This Is Hell!

Professor Ariane Chebel d'Appollonia discusses identity politics, violence, and grievances in America. The conversation explores the historical and strategic use of violence by ethno-racial groups, challenges of addressing inequalities, and the need for a unified society. The episode also features discussions on South Korea's arms exports and work-related stories.

Journalist Jasper Craven discusses his Baffler article, "The Sunshine Imperium: The Militarism of Ron DeSantis." Chuck and Will review the latest hangover cure, Siberian (red) ginseng, and fresh responses from this week's Question from Hell. Seb's "The Past Inside the Present" segment edifies and terrifies with a deep dive into the differences between American and Soviet nuclear doctrines.

Today we have on Caroline Chen to discuss her ProPublica series, "Roots of an Outbreak" And the Question From Hell flies right towards its effulgent fulfillment.

Chuck interviews Dan Kolbert, co-author along with Christopher Briley, Michael Maines and Emily Mottram, of, “Pretty Good House: A Guide to Creating Better Homes.” Dan has been a carpenter and contractor in Portland, Maine, for three decades. He has written for various trade publications, including Fine Homebuilding magazine, and for the past 10 years has been moderator of the original Building Science Discussion Group in Portland, Maine, where the Pretty Good House idea originated. You can see Dan’s work at kolbertbuilding.com Follow Dan’s work on Instagram @kolbertbuilding This episode also features this week in Rotten History, written by Renaldo Migaldi.

Theologian, ordained minister, and anti-poverty activist Liz Theoharis is on to discuss her TomDispatch articles "Poverty Amid Plenty' and "Making it in a Poor World". Liz is Co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She is the author of, "Always With Us? What Jesus Really Said About the Poor," and, "We Cry Justice: Reading the Bible with the Poor People’s Campaign." https://tomdispatch.com/poverty-amid-plenty/ This episode also features this week's Hangover Cure and a Past Inside the Present from Sebastian Wuepper, PhD.

Journalist Kari Lydersen returns to talk about her In These Times article, "The Case for Nationalizing the Railroads." Plus, and all-new Moment of Truth and the Question from Hell reaches it's electrifying terminus.

Journalist Prem Thakker speaks with host Chuck Mertz about his articles in the New Republic about the the hellish Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, where residents have been told it is safe to return to the site of an intentional burn of 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride, a class 1 carcinogen, despite lack of comprehensive testing and many test results remaining inconclusive. This episode was produced by Lindsey Gorry and features this week in Rotten History written by Renaldo Migaldi Prem Thakker is an associate writer for breaking news at The New Republic. His work has appeared in The American Prospect, Washington Monthly, CNN podcasts, and his newsletter Better World. Find Prem's writing on the East Palestine here: https://newrepublic.com/authors/prem-thakker

Journalist Asawin Suebsaeng discusses his Rolling Stones articles "Twitter Kept Entire 'Database’ of Republican Requests to Censor Posts " and "Trump Plans to Bring Back Firing Squads, Group Executions if He Retakes White House". This episode also features this week's Hangover Cure, new Question from Hell!, and a Past Inside the Present about Jim Crow Laws from historian Sebastion Wuepper. https://www.rollingstone.com/author/asawin-suebsaeng/

We have on Elizabeth Samet, author of, "Looking for the Good War: American Amnesia and the Violent Pursuit of Happiness." Elizabeth is a professor of English at West Point.

Boyce Upholt returns to This is Hell! to discuss his piece recently published by the New Republic, "The Frightening Cost of Cheap Eggs: Why paying more for eggs could save us from another pandemic". This episode also features this week in Rotten History and new responses to the Question from Hell. Boyce Upholt is an award-winning freelance writer focused on the way we use and imagine the non-human world. He covers, among other subjects, public lands, exploration, biodiversity, foodways, infrastructure, and the cultural history of ”wilderness.” His work has appeared in The Atlantic, National Geographic, the Oxford American, and many other publications, and has been noted in the Best American Science and Nature series. Boyce won the 2019 award for investigative journalism from the James Beard Foundation. He is currently working on a book about the Mississippi River—a history of what’s been done to it and travelogue showing the results.