Ray” Fino, Vietnam veteran, lifelong Barrio Logan resident; Angel Garcia, Commander, VFW Post Don Diego 7420ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:Environmental Health Coalition: Barrio Logan Community PlanChicano Park Museum: Logan Heights Archival ProjectIntersectional Health Project San Diego: Barrio Logan“Fallout From Trump’s EPA Cuts Includes Long-Sought Barrio Logan Park,” Philip Salata, inewsource

When 27-year-old Gabriel Sanchez won his Democratic primary in Smyrna, Georgia — home to a massive Lockheed Martin plant — few expected an outspoken anti-war socialist to carry a district built on defense jobs. But Sanchez has managed to do just that, working to push for better benefits, wages, and labor rights across the state. In this episode, we look at how he’s building bridges between anti-war ideals and pro-labor politics — and what his unlikely success might mean for the future of organizing in defense towns.We reached out to Lockheed Martin for comment before publication, and asked questions about the company's stance on Sanchez's legislative goals. The company responded with this statement: “We value our state and national elected officials and the support provided to the Marietta site and the C-130, an aircraft that has created economic growth and provided humanitarian and critical assistance around the globe. We also enjoy a strong partnership with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers as the largest employer of union-represented workers in Cobb County.”GUEST: Gabriel Sanchez, Georgia State RepresentativeADDITIONAL RESOURCES:Jonathan Chang and Meghna Chakrabarti, “'The last supper': How a 1993 Pentagon dinner reshaped the defense industry,” WBUR’s On PointTaylor Barnes, “Meet the democratic socialist winning in a Lockheed town,” Inkstick MediaMichelle Baruchman, “Only socialist in legislature beat expectations,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution (paywall)

Barry Friedman, a law professor and founder of the Policing Project at NYU, dives into the controversial battle over a luxury apartment development driven by Axon, a major policing tech company. He discusses the implications of surveillance technology on local democracy, raising concerns about corporate influence in public safety. The conversation also covers ethical limits of policing tech, privacy issues, and the political maneuvers that sidestep community votes, questioning who truly governs our safety in an age of data.

In this engaging discussion, Taylor Barnes, a Field Reporter at Inkstick Media, and Mary Vavrus, a University of Minnesota professor studying military-media relations, uncover the questionable practices behind defense contractor subsidies. They delve into Utah's Northrop Grumman site, where state aid is tied to elusive job promises, and reveal how local media often glosses over critical issues in favor of celebratory narratives. The duo analyzes the evolving tactics used to obscure financial dealings, highlighting the need for vigilance in the face of government transparency challenges.

Across the country — from DC to Los Angeles to Chicago — the military is more visible in daily life than it’s been in years. But behind the boots on the ground lies a much bigger system. One that puts grenade launchers in the hands of police, surveils our every step, and ships weapons overseas. And it's grown bigger and more powerful than ever before. This season on Things That Go Boom, we trace the reach of the military-industrial complex: how decisions in Washington fuel a trillion-dollar industry, how that industry shapes our cities and neighborhoods, and how people on the ground are responding.

In this engaging discussion featuring Chris Mathias, author of "To Catch A Fascist," the conversation dives into the complexities of free speech on campus through the lens of Mahmoud Khalil's activism at Columbia. They explore the legacy of Charlottesville and the rise of far-right extremism, shedding light on how digital media shapes current ideologies. The podcast also critiques the government's use of immigration law to silence dissenting voices and examines the implications for academic freedom and Palestinian advocacy amidst a charged political climate.

If you live in the US, buying a gun can be as easy as going to Walmart. In countries with strict gun laws, such as most of Europe or Australia, you need a little more ingenuity. Although not that much more: since March of 2020, anyone with access to a cheap second-hand 3D printer and experience putting IKEA furniture together can do it. Does that mean the rest of us should start printing bunkers, presto? Or are we worried for nothing? Things That Go Boom travels to the mean streets of New York and the jungles of Myanmar to find out. GUESTS:Lizzie Dearden, British journalist specializing in the modern technology that offers criminals and terrorists new ways to operate; Frank Grosspietsch, Canadian expert and international consultant in all things ghost gun; Manny Maung, Burmese journalist and human rights expert; "Rebel Lion," Burmese rebel fighter resisting the military junta; and Brendan Baker, reading the English translation of Rebel Lion's BurmeseADDITIONAL RESOURCES:Rebel Lion's Facebook profile.Rap Against Junta, the Burmese resistance hip-hop collective making music denouncing the military junta.Lizzie Dearden's latest book, Plotters, about the terrorist plots you've never heard of because the perpetrators were caught in time.

Nearly everyone has played dress up at some point in their lives, whether putting on mom or dad’s clothes as kids, for Halloween, as their favorite Marvel character at ComicCon… or even, maybe, as a Civil War soldier.Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where historians say Civil War casualties were highest, attracts many reenactors. They carry their muskets, pull on their blue britches, and revel in the past. But today that hobby has taken on new meaning — survivalists on the left and right and even some pundits have suggested a second US Civil War isn’t quite so unlikely as it might seem. So, we thought we’d head out to learn a little bit more about why some folks like to play war… and what they think about the prospect of another.GUESTS: Pete Bedrossian, Civil War reenactor; Mike Peets, Civil War reenactor; Levi Rifenburgh, Civil War reenactor, high school student; Mary Babcock, Bannerman Island; Rebecca DuBois, Bannerman Island, archivist; Peggy Bedrossian, Former reenactor, Pete's wife; Kyle Windahl, Regalia maker, historian; Jocelyn Windahl, Occasional Reenactor, High school STEM teacher, Kyle's wife; Matt Atkinson, Civil War reenactor; Sherry/Cheri Stultz, Gettysburg Family Restaurant; Mark Russell, Civil War reenactorADDITIONAL RESOURCES:Civil War Re-Enactors Have Their Own POG-Level Slang, Blake Stilwell, We Are The MightyHow Gettysburg Became a Refuge for Conservatives Battered by Trump-Era Strife, Virginia Heffernan, Politico

Mike German, a Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and former FBI undercover agent, shares gripping insights from his time infiltrating neo-Nazi groups. He discusses how the FBI manipulated post-9/11 fears to sidestep critical regulations and highlights troubling inefficiencies in domestic terrorism case management. German critiques the FBI's inconsistent approach to threats, from white supremacy to animal rights activism, and reflects on the moral complexities of undercover work amid a politicized justice system.