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Brave Little State podcast cover art
Brave Little State

If All Else Fails: Investigating extremism in northern New York

By Emily Russell,
Zach Hirsch
Published March 21, 2024 at 11:41 AM EDT
A group of men wearing scarves around their faces walk through town, with a yellow truck in the back with a sign that says "law and order"
Laura Belmont
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Courtesy
The Proud Boys, a violent far-right group, marched through Ballston Spa, New York in August 2023.

Far-right extremism is gaining momentum in rural communities across the U.S., from voters to local law enforcement.

Brave Little State is Vermont Public’s listener-driven journalism show. This week, we’re doing something a little different and bringing you the first episode of a podcast from our friends at North Country Public Radio. It’s called If All Else Fails. Hosts Emily Russell and Zach Hirsch investigate how far-right extremism is taking root in northern New York State.

You can learn more about the series, read transcripts and find all five episodes, here.

Heads up: The show contains some harsh language and some listeners might find certain parts of this episode disturbing.

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A graphic reading "If All Else Fails" shows a crumbling American flag.
NCPR
/
Courtesy
If All Else Fails is a new series from North Country Public Radio.
A home in Glens Falls, New York displaying three Confederate battle flags.
NCPR
A home in Glens Falls, New York displaying three Confederate battle flags. 
A woman and a man stand looking at a vandalized Black Lives Matter sign.
Zach Hirsch
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NCPR
A Black Lives Matter sign was vandalized with swastikas and the n-word in the town of Oppenheim, New York, in 2023.

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Credits

This episode was reported by Emily Russell and Zach Hirsch for North Country Public Radio, with grant support from Grist and the Center for Rural Strategies. A big thanks to NCPR for letting us share their show here.

The Brave Little State team is Josh Crane, Burgess Brown and Sabine Poux. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer.

We’ll be back soon with more people-powered Vermont journalism. As always, our show is better when you’re a part of it:

Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Brave Little State New York
Emily Russell
Emily Russell covers the Adirondack State Park for NCPR and co-hosts the podcast If All Else Fails. She grew up in Glens Falls and began her career in public radio in Alaska. When she's not out reporting, Emily is often in the mountains with her rescue dog named after the park, Dax. Find Emily on Threads: @EmilyRussellADK
See stories by Emily Russell
Zach Hirsch
Zach Hirsch is a freelance reporter and co-host of If All Else Fails, NCPR's investigative podcast on far-right extremism in Upstate New York. He studied Cultural Anthropology at the University of Vermont and attended the Transom Story Workshop, a residential audio journalism program in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
See stories by Zach Hirsch