On this episode of HODGEPOD author Eric Magun discusses his debut thriller "Thank God for the Sinners" — a gritty spy story about double agent Rick Price, stitched with punk‑rock memories and a companion playlist.Eric shares his years living in China and Southeast Asia, his indie filmmaking background, the book’s raw themes of trauma and espionage, and its recent award wins, plus a peek at the sequel in progress. RECORDED OCTOBER 20, 2025 www.ericmagun.com

Trump's peace plan explicitly calls for deradicalization of the Gazan population. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are hoping to take part in Gaza's rebuilding in part so they can help push back against the radical Islamism of Hamas, which those countries see as a larger threat to themselves as well.Can Palestinian society be deradicalized? What might that even mean? Is the problem a religious one? A political one? Can Israel play a part, and how would that look?We turned to Dr. Einat Wilf,

While Hitler’s rise to power In Germany seems unstoppable and Mussolini celebrates ten years of fascism in Italy, Australia's homegrown New Guard numbskulls have already become irrelevant – and escaped investigation for their planned insurrection. Plus: Ripley’s Believe it Or Not; an extraordinary outback survival story with a Nazi aftertaste; a 'fun' bigamy story turns very dark; and everything that was ‘wrong’ with modern women.It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to ad-free,