extremely

We often say episodes of extremely are special, but this time we really mean it. Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves are joined, live on stage, by Nuseir Yassin and Alex Dwek of Nas Company and Nas Daily for a freewheeling, thoughtful conversation about Israeli-Palestinian identity, the importance of community-building and our universal need for human connection. Recorded at the Never Is Now conference in New York, this episode also marks extremely’s first foray into video (video available on YouTu...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves have a little something for everyone. We’re talking Houthi terrorists, Men’s Rights Activists and how extremists use cryptocurrency exchanges – the last with COE’s Extremism Funding Investigator, Mark Dwyer.In the second half of the episode, we’re joined by Shannon Hiller, who helms Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative, for a frank conversation about the potential for political violence as we all tiptoe, with no small a...

In the final episode of 2023, Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves look back at some of the developments in hate and extremism we wish would end along with the year (but almost certainly will not), including extremists harassing city council meetings, a months-long swatting spree targeting synagogues and other religious institutions and finally the massive post-October 7 spike in antisemitic incidents. We also welcome a couple of special guests -- longtime COE colleagues whose expertise and research...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves consider the (partial) demise of extremist favorite Omegle, hype COE's popular and incredibly useful Hate Symbols Database and have an illuminating discussion with COE mis/disinformation analyst Sara Aniano, who walks us through the promise and very real dangers of Generative AI.We also revisit and share an important update to our conversation with Abbey Onn and Alana Zeitchik, who are advocating tirelessly on behalf of their family ...

In this special episode of extremely, Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves speak with two women who are advocating tirelessly on behalf of their family members who were taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. Abbey Onn and Alana Zeitchik are responding to an unspeakable situation with endless resolve and empathy, and they are determined to keep the hostages in the spotlight.Have any questions for us? Email: extremely@adl.org Links referenced in this episode:1) Voice for Hostages: https://voicesforhostage...

Recorded two weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, this month’s episode of extremely finds the ADL Center on Extremism’s (COE) Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves talking about white supremacists celebrating Hamas terror and the dangers of mis- and disinformation at a time when truth feels hard to come by. They also talk to COE’s Antisemitic Incident Specialist Rachel Sass about the spike in antisemitic incidents since the war broke out, and hear from Boston University Professor Jessica St...

In extremely’s triumphant return to the podcast (air)waves, the ADL Center on Extremism’s Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves talk swatting, white supremacist activity and optics. We’re also joined by Research Assistant Mason Peeples, who weighs in on his work in online threat detection. Then, Oren talks to Michael Rothschild about his new book, Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories. Fun fact: Michael’s last name is a coincidence.Send us your questions, comments ...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal speaks with Elizabeth Williamson, feature writer for The New York Times and author of “Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth.”Elizabeth and Oren discuss how disinformation and falsehoods inevitably follow mass shootings, and how conspiracies and lies - aided by super-spreaders like Alex Jones - increasingly lead to harassment of and threats against victims’ families. Elizabeth describes how the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shoot...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal speaks with Sam Jackson, assistant professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the State University of New York at Albany, and author of, “Oath Keepers: Patriotism and the Edge of Violence in a Right-Wing Antigovernment Group.”When Sam was an undergrad religious studies major at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, he “accidentally” took a class on religion and violence that sparked his interest in antig...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal speaks with David Neiwert, investigative journalist, and author of, “Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump.” David, who has been reporting on extremism for decades, provides his insight into the evolution of anti-democratic movements in the U.S. and how it culminated with the January 6th insurrection.In addition to describing how he made extremism reporting a beat, David argues that to truly understand the impact of extremism o...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal speaks with Lisa Kaplan, founder of the Alethea Group, which detects and mitigates disinformation and social media manipulation. Lisa explains the difference between disinformation and misinformation and highlights strategies to reduce the consequences of disinformation campaigns, which she says are "fast, cheap and easy to do."Beyond her love of dogs – repeat, Lisa loves dogs – she describes herself as an “eternal optimist when it comes to these sorts...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal speaks with Amy Cooter, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Vanderbilt University, about her ethnographic research on the militia movement in the U.S.Amy, who has interviewed militia members directly and observed their training firsthand, is not “a stereotypical academic.” She says that while most militias “see themselves as fundamentally local,” that started to change when they “became more willing than they had been for a number of years to quite literal...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal speaks with Mary McCord, Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) and a Visiting Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center.Before her national security work or serving as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Mary attended journalism school, which she describes as a "pretty good precursor to law school because essentially you become a professional question asker when you are a jour...

In this episode of extremely, Oren Segal speaks with Erroll Southers, Professor at USC and Director of the Safe Communities Institute. Erroll explains his pathway from being stopped by law enforcement growing up in small town New Jersey to the Santa Monica Police Department, counterterrorism with the FBI, and then academia. Erroll credits a “incredible mentor” for the tough love that helped him keep moving forward in his career. Erroll also explains how compartmentalizing has helped him cope ...

In episode one of season two, Oren Segal speaks with Jared Holt, Resident Fellow at Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), about recent media coverage of extremism and the September 18 non-event in Washington DC.Oren and Jared also discuss the importance of personal security and pathways into this field of work. Jared says his upbringing in Arkansas and spending time on the internet as a kid gave him "a better sense of what the weird stuff really was."More on Jared’s work ...