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EZ off till Monday, 7/7. Enjoy three Patreon Bonus encore showsSegments include:*New guy, Jeremy is in attendance*We talk to Chris WHILE he's finishing a 26.2 mile run!*The latest Boeing whistleblower delivers a damning accusation...and is not yet dead.*W Michigan Dutch wacko tries to bomb the Satanic Temple of Massachusetts.*Mom in India does to her 6 year-old son what EZ's grandpa almost did to his Dad*EZ's silly Armenian family members*A brief history of EZ's podcast career, complete with the story of his fight with Ben Glaze back in the day.*The airline industry sues the Biden Administration for wanting you to pay less money to fly.*Update on the guy who received a pig kidney.*Why EZ hates Gift of Life Michigan.*Update on lady who lived in Family Fair sign.*EZ trying to convince Dad and JoAnn to move in.*Bill Maher and Bill Burr have a retarded conversation about how Louis CK is getting a raw deal.*Michigan moron pleads guilty to threatening the governor over email.*Alcoholics Anonymous shouldn't be a trash dumping ground.*Kalamazoo, Michigan strip club helping rebuild after tornados Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-eric-zane-show-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Stand out from your Competition and Command a Superior Price is covered in this podcast , along with the following subjects:- Understanding Your Market and Competition- Marketing and Positioning Strategy- Building Authority and Credibility***************************************In today's competitive marketplace, standing out from your competition is crucial if you want to command a superior price for your products or services. To achieve this, it's essential to identify and highlight what makes your offerings unique. I'll be talking with Bruce Eckfeldt about Stand out from your Competition and Command a Superior Price.After graduating from McGill University in Montreal with two degrees in Architecture, Bruce transitioned to digital product development early in his career, where he worked as a product strategy consultant for companies such as WebMD, Prada, the Department of Defense, and Motorola. In 2003, he founded Cyrus Innovation, one of the first Lean/Agile consulting firms, and worked with companies such as Boeing, Kaplan Test Prep, Simon & Schuster, Eze Software, and The New York Times on product development and Lean/Agile transformation initiatives. Cyrus was an Inc 5000 honoree for five years in a row and placed #241 on the Inc 500 in 2009.Bruce has been a member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization since 2007 and has served in many chapters and regional leadership positions including Learning, Forum, and Accelerator. Bruce has served as the US East Regional Forum Expert and the US East Regional Accelerator Expert.
Querida comunidad hoy vamos a despegar hacia un tema que combina aviación, arte y pasión por los viajes: las libreas más originales de aviones en el mundo. Desde el Boeing 787 de Etihad Airways pintado con los colores del Manchester City hasta diseños inspirados en Star Wars, Pokémon o auroras boreales. Gracias por estar aquí escuchando este podcast —¡ya vamos por más de 1,000 episodios juntos! Somos una comunidad que no para de crecer, rozando las 900,000 escuchas al mes, y eso es pura magia, ¡gracias a ti! Esto es una locura y me encanta compartirlo contigo. Por cierto, si viajas y quieres estar conectado tengo un código de descuento de 5% para tí en tu próxima eSim de HolaFly https://holafly.sjv.io/N94mdN el código de descuento es ELTURISTA Que lo disfrutes. Todavía no he pulsado el botón de ‘monetizar' porque quiero que nada interrumpa esta aventura: ni anuncios, ni pausas, solo tú y yo explorando el mundo. Pero te necesito: ¿me echas una mano? Dame 5 estrellas y deja una reseña, son 30 segundos para ti y un empujón enorme para mí. Tú también puedes ser parte activa: ¿tienes ideas para futuros episodios? Envíame un audio de hasta 1 minuto por Instagram o Facebook —puedes mandar varios si necesitas más tiempo—. Búscame como https://www.instagram.com/cesarsar_elturista/ , CesarSar en FB https://www.facebook.com/CesarSar/ o suscríbete a mi canal de YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC55ZMnqfOlSc7uWbIEM4bDw ¿Prefieres escribirme? Mándame un correo a viajes@cesarsar.com , y si quieres, incluye una nota de voz. Si sueñas con un viaje perfecto, déjame ayudarte. Como viajero consultor, pongo a tus pies mis 135 países recorridos y tres vueltas al mundo —¡eso son muchas historias que contar! Escríbeme al mismo mail y organicemos juntos tu próximo gran viaje, para que vivas, disfrutes y sueñes a lo grande, porque un buen viaje es pura vida. Además, he vuelto a lanzar viajes en grupo, así que estate atento a mis redes: ¡podríamos explorar el mundo juntos! Y si te mola este podcast y quieres darme un extra de apoyo con la serie de tv, deja un comentario en mi post de BuenViaje en IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/CrKqoyzubKZ/? Un abrazo enorme, comunidad. Compartir es vivir, ¡y contigo esto cobra sentido!Aquí algunas de las plataformas donde está disponible el podcast. Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/c%C3%A9sar-sar-el-turista/id1592890080Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/14Gs7rhzsYoaQe5Nh05SsI?si=HMPa8pfqSKWSSf0ZtIQGKgIVOOX https://go.ivoox.com/sq/1396585#Viajes #ViajesBarartos #Viajes #Viajessostenibles #Consejosdeviajes #Viajesfelices #Podcastdeviajes #Vueltaalmundo #Libreas #Aviones #Aviacion
What does real growth look like? That's the question Mark Divine hopes to answer in today's episode of The Mark Divine show. The fourth commitment of Mark's book, Staring Down The Wolf, growth looks like far more than simply acquiring new skills or certifications. It's about embracing discomfort, seeking variety, and finding meaningful mentors. Mark distinguishes between “horizontal” development—-learning new tasks and meeting external expectations—and “vertical” development—--which transforms not only what you know, but who you are at your very core. By sharing vivid stories from his Navy SEAL days, Mark demonstrates how growth is a multidimensional process, embodying physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional elements, that prepares us to thrive in an ever-evolving world. It's not always easy, but Mark offers actionable insights to help break free from one's comfort zone and take ownership over one's personal evolution. Key Takeaways: Aiming for Vertical Growth: Recognize that self-development is not about just acquiring new skills—-but changing who you are and how your mind works. Challenge Fuels Growth: Discover how authentic growth does not happen inside one's comfort zone—but rather through pushing oneself and tackling the uncomfortable. Mentorship is Non-Negotiable: Understand that true growth cannot happen alone. The value of having mentors for every dimension (spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental), can't be understated. The Necessity of Growth in the Age of AI: With artificial intelligence advancing at a very rapid rate, uniquely human capabilities like creativity, resilience, intuition, and integrated growth will be more important than ever. Mark Divine is a former Navy SEAL Commander, entrepreneur, and NYT Bestselling author with PhD in Global Leadership and Change who has dedicated his life to unlocking human potential through integrated training in mental toughness, leadership, and physical readiness. Mark's journey began in New York City, where his fascination with eastern philosophy and martial arts set the stage for a transformative path. After a successful stint as a consultant at PriceWaterhouse Coopers, he made the pivotal decision to join the Navy SEALs at 25. Over two decades of service, Mark commanded critical missions globally, retiring as a Commander in 2011. Mark has trained elite organizations including Google, Nike, SpaceX, Boeing, Harvard University, The Olympics, YPO, and many others.Co-founding ventures such as SEALFIT, Unbeatable Mind, LLC, and Coronado Brewing Company have allowed Mark to blend his military expertise with entrepreneurial spirit. SEALFIT, born from his SEAL training insights, revolutionized physical and mental conditioning, impacting diverse groups from executives to athletes.Inspired by his military service, Mark founded the Courage Foundation to support veterans in holistic healing and restoration of purpose. Advocating for mental resilience and compassionate leadership, he aims to impact 100 million lives, fostering a more connected and courageous world. Mark's Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdivine/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@markdivineshow Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/RealMarkDivine/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sealfit/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/markdivineleadership/ Sponsors and Promotions: Fair Harbour: Fair Head to FairHarborClothing.com/DIVINE and use code DIVINE20 for 20% off your first purchase.
Look! What's that up in the sky? It's a bird? It's a plane? It's a plane. This month we're diving into one of the foundational industries in Los Angeles history: aerospace. We'll be covering the companies and the men behind them of Douglas (27:32) and Hughes (1:00:22).
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Glastonbury Festival getaway and clean up gets under way Ex England captain Paul Ince charged with drink driving Glastonburys best bits Capaldis comeback, celebrity sightings and lots of spoons Woman let girl under 10 drive car through village Olivia Rodrigo leaves Glastonbury on a high, with The Cure and Colin The Caterpillar Lifetime ISAs leave some with less money than they put in, MPs warn Cumbrian family wins fight for no snow Lapland refund Idaho police under sniper attack as ambush on firefighters leaves two dead How safe is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, really Bob Vylan BBC says live coverage of Glastonbury set should have been pulled
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Ex England captain Paul Ince charged with drink driving Bob Vylan BBC says live coverage of Glastonbury set should have been pulled Cumbrian family wins fight for no snow Lapland refund Woman let girl under 10 drive car through village Olivia Rodrigo leaves Glastonbury on a high, with The Cure and Colin The Caterpillar Glastonburys best bits Capaldis comeback, celebrity sightings and lots of spoons Glastonbury Festival getaway and clean up gets under way Lifetime ISAs leave some with less money than they put in, MPs warn Idaho police under sniper attack as ambush on firefighters leaves two dead How safe is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, really
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Bob Vylan BBC says live coverage of Glastonbury set should have been pulled Lifetime ISAs leave some with less money than they put in, MPs warn Idaho police under sniper attack as ambush on firefighters leaves two dead Woman let girl under 10 drive car through village Glastonbury Festival getaway and clean up gets under way Glastonburys best bits Capaldis comeback, celebrity sightings and lots of spoons How safe is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, really Olivia Rodrigo leaves Glastonbury on a high, with The Cure and Colin The Caterpillar Cumbrian family wins fight for no snow Lapland refund Ex England captain Paul Ince charged with drink driving
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Ex England captain Paul Ince charged with drink driving Olivia Rodrigo leaves Glastonbury on a high, with The Cure and Colin The Caterpillar Lifetime ISAs leave some with less money than they put in, MPs warn Glastonburys best bits Capaldis comeback, celebrity sightings and lots of spoons Woman let girl under 10 drive car through village How safe is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, really Cumbrian family wins fight for no snow Lapland refund Bob Vylan BBC says live coverage of Glastonbury set should have been pulled Glastonbury Festival getaway and clean up gets under way Idaho police under sniper attack as ambush on firefighters leaves two dead
Ready for an extraordinary tale of athletic longevity? At 73 years old Rick Colella's swimming journey spans from Olympic medals to over 50 Masters World records, proving that athletic excellence knows no age limits.Colella's remarkable career began with a fourth-place finish at the 1972 Munich Olympics, followed by a bronze medal in Montreal in 1976. But what happened after his Olympic glory makes his story truly exceptional. While most elite swimmers hang up their goggles after reaching competitive peaks, Colella never fully left the water. This consistent connection with swimming—even during his decades-long Boeing career—has become his secret weapon for sustained excellence into his 70s.Now competing in the 70-74 age group with Puget Sound Masters, Colella has rewritten the record books with over 120 national records and more than 50 world records. His training approach combines old-school discipline with modern technique refinements. Despite his Olympic pedigree, Colella humbly embraced coaching feedback that completely transformed his stroke mechanics later in life. "Your breaststroke timing is terrible," his coach bluntly told him—feedback that helped him adapt to modern techniques and continue breaking records.What drives someone to maintain such dedication for decades? Colella's answer is refreshingly simple: "I just love swimming. I guess I'm not even sure I recognize how much I like it, except that I must, because I never stopped doing it." This passion extends beyond personal achievement. After their son's diagnosis with FSHD muscular dystrophy, Rick and his wife Terry founded a research nonprofit, Friends of FSHD, that now raises nearly $1 million annually—connections he credits largely to his swimming network. The organization is all-volunteer. We have no paid staff and our sponsors cover 100% of our operating and fundraising expenses. This means that 100% of donations to Friends goes directly to fund research. Rick Colella has emerged as a legendary figure in American swimming through his extraordinary Olympic career and record-breaking achievements in Masters swimming at age 70+.• Bronze medalist in the 1976 Montreal Olympics after finishing fourth in Munich in 1972• Set more than 120 Masters national records and over 50 world records• Trains six days a week with Puget Sound Masters at age 70+• Never fully stopped swimming after his Olympic career, maintaining consistency throughout his life• Found working with a coach after years of self-directed training revealed technique flaws that needed correction• Discovered that mental preparation and attitude significantly impact performance, even decades after Olympic competition• Co-founded Friends of FSHD Research with his wife after their son's muscular dystrophy diagnosis• Organization has grown from raising $180,000 in first year to nearly $1 million annually• Emphasizes consistency as the key to swimming success at any age• Enjoys the intergenerational aspects of Masters swimming and the supportive communityWhether you're seeking inspiration for your own athletic journey or curious about the mindset of champions, Colella's story demonstrates how passion, consistency, and community create a foundation for lifelong achievement. What might you accomplish if you never stopped doing what you love?Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported on how the United States military encouraged belief in UFO mythology to divert attention away from their top secret programs. A recent Popular Mechanics article referenced the story, stating, “What began as a clever cover story quickly became a tangled web of rumors, secrecy, and unexpected consequences.” However, the UFO mythology did not begin as a “clever cover story” at all; these stories are as antiquated as ancient human history. Furthermore, it's been part of the of the mythology that governments and militaries have fabricated stories to cover up secret programs. This is not new. The pentagon loses hundreds of billions of dollars, has a history of spending tens of millions on useless projects, and hundreds of millions on mysterious and elusive psychic programs. Yet, we are to believe, based on the 2017 NYT report, that they've only spent $21 investigating UFOs. Now we are to believe that beyond that, the Pentagon has made up all the UFO mythology to cover up their own secretive programs. We also know that companies like Boeing, for all intents and purposes, will assassinate quality control experts, but we are expected to believe that something as high level as classified technology being disclosed would not result in the same sort of dealings. In other words, all of this exposure, the stories told to Congress, they are nothing more than another layer of disinformation and misinformation. The door has been opened, and the Trojan UFO has been let inside, and with clowns dancing around it, the entire subject has been made an even bigger joke today than it ever has been. Whatever the story is, agencies, officials, and the military have given you a fake disclosure and retaken the UFO narrative. Meanwhile, the rising issue of ChatGPT psychosis, where people are driven insane by bots, shares something in common with the story of UFO Mirage Men.*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.-FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITECashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Rod Stewart at Glastonbury Old school charm from another era Jurassic World Rebirth is out, Oasis return Whats coming up this week In pictures Sunday at Glastonbury Festival Trumps budget may cost millions healthcare as Senate debates bill Government condemns Glastonbury chants aired live on BBC Whats it like spending a night in Glastos Naughty Corner How safe is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, really Stop Beyonc pauses show after flying Cadillac tilts mid air Ukraine war Mariupol residents deny Russian stories about the city Heatwave temperatures to hit 30C today as heatwave continues
Sumario Informe Enigma Dirige y Presenta: Jorge Ríos Escúchanos cada viernes de 23:00h a 01:00h en directo en Radio Platja d'Aro. Síguenos a través de nuestras redes sociales o contacta con nosotros en el siguiente correo electrónico: informeenigmapodcast@gmail.com Contacto Yolanda Martínez: 647552954 En este episodio, exploramos dos historias que desbordan misterio, indignación y preguntas sin respuesta. El 25 de mayo de 2003, un Boeing 727 de la aerolínea Air Dream despegó sin autorización del aeropuerto de Luanda, Angola, y desapareció en el cielo africano. A bordo, un técnico estadounidense y un mecánico congoleño. Hasta hoy, ni el avión, ni sus ocupantes, ni una sola pista clara han sido encontrados. ¿Quién se llevó el avión y por qué? ¿Es posible que una aeronave de ese tamaño desaparezca sin dejar rastro? Y mientras el misterio del 727 sigue sin resolverse, en España, otro escándalo conmueve a la opinión pública. Ximo Ferrándiz, un asesino en serie condenado por crímenes atroces cometidos entre los años 80 y 90, ha quedado en libertad tras cumplir su condena. ¿Cómo es posible que un hombre con ese historial vuelva a caminar entre nosotros? ¿Estamos preparados como sociedad para perdonar… o simplemente olvidar? Dos historias distintas, pero unidas por una misma sensación: la de que algo, en algún punto, falló. Acompáñanos a descubrir los detalles, las hipótesis y las preguntas que aún nadie ha podido responder. Y, para finalizar, junto a Yolanda Martínez hablamos de: Mas vale encender una vela que maldecir la oscuridad ¿Quieres anunciarte en este podcast? Hazlo con advoices.com/podcast/ivoox/277207
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Ukraine war Mariupol residents deny Russian stories about the city Whats it like spending a night in Glastos Naughty Corner Rod Stewart at Glastonbury Old school charm from another era Stop Beyonc pauses show after flying Cadillac tilts mid air Jurassic World Rebirth is out, Oasis return Whats coming up this week In pictures Sunday at Glastonbury Festival Heatwave temperatures to hit 30C today as heatwave continues How safe is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, really Trumps budget may cost millions healthcare as Senate debates bill Government condemns Glastonbury chants aired live on BBC
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Ukraine war Mariupol residents deny Russian stories about the city Rod Stewart at Glastonbury Old school charm from another era Heatwave temperatures to hit 30C today as heatwave continues Trumps budget may cost millions healthcare as Senate debates bill Jurassic World Rebirth is out, Oasis return Whats coming up this week Government condemns Glastonbury chants aired live on BBC Whats it like spending a night in Glastos Naughty Corner In pictures Sunday at Glastonbury Festival Stop Beyonc pauses show after flying Cadillac tilts mid air How safe is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, really
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Whats it like spending a night in Glastos Naughty Corner Heatwave temperatures to hit 30C today as heatwave continues Rod Stewart at Glastonbury Old school charm from another era Trumps budget may cost millions healthcare as Senate debates bill Jurassic World Rebirth is out, Oasis return Whats coming up this week Stop Beyonc pauses show after flying Cadillac tilts mid air In pictures Sunday at Glastonbury Festival Government condemns Glastonbury chants aired live on BBC How safe is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, really Ukraine war Mariupol residents deny Russian stories about the city
In the aftermath of the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, we welcome back Theodore Postol, Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy Emeritus at MIT to give his expert technical assessment on where that assault leaves the Iranian nuclear program. Then, Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, gives us his analysis of the political side of the issue.Theodore Postol is Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy Emeritus in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT. His expertise is in nuclear weapon systems, including submarine warfare, applications of nuclear weapons, ballistic missile defense, and ballistic missiles more generally.No one at that point after the attack could have known whether or not there was success of any kind, even if there was success. And I doubt there was any success.Theodore PostolThe Israelis have done everything in their power to create an internal argument among the political leadership in Iran to proceed to build a nuclear weapon so that this kind of thing won't happen again. So the Israeli grand strategy, if you want to call it that, shows no intelligence or thought of any kind.Theodore PostolTrita Parsi is the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and the co-founder and former President of the National Iranian American Council. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy, and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has authored three books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel— Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States, A Single Roll of the Dice – Obama's Diplomacy with Iran, and Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy.Israel is not enhancing American power in the Middle East. Israel is consuming it.Trita Parsi, Executive VP of the Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftIf the (Iranian regime) were to collapse it would most likely be because there would be an internal coup. And the next regime would be coming from the very same regime. It would just be a much more aggressive and hardline.Trita Parsi20 Worst Recent Trump Headlines1. Trump Administration Abruptly Cuts Billions From State Health Services (Apoorva Mandavilli, Margot Sanger-Katz and Jan Hoffman, New York Times, March 26, 2025)2. The EPA is canceling almost 800 environmental justice grants, court filing reveals (Maxine Joselow and Amudalat Ajasa, Washington Post, April 29, 2025)3. Trump's attack on federal unions a ‘test case' for broader assault, warn lawyers (Michael Sainato, The Guardian, 5/1/25)4. Trump fires all 3 Democrats on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 5/9/25)5. Federal employee unions fight for survival as Trump tries to eviscerate them (Andrea Hsu, NPR, 5/11/25)6. Trump's DOJ agrees to let Boeing escape guilty plea. It was a deal victims' families didn't want. (Alexis Keenan, Yahoo Finance, 5/23/25)7. Trump made a promise not to touch Medicare. His megabill just broke it. (Alan L. Cohen, NBC, 5/23/25)8. Trump's safety research cuts heighten workplace risks, federal workers warn (Michael Sainato, The Guardian, 5/27/25)9. Provision in GOP budget bill puts millions at risk of losing SNAP benefits (Lisa Desjardins and Jackson Hudgins, PBS, 5/29/25)10. White House proposes shutting down chemical safety agency (Maxine Joselow Washington Post, 6/3/25)11. Trump tax bill would add $550 billion in interest payments to national debt (Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 6/5/25)12. RFK Jr. boots all members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee (Will Stone, NPR, 6/9/25)13. Vance, Rubio peddle fiction that 88 percent of foreign aid doesn't go overseas (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, 6/11/25)14. Trump's EPA plans to repeal climate pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants (Jeff Brady, NPR, 6/11/25)15. How Trump's assault on science is blinding America to climate change (Scott Waldman, E&E News, 6/16/2025)16. ‘Censorship:' See the National Park visitor responses after Trump requested help deleting ‘negative' signage (Government Executive Magazine, 6/18/25)17. Government drops cases against ‘predatory' financial firms (Peter Whoriskey, Washington Post, 6/20/25)18. 'Hell no, insane': A proposal for millions of acres of land under Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill sparks outrage (No Byline, Economic Times, 6/23/25)19. Under Trump's ‘Big, Beautiful Bill' child poverty will rise again (Arturo Baiocchi, Sacramento Bee, 6/23/25)20. Trump loves saying 'You're fired.' Now he's making it easier to fire federal workers (Andrea Hsu, NPR, 6/23/25)News 6/27/251. After a brutal initial barrage by the United States, followed by tit-for-tat exchanges between Israel and Iran, the U.S. is seeking to broker a ceasefire between the two states. On Truth Social, Trump posted “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Just hours after this however, Israel did in fact bomb targets in Tehran, per Reuters. Israel also claims to have intercepted missiles fired from Iran following the ceasefire agreement. In the wake of the initial attacks, journalist Séamus Malekafzali reported that the “Iranian communist party Tudeh and the Communist Party of Israel [Hadash] release[d] a joint statement condemning the Israeli war on Iran, saying Israel's intent is to make the region ‘bow down to [US] imperialism' and that the only solution is full nuclear disarmament in the Middle East.” Israel's nuclear capabilities are an open secret in Washington, with estimates that the country possess between 90 and 400 nuclear warheads.2. In Congress, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has put forth a War Powers resolution in an attempt to check Trump's unilateral escalation in Iran. According to Newsweek, he expects to get Republican votes in the Senate. In the House, the effort is led by Reps. Ro Khanna and maverick Republican Thomas Massie, whom Trump has become so enraged with that he recently launched a PAC to oust him from his seat, per Axios. Meanwhile, AOC issued a statement reading, “The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, asked about AOC's impeachment comments, replied “No, no, that's a big threshold to cross,” per David Weigel.3. The escalation in Iran has exposed fissures in Trump's orbit. PBS reports major MAGA figures like Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor-Greene are openly opposed, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has reportedly drawn Trump's ire for a string of comments out of step with the administration's messaging, starting with a video earlier this month in which she accused “political elites and warmongers [of] carelessly fomenting fear and tension between nuclear powers,” per the Independent. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been iced out completely, according to the Washington Post.4. In more news concerning the administration, the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) has published a new report, finding that “Stephen Miller…Trump's powerful deputy chief of staff and homeland security advisor…has a personal financial stake…[of] up to a quarter million dollars of stock in Palantir.” POGO describes Palantir, the shadowy tech company founded by rightwing tech oligarch Peter Thiel, as “woven into the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and used by other federal agencies such as the Pentagon.” POGO and other experts see this as a glaring potential conflict of interest. In an almost darkly comedic twist, “Democratic lawmakers have recently sought information from Palantir, [but] they are in the minority and cannot compel the company to produce records. A person who could is Representative James Comer (R-KY), the chairman of the [House] oversight committee...However, Comer bought…Palantir stock the day after Trump's inauguration…his only stock trade that day.” Palantir is the second-best-performing S&P 500 stock in 2025, with shares up 74% year-to-date, per Business Insider.5. In a rare case of corruption actually being prosecuted, the New York Times reports former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez reported for his eleven-year prison sentence on June 17th. “After a nine-week trial in Manhattan, Mr. Menendez…became the only U.S. senator ever to be convicted of acting as an agent of a foreign government,” after taking part in a “yearslong bribery conspiracy” that included payoffs in the form of “kilo bars of gold, a Mercedes-Benz convertible and more than $480,000 in cash.” Menendez is now incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, a medium-security federal prison in Minersville, Pennsylvania. He has been assigned the prisoner number 67277-050.6. In other news, POLITICO reports, “FICO plans to launch a suite of credit scores later this year that incorporate [Buy Now Pay Later or BNPL] data, providing lenders a window into…consumers' repayment behavior on these increasingly popular installment loans.” As BNPL data has not been included in credit reporting before, this has become known as “phantom debt…a gigantic black box…[and] largely unregulated.” This story notes that the Trump administration CFPB has “dropped planned enforcement of a Biden administration rule that would have treated BNPL providers like credit card companies,” subjecting this industry to daylight and financial regulation. The administration's abandonment of this rule mirrors their declassification of cryptocurrency as securities in order to skirt SEC oversight. Many questions remain over how exactly BNPL data will factor into consumers' credit scores, but many are bracing for this data to reveal a growing chasm of consumer debt underpinning the already shaky economic picture.7. Meanwhile Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student and activist abducted by ICE on the eve of his son's birth – despite being a legal permanent resident – has finally been freed. Khalil was held in federal immigration detention in Louisiana for 104 days, per AP. Following his release, Khalil said “Justice prevailed, but it's very long overdue.” Khalil's legal battle will continue. Khalil stated in an interview with NPR, “My release is just the first step. The legal fight is still very, very long. The administration appealed the decision about my release, but we will prove our case – that what happened…was textbook retaliation against the First Amendment, that I was targeted because of speech the government did not like, and that there was nothing wrong with the speech I was engaged in. I want to make sure that everyone who contributed to my arrest will be held accountable.”8. Backlash to Trump's immigration policies is not confined to the political and legal realms either. Newsweek reports that the new Pope, Leo XIV, has “called for priests, deacons and parish leaders to accompany migrants to court and stand in solidarity with them.” This is an encouraging sign for those who hoped Leo would follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis. It also puts the new Pope at odds with more conservative American Catholics, such as Vice-President JD Vance who converted in adulthood. In May, Leo's brother John Prevost told New York Times that the new Pope, “has great, great desire to help the downtrodden and the disenfranchised, the people who are ignored.”9. In another immigration flashpoint, “A gang of masked federal agents swarmed, manhandled, and detained New York City Comptroller Brad Lander…as he sought to assist a defendant out of immigration court,” according to the American Prospect. The Prospect notes this arrest is “the latest instance of political violence against opposition party members, which has included the arrests of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver…the arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan…and the brief detention of Sen. Alex Padilla.” Lander was released several hours after he was detained, when New York Governor Kathy Hochul showed up in person to demand his release. She called his arrest “b******t.” Later, in an interview with Joe Gallina, Lander said, “Courts tell undocumented immigrants their cases are ‘dismissed.' But what they really dismiss… is their asylum status. Then ICE grabs them. No lawyer. No warning.”10. Finally, 33-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani trounced disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday, winning by a completely unforeseen seven-point landslide. Polls up to election day showed Cuomo winning, some by as much as 24 points. Mamdani, a state legislator since 2021, ran on a platform of affordability, including making city buses free, establishing city-owned grocery stores and freezing the rent for all stabilized tenants. This platform – paired with cogent messaging, an extraordinary grassroots organizing campaign and shrewd alliances with other progressive candidates like Brad Lander – won the day for Zohran. However, an air of uncertainty about November remains. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams still plans to run for reelection as an independent and Cuomo hasn't ruled out doing the same, per the Hill. While many who endorsed or donated to Cuomo in the primary – some now openly admitting they merely did so out of fear of reprisal – have switched their allegiance to Mamdani, some are maintaining a hostile posture towards the presumptive Democratic nominee. There is no doubt this story will proceed in dramatic fashion.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
In episode 259 of the Simple Flying podcast, hosts Tom and Channing discuss,Boeing's door plug redesignQatar Airways Brief ShutdownSouthwest Eyes EuropeJetBlue's 25-year status challengeSouthwest's new cold drink rules
Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 21 Andy's spirits are lifted by an old friend. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 36 Half an hour later, his phone rang and Andy glanced down to see it was Phil calling, a picture of him with the words "Phil The Elder" superimposed over part of it. The poker group actually had two Phils in it, Phil Marcos and Phil Pak. The two men were dramatically different from one another, but also remarkably similar in others. They shared the same first name, so the group had given them nicknames when they were talking about them if it could've been either of them. Phil Marcos a.k.a. Phil The Elder a.k.a. Greater Phil was 34, Filipino and worked for Boeing with the Air Force at a base in the East Bay, and was certainly the closer friend to Andy. They'd met at a local comic book store just after Andy had moved out to the West Coast, and had hit it off immediately. When Andy had started his poker group up a few years later, Phil was one of the first people Andy had called. Phil Pak, a.k.a. Phil The Younger a.k.a. Lesser Phil was 32, Korean and worked for the NSA out of San Francisco, and not someone they'd seen as often as they liked. For the last couple of years, Lesser Phil had been trying to convince Andy to come work as a data analyst for the NSA in terms of interpretation and extrapolation. Lesser Phil had been a college friend of Eric's, and had been introduced to Andy only a few months after he'd met Greater Phil. While Andy still typically thought of them as Greater and Lesser Phil, he tried not to call them that out loud, and had them as Phil The Elder and Phil The Younger in his phone. Andy asked if it was a common name, and Eric remarked that he knew at least a couple more Phils but none he knew that well. Andy told him he'd had a similar problem with Jennys in high school. "Talk to me, Phil," Andy said to his friend. "You heard the recording. Should I be worried?" "Concerned, yes. Worried, no," Phil sighed. He sounded exhausted on the other end of the line, but as of late, Phil had always sounded exhausted. Whatever he was doing over at the base, it was certainly taking a toll on his friend. "So the good news is that in the long run, it shouldn't make too much of a difference. But that reaction means that Lexi had been infected with the Orange Variant of the DuoHalo virus before we introduced the serum to her body." "The 'Orange Variant?'" "We started naming them after colors, working our way through the spectrum. The Red Variant was first but it died off very quickly, so this is the second one," he grumbled. "But she isn't our first exposure to it, so we know how the serum's going to generally react to it, and what it's going to do to her. There are only two real major differences you're going to need to worry about." "Is she going to be okay?" "I told you, in the long run, it shouldn't make too much of a difference. The two differences you need to pay attention to are this, first, her margin of error for recursion is far less forgiving. That means don't ever make her go more than a week without getting some Rook juice, if you know what I mean, otherwise she see temporary cognitive decline set in pretty fast, and she'll be ripping your clothes off no matter where you are, so keep that in mind." "Every seven days minimum," Andy repeated, writing it down on a notepad in his writing office. "What's the other major difference I need to worry about?" "It shouldn't even be a concern, but you should still know about it. You know how other men's semen will typically make an imprinted woman ill?" "Sure?" "Those who've been exposed to the Orange Variant, if they come in contact with the semen of a man other than those they're imprinted with, they go into a violent fit of rage, attacking anyone other than their imprinted man on sight. Those rage fits tend to be relatively short lived, only a hour at most, but they're still incredibly dangerous and not the kind of thing you want sprung on you as a surprise." "And this is my bodyguard who has this," Andy sighed. "Oh it's fine," Phil chuckled. "She won't harm you, and you know how to protect your family better than anyone. I think anyone who tried to use it as a weakness against Lexi would probably not live to regret it. She'll also be imprinting for longer than normal, so if she's sleeping for like a day and a half, don't worry about it. That's to be expected." "You doing okay, Phil?" Andy asked. "You look like shit, and I'm more worried about you now than I am Lexi." Phil sighed then laughed a little bit. "You know me. I'll sleep when I'm dead. Lots of long days in the office turning into long nights, and on top of that, Audrey and Linda are making sure that I have several partners as well, so that my immunity to DuoHalo continues to be strong. We're not entirely sure of the science of it yet, but it looks like the more people inside a particular polypod, the stronger the internal herd immunity the male at the center get is. Once we knew that for certain, my two queens made sure I had a good litter of partners in our household. So I'm up to eleven myself now." "I still can't believe I'm a level five and you're not, Phil," Andy said, deliberately testing a theory by trying to bait it out of his friend. "Okay, Andy, you got me," Phil said with amusement. "I'm also a level five. I was lying to you earlier, for security reasons. In fact, I think technically I was one of the first level fives. I've also technically had DuoHalo, but I can't really get into the details of that all that much. Let's just say that when we're finally through this whole pandemic, I'm going to have a bunch of stories to tell you that will blow your mind. I probably have to get clearance for you so that I can tell you some of them, but it'll be worth it." "I've always known you were up to something over there, Phil," Andy laughed. "I just couldn't figure out what it was." "Greater Phil, International Man of Mystery. It's got a nice ring to it." "Speaking of Mystery. Poker, this week. Let's do it." "Yeah, sure," Phil said. "I could use a break, so you call everyone else, and I'll make a point of coming over with as much of the family as I can convince to come out, although it has that weird side effect of making every poker night feel like a giant party where we're all hiding from our wives. Maybe we should see if there's enough interest to set up a second table and we can mix and match, so you can spend a bit more time meeting my partners and vice versa." "Well, you see Niko all the time, what with her being at your work, so you probably know her about as well as I do." "That girl's got secrets upon secrets, Andy." That caught him a little off guard. He wasn't bothered by it, but he was amused at the idea of her trying to hide something from him. "Niko? My Niko? I can't see it. She's open and transparent about everything with me." "Sure, okay. Didn't you feel that way about Erin?" "That was different?" "Was it though?" Phil said in a tone that immediately conjured the Smug Thor meme to his mind. "I mean, sure, Niko's secrets are probably being kept from you for the right reasons, as opposed to Erin's, but secrets are secrets." "The last thing I need is you making me more paranoid, Phil." "Forget I said anything. Oh, one last bit of news for you. Maya won't be there until tomorrow midday. Turns out she's also got the Orange Variant, so we're making sure the serum is getting a good foothold before we send her over to you. It's all just safety precautions, but it'll be over soon enough." "Great. We can do poker night on the 20th, so we can all watch the President's speech and the 60 Minutes story together." "Sounds like fun," Phil agreed. "Hopefully Katie Couric's team caught my good side. See you on Friday." As Andy hung up the phone, he noticed that Whitney was lingering in the doorway. She was dressed impeccably in a white button up shirt and a black pencil skirt with black pantyhose on beneath, and the shirt was just barely thin enough that he could see hints of her red bra on underneath. "Have you got a moment, sir?" "Sure thing, Whitney, what's up?" "Just wanted to go over the set up work I've done for the house so you know what's going on, and to ask you a few questions so I can start the process of replacing your laptop for you," she said, her hands folded together in front of her, her eyes mostly lowered. "Sounds great, but Whitney, you don't have to look down all the time. I know you're more used to a stern hand than I am, and I'll do my best to be what you like when we're intimate, but when you're acting in your duties as the house IT manager, you need to relax a little more and try to fit in." Whitney smirked a little bit, those dark red lips perked up as she lifted her head, nodding at him with a little smile. "Oh, I know, sir. I think I mostly just wanted to see if you would notice. Shall we?" For the next half an hour, Whitney explained to him in good detail all the changes she'd gone about to the house in the last day, getting all the rooms configured to work within the house's larger intranet. As it turned out, there were multiple LAN ports in the walls of every room in the house, it seemed like, and once again, Andy found himself wondering who this house had been built for originally. In addition to making sure all the ports were working, Whitney had also set up wireless hubs and repeaters all throughout the house, enough so that no matter where a person was in the house, they should always have a good signal to the internet. The house's security systems ran on an entirely separate network, one with minimal external connectivity, and Whitney said that she would work with Lexi to make sure the system was up to whatever standards his new head of security had in mind. They walked while they talked, and outside in the back, Andy could see Katie astride her riding lawn mower, zipping in lines across the monstrous amount of green grass in his back yard, making sure to get all of it cut even and levelly. He could also see Tala hauling things into the back house with the help of Nicolette, who had ditched the maid outfit for the time being for a more practical set of blue jeans and a baggy t shirt covered in paint splotches. All of the changes, Whitney assured him, had been done with minimal disruption to anyone's work in the house, and she'd been trying to get as much of it today, as it was a Sunday. The last thing they talked about was his replacement laptop, something that Andy was remarkably picky about. Oh, he didn't care about the things most people cared about, when it came to processors and memory, Andy insisted none of that mattered to him, but the thing he was adamant about was that the keyboard feel as close to the one on the laptop he was currently using, an eight year old IBM ThinkPad. Too many keyboards were difficult to use for long periods at a time, and considering how many words Andy found himself putting into his laptop on a daily basis, if the keyboard was unwieldy, the laptop might as well be non existent. Whitney made a special note that "keyboard feel" was of the utmost import, and she insisted to him, she would do her best to get him a good replacement within a week or so. She had already begun backing up all the files from his existing laptop to the house's master network, as well as to a backup kept in a fire safe, so that even if disaster struck, he would still have his work in a safe location. Andy did tell her that she didn't have to work full time on the weekends, and that she should make a point of getting settled into her own room, and spending some time catching up with her friend Nicolette who had brought her here. Whitney had smiled at that, and agreed to go get changed so she could help Tala move in, and then they could all help Whitney get moved in afterwards. He was starting to walk back towards his office when he ran into Lauren, clearly just back from a jog around the neighborhood, sweaty and out of breath, a big smile on her face. "Hey there, fella, just the bloke I was lookin' to have a moment with. Got a snip?" He grinned, leaning against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sure, what's up?" "I've been thinking, and I think maybe we should let Taylor off the hook now," she said, looking down at her feet for a second. "I know, I know, I was the one who set the whole month punishment in place but, strewth, seeing her walking around naked all the time is starting to make me feel bad. I'm thinking she's learned her lesson, and she knows she's got lots of trust to earn back from me, so I'm only keeping her from getting to spend time learning more about all the other amazing sheilas you have in this house, and that's not fair of me." "I agree," Andy chuckled, "but I didn't want to be the one to tell you, seeing how fire and brimstone you were about the whole thing when you set the rules in place." "Strewth," she muttered. "Was it really that much a dunnybrook?" "I was a little worried the heavens were going to part and you were going to call down lightning bolts from the skies," he said, the smile wide on his face. "Real wrath of god type shit." "Bugger. Anyway, you should tell'er that you've talked me down, and that you laid down the law, and you decided, and eventually I relented, that she is done with that punishment and should just join the family like all the other birds. Make it clear you decided, not me, so I still get to keep a bit of that big scary reputation." Andy rolled his eyes but nodded. "Sure sure, you'll look mean. You'll look really scary. Anyway, I'll go find her and tell her while you're hopping into the shower." "Stink that bad, do I?" "Your sweatstains have got sweatstains, Lauren," he said with a laugh as he was backing away from her, while she mimed punching motions in his direction. He wasn't certain where he'd find Taylor in the house, so he decided just to go wandering the halls and see where he stumbled into her. He found her in Hannah's room, where she, Asha and Hannah were sitting on the bed, gossiping. Asha and Hannah hadn't bothered to change out of their pajamas, enjoying a lazy Sunday, while Taylor sat nude with her back against the wall. One of his two cats, Muninn, the Russian blue, was sitting on the bed near Asha, who was petting him idly. All three girls tensed a little bit when he entered the room, Taylor wasn't supposed to be sitting up on furniture unless Lauren or himself had told her to do so, but Andy hadn't really followed the rules at all, and had made it clear multiple times that Taylor's 'punishment,' such as it was, was mostly for Lauren's mollification, and that if Taylor slipped on the rules from time to time while she wasn't around, he didn't particularly care. "No no, don't get up, Taylor, it's fine," he said, coming into the room. "In fact, it's what I came to talk to you about." "You need to get Nicolette to turn up the house furnace, babe," Asha said to him. "If I'd ta walk around all day in me skivvies, I know I'd be freezin'." "Totally, Daddy," Hannah said. He'd repeatedly told her that she didn't have to call him that (in fact, going so far as to hint that it made him a little uncomfortable when she did) but she had repeatedly answered that she liked calling him that, so she wasn't going to stop any time soon. At least she knew enough not to do it when other people were around the house. "We're just talkin' anyway, so I told her to hop up here, so if you gotta punish someone, it should be me." "You look far too eager when you suggest that, Hannah," he told the Asian teenager. "Anyway, I had a talk with Lauren just a little bit ago. I told her this is my house, and I'm in charge, and that I've decided you've served this part of your punishment long enough. You're free to get dressed, wear clothes around the house, sleep wherever you want, sit wherever you want. You can get your phone back, and you can start working with Lauren at the 49ers camp whenever you feel like you're ready. You're a full member of the household now, and there's no reason for this silly punishment to go on any further. And you can certainly take off that ridiculous dog collar." Taylor's bright blue eyes had been focused on him the entire time he'd been talking, and she slipped off the bed quickly to throw her arms around him, pressing those impressive tits of hers against his chest as she hugged him very tightly, clinging to him, even as he could hear her sniffling back some tears. "Thank you, Andy," she said quietly. "I know Lauren's still mad at me, but this has been really hard, being made to feel like less than a person." He wrapped his arms around her, patting her bare back. "I know, and I get that, but you also have to realize that cheating on her hurt her in a way she'd never been hurt before, and that won't go away fully for a long long time. Just because you're done with all of this doesn't mean you're done with all of that. I know you know that, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded that you're going to be repairing that damage between you two for years to come. You screwed up, but there's a way back from that, as long as you're willing to put in the work and learn from your mistakes." Taylor pulled back, looking at him as something just dawned on her. "So, wait, all the rules have been lifted? Like all all of them?" He tilted his head a little. "Yyyyes? Why, is there one in particular you're asking about?" "So, like, next time, y'know, when me and you, then we can,” He bit back a smile and nodded. "Yes, yes we can. And if you want to masturbate again, you're welcome to start doing that too." She shook her head over dramatically once then leaned in to kiss him. "After we've had our first time together, our first real time together, then I will, but I want the first thing inside of my cunt after all this time to be your cock. If that's okay," she said, biting her lip nervously. "Of course it's okay. I think your next day in the rotation was going to be the 20th, but if you want, we can try and find some time before then instead. It can even be just the two of us, without Lauren around, if that's what you want." She pouted again for a moment. "Anything I want?" "Well, within my usual limits, but sure." She slipped her arms away from him, and turned back to look at Asha and Hannah, extending a hand to each of them. "I want the four of us together, for my first time normally with you, Andy," she said, as Asha took one hand and Hannah took the other. "Oh rrrrreally?" Asha said, dragging the sound out, her London accent dripping through the word. "All four of us together? Sounds like a spot of fun. I'm game if you are, Whiskers," she said, looking over at Hannah with a smile. "Anything you can throw at me, I can totally handle, Goldfish," Hannah shot back at her friend. Clearly the girls had developed nicknames for each other when he wasn't around. "I was supposed to have tomorrow night, Daddy, so instead of it just being me, it'll be all three of us, if that's totally cool and shit." "Yeah, that's, ahem, totally cool. And shit." He leaned in to give Taylor a quick kiss, but she kissed him back harder than expected, and it lasted longer than he'd planned, not that he minded. "And you, young lady, should get some clothes on, and maybe unpack your stuff, whether that's in your own room or in Lauren's room, that's up to you." "Oh it totally all goes in with Lauren," Taylor said. "I don't even want my own room. Either I'm in her bed or yours. You want to come help me move in, girls?" "You couldn't stop us, love," Asha said. "Last one there has a smelly cunt!" Hannah said as she bolted towards the door, Asha and Taylor just a step or two behind her. "Y'know," Andy said to himself and the cat, "I feel like I should've yelled that there's no running in the house after them, but I just know it wouldn't have done any good." "Meow," Muninn said to him in response. "Oh hush," Andy said. "What the hell do you know?" "Meow," Muninn agreed. "Damn straight." After leaving Hannah's room, he was halfway down the hall when he ran into Sarah, who was wearing one of his t shirts, one for a band called Stereophonics, and sweatpants beneath it, her hair done up in the least stylish ponytail he'd ever seen from her, as if she'd just put her red mane up to get it out of the way for a while. "Hey you," she said, her pearly white smile beaming at him. "Maya should be here any minute, and I know you're just gonna love her." "I actually spoke to Phil a little bit ago, and she's not going to be here until tomorrow, but she's still coming, don't you worry." He explained the Orange Variant to her, and while she was a little disappointed that her friend's arrival would be delayed, she understood that Maya's health was the most important thing, and the base didn't want to let her out of their sight until she was ready. "What've you been up to today?" She rolled her oceanic blue eyes at him with a big harumph. "Reading screenplays that my agent sent over, trying to pick my next project. It's looking like everyone's going to want to do serialized television right now, because they can get more content out of smaller budgets, but so many of these stories are just so boring," she groaned. "It's like my agent's only sending me the same stuff." "Well," he said, taking her hand in his as they walked down the hallway, "tell your agent what you want then, whether that's more drama, more action, more comedy, more whatever it is you want more of. They only know what you want when you tell them. I had to learn the same lesson with my literary agent early on." She squeezed his hand thankfully. "My agent really should know better, but you're right. I can get her on the hunt for the kinds of things I want to be doing. You know there aren't really any good spy stories on television right now? I should see if she can get me something like that. I'll give her a call tomorrow, see if maybe she can reach out to the production companies, see who's already got projects winding up I can try and piggyback onto." They walked past the door of Emily and Sarah's workspace, and Andy noticed it was closed. He pointed with his other hand at the closed door as they kept on walking. "Em in some kind of meeting?" Sarah nodded. "London based production company wanted to reach out to her, so she's taking the call today, but she should be out in an hour or so." The doorbell rang, and Sarah arched an eyebrow in surprise. "I thought you said Maya wouldn't be here until tomorrow." "That's what Phil told me," he said, as the two of them started to head downstairs, although Andy could hear someone answering the door, followed by a loud squeal of recognition. When they came down the stairs, Andy could see it was Piper who'd answered the door, and she had her arms wrapped around a short blonde girl, hugging her tightly. "Andy! Sarah! Brooke's here!" Piper said to them, swinging the shorter girl around a bit. "That's great, but I thought she was " "Surprise, man!" Xander said as he stepped in through the doorway. Andy let go of Sarah's hand and rushed down the rest of the stairs, suddenly stopping about six feet away from the door. "Are you...?" "Paired with three people this morning, so I'm 100% safe as houses," his tattooed friend said. Once he'd gotten the word 'paired' out, Andy had continued rushing his best friend, wrapping his arms around the burly guy, giving him a hell of a hug. "Oh Jesus, it's good to know you're safe, man," Andy sighed. "And it's so fucking good to see you. I know we hung out last December, but fuck, these eleven months have felt like five fucking years,” "Glad to see my mouth's rubbing off on you," Sarah laughed, closing the distance to meet them. "Xander, these are my partners Piper Brown and Sarah Washington, both of whom you've talked to a bit through FaceTime. Piper, Sarah, this is my best and oldest friend, Xander Baker, whom I've known since we were both, like, what, 6?" Xander laughed, nodding. "6, 7, something like that. However old we were in kindergarten." "Not very," Andy said. "Not enough!" Xander replied. "Anyway, Andy, Sarah, this is my soon to be partner Brooke Maloney, whom I have your partner Piper to thank for." "Well," Piper laughed, "I'd originally pitched her to come here and be Andy's partner, but he realized she'd be a much better fit for you, considering how much you both love classic cars, although really, I think it was just so he didn't have to hear her singing Vince Gill songs around the house all the time, 'cause she does that a lot, and I hope they warned you about that, Xander." "She can be singing Vince Gill while I'm singing Wu Tang Clan, and somewhere in the middle, over the engine of a Dodge Charger, I think we can make it work," Xander said. "Honestly, Pipes," Brooke said to her, "the only reason he said soon to be is because I wanted to come over and say thank you to y'all, and let Xander have a bit of time with his friend before we got to bumpin' uglies. But all the other gals in his house have just been so sweet, y'all, I can't wait for you to meet'em." "Why don't Piper and I give you a tour of the place, Brooke," Sarah said, "and the boys can do a little bit of catching up. You want me to have Jenny bring drinks to you out on the patio, hun?" "Yeah," Andy said, "I'll take a pina colada. Xander?" "Just a Corona." Sarah nodded. "Drinks coming up! This way ladies!" she said, marching them down towards the kitchen first. "Jesus Andy," Xander said quietly. "You really bagged Sarah Washington. I mean, I know I've talked to her vidchat, but seeing her in person like this,” "Seriously, I don't deserve this much luck," Andy said with a chuckle as he started to lead his best friend towards the back patio. "Oh fuck you," Xander teased. "You deserve exactly this much luck. Our entire lives, I've been watching you do good things for people left and right and never asking for so much as a thank you in return, and this is what karma has brought you, dude, so live a little. Enjoy it." As they moved out onto the patio, Xander shook his head. "I will say, however, that my house isn't quite as big as yours is. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fucking palace compared to that one bedroom shithole I lived in back in Ohio, but I'm just saying,” Andy rolled his eyes with a smirk. "You know I didn't pick the places myself, right jackass?" "I guess so," Xander said, as the two men moved to sit down on deck chairs near the pool. It was cool for November but not so cold that either man felt like they needed to add layers, both having grown up in the Midwest, where California winters would be considered nice spring days. "God, I'm really here. It's wild, man." "It's great having you out here, Xander. Jesus, the stories I have to tell you. You're here early, though. I didn't expect you out here for at least a few more days." "Turns out these DuoHalo Variants are pretty intense," Xander sighed, "and since they were pairing me up with someone in the military, they wanted to make sure I got hooked into the system as quickly as they could, so everything got very rush rush rush. When you told me to be ready to go at a moment's notice, you weren't kidding. As soon as we finished up that conversation, I started packing, and just barely got done before they showed up to cart me away. They're even taking care of selling my house for me, although I suspect it's just going to become government housing or something." "Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me," Andy agreed. "God, it's good to have you here, man." "Well if it isn't my favorite hoodrat," Fiona said, carrying out a tray with three drinks on it, setting it down on a table as Xander immediately got up and hugged him hard. "How you been, lunkhead?" "Better now that I know you made it here okay, muckraker," he teased back. "How the hell you been Fi?" "Better now that I know you ditched that crazy ex of yours," she laughed. "Can I say it?" "Oh I think you've earned it." "I told you that girl was no good." "You did indeed tell me that," Xander agreed, taking his bottle of Corona from the drinks tray, as Andy grabbed his pina colada and Fi grabbed a tall glass of wine. "Hey hey hey, the gang's all back," Fi said with a smile. "To old friends and new flames." "To life, liberty and us getting through this fucking plague together," Xander toasted. "To family," Andy corrected. "To family!" they all toasted together, clinking glasses. Piper has a confession to make.. Chapter 37 The conversation had gone far into the evening, with members of the household coming in and out several times, joining for a while before leaving the trio to their own devices once more, mostly anyway, a couple of Andy's partners choosing to remain longer. Sarah and Aisling in particular were intent on getting as many stories about Andy's youth as they could, and he felt a little like they hoped either Xander or Fiona would tell them embarrassing tales from their college years. While Fi had been mostly coy about the years they'd spent at university, Xander, by contrast, had been eager to tell at least a handful of hilarious and ridiculous stories about the troubles they'd found themselves in during their misspent youth. Despite how flustered he got a couple of times, it was a wonderful night of reminiscing, and a chance for the girls to see Andy in a different light. A piece of advice Andy had never let go of was that as you got older, it was almost important to keep people around you who knew you when you were young and fearless. At least a few times, he'd managed to deflect the conversation off himself and onto other people, a detour letting both Sarah and Emily talk about their experiences making movies, and Xander talking about the process of being relocated from Ohio out to California. Xander's trip had been surprisingly surreal, and he told the group about it in explicit detail. He'd been loaded into an isolation chamber on a cargo plane along with twenty other men, each in their own little plastic bubble tent, although each of the tent also had curtains that could be dropped for privacy. Xander told them he'd found that odd but understood why eventually. The plane had been mostly full of men when it picked Xander up in Ohio. The little isolation chamber was like a emergency field hospital's clean room, with a mattress on the floor as well as a few days of rations, both food and water, and a little sealable chemical toilet. Nearly everything was ziptied to weights to keep it steady. There was also a little headset that connected to a series of voice chat channels all the men could use to talk to one another. The main channel had been too hectic for Xander to stay in for more than a handful of minutes, but he'd eventually peeled off a couple of the men in the plane into a separate channel, and was able to both give them some information and get some on his own. All of the men on the plane had been gathered from cities in the central and eastern United States, and were being ferried out to partners, generally military but some in other branches of the government, and they weren't being let out of their isolation chambers until they'd been paired up with at least one woman, thus, the beds and the privacy curtains. At least a couple of the pods had not only men in them, but also a woman in the middle of the imprinting process . The government didn't want to risk the life of any man, so this was an emergency plan decided to keep as many people as they could safe. The two men Xander spent the afternoon talking with were Klaus, a 26 year old Master Sergeant from Georgia that Xander felt like was probably in special ops of some kind, and Bill, a 34 year old schoolteacher from Tennessee who was being paired up with a prominent Silicon Valley businesswoman he'd dated back in high school. Klaus clearly knew far more than he wanted to share with Xander and Bill, but he'd done his best to give the two men some information to make their journey a little less panic stricken. There were two women in the isolation chamber with Klaus, a twenty year old blonde named Olivia and a twenty two year old Korean American named Naya, or so Klaus told them, as both women were still in the middle of the imprinting process. The man was part of the security forces for the flying hospital that was transporting men and women around the country. He knew what he could and couldn't tell Xander and Bill, and just having a conversation with Klaus had made Xander feel more safe in their travels. He had a calm and casual demeanor to him while discussing how everything had been carefully planned, even if it all felt pretty slapdash. He couldn't answer all of their questions, for security reasons, but he told the two men that the airplane had basically been in motion nonstop for the last three weeks, doing its best to ferry people around the nation. Xander had asked him if it was truly necessary, only to be told how high the casualty rate was for men around the nation. Klaus had seen the stacks of bodies, and the man sounded rattled when he described the hundreds of empty apartments he'd seen in his native Queens, as the corpses had filled up dump trucks, and they'd had to conceal the bodies as they were taking them out in the dead of night. Klaus told them he'd been in a biohazard suit for most of the last week, but now that he had two partners, he would be able to go out and provide an escort for everyone going to and from the plane, although he planned to return to his isolation room with his two partners in between each stop they made. From Ohio they flew down to Nebraska, stopping at Offut Air Force Base, where they picked up a handful of soldiers and dropped off a handful of women. Bill had asked Klaus how long they'd been running these routes. Klaus said they'd been running for a few weeks now, and they were only one of five planes that were crisscrossing the nation. Olivia and Naya had both been brought into the inoculation center in Denver earlier and then swapped planes to meet up with him in New York, where they'd met up after he'd returned bringing in another stable of surviving men. All privacy had basically gone out the window. Klaus told him that most of the men had the option to wait until they were in a house or an apartment or something, but Klaus had been told by his commanding officer that they couldn't spare him that much time, so he needed to just get on with his business on the plane so he could get back to work as soon as he was done. By the time they'd touched down at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, Bill had been just about ready to break out into full fledged panic, between the constant shift in air pressure, the take offs and landings done without proper seatbelts and his inability to go anywhere that wasn't his little sealed off compartment, but a quick talking to from Xander had gotten the man to cool down at least a little bit. They were barely on the ground in Nevada an hour, taking people off and bringing new people on, as well as refueling the plan, before taking off again, landing at Oakland airport a few hours later under the cover of night. Their cellphones had been taken from them when they'd arrived at the plane, so Xander had been forced to guess at the time, but he would've placed their arrival in Oakland at something around 2 a.m. or so, although the lock in had made it impossible to use traffic as a gauge. In Oakland, everyone had been taken from their individual compartments and loaded onto a large troop transport truck, with no caution given to cross contamination or infection, as they were all told they would be getting paired up within a few hours, so even if they caught DuoHalo now, it wouldn't matter. Xander had been concerned by that but he had decided to go along with it, because Klaus seemed to consider the whole thing fine, and he was the one loading people onto the trucks. The trucks had ferried them from Oakland up to a staging area next to the lab near Mount Diablo, just adjacent to New Eden, and once there, they'd been introduced to their new partners and from there, sorted into where they were going to go. The building they were using as a staging area felt like a converted aircraft hangar, with a high curved metal ceiling and big fluorescent lights hanging high above them. Although there were some tented parts of the space, similar to what had been inside the cargo hold of the airplane that had brought him here, most of the space was open, with long painted striped lines on the ground, leading people through the processing. Men weren't being given any injections, something Xander had thought was odd, until all the men were given a five minute lecture on "Your New Reality," something that the men were told to take deadly seriously. The lecture included basic things like how they would be receiving their vaccinations (sexually transmitted from their new partners), how their partners would need sexual satisfaction about once a week or so, how their semen would be toxic to any woman they weren't paired with, and how if they ever felt like they were coming down with the symptoms of DuoHalo they should have sex with one of their partners immediately, which would resolve them. At the point when the men had been told that their semen would be toxic to any woman they weren't paired with, a handful of the men had quietly jeered and rolled their eyes, but the next slide in the presentation showed a wound on a woman's arm that had silenced all that nonsense quickly. The end of the lecture included a video message from President Pelosi, urging the men to consider fatherhood like a new version of the World War 2 draft, every man needed to do his service to help save the country. Extensive tax breaks and financial aid would be provided to families with multiple children, it was stressed. The country needed to be rebuilt. As soon as the lecture was done, they'd been marched single file to a series of processing windows, over a dozen clerks taking people's names and social security numbers before assigning them a holding area to head over to, where they would meet their partners. A sticker was placed on their chest before they were sent on their way. It had all felt very assembly line, as if there wasn't time for kindness or courtesies, and people were simply being pushed through the grinder as quickly as possible. Klaus had joked around with them on the ride over that while it might seem rough, it was being done for optimal performance in getting people in and through the system and into their new lives, wherever they may be. Xander had heard several different locations mentioned, the San Jose highrises, the Stanford campus, the Berkeley campus, the SF towers, the Altamont sprawl, the Tracy ghosttown, but when it came time for him to be told where to go, he was told he wouldn't need to go far, as he was being assigned to Dos Eden, the first expansion zone to New Eden. He'd been given four partners on site, with one more to be waiting for him at the location. They'd been waiting for him in the holding area assigned to him, each having arrived sometime over the previous day, so they'd all had a chance to get to know one another. Letting the women have some time to bond in advance of the man's arrival seemed smart to Xander, as they could size each other up without having to worry about keeping their new mate's attention. The women had also been given their injections in the holding area, and so Xander assumed the spaces had also doubled as observation areas, making sure none of the women had suffered any adverse reactions to their injections the day before. Captain Betsy Ross had turned out to be a complete knockout, a blonde pint size pocket rocket dynamo who was training men nearly twice her size in hand to hand close quarters combat, and they had clicked immediately, almost as if they were custom made for each other. She'd kissed him hard enough to nearly knock him off his feet before he'd even been able to say hello. The second woman had been Serena Ortiz, a Latina woman in her late twenties who was a U.S. Marshall, and had built a career out of tracking down fugitives. Tall and statuesque, she had a certain grace to how she'd moved, he'd noticed immediately. She'd spent the past few hours talking with Betsy before Xander's arrival, and the two already had a friendly relationship, having bonded over the fact that they could both kick Xander's ass if needed. The third was a slender blonde woman in her late 30s who had looked hauntingly familiar before her introduction, but Xander had struggled to place her, even after she identified herself as Alicia Geller. When she'd told Xander that he would likely know the role she'd played in her youth, Rascal Rachel, that had made it all come together immediately. Alicia was a child actress who had been the star of a popular kids show until she'd grown out of it and the show had been canceled. Instead of continuing acting, she had retired from show business and gone into education, teaching history to high school students. She seemed a little shy, but had assured him that once they'd had time to get to know one another, she would come out of her shell. The final one on site had been Brooke, and she'd detailed the story to him how her friend Piper was paired up with Andy, and that they had recommended Brooke pair up with Xander, so she had. She'd been wearing a Shelby GT Cobra necklace when they met, and Xander had known it was going to work out just fine. A second sticker was placed on his chest and the girls were told to stay with him, as everyone was sorted into lines and sent towards trucks. Most of the trucks were large troop transports, but Xander had been surprised to see that the vehicle he and his partners were set to was much smaller, and they were the only group loaded up onto it. He'd felt a little bad, since really they could've just been loaded up into an Escalade, him, his four new partners and the MP driving them over to their new home. On the way over, the MP delivered the final set of instructions to Xander, as to why his fifth partner hadn't been waiting for him at the base and was, instead, at the new home. Her name was KC Kadrey, and she was a 20 year old Vietnamese American student over at Stanford, studying mechanical engineering. She'd needed to get her injections a couple of days prior, and there had been some concerns that she might simply just grab the first man she saw and go after him, so she'd been taken to their new home and allowed to settle in. But, the MP warned him, it meant that she might be a bit intense when they arrived. She'd also brought her golden retriever with her, and keeping the large dog at the staging area had seemed problematic. Xander, like all the men who'd been on the airplane, had been forced to travel light, a single wheelie suitcase all he'd been allowed to bring with him. All of his things that had been picked up in Ohio would show up at some point within the next few weeks as the truck conveying them drove cross country, but until they, he would have to make due with the things he had. Xander had been forced to argue with the people picking him up that the one car he'd been restoring, a black 1970 Barracuda, would be part of the things taken to his new home, and while the discussion had gotten a little heated, eventually the people picking him up had relented and loaded it into the truck with the rest of his stuff. Each of the women had a similar amount of things with them, and when they arrived at their new home, they all felt woefully unprepared. Dos Eden was technically part of New Eden, but it was an expansion to the original enclave, and the dwellings there were much more of nice houses than they were the sorts of mansions and manors that made up New Eden itself. The MP driving them over had said she lived in Dos Eden, and she was incredibly thankful, as it meant having a family was a distinct possibility, while the people in many of the other locations were going to be doing lots of relocating and readjusting over the next few years. Those in the tower condo buildings were generally being given an entire floor to themselves, and as needed walls would be knocked down and units combined as families expanded. The views were nice, the MP told them, but it just didn't feel like a home. When they pulled up to the house just around dawn, Xander was a little surprised by it. They had told him not to expect a grandiose mansion, but the home was far nicer than any place he'd ever lived in before, a two story building with five bedrooms and four bathrooms, so not enough that each person had their own bedroom, but they would make it work, all of them agreed. It was mostly glass walls, and Xander found himself thankful for the ring of trees, and the high fences, that would provide him with at least a little privacy from his neighbors, who were only a short walk away on either side. It had a three car garage, and Xander was told there were new Teslas charging inside for them. (Xander immediately planned to turn one of the three garage spaces into his own little workshop where he'd continue restoring the Barracuda.) The driveway was long enough that they would be able to comfortably fit at least four more cars out front if needed. The place had its own pool with hot tub, however, something Xander was astonished to find. He'd never lived in a place with a pool before, and now his home had one. They'd barely gotten in the door before KC had rushed Xander, practically mauling him with love in the entry way to the home. She'd been coherent enough to talk with him, the two of them moving into the master bedroom before he'd had sex with her and she'd fallen into her imprinting process. The other girls had moved into the bedroom somewhere in the middle of their tryst and Betsy had immediately insisted on going second, having stripped down while watching Xander and KC. Alicia had gone third, leaving him with only Serena and Brooke conscious. The three of them had taken a shower together, and somewhere in the middle of the shower, Serena had decided she couldn't wait any further, and had gone through part of the process in the shower and the rest bent over the bathroom countertop. As much as he wanted to, he told Brooke that he was going to need a while before he could imprint her, his entire body more than a little exhausted, as the chemicals from the four women had been flowing through his bloodstream, giving him immunity from DuoHalo and doing some rather significant changes to his body. Brooke had laughed and just suggested they go over to visit Andy and Piper, which brought them up to now. "Fuckin' hell," Andy laughed. "No fucking wonder you look exhausted, Xan. How much have you slept in the last two days?" "Oh, we took a nap after we settled into the house, and I slept a bit on the plane while it was hauling our asses through the skies," his best friend said with a chuckle. "So yeah not as much as I should but more than I do some days. Was your experience similar, Fi?" Fiona's journey had been very similar, with her and Moira catching an earlier flight out of Washington a few days ago, although their plane had made only one additional stop before landing in Oakland, their plane having gone straight from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, where many of the men in the chambers had been unloaded and several women had been loaded on board. Because Fi and Moira had been traveling together, they'd had each other to talk with and neither had felt especially lonely during the voyage. Fi even admitted they had spent much of the time talking about Andy, speculating how much he might or might not have changed over the years. As the hour grew late, Brooke returned to the main room with Piper, suggesting she and Xander head home, reminding the two old friends that they now lived less than fifteen minutes apart, and could see each other as often as they wanted to, but Andy and Xander still hugged for a long minute, thankful to have reconnected on the other side of the disaster, before they walked the two to the door and sent them home. Several of the girls had peeled off and gone to bed over the course of the evening, and at the end of the night, the only people still awake were Andy, Piper and Sarah. Aisling had been the very last to go to bed before reminding Sarah not to stay up too late, otherwise she would be too tired to talk to Maya when she arrived tomorrow, but Sarah had laughed it off and dismissed it. After closing the door behind Xander, he walked back down stairs, intending to clean up the remaining empty beer bottles and glasses left behind in the living room, only to find that Nicolette had beaten him to it, having cleaned it all up and then disappearing into her room for the night, so he couldn't even say thank you to her. "I swear, we've got a ninja for a French maid around this house," he muttered to himself with amusement. Huginn, his black cat, stood up from his perch on the back of one of the couches, stretched by arching his back, then moved to sit back down exactly where he was. "I feel ya, bud," he agreed with the cat. "We should probably see about getting to bed, don't you think, ladies?" Piper shook her head, pushing Andy back to sit down on the couch. "Not for a bit. You can sleep when you're dead," she said with a grin. "Don't you agree, Sarah?" "Oh totally," the tall redhead said, moving to slide in to one side of Andy on the couch. "You lose one third of your life sleeping, well, I mean I guess you don't really lose it since you have to sleep otherwise you'll go insane, but it's, like, a lot a lot of time to be spending doing just one thing." "Besides, I have to say thank you for making sure you brought my best friend to be nearby so I didn't feel so lonely all the time," Piper said, peeling her shirt up and over her head, tossing it aside, leaving her in a sports bra and tight fitted blue jeans, her toned stomach bared to the cool night air. "We've been kinda dancing around each other for the last few weeks, Andy, and I don't want you to think I'm not grateful, because I'm very thankful for all the things you've done for me since we've met." "Piper, you don't have " he started before she lifted her hand up to cover his mouth, "Andy, enough," she giggled. "You can just say 'you're welcome' when you're being thanked for something, you know. You don't have to try and play down the work that went into it." He smirked a little bit, as she pulled her hand back. "I just don't want you to feel like you owe me anything." "Oh, but Andy, I do owe you," she said, bending down to press a kiss to his lips, just a soft and quick one. "You got me away from that asshole Covington. When I couldn't think straight, you did everything you could to bring me back to being me again, and that's not something anyone would do." She inhaled the scent of him, and he could swear he saw her pupils dilate a little in response. "You remember how I told you I could smell you from far away? I still can, but the raw musk of you is even more intense up close, and I fucking love how you smell, you sexy bastard. It makes me feel warm and safe and gooey and sticky and protected all at once. And I know that at least some of that is just the chemicals flowing through my brain bonding me to you, but you know what?" She leaned in and nibbled on his earlobe a little bit. "I've decided that I don't fucking care why I feel how I feel. I feel how I feel and that's all that fucking matters. You've kept me safe. You've given me space when I wanted it, and been happy to talk with me when I needed that. You helped me get my friend here and kept her safe, and as soon as you thought it was time, you pushed my ass to get back to work and reminded me not to give up on my dreams. So don't you dare fucking tell me I don't have to repay you, because even if you don't think that I do, I do, and I want to." "You're the only one of the girls who says she can smell me anywhere in the house, Piper," he told her. "I hope that's not a sign that anything's wrong because Covington held off so long on letting you get imprinted after the injections." "Oh, there's nothing wrong with me, Andy," she purred, unbuttoning her jeans before pushing them down to her ankles, not having bothered to put shoes on earlier, stepping out of them and her panties, leaving her in just the sports bra. She had such an athletic body that it had a tendency to make Andy feel a little ashamed of how out of shape he was. "I'm just different, that's all. Being able to smell you when you're in the house? I consider that a benefit, not a side effect. I get a little anxious when you leave and I can't smell you, not so much that it bothers me, but just enough that I notice the feeling of longing I have that you aren't on hand. And I've reread that letter you left me over a dozen times, because each time, I think I fall for you a little more." She grinned, grabbing her sports bra, pulling it up over her head, tossing it aside. "So yeah, I was scared of saying that, but I'm definitely falling for you, Andrew Rook. Falling in love with you. That's why I was so deep in thought the other morning. You didn't do anything to make me upset or angry. I just was worried about how to tell you." "Piper, Why would you be worried?" Andy said with a kind smile. "You've got so many beautiful women here, Andy," she said, gesturing back to the house. "I mean, shit, you've got Sarah Fucking Washington with her arm around you right now! I know I'm fit, but I'm not beautiful like she and Em are." At that, he raised a single finger, pointing at her. "How dare you," he said, his tone evening a little bit. "You are fucking stunning, I mean beautiful like you cannot even imagine and I do not want to hear you saying you're not beautiful ever again, okay? Because whatever dumb ass boyfriend or athlete you met who said you weren't pretty was the biggest fucking moron you ever met, and you shouldn't give whatever that prick said another thought ever again. Tell her I'm right, Sarah," he said with a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Yep yep yep," Sarah said with a giggle. "Stop being fucking stupid because you're not just pretty, you're fucking hot, and every girl in this house who likes girls thinks so. Shit, I heard Katie telling Jenny that if she wanted to give her a hall pass for her birthday, she'd want to use it on you over all the other girls in the house." Piper giggled, shaking her head, her dark hair covering her eyes for a minute. "You're fucking lying, Sarah." "Cross my fucking heart, swear to fucking God, may she strike me the fuck down if I'm lying. Katie thinks you're the hottest bitch in the house, so you need to shut the fuck up about saying you aren't fucking pretty because that's the stupidest fucking thing anyone's said today, and people talk, like, the worst amount of shit in this house when they think people aren't listening," Sarah said, rolling her eyes, as if she found the whole thing hilariously sad. "Well, that's something I wouldn't have believed if you hadn't told me," Piper replied with a smile. "And I was talking about us dancing around each other, Andy, and I want to apologize for that. I know we've had a handful of encounters, but I've been, guarded, and I'm sorry for how guarded I've been emotionally. I think maybe I was a little hurt that you didn't want to bring Brooke into this house, even though I know you said you thought she'd be a better match with Xander. I thought maybe that was a polite way of you trying to duck out of meeting her,” She looked down at her feet. "I feel a bit guilty about that right now, having spent a bunch of the evening talking with her. I have known that girl almost half a de
What does NASA Volkswagens have in common Joe Varga. Known as Carbon Joe on Instagram Joe Vargas spent the last 16 years working on project X 37B with Boeing an unmanned working in Aerospace most of his life gave him a skill set of problem-solving up against just about anything. In the early 2000s of friends brother ask him to make some carbon fiber parts for his friends Drag bug. From then it's been on Joe's first car he still owns to thi this day. And he enjoys driving his super beetle convertible. With the goal of completing a German look ride soon he's totally into it. On this podcast, we talk about a lot about carbon fiber technology what is the difference between vacuum bagged with a clave without a clave auto clave this clave and every other type of clave. It's great to talk to someone knowledgeable about this type of process. That's also an enthusiast so there's lots of good information content if you're thinking about carbon fiber parts. Joe makes them on a specialty basis only remember, he's retired, but he can probably help you save some weight on that racing Volkswagen that you have. Enjoy. www.letstalkdubs.com www.rosswulf.com www.vwtrendsmagazine.com buy ICON pistons here
The city is changing the way it permits and regulates our street trees, the results of the Boeing door plug investigation are in, and the future of the Preschool for All tax is in question. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week's Friday news roundup are senior producer Giulia Fiaoni and KBOO news director Althea Billings. Discussed in Today's Episode: Lawmakers' Ambush of Preschool for All Gives Kotek a Nuclear Option [Willamette Week] City Council Votes To Move Tree Regulation Team to Permitting Office, Removes $2 Million From Enforcement [Willamette Week] Boeing Gets Full Blame in Door Plug Blowout, Promises Major Changes in 737 Max [Oregonian] Lawsuit Claims Sparks From Freight Train Ignited Blaze That Ravaged Columbia Gorge Town [Oregonian
The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Big U.S. Supreme Court and Texas Supreme Court ruling, as well as from other courts that involve Texas cases or affect Texas greatly. Supreme Court sides with Trump administration on nationwide injunctions in birthright citizenship case -good ruling Court decides against Planned Parenthood in Medicaid case – good ruling Supreme Court Rules on Parents' Religious Freedom in LGBTQ School Book Opt-Out Case – good ruling Court rules in favor of Texas death row inmate – bad ruling US Supreme Court Preserves Key Element of Obamacare Preventive Care – bad ruling Texas' age verification law for porn upheld by U.S. Supreme Court, more – good ruling Texas Can Use Blocked Investigation Tool, Fifth Circuit Finds – probably a good ruling Texas Supreme Court allows church to challenge SMU split – good ruling Texas governor, AG exempt from mandamus writs – good ruling Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Oil and gas rig countsteady this week.Boeing's big problems in San Antonio continue but new leadership is coming in for the Air Force One project. Meanwhile in Fort Worth: Aircraft maintenance company to invest $120M, add 1,200 jobs at Alliance.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates. www.PrattonTexas.com
In this episode, Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, and co-founder of WeAreMorphus.com, talks to Captain Reyné O'Shaughnessy. She is a veteran commercial airline pilot with over 34 years at a Fortune 50 carrier and more than 10,000 heavy-jet flight hours, including being among the first women qualified on the Boeing 747. She's the founder of Piloting 2 Wellbeing and author of This Is Your Captain Speaking, championing mental health awareness, mindfulness training, and support systems for pilots to improve performance and safety in the aviation industry.Our podcast has been recognized as the top-ranked menopause podcast worldwide on Feedspot's 2025 list of best Menopause Podcasts and Perimenopause Podcasts.Topics Covered:How Captain O'Shaughnessy became a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry and her experiences getting there and in the cockpit.Her medical scare helped her pivot her career to being a health coach and helping high-performing women address career burnout and specifically exhaustion in perimenopause and menopause.The impact of perimenopause and menopause on high-performing women—fatigue, sleep issues, confidence, and more.Learn more about the keys to self-care in this stage of life as well as the importance of sleep.Information about Captain Reyné's The Leading Edge retreat for women in October 2025. Links from the Show:This Is Your Captain Speaking: What You Should Know About Your Pilot's Mental Health by Captain Reyné O'Shaughnessy: https://amzn.to/3GfAa9kCaptain Reyné O'Shaughnessy website and retreat information: https://captainreyneo.com/To find a Menopause Practitioner: wakeherup.co or menopause.orgSend us a text ✅ Fill out our surveys
Factory tours commonly come to mind for tourists looking to experience local landmarks. Boeing, Jelly Belly and Louisville Slugger all offer popular behind-the-scenes outings. But it's doubtful any of those are as popular as what Xiaomi is offering in China.The consumer electronics giant has recently broken into the automotive space. It currently offers the SU7 full-size sedan and it's working on the YU7 mid-size. It sold just 135,000 vehicles in 2024, though it expects to more than double that this year. But its factory tours have already become so popular that Xiaomi had to introduce a lottery.
Will innovations from the Paris Air Show be enough to lift airlines to new heights? Tim Beyers and Lou Whiteman discuss: - More AI-fueled earnings from Micron and changes at the Fed? - The Paris Air Show's big reveals - Debating the better stock: Boeing or Airbus? Tickers: Companies discussed: BA, EADSY, MU, RYCEY, TXT Host: Tim Beyers Guests: Lou Whiteman Engineer: Dan Boyd Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we speak with Michael D'Ambrose, Board Director at SHRM and former EVP & CHRO at Boeing, about why traditional performance management is failing today's workforce. Michael exposes the flaws of annual reviews, rigid rating systems, and outdated HR processes that demotivate employees and prevent real growth. He shares how empowering managers with real-time feedback, flexibility, and practical leadership can transform company culture, drive business results, and create workplaces where people truly thrive.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board says multiple systemic failures led to a mid-air door panel blowout of a Boeing jet last year.
About 128 million Americans from Louisiana to Maine are still under heat advisories after dozens of record high temperatures were set Tuesday in parts of the U.S. CBS News' Rob Marciano reports. Over the last three years, retail electricity prices have gone up faster than the rate of inflation, and new research from Texas A&M shows climate change is making it more expensive to cool homes. CBS News' David Schechter reports on the impact. A report from the National Transportation Safety Board found issues with Boeing's production process, training, documentation and safety culture, as well as the FAA's oversight in a review following a midair door panel blow out of an Alaska Airlines plane. Everyone on the packed plane survived. Now, the NTSB is making nearly a dozen recommendations to Boeing and the FAA. The defense in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex trafficking trial rested its case in less than 30 minutes as the music mogul did not testify nor did the defense call any witnesses. Over the course of six weeks, the prosecution called 34 witnesses to the stand. Combs has pleaded not guilty. Katie Sturino, known for her viral body positivity posts and celebrity fashion recreations, joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss her debut novel "Sunny Side Up" and how it reflects her mission to empower women of all sizes. Writer and comedian Josh Gondelman joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about his new stand-up special "Positive Reinforcement," where he jokes about aging, obscure desserts, and why kindness is still funny. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This episode of FreightWaves Morning Minute covers the ongoing debate in Congress regarding rail safety technology, with a House subcommittee hearing highlighting the partisan divide over its implementation. Republicans advocate for technological innovation and modernization of regulations, while Democrats emphasize that advancements should not compromise worker safety. Much of the discussion centered on automated track inspection and the extent to which railroads should be allowed to reduce traditional visual inspections. FedEx has permanently retired 12 freighter aircraft and incurred a $21 million impairment charge in the fourth quarter as part of its effort to streamline its air network and modernize its fleet. The removed aircraft include seven Airbus A300-600s, three MD-11 tri-engine freighters, and two Boeing 757-200s, in addition to 22 Boeing 757 cargo jets decommissioned in the fourth quarter of 2024. FedEx plans to reduce aircraft investment to $1 billion in the current fiscal year and maintain that level for several years. A recent surge in layoffs impacted the food production, distribution, and retail sectors across the U.S., with over 1,500 job cuts announced since the beginning of May. Notable companies affected include United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), which is closing a distribution center and eliminating 716 jobs, and Albertsons, which has laid off 275 corporate employees in Phoenix. Additionally, Amazon Fresh closed a grocery store in Seattle, leading to 125 job cuts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is intensifying enforcement of English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards as of June 25, 2025, which could lead to the immediate grounding of truck drivers who do not meet Department of Transportation requirements. This move is expected to shrink the pool of qualified drivers, creating capacity constraints, increasing tender rejections, and driving national truckload rates higher, with the National Truckload Index currently at $2.27 per mile. In other news, Relay Payments is expanding its services beyond fuel payments into repair and maintenance, announcing partnerships with Southern Tire Mart at Pilot, Boss Truck Shops, and AMBEST Service Centers, collectively offering over 235 locations. This initiative aims to streamline payment processes for carriers and improve workflows for merchants by utilizing digital RelayCodes, allowing fleets to consolidate all over-the-road expenses on a single platform. Turning our eyes skyward, FedEx has retired a dozen freighter aircraft, including Airbus A300s, MD-11s, and Boeing 757-200s, as part of an effort to streamline its air network and modernize its fleet, taking a $21 million impairment charge. While flying less domestically after its USPS contract ended, FedEx is focusing on efficient widebody freighters and plans further acquisitions of Boeing 777s and ATR 72-600 turboprops to meet strong international parcel demand and boost efficiency. On the ground in the food sector, a wave of layoffs and closures is hitting major food retailers, distributors, and producers across the U.S., with over 1,500 job cuts announced since early May. Companies affected include United Natural Foods Inc., which is closing a distribution center in Pennsylvania and cutting 716 jobs; Albertsons, which laid off 275 corporate employees and plans to close a grocery store in Portland, Oregon; and Amazon Fresh, which shuttered a grocery location near Seattle with 125 job losses. In the maritime realm, Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Louis Sola announced he is stepping down as his carryover term expires this month, having served since 2018 as a Trump appointee. Sola played a key role in safeguarding the U.S. maritime industry, bringing greater transparency to port operations, and overseeing a supply chain that moves more than $5 trillion in goods annually, including leading an investigation that resulted in the de-flagging of 140 sanctioned vessels. The Ports of Indiana are partnering with Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) to restart operations at the Burns Harbor grain terminal on Lake Michigan, a crucial asset for Midwest grain exports since its opening in 1979. LDC, one of the world's "big four" global agri-commodities companies, plans to begin operating the terminal in early 2026, aiming to boost grain exports and provide vital market access for regional farmers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textAb 1. Juli 2025 profitieren Miles & More und ITA Volare Mitglieder von gegenseitig anerkannten Statusvorteilen – Lounge-Zugang, Priority Services & mehr!
The award-winning Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a compliance-related topic, literally going into the weeds to explore a subject more fully. Are you seeking insightful perspectives on compliance? Look no further than Compliance into the Weeds! In this episode of Compliance into the Weeds, Tom Fox and Matt Kelly discuss Boeing's recent safety initiatives and reforms, as outlined in their annual aerospace safety report. They explore Boeing's efforts to improve its speak-up culture, internal reporting systems, and the introduction of an expansive Safety Champions Program. The episode explores the procedural changes Boeing has implemented, including the handling of third-party reports and increased transparency for employees. Additionally, they examine the challenges and necessities of manager training in fostering an ethical corporate culture. The conversation concludes with insights on the recent Federal District Court hearing regarding Boeing's non-prosecution agreement and the implications for transparency and accountability. Key highlights: Speak Up Culture Enhancements Ambassador Program Expansion Manager Training and Corporate Culture Court Hearing on Boeing's Non-Prosecution Agreement Resources: Matt Kelly in Radical Compliance Tom Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn A multi-award-winning podcast, Compliance into the Weeds, was most recently honored as one of the Top 25 Regulatory Compliance Podcasts, a Top 10 Business Law Podcast, and a Top 12 Risk Management Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Het lijkt dan toch te gaan gebeuren: Shell wil BP overnemen. Het zou gaan om een deal van 80 miljard dollar, meldt The Wall Street Journal. Al jaren wordt er gespeculeerd over het samensmelten van deze twee grote oliegiganten, maar de hoop op een snelle overname werd vorig week nog de kop ingedrukt door uitgerekend de ceo zelf. En ook vandaag wist het bedrijf niet hoe snel ze het nieuws moesten ontkennen. Hoe zit het nou? En wie heeft er gelijk? We proberen er de vinger op te leggen deze aflevering. We kijken ook naar Worldline, een Franse concurrent van Adyen. Ze zijn er vooral voor klanten die door elke andere betaalverwerker al zijn uitgekotst, blijkt uit onderzoek van 21 kranten, waaronder NRC. Het bedrijf verdiende bewust geld aan frauderende klanten: gok- en porno-sites die nergens terecht konden, werden bij Worldine met open armen ontvangen. De koers van het betaalbedrijf was al om te huilen, maar wat er nog van over was, stortte vandaag ook in elkaar. En de ceo van Prosus doet een ambitieuze belofte: hij wil de omzet tegen 2028 verdubbelen. Deze Fabricio Bloisi bezit sowieso een flinke voorraad verdubbelaars. Vlak na z'n aantrede beloofde hij de beurswaarde van Prosus te verdubbelen en deze week rapporteerde het bedrijf een verdubbelde winst. Of hij die omzetbelofte ook waar kan maken, gaan we bespreken. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The National Transportation Safety Board hosted a hearing to address a scary situation involving a door flying off a Boeing aircraft in 2024. Thankfully, no one died in this mid-air disaster but put a target on the backs of Boeing and the FAA. What went wrong and how can the problem be avoided in future? We got perspective from retired airline pilot, Paul Zielinski ((00:00)) as well as Senator Richard Blumenthal ((8:39)). Image Credit: Reuters
Trust. It's yet another essential ingredient in building and sustaining elite teams. This week on The Mark Divine Show, Mark does a deep dive into the art and science of trust, drawing from his rich experience with the Navy SEALs, and his book “Staring Down The Wolf”. Mark shares tales that unveil the true nature of leadership when things go sideways, and unpacks the three foundational pillars of trust—transparency, humility, and relentless follow-through. He discusses how authentic leadership is forged by facing down fears—-particularly the fear of failure. Using insights from the military and his own personal growth journey, Mark issues a call to action for leaders everywhere to look inward, trust themselves first, and lead with character and courage. Key Takeaways: Relentless Follow-Through: Understand that trust is cemented when leaders do what they say, support their teams, and make sure crucial lessons lead to real action and positive change. Facing The Fear of Failure: Realize that leaders who are afraid of failure tend to become perfectionists, procrastinators, or careerists, which ultimately weakens teams and limits growth. Authenticity Matters: Recognize that staying authentic, consistent, and operating from humility will spread trust throughout your team. Trust is Critical in Team Performance: Discover how trust acts as the “glue” for elite teams, and the consequences of lacking it can be mediocrity and underperformance. Mark Divine is a former Navy SEAL Commander, entrepreneur, and NYT Bestselling author with PhD in Global Leadership and Change who has dedicated his life to unlocking human potential through integrated training in mental toughness, leadership, and physical readiness. Mark's journey began in New York City, where his fascination with eastern philosophy and martial arts set the stage for a transformative path. After a successful stint as a consultant at PriceWaterhouse Coopers, he made the pivotal decision to join the Navy SEALs at 25. Over two decades of service, Mark commanded critical missions globally, retiring as a Commander in 2011. Mark has trained elite organizations including Google, Nike, SpaceX, Boeing, Harvard University, The Olympics, YPO, and many others.Co-founding ventures such as SEALFIT, Unbeatable Mind, LLC, and Coronado Brewing Company have allowed Mark to blend his military expertise with entrepreneurial spirit. SEALFIT, born from his SEAL training insights, revolutionized physical and mental conditioning, impacting diverse groups from executives to athletes.Inspired by his military service, Mark founded the Courage Foundation to support veterans in holistic healing and restoration of purpose. Advocating for mental resilience and compassionate leadership, he aims to impact 100 million lives, fostering a more connected and courageous world. Mark's Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdivine/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@markdivineshow Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/RealMarkDivine/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sealfit/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/markdivineleadership/ Sponsors and Promotions: Marley Spoon: This new year, fast-track your way to eating well with Marley Spoon. Head to MarleySpoon.com/OFFER/DIVINE and use code DIVINE for up to 27 FREE meals! That's right… up to 27 FREE meals with Marley Spoon. Fair Harbor: Head to FairHarborClothing.com/DIVINE and use code DIVINE20 for 20% off your first purchase.
A ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be on shaky ground after both sides traded strikes. Iranian hackers appear to be eying potential targets in the US. Consumers have been more cautious spenders lately. Boeing and the FAA are sharing the blame for last year's blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight. Plus, the latest target in a string of consumer boycotts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Send us a textWelcome to What's Up in Business Travel for Week 24 of 2025. This is a weekly podcast where we update you on what's up this week in the world of business travel. This podcast is great for those who need to know what's happening all in under 15 minutes.Topics covered during this podcast - World's best airline for 2025 named by SkytraxUS investigators urge action on Boeing 737 Max engineAmerican Express GBT launches ad campaignHyatt completes $2.6 Billion Playa acquisitionUS air sales continue declineJetBlue to reduce flightsAir India scales back international flightsHilton to open 100+ new hotelsSouthwest plans flights to ReykjavikAir New Zealand adds more premium seatsGroupize rebrands with an AI-first strategyThrust Carbon launches NetZero ForecasterApple adds passports to Apple WalletZeno integrates Amadeus NDC ContentYou can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.comThis podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360. Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!Support the show
Bob Clifford, the founder of Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, joins host Jon Hansen on Let's Get Legal to discuss the Air India crash of a Boeing 787. For more information on Clifford Law Offices, visit www.cliffordlaw.com.
AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on the investigation into a door plug flying off a Boeing 737 Max plane midflight.
Tuesday June 24, 2025 Victims' Families Oppose Boeing NPA
The Today in Manufacturing Podcast is brought to you by the editors of Manufacturing.net and Industrial Equipment News (IEN).This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at SugarCRM. Stop missing out on new sales, and download "How to Close More Deals in Manufacturing," right now.Every week, we cover the five biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward. This week:- JetZero's $4.7B Plant: 14,500 Jobs in North Carolina- Yaskawa Moving Headquarters from Illinois to Wisconsin- Major Retailer the Latest to Pin Bankruptcy on Tariff Environment- Boeing Flight with More Than 240 Aboard Crashes after Takeoff- Auto Giant Files for Bankruptcy, Blames TariffsIn Case You Missed It- Tariffs Stifle Innovation at Small U.S. Businesses- Frito-Lay Stops Manufacturing at 55-Year-Old Rancho Cucamonga Facility- Amazon Wants to Make 10,000 Robotaxis Every Year at New U.S. FactoryPlease make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out a lot by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast, you can reach any of us at David, Jeff or Anna [at] ien.com, with “Email the Podcast” in the subject line.Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
In this episode of The Underpowered Hour, hosts Stephen Beres and Ike Goss discuss the recent tragic crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. They delve into the fascinating circumstances and the miraculous survival of a single passenger. The hosts also touch on recent changes in Tata Motors' forecast due to vehicle tariffs, the 45th anniversary of the Camel Trophy, and the reboot of the Defender Trophy adventure challenge. Additional segments include an overview of the Land Rover appearance in the upcoming movie 'Locked' and the Netflix series 'Fubar' starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tune in for the latest updates and intriguing stories from the Land Rover world.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a down week on Wall Street with modest losses; the Federal Reserve suggested rate cuts; the United States joined Israel in attacking Iran, mobilizing good old-fashioned heavy air power with 125 aircraft involved including B-2 bombers dropping 14 30,000-pound bunker buster weapons — each Spirit can carry two of the Boeing weapons — against Tehran's nuclear sites including the deeply buried Fordo facility; the administration's 2026 defense budget request; Paris Air Show takeaways as Boeing and GE have a muted week in the wake of the Air India tragedy before the show with the American jet-maker opting against making announcements; Airbus disclosed orders with AviLease, Poland's LOT, Saudi Arabia's startup Riyadh Air, Vietnam's VietJet and others ordering new planes; Embraer sells more commercial aircraft as well as KC-390 tanker-transports; France considers buying Global Eye jets; and some between Dassault and Airbus over the new phase of the French-German-Spanish-Belgian program to develop a new next generation family of combat aircraft.
Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on January 30, 2024. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. Weeks after Boeing came under fire for a near-catastrophic incident aboard one of its planes, Alaska Airlines 1282 was forced to make an emergency landing when part of its wall blew off mid-flight. It’s not the first time a 737 Max has had problems. So what’s being done? In this episode: Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir), Aviation Analyst, Host, On-Air with Dan and Alex Episode credits: This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Ashish Malhotra, Fahrinisa Campana, Chloe K Li and our host Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
Story of the Week (DR):Warner Bros. Discovery Reworks CEO Pay, Reducing David Zaslav's Massive Compensation DRDavid Zaslav will take a pay cut after Warner Bros. Discovery splits up—with a big hit to his bonusDavid Zaslav Is Getting a Pay CutWarner Bros to significantly slash CEO David Zaslav's pay packageWarner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav Pay to Drop After Company SplitDavid Zaslav's Pay To Be “Substantially” Lowered Ahead Of Split, WBD Says, But CEO Will Still Reap RewardsIf Zaslav hits 100% of his operational and financial goals in the first year after the split, his target pay will be $16.5mn, compared with $37mn in the current contract. If he hits 200% of the targets, it will be as high as $30mn, the company said on Monday.However, the bulk of Zaslav's future pay will be based on stock options after shareholders rebuked a model based on free cash flow generation.The securities filing made late on Monday said the beleaguered media boss would receive about 24mn in WBD shares that could be purchased for the current $10.16 price.If the share price were to double, the package could eventually be worth nearly $250mn.Two weeks after 60% of Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders rejected CEO David Zaslav's $52M pay plan, the Compensation Committee restructured his plan using Hollywood's latest CGI, special effects, and most seasoned stunt doubles: his new plan reduces his annual pay targets significantly–from $37M to $17M if he hits 100% of his targets–but the devil is in the details as he is eligible for $37M if he reaches 200% of his targets and is getting a massive option grant of 21 million shares at an extremely low strike price of around $10 per share, giving him the theoretical opportunity to make $1.4B if Warner Brothers' share price regains its 2021 high of $77.Boeing's longest-tenured director Lynn Good joins the Board of Morgan Stanley just two days after the crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in India killed more than 200 people.Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says his company is a 'convenient scapegoat' as European cities protest overtourism“In Barcelona, housing prices rose 60% over the past decade, but Airbnb listings actually decreased. So we can't be the culprits.”Corporate Italy lacks female CEOs, stock exchange head warnsClaudia Parzani, the head of Milan's stock exchange: Italy lacks women in position of leadership and that's a cultural issue that the business community needs to fix: “Last year we probably reached the lowest level of female CEOs leading listed companies at Milan's Stock Exchange.” Of course the article provided no data.Australia's highest-paid CEOs revealed — and the one woman on the listShemara Wikramanayake, the only woman in the top 20, made $30 million as CEO of Macquarie Group.Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: What Is a ‘Fridge Cigarette'? A New Term for Diet Coke Gains Traction. MM DR MM: Lawyers Just Discovered Something About Meta's AI That Could Cost Zuckerberg Untold Billions of DollarsIt spits out large portions of books verbatimMM: Disturbing Test Shows What Happens When Tesla Robotaxi Sees a Child Mannequin Pop Out From Behind a School BusAssholiest of the Week (MM): Musk's xAI Burns Through $1 Billion a Month as Costs Pile Up DRxAI: $12bn/yr burnWe build AI specifically to advance human comprehension and capabilities.Musk says SpaceX vision for Mars will save humanity as he continues to push human extinction fearsOpenAI: $5bn/yr burnOpenAI is an AI research and deployment company. Our mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.Anthropic: $3bn/yr burnWe strive to make decisions that maximize positive outcomes for humanity in the long run.Act for the global good.Low end estimate to end world hunger per year: $7bnWorld Bank estimate for clean water for all humanity: $150bn/yearNumber of US households without water access: 19mCompliance costs for Clean Air Act: $65bn/yrAnd the great AI investment is getting us…Lowe's CEO says young workers should stay away from the corporate office and close to the cash register"AI isn't going to fix a hole in your roof," Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison said. "It's not going to respond to an electrical issue in your home. It's not going to stop your water heater from leaking."Amazon CEO tells employees to expect cuts to white-collar jobs because of AIAs ChatGPT Linked to Mental Health Breakdowns, Mattel Announces Plans to Incorporate It Into Children's ToysSeems like, like all tech bro toys, they start with “good of humanity” and end with “rich”Dario Amodei net worth: 1.2bnMusk net worth: 406bnAltman net worth: 1.8bnSpotify's Daniel Ek leads $694 million investment in defense startup Helsing DRPalantir, Meta, OpenAI execs to commission into Army reserve, form ‘Detachment 201'OpenAI wins $200 million U.S. defense contractSpeaking of tech bro middle school manbabies… ever notice how when they're done building their “innocent” empire (paying for things online! 3d goggles! Internet friends!), at some point while swimming in their dual class billions they invest in “defense”?Is it just that middle school boys love things that blow up? Is it really so simple that they all stopped maturing at age 13?Headliniest of the WeekDR: Dimon: CEOs can't expect "everything to be constantly easy"DR: On Juneteenth, Trump says the US has 'too many' holidays "Too many non-working holidays in America … The workers don't want it either!"MM: Jamie Dimon says creating a functional workplace means firing 'a—holes'Who Won the Week?DR: Airbus. Because it's not Boeing.MM: RFK Jr - attacking pharma ads? Good. Healthy Starbucks? Good. Not being involved in starting world war III with Iran? Good. OMG, RFK Jr won the week… PredictionsDR: Tech CEOs start wearing military hats with the main decal being a digital number representing their wealth calculated to the second based on current share price; gold stars representing how many votes per share their class B holdings represent; and stripes represent how many years of college they did NOT attend: 3 stipes meaning they dropped out 2nd semester of first yearMM: Boeing's Ortberg, after reading this paper (Chief executive officer (CEO) Machiavellianism and executive pay.) on how CEOs who act like Machiavelli suggested are successful, decides to fire HALF of Boeing, and give the other half donuts on Fridays in the breakroom because, “...any cruelty has to be executed at once, so that the less it is tasted, the less it offends; while benefits must be dispensed little by little, so that they will be savored all the more.”
(June 19, 2025)Amy King and Neil Saavedra join Bill for Handel on the News. Lakers selling majority ownership of franchise to Dodgers owner. Israel vows to intensify attacks after Iranian missile hits hospital. Democrats raise war powers concerns as Trump mulls Iran strike. New US visa rules will force foreign students to unlock social media profiles. Jury finds Karen Read not guilty of second-degree murder in Boston police boyfriend's death.
This week on The Unbeatable Mind, host Mark Divine dives into another key commitment to forging elite, high performance teams—-respect. It holds the power to unlock massive potential, both in ourselves and those we lead. Drawing from his Navy SEAL experience, Mark shares compelling stories of leadership, integrity, and collaboration. He highlights what true respect looks like in action, whether it is welcoming new players like the Marines into the Special Operations community, or making tough, high-integrity decisions under pressure. He provides valuable insight into cultivating authenticity, clarity, and trust, which are the building blocks of genuine respect—-and details why these “soft skills” are true superpowers in today's fast paced world. Key Takeaways: Radical Authenticity: Understand why the most respected leaders lead with humility, admit when they're wrong, and always stay real. This creates genuine connection and fosters a culture of mutual respect. Clarity Conquers Pressure: Discover why staying crystal clear on what your values are even when facing political or organizational pressure is key to earning respect. The Shadow Side of Respect: Recognize that true respect comes from embracing vulnerability, owning your flaws, and being transparent about your challenges and setbacks. Respect Leads to Trust & Courage: Notice that by embodying integrity, authenticity, and clarity, leaders create a foundation for organizational trust and collective courage. Mark Divine is a former Navy SEAL Commander, entrepreneur, and NYT Bestselling author with PhD in Global Leadership and Change who has dedicated his life to unlocking human potential through integrated training in mental toughness, leadership, and physical readiness. Mark's journey began in New York City, where his fascination with eastern philosophy and martial arts set the stage for a transformative path. After a successful stint as a consultant at PriceWaterhouse Coopers, he made the pivotal decision to join the Navy SEALs at 25. Over two decades of service, Mark commanded critical missions globally, retiring as a Commander in 2011. Mark has trained elite organizations including Google, Nike, SpaceX, Boeing, Harvard University, The Olympics, YPO, and many others.Co-founding ventures such as SEALFIT, Unbeatable Mind, LLC, and Coronado Brewing Company have allowed Mark to blend his military expertise with entrepreneurial spirit. SEALFIT, born from his SEAL training insights, revolutionized physical and mental conditioning, impacting diverse groups from executives to athletes.Inspired by his military service, Mark founded the Courage Foundation to support veterans in holistic healing and restoration of purpose. Advocating for mental resilience and compassionate leadership, he aims to impact 100 million lives, fostering a more connected and courageous world. Mark's Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdivine/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@markdivineshow Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/RealMarkDivine/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sealfit/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/markdivineleadership/ Sponsors and Promotions: Momentous: Head to LiveMomentous.com and use code DIVINE for 35% off your first subscription. Peak Pure Naturals: Head to PeakNatural.com and use code DIVINE at checkout to give Peak Beets a try for 25% off. Plus remember you're covered by their lifetime satisfaction guarantee.
In this conversation, former Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy discusses the current state of the Democratic Party, the challenges faced by President Biden, and the impact of Donald Trump on American politics. He emphasizes the need for authenticity in political leadership and critiques the Democratic Party's approach to candidate selection. McCarthy also reflects on Trump's governance style and the controversies surrounding his administration, advocating for a more strategic and principled approach to politics. McCarthy also discusses various themes including leadership during crises, the transformation of the Republican Party under Trump, ethics in Congress, his personal journey in politics, healthcare and economic policies, America's future challenges, and historical parallels to current events. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexities of leadership and the need for accountability, while also expressing optimism about America's potential and the significance of its foundational ideas. Takeaways The Democrats are currently lost and need to reevaluate their strategies. Trump has significantly shifted the Republican base, especially among Hispanic voters. Kamala Harris's nomination was a strategic misstep for the Democrats. The outcome of the last election hinged on key states like Pennsylvania. Democrats should stop pre-selecting candidates and allow grassroots movements to emerge. Authenticity is crucial for political leaders to connect with voters. Voters are frustrated with the failure of political parties to solve problems. Trump's approach resonates with those who feel ignored by the political establishment. Boeing's handling of the presidential plane situation reflects larger issues in governance. Political leaders must understand the importance of negotiation and setting the right expectations. The role of leadership is crucial in crisis management. Trump's approach has transformed the Republican Party's identity. Ethics and accountability are vital in political leadership. Personal experiences shape political aspirations and decisions. Healthcare policies must consider work requirements for Medicaid. Economic policies should focus on middle-income benefits. America's identity is rooted in its foundational ideas. Democracy can be messy but is essential for progress. Historical lessons can inform current political strategies. Unanswered aggression can lead to further conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices