Podcasts about China

Donald Trump is President of the United States. Again. His inaugural address Tuesday wasn't quite as dark as the ‘American carnage' speech he gave eight years ago. This time around, Trump promised the beginning of a “golden age of America” before reading off a laundry list of policies he plans to pursue during his presidency that will, almost certainly, not usher in a golden age. Standing behind Trump were some of the richest men in the world: Tech CEOs Sundar Pichai of Google, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and X's Elon Musk. Longtime D.C. reporter and friend of the pod Todd Zwillich helps us break down Trump's inauguration speech. Later in the show, Eugene Daniels, White House correspondent for Politico, walks us through the many executive orders Trump signed Tuesday.And in headlines: Joe Biden spent his final hours as president issuing a bunch of preemptive pardons for members of his family and Trump's political enemies, Vivek Ramaswamy may leave DOGE, and China said it's open to selling TikTok.Show Notes:Check out Eugene's work – politico.com/staff/eugene-danielsSupport victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

A.M. Edition for Jan. 21. WSJ reporter Gavin Bade breaks down the dozens of executive orders Donald Trump signed on his return to the Oval Office, targeting immigration, energy and government reform. Plus, the president is giving TikTok 75 days to work out a deal to prevent a nationwide ban, as China signals it might be open to a sale or 50-50 joint venture with the U.S. And investors react to early clues about the new administration's priorities, sending oil lower and the Mexican peso and Canadian dollar down against the USD. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why has gold reigned as the world’s go-to precious metal for over 2,600 years? It’s not as rare as platinum, durable as diamonds, or malleable as copper. What is it about this metal that made it the standard unit of coinage, from China to Mesoamerica? It’s a very long story, but gold’s scarcity, durability, malleability, and universal appeal made it ideal for trade and wealth preservation, starting with the Lydians of 550 BC. Unlike tin, copper, or bronze, gold’s intrinsic properties allowed it to serve as a stable and universally recognized unit of exchange, laying the foundation for its historical role in economies. In today’s episode, we explore gold’s history, the evolution of monetary systems (from China’s early use of paper money in the Middle Ages to Great Britain’s establishment of the gold standard in the late 17th century), and how the gold standard of the last century facilitated international trade and stability but was ultimately abandoned due to its deflationary pressures and limitations. The pivotal moment came in 1971 when President Nixon ended dollar-gold convertibility, ushering in the fiat currency era. To discuss these topics is today’s guest, Collin Plume, author of “Silver Is the New Oil: Strategies for Profiting From the Next Industrial Revolution” and CEO of Noble Gold Investments. He offers insights into modern trends, including nations increasing gold reserves, gold-backed cryptocurrencies, and the future role of gold in global finance. Links: Silver Is the New Oil Noble Gold InvestmentsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subscribe to Throwing Fits on Substack. Chat, are we cooked? This week, Larry Zooms in from Miami to chat with James, who just got back from Miami, about housewarming gifts, Dominican sushi hookah bars, the Britghtline's surprising death toll, saunas vs. steam rooms, gay guys getting hair transplant surgery in Turkey, Twitch streaming from the clubstaurant, elite beef tartare, turns out Lawrence works for James, 2 hour reservation delays, how to son a guy hitting on your wife 101, a Miami fashion scene report, a SoHo House review, bricking the Bravolebrity link up, unwittingly cast as a Gen Z mentor, GQ x Bode's Super Bowl fashion show, the TikTok ban fake out, meeting the real China on RedNote, some thoughts on the West and East cultural exchange and much more.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into the transformative first days of President Donald Trump's new administration. In today's episode, we cover: Trump's Executive Orders: From immediate border actions to redefining birthright citizenship, explore the sweeping changes Trump signed into law on his first full day in office. Tariff Strategy with China, Mexico, and Canada: Delays and strategic moves highlight Trump's high-stakes economic game. Deep State Shake-Up: A purge of diplomats and intelligence officials begins, with major consequences for U.S. policy. National Energy Emergency Declared: Trump rolls back green energy policies, boosts fossil fuel production, and reclaims America's energy independence. Biden's Controversial Pardons: Last-minute clemencies for family members and political allies spark outrage and questions about accountability. Stay informed as Bryan delivers facts, analysis, and insight into the decisions shaping America and the world. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32

Interview starts at 39:10   Gregory Shushan, Ph.D joins us to chat about his upcoming book "Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations - The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs", his previous and his future writings and research.   We talk about the Epic of Gilgamesh, ancient China, cross cultural similarities and differences, The Greek debates, the connection with NDE's and the afterlife knowledge, Egypt and the focus on the dead, indigenous culture, the 3 days Enigma, mediumship and psychical research.   We also chat about direct revelation, the Ghost Dance, drugs and supplementation for experiences like this, the resurrection and rebirth, ancient initiations, toxic theology, Jesus, some culture focusing precisely on the rituals, being buried alive and the modern NDE research. https://www.gregoryshushan.com/   Become a Lord or Lady with 1k donations over time. And a Noble with any donation. Leave Serfdom behind and help Grimerica stick to 0 ads and sponsors and fully listener supported. Thanks for listening!! Help support the show, because we can't do it without ya.   Support the show directly: https://grimericacbd.com/ CBD / THC Gummies and Tinctures http://www.grimerica.ca/support https://www.patreon.com/grimerica http://www.grimericaoutlawed.ca/support www.Rokfin.com/Grimerica   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/experience-the-ultimate-hunting-adventure-in-alberta-canada-tickets-1077654175649?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile   The Eh-List YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@theeh-list?si=d_ThkEYAK6UG_hGX Adultbrain Audiobook YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@adultbrainaudiobookpublishing https://grimericaoutlawed.ca/The newer controversial Grimerica Outlawed Grimerica Show Check out our next trip/conference/meetup - Contact at the Cabin www.contactatthecabin.com Our audio book website: www.adultbrain.ca https://www.thegoldenteacher.co/#Grimerica10  Shrooms and Micro Dosing Darren's book www.acanadianshame.ca Grimerica on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2312992 Join the chat / hangout with a bunch of fellow Grimericans Https://t.me.grimerica https://www.guilded.gg/i/EvxJ44rk   Leave a review on iTunes and/or Stitcher: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/grimerica-outlawed http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/grimerica-outlawed Sign up for our newsletter https://grimerica.substack.com/ SPAM Graham = and send him your synchronicities, feedback, strange experiences and psychedelic trip reports!! graham@grimerica.com InstaGRAM https://www.instagram.com/the_grimerica_show_podcast/ Tweet Darren https://twitter.com/Grimerica Can't. Darren is still deleted. Purchase swag, with partial proceeds donated to the show: www.grimerica.ca/swag Send us a postcard or letter http://www.grimerica.ca/contact/ Episode ART - Napolean Duheme's site http://www.lostbreadcomic.com/ MUSIC https://brokeforfree.bandcamp.com/ - Something Galactic Felix's Site sirfelix.bandcamp.com - Shakespeare's Sonnets

On Trump's foreign policy, the 2nd time round. Historian and podcaster Daniel Bessner joins Alex Hochuli and contributing editor Lee Jones to ask how this era of rot and decay will proceed under Trump II, from Ukraine to China and beyond. We discuss: Will we see "America First transactionalism"? Does Trump have a capable cadre to bend the state to his will? What will Trump's relationship be to the deep state? How important are generational splits in attitudes to the US empire? Will there be a peace deal in Ukraine? Where does that leave 'Atlanticism'? Is confrontation with China baked in? Is the Middle East the key to world peace? Links: EU blows hot and cold over Trump, Benoît Bréville, Le Monde diplomatique America First, Russia, & Ukraine, Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, Fred Fleitz, AFPI Empire's Critic: The Worlds of Noam Chomsky, Daniel Bessner, The Nation /171/ Fukuyama & the End of History ft. Daniel Bessner  /142/ Dollar Empire (2) ft. Daniel Bessner

Try Riverside free now: https://creators.riverside.fm/PodcastersPodcast & Use code: Podcast15 for an exclusive 15% off. Ash and Kane give a quick overview of the 12 hour ban on TikTok in the U.S. They share the reasons behind the U.S. doing this, why there was then a U-turn and the impact TikTok has had on the content space and social media landscape. KEY TAKEAWAYS TikTok was banned by Congress, they called it a propaganda machine and said it was being used by China to spy on America. There are some conspiracies that say Congress sought to gain from banning TikTok as they hold shares in American competition. TikTok has transformed the social media landscape, they are being copied across multiple platforms, including YouTube releasing shorts and Instagram reels. 39% of American businesses state TikTok is essential to the running of their business and over 7 million companies rely on it for marketing and sales. It’s important as a creator to be across platforms as there are variables in their performance, you need to be in the right place at the right time to benefit. BEST MOMENTS “Congress banned it, they said it was a propaganda machine” “Everyone is copying TikTok now” “TikTok has become the number 1 search engine for gen-z” VALUABLE RESOURCES Website EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT Comparing Podcast Production Options | using AI? Building a High Ticket Offer | The Best Way to Monetise a Podcast ABOUT THE HOSTS Ashley Morris (Podcast Consultant) and Kane Baron (Public Speaker) help independent podcasters launch, grow and monetise a podcast. They run the UK’s largest podcast agency for independent creators, Progressive Media. Progressive Media take care of all things production, copywriting, design and video for podcasters round the globe. They have also recently launched Pod Partnerships, a new venture created to connect established podcasters with valuable audiences and innovative brands to create and manage win-win sponsorship campaigns. CONNECT & CONTACT Instagram LinkedIn Email: podcast@progressiveproperty.co.uk VALUABLE RESOURCES Website EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT Comparing Podcast Production Options | using AI? Building a High Ticket Offer | The Best Way to Monetise a Podcast ABOUT THE HOSTS Ashley Morris (Podcast Consultant) and Kane Baron (Public Speaker) help independent podcasters launch, grow and monetise a podcast. They run the UK’s largest podcast agency for independent creators, Progressive Media. Progressive Media take care of all things production, copywriting, design and video for podcasters round the globe. They have also recently launched Pod Partnerships, a new venture created to connect established podcasters with valuable audiences and innovative brands to create and manage win-win sponsorship campaigns. CONNECT & CONTACT Instagram LinkedIn Email: podcast@progressiveproperty.co.uk

Episode 1629, brought to you by our incredible sponsors: BetterHelp: Write Your Story, With BetterHelp.  Visit Betterhelp.com/HARDFACTOR to get 10% off your first month of online therapy DeleteMe: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan by texting Hard Factor to 64000 Prize Picks: Download the PrizePicks app today and use code HARDFACTOR and get $50 instantly when you play $5!! Shipstation: Calm the chaos of order fulfillment with the shipping software that delivers. Go to shipstation.com and use code HARDFACTOR to sign up for your FREE trial. Fitbod: Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE for seven days at Fitbod.me/HARDFACTOR. Timestamps: 00:01:05 Football Talk 00:10:01 LA Fires Update 00:12:30 Pornstar Richelle Ryan is offering CA firefighters a night of pleasure 00:21:52 Donald Trump appoints new Hollywood Ambassadors including Mel Gibson 00:24:15 Best-selling romance author caught using Chat GPT to write her books 00:30:48 Is TikTok alive? 00:34:30 Trump's meme coin goes ballistic and already has a 10 Billion market cap 00:39:30 China unleashes impressive anti-terrorist training video And much more… Thank you for listening, go to Patreon.com/HardFactor to support the pod and get access to discord chat and bonus podcasts.... But MOST Importantly, HAGFD!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New users have piled in to Chinese social media app RedNote just days before a proposed U.S. ban on the popular social media app TikTok is scheduled to go into effect. The lesser-known RedNote is rushing to capitalize on the sudden influx while walking a delicate line of moderating English-language content. Meanwhile, Americans flocking to RedNote are expressing shock at what they're learning about Chinese culture and the surprisingly comfortable conditions the Chinese people live in. Jimmy and Americans' Comedian Kurt Metzger talk to journalist Danny Haiphong about the propaganda most Americans are exposed to regarding China and how RedNote is unexpectedly helping tear down cross-cultural barriers. Plus segments on journalists Max Blumenthal and Sam Husseini being forcibly removed from Antony Blinken's last press briefing as Secretary of State as well as CNN's shocking response to this assault on the free press.

Roz hides under her blanket as listeners share their spookiest paranormal experiences! Tim calls from Barcelona to tell the tale of a VERY haunted painting, Allison went to China for adventure but never expected hungry ghosts, and Zaya brings her best cryptid, UFO, and ghost stories and evokes a case of Ghosted! Déjà Vu—IYKYK! Want to share YOUR paranormal experience on the podcast? Email your *short* stories to GhostedByRoz@gmail.com and maybe Roz will read it out loud on the show... or even call you! Be sure to follow the show @GhostedByRoz on Instagram. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwYCsr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today the Chicks chat about Inauguration Day festivities, the TikTok drama, and the disgraceful pardons from Joe Biden.Make thoughtful choices this year.  Visit https://ReadyWise.com and use promo code CHICKS20 at checkout for 20% off your entire purchase. Preparedness is the gift of peace of mind.Lose weight the smarter way.  Visit https://TakeLean.com and use code Chicks20 for 20% off your first order.Protect your family.  Visit https://AllFamilyPharma.com/chicks and use code CHICKS10 to get 10% off your entire order.

In Episode 397 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Jim Bianco, President and Macro Strategist at Bianco Research, about the macroeconomic factors driving the recent rise in bond yields and a range of other variables shaping the economies of the U.S., Europe, and China, as well as their impact on investors' portfolios. In the first hour, Bianco and Kofinas analyze the factors behind the surge in long-term interest rates across the developed world. Their discussion covers the Federal Reserve's role, concerns about government debt and deficits, inflation, tariff policies, and economic growth expectations amid these potential challenges. In the second hour, they shift their focus to the implications of these changes for investors. They explore the resilience—or lack thereof—of the traditional 60/40 portfolio and strategies for mitigating portfolio volatility in a market environment where stocks and bonds increasingly move in tandem. Additionally, Demetri and Jim examine the drivers of U.S. dollar strength, the risks posed by U.S. equity concentration, the potential for a recession, and what the continued decline in Chinese bond yields suggests about the state of China's economy. You can subscribe to our premium content and access our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you want to join in on the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community, which includes Q&A calls with guests, access to special research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners, you can also do that on our subscriber page at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you enjoyed listening to today's episode of Hidden Forces, you can help support the show by doing the following: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | CastBox | RSS Feed Write us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Subscribe to our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe and Support the Podcast at https://hiddenforces.io Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 01/14/2024

The Yuan dynasty was established by Mongol nomads that ruled portions and eventually all of China from the early 13th century to 1368. Mongol suzerainty eventually also stretched throughout most of Asia and eastern Europe, though the Yuan emperors were rarely able to exercise much control over their more distant possessions. Travel to Turkey and Mongolia with me here Check out our sister podcast the Mystery of Everything Coffee Collab With The Lore Lodge COFFEE Bonus episodes as well as ad-free episodes on Patreon. Find us on Instagram. Join us on Discord. Submit your relatives on our website Podcast Youtube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We spend most of this episode discussing the recent (but temporarily suspended) TikTok ban. We lay out why TikTok is unique and important and what might be the impetus behind the government's desire to ban TikTok. We discuss the "TikTok refugees" fleeing to RedNote, another social media platform actually owned by China, and the unfettered access it gives Americans into daily Chinese life and culture. We talk about how this is backfiring against the American government as Americans are beginning to realize that much of the government's concern over Chinese propaganda may actually be American propaganda.

Last time we continued to speak about the insane battle over Southern Xinjiang. In Yarkland, chaos erupted as inflation soared, prompting Chinese officials to retreat to fortified New City. Panic led to desperate measures, including the use of dummy figures for defense. As insurgents advanced, Colonel Chin's forces looted and fled, sparking violence against Uyghurs and Hindu moneylenders. By April, rebel forces captured Kashgar, fracturing Chinese control. Amid shifting alliances, Ma Chanzeng sought power, but internal strife among leaders like Temur culminated in further violence and betrayal, with power ultimately shifting to the Khotanlik provisional government under Muhammad Amin Bughra. Abdullah's revelation ignited conflict among Muslim troops. The Uyghurs and Kirghiz briefly united against the Chinese, ultimately capturing the New City. As tensions rose, massacres occurred, fracturing alliances and leading to a power struggle. After the execution of Uyghur leader Temur, Abdullah seized control of Yarkland, while charismatic Tawfiq Bay rallied forces against the Tungans. Eventually, the Khotan Amirs dominated the region, achieving unity amidst chaos, leaving only the besieged Tungans at bay.   #135 Kumul Rebellion part 4: The reunification of Xinjiang Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Do you remember Ma Chongying, basically the guy that started most of this madness? Following him getting severely wounded at Liaotun in autumn of 1932, he had withdrawn the majority of his forces to his old domain in northwestern Gansu. He set up a HQ at Anxi and through his subordinates began expanding territory and increasing recruitment via conscription. The British missionaries Mildred Cable and Francesca French were living in Tunhuang at the time and wrote extensively about Ma Congying's recruitment efforts “The town was robbed of everything in the nature of food, goods and money ... next to food the most coveted possessions of the oases were the young, vigorous, hardy men ... These were the men whom Ma Chung-ying wanted for gun fodder, and orders were issued to the press-gang to fetch them in from every farm of the neighborhood, and collect them in Tunhuang City. Every day we saw them being rounded up. The ropes which they themselves had twisted from desert grass were used to tie their hands behind their backs, and to noose their necks in a running-knot. Roped together in droves of twenty to thirty, according to the success of the raid, they were brought to town by captors who rode the horses levied from these boys' own stables. Thrust behind the high palings of temple courtyards, the imprisoned youths lined the barriers, looking out for some passers-by who might belong to their own group of farmsteads and would take a report home that son or husband had been captured”. After initial training at Tunhuang, the recruits were taken to Anxi for further training. Cable and French were ordered to Anxi to aid Ma Chongying with his wounds and to  take care of other Tungans who reportedly had been injured by fire arrows during the siege of Kumul Old City. They did a good job as within a short amount of time Ma Chongying was able to ride again.  Back in Xinjiang, following the failed Uyghur led rebellion at Kumul and facing another imminent Tungant invasion in the Turfan area Jin Shujen turned increasingly to the USSR for help. In September of 1931 he bought two biplanes for the Soviets at 40,000 Mexican silver dollars each. The planes came with two Russian pilots and on October 1st, Jin signed a secret trade deal with the USSR allowing 8 Soviet trading agencies to set up shop in Urumqi, Chuguchak, Kashgar, Kulja, Aksu, Kucha, Khotan and Yarkland. Customs duties on Soviets goods were reduced and a new Xinjiang-Soviet telegraph line and radio communications were established. Jin signed these deals illegally without notifying Nanjing and in return received economic and military assistance from the Soviets. In July of 1932 he would receive another 8 aircraft. Yet despite the Soviet assistance, Jin's provincial forces with the exception of Peppengut's White Russian detachment remained ill trained and ill officered. Following the relief of Kumul Old City and Ma Chongyings retreat back to Gansu, Chang Peiyuan, the provincial commander in chief and military governor of Ili went to Urumqi. It appears that Jin did not fully trust Chang Peiyuan, possibly fearing that the victory at Kumul had stirred up dangerous ambitions in Chang. This distrust seemed to be mutual, as Chang, upon receiving orders to transfer to the provincial capital, chose to defy them and returned to Ili in an act bordering on open rebellion. In response, Jin appointed Sheng Shihtsai, Chang's Chief-of-Staff during the Kumul campaign, as the new Provincial Commander-in-Chief. This decision would have significant implications both for Jin's future and for the future of Xinjiang. Sheng Shihtsai was born in 1895 in Liaoning Manchuria. He was the son of a small landowner. In 1917 he traveled to Japan to study political economics at Waseda University and came back to China in 1919 to participate in the May 4th movement. During that time he developed radical and anti-Japanese stances. He then joined the military training school in Guangdong and later enrolled in the northeastern military academy. He entered military service under Guo Songling, haha that old cry baby, who was deputy under Zhang Zuolin. Sheng Shihtsai rose through the ranks becoming a Lt Colonel. In 1924 Guo Songling sponsored Sheng's admission to the Shikan Gakko military academy in Japan. Sheng returned briefly to help Guo Songlings failed coup against Zhang Zuolin, but was able to escape imprisonment with support from Feng Yuxiang and Chiang Kai-Shek. They got him a ticket back to Japan, and he returned to China in 1927 to participate in the northern expedition as a staff officer attached to Chiang Kai-Sheks HQ. After the northern expedition, he was made chief of war operations section of the General staff at Nanjing, but in 1929 resigned as he did not get along with his superiors. After all of this he took an interest in China's border defences. At the time a delegation from Xinjiang visited Nanjing searching for financial aid. Jin Shujen had instructed one of his delegates, Kuang Lu the deputy General secretary of Xinjiang, to find an able bodied officer to help reorganize Xinjiang's military. Kuang Lu fished around and found Sheng who looked like a very promising man. Sheng then traveled via the USSR arriving to Urumqi in the winter of 1929. His initial welcome was a luke warm one as Jin was suspicious of this highly qualified overseas educated man, obviously seeing him as a potential threat. Moreover, Jin's brother Jin Shuxin hated Sheng's appointment because the man outshined him. Despite the jealousy, Jin was basically grasping at straws and needed the help so he made Sheng the chief of staff over the Xinjiang Frontier Army and also the instructor at the provincial military college.  In the words of historian Chan Fooklam “Sheng's appointment was like Jin burying a time bomb under his bed, he had brought upon himself his own doom”. Despite receiving aid from the Soviets and British, Jin's grip over Xinjiang was slipping away. In May of 1932 Ma Chongying had dispatched Ma Shuming to take over the Tungan operation against Turfan. As we talked about, Ma Fuming, leading the provincial forces at Turfan simply defected. Also at this time Chang Peiyuan's insubordination was breaking out, easing the way for Sheng to be promoted to commander in chief. Sheng was directing an unsuccessful campaign against Uyghur insurgents at Karlik Tagh. Following news of Ma Fumings defection and the Tungan capture of Turfan, Sheng advanced west from Kumul to try and prevent the combined Muslim forces from marching upon Urumqi. After a bloody two day battle he recaptured Turfan, but this has little effect over Ma Shuming who had already moved his HQ to Kara Shahr.  During mid-winter, Ma Shuming's Tungan cavalry and Ma Fumings Turkic insurgents began an advance to Urumqi. At some point a force of provincial troops sent to Urumqi by Jin, specifically to guard the Dawan Cheng Pass were ambushed and annihilated by the Tungans. Meanwhile full scale rebellions had broken out at Kucha led by Temur and at Khotan led by the Amirs. To this Jin responded by expanding Pappenguts White Russian detachment from its original strength of 250 to 1500 men. The White Russians, most of whom came from Ili Valley, had literally no choice but to enlist. Alongside threatening any White Russians with deportation to the USSR, Jin also arrested many Russian women to compel their husbands to enlist. By early January of 1933, Ma Shumings Tungans had crossed the Dawan Cheng and were now operating at will in the Chaiwupao corridor, to the immediate south of the capital. Wu Aichen the political envoy on behalf of Nanjing reported on January 29th, that the city gates were suddenly closed and a month of food shortages and communal tensions rose. Wu Aichen would witness the brutality of the war. In his reports, the Tungans advanced towards the city during the night, seizing the Great West Bridge after a heavy fight. The Provincial commander defending the city only had 700 troops under him and if it was not for 300 White Russian troops suddenly arriving, the city most likely would have fallen then. Wu Aichen described the White Russian troops as superb fighters, albeit savagely drunk as they drove back the Tungan and Uyghurs during two days of hand to hand combat. Meanwhile Tungans had captured the radio station and a nearby height called Devil's Hill which overlooked the Urumqi suburbs. The Chinese officials feared letting in any more Muslim civilians to the Old City, thus they kept the city gates causing large numbers of refugees from the suburbs to gather outside the walls. This was particularly evident at the west gate which became the focal point of the fighting. Wu Aichen witnessed much of it and had this to say. “In times of peace this street was one of the most prosperous in the city, but now it was crowded With innocent fugitives, whose plight was terrible indeed. There was was worse to come, however, for now the advancing rebels came to this quarter and seizing the houses made loop-holes in the walls. In the flat roofs they set up machine-gun posts which could enfilade Government positions on either side of them. I could see for myself that the situation was desperate and that our troops would be pinned against the walls. General Pai, who was in command, did not hesitate. He gave the order that the street of the small religion should be set on fire. Then followed a scene so frightful that the reader's imagination must suffice. As the flames swept down the long lane of wooden structures they became an inferno of horror, for the roar of the conflagration was added to the rattle of gunfire, .and the hideous shrieks of those who were trapped. The rebels sought safety in flight, and as they crossed the open were machine-gunned from the Red Mountain; but the fugitives had nowhere to fly to and perished to the last man, woman and child. Nevertheless the city was saved, and when at last the flames died down the approach to the West Bridge was strewn with the bodies of our assailants. On the evening of the second day I had completed ten thousand words of copying. I asked how many were dead. I was told at least two thousand. Once again I returned to my task, reflecting that a human life had been taken at every fifth word”. Following the defeat, the Muslim forces had to pull back from the West Gate area, however, they still held control over the West Bridge, a mere half mile northwest. This gave them a great launchpad for night raids and many would be killed trying to scale the walls under the mouths of guns. The White Russian troops emerged as the backbone of the defenses, holding the city walls and making occasional sorties. Urumqi would have fallen if it was not for Sheng Shihtsai who came to her aid with his troops from Turfan. Upon seeing his relief forces the Muslim insurgents broke off their attack and withdrew into the surrounding countryside. With winter coming to an end, with fear of a cholera outbreak looming the Chinese went to work burying the dead. Wu Aichen was one of those who helped with the burials and wrote a horrifying description about the conditions of the city. Over 1000 bodies were buried in a single mass grave within the suburbs and the final death toll was estimated to exceed 6000. Following the relief of Urumqi, the Muslim insurgents seized all they could in the countryside such as Dawan Cheng, the districts of Fukang and parts of Santopao where an estimated 900 Han Chinese were killed. The insurgents burned the stocks of rice that usually fed the capital and on March 1st a detachment of 100 provincial troops were ambushed and annihilated at Chitaowan. The situation throughout the province deteriorated; to the south Ma Shaowu had isolated Kashgar and in the north a Kazakh rebellion broke out in the Sahara Sume region under Sharif Khan. The Kazakh uprising convinced the Soviets that Jin Sujen was going to inevitably lose Xinjiang. They acted without any notice to Nanjing by dispatching forces to help hold up Urumqi. Fate would have it, 2000 battle hardened Chinese troops had recently been driven over the Heilongjiang border into Siberia by the Japanese during the invasion of Manchuria. So Stalin signed off on sending them over the trans-siberian and Turk-sib railways to the Xinjiang frontier of Chuguchak. This force designated the Northeast National Salvation Army consisted of regular soldiers who were well trained and held good morale. They arrived to Urumqi on March 27th of 1933, substantially bolstering the provincial military, more particularly that of the new Provincial commander in chief, Sheng Shihtsai who just so happened to also be a Manchurian.  Sheng led the new forces to push back the invading Tungans of Ma Shuming who was forced over the Dawan Cheng back to his HQ at Kara Shahr. The Uyghur insurgents were demoralized and Khoja Niyas Hajji who controlled a belt around the Xinjiang-Gansu frontier began begining for assistance from Ma Chongying. Meanwhile Jin basically was undermined by Sheng and was seeing further unrest in Urumqi. The White Russians who had bore the brunt of the fighting to defend Urumqi were royally pissed off as they had not all been paid and were provided the worst horses and ammunition of all the defenders. Moreover Jin's popularity with all nationalities, even Han Chinese had fallen dramatically because his brother Jin Shuxin had reportedly exorted the granaries during the siege. Following the relief of Urumqi, Pappengut and the other White Russians approached the leaders of the northeast national salvation army with grievances against Jin Shujen and were given assurances of support to mount a coup against him. On April 12th, around 400 White Russians stormed the capital with 200 of them seizing the city gates and yamen. Jin managed to escape over the city walls and fled to the USSR via Chuguchak. From there he returned to China via the Turk-Sib and Trans-Siberian. Meanwhile his younger brother Jin Shuxin was captured and executed. Sheng Shihtsai was encamped at Uruba at the time of the coup and insisted in his future memoirs he had nothing to do with the coup and that it was all the USSR's doing. Regardless after the coup Sheng was urged to go to Urumqi where negotiations began with Liu Wenlung who was appointed Provincial Chairman while Sheng was made Tupan or “border defense commissioner”. Ie; Sheng was made the de facto ruler of Xinjiang.  After Ma Shumings failure to take Urumqi and Khoja Niyas Hajji's pleas for help, Ma Chongying determined to reenter the fray in person. Despite the setbacks, the Tungans had crossed the Dawan Cheng and nearly taken the capital, coupled with the seizure of Kashgar, Ma Chongying most likely believed there was still a great chance to take it all. He had spent 18 months rebuilding his army and better yet, because of the USSR's illegal move to save Urumqi, Nanjing officially recognizing his Tungan forces as the 36th division of the NRA. Ma Chongying moved his HQ from Anxi to Suzhou and really improved his military. A German engineer named Vasel working with him described him as a man who admired Napoleon, Bismarck and Hindenburg and who “was frequently to be seen running at the head of his troops during training, even in sub-zero temperature. Military training was pursued with a spartan rigour, pushed to the verge of utter ruthlessness. Desertion was punishable by death, and on one occasion I saw Ma personally behead five such offenders. In one of those sudden fits of exuberance that were typical of him, snatching up casually some hand grenades, which he had made himself, and hurling them, one by one, against the lofty clay-coloured walls of the city. And then he laughed heartily when he saw his men fling themselves flat on the ground as splinters of steel hurtled in all directions. He scorned to seek safety by throwing himself on the ground, and was quite delighted when he saw that I too did not seek cover”. During spring of 1933, Ma Chongying prepared to reinvade Xinjiang. A Swedish man named Bexeill was working along the Gansu-Qinghai border and noted Ma Chongying heavily taxed his territory in northwestern Gansu to the limits of the peasants endurance. He apparently even sent troops into Qinghai to illegally tax them. By May of 1933 his army departed Suhou for Yumen and Vasel gives us this description of them. “A dark mass of human beings, camels and oxen, was pouring out of the city gate towards the west amid clouds of dust. There were hundreds of heavily-laden camels, the bells on their necks clanging monotonously, their drivers easily discernible by their gaudy headgear. In the rear followed high-wheeled ox-carts, flanked on either side by infantry. Behind them again came a company of cavalry, which presently galloped past the lumbering camels and oxen along the track through the desert ... and now I had an opportunity of seeing at close range General Ma's famous cavalry riding past me and keeping its post at the head of the marching columns. This was the famous white cavalry regiment of which General Ma was especially proud. The broad iron swords of the dragoons clanked as they rode along on their magnificent white horses, while on their shoulders they carried carbines of the most varied and antiquated patterns. Next came the brown regiment, while in the rear followed the black regiment, comprising some two thousand horsemen. A short distance behind the cavalry came the infantry - regiment after regiment, headed by the Chinese (Kuomintang) standard. On they swept, platoon after platoon, followed by their officers, with their mausers at the ready. The columns strode along, keeping perfect time with their shrill, high-pitched, mournful, Asiatic marching songs. Sandwiched between some of these trained and trustworthy soldiers I saw large drafts of recruits who had been compelled to join General Ma's forces. These raw levies were constantly kept under very close observation'. On Top of Ma Chongyings new Tungan army, young Uyghurs were also conscripted into his ranks. 2500 Tungans under the command of his younger brother Ma Chongjie captured Kumul in May with little opposition. This was because the area was dominated by Ma Chongyings ally Khoja Niyas Hajji. After this Ma Chongjie issued bilingual proclamations to the people of Kumul, stating they were free of Jin Shujen's tyranny, who at the time was in the USSR. Meanwhile Sheng hurriedly prepared a force of 5000 to meet the invaders near Urumqi. Ma Chongying advanced upon Qiqiaoqing unopposed, getting even further west than his first invasion of 1931. Instead of taking the main road to Turgan, the Tungans crossed the narrow defile between Barkul Tagh and Bogdo Ula to hit the garrison town of Kitai. The first major battle broke out near Mulei, due east of Kitai on May 15th. Two days later a mixed force of 4000 Tungans and Turkic Muslims attacked Kitai led by Ma Chongjie. On May 26th Sheng sortied from Urumqi at the head of 5000 men, 1000 of whom were White Russians. Sheng planned to hold Santai, the halfway point between Urumqi and Kitai. Sheng's men attacked the invaders around Kitai, but lost the battle for the city, though Ma Chongjie was killed in battle. Sheng then retreated back to Urumqi by June 1st. Things looked dire for Sheng, he was unsure how Nanjing would react to the coup against Jin Shujen, his position was threatened to the east by Ma Chongying now headquartered at Kitai and to the west by Chang Peiyuan the military governor of Ili whom he suspected was not loyal to Urumqi and in league with the Tungans. Ma Chongying was now within striking distance of Urumqi, when he suddenly halted his attack and sent a telegram with terms. It turns out Ma Chongying had no idea Jin Shujen had been overthrown, so he was unsure how to proceed. This bought Sheng more time to raise defenses, sending the White Russians to hold Fukang as he dispatched Wu Aichen on a peace mission to Kitai. Wu Aichen's mission failed, so Sheng went to Fukang to take personal command of the army and to meet Ma Chongying around the hamlet of Zuniquan. During the battle of mid June, the provincial forces managed to gain the upper hand due to severe weather conditions for which the lightly clothed Tungans were ill prepared for. The Uyghurs forces of Khoja Niyas Hajji also took no part in the fighting despite being in the immediate area. The Tungans were defeated at Zuniquan, but not routed. Ma Chongyings men managed to retreat in well order to Qiqiaoqing and from there advanced to Turfan joined Tungan forces under Ma Shuming. Combined the Tungans marched to Dawan Cheng. At the same time a Pacification Commissioner, Huang Musung was sent by Nanjing to Urumqi. His mission was to establish peace between the provincial forces and Ma Chongying, both of whom claimed loyalty to Nanjing. Sheng was suspicious of Huang Musung and felt Nanjing might be simply backing the Tungans. Thus Sheng had Huang Musung placed under house arrest. Then Sheng accused three Xinjiang officials of plotting with Huang Musung, Chang Peiyuan and Ma Chongying to overthrow him and had them all executed via a firing squad. Thus Sheng clearly had distanced himself from Nanjing and turned 100% to the USSR for help. During early Autumn Ma Chongying was still in Turfan reorganizing the forces while Sheng was consolidating his position in Urumqi and quelling the Kazakh rebellion.  Meanwhile Khoja Niyas Hajji was growing uneasy with his alliance to Ma Chongying and began to open up secret negotiations with Sheng and soon was appointed Chief Defense commissioner for Southern Xinjiang. He then took his Uyghurs across the Dawan Cheng and occupied Toksun only to be surprise attacked and decisively defeated by Tungans under Ma Shuming. By late July Khoja Niyas Hajji took his battered survivors and fled for Kucha. At this point Huang Musung managed to secure his release from house arrest by telegramming Nanjing the recommendation that Sheng Shihtsai and Liu Wenlung be confirmed in their posts as the chief military and civil authorities over Xinjiang. Nanjing had really no options other than to comply.  On September 2nd Lo Wenkan, the foreign minister of Nanjing, came to Urumqi and officially confirmed Sheng into office and then mediated between Sheng and Ma Chongying. To compensate Ma Chongying he was offered the post of Garrison Commander of Eastern Xinjiang which he accepted, thus gaining control over Kumul, Barkul and part of Turfan. After Lo Wenkan departed in early October, suddenly Sheng announced the discovery of a new plot against him. He accused Liu Wenlung of conspiring with Ma Chongying, Chang Peiyuan and Lo Wenkan to overthrow him. Liu Wenlung was forced to resign and was replaced as the provincial chairman by Zhu Juixi. Sheng then prepared a final hammer blow against Ma Chongying. However Ma Chongying had secretly been working with Ma Shuming to deliver a lighting stroke against Urumqi which came in December of 1933. Tungan forces passed Dawan Cheng and began attacking the capital. Likewise in response to the constant accusations, Chang Peiyuan finally threw his support to the Tungans. He led his troops across the Talki Pass into Zungharia and attacked the Provincial forces stationed at Wusu. Meanwhile encouraged by the advance of the Gansu Tungans, the indigenous Tungans of Zungharia rose en masse to Ma Chongyings banner. In late december a detachment of the 36th NRA led by Ma Shuming bypassed Urumqi and attacked Chuguchak. Vasel happened to witness this and described the battle as such “The sun's rays, by this time, were shining obliquely across the street and showed us the Tungan army entering the town ... Stirrup to stirrup, the young regular soldiers in their smart uniforms looked a well-disciplined, trim and efficient force. r recognised one of their officers, Ma Shih-ming, the Commander-in-Chief's adjutant, who had frequently been my guest in Soochow. These regular soldiers rode past on beautiful horses, while huge red flags floated in the breeze above their heads, bearing the character 'Ma' in black letters on a white ground. At a short distance followed a horde that was tolerably well equipped . . . I saw needle-guns, blunderbusses and muzzle-loaders ... In their rear dense clouds of dust, which shut out the light, billowed onward, and then came the infantry. . . men with wild eyes and matted hair. . . outlaws who had nothing to lose and everything to gain from the upheaval that was going on. After the infantry followed a huge horde of camels, with their rhythmical swaying gait, laden with produce and goods of every conceivable type ... the breath came from their mouths like smoke - their necks were craned forward, and their heads kept bobbing up and down.”With the Tungans taking Zunghaira, the Khotan Amirs running amok in the south and Chang Peiyuan joining the fray, Sheng's position at Urumqi was hopeless. While Ma Chongying and Sheng Shihtsai continued their struggle in the north, in the south Muhammad Amin Bughra woo'd Khoja Niyas Hajji to become president of a new secessionist Islamic state. Thus was born the Turkic Islamic Republic of Eastern Turkestan ie TIRET. While Khoja Niyas Kajji was the quote president, this was simply symbolic, the real leadership remained with the Amirs. Amir Abdulah retained control over Yarkland, Amir Nur Ahmad Jan over Yangi Hissar and Kashgar and Bughra over Khotan. Shari a law was implemented, a national flag with a white star and crescent over a blue ground was made and the new state sought aid and recognition from Britain. But the TIRET would never receive said recognition or aid, for Britain respected Nanjing's government as the sole authority in Xinjiang. TIRET turned next to Turkey, but found no real help. Then they turned to Afghanistan who likewise could not help them. TIRET was doomed from the very beginning. Meanwhile the battles raged between Sheng and Ma Chongying. Sheng knew Nanjing would not assist him so he turned to the USSR. Sheng dispatched diplomats Chen Teli and Yaoxiong to Moscow pleading for assistance. The Soviets were sympathetic and quite concerned with events such as the rise of TIRET and the possibility of Ma Chongying capturing Urumqi as they suspected him and TIRET to have ties to the Japanese. Weary of Germany and Japan, the USSR took up a policy of curbing any influence from either, especially in her Central Asian frontiers. The Soviets sent this warning to Nanjing “'We do not mind if you Chinese develop [Eastern] Turkestan. But if you permit [Eastern] Turkestan to become a second Manchuria, we must act to protect ourselves. '” Thus in late 1933, following pleas for help from Sheng Shihtsai, the Soviets chose to intervene on behalf of Sheng, whom was known to be a loose cannon and unreliable, but atleast was anti-Japanese. The USSR appointed Apresoff as the new consul-general at Urumqi and upon his arrival Sheng conducted a purge. Officers from the Northeast National Salvation army and White Russian volunteers were arrested and shot, including Pappengut. The White Russians units were reorganized under the command of new Soviet officers. Sheng signed a secret deal with the USSR to allow them to build a railway from Sergiopol, through Chuguchak to Urumqi. Sheng also announced 6 new principles going forward (I) anti-imperialism, (2) kinship to Sovietism, (3) racial or national equality, (4) 'clean' government, (5) peace, and (6) reconstruction.  The Soviets were pleased and after receiving approval from Nanjing dispatched two brigades, numbered some 7000 men supported by tanks, artillery and aircraft against the insurgent positions at Kulja and Chuguchak. The Soviets had orders to “clear the roads and liquidate the rebellion”. They rapidly overwhelmed the forces of Chang Peiyuan who committed suicide in shame. The Tungans of Ma Shuming put up a better fight but were dislodged from the Chuguchak area. According to Vasel, the Tungans managed to beat back some attacks during 30 days of battle. In one instance the Tungans foiled a Soviet pincer attack by “crawling through the snow, camouflaged by reversed sheepskins, and storming, from a very short distance, Soviet machine-gun posts whilst wielding the characteristic curved sword of Islam”. The main battle broke out on the frost-bound banks of the Tutun River, 30 miles northwest of Urumqi. According to The Times correspondent Peter Fleming , “the Battle of the Tutun River 'raged for several days; but the Tungans' unskilled ferocity was no match for a mechanised foe, and the troops ... were badly demoralised by gas bombs dropped by the Soviet airmen”.  Both the Soviets and Tungans took heavy casualties, but ultimately the Soviets won, forcing Ma Chongying to retreat from Urumqi to the Dawan Cheng, pursued by a mixed force of Soviets, White Russians and Chinese. The Tungans attempted to make a stand at Dawan Cheng, but according to Vasel “a detachment of Soviet troops supported by armoured cars was attacked by a force of some 500 Tungans. After savage hand-to-hand fighting the Soviet forces were driven back, and their armoured cars were rolled off the mountainside by the victorious Tungans. At this juncture, by a strange twist of fate, the surviving Soviet troops were relieved by a force of White Russian 'volunteers', and Ma Chung-ying was forced to continue his retreat through Toksun to Korla”. Meanwhile in Southern Xinjiang, the Soviets tried to break the TIRET. A Soviet backed force of irregulars known as the “Tortunjis” was set up at Ulug Chat, led by Yusuf Jan. The Soviets also negotiated secretly with Khoja Niyas Hajji who despite being the president of the TIRET had taken all of his forces to Aksu. As a result Khoja Niyas Hajji received Soviet arms in return for turning against his anti-soviet colleagues. Yet despite Soviet support, Khoja Niyas Hajji's Uyghur forces were decisively defeated by 800 Tungans under Ma Chongying. Khoja Niyas Hajji had to abandon his HQ at Aksu fleeing for Kashgar with 1500 men on January 13th of 1934. The Tungans soon besieged Kashgar New City forcing Khoja Niyas Hajji and local forces under Sabit Damullah to withdrew towards Yangi-Hissar, then held by Nur Ahmad Jan. Within 24 hours the Tungan advance guard led by Ma Fuyuan entered Kashgar meeting little resistance. According to British Consulate General Thomson-Glover “'some 800 Tungans and 1,200 conscripts caused nearly 10,000 rebel troops to flee from Kashgar'” To make thing more complicated at this time Ma Shaowu assumed senior military and civil control on behalf of Nanjing and at the request of Ma Chanzeng and Ma Fuyuan. Thus the capital of TIRET was recaptured for Nanjing, but not by their approved forces under Sheng, but of those under Ma Chongying. Following the fall of Kashgar, TIRET moved its administration to Yangi-Hissar. Meanwhile Khoja Niyas Hajji fled to Irkeshtam on the Soviet border and there signed a treaty with the USSR to dissolve the TIRET and relinquished his forces to be used by the Xinjiang provincial authorities against the Tungans and Khotan Amirs. For this he was rewarded Civil Governor for life over Xinjiang with Sheng Shihtsai retaining military governorship. On February 14th, the Khotanlik forces tried but failed to recapture Kashgar. In response for two days the Tungans systematically looted Kashgar old city while they massacred nearly 2000 of its citizenry. Then Ma Chanzeng and Ma Fuyuan advanced to Yangi-Hissar where on March 28th looted its old city and killed everyone they got their hands on. In the face of the Tungan onslaught, Amir Nur Ahmad Jan fled into Yangi Hissar New City and Sabit Damullah fled for Yarkland. Nur Ahmad Jan led a fierce resistance at the New City until April 2nd when Amir Abdullah arrived from Yarkland with several thousand troops. However caught out in the open, Abdullah's men were obliterated by the Tungans and Abdullah was cut down and his severed head was sent to Kashgar to be exhibited outside the Id-gah Mosque. Yangi-Hissar New City continued to resist, “wielding only rifles and conserving their scanty ammunition and rolling back the attackers scaling the walls by means of large stones and tree trunks”. The Tungans took New City on April 12th, putting 500 of its defenders and Nur Ahmad Jan to the sword. Meanwhile the administration of TIRET received word of Khoja Niyas Hajji's deal with the Soviets and refused to dissolve. Thus Khoja Niyas Hajji went to Yarkland to try and convince Amir Muhammad Amin Bughra to dissolve the TIRET. He arrived there in Mid April, only a few days before the Tungas would. Bughra fled towards Khotan as Khoja Niyas Hajji looted Yarkland taking Sabit Damullah prisoner and advanced to Aksu. The Tungans arrived at Yarkland on the 20th and immediately pursued Khoja Niyas Hajji. Khoja Niyas Hajji managed to get to Aksu where he handed over Sabit Damullah who was promptly hung. Meanwhile Ma Chongying arrived at Kashgar with 10,000 men on April 6th where he denounced Sheng Shihtsai as a Soviet Puppet and stressed loyalty to Nanjing to its population. Other Tungan forces captured Sarikol and together marched upon Khotan. Khotan was taken on June 12th without a fight and unlike at Kashgar and Yangi-Hissar, the Tungans did not loot, but instead hunted down Muhammad Amin Bughra who had escaped with 3000 troops towards Keriya. Bughra managed to give them all the slip and fled with several ponies carrying hold to Ladakh in British India where he received permission to travel to Srinagar. Thus ended the TIRET experiment as Ma Chongying claimed he had recaptured southern Xinjiang for Nanjing. Ma Chongying then met with Thomson Glover “that he had come to Kashgar 'to try and save south Sinkiang from Russian influence', and continued to stress his loyalty to Nanjing”.  Meanwhile Ma Chongying set up a defensive line at Maral Bashi and Fayzabad with his brother in law, Ma Hushan in command. During May and June of 1934 Ma Chongying tried to gain sympathy from the British for his cause, but they refused to get involved. In a surprising turn of events, as told to us by Thomson Glover “Ma Chung-ying left Kashgar for Irkeshtam early on 7th July with three or four of his officers. . . and an escort of some 50 Tungans and one or more members of the USSR Consulate or Trade Agency. Arrived near the border to Russia the escort were met by Russian or Russian-employed troops. The Tungan escort dispersed or handed over their arms to some of Khoja Niyas' levies, and Ma Chung-ying disappeared into Russia”. Why the courageous Tungan threw in the towel is a mystery. He had not yet been deceive beaten, he could have taken his Tungan force and held out for 3 years before returning back to Gansu. Regardless the Soviets had offered him sanctuary and he just took it. His fate is a complete mystery, some say he was killed by the Soviets, some say he rotted in a dungeon, that he lived a life of luxury as a Soviet guest, and one claim is that in 1938, when Sheng Shihtsai visited Moscow, Stalin had him executed as a gift. Ma Chongyings command passed to Ma Hushan who set up a HQ at Khotan and carved out a sphere of influence extending from Karghalik to CHarkhlik. The provincial forces did nothing to stop him, and instead signed a truce, ending the wars with the Tungans. Sheng Shihtsai had won, he now held absolute power over Xinjiang, though as we will see much later on, Xinjiang was certainly not done seeing battles. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Thus in the end, after all of these different groups of people formed uprisings, betrayed one another and fought this large game of thrones for Xinjiang, it was Sheng Shihtsai who prevailed above all. Xinjiang was by no means stable and would continue to see chaos well into WW2 however.   

CHRISTOPHER GOT STUCK IN CHINA FOR FIVE YEARS HEY MATTMAN, HOW'S TINDER GOING? ARE THESE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES MANMADE?

After visiting a conference recently, a friend of mine told me about a place in where all of the biggest Amazon Sellers (and all the black hat tactics came from) in China congregate: China's New South City. In this episode, Dave talks about his visit to New South City in China, what he found while he was there, and why this place exists.  Let's be real – email marketing isn't flashy, but that's what makes it great. Who needs chaos when you can have steady, reliable results? That's where Omnisend email and SMS comes in. Check it out today and use code ECOMCREW. Ever heard of China South City? It's where all of the top Chinese Amazon sellers congregate and work together. This is also the place where Chinese black hat Amazon tactics comes from.  Dave decides to visit China South City during a recent trip to Asia, and shares what he found, some insider information that he found out about after talking to sellers there, and some of the black hat tactics Chinese sellers are using.  The Big Takeaway: China South City is a massive hub of the biggest Chinese Amazon sellers in Shenzhen, China. Chinese sellers are getting subsidies from the government to encourage exports into other countries. Having all sellers within the same area also encourages collaboration and networking among sellers, unlike in the US or the West in general. Chinese sellers inspect a higher percentage of their products more than Western sellers. Many Chinese sellers operate multiple Amazon accounts for security reasons. The 2021 Amazon ban wave had a significant impact on Chinese sellers; reducing China's overall trust in Amazon. Because of the ban wave, Chinese sellers are also diversifying their sales channels beyond Amazon. Temu is starting to become one of the key places for growth among Chinese sellers. Live selling is a major trend in China, with dedicated studios for streaming in each floor. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to China South City 02:53 - The Structure and Purpose of China South City 06:10 - The Community of Amazon Sellers 09:00 - Operational Strategies of Chinese Sellers 11:52 - Challenges Faced by Chinese Sellers 14:45 - The Impact of Amazon's Account Suspension Sweep 18:05 - Tactics and Strategies of Chinese Sellers 20:57 - Diversification Beyond Amazon 23:47 - The Rise of Live Selling in China 27:12 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, reach out to us at support@ecomcrew.com if you're interested.  Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com. We'd love to help you in any way we can.  Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy selling!

Value: After Hours is a podcast about value investing, Fintwit, and all things finance and investment by investors Tobias Carlisle, and Jake Taylor. See our latest episodes at https://acquirersmultiple.com/podcast We are live every Tuesday at 1.30pm E / 10.30am P. About Jake Jake's Twitter: https://twitter.com/farnamjake1 Jake's book: The Rebel Allocator https://amzn.to/2sgip3l ABOUT THE PODCAST Hi, I'm Tobias Carlisle. I launched The Acquirers Podcast to discuss the process of finding undervalued stocks, deep value investing, hedge funds, activism, buyouts, and special situations. We uncover the tactics and strategies for finding good investments, managing risk, dealing with bad luck, and maximizing success. SEE LATEST EPISODES https://acquirersmultiple.com/podcast/ SEE OUR FREE DEEP VALUE STOCK SCREENER https://acquirersmultiple.com/screener/ FOLLOW TOBIAS Website: https://acquirersmultiple.com/ Firm: https://acquirersfunds.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Greenbackd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobycarlisle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tobiascarlisle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tobias_carlisle ABOUT TOBIAS CARLISLE Tobias Carlisle is the founder of The Acquirer's Multiple®, and Acquirers Funds®. He is best known as the author of the #1 new release in Amazon's Business and Finance The Acquirer's Multiple: How the Billionaire Contrarians of Deep Value Beat the Market, the Amazon best-sellers Deep Value: Why Activists Investors and Other Contrarians Battle for Control of Losing Corporations (2014) (https://amzn.to/2VwvAGF), Quantitative Value: A Practitioner's Guide to Automating Intelligent Investment and Eliminating Behavioral Errors (2012) (https://amzn.to/2SDDxrN), and Concentrated Investing: Strategies of the World's Greatest Concentrated Value Investors (2016) (https://amzn.to/2SEEjVn). He has extensive experience in investment management, business valuation, public company corporate governance, and corporate law. Prior to founding the forerunner to Acquirers Funds in 2010, Tobias was an analyst at an activist hedge fund, general counsel of a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, and a corporate advisory lawyer. As a lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions he has advised on transactions across a variety of industries in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Singapore, Bermuda, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Guam. He is a graduate of the University of Queensland in Australia with degrees in Law (2001) and Business (Management) (1999).

Thanks to Siya, Sutton, Owen, and Aksel for suggesting this week's topic, the Goliath birdeater tarantula and the fire ant! Further listening: The TEETH Podcast Further reading: Tropical fire ants traveled the world on 16th century ships The Goliath birdeater tarantula, bigger than some kittens: Fire ants: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. This week we're going to talk about two invertebrates, a spider and an insect. Thanks to Siya, Sutton, Owen, and Aksel for suggesting them! We'll start with the spider, which Siya and Sutton both suggested. It's the goliath tarantula, also called the goliath birdeater. You know it has to be a big spider if it's called a birdeater. We've talked about it before, but not in a long time. The goliath birdeater is the heaviest spider in the world. If you think of the usual spider, even a big one, it's still pretty lightweight. Let's use a wolf spider as an example, which is found just about everywhere in the world. It's a hunting spider that doesn't spin a web, and while different species vary in size, the biggest is the Carolina wolf spider found in many parts of North America. A big female can have a legspan of four inches across, or 10 cm, with a body up to an inch and a half long, or 35 mm—but it weighs less than an ounce. That's barely 28 grams, or just a little heavier than five sheets of printer paper. In comparison, the goliath birdeater tarantula can weigh over 6 ounces, or 175 grams. That's heavier than a baseball, or two packs of cards. Its legspan can be as much as 12 inches across, or 30 cm with a body length of about 5 inches, or 13 cm. It's brown or golden in color and lives in South America, especially in swampy parts of the Amazon rainforest. It's nocturnal and mostly eats worms, large insects, other spiders, amphibians like frogs and toads, and occasionally other small animals like lizards or even snakes. And yes, every so often it will catch and eat a bird, but that's rare. Birds are a lot harder to catch than worms, especially since the Goliath birdeater lives on the ground, not in trees. Because it's so large, the goliath looks like it would be incredibly dangerous to humans. It does have fangs and can inflict a venomous bite, but it's not very strong venom. The danger comes from a very different source, because the goliath birdeater is famous for its urticating spines. Many species of tarantula have special setae, hairlike structures called urticating spines, that can be dislodged from the body easily. If a tarantula feels threatened, it will rub a leg against its abdomen, dislodging the urticating spines. The spines are fine and light so they float upward away from the spider on the tiny air currents made by the tarantula's legs, and right into the face of whatever animal is threatening it. The spines are covered with microscopic barbs that latch onto whatever they touch. If that's your face or hands, they are going to make your skin itch painfully, and if it happens to be your eyeball you might end up having to go to the eye doctor for an injured cornea. Scientists who study tarantulas usually wear eye protection. The goliath birdeater tarantula is considered a delicacy in northeastern South America. People eat it roasted. Apparently it tastes kind of like shrimp. Next, Owen and Aksel wanted to learn about fire ants. I couldn't believe that we've never talked about fire ants before! Fire ant is the name for any of the more than 200 species in the genus Solenopsis, but it's typically used to refer to the species Solenopsis invicta. It's native to tropical South America but has been introduced to parts of North America, Australia, China, Taiwan, India, Africa, and many other places where the climate is tropical or sub-tropical. The fire ant initially became so invasive due to Spanish galleons in the 16th century, which carried trade goods around the world.

Kwadwo – (sounds like QUĀY.jo) – is the host of The Art of Online Business podcast with 849 episodes and 4.92M downloads, a Meta ads manager and online business strategist, specializing in serving established online course creators with annual earnings ranging from $250,000 to $1.2 million.But unlike most ads managers, he doesn't just bring in quality leads. With over three years of experience, he excels in optimizing funnels and providing marketing, sales, operations and hiring guidance. All of which enable his clients to work less, earn more, and live the life they were meant for.Since January 2020 Kwadwo has resided in central Mexico with his wife and two kids after an ill timed vacation (right before the pandemic started) ended his 12 years of living in China. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, decent Spanish and firmly believes that everyone should experience international travel and engage with different cultures.TAKEAWAYS:Hire a business coach and listen to their advice. Find someone who has success in a similar business to you who can show you the way forward because they know the challenges you are up against.Learn to collaborate. It is a great way to meet and learn about other people like yourself who are running really intriguing online businesses, profitably. Team up with people that compliment your business. Get in the room. Get in masterminds and coaching groups. Get around like-minded individuals so you can work together to grow. RESOURCES:Visit the blog post that goes along with this episode for more resourcesListen to The Art of Online Business PodcastWatch The Art of Online Business PodcastSnag a seat in Allison's Sell on Autopilot Masterclass, and learn how to use email marketing to sell while you sleep (or, ‘ya know…live your actual life!)CONNECT WITH ALLISON:Follow Allison on InstagramDID YOU HAVE AN 'AH-HA MOMENT' WHILE LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE?If you found value and are ready to take action from listening to this episode, head to Apple Podcasts and help us reach new audiences by giving the podcast a rating and a review. This helps us to reach more online coaches who are creating a thriving 6-figure business.Music courtesy of www.bensound.com

In this video, Peter mentioned a total fertility rate (TFR) of 0.5. While this may be the case for certain urban cores, China's national TFR is closer to 1.0. Still abysmal, though slightly less catastrophic. -ZoGEveryone knows where I stand on China, but how will Trump's second term play into that?Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihanFull Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/trump-20-china

Show Notes: In this episode of Unleashed, Will Bachman interviews Bart Sayer, an expert on the beauty industry. Bart worked for nine years at the Estée Lauder Companies, most recently as the International General Manager for one of its largest brands, Clinique, managing the $1B P&L. Previously, Bart was a partner at Booz & Company (now Strategy&, part of PwC), focused on strategy and commercial transformation in the Consumer & Retail sectors. The conversation focuses on understanding the structure of the beauty market and the main drivers of value creation.   The Beauty Industry Explained Bart explains that the beauty industry is divided into four main categories: skincare, makeup, hair, care, and body. The market is divided into luxury and mass segments, with luxury beauty expected to grow between six and 8% in the foreseeable future. Taking the example of the United States, mass brands are more likely to be found in drugstores, such as Walgreens and CVs. Premium brands are more available in department stores or specialty multi, such as Sephora and Ulta, and a third channel being direct to consumer. At Estee Lauder they believed that distribution defines your equity, so prestige brands are careful about where they appear, hence the careful consideration and strict conditions associated with entering a channel like Amazon. Looking beyond the NA market, Travel Retail has been an important growth vehicle for luxury beauty brands over the past decade, though this growth has tempered in the past few years. Future growth of the beauty industry will remain defined by its two largest markets, the United States and China, while up-and-coming middle market countries will also represent attractive opportunities (e.g., India, Mexico, Brazil).   Manufacturing, Testing and Ingredients The ingredients in mass and prestige products can differ in terms of the scarcity or rarity of the actives, including use of proprietary ingredients and formulations. Formulation philosophies vary widely across different entities. Many brands, for example, put extra protections in place to ensure product safety for sensitive skin and/or to conduct rigorous allergy testing. Bart discusses the importance of clinical testing in product and research development, highlighting that it is a high barrier to entry for indie brands. He also discusses the evolution of more nimble production models, including the prevalence of contract manufacturers that can manufacture the latest ingredients and bespoke formulations in quicker and more cost-effective ways than many of the brands themselves. This approach is not binary, as L'Oreal has over 40 different manufacturing facilities worldwide. Before leaving the manufacturing discussion, Bart quickly hit upon another topic, that of the evolution to more earned media-led marketing models, whereby companies seize organic market buzz before amplifying these messages with paid media. Local vs. Global Adaptation The concept of local versus global adaptation is crucial in the beauty industry. Brands must find a locally relevant articulation of their brand essence. Large media companies often have global ambassadors who can speak for the brand, but if a local face is not available, the brand may not get the traction needed. To succeed, brands must be more reactive to local market trends, deploying local influencers, tailored messaging and selecting locally relevant forums for generating PR, both online and offline.   Indie and Newer Brands The conversation turned to the shift towards indie and newer brands in the beauty retail industry. The reasons behind the growth of the indies include lower barriers to entry on social media channels, an agile marketing model, the wide availability of contract manufacturers, and channel partners like Sephora that are focused on curating exclusive collections of the next “it” beauty brands. Often for these indie brands, the problem is not the launch itself (recruitment), but the stickiness (retention). Many of these companies struggle with repeat purchases, which are the key to success.   Sales and Distribution in the Beauty Industry Bart discussed several high growth channels, including Sephora, a leading premium beauty retailer owned by the LVMH group, travel retailer and beauty e-tailers such as Zalando and Notino. Traditional points of distribution, such as department stores and perfumeries, have seen slower growth, especially in the West (and far less so in the East). Whatever the channel, the importance of constructing good “self-navigating experience” for prestige consumers is key. Across many of these newer retailers, clean beauty is a key theme, as is green and sustainable, free of parabens, sulfates, certain ingredients and fragrances. This raises the bar for brands to prove their bona fides in terms of ingredient publishing and sourcing. The conversation then pivoted to challenges in the supply chain, including shelf life of products (especially for consumers in the East) and SKU proliferation.   Demand Forecasting Robust demand forecasting is crucial for brands to succeed to avoid out-of-stock situations and, conversely, the proliferation of excess. This can be particularly problematic when trying to create buzz and excitement with limited edition collections such as those sold over the holidays. Given profit, brand equity and sustainability concerns, rands have increasingly tried to err on the side of caution in their forecasts (FOMO). SKU periphery proliferation is another issue that brands are constantly fighting, seeking a balance between getting new out there while staying consistent and building out their portfolio. Store Design and Staffing Models In department stores, cosmetics brands often have significant control over the design of their stores, including all signage, key visuals and other elements of visual merchandising (e.g., gondola design, planogram setup). Done correctly, these can be huge differentiators. Unsurprisingly, prestige beauty brands have armies of store design, visual merchandising and staff (beauty advisor) education teams. Cost sharing with retail partners – CAPEX, staffing, promo – vary by channel and partner, thus representing a critical point in commercial negotiations (along with other topics like trade margin).   The Lucrative Nature of the Beauty Industry  The cosmetics industry is a highly lucrative business with operating profits ranging from 10 to 25%. Gross margins can be 65% or more, depending on the brand and the type of product. Highest gross margin categories include skincare and luxury fragrances. However, there is no room for complacency, with many waging a constant war to lower the cost of goods through a combination of gross to net improvements, price increases, mix optimization, promo efficiencies and, of course, manufacturing savings. A hero-product focus is needed to get scale, thus providing ballast for marketing investments. Premiumization trade trends are continuing across categories and subcategories, with no sign of these trends abating.  Timestamps: 03:30: Structure of the Cosmetics Industry and Market Segments 05:26: Specialty Channels and Distribution Strategies  07:58: Differences Between Mass and Prestige Brands 10:06: Analyzing the Cosmetics Industry: Product and Research Development  13:44: Marketing and Consumer Insights 18:33: Sales and Distribution Channels 22:49: Operations and Supply Chain  31:57: Gross Margin Analysis and Financial Performance  Website Links: #1, Beauty Market Outlook: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-beauty-boom-and-beyond-can-the-industry-maintain-its-growth #2, FDA Regulations of Cosmetics: https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-science-research/product-testing-cosmetics #3, Risk of Indie Beauty Brands: https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/how-indie-beauty-brands-can-break-america#:~:text=Indie%20brands%20are%20greatly%20influencing,and%20most%20likely%20through%202025. #4, Beauty and Travel Retail: https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/tackling-beautys-travel-retail-conundrum-estee-lauder-loreal-clarins-bulgari-dfs-heinemann-1236682262/ #5, Green Beauty: https://www.forbes.com/sites/meimeifox/2023/12/22/green-glamour-12-clean-beauty-brands-leading-the-eco-revolution/ #6, Beauty & Supply Chain Challenges: https://www.voguebusiness.com/beauty/new-ingredients-higher-prices-reformulating-beauty-in-the-supply-crisis #7, QVC and Beauty: https://entm.ag/1wEfOci #8, Love, Indus (company referenced by Will and I during the discussion): https://loveindus.com/collections/shop?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkJO8BhCGARIsAMkswyiVNdA36DRltbku4DqHeLj-dAbZxAfsVOWmkyEP6Ah9bsxaNi3L4g4aAqP4EALw_wcB Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 3! We're back with Part 2 of The History of Mahjong. Last episode we talked about the games origins and how it came to America. In this episode, we discuss the rise of Jewish-American Mah-Jongg and how it was standardized and simplified in America by the National Mah-Jongg League. We also take time to talk about cultural appropriation and how the Asian American community has tried to reclaim the narrative of Mahjong as a connection to our culture. We open the episode by talking about some current events that include the Philadelphia arena, the passing of Farewell to Manzanar author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, and Moana 2. We close the episode with another addition to “What Are We Watching” as we discuss the movie Wicked, directed by the amazing Jon M. Chu. To learn more about Mahjong, check out these two books: Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture by Annelise Heinz and Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora by Nicole Wong. Also checkout the Green Tile Social Club who are doing an incredible job of creating events and connecting the community in New York. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Intro and talking about the Philadelphia arena project, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, and Moana 2 06:21 The History of Mahjong Part 2 16:30 What Are We Watching, Wicked

In this conversation, Stewart Alsop welcomes Ekue Kpodar for a thought-provoking exploration of technology, history, and societal evolution. The discussion traverses topics such as DARPA's pivotal role in technological innovation, the symbiotic relationship between governments and big tech, and the trajectory of AI in reshaping everything from scientific research to social organization. They touch on the influence of open-source movements, the philosophical underpinnings of accelerationism, and the complex ethical landscapes AI introduces. You can connect with Ekue through Twitter or LinkedIn.Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation!Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:24 Diving into DARPA's Origins02:21 DARPA's Technological Contributions03:44 Government and Big Tech Interactions05:07 Historical Context of Technology and Empires11:58 Big Science vs. Little Science16:55 AI's Role in Future Research32:40 Political Implications of AI and Technology41:14 Future of Human and AI Integration47:03 Conclusion and FarewellKey InsightsDARPA's Role in Modern Technology: The conversation highlights DARPA as a central player in shaping key technological advancements such as the internet and the early development of Siri. The agency's strategy of fostering innovation through collaboration with universities and private companies underpins much of the progress in tech we see today, illustrating how government initiatives have historically catalyzed transformative breakthroughs.The Symbiosis of Government and Big Tech: A recurring theme is the deeply intertwined relationship between governments and big tech companies. From providing cloud services to pioneering research projects, companies like AWS and Oracle play a vital role in national operations, emphasizing how modern economies depend on these partnerships to push forward technological frontiers.Generative AI and Science Evolution: Ekue Kpodar discusses how generative AI is revolutionizing fields like biology and chemistry. Tools like protein folding models and molecule generators are paving the way for breakthroughs in medicine and materials science, demonstrating how AI can accelerate complex research that previously required vast resources and specialized teams.Centralization vs. Decentralization: The episode delves into how societal systems toggle between centralized and decentralized models. While the U.S. strikes a balance, contrasting approaches like China's centralized focus highlight the impact of governance structures on innovation and societal organization.Philosophy of Accelerationism: The discussion explores accelerationism, a concept arguing that the rapid advancement of technology and capitalism could lead to societal upheaval, potentially necessitating a systemic restart. This philosophical lens is applied to understand the dissonance between human values and the unchecked growth of AI and economic systems.AI as a Management Tool and Existential Threat: Both hosts ponder the future role of AI in society, ranging from its potential to replace human managers with algorithmic oversight to Elon Musk's controversial stance on merging humanity with AI through initiatives like Neuralink. These reflections underscore the growing influence of AI in shaping human interactions and decisions.Imagination and the Cost of Knowledge: The advent of AI significantly lowers the cost of generating and accessing new knowledge, which raises profound questions about how humanity will adapt. The hosts speculate on how AI might impact creativity, societal evolution, and even the formation of entirely new paradigms that transcend existing frameworks of understanding.

De volta à Casa Branca depois de uma vitória incontestável nas urnas, Donald Trump adotou uma lógica nova para montar o time do primeiro escalão de seu governo: independentemente da qualificação técnica, os critérios principais são lealdade total ao presidente e completo alinhamento ideológico. Outro aspecto em comum entre pelo menos seis dos indicados pelo presidente americano é o fato de serem bilionários. O mais conhecido deles é Elon Musk, homem mais rico do mundo, dono da Tesla, SpaceX e a rede social X, que irá assumir o recém-criado departamento de eficiência. A ala ideologicamente mais radical terá representantes nos departamentos de Saúde (com Robert Kennedy Jr., que há anos lidera movimentos antivacinação), de Educação (com Linda McMahon, defensora do homeschooling) e de Defesa (com Pete Hegseth, envolvido em escândalos sexuais). Alguns quadros fortes do partido republicano também ganharam espaço, caso de Marco Rubio, que assume o principal cargo das Relações Exteriores americanas – ele tem histórico anti-China e já criticou diversos governos de esquerda da América Latina. Para analisar nome a nome as indicações de Donald Trump para o gabinete que toma posse nesta segunda-feira (20), Julia Duailibi entrevista Mauricio Moura, professor da Universidade George Washington, nos Estados Unidos.

How will your company withstand the heat of aggressive sanctions enforcement? Are you ready for the DOJ's new priorities and OFAC's expanding reach in 2025? In this episode of Corruption, Crime, and Compliance, Michael Volkov dives into the major sanctions enforcement trends from 2024 and the road ahead under the new Trump administration. From record-breaking DOJ prosecutions to OFAC's innovative enforcement approaches, Michael explains how sanctions compliance is more critical than ever. He highlights the biggest cases of the year, uncovers common pitfalls that led to costly penalties, and outlines how businesses can navigate shifting regulatory priorities. Whether it's integrating compliance in M&A or addressing the risks of evolving China and Iran sanctions, this episode delivers actionable insights for staying ahead of enforcement risks.You'll hear him discuss:The DOJ's record-breaking prosecution of 70 individuals in 2024 and predictions for a surge in enforcement in 2025.OFAC's evolving enforcement strategy, including secondary sanctions tied to U.S. dollar transactions and new compliance commitments.Key lessons from major enforcement actions like SCG Plastics, Aotech, and MondoTV, which paid millions for sanctions violations.The consequences of neglecting sanctions compliance during mergers and acquisitions, including inherited liabilities and enforcement risks.Predictions for heightened scrutiny on trade with China, aggressive tariffs, and evolving Iran sanctions under the new administration.How emerging issues like advanced computing, AI, and dual-use technologies are becoming focal points for sanctions enforcement.The role of voluntary self-disclosure in mitigating penalties, with examples of companies that uncovered and corrected compliance gaps.ResourcesMichael Volkov on LinkedIn | TwitterThe Volkov Law Group

Shoot us a Text.It's the biggest week in retail auto as the industry prepares to descend on New Orleans. Today, we're previewing what you can expect at the Show on the mainstage, plus we're talking about Canoo filing for bankruptcy and looking at how much range EVs actually have during the winter.Show Notes with links:Every year, the NADA Mainstage is a must-attend while at the Show, and this year is no different. These sessions start at 8:45AM Friday through Sunday and feature leadership, humor and knowledge from outside of automotive.Friday, January 24 kicks off with Best-Selling Author & Executive Coach, Ryan Leak discussing strategies for self-leadership and team empowerment. He'll help dealers answer key questions like “What am I like as a leader?” and offer practical tools for fostering a high-performing team. Plus, 2024 NADA Chairman Gary Gilchrist will speak.Saturday, January 25 features Frank Caliendo, Comedian, Actor & Impressionist bringing his signature humor to the NADA stage. He's famous for spot-on impressions of sports figures, celebrities, and politicians. Then, incoming 2025 NADA Chairman Tom Castriota will speak and the highly anticipated Time Dealer of the Year ceremony.Our friends who have been nominated this year: Andy Guelcher of Mohawk Chevy and Mohawk Honda, Andrew Walser of the amazing Walser automotive Group, Julie Herrera of Toyota of Cedar Park, Shaun Del Grande of Del Grande Dealer GroupSunday, January 26 wraps up with Legendary Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K). He'll share lessons on leadership and teamwork from his Hall of Fame career, and provide insights into building a winning team culture.EV startup Canoo Inc. has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, halting operations immediately and liquidating its assets. Despite efforts to secure foreign investment, the company struggled with cash flow, weak demand, and failed funding attempts.Known for its microbus-inspired cargo vans, Canoo supplied government and commercial fleets, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and Walmart.Production began in Oklahoma (Nov. 2023), with $100M in potential incentives, but cut 23% of its workforce within a year.The company reported a $165M net loss in 2024, generating just $1.5M in revenue—less than the $1.7M spent on its CEO's private jet in 2023.CEO Tony Aquila: “We are truly disappointed that things turned out as they did.”The latest 2025 Scandinavian winter EV test results are in. While all vehicles lose range in cold weather, EVs feel the impact —and this year's test saw some unexpected results.The Polestar 3 lost just 5% of its expected range, outperforming models with longer official ratings.Tesla's Model 3 flopped, losing 24% range, falling short of its 702km expectations,4 out of the top 5 performers were China-made, including two BYD models: 5. BYD Sealion 7 4. Lotus Emeya 3. Mini Countryman 2. BYD Tang 1. Polestar 3Peugeot E-3008 was the biggest loser, losing 32% of its range, an extreme drop given the tHosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email