Podcast appearances and mentions of clinton white house

Jeffrey Epstein's access to the White House began during Bill Clinton's first administration, when he moved through Washington as a wealthy donor and well-connected financial operator rather than as the notorious sex offender he would later become. Records show that Epstein visited the Clinton White House repeatedly during the 1990s, attended a reception with Ghislaine Maxwell and cultivated relationships with officials, fundraisers and people operating around the administration. His association with Clinton continued after the presidency through overseas travel aboard Epstein's aircraft and contacts linked to Clinton's philanthropic work. The importance of those connections is not that every person who encountered Epstein participated in or knew about his crimes, but that Epstein successfully embedded himself within the political establishment and acquired the appearance of legitimacy that comes from proximity to a president. His access was never confined to one party, one administration or one ideological circle; it was built around money, influence and the willingness of powerful people to treat him as useful.That pattern ultimately extended from the Clinton era into the political world surrounding Donald Trump, who socialized with Epstein in Palm Beach and New York years before returning to the White House for a second term. Even after Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, his shadow remained inside presidential politics, as successive Justice Departments, White House officials and members of Congress fought over what records should be released, how his associates should be investigated and whether the public had been told the complete truth. By 2025 and 2026, the Epstein controversy had become a source of turmoil within the Trump administration itself, with officials facing accusations of secrecy, political damage control and preferential treatment for Ghislaine Maxwell. In that sense, Epstein's “friends at the White House” should be understood less as one continuous group than as a recurring class of political insiders who entered his orbit, benefited from his hospitality or treated his connections as valuable. The names and parties changed, but the institutional instinct remained remarkably consistent: minimize the relationship, restrict disclosure and hope that public attention eventually moves somewhere else.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

On this episode of The Tudor Dixon Podcast, Tudor sits down with retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Buzz Patterson, the former military aide who carried the nuclear football for President Bill Clinton and lived alongside the Clintons inside the White House for two years. Patterson shares firsthand accounts from his time serving in the Clinton administration, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at presidential leadership, Hillary Clinton’s influence, the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and the culture inside the Clinton White House. The conversation explores Bill Clinton’s handling of foreign policy crises, including the aftermath of the Black Hawk Down incident, missed opportunities to confront terrorist threats, and the long-term consequences of key national security decisions. Patterson also discusses Hillary Clinton’s political ambitions, the Clintons’ approach to power, and why he believes Americans deserve a closer examination of one of the most influential political families in modern history. Plus, Tudor and Patterson discuss patriotism, America’s global image, and why international visitors are reminding Americans to appreciate the freedoms and opportunities that make the United States unique.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey Epstein's access to the White House began during Bill Clinton's first administration, when he moved through Washington as a wealthy donor and well-connected financial operator rather than as the notorious sex offender he would later become. Records show that Epstein visited the Clinton White House repeatedly during the 1990s, attended a reception with Ghislaine Maxwell and cultivated relationships with officials, fundraisers and people operating around the administration. His association with Clinton continued after the presidency through overseas travel aboard Epstein's aircraft and contacts linked to Clinton's philanthropic work. The importance of those connections is not that every person who encountered Epstein participated in or knew about his crimes, but that Epstein successfully embedded himself within the political establishment and acquired the appearance of legitimacy that comes from proximity to a president. His access was never confined to one party, one administration or one ideological circle; it was built around money, influence and the willingness of powerful people to treat him as useful.That pattern ultimately extended from the Clinton era into the political world surrounding Donald Trump, who socialized with Epstein in Palm Beach and New York years before returning to the White House for a second term. Even after Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, his shadow remained inside presidential politics, as successive Justice Departments, White House officials and members of Congress fought over what records should be released, how his associates should be investigated and whether the public had been told the complete truth. By 2025 and 2026, the Epstein controversy had become a source of turmoil within the Trump administration itself, with officials facing accusations of secrecy, political damage control and preferential treatment for Ghislaine Maxwell. In that sense, Epstein's “friends at the White House” should be understood less as one continuous group than as a recurring class of political insiders who entered his orbit, benefited from his hospitality or treated his connections as valuable. The names and parties changed, but the institutional instinct remained remarkably consistent: minimize the relationship, restrict disclosure and hope that public attention eventually moves somewhere else.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Andy Boian is the CEO of dovetail solutions. He founded dovetail solutions in 2005, with this idea of facilitating the intersection of the corporate world with non-profit organizations/NGOs, and local, state and federal governments to accomplish seemingly intractable goals in communications, branding and marketing, community, and civic involvement, with results driven solutions. As its founder, Andy drives the direction, growth and strategy for the firm. Andy has a long and impressive resume and background, some of which you can read here.  On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Andy shares his personal and professional journey that saw him work in the Clinton White House, work in corporate communications and with a variety of nonprofits on the road to founding dovetail solutions. He and Debbie discuss how to disagree civilly in the name of shared goals, projects that stand out in his mind, why remains active in such a broad spectrum of projects, and what goals remain for him after a long and impressive career. Andy also tells a particularly harrowing story that served as an inflection point in his life.  Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.  Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Mark Middleton was a former special assistant to President Bill Clinton and a longtime Arkansas businessman whose name resurfaced repeatedly in connection with Jeffrey Epstein because of his role in helping facilitate access between Epstein and powerful political circles during the 1990s. Middleton worked in the Clinton White House during the administration's early years and later became the subject of scrutiny after visitor logs showed he helped arrange multiple White House visits for Epstein. One of the most discussed details was Middleton's role in introducing Epstein to senior administration officials and influential figures tied to science, finance, and politics. Epstein, who at the time was cultivating an image as a wealthy financier and philanthropist, used relationships like these to deepen his legitimacy and expand his social network among elite institutions. Middleton's connections to both Arkansas political circles and national Democratic fundraising networks made him a valuable bridge for Epstein as he sought influence far beyond Wall Street and Palm Beach.Interest in Middleton intensified years later after renewed public scrutiny of the Clinton-Epstein relationship and the release of White House visitor records showing Epstein visited the White House multiple times during the Clinton years. Middleton himself largely avoided public discussion of the matter and denied wrongdoing, but his role continued to attract attention because he appeared to have been one of the earliest high-level political gatekeepers to help Epstein move comfortably inside elite Washington circles. Questions surrounding Middleton became even more pronounced after his 2022 death, which authorities ruled a suicide, though the circumstances quickly fueled speculation online due to the already heightened public obsession surrounding Epstein's network and political associations. While there has never been evidence that Middleton was accused of participating in Epstein's criminal conduct, his documented role in helping connect Epstein to powerful institutions and influential individuals has kept his name firmly embedded in discussions about how Epstein gained access to some of the most powerful people in America.to ocntact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

What if Roswell never happened? In this episode, Matt Ehret dismantles the foundational stone of the entire UFO disclosure movement piece by piece. From Lawrence Rockefeller personally lobbying the Clinton White House to release UFO files, to forged Majestic 12 documents typed on machines built decades after the supposed date, to a CIA director's memo describing UFOs as a psychological warfare tool, to a stage magician publicly admitting he faked the 1995 alien autopsy broadcast, the evidence points in one direction. The civilian UFO research groups were founded by CIA directors. The key whistleblowers were disinformation operatives. The Hollywood films required government collusion. Ehret also introduces the Aviary, a covert intelligence network of operatives with bird code names managing the entire misinformation pipeline. The myth was always the product. Roswell was just where they launched it.

Mark Middleton was a former special assistant to President Bill Clinton and a longtime Arkansas businessman whose name resurfaced repeatedly in connection with Jeffrey Epstein because of his role in helping facilitate access between Epstein and powerful political circles during the 1990s. Middleton worked in the Clinton White House during the administration's early years and later became the subject of scrutiny after visitor logs showed he helped arrange multiple White House visits for Epstein. One of the most discussed details was Middleton's role in introducing Epstein to senior administration officials and influential figures tied to science, finance, and politics. Epstein, who at the time was cultivating an image as a wealthy financier and philanthropist, used relationships like these to deepen his legitimacy and expand his social network among elite institutions. Middleton's connections to both Arkansas political circles and national Democratic fundraising networks made him a valuable bridge for Epstein as he sought influence far beyond Wall Street and Palm Beach.Interest in Middleton intensified years later after renewed public scrutiny of the Clinton-Epstein relationship and the release of White House visitor records showing Epstein visited the White House multiple times during the Clinton years. Middleton himself largely avoided public discussion of the matter and denied wrongdoing, but his role continued to attract attention because he appeared to have been one of the earliest high-level political gatekeepers to help Epstein move comfortably inside elite Washington circles. Questions surrounding Middleton became even more pronounced after his 2022 death, which authorities ruled a suicide, though the circumstances quickly fueled speculation online due to the already heightened public obsession surrounding Epstein's network and political associations. While there has never been evidence that Middleton was accused of participating in Epstein's criminal conduct, his documented role in helping connect Epstein to powerful institutions and influential individuals has kept his name firmly embedded in discussions about how Epstein gained access to some of the most powerful people in America.to ocntact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Mark Middleton was a former special assistant to President Bill Clinton and a longtime Arkansas businessman whose name resurfaced repeatedly in connection with Jeffrey Epstein because of his role in helping facilitate access between Epstein and powerful political circles during the 1990s. Middleton worked in the Clinton White House during the administration's early years and later became the subject of scrutiny after visitor logs showed he helped arrange multiple White House visits for Epstein. One of the most discussed details was Middleton's role in introducing Epstein to senior administration officials and influential figures tied to science, finance, and politics. Epstein, who at the time was cultivating an image as a wealthy financier and philanthropist, used relationships like these to deepen his legitimacy and expand his social network among elite institutions. Middleton's connections to both Arkansas political circles and national Democratic fundraising networks made him a valuable bridge for Epstein as he sought influence far beyond Wall Street and Palm Beach.Interest in Middleton intensified years later after renewed public scrutiny of the Clinton-Epstein relationship and the release of White House visitor records showing Epstein visited the White House multiple times during the Clinton years. Middleton himself largely avoided public discussion of the matter and denied wrongdoing, but his role continued to attract attention because he appeared to have been one of the earliest high-level political gatekeepers to help Epstein move comfortably inside elite Washington circles. Questions surrounding Middleton became even more pronounced after his 2022 death, which authorities ruled a suicide, though the circumstances quickly fueled speculation online due to the already heightened public obsession surrounding Epstein's network and political associations. While there has never been evidence that Middleton was accused of participating in Epstein's criminal conduct, his documented role in helping connect Epstein to powerful institutions and influential individuals has kept his name firmly embedded in discussions about how Epstein gained access to some of the most powerful people in America.to ocntact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Mark Middleton was a former special assistant to President Bill Clinton and a longtime Arkansas businessman whose name resurfaced repeatedly in connection with Jeffrey Epstein because of his role in helping facilitate access between Epstein and powerful political circles during the 1990s. Middleton worked in the Clinton White House during the administration's early years and later became the subject of scrutiny after visitor logs showed he helped arrange multiple White House visits for Epstein. One of the most discussed details was Middleton's role in introducing Epstein to senior administration officials and influential figures tied to science, finance, and politics. Epstein, who at the time was cultivating an image as a wealthy financier and philanthropist, used relationships like these to deepen his legitimacy and expand his social network among elite institutions. Middleton's connections to both Arkansas political circles and national Democratic fundraising networks made him a valuable bridge for Epstein as he sought influence far beyond Wall Street and Palm Beach.Interest in Middleton intensified years later after renewed public scrutiny of the Clinton-Epstein relationship and the release of White House visitor records showing Epstein visited the White House multiple times during the Clinton years. Middleton himself largely avoided public discussion of the matter and denied wrongdoing, but his role continued to attract attention because he appeared to have been one of the earliest high-level political gatekeepers to help Epstein move comfortably inside elite Washington circles. Questions surrounding Middleton became even more pronounced after his 2022 death, which authorities ruled a suicide, though the circumstances quickly fueled speculation online due to the already heightened public obsession surrounding Epstein's network and political associations. While there has never been evidence that Middleton was accused of participating in Epstein's criminal conduct, his documented role in helping connect Epstein to powerful institutions and influential individuals has kept his name firmly embedded in discussions about how Epstein gained access to some of the most powerful people in America.to ocntact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Mark Middleton was a former special assistant to President Bill Clinton and a longtime Arkansas businessman whose name resurfaced repeatedly in connection with Jeffrey Epstein because of his role in helping facilitate access between Epstein and powerful political circles during the 1990s. Middleton worked in the Clinton White House during the administration's early years and later became the subject of scrutiny after visitor logs showed he helped arrange multiple White House visits for Epstein. One of the most discussed details was Middleton's role in introducing Epstein to senior administration officials and influential figures tied to science, finance, and politics. Epstein, who at the time was cultivating an image as a wealthy financier and philanthropist, used relationships like these to deepen his legitimacy and expand his social network among elite institutions. Middleton's connections to both Arkansas political circles and national Democratic fundraising networks made him a valuable bridge for Epstein as he sought influence far beyond Wall Street and Palm Beach.Interest in Middleton intensified years later after renewed public scrutiny of the Clinton-Epstein relationship and the release of White House visitor records showing Epstein visited the White House multiple times during the Clinton years. Middleton himself largely avoided public discussion of the matter and denied wrongdoing, but his role continued to attract attention because he appeared to have been one of the earliest high-level political gatekeepers to help Epstein move comfortably inside elite Washington circles. Questions surrounding Middleton became even more pronounced after his 2022 death, which authorities ruled a suicide, though the circumstances quickly fueled speculation online due to the already heightened public obsession surrounding Epstein's network and political associations. While there has never been evidence that Middleton was accused of participating in Epstein's criminal conduct, his documented role in helping connect Epstein to powerful institutions and influential individuals has kept his name firmly embedded in discussions about how Epstein gained access to some of the most powerful people in America.to ocntact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Mea Culpa welcomes one of the most recognized journalists in the country, Jeffrey Toobin. Toobin is the chief legal analyst for CNN Worldwide and a staff writer for the New Yorker. Before joining CNN, he worked for six years as a legal analyst for ABC News. He has written articles on and provided legal analysis for several significant cases including the O. J. Simpson murder case, the Kenneth Starr investigation of the Clinton White House, and the trials of Michael Jackson and George Zimmerman. As an author, he has written a number of best-selling books including, The Real Story of the Sex Scandal that Nearly Brought Down a President, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, and The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court. His book, The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson, inspired the television series, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. The series went on to bag nine Emmy awards. Michael and Jeffrey dig into the homegrown terrorism, Fox News, and Biden's age. 

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after being convicted in December 2021 on five charges including sex trafficking of a minor. Jeffrey Epstein visited the Clinton White House 17 times, and Trump's name appears over one million times across the three million pages of Epstein files released by the DOJ this year. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi sat feet away from Epstein survivors at a congressional hearing and refused to acknowledge them. Not one of those survivors has ever been contacted by the DOJ. Bondi was fired, and Trump replaced her with Todd Blanch — Trump's own former criminal defense attorney from the New York hush money trial where Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts. On Blanch's first day as acting attorney general, he announced the DOJ would release no further Epstein documents. Representative Robert Garcia called a Maxwell pardon a massive cover-up and a slap in the face to survivors. James Comer, who chairs the committee, said Maxwell is the worst person in this investigation outside of Epstein himself — yet members of his own party are still entertaining this deal. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB

Chuck Todd unpacks a night of significant Democratic wins — starting with Virginia voters passing the controversial redistricting measure, a result that hands Democrats a meaningful victory but at what Chuck argues is a steep cost. He questions whether Democrats are trading their most valuable brand asset, being seen as "the rule followers," for a short-term partisan gain they may not need: if Democrats narrowly win the House majority thanks to redistricting, then the gamble worked — but independents, who were already souring on partisan games, aren't likely to give Democrats the benefit of the doubt going forward. He warns that Abigail Spanberger, who wanted to govern from the center but was forced into the role of a partisan warrior to get this done, may not recover politically from the episode. He then turns to Iran, where Trump has unilaterally extended the ceasefire indefinitely because he can't actually land a deal — Iran won the second round of negotiations simply by not showing up, the Chinese will eventually have to step in to pressure Tehran, and Trump is now visibly signaling desperation, meaning he'll be lucky to walk away with terms similar to what Obama negotiated years ago. He calls the war a strategic disaster worse than Iraq that will permanently taint the presidential prospects of both Marco Rubio and JD Vance, and closes with the big political picture: overall it was a terrible night for Republicans, new polling shows Democrats suddenly competitive in rural Midwestern states, all the data points to Democratic momentum heading into the midterms, the economy will be deeply unpopular by Election Day, and the only real advantage Republicans have left is money — a boon he argues is consistently overstated when the political environment is this bad for the party in power. Then, Doug Sosnik — the veteran Democratic strategist, former Clinton White House political director, and one of the sharpest big-picture thinkers in American politics — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a sweeping conversation about where the country is headed and whether either party is prepared to meet the moment. Sosnik argues that every election cycle has a defining event that sets the political weather, and for 2026 it's unambiguously the Iran war — but with early voting expanding the calendar, the window for Republicans to fix their problems is razor thin. He breaks the American electorate into three buckets and notes that the critical 15% of swing voters who tend to align culturally with Trump have now turned against him, that the Republican brand actually outperforms both the Democratic brand and the MAGA brand in polling, and that the Democratic brand stubbornly refuses to improve despite Trump's failures — meaning the 2028 nominee, not the party label, will determine who wins. They identify a potential 60% majority that's fed up with the system itself, arguing that America has moved away from meritocracy toward family wealth in ways that demand creating a new ladder to middle-class life for non-college voters, and delivers a blunt generational verdict: real change won't happen until the boomers exit the stage, and 2028 will be like 1960 — the election that defines post-Trump America. The conversation turns to the future of both parties, and Sosnik's analysis is bracingly unsentimental. He notes that more Republicans now identify with the GOP brand than with MAGA, that Vance lacks the charisma to inherit Trump's movement, and that the Trump family has been testing Don Jr.'s name in polling. They warn that the country doesn't want to vote Republican in 2028 but lacks confidence in Democrats, and point to the UK where both major parties are in danger of being replaced by insurgent movements. He closes with a candid assessment of the 2028 Democratic field — the weakest since 2004, with Rahm Emmanuel as the only candidate putting out real policy.The winner in 2028, Sosnik predicts, will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending the status quo, because the animating force in American politics on both the left and the right is now unmistakably populist. Finally Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 most overlooked races for the midterm elections and answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:15 Virginia voters pass redistricting measure, a big win for Democrats 03:00 Strength of Democratic party was being viewed as the “rule followers” 03:45 Democrats won’t get the benefit of the doubt with independents 04:45 There was a path to 8-3 for Dems with the original map 06:15 If Dems narrowly win the house majority, then redistricting worked 07:00 Dems are closer to winning now, but at what cost? 08:30 Spanberger wants to govern from center, but had to be a partisan warrior 10:30 Filing deadline for Virginia is FRIDAY, will we see GOP retirements? 11:00 Court case could disqualify the referendum 12:30 Florida likely to redistrict in response to Virginia 14:00 Florida redistricting makes a lot of light red districts that are vulnerable 15:30 These partisan acts will increase appetite for a third party 17:15 Abigail Spanberger may not recover politically from this 18:15 Trump can’t get Iran deal, unilaterally extends ceasefire indefinitely 19:00 Iran has won the second round of negotiations by not showing up 19:45 At some point the Chinese will put pressure on Iran to end this 20:30 Trump started a war he wasn’t prepared to finish 21:15 This war has been a strategic disaster, even worse than Iraq 22:00 Trump will be lucky to get terms similar to what Obama got 22:45 Trump is signaling to Iran that he’s desperate for a deal 24:30 The war will taint presidential chances for Rubio & Vance 25:15 Overall, it’s been a disastrous night for Republicans 26:00 We will have a very unpopular economy when the midterms arrive 26:30 New polling shows Democrats are competitive in rural midwest states 27:45 All the data shows Democratic momentum going into the midterms 28:15 The only advantage Republicans have is money 29:30 Tuesday was a really good day for team blue, and bad for team red 36:15 Doug Sosnik joins The Chuck ToddCast38:45 How much can the political environment change by midterms?39:30 Every election cycle has a moment that sets the political weather40:15 Iran war will be the defining event heading into midterms41:30 With early voting, the window for Republicans to fix things is small42:15 There used to be a correlation between economic numbers & mood42:45 Average economic numbers are good, the mean numbers aren’t44:15 We’ve moved away from meritocracy to family wealth45:15 We have to create a ladder to middle class life for non-college voters46:00 There’s a 60% majority to be had that’s fed up with the system itself47:15 Politics is a lagging, not a leading indicator for voters’ concerns48:00 The three buckets of American voters48:30 The 15% swing voters align more with Trump, vote against incumbents49:15 Trump has lost the swing voting third group50:45 Progressives want their own presidency51:30 Real change won’t happen until the boomers exit the stage52:30 The 2028 election will be like 1960, define future of America post-Trump54:45 More Republicans identifying with GOP than with MAGA55:30 Republican party outperforms Dems & MAGA in polling56:00 Democratic brand isn’t improving despite Trump’s failings56:30 The 2028 Democratic nominee will determine who wins the election57:15 3 recent campaigns became movements, Reagan, Obama & Trump59:30 Vance doesn’t have the charisma to pick up Trump’s movement 1:00:15 Trumps have been testing Don Jr’s name in polling1:02:30 Country doesn’t want to vote GOP in ‘28 but lack confidence in dems1:03:45 Two major parties in the UK are in danger of being replaced1:04:45 If independents win ‘26 will there be real appetite for one in ‘28?1:06:45 Both parties are likely to go by the wayside, like other institutions1:07:15 Lessons from Hungary?1:08:30 Trump has become toxic to far-right parties around the world1:10:30 For the last half century, both parties have been pragmatic about nominees1:11:15 Progressives have gotten their agenda but not their candidates1:13:00 The 2026 political environment is highly favorable for Dems1:14:30 400 house seats aren’t even considered competitive1:15:30 Senate map is tough for Democrats despite the political climate1:16:00 If Democrats win in Iowa, that’s a sign of a wave election1:17:15 No state has been more impacted by war & tariffs than Iowa1:18:30 There are 25 rural states that Dems aren’t competitive in1:19:15 Can’t be a majority party if you only win college educated voters1:20:00 Republicans nationally have a massive money advantage1:21:15 Money is an overstated advantage1:21:45 Trump’s base hasn’t turned out to vote when he isn’t on the ballot1:23:30 How can Democrats court cranky swing state independent voters?1:25:00 The problem is with incentives, candidates more likely to lose a primary1:26:15 Working class voters felt culturally more connected to Trump than to Biden1:27:00 If Biden had a Republican senate, would Dems have a better brand today?1:28:00 Biden didn’t truly have a political base, ran presidency to satisfy interest groups1:28:45 Without Covid, Biden doesn’t win in 20201:30:45 ‘28 candidates must articulate why they are running & find their voice1:31:45 Dems have their weakest field since 20041:32:15 Rahm Emmanuel is the only ‘28 hopeful putting out real policy1:33:45 Newsom is more substantive than he gets credit for, but he’s also performative1:35:15 Last time Dems lost popular vote was nominating San Francisco & Boston dems1:36:45 Winner will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending status quo1:37:45 Animating force in American politics is the populist left & right 1:40:00 We know the Democrats will win in midterms, the question by how much 1:41:00 ToddCast Top 5 overlooked races this election cycle 1:42:00 #5 Florida governor 1:47:00 #4 Oregon governor 1:50:00 #3 Alabama governor 1:53:00 #2 Texas governor 1:57:30 #1 Minnesota senate 2:01:30 Ask Chuck 2:01:45 Would it be worse for Spanberger politically to lose redistricting fight? 2:04:15 Who in Trump’s orbit would be willing to invoke the 25th amendment? 2:08:15 Thoughts on Vance & importance of “political athleticism” for GOP in ‘28? 2:14:30 What are the long term impacts if Trump pulls out of NATO? 2:17:45 Which piece of legislation does the opposite party most misunderstand? 2:24:15 Do our elected officials actually understand China?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug Sosnik — the veteran Democratic strategist, former Clinton White House political director, and one of the sharpest big-picture thinkers in American politics — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a sweeping conversation about where the country is headed and whether either party is prepared to meet the moment. Sosnik argues that every election cycle has a defining event that sets the political weather, and for 2026 it's unambiguously the Iran war — but with early voting expanding the calendar, the window for Republicans to fix their problems is razor thin. He breaks the American electorate into three buckets and notes that the critical 15% of swing voters who tend to align culturally with Trump have now turned against him, that the Republican brand actually outperforms both the Democratic brand and the MAGA brand in polling, and that the Democratic brand stubbornly refuses to improve despite Trump's failures — meaning the 2028 nominee, not the party label, will determine who wins. They identify a potential 60% majority that's fed up with the system itself, arguing that America has moved away from meritocracy toward family wealth in ways that demand creating a new ladder to middle-class life for non-college voters, and delivers a blunt generational verdict: real change won't happen until the boomers exit the stage, and 2028 will be like 1960 — the election that defines post-Trump America. The conversation turns to the future of both parties, and Sosnik's analysis is bracingly unsentimental. He notes that more Republicans now identify with the GOP brand than with MAGA, that Vance lacks the charisma to inherit Trump's movement, and that the Trump family has been testing Don Jr.'s name in polling. They warn that the country doesn't want to vote Republican in 2028 but lacks confidence in Democrats, and point to the UK where both major parties are in danger of being replaced by insurgent movements. He closes with a candid assessment of the 2028 Democratic field — the weakest since 2004, with Rahm Emmanuel as the only candidate putting out real policy.The winner in 2028, Sosnik predicts, will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending the status quo, because the animating force in American politics on both the left and the right is now unmistakably populist. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Doug Sosnik joins The Chuck ToddCast 02:30 How much can the political environment change by midterms? 03:15 Every election cycle has a moment that sets the political weather 04:00 Iran war will be the defining event heading into midterms 05:15 With early voting, the window for Republicans to fix things is small 06:00 There used to be a correlation between economic numbers & mood 06:30 Average economic numbers are good, the mean numbers aren’t 08:00 We’ve moved away from meritocracy to family wealth 09:00 We have to create a ladder to middle class life for non-college voters 09:45 There’s a 60% majority to be had that’s fed up with the system itself 11:00 Politics is a lagging, not a leading indicator for voters’ concerns 11:45 The three buckets of American voters 12:15 The 15% swing voters align more with Trump, vote against incumbents 13:00 Trump has lost the swing voting third group 14:30 Progressives want their own presidency 15:15 Real change won’t happen until the boomers exit the stage 16:15 The 2028 election will be like 1960, define future of America post-Trump 18:30 More Republicans identifying with GOP than with MAGA 19:15 Republican party outperforms Dems & MAGA in polling 19:45 Democratic brand isn’t improving despite Trump’s failings 20:15 The 2028 Democratic nominee will determine who wins the election 21:00 3 recent campaigns became movements, Reagan, Obama & Trump 23:15 Vance doesn’t have the charisma to pick up Trump’s movement 24:00 Trumps have been testing Don Jr’s name in polling 26:15 Country doesn’t want to vote GOP in ‘28 but lack confidence in dems 27:30 Two major parties in the UK are in danger of being replaced 28:30 If independents win ‘26 will there be real appetite for one in ‘28? 30:30 Both parties are likely to go by the wayside, like other institutions 31:00 Lessons from Hungary? 32:15 Trump has become toxic to far-right parties around the world 34:15 For the last half century, both parties have been pragmatic about nominees 35:00 Progressives have gotten their agenda but not their candidates 36:45 The 2026 political environment is highly favorable for Dems 38:15 400 house seats aren’t even considered competitive 39:15 Senate map is tough for Democrats despite the political climate 39:45 If Democrats win in Iowa, that’s a sign of a wave election 41:00 No state has been more impacted by war & tariffs than Iowa 42:15 There are 25 rural states that Dems aren’t competitive in 43:00 Can’t be a majority party if you only win college educated voters 43:45 Republicans nationally have a massive money advantage 45:00 Money is an overstated advantage 45:30 Trump’s base hasn’t turned out to vote when he isn’t on the ballot 47:15 How can Democrats court cranky swing state independent voters? 48:45 The problem is with incentives, candidates more likely to lose a primary 50:00 Working class voters felt culturally more connected to Trump than to Biden 50:45 If Biden had a Republican senate, would Dems have a better brand today? 51:45 Biden didn’t truly have a political base, ran presidency to satisfy interest groups 52:30 Without Covid, Biden doesn’t win in 2020 54:30 ‘28 candidates must articulate why they are running & find their voice 55:30 Dems have their weakest field since 2004 56:00 Rahm Emmanuel is the only ‘28 hopeful putting out real policy 57:30 Newsom is more substantive than he gets credit for, but he’s also performative 59:00 Last time Dems lost popular vote was nominating San Francisco & Boston dems 1:00:30 Winner will be on the side of breaking things rather than defending status quo 1:01:30 Animating force in American politics is the populist left & rightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Chris and Shaun sit down with Andy Rotherham, co-founder of Bellwether Education Partners and a veteran of the Clinton White House. Andy has spent over 30 years at the intersection of education policy and social impact, but he's also a music enthusiast, a Red Sox fan, a Boston bar investor, a podcaster himself, and a man willing to run a 5k in a full Easter Bunny costume to surprise his daughter.We dive into the "no-fluff" reality of the American education system, discussing why school "averages" are often not helpful and how we can actually move the needle on equity. We also explore the "modern vice" landscape—from the gamification of sports betting to the pervasive influence of social media on youth.In this episode, we discuss:The McCaskill Update: A shout-out to previous guest John McCaskill on his new book, Dialing Your Leadership .The History of a "Planned Community": Growing up in Reston, Virginia, and how its "hippie experiment" origins shaped Andy's worldview .The Trillion-Dollar Industry: Why education spending is both too much and not enough, and the desperate need for honest performance audits .The "Omni Cause": The quantitative shift in how gambling, weed, and social media are impacting the next generation .A Personal "Why": Andy's commitment to the Pan-Mass Challenge and raising funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of his fathers .Speed Round: Andy's life mantra, "What's the worst that can happen?"Resources Mentioned:Bellwether Education PartnersEduwonk (Substack)Pan-Mass Challenge / Dana-FarberD.I.A.L. IN YOUR LEADERSHIP by John McCaskillThanks to our sponsor, Mental. Mental is a wellness app built specifically for men, offering a sanctuary from "toxic positivity" and generic advice. It provides personalized, affordable, and science-backed support through real-life coaching designed to help you navigate life's messiest challenges. If you've been thinking about doing something for your mental health, visit https://app.getmental.com/subscribe to get started.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more people find these important conversations!

Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.In this episode of PNC C-Speak, Demond Martin, CEO and co-founder of WellWithAll, shares his career and leadership journey, including stops at the Clinton White House, Harvard Business School and Adage Capital. He discusses how his experiences led to WellWithAll, a health and wellness company that donates 20% of profits to health equity initiatives.“WellWithAll, it's a Newman's Own 2.0, if you will, where we take 20% of our profits of everything that we sell and use it to help society in those areas around health equity that are so desperately needed in the moment,” says Martin.

Hillary Clinton recently testified behind closed doors before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, chaired by James Comer, about her knowledge of and connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Her testimony took place at her home in Chappaqua, New York. Clinton stated under oath that she had never met, encountered, or interacted with Jeffrey Epstein — a claim Hawk examines against the documented record showing Epstein visited the Clinton White House 17 times over eight years, and that Epstein provided the first $500,000 in seed money that launched the Clinton Global Initiative. The House Republicans who subpoenaed the Clintons did so even as Donald Trump's name appears in the Epstein files more than one million times — a fact Hawk points out with some emphasis. The conversation shifts to 1998 and the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal — a scandal still named after the 21-year-old unpaid intern rather than the sitting president who used the power of his office. Hawk highlights that the most prominent white feminists of that era, including Gloria Steinem, chose to defend Bill Clinton rather than stand with Monica Lewinsky — drawing a direct parallel to figures like Pam Bondi and Ghislaine Maxwell as enablers who protect powerful men at the expense of women. The testimony also reportedly included Republican questions about Pizzagate, raising questions about the seriousness and intent of the committee's line of inquiry. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB

Part 1:We talk with Harvey Kronberg ,publisher of the Quorum Report, the oldest political newsletter in TX.We discuss the early primaries in Texas now ongoing. We discuss the status of Republican primary candidates, and the Democratic primary candidates. Texans do no have to declare prior to actual voting which party they participate in. We also discuss the role of the governor, Greg Abbott, in the primaries, even though he is not on the ballot himself. Part 2: We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson. Bill Curry was a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House. He has written for Salon, the Daily Beast, the Huffington Post and the Hartford Courant and has provided commentary on National Public Radio, MSNBC and many other news outlets. Harold Meyerson is editor at large of The American Prospect.We discuss the State of the Union speech and the poor performance of Democrats who did not take the opportunity to challenge Trump's lies and fabrications. To be so passive in the face of obvious mendacity is a poor showing. WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: "That's how every empire falls. "John Pine,   2015

So friends, can I ask you a quick question? When you think of Washington, DC, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Politics? The nation's capital? Maybe, a city where somehow we still have taxation without representation?DC has the Congress. It has the executive branch. It has the judiciary. All populated by federal government employees. All public servants. In a very real sense, DC is like the national hub for public service.The person who said that she views DC as a city of service is Kinney Zalesne. And Kinney is now running to be represent the people of DC in Congress. Kinney is running to be DC's delegate to Congress, and I sat down with Kinney to ask her why she wants to represent people of DC in Congress, and why she views DC as a city of service.Kinney Zalesne came to DC in 1995 for what was supposed to be a short stint in the Clinton White House. But she fell in love with the city, and for 30 years has never wanted to live anywhere else. She and her husband Scott have raised four kids here and been active in the community, serving in leadership positions in DC's schools, pools, parks, and nonprofits.DC gave Kinney opportunities to work across government, business, and the nonprofit sector. After serving as a White House Fellow with Vice President Gore, Kinney was Counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno at the US Department of Justice. She later helped lead the Strategy team at Microsoft. She has rolled up her sleeves in our neighborhoods, where she served as President of College Summit, a global-award-winning nonprofit, founded in a basement in Adams Morgan. College Summit helps students from low-income backgrounds go to college. Kinney was also Board Chair of a school in Ward 4 that doubled in enrollment during her tenure. And most recently, Kinney served as Deputy National Finance Chair of the DNC and National Co-Chair of Women for Harris.Of all those roles, Kinney's favorite was being President of College Summit (now called Peer Forward). The organization's mission was to make sure that every student who could make it IN college made it TO college. Kinney built large-scale, diverse, powerful coalitions across the District and then the nation to make sure tens of thousands of local students got the opportunities they deserved. Kinney's skills and experiences are what DC needs now. She will build a broad-based, lasting, nationwide coalition of people to defend DC and ensure we remain a safe, affordable, and healthy place to live. Find Kinney at: https://www.kinneyfordc.comFind Glenn on Substack: glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So friends, can I ask you a quick question? When you think of Washington, DC, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Politics? The nation's capital? Maybe, a city where somehow we still have taxation without representation?DC has the Congress. It has the executive branch. It has the judiciary. All populated by federal government employees. All public servants. In a very real sense, DC is like the national hub for public service.The person who said that she views DC as a city of service is Kinney Zalesne. And Kinney is now running to be represent the people of DC in Congress. Kinney is running to be DC's delegate to Congress, and I sat down with Kinney to ask her why she wants to represent people of DC in Congress, and why she views DC as a city of service.Kinney Zalesne came to DC in 1995 for what was supposed to be a short stint in the Clinton White House. But she fell in love with the city, and for 30 years has never wanted to live anywhere else. She and her husband Scott have raised four kids here and been active in the community, serving in leadership positions in DC's schools, pools, parks, and nonprofits.DC gave Kinney opportunities to work across government, business, and the nonprofit sector. After serving as a White House Fellow with Vice President Gore, Kinney was Counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno at the US Department of Justice. She later helped lead the Strategy team at Microsoft. She has rolled up her sleeves in our neighborhoods, where she served as President of College Summit, a global-award-winning nonprofit, founded in a basement in Adams Morgan. College Summit helps students from low-income backgrounds go to college. Kinney was also Board Chair of a school in Ward 4 that doubled in enrollment during her tenure. And most recently, Kinney served as Deputy National Finance Chair of the DNC and National Co-Chair of Women for Harris.Of all those roles, Kinney's favorite was being President of College Summit (now called Peer Forward). The organization's mission was to make sure that every student who could make it IN college made it TO college. Kinney built large-scale, diverse, powerful coalitions across the District and then the nation to make sure tens of thousands of local students got the opportunities they deserved. Kinney's skills and experiences are what DC needs now. She will build a broad-based, lasting, nationwide coalition of people to defend DC and ensure we remain a safe, affordable, and healthy place to live. Find Kinney at: https://www.kinneyfordc.comFind Glenn on Substack: glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christopher Fulton's journey began with the death of Evelyn Lincoln, late secretary to President John F. Kennedy. Through Lincoln, crucial evidence ended up in Christopher's hands—evidence that was going to be used to facilitate a new future for America. But the U.S. government's position was clear: that evidence had to be confiscated and classified, and the truth hidden away from the public. Christopher was sent to federal prison for years under a sealed warrant and indictment. The Inheritance, Christopher's personal narrative, shares insider information from his encounters with the Russian Government, President Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, the Clinton White House, the U.S. Justice Department, the Secret Service, and the Kennedy family themselves. It reveals the true intentions of Evelyn Lincoln and her secret promise to Robert Kennedy—and Christopher's secret promise to John F. Kennedy Jr. The Inheritance explodes with history-changing information and answers the questions Americans are still asking, while pulling them through a gauntlet of some of the worst prisons this country has to offer. This book thrillingly exposes the reality of American power, and sheds light on the dark corners of current corruption within the executive branch and the justice and prison systems.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Josh Levine is the Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Color More Lines, a boutique e-commerce consulting firm that helps brands accelerate growth on Amazon and Walmart by providing a white-glove, performance-based service. Under Josh's leadership, Color More Lines has scaled brands to impressive growth, leveraging a team of experienced e-commerce experts and helping clients navigate the world's leading retail platforms.  With a diverse background spanning government, technology, and entertainment, Josh has held roles at Microsoft and Disney. He is known for his growth strategy expertise and dynamic career journey, which includes working at the White House before launching successful tech ventures. He is also the Managing Partner at Growth Avenue, an advisory firm helping entrepreneurial CEOs scale smarter, exit faster, and win defining moments.  In this episode… Many professionals want to build meaningful relationships with influential leaders, but figuring out how to break through can feel overwhelming. When your career spans politics, global tech companies, and entrepreneurship, the stakes — and the lessons —mrise even higher. What does it actually take to turn unexpected challenges into long-term success and lasting connections? Josh Levine, an expert in e-commerce growth and strategic partnerships, learned this firsthand. Early experiences — from being kicked out of a baseball card convention at 13 to navigating fast-paced work in the Clinton White House — taught Josh how adaptability and genuine rapport open doors. Josh later drove major initiatives at Disney and Microsoft, including negotiating the first Google–Microsoft collaboration, before weathering the unpredictable world of Silicon Valley startups.  Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast as John Corcoran interviews Josh Levine, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Color More Lines, about forging meaningful industry connections. Josh also discusses navigating major career pivots, lessons from high-pressure roles, and how curiosity fuels innovation in a rapidly changing landscape.

part one: Taylor Goldenstein is a state bureau reporter at the Houston Chronicle.How a Texas group is positioning itself as a Republican alternative to teachers unions Texas Legislature launches new investigating committees for July 4 floods. part two:Ryan Cooper is the Prospect's managing editor,Bill Curry  was a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House. ets.  we discuss this and more:Full-blown Fascism Has Arrived in America as the Pentagon Expels the Press 

part one: Jaden Edison is the public education reporter for The Texas TribuneChristian activist David Barton will advise Texas State Board of Education during social studies overhaulpart two:Robert Hennelly Award-winning investigative journalist, broadcast and print reporter for more than 30 yearsBob is the acting General Manager of WBAI in NYC.Bill Curry  political commentator was a CT state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House. topics:One detainee dead, two critically wounded after shooting at Dallas ICE facility FBI Director Kash Patel said an anti-ICE message was found on an unspent shell casing.from X Aaron Ruper (former editor at VOX) "This is the fishiest stuff I've ever seen. We're supposed to believe the shooter wrote "Anti-ICE" in pen on a bullet and then shot detainees but not ICE officers?"nh UN speech: This Might Be Trump's Most Bonkers Speech 

Who really controls the UFO narrative?This episode of the Deep Dive Podcast explores the shadowy networks behind decades of secrecy, manipulation, and controlled disclosure. From the 1980s Aviary to the modern TTSA initiative, we trace how scientists, intelligence officials, and even rock stars have shaped public understanding of the phenomenon—often from behind the curtain.We begin with Bill Moore, whose bestselling book “The Roswell Incident” reignited public interest in crash retrievals. But Moore's success made him a target. Just days before publication, he was approached by a figure known only as “Falcon,” offering classified information. Moore accepted—and soon found himself promoting the infamous MJ-12 documents, which remain controversial to this day.Was Moore being used? The Paul Bennewitz affair suggests so. Bennewitz, a scientist near Kirtland Air Force Base, began intercepting strange signals and believed he was tracking alien craft. In reality, he was detecting classified military tests. Rather than confront him directly, the Air Force fed him disinformation—wild stories about treaties, underground bases, and abductions. Moore later admitted he was part of that operation, passing along misleading information to protect national security.This pattern—using civilian researchers to leak, shape, or distort the narrative—didn't end with Moore. It evolved. Fast forward to 2016, and Tom DeLonge, frontman of Blink-182, steps into the role. His organization, To the Stars Academy (TTSA), was staffed with former intelligence and aerospace insiders. Their goal? Managed disclosure. TTSA became a corporate vehicle for revealing UAP information outside government channels.But the launch wasn't smooth. A PR blunder involving a misidentified balloon photo cast early doubt. Still, TTSA's roster was impressive: Luis Elizondo, Chris Mellon, Jim Semivan. These weren't fringe believers—they were seasoned operatives. And they believed the public deserved to know more.Behind these efforts lies the “invisible college,” a term coined by Jacques Vallée and J. Allen Hynek. It refers to an informal network of researchers, scientists, and intelligence officials who operate outside traditional oversight. Figures like Kit Green (Blue Jay) and Ron Pandolfi (Pelican) exemplify this. Green, a CIA analyst, managed the “weird desk,” overseeing investigations into UFOs and psychic phenomena. Pandolfi, often described as the CIA's UFO gatekeeper, reportedly briefed the Clinton White House during the Rockefeller disclosure push.These individuals weren't just theorizing—they were studying experiencers. Green, Puthoff, and Nolan began looking for biological markers: unique DNA, brain anomalies, signs of heightened intuition. The hypothesis? Some people might be biologically tuned to perceive the phenomenon—antenna brains, if you will.And the phenomenon itself? It may be more than craft. Hal Puthoff described symbols appearing at Skinwalker Ranch—deliberate signs, not random events. Bigelow echoed this, calling the phenomenon a game, a messaging system. It's not just about propulsion—it's about interaction.This reframes the entire debate. If the phenomenon is consciousness-linked, then disclosure isn't just about revealing documents. It's about confronting a truth that may be, as Jim Semivan put it, “indigestible.” Not because it's too strange, but because it challenges our fundamental understanding of reality.So who's best equipped to tackle this? Maybe not just generals and engineers. Maybe it's time for psychologists, philosophers, and experiencers to take the lead. #ufo #ufotwitter #disinformation #President

part one:Trump Says America's Oil Industry Is Cleaner Than Other Countries'. New Data Shows Massive Emissions From Texas Wells The oil industry touts Texas as a success story in controlling climate-warming methane emissions. The state's regulator, however, grants nearly every request to burn or vent gas into the atmosphere.reporter: Martha Pskowski covers climate change and the environment in Texas from her base in El Paso. part two:24 years since 9-11the assassination of Charlie Kirkthe state of the US economya conversation with:Bill Curry  was a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House.Harold Meyerson is editor at large of The American Prospect.

In this episode we explore the many, many trips that Jeffrey Epstein took to the White House to visit then President Bill Clinton and according to a new report, he wasn't alone bringing up to 8 female companions with him on these trips. Not only that, but during the time that Epstein and Maxwell were most active visiting the white house, they were also actively running a trafficking operation according to Maxwell's conviction. The question now becomes...will the legacy media care?(Commercial at 19:06)To contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comSource:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10394863/Jeffrey-Epstein-brought-eight-women-Clinton-White-House.htmlBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

In this episode we explore the many, many trips that Jeffrey Epstein took to the White House to visit then President Bill Clinton and according to a new report, he wasn't alone bringing up to 8 female companions with him on these trips. Not only that, but during the time that Epstein and Maxwell were most active visiting the white house, they were also actively running a trafficking operation according to Maxwell's conviction. The question now becomes...will the legacy media care? (Commercial at 19:06)To contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comSource:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10394863/Jeffrey-Epstein-brought-eight-women-Clinton-White-House.htmlBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Lt. Col. Robert Buzz” Patterson exposes the terrifying, behind-the-scenes story of the years when the most irresponsible President in our history had his finger on the nuclear trigger. Dereliction of Duty is the inside story of the damage Bill Clinton did to the U.S. military and how he compromised our national security. From his laughable salutes, to his arrogant, anti-military staffers, the message came through loud and clear: the Clinton Administration had nothing but contempt for America's men and women in uniform.For two years, Patterson was the White House military aide who carried the nuclear football,” which provides the President with remote nuclear strike capabilities. What he witnessed is shocking. In Dereliction of Duty, Patterson reveals:How Clinton missed a golden opportunity to take out Osama bin Laden long before September 11, 2001Why a minor family matter” caused the Clintons to scramble a military jetHow a young Clinton staffer tried to divert a full Navy carrier battle group just so the President could have a photo-opWhy female stewards on Air Force One had to keep their distance from the PresidentBut that's not all. Colonel Patterson reveals that Clinton treated our nation's most sensitive secrets and powerful weapons with cavalier disregard, while his aides regarded the military as just another tool for domestic politics.Dereliction of Duty is the book every American concerned about our national security has been waiting forwritten by a military man who was an eyewitness inside the Clinton White House, and who can no longer in good conscience keep silent.https://amzn.to/462zE9fBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Part 1:We talk with Robert Arnold, known in many circles as Defiance 13 ..he writes poetry and prose that speaks to hope defiance and revolution.We discuss who the Founders were, and their political beliefs. How does this translate to today?Part 2: We talk with Bill Curry and Robert Hockett.Bill Curry was a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House.Robert Hockett is an American lawyer, law professor, and policy advocate he teaches legal, financial and some philosophical subjects at Cornell University in New York, where he is the Edward Cornell Professor of Law and a Professor of Public Policy.How do we practice politics? Why?WNHMFM.ORG  productionMusic: David Rovics

Chris Lehane has a solid gold resume in professional politics: consultant and oppo research in the Clinton White House, Press Secretary to VP Al Gore, and the source of the report on the "vast right wing conspiracy" so infamously cited by Hillary Clinton. Lehane also handles a wide array of corporate, Labor, entertainment and sports clients. Until recently he was Head of Global Policy and Public Affairs for Airbnb, and since 2024 has been VP of Global Affairs and a member of the executive team at OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence organization based in San Francisco. Lehane joined us to talk about the opportunities and dangers of this fascinating new technology and to make the case for the importance of California maintaining its role as a global leader in AI.Plus - who had the Worst Week in California Politics?1:26 Capitol Weekly this week4:53 The Top 100 is coming!10:23 Chris Lehane11:32 What is Open Ai?14:25 Fastest growing internet platform15:29 Ai to benefit humanity16:17 Impact on jobs17:01 Ai is going to change everything - on the level with electricity, fire and the wheel22:24 "Building democracy in at the front end"25:36 Educating lawmakers about Ai28:17 Twenty percent of Californians now use Open Ai30:01 How do legislators set up guardrails?33:47 The "Big Beautiful Bill" precludes state Ai legislation - will it pass?  Should it?39:28 Competition between US and China41:21 End on a high note: California is the leader in Ai43:01 The Red Flag Law45:45 #WWCAWant to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

Have you ever felt like the very identity that defined you was becoming a straightjacket? That the career path, role, or persona you'd so carefully crafted suddenly felt constraining rather than purposeful? If so, you've likely experienced the disorienting - yet potentially catalyzing - transition I'm exploring with my guest today. I'm joined by Laura Gassner Otting. As an author, speaker, and entrepreneur who helped innovate AmeriCorps in the Clinton White House, she's intimately familiar with the psychological terrain one must navigate when shedding an old identity to birth the next evolution. Her new book "Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life" provides a roadmap for this journey. *** And before we dive in, a quick note on the state of the show.  So we have been in a season of reimagining here at Spark HQ, taking a look at what we're doing and why, how we're serving, and how best to keep serving you in the future. And as we do that, we've decided to take some time and place the show on hiatus while we deepen into new ideas and formats and ways to keep sharing the awakened work-life love.  So this will be the final episode as we head into a quieter season of incubation and reimagining. We appreciate you coming along for the ride with us, and really look forward to being back with new ways to share new ideas.  *** Find: Laura Gassner Otting   Website  |  Books Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast & the Sparketype® Assessment Read Jonathan's Awake at the Wheel Newsletter More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website Presented by LinkedIn.

Part 1:We talk with Harvey Kronberg, publisher of the Quorum Report of Texas.We discuss Trump's opinion of Juneteenth.We review the role of Elon Musk in Austin.The immigration raids in the US are continuing.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Susan Milligan.Susan Milliganis a political writer and former White House and congressional correspondent for theBoston Globe,U.S. News and World Report, and theNew York Daily News.Contributingeditor oftor.comBill Currywas a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House. He has written for Salon, the Daily Beast, the HuffingtonPost and the HartfordCourant and has provided commentary on National Public Radio, MSNBC and many other news outlets.topics:Trump's need for attention.Who is running the government? Trump? Miller? war hawks? isolationists? Netanyahu?Americans increasingly less safe?The massive turnout for No Kings Day across the country. WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: David Rovic

Part 1:We talk with Joe Jaworski, a third-generation Texas trial attorney and former Mayor of Galveston, Texas.We discuss the various "bans" in Texas being instituted at the behest of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.We also discuss the home insurance situation in Texas, where fewer than half of all claims are not paid by the insurers.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Robert Hennelly.Bill Currywas a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House.Robert Hennellyis an Award-winning investigative journalist, broadcast and print reporter for more than 30 years, covering federal, state and local politics, public policy, labor, the environment, law enforcement and national security.We discuss the likelihood of protests in Washington D.C. during the military parade. Trump is looking for an excuse to 'come down hard' on those who disagree with him.  What should be the strategy?  WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: Beach Boys, "California Girls", in honor of Brian Wilson

Part 1:We talk with Derek Kelly, a recent Chief of Staff for the Texas Democratic Party, and now works for the Harris County Justice of the Peace.We discuss Texas politics. We specifically focus on the upcoming elections to the US Senate, where Cornyn is being challenged by Ken Paxton.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Ryan Cooper. Bill Curry was a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House. Ryan Cooper is the Prospects managing editor, and author of 'How Are You Going to Pay for That?'We discuss the Trump and Musk disagreement. This show "privatized politics" and the tension between the elected leader versus the rule of corporations.  WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: David Rovics

Part 1:We talk with Anjeannette Damont, who covers government accountability issues at the local, state and federal level in the Southwest. At Pro Publica, her work has included uncovering COVID-19 testing contracts awarded to the Nevada governors friends with disastrous results, documenting how a city council empowered a wealthy developer to raze motels and displace hundreds of low-income residents, and investigating how the countrys largest house-flipping company cashed in on homeowners desperation. Prior to Pro Publica, she was a government watchdog reporter and regional investigative editor for the USA Today Network.We discuss the damage done by a We Buy Ugly Houses Franchise Left a Trail of Financial Wreckage Across Texashttps://www.propublica.org/article/homevestors-fraud-charles-carrier-texasPart 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson.Bill Curry was a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House. He has written for Salon, the Daily Beast, the Huffington Post and the Hartford Courant and has provided commentary on National Public Radio, MSNBC and many other news outlets.Harold Meyerson is editor at large of The American Prospect.We discuss how Trump uses policy as a political weapon. The 'bait and switch' approach that gets voters' attention for popular issues, on which he never delivers, but for which he takes credit.We also discuss the Qatar government's 'gift' to Trump of a $4 M airplane. WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: David Rovics 

Part 1:We talk with Joe Jaworsksi, a third-generation Texas trial attorney and former Mayor of Galveston, Texas. He has served as a law clerk to the United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit, and he has spent over 30 years in private practice as a trial attorney, mediator, and legal commentator. and can be heard on KPFT in Houston TX Tuesday mornings at 9:30am The Midterms.We discuss the political landscape in Texas. Ken Paxton is running for US Senate, to replace John Cornyn. Paxton is targeting Latino Democrats legally.For the first time, Trump's approval rating on the economy is low in Texas. This appears to be due to tariffs and other price shocks. Infrastructure for any new manufacturing is being neglected.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Jamie Rowen.Bill Curry was a Connecticut state senator, comptroller and two time Democratic nominee for governor who served as Counselor to the President in the Clinton White House. He has written for Salon, the Daily Beast, the Huffington Post and the Hartford Courant and has provided commentary on National Public Radio, MSNBC and many other news outlets.Dr. Rowen is an associate professor of Legal Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and the founding director of UMass' Center for Justice, Law, and Societies. Her work focuses on both domestic and international criminal law. Her book, Worthy of Justice: The Politics of Veterans Treatment Courts in Practice, is forthcoming with Stanford University Press in December 2025.We discuss the corruption endemic to the US now with the Trump White House leading the way. NH has now adopted a crypto currency reserve into its budget, the first in the nation to do so, likely to be followed by other states.Cuts to research projects under NIH and other agencies has created a pool of "Research refugees" who are leaving for other countries to continue their research. This will have dire consequences for US leadership in many technologies in future. Music: David RovicsWNHNFM.ORG  production 

The Hacks are back, and so is the economy's latest identity crisis. This week, Heilemann and Murphy are joined by veteran political strategist and former Clinton White House advisor Doug Sosnik! The Hacks break down the tariff wars, Wall Street's reaction to Trump, the Tesla chainsaw massacre, government waste, the art of friendly media, and much more. Buckle up for some classic Hackery!

Bill and Hillary Clinton have a relationship with Epstein that goes back to at least 1993. In this episode we talk about the pictures showing Epstein and Maxwell at the White House for a visit while Bill was president.(Commercial at 15:59)To contact me:Bobbycapucci@protonmail.comSource:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9509147/Bill-Clinton-grins-Jeffrey-Epstein-Ghislaine-Maxwell-VIP-White-House-tour-1993.html

It was clunky, and a little Office Space-like. And it cut federal jobs. But then-Vice President Al Gore's "REGO" program was different in many ways from "DOGE" -The 1993 program was bipartisan, considered [cuts were identified, then made, in that order. And it was slow, and generated little protest. It did generate tension in the Clinton White House, which we get into. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill and Hillary Clinton have a relationship with Epstein that goes back to at least 1993. In this episode we talk about the pictures showing Epstein and Maxwell at the White House for a visit while Bill was president.(Commercial at 15:59)To contact me:Bobbycapucci@protonmail.comSource:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9509147/Bill-Clinton-grins-Jeffrey-Epstein-Ghislaine-Maxwell-VIP-White-House-tour-1993.htmlBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

In this episode we explore the many, many trips that Jeffrey Epstein took to the White House to visit then President Bill Clinton and according to a new report, he wasn't alone bringing up to 8 female companions with him on these trips. Not only that, but during the time that Epstein and Maxwell were most active visiting the white house, they were also actively running a trafficking operation according to Maxwell's conviction. The question now becomes...will the legacy media care? (Commercial at 19:06)To contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comSource:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10394863/Jeffrey-Epstein-brought-eight-women-Clinton-White-House.html

In this episode we explore the many, many trips that Jeffrey Epstein took to the White House to visit then President Bill Clinton and according to a new report, he wasn't alone bringing up to 8 female companions with him on these trips. Not only that, but during the time that Epstein and Maxwell were most active visiting the white house, they were also actively running a trafficking operation according to Maxwell's conviction. The question now becomes...will the legacy media care?(Commercial at 19:06)To contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comSource:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10394863/Jeffrey-Epstein-brought-eight-women-Clinton-White-House.htmlshow lessBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Today, Sam Cooper, founder of the news outlet The Bureau, guest hosts Christopher Meyer, a former U.S. official and China expert during the Bush One and Two Administrations. Meyer currently serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and founded Wide Fountain, a platform for in-depth geopolitical analysis.  In this the second of a two-part episode, Sam and Christopher discuss PRC strategic corruption and political warfare. So, let's get started.  Sam Cooper's The Bureau: https://www.thebureau.news/ Christopher Meyer's Wide Fountain platform: https://widefountain.substack.com/ --- One CA is a product of the civil affairs association a and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on the ground with a partner nation's people and leadership. We aim to inspire anyone interested in working in the "last three feet" of U.S. foreign relations.  To contact the show, email us at CApodcasting@gmail.com  or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www civilaffairsassoc.org --- Great news! Feedspot, the podcast industry ranking system rated One CA Podcast as one of the top 10 shows on foreign policy. Check it out at: https://podcast.feedspot.com/foreign_policy_podcasts/ --- Special thanks to Cozy Ambience for a sample of "February Cafe Jazz - Instrumental Bossa Nova Music for Work, Study and Relax - Background Music" retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmq8Ht-sNwQ --- Today, Sam Cooper, founder of the news outlet The Bureau, guest hosts Christopher Meyer, a former U.S. official and China expert during the Bush One and Two Administrations. Meyer currently serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and founded Wide Fountain, a platform for in-depth geopolitical analysis.  In this the first of a two-part episode, Sam and Christopher discuss PRC strategic corruption and political warfare. So, let's get started.  Sam Cooper's The Bureau: https://www.thebureau.news/ Christopher Meyer's Wide Fountain platform: https://widefountain.substack.com/ --- One CA is a product of the civil affairs association a and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on the ground with a partner nation's people and leadership. We aim to inspire anyone interested in working in the "last three feet" of U.S. foreign relations.  To contact the show, email us at CApodcasting@gmail.com  or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www civilaffairsassoc.org --- Special thanks to Cozy Ambience for a sample of "February Cafe Jazz - Instrumental Bossa Nova Music for Work, Study and Relax - Background Music" retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmq8Ht-sNwQ --- Transcript 00:00:01    Introduction Welcome to the One CA Podcast. This is your host, Jack Gaines. One CA is a product of the Civil Affairs Association and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on ground with the partner nation's people and leadership. Our goal is to inspire anyone interested in working the last three feet of foreign relations. To contact the show, email us at capodcasting@gmail.com. or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www.civilaffairsassoc.org. I'll have those in the show notes. Today we welcome Sam Cooper, founder of the news outlet The Bureau, as he interviews Christopher Meyer, a former U.S. 00:00:44    SAM COOPER official and China expert during the Bush I and II administrations. Meyer currently serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of Wide Fountain. a platform for in -depth geopolitical analysis. This is the first of a two -part episode. Sam and Christopher discuss PRC strategic corruption and political warfare. So let's get started. 00:01:07    SAM COOPER Today I'm excited to introduce Chris Myers. Chris is a longtime China expert and former U .S. government diplomatic and economic issues officer, and he explains how military intelligence and influence networks embedded deeply with organized crime are a central feature of the global strategy employed by the families that really are running communist China. And when I say that, we're going to discuss your research on the family of Xi Jinping, the Xi family, and you call it the Yezi clique. But first, tell our viewers your background in getting into China and your career. 00:01:46    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Thank you very much, Sam. I started a keen interest in China when I was 16. And I read the history of the opium wars and I was outraged. And I decided I wanted a career to be involved in business and diplomacy between the U .S. and China. And then as an undergrad student, I did research on the special economic zones. This was in the early 80s and the special economic zones were just announced. And my research led me to see the geopolitical aspects. There were some. across from Macau, across from Hong Kong, and across from Taiwan. So I sort of had an eye to that. And then I did business. I was, for five years, I was with a Fortune 500 company. And I had the opportunity to do some business in Xiaomon. And I saw some things that set off alarm bells in my mind. And I kind of filed that. And I had some experiences that informed my research later. I worked in the government in Bush 1 and Bush 2. I was involved in Indo -Pacific affairs. really helping American companies do business in the region, and then became a consultant to part of the government that administered our territories in the Pacific. So I saw some things there that, again, set off alarm bells in my mind. And in 2016, I happened to cross an old colleague who kind of gave me some more information. And basically from 2016 until 2022, I conducted a lot of independent research. I decided I wanted to know exactly what was going on because proxies in the region seemed emboldened to take on the U .S. And they didn't have a government portfolio, but they acted like they did. And so my research sort of started in Micronesia. I had the great opportunity to come across your book. You totally informed. parts of what I was looking at and kind of put the spotlight on what happened in Canada. And I kind of worked the two sides to the middle and conducted most recently research that kind of takes us from Mao Zedong's death until the 90s. And I believe that there was a click. I call it the yes, she click. There were scores to settle. There were powerful families that were on the cusp of greatness or recognition for all their good work, and they were purged. And it led some individuals to become extremely militant in their conduct of political warfare against the U .S. So that sort of sets the table for what we might be talking about. 00:04:28    SAM COOPER Yeah. So to get into this, let's start with the Ye family. They're mysterious, but for experts, they're very clearly a clan that has tremendous kingmaking power in China. So maybe let's start with who they are and then bridge into how they connect with Xi's father. 00:04:46    CHRISTOPHER MEYER So the patriarch, Lie Jianying, was literally the kingmaker of Mao Zedong. He came from Guangdong province, and he was involved in the very earliest movements of the Communist Party in China. And he fled one of those, I think it was the Guangzhou uprising, with Zhou Enlai, and they escaped to Hong Kong. So Ye Jianying is one of the original revolutionaries in China, and he had the title of Marshal Ye. And when he crossed paths with Mao Zedong, he was actually the aide -de -camp to a very powerful Communist Party operator out of Beijing who had an army of tens of thousands. And he rolled up to Mao and his very small group of long marchers and said, follow us, we're going to Sichuan province. And Mao was like, no, I don't think that's a safe bet. The locals are going to tear you up. And Ye Jianying kind of heard a truth in Mao and he deserted this powerful general and with him brought the code books. So Mao gets Ye Jianying and the code books and he's able to communicate with the Comintern. And lo and behold, that general did get wiped out in Sichuan. He returned to Mao's base. With a few thousand troops from then, Mao became the most powerful leader in the communist ecosystem. So Ye Jianying had a very high regard for Mao. Mao called him the savior of the Communist Party and the Communist Revolution. And so fast forward it right through the revolution. Ye gets a very top position as the party secretary for Guangdong province, the largest and economically most powerful province in the country. And Mao wants to conduct his land reform in Guangdong, just as he does everywhere. And it's a violent thing where landowners are hunted down and put to death. Yeah, because he was a native Cantonese, understood that the landowners in Guangdong were not of the same ilk as those throughout China. They actually worked the lands. They had a very cooperative relationship with labor. And he tried to resist. But Mao forced Lin Biao into Guangdong. And Ye lost his government role. And if he hadn't been in the military, he would have been completely out of power. But because he had a military portfolio, he was able to stay on the peripheries. And he was actually part of the small group that brought down the Gang of Four and ended the Cultural Revolution. So Ye Jianying went through the Mao Zedong grinder, but he did it so early in the 50s that he was able to... maintain power and have it going forward. Another Long March hero was Xi Jinping's father, Xi Zhong Chun. And his claim to fame in the Communist Party was he maintained security over the area where Mao was camped in Yan 'an. And he was able to provide Mao and his group with enough security that they could camp there through a winter and survive. Not only that, but he negotiated and he conducted diplomacy with the tribesmen in the Northwest, in Qinghai, in Xinjiang, and in Tibet. And he was loved. And he got a lot of rebels and insurgents among these minority populations to join the Communist Party. And Mao gave him great profs for that and referred to him as one of the heroes of the Three Kingdoms period. brilliant statesman who was able to ingratiate with the minorities and make them part of the Chinese nation. Unfortunately, though, Xi Jinping's father, Xi Zhongchun, he was purged, but he was purged later. He was purged in 1962. And from Xi Jinping's age nine until he was 25, Xi Jinping's father was under arrest. Without trial, it was just the culture revolution. He was under arrest because his office published a book that was deemed not flattering to Mao Zedong. Basically, he was promoting some thought within the Communist Party that Mao didn't like. So Xi's father is in jail from 62 to 78. And because Ye Senior and Xi Zhongchun had a relationship, Ye Jianying kind of became a godfather of sorts for Xi Jinping. Xi was sent to work in the countryside and he escaped and he tried to get back to Beijing and it wasn't safe for him to be reunited with his family. And Ye intervened. And Ye made sure that Xi joined the Communist Party, even though these tragedies were all around him, and made sure that he got the semblance of an education, although he really never did. He was a guide for Xi Jinping throughout his younger years. in place of his father. 00:10:02    Sam Cooper Before we continue how those families dovetail together, can you describe in China's political economy, what is the power of Marshal Ye? 00:10:13    CHRISTOPHER MEYER So in the 50s, he was jettisoned out of the political arena. His main work was in the PLA. He was a marshal and he became minister of defense in China. And he was responsible for procurement. And to sort of give you a sense, when the Korean War started, the United Nations put a blockade on trade with China because they were arming the North Korean army. Marshal Yeh was responsible for making sure that supplies got to North Korea. And that was a big role that he fulfilled. And his sons kind of brought that along. So it's curious because Marshal Yeh was one of the most powerful stars in the communist lineup, but he was also a minority. He was from Guangdong and he was a Haka Chinese. So some people would say that Haka Chinese within China, there's a lid sometimes on their ability to move up. And so perhaps he was never considered for the echelon, but he did arise very high. But in some ways, and his sons adopted this even more so, they had to become very combative. in their political dealings. But no doubt about it, Marshal Yeh had a chance to handle huge volumes of military supplies, and there was an opportunity to skim and generate great wealth, which probably was the case. The way that Marshal Yeh fulfilled the supply chains for the North Korean army was through organized crime. And it just happened that two of The individuals, Henry Falk and Stanley Ho, were also Hakka Chinese. And they became the kingpins of organized crime in Hong Kong and Macau. Both of them are on record as saying they made their fortunes supplying the Korean War. 00:12:15    SAM COOPER Right. So people that read my book are very familiar with Stanley Ho, according to U .S. government intelligence. the absolute king of Chinese international mafia with connectivity to casinos, banking, political influence operations in Canada, triad leadership in Canada. So I think we've set the table for the 90s in Guangdong, Fujian. Xi Jinping is now starting to come on the scene politically there. The Ye family, who were partners essentially of Xi's father. had a little bit of a godfather eye on Xi's movements within the party. We can say that they're the power behind a throne that they want to see continue to rise. So can you take us into the 90s, the sort of Stanley Ho connectivity to Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and how that combines the Hong Kong tycoons slash triad leaders with the communist powers in Fujian? 00:13:21    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Yes. Mao passed away in 78. Deng Xiaoping came to power. And Deng was all about economic reform and catching up to the West. So in southern China, Fujian and Guangdong province, Deng looked to Ye Jenying and his sons. His sons were in their 30s now. And he also looked to Xi Zhongshan. Xi Zhongshan became party secretary for Guangdong province. in the early 80s. And Deng kind of put together this group. The Ye's and the Xi's were family friends. They celebrated Chinese holidays together. The Xi's were northern Chinese, but they kind of encamped in Guangdong province after a certain amount of time. And that's where Xi's father retired. But in Guangdong, the son of Ye, his name was Ye Xuanping. Basically, he was mayor of Guangzhou and the governor of Guangdong. And very quickly, he was referred to as the emperor of the south. So in the 80s, he was running Guangdong province. And he became so powerful that the CCP sought to have him step down. And he actually threatened to withhold tax to Beijing from the province of Guangdong unless they negotiated with him. He wanted a vice chair of the CPPCC, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee. And he wants to be a vice governor of the CPPCC. And he wanted to be allowed to maintain his power base in Guangdong. And this is a rare case where the CCP actually deferred to these wishes. Just to get him out of running the most powerful province in China, they said okay. So he goes over the CPPCC. And he takes with him the kingpins of organized crime in Hong Kong and Macau. Stanley Ho never had a position, but Henry Falk and the other top lieutenants in these organized crime entities all wound up on the CPPCC. And to give you a sense of like, what was some of the magic Stanley Ho had when he won the monopoly on gaming in Macau? He devised this VIP room concept where... He owned the casino, but the VIP rooms were run by basically triads and junkets, powerful friends from mainland China and triads. And the triads conducted all kinds of crime that the Vancouver model got in a very big dose. So it was racketeering and prostitution and all kinds of things, but also collections. So Stanley Ho didn't have to work on collections because his muscle did it for him. But the strongest of these triad operators wound up in the CPPCC, as long as they were effective in what they were doing for the government. And 14K is dominated by Hakka Chinese. Most of the most powerful triads have a very strong Hakka element to it. And I don't mean to suggest that this wonderful race of Chinese called Hakkas is all bad. Lee Kuan Yew, the premier of Singapore, was Hakka Chinese. phenomenal Chinese, but there were also some very nefarious and very effective in their criminal activities that were Haka Chinese. So the Ye's were in the middle of this. And Chinese language social media accounts in Hong Kong will talk about the Ye's dominance over these gaming operators in Macau. 00:17:07    SAM COOPER Let's get into that and explore that more. I just want to ask a side question. As I'm aware of a very important figure, in what we call the Hoag Commission in Canada. I'm just going to leave it at that. This is our inquiry into foreign interference that stemmed from my investigative reporting. And there is a politician at the center of that that my sources close to them said went off to a haka conference in China for weeks or something like that, you know, while being an elected politician in Canada. Knowing what you know, and I'm just coming out of the blue with this question, is there anything good for Canada that they could be doing on that trip? 00:17:45    CHRISTOPHER MEYER There could be a lot of normal cultural activity, but I'll say one thing, that the powers that are doing the kinds of things that I'm concerned with are definitely represented in those groups. There might be a wink and a nod and things look very normal on the surface, but there's no free lunch in China. Everybody has to pay the piper, and the piper is the communist party of China. 00:18:11    SAM COOPER So let me ask you this. Viewers of the Bureau know that I've pressed away in journalism in explaining that the United Front Work Department and international money laundering and organized crime are synonymous. They're one and the same. The CIA says the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is really the core unit of the United Front. So what you're getting at... I think the Ye family, these power brokers that are behind Xi and his power in southern China, you're saying they essentially formed this United Front and organized crime compact as sort of a political tool, a smuggling tool, a military tool? 00:18:55    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Yes. And I want to say that the United Front was an early Communist Party creation. And the thing about the Communist Party... They infiltrated the Kuomintang. When the Kuomintang had more power and they were the power base in China, the communists used political warfare to infiltrate them and really become their undoing. And the United Front is basically one way to get all parts of society under the control of the CCP. So within the United Front, the CPPCC is sort of the big leagues. And all the other organizations are the feeder groups. So if you get in a small united front group and you deliver in a big way, you can get promoted all the way to this PCC. And Ong Lapsung is an example of that. So the whole idea of the united front is to harness and control all the resources from academia, the private sector. from all aspects of society and to make them work for the Communist Party. And I feel that any united front operation, and there's so many in Canada and the U .S., they should just be called assets of the Chinese government. That's one way for the Chinese to increase their headcount of diplomatic officers within any given country. 00:20:26    Close Thanks for listening. If you get a chance, please like and subscribe and rate the show on your favorite podcast platform. Also, if you're interested in coming on the show or hosting an episode, email us at capodcasting@gmail.com. I'll have the email and CA Association website in the show notes. And now, most importantly, to those currently out in the field working with a partner nation's people or leadership to forward U.S. relations, thank you all for what you're doing. your host. Stay tuned for more great episodes of One CA Podcast.   Episode 2 00:00:01    Introduction Welcome to the 1CA Podcast. This is your host, Jack Gaines. 1CA is a product of the Civil Affairs Association and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on ground with the partner nation's people and leadership. Our goal is to inspire anyone interested in working the last three feet of foreign relations. To contact the show, email us at capodcasting@gmail.com. or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www.civilaffairsassoc.org. I'll have those in the show notes. Today we welcome Sam Cooper, founder of the news outlet The Bureau, as he interviews Christopher Meyer, a former U .S. 00:00:44    Introduction official and China expert during the Bush 1 and 2 administrations. Meyer currently serves as the head of the U .S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of Wide Fountain. a platform for in -depth geopolitical analysis. This is the second of a two -part episode. Sam and Christopher discuss PRC strategic corruption and political warfare. So let's get started. 00:01:08    SAM COOPER I feel that any United Front operation, and there's so many in Canada and the U .S., they should just be called assets of the Chinese government. That's one way for the Chinese to increase their headcount of diplomatic officers within any given country. And they should be labeled that way and they should be treated that way. And they're conducting operations for China. So to get back to the Ye family, I just want to say very briefly, so Deng Xiaoping taps the older brother, Ye, and he's in the government and he has a nine, 10 -year run in Guangdong. The younger brother, his name is Ye Xuanning. He's the dangerous one. He's a real interesting cat. So, yeah. was in college during the Cultural Revolution. And just to give you an idea of the thin ice that you could be skating on in China, he graduated from college and he was thrown in jail. And he was thrown in jail because, you know, Mao wanted to send a signal to the Ye family, I'm in control here. You're not in control. He got out of jail and he had a job in a radio factory or something like that. And he must have been so distraught, he lost his arm in an accident. throwing boxes into a crusher and he lost his arm. So he became a calligrapher with his left hand. And if you know Chinese, like every time you write calligraphy, your hand is going across what you're writing. If you're left -handed, I don't know how he did it. I'm left -handed. And he became an accomplished calligrapher with his left hand. So it just gives you a sense of the spirit of this guy. He's not your normal. person. I think he was a genius. I think he was extremely hardworking. And one of his first positions, he was involved in a small United Front operation in Beijing. Then he became secretary for Kang Xian, who was sort of the head of the oil faction in China. And he was a very powerful individual. And then he found himself in Guangdong. And when his brother was appointed head of the province and the city of Guangzhou, He got into Espionade, and he became the spymaster for the PLA, working in the GDP. And he really had it. He sort of hit his stride there, and that's how he ended his career. The spymaster for the PLA. I think any other rival couldn't even hold a candle to him. He was totally gifted. And his brother and he were able to leverage all of their... contacts with organized crime because he used them in operations around the world. And I think he's the one who weaponized it to the point where, number one, organized crime figures were making money for the military, a lot of it. And number two, they were almost pre -trained in operations. They were bold. They would go anywhere and do anything. And Aung La Pseung is a good example of that. 00:04:11    CHRISTOPHER MEYER I was going to say, because not everyone knows these names like you and I do, but Enlap Sang, nominally a real estate developer from Macau. My Files, he's a huge international organized crime figure known for the so -called Clinton Gate or White House visits. He's the guy that got next to the Clinton White House or got inside, you know, maybe five to ten times. He ends up getting done, as they say, in a United Nations corruption case, which of course connects to a very important guy in Australia that successfully sued my colleague, John Garneau, and yet is at the top of Chinese organized crime funding Australian politics. He was involved in that FBI case. So to bring it back, what I've picked up in my book and in my repeated reporting efforts at the Bureau is these international Chinese businessmen in real estate and casinos, tech these days, they go around the world, they get next to our politicians, and that's their job. They're being tasked by whoever the Ye family spymaster of today is, is sending them abroad to do that. At some point, Xi Jinping comes into this and says it's okay. 00:05:30    SAM COOPER okay. And it's still evolving. I mean, I came on to this. When I read your book and I saw your story of Lai Changxin, I said, holy shit, I have to get into this. You see the level of danger that it brings to a country like Canada and North America. But I think that Ye Xuen Ning created the mechanism for the CCP to use and leverage organized crime to, 00:05:51    SAM COOPER mechanism for the CCP to use and leverage organized crime to, number one, fund military operations. and other things, and to extend influence operations. Like the United Front is all about influence operations. But if you introduce organized crime elements into parts of the United Front, you can weaponize it and you can get a lot more bang for your buck using these nefarious creatures that you're managing, you're controlling them. And I want to mention something. How does the CCP have control over organized crimes? So I want to say, In the late 90s, Macau No. 1 was about to be returned from Portuguese administration to Chinese. And 2, the kind of monopoly of the casinos license was coming up in 2002. And what happened was these triad operators were starting to push back against Stanley Ho. Stanley Ho's right -hand man was shot in the face in Victoria Park during this period. And the Portuguese sent an official to try to calm down the situation. And that individual was shot when he arrived. And the Communist Party kind of went in and took control. When the monopoly came up, Stanley Ho and his family, they got the coverage. But that's because he's completely loyal to the CCP. And so the CCP has so much leverage over these entities. Completely, he devised the strategy to integrate organized crime. And then he passed away in 2016. And then the institutional steps took place after that. They had to transfer from sort of a control of one man to the government running it. And you can see examples around 2016 of a lot of large -scale Chinese operations having disruption during this period. One of the reasons they were able to do this for so long was that Ye Xuanning was completely secretive. I mean, he managed these operations in a very keen and brilliant way, and he was never identified. Xi Jinping's role is interesting. Ye Xuanning told his brothers to help Xi Jinping. And you can kind of see like an increase in their efforts when Xi's father... He was in Beijing, and he had a very high role. He pulled a bureau standing committee, and he was sent down because of Tiananmen. He was on the reformer side, and he publicly admitted it. He was a very admirable individual, and he said he was supporting Hua Guofeng. So he faced early retirement in 1993, and the Ye brothers were so upset about this, and probably Xi too. They sort of doubled down on their efforts on behalf of this political warfare. It's almost as if they were pissed off at the Communist Party, but they took it out on North America. It's like they had to become more radical in what they were doing because in order to get power in China, you had to outflank Li Peng and the hardliners. So there's an interesting element there. 00:09:13    CHRISTOPHER MEYER You talk about this combination of military intelligence and organized crime. and political warfare and global influence operations. Trade is obviously involved. Explain what you mean by radicalization of that tool in operations. 00:09:31    SAM COOPER So there were about 10 operations in the 1990s that I believe were masterminded by the Yeshi Clay and primarily Yeshi Ning. The most outrageous, there was one and probably several. smuggling of military -grade machine guns into the U .S. from China. And one of the groups that was set up, helped finance the military, was the Poly Group. And the Poly Group, they were on the bill of lading for these. They were labeled as something else, but they came into the port of Oakland. And the interesting thing was the CEO of Poly Group, who was a princeling himself, was meeting in the White House and had his photo taken with President Clinton. At the time, these machine guns were on the water. That's bold. Yes. And when I ponder this, it's like I know how much the Chinese love photographs. That photo shown by Xi Jinping to all the cronies in Beijing would get him a lot of brownie points. And these machine guns were being distributed to gangs in the area. Street gangs in California. So this kind of thing, right? Right. And so that one was uncovered. But how many others slipped by? And there have been cases similar magnitude in Tennessee and Florida. 00:10:57    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Yeah, and this is where it gets into the leaked Sidewinder report that I touched on in the book. But yeah, that report refers to Pauley Group laundering 2 ,000 AK -47s into California. You're saying you believe that not only is Xi Jinping supported by this Ye family intelligence, who I have no problem believing are behind the United Front organized crime nexus. You're saying you think Xi Jinping is a mind involved in this kind of thing as well. 00:11:30    SAM COOPER Originally, as I was doing my research, I thought Xi was the mastermind. But as I did a deep dive to what his contemporaries said of him, The big knock on Xi was that he wasn't educated. Like age nine to age 25, his dad has been persecuted and locked up without trial. And he's forced to work in the countryside and he's not happy about it. I mean, he wasn't educated. And that's the biggest knock on Xi Jinping. And when you look at the history of Xi in Fujian, first of all, he goes to the Ministry of Defense and then doesn't do... anything of note there as a young man. But then he goes into Hebei province and he's working in Hebei province as a middle level provincial official. And he's not doing much. I mean, his big contribution was suggesting that they film a TV show in that province and kind of burned out. He wasn't favored by the Communist Party officials there. You know, he's brought to Fujian. Communist Party officials bounce around provinces and each time they have an increasing role. Well, he stays in Fujian for 17 years. And it's almost like he's being babysat by the Yehs. And I mean, the Yeh family compound was a two and a half hour drive from where she was in Fujian. And so I don't think he was the mastermind, but he was definitely the beneficiary. And I think that it was a long term project. And the Yeh brothers. put the pieces on the table to help promote Xi Jinping. And here's an interesting thing. In 1997, there was a big Central Party conclave, the 15th Central Party plenary meeting. And Ye wasn't even named as an alternate delegate. So you've got hundreds of delegates coming from all over the country. And he's a princeling. And he's been in provincial government for 12 years. And he's not even named. Somebody forced him onto the list of alternate delegates. There were 150. He was the 151st alternate delegate. He didn't receive one vote. He was pushed on. And I think somebody in the realm said, you know what? We're running all these operations and we're doing it so secretively. Nobody knows that this is for Xi Jinping. So they started gradually to kind of promote Xi as. the mastermind of this. And the years were okay with that. But Xi Jinping was on his way to becoming the leader of China by 2002. 00:14:08    CHRISTOPHER MEYER And I was over in Taiwan, invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over a year ago with international journalists. And we had kind of a dinner talk where their political intelligence expert was going to talk about some of this Klan details and things like that. And they said, yeah, within the princelings, Xi Jinping was the least likely, the least talented to reach chairman. 00:14:37    CHRISTOPHER MEYER And so, OK, you know, I'm not the expert. If someone from Taiwan is telling me that, you're saying that. So if true, and you're saying the power behind the throne is this Ye family that boosts him. And they're the ones you're saying that are the masterminds of what I'm going to call modern political Chinese communist warfare using proxies, organized crime, dirty tycoons. So this is where we're going. 00:15:06    SAM COOPER Yep, this is where we're going. And let me just touch on a few of the operations in the 1990s, just to give you a sense for what was going on and the fact that the Chinese were never completely called out on the carpet for it. Just let them continue doing it. And one of the themes of my research is it's time to call the Chinese out. And to do that, you have to be very specific. I think there needs to be a large group of countries that has their research done and they call out Xi Jinping for this political warfare that absolutely is hyper -destructive. 00:15:41    CHRISTOPHER MEYER So you're saying this is an intelligence operation? Yeah. For the last 10 minutes or so, In direct relationship to this network you're talking about, the 90s, 2000, aggressive combination of international organized crime, Hong Kong tycoons, Macau tycoons, in Chinese military influence operations, also people smuggling, also drug smuggling, illegal migration and, you know, fentanyl. There is a basis that Chinese triads and Mexican cartels are working together on those things and that Canada is a, you could call it, if this is a company, the controlling minds of a lot of this are in Vancouver and Toronto. Canadian ports are very deeply infiltrated by China, along with some Iranian mafia and intelligence. It's a fact. So where do we go from there? I myself, as a Canadian, the good countries of the world need to get together to combat this approaching, if not already into early stages of the access of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea. We're at loggerheads and they're using Canada, I believe, unfortunately. 00:17:01    SAM COOPER Right. And I do believe that Yeshua Ning is a genius and he looked at North America and he wants to inflict pain on the U .S. When he set up these plans in the early 90s, the Chinese GDP was a fraction of the U .S. So he had a lot of ground to make up. And he chose Vancouver because the resources to combat his efforts were probably deemed to be significantly less than the resources in the U .S. So I feel that the attack on Canada, the Vancouver model. if you will, which spread right across to Toronto and then down into Queens and across to LA and permeates everything. I believe that the US and Canada should try to get on the same page about this and to the extent possible, Mexico as well. And then the UK and Australia haven't been unaffected by this. There should be a big effort to get on the same page with the West because this is a totalitarian regime doing its level best to take us out. 00:18:07    CHRISTOPHER MEYER The controlling mind, I'm saying, of the Mexican cartels, I think it's Chinese triads. That's the real power there. 00:18:15    SAM COOPER I think we're both in agreement. If you want to draw a word picture that says what this is, picture that there's a really bad actor and he's throwing a really illegal party and selling drugs and he's bringing it all in. And the U .S. is going after the people who own the land where all of this took place. You have to go after China. And I believe that China is making 98 % of the precursors for fentanyl, and then they're laundering the money. That's the other piece. They're laundering it. They're operating this massive money laundering operation for the cartels. So I say the gloves do come off, but I would love to see them come off in unison. And all of these, at least in North America, Mexico, Canada, and the U .S., we're all on the same page. And we speak with one voice. And I'll add to this. Xi Jinping has been as painful towards his own population as he has been externally and internationally. So he's inflicted pain on the Chinese and he's about to go down. I mean, he's got his wings clipped in the last few months and he may not be in power very long. There's some serious movement in China. 00:19:30    CHRISTOPHER MEYER You sound like my friend Harry Tsang, the ambassador for Taiwan and Ottawa. He's bearish on Xi Jinping in a big way. 00:19:38    SAM COOPER Yeah. Well, I think it's a good time for the West to approach China and say, look, we got off on the wrong foot. Let's reboot. And by the way, there's some reparations needed here. 70 ,000 people have been dying a year from this, and it's a Chinese operation. You know, the cartels are definitely part of it, but... I think there's good reason for the West to get on the same page. 00:20:02    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Absolutely. So we will end it there for a first great chat. And I think next time we'll get into the juicy story of Lai Cheng Zing, the bigot China's supposed most wanted. Or what was he? So I'll leave it at that and we'll pick it up next time. You have to say, 00:20:21    SAM COOPER have to say, I'm sitting there doing my research. I get your book. And all of a sudden, within 50 pages, the lights are going off because you wrote about Lai Changxin and it just completed some thoughts that I was mulling over. And yeah, we're going to have an interesting conversation about Lai Changxin. 00:20:40    CHRISTOPHER MEYER That touches my heart because I've always been a brother of the United States and I've felt so disheartened that bad people have gotten in between us and we have to stop that. And as you say, we need to get together on this. I've reached some good thinkers in the US and there's now things brewing. So let's keep it going. You got it. 00:21:01    Close Thanks for listening. If you get a chance, please like and subscribe and rate the show on your favorite podcast platform. Also, if you're interested in coming on the show or hosting an episode, email us at capodcasting@gmail.com. I'll have the email and CA Association website in the show notes. And now, most importantly, to those currently out in the field, working with a partner nation's people or leadership to forward U .S. relations. Thank you all for what you're doing. This is Jack, your host. Stay tuned for more great episodes, One CA Podcast.

Today, Sam Cooper, founder of the news outlet The Bureau, guest hosts Christopher Meyer, a former U.S. official and China expert during the Bush One and Two Administrations. Meyer currently serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and founded Wide Fountain, a platform for in-depth geopolitical analysis.  In this the first of a two-part episode, Sam and Christopher discuss PRC strategic corruption and political warfare. So, let's get started.  Sam Cooper's The Bureau: https://www.thebureau.news/ Christopher Meyer's Wide Fountain platform: https://widefountain.substack.com/ --- One CA is a product of the civil affairs association a and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on the ground with a partner nation's people and leadership. We aim to inspire anyone interested in working in the "last three feet" of U.S. foreign relations.  To contact the show, email us at CApodcasting@gmail.com  or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www civilaffairsassoc.org --- Special thanks to Cozy Ambience for a sample of "February Cafe Jazz - Instrumental Bossa Nova Music for Work, Study and Relax - Background Music" retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmq8Ht-sNwQ --- Transcript 00:00:01    Introduction Welcome to the One CA Podcast. This is your host, Jack Gaines. One CA is a product of the Civil Affairs Association and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on ground with the partner nation's people and leadership. Our goal is to inspire anyone interested in working the last three feet of foreign relations. To contact the show, email us at capodcasting@gmail.com. or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www.civilaffairsassoc.org. I'll have those in the show notes. Today we welcome Sam Cooper, founder of the news outlet The Bureau, as he interviews Christopher Meyer, a former U.S. 00:00:44    SAM COOPER official and China expert during the Bush I and II administrations. Meyer currently serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of Wide Fountain. a platform for in -depth geopolitical analysis. This is the first of a two -part episode. Sam and Christopher discuss PRC strategic corruption and political warfare. So let's get started. 00:01:07    SAM COOPER Today I'm excited to introduce Chris Myers. Chris is a longtime China expert and former U .S. government diplomatic and economic issues officer, and he explains how military intelligence and influence networks embedded deeply with organized crime are a central feature of the global strategy employed by the families that really are running communist China. And when I say that, we're going to discuss your research on the family of Xi Jinping, the Xi family, and you call it the Yezi clique. But first, tell our viewers your background in getting into China and your career. 00:01:46    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Thank you very much, Sam. I started a keen interest in China when I was 16. And I read the history of the opium wars and I was outraged. And I decided I wanted a career to be involved in business and diplomacy between the U .S. and China. And then as an undergrad student, I did research on the special economic zones. This was in the early 80s and the special economic zones were just announced. And my research led me to see the geopolitical aspects. There were some. across from Macau, across from Hong Kong, and across from Taiwan. So I sort of had an eye to that. And then I did business. I was, for five years, I was with a Fortune 500 company. And I had the opportunity to do some business in Xiaomon. And I saw some things that set off alarm bells in my mind. And I kind of filed that. And I had some experiences that informed my research later. I worked in the government in Bush 1 and Bush 2. I was involved in Indo -Pacific affairs. really helping American companies do business in the region, and then became a consultant to part of the government that administered our territories in the Pacific. So I saw some things there that, again, set off alarm bells in my mind. And in 2016, I happened to cross an old colleague who kind of gave me some more information. And basically from 2016 until 2022, I conducted a lot of independent research. I decided I wanted to know exactly what was going on because proxies in the region seemed emboldened to take on the U .S. And they didn't have a government portfolio, but they acted like they did. And so my research sort of started in Micronesia. I had the great opportunity to come across your book. You totally informed. parts of what I was looking at and kind of put the spotlight on what happened in Canada. And I kind of worked the two sides to the middle and conducted most recently research that kind of takes us from Mao Zedong's death until the 90s. And I believe that there was a click. I call it the yes, she click. There were scores to settle. There were powerful families that were on the cusp of greatness or recognition for all their good work, and they were purged. And it led some individuals to become extremely militant in their conduct of political warfare against the U .S. So that sort of sets the table for what we might be talking about. 00:04:28    SAM COOPER Yeah. So to get into this, let's start with the Ye family. They're mysterious, but for experts, they're very clearly a clan that has tremendous kingmaking power in China. So maybe let's start with who they are and then bridge into how they connect with Xi's father. 00:04:46    CHRISTOPHER MEYER So the patriarch, Lie Jianying, was literally the kingmaker of Mao Zedong. He came from Guangdong province, and he was involved in the very earliest movements of the Communist Party in China. And he fled one of those, I think it was the Guangzhou uprising, with Zhou Enlai, and they escaped to Hong Kong. So Ye Jianying is one of the original revolutionaries in China, and he had the title of Marshal Ye. And when he crossed paths with Mao Zedong, he was actually the aide -de -camp to a very powerful Communist Party operator out of Beijing who had an army of tens of thousands. And he rolled up to Mao and his very small group of long marchers and said, follow us, we're going to Sichuan province. And Mao was like, no, I don't think that's a safe bet. The locals are going to tear you up. And Ye Jianying kind of heard a truth in Mao and he deserted this powerful general and with him brought the code books. So Mao gets Ye Jianying and the code books and he's able to communicate with the Comintern. And lo and behold, that general did get wiped out in Sichuan. He returned to Mao's base. With a few thousand troops from then, Mao became the most powerful leader in the communist ecosystem. So Ye Jianying had a very high regard for Mao. Mao called him the savior of the Communist Party and the Communist Revolution. And so fast forward it right through the revolution. Ye gets a very top position as the party secretary for Guangdong province, the largest and economically most powerful province in the country. And Mao wants to conduct his land reform in Guangdong, just as he does everywhere. And it's a violent thing where landowners are hunted down and put to death. Yeah, because he was a native Cantonese, understood that the landowners in Guangdong were not of the same ilk as those throughout China. They actually worked the lands. They had a very cooperative relationship with labor. And he tried to resist. But Mao forced Lin Biao into Guangdong. And Ye lost his government role. And if he hadn't been in the military, he would have been completely out of power. But because he had a military portfolio, he was able to stay on the peripheries. And he was actually part of the small group that brought down the Gang of Four and ended the Cultural Revolution. So Ye Jianying went through the Mao Zedong grinder, but he did it so early in the 50s that he was able to... maintain power and have it going forward. Another Long March hero was Xi Jinping's father, Xi Zhong Chun. And his claim to fame in the Communist Party was he maintained security over the area where Mao was camped in Yan 'an. And he was able to provide Mao and his group with enough security that they could camp there through a winter and survive. Not only that, but he negotiated and he conducted diplomacy with the tribesmen in the Northwest, in Qinghai, in Xinjiang, and in Tibet. And he was loved. And he got a lot of rebels and insurgents among these minority populations to join the Communist Party. And Mao gave him great profs for that and referred to him as one of the heroes of the Three Kingdoms period. brilliant statesman who was able to ingratiate with the minorities and make them part of the Chinese nation. Unfortunately, though, Xi Jinping's father, Xi Zhongchun, he was purged, but he was purged later. He was purged in 1962. And from Xi Jinping's age nine until he was 25, Xi Jinping's father was under arrest. Without trial, it was just the culture revolution. He was under arrest because his office published a book that was deemed not flattering to Mao Zedong. Basically, he was promoting some thought within the Communist Party that Mao didn't like. So Xi's father is in jail from 62 to 78. And because Ye Senior and Xi Zhongchun had a relationship, Ye Jianying kind of became a godfather of sorts for Xi Jinping. Xi was sent to work in the countryside and he escaped and he tried to get back to Beijing and it wasn't safe for him to be reunited with his family. And Ye intervened. And Ye made sure that Xi joined the Communist Party, even though these tragedies were all around him, and made sure that he got the semblance of an education, although he really never did. He was a guide for Xi Jinping throughout his younger years. in place of his father. 00:10:02    Sam Cooper Before we continue how those families dovetail together, can you describe in China's political economy, what is the power of Marshal Ye? 00:10:13    CHRISTOPHER MEYER So in the 50s, he was jettisoned out of the political arena. His main work was in the PLA. He was a marshal and he became minister of defense in China. And he was responsible for procurement. And to sort of give you a sense, when the Korean War started, the United Nations put a blockade on trade with China because they were arming the North Korean army. Marshal Yeh was responsible for making sure that supplies got to North Korea. And that was a big role that he fulfilled. And his sons kind of brought that along. So it's curious because Marshal Yeh was one of the most powerful stars in the communist lineup, but he was also a minority. He was from Guangdong and he was a Haka Chinese. So some people would say that Haka Chinese within China, there's a lid sometimes on their ability to move up. And so perhaps he was never considered for the echelon, but he did arise very high. But in some ways, and his sons adopted this even more so, they had to become very combative. in their political dealings. But no doubt about it, Marshal Yeh had a chance to handle huge volumes of military supplies, and there was an opportunity to skim and generate great wealth, which probably was the case. The way that Marshal Yeh fulfilled the supply chains for the North Korean army was through organized crime. And it just happened that two of The individuals, Henry Falk and Stanley Ho, were also Hakka Chinese. And they became the kingpins of organized crime in Hong Kong and Macau. Both of them are on record as saying they made their fortunes supplying the Korean War. 00:12:15    SAM COOPER Right. So people that read my book are very familiar with Stanley Ho, according to U .S. government intelligence. the absolute king of Chinese international mafia with connectivity to casinos, banking, political influence operations in Canada, triad leadership in Canada. So I think we've set the table for the 90s in Guangdong, Fujian. Xi Jinping is now starting to come on the scene politically there. The Ye family, who were partners essentially of Xi's father. had a little bit of a godfather eye on Xi's movements within the party. We can say that they're the power behind a throne that they want to see continue to rise. So can you take us into the 90s, the sort of Stanley Ho connectivity to Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and how that combines the Hong Kong tycoons slash triad leaders with the communist powers in Fujian? 00:13:21    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Yes. Mao passed away in 78. Deng Xiaoping came to power. And Deng was all about economic reform and catching up to the West. So in southern China, Fujian and Guangdong province, Deng looked to Ye Jenying and his sons. His sons were in their 30s now. And he also looked to Xi Zhongshan. Xi Zhongshan became party secretary for Guangdong province. in the early 80s. And Deng kind of put together this group. The Ye's and the Xi's were family friends. They celebrated Chinese holidays together. The Xi's were northern Chinese, but they kind of encamped in Guangdong province after a certain amount of time. And that's where Xi's father retired. But in Guangdong, the son of Ye, his name was Ye Xuanping. Basically, he was mayor of Guangzhou and the governor of Guangdong. And very quickly, he was referred to as the emperor of the south. So in the 80s, he was running Guangdong province. And he became so powerful that the CCP sought to have him step down. And he actually threatened to withhold tax to Beijing from the province of Guangdong unless they negotiated with him. He wanted a vice chair of the CPPCC, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee. And he wants to be a vice governor of the CPPCC. And he wanted to be allowed to maintain his power base in Guangdong. And this is a rare case where the CCP actually deferred to these wishes. Just to get him out of running the most powerful province in China, they said okay. So he goes over the CPPCC. And he takes with him the kingpins of organized crime in Hong Kong and Macau. Stanley Ho never had a position, but Henry Falk and the other top lieutenants in these organized crime entities all wound up on the CPPCC. And to give you a sense of like, what was some of the magic Stanley Ho had when he won the monopoly on gaming in Macau? He devised this VIP room concept where... He owned the casino, but the VIP rooms were run by basically triads and junkets, powerful friends from mainland China and triads. And the triads conducted all kinds of crime that the Vancouver model got in a very big dose. So it was racketeering and prostitution and all kinds of things, but also collections. So Stanley Ho didn't have to work on collections because his muscle did it for him. But the strongest of these triad operators wound up in the CPPCC, as long as they were effective in what they were doing for the government. And 14K is dominated by Hakka Chinese. Most of the most powerful triads have a very strong Hakka element to it. And I don't mean to suggest that this wonderful race of Chinese called Hakkas is all bad. Lee Kuan Yew, the premier of Singapore, was Hakka Chinese. phenomenal Chinese, but there were also some very nefarious and very effective in their criminal activities that were Haka Chinese. So the Ye's were in the middle of this. And Chinese language social media accounts in Hong Kong will talk about the Ye's dominance over these gaming operators in Macau. 00:17:07    SAM COOPER Let's get into that and explore that more. I just want to ask a side question. As I'm aware of a very important figure, in what we call the Hoag Commission in Canada. I'm just going to leave it at that. This is our inquiry into foreign interference that stemmed from my investigative reporting. And there is a politician at the center of that that my sources close to them said went off to a haka conference in China for weeks or something like that, you know, while being an elected politician in Canada. Knowing what you know, and I'm just coming out of the blue with this question, is there anything good for Canada that they could be doing on that trip? 00:17:45    CHRISTOPHER MEYER There could be a lot of normal cultural activity, but I'll say one thing, that the powers that are doing the kinds of things that I'm concerned with are definitely represented in those groups. There might be a wink and a nod and things look very normal on the surface, but there's no free lunch in China. Everybody has to pay the piper, and the piper is the communist party of China. 00:18:11    SAM COOPER So let me ask you this. Viewers of the Bureau know that I've pressed away in journalism in explaining that the United Front Work Department and international money laundering and organized crime are synonymous. They're one and the same. The CIA says the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is really the core unit of the United Front. So what you're getting at... I think the Ye family, these power brokers that are behind Xi and his power in southern China, you're saying they essentially formed this United Front and organized crime compact as sort of a political tool, a smuggling tool, a military tool? 00:18:55    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Yes. And I want to say that the United Front was an early Communist Party creation. And the thing about the Communist Party... They infiltrated the Kuomintang. When the Kuomintang had more power and they were the power base in China, the communists used political warfare to infiltrate them and really become their undoing. And the United Front is basically one way to get all parts of society under the control of the CCP. So within the United Front, the CPPCC is sort of the big leagues. And all the other organizations are the feeder groups. So if you get in a small united front group and you deliver in a big way, you can get promoted all the way to this PCC. And Ong Lapsung is an example of that. So the whole idea of the united front is to harness and control all the resources from academia, the private sector. from all aspects of society and to make them work for the Communist Party. And I feel that any united front operation, and there's so many in Canada and the U .S., they should just be called assets of the Chinese government. That's one way for the Chinese to increase their headcount of diplomatic officers within any given country. 00:20:26    Close Thanks for listening. If you get a chance, please like and subscribe and rate the show on your favorite podcast platform. Also, if you're interested in coming on the show or hosting an episode, email us at capodcasting@gmail.com. I'll have the email and CA Association website in the show notes. And now, most importantly, to those currently out in the field working with a partner nation's people or leadership to forward U.S. relations, thank you all for what you're doing. your host. Stay tuned for more great episodes of One CA Podcast.   Episode 2 00:00:01    Introduction Welcome to the 1CA Podcast. This is your host, Jack Gaines. 1CA is a product of the Civil Affairs Association and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on ground with the partner nation's people and leadership. Our goal is to inspire anyone interested in working the last three feet of foreign relations. To contact the show, email us at capodcasting@gmail.com. or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www.civilaffairsassoc.org. I'll have those in the show notes. Today we welcome Sam Cooper, founder of the news outlet The Bureau, as he interviews Christopher Meyer, a former U .S. 00:00:44    Introduction official and China expert during the Bush 1 and 2 administrations. Meyer currently serves as the head of the U .S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of Wide Fountain. a platform for in -depth geopolitical analysis. This is the second of a two -part episode. Sam and Christopher discuss PRC strategic corruption and political warfare. So let's get started. 00:01:08    SAM COOPER I feel that any United Front operation, and there's so many in Canada and the U .S., they should just be called assets of the Chinese government. That's one way for the Chinese to increase their headcount of diplomatic officers within any given country. And they should be labeled that way and they should be treated that way. And they're conducting operations for China. So to get back to the Ye family, I just want to say very briefly, so Deng Xiaoping taps the older brother, Ye, and he's in the government and he has a nine, 10 -year run in Guangdong. The younger brother, his name is Ye Xuanning. He's the dangerous one. He's a real interesting cat. So, yeah. was in college during the Cultural Revolution. And just to give you an idea of the thin ice that you could be skating on in China, he graduated from college and he was thrown in jail. And he was thrown in jail because, you know, Mao wanted to send a signal to the Ye family, I'm in control here. You're not in control. He got out of jail and he had a job in a radio factory or something like that. And he must have been so distraught, he lost his arm in an accident. throwing boxes into a crusher and he lost his arm. So he became a calligrapher with his left hand. And if you know Chinese, like every time you write calligraphy, your hand is going across what you're writing. If you're left -handed, I don't know how he did it. I'm left -handed. And he became an accomplished calligrapher with his left hand. So it just gives you a sense of the spirit of this guy. He's not your normal. person. I think he was a genius. I think he was extremely hardworking. And one of his first positions, he was involved in a small United Front operation in Beijing. Then he became secretary for Kang Xian, who was sort of the head of the oil faction in China. And he was a very powerful individual. And then he found himself in Guangdong. And when his brother was appointed head of the province and the city of Guangzhou, He got into Espionade, and he became the spymaster for the PLA, working in the GDP. And he really had it. He sort of hit his stride there, and that's how he ended his career. The spymaster for the PLA. I think any other rival couldn't even hold a candle to him. He was totally gifted. And his brother and he were able to leverage all of their... contacts with organized crime because he used them in operations around the world. And I think he's the one who weaponized it to the point where, number one, organized crime figures were making money for the military, a lot of it. And number two, they were almost pre -trained in operations. They were bold. They would go anywhere and do anything. And Aung La Pseung is a good example of that. 00:04:11    CHRISTOPHER MEYER I was going to say, because not everyone knows these names like you and I do, but Enlap Sang, nominally a real estate developer from Macau. My Files, he's a huge international organized crime figure known for the so -called Clinton Gate or White House visits. He's the guy that got next to the Clinton White House or got inside, you know, maybe five to ten times. He ends up getting done, as they say, in a United Nations corruption case, which of course connects to a very important guy in Australia that successfully sued my colleague, John Garneau, and yet is at the top of Chinese organized crime funding Australian politics. He was involved in that FBI case. So to bring it back, what I've picked up in my book and in my repeated reporting efforts at the Bureau is these international Chinese businessmen in real estate and casinos, tech these days, they go around the world, they get next to our politicians, and that's their job. They're being tasked by whoever the Ye family spymaster of today is, is sending them abroad to do that. At some point, Xi Jinping comes into this and says it's okay. 00:05:30    SAM COOPER okay. And it's still evolving. I mean, I came on to this. When I read your book and I saw your story of Lai Changxin, I said, holy shit, I have to get into this. You see the level of danger that it brings to a country like Canada and North America. But I think that Ye Xuen Ning created the mechanism for the CCP to use and leverage organized crime to, 00:05:51    SAM COOPER mechanism for the CCP to use and leverage organized crime to, number one, fund military operations. and other things, and to extend influence operations. Like the United Front is all about influence operations. But if you introduce organized crime elements into parts of the United Front, you can weaponize it and you can get a lot more bang for your buck using these nefarious creatures that you're managing, you're controlling them. And I want to mention something. How does the CCP have control over organized crimes? So I want to say, In the late 90s, Macau No. 1 was about to be returned from Portuguese administration to Chinese. And 2, the kind of monopoly of the casinos license was coming up in 2002. And what happened was these triad operators were starting to push back against Stanley Ho. Stanley Ho's right -hand man was shot in the face in Victoria Park during this period. And the Portuguese sent an official to try to calm down the situation. And that individual was shot when he arrived. And the Communist Party kind of went in and took control. When the monopoly came up, Stanley Ho and his family, they got the coverage. But that's because he's completely loyal to the CCP. And so the CCP has so much leverage over these entities. Completely, he devised the strategy to integrate organized crime. And then he passed away in 2016. And then the institutional steps took place after that. They had to transfer from sort of a control of one man to the government running it. And you can see examples around 2016 of a lot of large -scale Chinese operations having disruption during this period. One of the reasons they were able to do this for so long was that Ye Xuanning was completely secretive. I mean, he managed these operations in a very keen and brilliant way, and he was never identified. Xi Jinping's role is interesting. Ye Xuanning told his brothers to help Xi Jinping. And you can kind of see like an increase in their efforts when Xi's father... He was in Beijing, and he had a very high role. He pulled a bureau standing committee, and he was sent down because of Tiananmen. He was on the reformer side, and he publicly admitted it. He was a very admirable individual, and he said he was supporting Hua Guofeng. So he faced early retirement in 1993, and the Ye brothers were so upset about this, and probably Xi too. They sort of doubled down on their efforts on behalf of this political warfare. It's almost as if they were pissed off at the Communist Party, but they took it out on North America. It's like they had to become more radical in what they were doing because in order to get power in China, you had to outflank Li Peng and the hardliners. So there's an interesting element there. 00:09:13    CHRISTOPHER MEYER You talk about this combination of military intelligence and organized crime. and political warfare and global influence operations. Trade is obviously involved. Explain what you mean by radicalization of that tool in operations. 00:09:31    SAM COOPER So there were about 10 operations in the 1990s that I believe were masterminded by the Yeshi Clay and primarily Yeshi Ning. The most outrageous, there was one and probably several. smuggling of military -grade machine guns into the U .S. from China. And one of the groups that was set up, helped finance the military, was the Poly Group. And the Poly Group, they were on the bill of lading for these. They were labeled as something else, but they came into the port of Oakland. And the interesting thing was the CEO of Poly Group, who was a princeling himself, was meeting in the White House and had his photo taken with President Clinton. At the time, these machine guns were on the water. That's bold. Yes. And when I ponder this, it's like I know how much the Chinese love photographs. That photo shown by Xi Jinping to all the cronies in Beijing would get him a lot of brownie points. And these machine guns were being distributed to gangs in the area. Street gangs in California. So this kind of thing, right? Right. And so that one was uncovered. But how many others slipped by? And there have been cases similar magnitude in Tennessee and Florida. 00:10:57    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Yeah, and this is where it gets into the leaked Sidewinder report that I touched on in the book. But yeah, that report refers to Pauley Group laundering 2 ,000 AK -47s into California. You're saying you believe that not only is Xi Jinping supported by this Ye family intelligence, who I have no problem believing are behind the United Front organized crime nexus. You're saying you think Xi Jinping is a mind involved in this kind of thing as well. 00:11:30    SAM COOPER Originally, as I was doing my research, I thought Xi was the mastermind. But as I did a deep dive to what his contemporaries said of him, The big knock on Xi was that he wasn't educated. Like age nine to age 25, his dad has been persecuted and locked up without trial. And he's forced to work in the countryside and he's not happy about it. I mean, he wasn't educated. And that's the biggest knock on Xi Jinping. And when you look at the history of Xi in Fujian, first of all, he goes to the Ministry of Defense and then doesn't do... anything of note there as a young man. But then he goes into Hebei province and he's working in Hebei province as a middle level provincial official. And he's not doing much. I mean, his big contribution was suggesting that they film a TV show in that province and kind of burned out. He wasn't favored by the Communist Party officials there. You know, he's brought to Fujian. Communist Party officials bounce around provinces and each time they have an increasing role. Well, he stays in Fujian for 17 years. And it's almost like he's being babysat by the Yehs. And I mean, the Yeh family compound was a two and a half hour drive from where she was in Fujian. And so I don't think he was the mastermind, but he was definitely the beneficiary. And I think that it was a long term project. And the Yeh brothers. put the pieces on the table to help promote Xi Jinping. And here's an interesting thing. In 1997, there was a big Central Party conclave, the 15th Central Party plenary meeting. And Ye wasn't even named as an alternate delegate. So you've got hundreds of delegates coming from all over the country. And he's a princeling. And he's been in provincial government for 12 years. And he's not even named. Somebody forced him onto the list of alternate delegates. There were 150. He was the 151st alternate delegate. He didn't receive one vote. He was pushed on. And I think somebody in the realm said, you know what? We're running all these operations and we're doing it so secretively. Nobody knows that this is for Xi Jinping. So they started gradually to kind of promote Xi as. the mastermind of this. And the years were okay with that. But Xi Jinping was on his way to becoming the leader of China by 2002. 00:14:08    CHRISTOPHER MEYER And I was over in Taiwan, invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over a year ago with international journalists. And we had kind of a dinner talk where their political intelligence expert was going to talk about some of this Klan details and things like that. And they said, yeah, within the princelings, Xi Jinping was the least likely, the least talented to reach chairman. 00:14:37    CHRISTOPHER MEYER And so, OK, you know, I'm not the expert. If someone from Taiwan is telling me that, you're saying that. So if true, and you're saying the power behind the throne is this Ye family that boosts him. And they're the ones you're saying that are the masterminds of what I'm going to call modern political Chinese communist warfare using proxies, organized crime, dirty tycoons. So this is where we're going. 00:15:06    SAM COOPER Yep, this is where we're going. And let me just touch on a few of the operations in the 1990s, just to give you a sense for what was going on and the fact that the Chinese were never completely called out on the carpet for it. Just let them continue doing it. And one of the themes of my research is it's time to call the Chinese out. And to do that, you have to be very specific. I think there needs to be a large group of countries that has their research done and they call out Xi Jinping for this political warfare that absolutely is hyper -destructive. 00:15:41    CHRISTOPHER MEYER So you're saying this is an intelligence operation? Yeah. For the last 10 minutes or so, In direct relationship to this network you're talking about, the 90s, 2000, aggressive combination of international organized crime, Hong Kong tycoons, Macau tycoons, in Chinese military influence operations, also people smuggling, also drug smuggling, illegal migration and, you know, fentanyl. There is a basis that Chinese triads and Mexican cartels are working together on those things and that Canada is a, you could call it, if this is a company, the controlling minds of a lot of this are in Vancouver and Toronto. Canadian ports are very deeply infiltrated by China, along with some Iranian mafia and intelligence. It's a fact. So where do we go from there? I myself, as a Canadian, the good countries of the world need to get together to combat this approaching, if not already into early stages of the access of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea. We're at loggerheads and they're using Canada, I believe, unfortunately. 00:17:01    SAM COOPER Right. And I do believe that Yeshua Ning is a genius and he looked at North America and he wants to inflict pain on the U .S. When he set up these plans in the early 90s, the Chinese GDP was a fraction of the U .S. So he had a lot of ground to make up. And he chose Vancouver because the resources to combat his efforts were probably deemed to be significantly less than the resources in the U .S. So I feel that the attack on Canada, the Vancouver model. if you will, which spread right across to Toronto and then down into Queens and across to LA and permeates everything. I believe that the US and Canada should try to get on the same page about this and to the extent possible, Mexico as well. And then the UK and Australia haven't been unaffected by this. There should be a big effort to get on the same page with the West because this is a totalitarian regime doing its level best to take us out. 00:18:07    CHRISTOPHER MEYER The controlling mind, I'm saying, of the Mexican cartels, I think it's Chinese triads. That's the real power there. 00:18:15    SAM COOPER I think we're both in agreement. If you want to draw a word picture that says what this is, picture that there's a really bad actor and he's throwing a really illegal party and selling drugs and he's bringing it all in. And the U .S. is going after the people who own the land where all of this took place. You have to go after China. And I believe that China is making 98 % of the precursors for fentanyl, and then they're laundering the money. That's the other piece. They're laundering it. They're operating this massive money laundering operation for the cartels. So I say the gloves do come off, but I would love to see them come off in unison. And all of these, at least in North America, Mexico, Canada, and the U .S., we're all on the same page. And we speak with one voice. And I'll add to this. Xi Jinping has been as painful towards his own population as he has been externally and internationally. So he's inflicted pain on the Chinese and he's about to go down. I mean, he's got his wings clipped in the last few months and he may not be in power very long. There's some serious movement in China. 00:19:30    CHRISTOPHER MEYER You sound like my friend Harry Tsang, the ambassador for Taiwan and Ottawa. He's bearish on Xi Jinping in a big way. 00:19:38    SAM COOPER Yeah. Well, I think it's a good time for the West to approach China and say, look, we got off on the wrong foot. Let's reboot. And by the way, there's some reparations needed here. 70 ,000 people have been dying a year from this, and it's a Chinese operation. You know, the cartels are definitely part of it, but... I think there's good reason for the West to get on the same page. 00:20:02    CHRISTOPHER MEYER Absolutely. So we will end it there for a first great chat. And I think next time we'll get into the juicy story of Lai Cheng Zing, the bigot China's supposed most wanted. Or what was he? So I'll leave it at that and we'll pick it up next time. You have to say, 00:20:21    SAM COOPER have to say, I'm sitting there doing my research. I get your book. And all of a sudden, within 50 pages, the lights are going off because you wrote about Lai Changxin and it just completed some thoughts that I was mulling over. And yeah, we're going to have an interesting conversation about Lai Changxin. 00:20:40    CHRISTOPHER MEYER That touches my heart because I've always been a brother of the United States and I've felt so disheartened that bad people have gotten in between us and we have to stop that. And as you say, we need to get together on this. I've reached some good thinkers in the US and there's now things brewing. So let's keep it going. You got it. 00:21:01    Close Thanks for listening. If you get a chance, please like and subscribe and rate the show on your favorite podcast platform. Also, if you're interested in coming on the show or hosting an episode, email us at capodcasting@gmail.com. I'll have the email and CA Association website in the show notes. And now, most importantly, to those currently out in the field, working with a partner nation's people or leadership to forward U .S. relations. Thank you all for what you're doing. This is Jack, your host. Stay tuned for more great episodes, One CA Podcast.

I'm so excited to share this special 20 min episode stack as a highlight with a powerful message. I'm publishing this curation to help you make the most of your time. The episode features segments from the episode 044, 045, & 046 featuring Laura Gassner Otting and the following Aftercast & Solocast. https://richie.libsyn.com/laura-gassner-otting-limitless ====== Richie Norton interviews Laura Gassner Otting and they discuss success and happiness in life and business surrounding the principles in her book Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life. "Laura helps readers discover their consonance  —  how they align  what they do  with  who they are  — to  achieve their limitless potential. With lessons learned over 20 years of interviewing hundreds of  nonprofit, corporate, and government leaders, all of whom were in the midst of massive career change, Gassner Otting helps  readers discover their greatness and encourages them to forge ahead and become the best versions of themselves." This powerfully helpful conversation dives deep into The Four Elements of Consonance (Calling, Connection, Contribution, Control) and how you can create greater freedom, success and happiness even amidst hard times like COVID19. Laura Gassner Otting is a serial entrepreneur and a globally touring professional   speaker  (from colleges to conferences to corporations around the world--from the US Army base in Japan, to a   TEDx  stage in Boston, to   The TODAY Show  and   Good Morning America). She is the founder of   Limitless Possibility, a niche consulting firm working with entrepreneurs, philanthropists, executives, and thought leaders to get them unstuck and achieve extraordinary result. Laura is also the founder and CEO,   NPAG  (executive search firm serving nonprofits, foundations, universities, advocacy orgs) and former  Political Appointee to The Clinton White House (helped found the national service program,  AmeriCorps, in which more than 1M Americans have now served). Get Limitless book here:  https://amzn.to/2A7Lf9Y Get Laura's online Limitless course here: https://lauragassnerotting.com/limitless-course/ Continue the conversation here: RICHIE NORTON SHOW COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/richiepodcast RICHIE NORTON SHOW NOTES AND RESOURCES: http://www.richienorton.com/ RICHIE NORTON SOCIAL: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/richie_norton LINKEDIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardnorton FB: https://www.facebook.com/richienorton TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/richienorton

Guy L. Smith, Harris for President Campaign Surrogate. He served as a Special Advisor to the President at the Clinton White House. He was a spokesperson for the Hillary Clinton for President campaign in 2016 and also a spokesperson for the Biden for President Campaign in 2020. Smith is a longtime Democratic strategist. AN ELECTION WITH THE STARKEST OF CONTRASTS

Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls A prominent advocate, speaker, author, and media commentator, Ryan Hampton travels coast-to-coast to add solutions to our national addiction and drug overdose crisis. In recovery from a decade-long opioid addiction, Hampton is regarded as a forefront expert and thought leader in America's rising addiction recovery advocacy & drug policy reform movements. An alumnus of the Clinton White House, he's worked with multiple non-profits and addiction recovery organizing campaigns. He's now a prominent, leading face and voice of recovery advocacy and is working to change the longstanding negative narratives about those impacted by addiction, recovery, and overdose. Through his books and media, organizing campaigns, and social content that reaches millions, Ryan breaks down cultural barriers that have kept people suffering in silence and is helping to inspire a new generation of advocates recovering out loud, pushing for common-sense policy. He was part of the core team that released the first-ever U.S. Surgeon General's report on alcohol, drugs, and health in 2016 and was singled out by Forbes the following year as a top social entrepreneur in the recovery movement. Ryan connects a vast network of people passionate about ending the overdose crisis in America. He has been featured by—and is a contributor to—media outlets such as the Today Show, the Associated Press, USA Today, MSNBC, ABC News, Fox and Friends, the New York Times, NPR, HLN, Vice, Slate, The Hill, the Wall Street Journal, and others. Ryan has received praise from Democrats and Republicans alike for addressing addiction as a trans-political issue—crossing the political spectrum to build an inclusive coalition focused on solutions. He works closely with the White House, Senate Democrats, Republicans, U.S. House leadership, and state legislatures across the country. Notably, he helped craft binding provisions addressing substance use disorder in the historic SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, signed into federal law in October 2018. In 2016, he created the web series Addiction Across America, documenting his 30-day, 28-state, 8,000-mile cross-country trip visiting areas hit hardest by the addiction crisis. His first bestselling book, “American Fix — Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis and How to End It,” was released by St. Martin's Press in August 2018. His second book, “Unsettled: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis,” was released in September 2021 and chronicled his behind-the-scenes efforts representing tens of thousands of victims in the Purdue Pharma opioid settlement litigation. Ryan is currently working on his third book, scheduled to be released in 2024. In 2019, Ryan was named by Facebook as an inaugural community leadership fellow and created the national advocacy initiative, Mobilize Recovery. Since its inception, Mobilize Recovery has recruited and trained over 8,000 new advocates from all 50 states focused on community-based solutions to end the addiction and overdose crisis. In 2022, Mobilize Recovery traveled to 25 states, hosting 35 organizing and advocacy training events throughout September and October, distributing 10,000 doses of free naloxone and over 11,000 fentanyl test strips. Through the Overdose Response Initiative, a not-for-profit coalition Ryan helped to form in 2019, over 625,000 free doses of naloxone have been distributed in 21 states as of December 2022. The alliance comprises nearly 40 organizational stakeholders nationally, including Direct Relief International, the Clinton Foundation, and Mobilize Recovery. He lives in Nevada with his husband, Sean, and their boxer puppy, Quincy. The Stand Up Community Chat is always active with other Stand Up Subscribers on the Discord Platform.   Join us Thursday's at 8EST for our Weekly Happy Hour Hangout!  Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube  Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll  Follow and Support Pete Coe Buy Ava's Art   

John is joined by veteran Democratic strategist and former Clinton White House political director Doug Sosnik, who helped guide his boss against the odds to a landslide reelection in 1996, to assess the state of this year's campaign on the eve of the Democratic convention. Having concluded a month ago that Joe Biden no longer had a viable path to victory, Sosnik discusses the top-to-bottom transformation of the race in the weeks since then, why Kamala Harris is (so far) winning the battle to define her public imagine, and wisdom of her efforts to reframe the race as being about the future—while Trump remains stuck in the past. 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

From November 10, 2018: With the firing of Jeff Sessions and his replacement with former U.S. attorney Matthew Whitaker, all eyes this week are focused on whether Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russians will get to run its full course. But even before the Sessions firing, Benjamin Wittes and Paul Rosenzweig had inquiries into the presidency on their minds. On Tuesday morning, they sat down to discuss Paul's recent 12-part lecture series on presidential investigations released through the online educational platform The Great Courses.They talked about how Paul structured the lecture series, Paul's own experience on Independent Counsel Ken Starr's team investigating the Clinton White House, and the course's relevance to the Mueller investigation.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.