About this episode
The episode features an interview with investigative journalist Michael Edison Hayden discussing far-right extremism in Idaho.
On this week’s show, Aaron and Daniel interviewed investigative journalist Michael Edison Hayden. The three talked about far-right extremism in Idaho, how the new strain of Kootenai County white nationalism differs from the Aryan Nations of the past, and the big fracture points within the North Idaho fringe. Michael is a former senior investigative reporter for the Southern Poverty Law Center. His first book – Strange People on the Hill – focuses on how extremist ideology changed a small, West Virginia town and comes out in April 2026. His recently published story with Mother Jones – called “Who the F Are These Men?” – is an in-depth investigation on far-right extremism in Idaho. Founded in 1976, Mother Jones is a newsroom that “investigates the big stories that may be ignored or overlooked by other news outlets, including about democracy and voting rights, racial justice, reproductive rights, and food and agriculture.” Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube !
People in this episode
Hosts: Aaron, Daniel
Guest: Michael Edison Hayden
Topics covered
- far-right extremism
- white nationalism
- investigative journalism
- Idaho
- Kootenai County
- social issues
Keywords
- far-right extremism
- Idaho
- Kootenai County
- white nationalism
- investigative journalism
- Southern Poverty Law Center
- Mother Jones
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Southern Poverty Law Center, Mother Jones
Books & works: Strange People on the Hill, Who the F Are These Men?
Places: Idaho, Kootenai County, West Virginia
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