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Humans are constantly getting better at fighting cancer. Our understanding of the suite of diseases is more robust, our technology is more advanced, and our public health systems are more efficient. But cancer epidemiologist Professor Karen Canfell says Australia will still see more and more incidences of cancer over time. But Australia’s also on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer, the fourth-most common cancer in women. Karen says that our fight against cervical cancer can teach us how to beat other diseases, too. Crucially, it can also teach us how to help our closest neighbours: cervical cancer is low on Australia’s list of most deadly cancers, and yet it’s at the top of the list in Papua New Guinea. Karen explains why Australia’s leading the world in this space, and how that gives us a responsibility and opportunity to help improve public health worldwide. +++ The Solutionists is a podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Facebook and Instagram, and @sydney.edu.au on Bluesky. This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Supervising producer is Sarah Dabro. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Sladjana Rstic, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wasim Osman: The Agile Product Owner Who Runs Two Quarters Ahead of the Team Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Absolute User Who Works Two Quarters Ahead Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.   "The Product Owner needs to be the absolute user of the software—the user's journey so well defined in their mind that every engineer's question already has an answer, with context." - Wasim Osman   Wasim's best Product Owner works ahead of the team without doing the team's work. Their product roadmap is well-defined at least two quarters ahead of the development cycle, so nobody is panicking against tomorrow's deadline. Designers and product people work on concepts months before development starts, which gives them room to show early ideas to engineers and gather feedback while there's still time to change course. Crucially, this PO is the absolute user of the software—so completely inside the user's journey that when an engineer asks "how does this connect to that module?", the answer is ready, with context. Wasim connects this to how his team uses AI today: the PO can run ahead, spin up prototypes, and iterate on the ideas without burdening the team with building throwaway work—while staying the voice of the customer.   Self-reflection Question: How far ahead of your team is your Product Owner really working—and could they answer an engineer's design question today without going back to the drawing board? The Bad Product Owner: When Optimism Overrides the Data Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.   "They were optimistic without any data. We had the data—they were just being wishful." - Wasim Osman   The worst anti-pattern Wasim has seen is the Product Owner whose optimism overrides the evidence. In one company, a customer asked for a delivery estimate, and the product team promised an aggressive date—"optimistic without any data," even though the data existed. When the engineering team sat down with the numbers, it was obvious the date was impossible, but that gap never reached the customer. The product team stayed disconnected from both the engineers and the customer, so expectations kept drifting from reality. Wasim, who held the data, finally bridged the two and told the product team the real timeline was several months later. They "lost their minds"—but by then it was too late to renegotiate gracefully. The deeper anti-pattern: features handed down without enough depth, so the moment engineering hits real questions mid-development, the PO panics and rushes back to the drawing board while development is already in motion. As Wasim says, "optimism just took over too much."   Self-reflection Question: When was the last time optimism—not evidence—set a delivery date on your team, and who had the data that should have been in the room?   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

In Episode 217 of the Equipping ELLs podcast, Beth Vaucher delivers exactly what every ELL teacher needs in the first weeks of school — a clear, focused, week-by-week guide for moving from reactive teaching to a system that actually runs. Not a perfect classroom. Not a flawless first month. A grounded, intentional system that carries both teacher and students through the rest of the year.Beth opens by naming the mistake she made herself for years — trying to do everything at once in the first week of school. Getting to know students AND assessing levels AND launching the first unit AND setting up routines AND connecting with homeroom teachers all simultaneously. The result: everything done halfway, nothing done well. The framework she offers instead is built on a simple principle she names early: sequence equals success. One focus per week. One question to answer by Friday.Week one is entirely about knowing students before teaching them. Beth gives permission to skip the full instructional launch and invest in relationship building first — because students who feel known acquire language faster, and that is not just her experience but research. For newcomers specifically she is direct and clear: your first job is not instruction. It is belonging. She walks through what Week 1 actually looks like — getting to know you activities, speaking routines established from Day 1 using topics students actually care about, and observation with a general lens. Crucially, Beth frames this through an assets approach rather than a deficit one, asking teachers to focus first on what students can already do rather than immediately cataloguing gaps.Week two shifts from general watching to intentional informal assessment — one domain per day across the week. Monday speaking, Tuesday listening, Wednesday and Thursday reading and writing. Beth cautions against redundancy with classroom assessments already happening and encourages ELL teachers to use existing data rather than adding more assessment burden. By Friday teachers should have three clearly formed groups and have made one specific connection with one homeroom teacher — one observation, one resource, one relationship started.Week three is about launching and running. Beth connects directly back to the previous episode's unit planning framework and also offers a simpler entry point for teachers who are not ready for a full unit: DM the word ROUTINES on Instagram for five simple classroom routines that create the structure without requiring a fully designed unit. The key deliverables are baseline writing samples, speaking recordings, and any documentation system that teachers will actually maintain through the year.Week four is adjust and accelerate — looking at what the system is showing and responding. Moving students between groups, adjusting scaffold complexity, identifying students who need more targeted support than the group structure provides. Beth specifically names SLIFE students and long-term ELLs as the populations most likely to surface at this point — and frames the data collected in weeks one through three as preparation for the harder conversations with admin and colleagues that will happen in October and November.The episode closes with an honest and warm invitation to the free week trial of the Equipping ELLs membership — framed not as a sales pitch but as a direct response to the moment when the framework is clear but the resources are not yet there.FREE TRIAL: equippingells.com/trial — full access for one week, no credit card required.MEMBERSHIP CODE: TAKE20OFF — 20% off Tier 3 yearly for podcast listeners.FREE ROUTINES: DM ROUTINES to @EquippingELLs on Instagram.

Recorded live on the show floor at SIAL Canada in Montreal, this Summer Bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast marks a first: an ingredient company winning the show's startup pitch competition. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Asha Wheeldon, Founder and CEO of Kula Foods and a member of the Maia Farms team, and Jason Mackay, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Maia Farms, just hours after the Vancouver company added more hardware to its trophy shelf. Maia Farms makes functional mushroom food ingredients. The company combines oyster mushroom powder with Canadian yellow pea protein and extrudes it into grounds, shreds, chunks and strips that mimic ground beef, pulled meat and chicken. The result is 66 per cent protein per 100 grams, a heavy dose of fibre and iron, a two-year shelf life and no cold storage required. Crucially for manufacturers, the extrudates survive the retort process where soy and pea proteins break down, which is why 100-year-old Pembroke, Ontario soup canner Sprague Foods signed on as a partner. Asha explains how a two-and-a-half-minute pitch built on storytelling rather than numbers won over the judges, and why trust and partnership are Maia's real proof points, including work with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank that has helped feed hundreds of thousands of families. Jason unpacks the technology behind the ingredient and what comes next: cracking mushroom mycelium at commercial scale through liquid fermentation, moving from 3,000-litre proof-of-concept batches to 20,000 litres, with global ingredient players like ADM and Cargill circling mycelium as a clean-label fat mimic and binder. The conversation turns to a bigger question Michael and Sylvain saw play out across the show: is Canada on the cusp of an ingredient renaissance? Pitch competitions usually reward consumer-ready products, from popsicles to upcycled coffee grounds. This year, the fundamentals of food won. The panel connects that shift to front-of-pack labelling, the clean-label push, manufacturers hunting for protein, fibre and iron without wrecking taste and texture, and the trust that Brand Canada's food safety reputation carries into export markets. They also tackle affordability. With beef and chicken prices climbing, Sylvain's "protein orphans" are being left behind, and GLP-1 users are pushing protein demand higher still. A shelf-stable, high-protein ingredient that disappears into a lasagna or pasta sauce when seasoned properly is a genuinely different answer to food insecurity. Plus: what winning an award actually does for a young company, why Maia was the only mushroom ingredient supplier on the SIAL floor, and the company's plan to bring business home to Canada after building traction in the US, Mexico, Singapore and Japan. A smart, optimistic listen on where Canadian food innovation goes next. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

OPENER: Stephen A Smith DESTROYS WNBA After HIDING BRITTNEY GRINER'S DIRTY SECRET! Defend Sophie Cunningham! - 5:11 Brandon Gill Gets Witness To Admit Who DEI Punishes - 5:13 “I went to court to argue what a woman is” — Sall Grover at ARC 2026 -1:00 Jason Arday Whistleblower: ‘People Knew The Truth And Covered It Up' - 4:00 Quick, easy, worthless: Students let AI do the thinking | Principia Scientific, Intl. - Text It's Time to Save America - 10:00   HEALTH NEWS Arginine Supplement May Strengthen Immune Response to Cancer and Viral Infections Yeast food supplement helps immune cells fight cancer more effectively Physical activity linked to lower stroke and death risk in adults with atrial fibrillation Phthalates may contribute to high blood pressure in pregnant women Daily Collagen Supplement Alters Bone-Related Blood Markers in Female Runners, Study Says Arginine Supplement May Strengthen Immune Response to Cancer and Viral Infections Rockefeller University, August 10, 2026 (Natural News) A study published in the journal Cell reports that arginine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods and produced by the body, may help the immune system recognize and respond to cancer and viral infections. The research found that low arginine levels were linked to reduced production of MHC-1, a protein that displays abnormal cellular signals to T cells, according to the report. In mouse models, arginine-rich diets were associated with fewer colon tumors and milder influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the researchers reported. The findings add to prior work linking declining immune function to cancer progression. When arginine is scarce, cells struggle to produce MHC-1 proteins, which appear on the surfaces of cells throughout the body and display foreign or abnormal proteins to T cells. Researchers repeated the dietary studies using mouse models of influenza and SARS-CoV-2, conditions previously associated with unusual levels of different amino acids. One of the most dramatic patterns to emerge was that arginine was the most depleted amino acid in all of these diseases. Not only did mice with an arginine-rich diet have milder symptoms from viral infections, giving the mice arginine after influenza infection improved their outcomes too. Yeast food supplement helps immune cells fight cancer more effectively Trinity College Dublin & University College Dublin, July 9 2026 Researchers from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD) have shown for the first time that a food supplement made from yeast helps the body to make stronger immune cells that can fight cancer. The research teams found that adding a yeast-based supplement to the food of obese laboratory mice changes how their immune cells grow and help to make better cancer‑fighting cells. Mice were fed a standard or high fat diet supplemented with yeast beta-glucan for 4-12 weeks and then their immune system was challenged by different types of cancer cells (colorectal, skin and breast cancer). The study also tested whether yeast supplementation could overcome immune dysfunction caused by obesity and whether protective effects persist after weight loss. Crucially, this dietary intervention restores anti-tumor innate immunity in obese mice and reverses long-term immune memory defects that persist even after weight loss, a major unmet clinical challenge. Physical activity linked to lower stroke and death risk in adults with atrial fibrillation Arctic University of Norway, August 5 2026 (News-Medical) Being physically active was linked to a lower risk of stroke and death for adults with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, according to new, independent research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. AFib is a quivering or irregular heartbeat that occurs in the heart's upper chamber known as the atria. According to the American Heart Association, it can lead to blood clots, stroke and other heart-related conditions. The prevalence of AFib in the U.S. was estimated at 4.48% of the adult U.S. population. The study tracked more than 87,000 adults in Norway for about 15 years, capturing information about AFib, stroke and death from national health registries. What did the analysis find? Compared to adults who were inactive, adults with a low, moderate or high level of physical activity had a 9%, 19% and 18% lower risk of stroke, respectively. Having a low, moderate or high level of physical activity was associated with an 11%, 18% and 22% lower risk of death from any cause, respectively. For people with AFib, staying active was tied to living an average of 0.5 to 1.2 years longer compared to those who were inactive Phthalates may contribute to high blood pressure in pregnant women Harvard School of Public Health, August 10 2026 (News-Medical) Phthalates, which are chemicals found in plastics, personal care products and hundreds of other consumer goods, may contribute to high blood pressure in pregnant women, according to a study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. The researchers measured phthalate exposure and blood pressure in 338 pregnant women at three points during pregnancy. They analyzed whether higher levels of these chemicals-individually and in combination-were linked to higher blood pressure or an increased risk of pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorders. The authors found that pregnant women with higher urine concentrations of fragrance-associated phthalates and those in personal care products had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure markers of an increased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. About 13% of participants in the study developed a pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorder. Women with higher levels of certain phthalates, especially those found in personal care products, tended to have higher blood pressure later in pregnancy. Daily Collagen Supplement Alters Bone-Related Blood Markers in Female Runners, Study Says Fitchburg State University, University of Connecticut & Mayo Clinic, August 4 2026 (Natural News) A four-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that female distance runners who took 20 grams of collagen peptides per day showed an approximately 5.1 percent rise in P1NP over four weeks, a blood marker of bone formation, while the placebo group showed no such change, according to a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition. The collagen group also showed a drop in IL-6, an inflammatory protein linked to bone breakdown, while placebo levels held steady or rose, the study reported. The trial included 22 female runners ages 18 to 35 who ran at least 35 miles per week, and no adverse effects were reported. Collagen is the most common and abundant protein in the body, accounting for about 30 percent of total protein content and providing structural support to bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues, according to published research.       Discussion about this episode

Can the cycle of violence that passes from one generation to the next be broken?This episode of the Mind the Kids podcast features Dr. Laura Gorla, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University. Originally from Italy and now based in the United States, Dr. Gorla's research focuses on parenting, parent-child relationships, and child and adolescent mental health from early childhood through late adolescence. Hosted by Mark Tebbs, the conversation explores a landmark three-generation study built on data from the Fast Track intervention, conducted with colleagues Dr. Rotenberg, Dr. Godwin, and the Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, alongside Fast Track principal investigators Dr. Jennifer Lansford and Dr. Kenneth Dodge.The discussion centres on early emerging conduct problems — persistent patterns of aggressive and disobedient behaviour that place children at higher risk of anti-social behaviour, criminal involvement, and mental health difficulties later in life. Dr. Gorla explains the theory of intergenerational transmission of violence, describing how cycles of harm can pass from one generation to the next, and outlines how this study uniquely tracked three generations — grandparents, parents, and children — using prospective rather than retrospective data, a rare advance in this field of research.Drawing on Fast Track, one of the most influential randomised controlled trials in developmental psychology, Dr. Gorla shares the study's central finding: intimate partner violence in the first generation predicted parent-child violence in the second generation, which in turn led to poorer mental health in the third generation — but only within the control group. Crucially, this negative chain was disrupted among families who received the Fast Track intervention, offering compelling evidence that early, multi-component prevention can break cycles of violence across generations.This conversation is essential listening for clinicians, researchers, educators, and policymakers interested in child and adolescent mental health, early intervention, and violence prevention. It offers both rigorous longitudinal evidence and a genuinely hopeful message: outcomes for children are not predetermined by family history, and investment in early intervention protects not just today's children, but generations to come.Read the JCPP paper 'The randomized controlled trial Fast Track multilevel intervention for children with early-emerging conduct problems breaks intergenerational transmission of violence across three generations'Laura Gorla, W. Andrew Rothenberg, Jennifer Godwin, Conduct Problems Prevention Research GroupFirst published: 11 February 2026https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70133Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBWVisit https://www.acamh.orgFacebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMHInstagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camhBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.socialX https://x.com/acamh

Every enterprise leader has heard the numbers by now as billions poured into licences, seats and tokens, with productivity gains still trailing well behind the promise. On a recent episode of Tech Transformed, host Christina Stathopoulos sat down with Jay Richman, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Multiverse, to unpack why so many organisations remain stuck in what he calls "tinker mode" and what it actually takes to move past it.Richman's view is shaped by a career spent at the sharp end of three separate technology shifts. A decade at Spotify saw him build out the company's advertising business and early subscription platform from scratch. Roughly four years at Amazon followed, working on agentic AI systems within the advertising division, effectively rebuilding the old-fashioned creative agency model using specialised generative media tools. Four months ago, he relocated from New York to London to join Multiverse, drawn by a mission he sees as almost the reverse of his previous work. Rather than using people to make machines smarter, the task now is training machines to make people smarter. That framing sits at the centre of this conversation.The AI Adoption GapRichman suggests that the widely reported gap between AI spend and AI-driven output isn't really a technology failure; it's a human one. Tools sit unused, licences go unopened, and organisations struggle to move employees from curious onlookers to confident, habitual users. Multiverse's answer is what it calls the "adoption layer", which is a diagnostic approach that pinpoints where skill gaps actually sit across a workforce, builds tailored learning paths around them, then embeds coaching directly inside the tools people already use, whether that's Claude, Gemini or ChatGPT.Crucially, Richman distinguishes between what he wryly terms "token maxing" and value creation. Blunt incentives, leaderboards, usage dashboards and mandates to switch from manual coding to AI-assisted development. All this can help people over that first hurdle, and he admits to having used some of these tactics himself. But the real measure of success has to be defined customer by customer, tied to a specific business outcome, not simply how many prompts someone fired off in a week. As he puts it, the value of any given AI initiative can only be judged against what that particular organisation set out to solve in the first place.Human Skills AI Can't ReplaceOne of the most interesting parts of the discussion explores how generative and agentic AI are reshaping team structures. Richman describes a flattening of traditional boundaries: product managers writing code, designers contributing to technical documents, and engineers drafting strategy papers. Functions that were once tightly specialised, such as a dedicated user-research team and a standalone copywriting role, are increasingly being absorbed as skills within more generalist, multi-hatted employees. At the same time, he notes, the opposite is happening at the model layer, with AI agents becoming ever more specialised. The result, in his telling, is smaller teams working with far greater autonomy and considerably less coordination overhead than in years past.Asked what he prioritises when hiring now, Richman is candid that mastery of a single discipline matters to him less than certain behavioural traits: curiosity, high agency, sound judgment. He shares an interview technique he relies on, asking candidates how they spent their time during the pandemic lockdowns, as a rough proxy for whether someone tends to seize initiative or simply wait for circumstances to dictate their next move.Moving Fast Without Cutting CornersOn responsible deployment, Richman insists culture has to start at the top. Leaders, he argues, need to be visibly hands-on and honest about their own gaps in knowledge rather than issuing mandates from a distance. At Multiverse, that meant lifting caps on AI coding tools, resetting the expectation that new work should be AI-generated by default, and investing heavily in quality assurance and evaluation frameworks so that human reviewers still hold a meaningful checkpoint before anything reaches customers. He contrasts this with the slower, more cautious approach he sees at many other organisations — one he believes is not only less efficient but also less likely to stick once the initial push fades.Measuring What Actually MattersTying this back to the earlier point about value over volume, Richman suggests the real test of an AI initiative is how closely it maps to a business's own stated objective, not adoption figures in isolation. That means starting with what a customer or team is actually trying to achieve, building learning around the specific gaps standing in the way, and only then judging success by whether the resulting behaviour change shows up in the metrics that organisation already cares about.The conversation closes on a personal note, with Richman sharing the advice he'd give his own children as they weigh careers in a fast-shifting landscape: run towards disruption rather than away from it. Having entered the workforce at the tail end of the dot-com boom, he sees clear parallels with the present moment, a period, in his words, where nobody can credibly claim expertise, which makes it as good a time as any to jump in. For organisations still puzzling over why their AI investment hasn't translated into measurable returns, Richman's message is simple: the technology was never really the difficult part. If you would like to find out more, please visit multiverse.io or connect with Richman on LinkedIn.TakeawaysSuccessful AI adoption hinges on people, not just technology.The AI adoption layer helps bridge the gap between investment and productivity.High agency and curiosity are key traits of successful AI practitioners.Leadership must lead by example and foster a culture of experimentation.Rapid technological change requires teams to be flexible and multi-skilled.Chapters00:00 Introduction to AI transformation and people-centred approach00:54 Jay Richman's background at Spotify, Amazon, and Multiverse03:47 The challenge of AI adoption and pilot mode07:04 The concept of the AI adoption layer and its purpose12:54 Distinguishing token maxing from value maxing16:03 Impact of generative AI on product and engineering teams19:09 Building teams in the AI era: blurring roles and skills21:49 Qualities and skills for future AI teams25:49 Leading responsibly with AI and fostering a culture of experimentation

Grant funding can feel like a locked door, but in this episode we discover how a little recognition can be the key that opens it. Debbie Gilbert is joined by Phoenix Humphreys, founder of Raise to Rise, who helps charities and community organisations secure funding in an ethical and sustainable way. Phoenix shares her unlikely route from a corporate facilities role into fundraising, describing the challenges of building a solo consultancy. We also talk AI and why human insight will always trump it in writing a persuasive grant bid.  She explains how charities and CICs become grant ready, and clarifies the difference between the two structures. Crucially, she discusses how entering business awards builds trust, visibility and even funding opportunities for good causes. Phoenix also reflects on her own award wins and reveals her long term ambition to launch her own grant giving foundation. About Phoenix Phoenix Humphreys is the Founder of Raise to Rise, a multi award-winning fundraising consultancy making expert fundraising support accessible and affordable for charities, CICs and community organisations across the UK. Launched in 2024, Raise to Rise has grown from one client to supporting more than 40 charities and CICs nationwide, with 17 becoming long-term partners. For those partners, Phoenix has secured £495,868 in grant funding, creating an estimated £1.98 million in potential social value, benefiting vulnerable communities from care leavers to domestic abuse survivors. A passionate sector advocate, Phoenix mentors emerging fundraisers and has delivered more than 80 free consultations. She is a Silver Award winner at the 2025 Best Business Women Awards, a 2024 Woman Who "One to Watch" winner, and features in the #iAlso100 list.   {2:10} Why Phoenix founded Raise to Rise. {4:18} Phoenix's corporate career. {5:23} The greatest challenges of the first three years. {6:35} Getting leads. {9:52} How Raise to Rise helps charities and CICs. {12:25} The right tools for researching appropriate grants. {14:35} How organisations prepare to become grant ready. {17:29} The difference between a charity and a CIC. {19:06} How awards support grant applications. {21:20} Why national awards can raise a charity's exposure significantly. {24:09} Harnessing the power of awards to grow Raise to Rise. {26:09} Phoenix's awards journey. {30:07} Phoenix's big dream for the future.   Connect with Debbie at: https://thebusinessawardsshow.co.uk                                         https://bestsmeawards.co.uk/                                        Connect with Phoenix:  https://raisetorise.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/raise-to-rise/                 https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoenix-humphreys-79467019b/  

Annalie Howling will tell you that shame is the hardest emotion in the room to name, and that this is precisely why it runs so much of our lives. Ask a group who is feeling anxious, and every hand goes up, and each person can list what they are anxious about. Ask about shame, and you get silence. She is an elite performance coach, a trauma specialist and certified EMDR practitioner, and the author of the bestselling Unapologetic: Unshackle Your Shame, Reclaim Your Power. In 2026 Spear’s Magazine ranked her among the world’s best life and performance coaches. Over twenty years, she has worked with Hollywood actors, PGA Tour golfers, self-made billionaires, corporate executives and members of the UK Special Forces. So when Catherine asked her to unpack what shame actually is, Annalie did not reach for a definition. She reached for a distinction. Guilt is something you did. Shame is something you believe yourself to be. A weed, not a feeling The model Annalie offers reframes almost everything sitting on top of it, and it asks nobody to become a therapist. Picture a weed in the garden. The leaves are guilt and anxiety, the emotions we can name and discuss. Guilt is coulda, woulda, shoulda, and it lives in the past. Anxiety lives in the future, trying to control the uncontrollable by rehearsing every possible scenario before it happens. Beneath the leaves is the stem, which is the inner critic, or what many of us call imposter syndrome. Its only job is to make sure we are never rejected, and the only method it knows is to keep us inside the comfort zone it patrols. So it makes us perfect, people-pleasing, hyper-vigilant, chameleon-like. Should, in Annalie’s view, should be a swear word. Should is the fuel of the inner critic. And beneath all of it, always, is the root. Shame. You can trim the leaves with an intervention. You can even get partway down the stem with something you read online. But if you never reach the root, it grows back, in a different form, at a different time. Shame always begins with “I am” That is how you recognise it. I am broken. I am unworthy. I am unlovable. I am not enough. Guilt says I did something bad. Shame says I am bad, and it is believed at the core rather than felt on a difficult day. Annalie is candid that this is not theory for her. She grew up in a violent household where her parents told her she made her father beat her, and her mother colluded and told her it was her fault. She believed it. She internalised it. What followed was decades of people pleasing and performing, accepting scraps in relationships, overworking into burnout, and years of self-harm, all built on the belief that she was bad and therefore deserved none of what she had built. Nobody is born with shame. It arrives through a significant emotional event, and that event can be far smaller than you would expect. Annalie describes a client whose entire path of self-belief shifted because a head teacher pulled them aside at eight years old and told them they would probably not achieve very much. The line that releases people The most freeing moment in the conversation is a piece of science. In a traumatic event, the prefrontal cortex goes offline, and so does Broca’s area, which holds language. The limbic system takes over. Fight, flight, freeze, and the two we rarely discuss: flop and fawn. Crucially, you never get to choose your trauma response. It is selected for you, far faster than cognitive thought can arrive. Meanwhile, the body is tagging everything: colours, smells, people, storing what it might need later. It is why someone can be floored in a supermarket years afterwards, or why a person who sat with a loved one in a hospice suddenly cannot fly, because airports use the same cleaning products. Annalie leaves the audience with three golden nuggets: If self-compassion feels impossible, place someone you love into the memory and watch the scene through them. Treat a compliment like a gift in a box, because you would never throw it on the floor. When your inner critic is riding you, imagine it is true and dream into it. The point is not that the critic disappears. It is that you learn to play with it. Watch the full conversation on YouTube. Find Out More About Annalie Howling Website: https://annaliehowling.com Instagram: @annaliehowling YouTube: @annaliehowling

Send us Fan MailHere's the challenge Stuart opens with: describe your business in four honest sentences, one each for why customers pay, how you deliver profitably, how the right people find you, and how quality holds as you grow.Most owners can talk about their business for an hour but can't compress it into four sentences that survive scrutiny, and that vagueness is itself the problem. This isn't an elevator pitch; it's a decision filter that reveals where you're genuinely strong and where you're quietly weak.Mena walks through the four questions in plain language, warning that "we work hard" is not an engine answer, while Stuart uses Apple as a worked example of what clarity actually looks like. The gap between your four sentences and Apple's is precisely the work to be done.Crucially, the discipline is sequencing, not simultaneous effort: score each sentence, find the weakest, and make it your ninety-day project while the others sit in maintenance. Stuart names the expensive mistake of scaling reach before value and engine are solid, which just spreads weakness faster, and Mena shows how the sentences become a tool for saying no.The goal isn't four polished sentences. It's a business that compounds by design. If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. It helps us reach more incredible listeners like you. Thank you for being a part of the journey! Click here to subscribe to our weekly email. SPECIAL OFFER: Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog here. Work with Mena & Stuart's team: At ProSolution Private Clients we encourage clients to adopt a holistic and evidence-based approach when making financial decisions. Visit our website. Follow us: Stuart: Twitter/X and LinkedIn.  Mena: LinkedInIMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

Join us in this prelude episode of  a miniseries  series covering Jack Ruby.  Our podcast coverage  now moves to tell the story of this central character in the assassination.  Jack Ruby was an enigmatic figure that some say was the "cleanest available test of the conspiracy hypothesis". While sixty years of intense debate over Lee Harvey Oswald's guilt have left questions of ballistics, trajectories, and acoustics in a perpetual draw, what Jack Ruby did is not in dispute—his crime was captured live on national television before millions of stunned viewers. The opening chapter argues that while every other line of inquiry in this historic case requires proving that a specific event occurred, the puzzle of Jack Ruby only asks us to explain a tragedy that the world saw happen in real time.  The ultimate tragedy was the denial of access to Lee Harvey Oswald and the trial that never was... the trial that might have produced the truth or at least got us closer to itTo build an investigative roadmap for the episodes to come, this prelude episode reconstructs a series of glaring anomalies and timeline mysteries from that fateful November weekend. It probes the oddities of Ruby's alibi—including why he was counting cash for strip club ads at the Dallas Morning News desk with a clear view of Dealey Plaza at the exact moment of the motorcade shooting—his highly debated presence at Parkland Hospital that afternoon, and his bizarre ability to infiltrate the midnight police press conference to correct the District Attorney on Oswald's political affiliations. Most striking of all is the razor-thin four-minute gap between Ruby's Western Union receipt at 11:17 AM and the fatal basement shot at 11:21 AM, prompting listeners to evaluate whether he was simply a grieving citizen acting on impulse or part of a coordinated security failure.The episode also sets the stage for a deep dive into the dark institutional and underworld networks that defined Ruby's existence. It previews the upcoming investigations into his sudden spike in late-1963 phone calls to high-level mob and Teamster figures, his mysterious 1959 trips to Havana, and his hidden history as a potential FBI informant. Crucially, the series prepares to confront the chilling legacy of the jail cell itself—exploring Ruby's frantic deathbed claims that he was being poisoned, his private visits from MKULTRA-linked psychiatrist Dr. Jolly West, and the highly suspicious, rapid succession of deaths that silenced the journalists and associates who tried to tell his story, including reporters Bill Hunter, Jim Koethe, attorney Tom Howard, and Broadway columnist Dorothy Kilgallen.Ultimately, the miniseries is anchored by a compelling, tragic psychological portrait of a man whose life was propelled by a volatile cycle of "aspiration and humiliation". Drawing on a remarkable 1922 psychiatric report that diagnosed an eleven-year-old Ruby as an egocentric attention-seeker, the series traces how a lifetime of failed commercial ventures—from liquid vitamins to exercise twist boards—and a hyper-sensitivity to anti-Semitic slurs transformed into a desperate, final bid for recognition. This essential opening chapter invites listeners to sit as the jury, laying out the raw evidence to decide whether Jack Ruby's fatal act was a chaotic institutional failure or a chillingly coordinated design

Award entries are part CV, part pitch, and part confession. Rachel Hayward has spent over a decade helping businesses get all three right. Rachel Hayward, founder of Ask the Chameleon, speaks to Debbie Gilbert about starting her business, helping her clients successfully win grants, tenders, and awards, and how she has become a multi-award winner herself. Winner of the Best Solopreneur Award at the inaugural Best SME Awards, Rachel explains how redundancy from the charity sector led her into bid writing, and why she has chosen to stay a solopreneur rather than scale up. She has championed small businesses through the FSB. Rachel also discusses how entering awards allows her to better understand the process. Crucially, she exposes the dangers of relying on AI for entries, and why she believes human judging will always matter more than automated scoring. About Rachel Rachel Hayward is Managing Director of Ask the Chameleon Ltd, the award-winning bid writing and procurement consultancy helping SMEs, charities and social enterprises compete, and win, in markets dominated by much larger organisations. Since 2015 she has secured access to more than £192.4 million through successful bids, frameworks and tenders, including £4.6 million in charitable grants. As a micro business owner herself, Rachel understands what it takes to compete in a bigger game. Her expertise spans public sector procurement, grant funding, strategic bid writing and award submissions, including the King's Awards for Enterprise and Chamber of Commerce Awards. She recently led the Ducks in a Row crowdfunding campaign for Trent Rowing Club, raising £31,140 in memory of her late father, the club's President for over 30 years. Her mission is simple: to prove that size should never limit ambition. With the right strategy, even the smallest organisations can compete - and win – in the biggest games. {2:25} Why Rachel started Ask The Chameleon. {3:54} Where did the name 'Ask the Chameleon' come from? {5:14} How Rachel built her client base. {7:00} A conscious decision to remain a solopreneur. {9:18} Rachel's efforts to support other small businesses. {12:03} How Rachel approaches clients requiring award-entry support. {16:05} Rachel's own awards journey. {19:12} The dangers of using AI for award entries. {22:36} How to make your award entry stand out. {26:55} What's on the agenda for the next few years? {28:35} Rachel's tendering business.   Connect with Debbie at: https://thebusinessawardsshow.co.uk                                         https://bestsmeawards.co.uk/                                        Connect with Rachel:  https://www.askthechameleon.co.uk/ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhaywardaskthechameleon/                 https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-the-chameleon-ltd/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/askthechameleon/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askthechameleon/  

Victor Pickard returns to Money on the Left six years after his first appearance on the show to discuss the state of the U.S. media system under Trump 2.0. Pickard is C. Edwin Baker Professor of Media Policy and Political Economy at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication and Co-Director at the Media, Inequality & Change Center. Placing current developments in broad historical context, Pickard situates today's media crisis within a century-long struggle to establish and maintain genuine public media against the overpowering dominance and relentless pushback of private corporate media.Drawing on his recent writing and policy interventions, Pickard breaks down three distinct layers of media capture: capitalistic, oligarchic, and authoritarian. Crucially, our conversation stresses how the foundational layer—the capitalistic privatization of news and communication as market commodities rather than vital public goods—directly conditions and enables the other two. As long as media institutions remain captured by capitalist imperatives, treating political information as a vehicle for private control and exploitation, attempts to counter oligarchic consolidation or authoritarian coercion will fail to address the root causes of our institutional breakdown.During our discussion, we explore the history of the struggle to build public media in the United States, from early twentieth-century regulatory choices that privatized the public airwaves to the gradual weakening of public-interest protections and the chronic underfunding of public broadcasting. Against this hyper-commercialized landscape, we insist upon the necessity of fighting for democratic, diverse, and locally sensitive public media infrastructures. Rather than relying on broken advertising models or corporate philanthropy, we explore what it would mean to construct non-capitalist, community-governed media systems designed from the bottom up to serve local publics.Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/MoLsuperstructureMusic by Nahneen Kula: www.nahneenkula.com

In the mid-1930s a group of New York Yiddishist intellectuals established the Central Jewish Library and Press Archive, whose collections became the nucleus of the YIVO Library when the Institute relocated from Vilna to New York in 1940. Over the succeeding decades, the Library grew by leaps and bounds, thanks to the dedication of its librarians and supporters. It emerged as a “collection of collections,” absorbing the extensive personal libraries of prominent Yiddish writers, scholars, and book collectors. Crucially, after 1945 the Library also recovered large portions of the Vilna YIVO's prewar holdings along with thousands of rabbinic works from Vilna's Strashun Library. Throughout its history, the YIVO Library has been a beehive of scholarship and bibliography, which has been fostered by such outstanding figures as Mendl Elkin and Dina Abramowicz. In this presentation, Zachary M. Baker will offer some personal reflections on the legacy that the YIVO Library's founders and builders have left behind. View the bibliography for this talk: here This lecture originally took place on February 19, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In the mid-1930s a group of New York Yiddishist intellectuals established the Central Jewish Library and Press Archive, whose collections became the nucleus of the YIVO Library when the Institute relocated from Vilna to New York in 1940. Over the succeeding decades, the Library grew by leaps and bounds, thanks to the dedication of its librarians and supporters. It emerged as a “collection of collections,” absorbing the extensive personal libraries of prominent Yiddish writers, scholars, and book collectors. Crucially, after 1945 the Library also recovered large portions of the Vilna YIVO's prewar holdings along with thousands of rabbinic works from Vilna's Strashun Library. Throughout its history, the YIVO Library has been a beehive of scholarship and bibliography, which has been fostered by such outstanding figures as Mendl Elkin and Dina Abramowicz. In this presentation, Zachary M. Baker will offer some personal reflections on the legacy that the YIVO Library's founders and builders have left behind. View the bibliography for this talk: here This lecture originally took place on February 19, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

In the mid-1930s a group of New York Yiddishist intellectuals established the Central Jewish Library and Press Archive, whose collections became the nucleus of the YIVO Library when the Institute relocated from Vilna to New York in 1940. Over the succeeding decades, the Library grew by leaps and bounds, thanks to the dedication of its librarians and supporters. It emerged as a “collection of collections,” absorbing the extensive personal libraries of prominent Yiddish writers, scholars, and book collectors. Crucially, after 1945 the Library also recovered large portions of the Vilna YIVO's prewar holdings along with thousands of rabbinic works from Vilna's Strashun Library. Throughout its history, the YIVO Library has been a beehive of scholarship and bibliography, which has been fostered by such outstanding figures as Mendl Elkin and Dina Abramowicz. In this presentation, Zachary M. Baker will offer some personal reflections on the legacy that the YIVO Library's founders and builders have left behind. View the bibliography for this talk: here This lecture originally took place on February 19, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Beyond the Ocean: France and the Atlantic World from the Crusades to the Age of Revolutions (Oxford University Press, 2026), Christopher Hodson and Brett Rushforth reveal the vast and complex world of France's Atlantic enterprises in the premodern era. Drawing upon years of archival work, Hodson and Rushforth demonstrate how France's overseas activities created its empire, intentionally or not, and how these distant places built the French state and used it for their own ends. Beyond the Ocean covers an impressive sweep of history, from the late eleventh century through the early nineteenth, and yet the authors manage to retain a human element. Their judicious inclusion of micro-histories and primary-source quotation, as well as their lively prose, helps the reader enter into what it may have felt like to live through these developments, to participate in the era when "France became France, and the Atlantic became a world." Crucially, their attention to the non-European actors in this story and women's worlds and work makes the book a helpful corrective to top-down approaches to imperial histories. Beyond the Ocean is a must-read for Atlantic world scholars, but has value for anyone interested in early modern Europe or cultural exchange. Elspeth Currie is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at Boston College where she studies women's intellectual history in early modern Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

In Beyond the Ocean: France and the Atlantic World from the Crusades to the Age of Revolutions (Oxford University Press, 2026), Christopher Hodson and Brett Rushforth reveal the vast and complex world of France's Atlantic enterprises in the premodern era. Drawing upon years of archival work, Hodson and Rushforth demonstrate how France's overseas activities created its empire, intentionally or not, and how these distant places built the French state and used it for their own ends. Beyond the Ocean covers an impressive sweep of history, from the late eleventh century through the early nineteenth, and yet the authors manage to retain a human element. Their judicious inclusion of micro-histories and primary-source quotation, as well as their lively prose, helps the reader enter into what it may have felt like to live through these developments, to participate in the era when "France became France, and the Atlantic became a world." Crucially, their attention to the non-European actors in this story and women's worlds and work makes the book a helpful corrective to top-down approaches to imperial histories. Beyond the Ocean is a must-read for Atlantic world scholars, but has value for anyone interested in early modern Europe or cultural exchange. Elspeth Currie is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at Boston College where she studies women's intellectual history in early modern Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In Beyond the Ocean: France and the Atlantic World from the Crusades to the Age of Revolutions (Oxford University Press, 2026), Christopher Hodson and Brett Rushforth reveal the vast and complex world of France's Atlantic enterprises in the premodern era. Drawing upon years of archival work, Hodson and Rushforth demonstrate how France's overseas activities created its empire, intentionally or not, and how these distant places built the French state and used it for their own ends. Beyond the Ocean covers an impressive sweep of history, from the late eleventh century through the early nineteenth, and yet the authors manage to retain a human element. Their judicious inclusion of micro-histories and primary-source quotation, as well as their lively prose, helps the reader enter into what it may have felt like to live through these developments, to participate in the era when "France became France, and the Atlantic became a world." Crucially, their attention to the non-European actors in this story and women's worlds and work makes the book a helpful corrective to top-down approaches to imperial histories. Beyond the Ocean is a must-read for Atlantic world scholars, but has value for anyone interested in early modern Europe or cultural exchange. Elspeth Currie is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at Boston College where she studies women's intellectual history in early modern Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Beyond the Ocean: France and the Atlantic World from the Crusades to the Age of Revolutions (Oxford University Press, 2026), Christopher Hodson and Brett Rushforth reveal the vast and complex world of France's Atlantic enterprises in the premodern era. Drawing upon years of archival work, Hodson and Rushforth demonstrate how France's overseas activities created its empire, intentionally or not, and how these distant places built the French state and used it for their own ends. Beyond the Ocean covers an impressive sweep of history, from the late eleventh century through the early nineteenth, and yet the authors manage to retain a human element. Their judicious inclusion of micro-histories and primary-source quotation, as well as their lively prose, helps the reader enter into what it may have felt like to live through these developments, to participate in the era when "France became France, and the Atlantic became a world." Crucially, their attention to the non-European actors in this story and women's worlds and work makes the book a helpful corrective to top-down approaches to imperial histories. Beyond the Ocean is a must-read for Atlantic world scholars, but has value for anyone interested in early modern Europe or cultural exchange. Elspeth Currie is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at Boston College where she studies women's intellectual history in early modern Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies

In Beyond the Ocean: France and the Atlantic World from the Crusades to the Age of Revolutions (Oxford University Press, 2026), Christopher Hodson and Brett Rushforth reveal the vast and complex world of France's Atlantic enterprises in the premodern era. Drawing upon years of archival work, Hodson and Rushforth demonstrate how France's overseas activities created its empire, intentionally or not, and how these distant places built the French state and used it for their own ends. Beyond the Ocean covers an impressive sweep of history, from the late eleventh century through the early nineteenth, and yet the authors manage to retain a human element. Their judicious inclusion of micro-histories and primary-source quotation, as well as their lively prose, helps the reader enter into what it may have felt like to live through these developments, to participate in the era when "France became France, and the Atlantic became a world." Crucially, their attention to the non-European actors in this story and women's worlds and work makes the book a helpful corrective to top-down approaches to imperial histories. Beyond the Ocean is a must-read for Atlantic world scholars, but has value for anyone interested in early modern Europe or cultural exchange. Elspeth Currie is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at Boston College where she studies women's intellectual history in early modern Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Murray Rothbard started his career with a foundational training in neoclassical economics. At Columbia University, he learned from highly regarded professors and demonstrated a thorough understanding of the positivist method, Keynesian and Marshallian economic theory, and institutional empirical analysis. Crucially, Rothbard perceived the fact that critical errors existed in these disparate strands of knowledge, although he could not yet articulate them. But the recognition itself motivated him to take the highly important step of contacting the free-market Foundation for Economic Education and the William Volker Fund, thereby discovering Austrian economics.

The old joke about nuclear fusion power is that commercial deployment is 30 years in the future: it always has been and it always will be. It may be time to retire that joke. Private fusion companies have now raised billions in capital, and pilot plants are moving from slide decks and plans into steel and concrete. The questions now are not so much around whether fusion power can ever work, and more about how soon it can reach the grid, and at what costHost Ed Crooks and regular contributor Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Global Energy, Climate, & Sustainability Lab at NYU are joined by two fusion industry leaders to discuss the rapid progress they are making. Andrew Holland is founder and chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association, and Bob Mumgaard is chief executive of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, one of the companies vying to have the first commercial fusion power plant in operation.Andrew lays out the state of the sector. There are 56 private fusion companies globally, which between them have raised more than $14 billion in private capital. And there is a growing conviction inside the industry that commercial fusion could arrive in the early 2030s. Bob explains why Commonwealth believes SPARC, its demonstration project in Massachusetts, and ARC, its planned power plant in Virginia, can help make that timetable real.Fusion has moved beyond the era when government science programs defined the pace of progress. Research backed by governments and universities has played a vital role in moving the technology forward, but Andrew argues that competition, venture capital and milestone-based development have changed the industry's tempo. Crucially, the industry has not put all its eggs in one basket. Multiple companies are pursuing different technical paths, including both laser-based approaches and magnetic confinement systems, in a race to commerciality. Bob offers the clearest lay explanation of what fusion power means in practice. Commonwealth Fusion Systems uses a tokamak, which is essentially a magnetic bottle that holds a star inside it. Fusion creates heat, which can be used to run a steam turbine. Unlike wind and solar, fusion does not depend on weather or geography. Unlike fossil fuels, it does not rely on continual fuel deliveries.The episode also explores why fusion developers believe the technology could avoid some of the political and regulatory burdens that have constrained nuclear fission power. Because fusion reactions are hard to start and easy to stop, the risks are fundamentally different from those of a conventional fission reactor. Bob and Andrew argue that this changes everything from plant safety to siting to licensing, and could make fusion much faster to deploy if the technical hurdles are cleared.They also discuss what it will take to build an industry, not just a few prototypes. Amy pushes on fuel cycles, lithium, superconducting tape and supply-chain readiness. Bob argues that these challenges are real but manageable, and Andrew points to the growing ecosystem of manufacturers now positioning themselves for a future fusion market. The wider point is that fusion is increasingly starting to look like a manufacturing and industrial-policy story, not just a laboratory science story.That leads to the biggest question of all: if fusion works, how much could it matter? Bob sketches outcomes ranging from a valuable but still niche source of clean baseload power to a genuinely transformative technology. Andrew goes even further, arguing that fusion could decouple energy from geography and geopolitics in a way no fuel-based system ever has. If the industry's ambitions are realized, within the next ten years fusion could emerge as a commercial energy source with real consequences for grids, markets and global power. This episode of Energy Gang is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at engieresources.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Detroit Lions defense in 2025 was not bad, it was untimely. They ranked 22nd in scoring defense but finished 17th in yards allowed per game and ninth on third downs, and Pro Football Focus graded them as a top-five defense overall. The real issue was explosive plays and situational lapses at key moments. Was the Detroit Lions defense actually bad in 2025? No. The unit performed better than its reputation. As Jeff Risdon noted, the Lions were 22nd in points allowed, 17th in yards per game at 332.8, and middle of the pack at 5.4 yards per play. Crucially, they allowed a 36.9 percent third-down conversion rate, which ranked ninth, while the offense converted 38.8 percent, 19th. That disconnect fuels the perception. The defense was on the field in tough spots and failed at the worst times, which is different from being bad snap-to-snap. Which numbers explain the gap between strong grades and points allowed? Excellent. PFF's cumulative defensive grade for Detroit was 81.8, fifth overall, with a 78.5 run defense grade that ranked fourth. Tackling graded at 74.9, second behind the Green Bay Packers. The pass rush ranked fifth, and pressure rate ranked fourth, with help from Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Coverage graded 74.1, tenth. Raw team data backs several strengths: Detroit allowed the sixth-lowest completion rate at 61.6 percent, averaged 7.3 yards per pass allowed which ranked 23rd, and posted an 8.11 percent sack rate, eighth. Special teams graded sixth. The defense simply surrendered too many explosive plays and got burned by short fields when the offense failed on third and fourth downs. Those two factors drove points more than down-to-down quality. What must change in 2026 to turn solid metrics into stops? Cut the explosives and win the pivotal snaps. That means finishing drives with takeaways or stops on third and manageable, and protecting field position instead of gifting short fields. As Jeff Risdon theorized, using more zone coverage and replacing some base 4-3 snaps with extra defensive backs or an additional lineman instead of a linebacker can specifically help in coverage. He also noted using the punter a little more in marginal situations to avoid feeding opponents favorable field position. Turnovers and situational management Risdon's Houston analogy underscores it: clean up turnover differential and third-down execution and a defense that already grades well turns those metrics into points prevented. Do the Lions have the personnel to fix it? Yes. Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson closed strong after a slump and remains the headliner up front. Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell delivered impact against the run, and the interior pairing of Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Tyleik Williams should be a strong one-two punch. Depth has improved in the secondary, though, as Jeff Risdon cautioned, safety Brian Branch and safety Kerby Joseph entering the start of the year is not optimal. Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone's role can flex within sub-packages to prioritize coverage matchups. Bottom line, as Risdon put it, the defense was unfortunate and untimely in 2025, and those are correctable issues. He's over the 10.5 win total. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #lionsdefense #nflstatistics #pff #pffranking #pffgrades #aidanhutchinson #jackcampbell #alimmcneill #tyleikwilliams #brianbranch #kirbyjoseph #alexanzalone #profootballfocus #losangelesrams #seattleseahawks #greenbaypackers #passrush Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Day in Legal History: The Sedition Act of 1798On July 14, 1798, Congress passed the Sedition Act, the most notorious of the four laws known collectively as the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Sedition Act made it a federal crime to write, print, utter, or publish “any false, scandalous and malicious writing” against the government of the United States, the Congress, or the President—with the intent to defame them or bring them into disrepute. In plain terms, it criminalized criticism of the government.The context was a Federalist administration, under President John Adams, gripped by fear of France and of domestic dissent, and eager to silence the opposition press aligned with Thomas Jefferson's Republicans. And that's exactly how it was used. Federal prosecutors went after Republican newspaper editors and even a sitting congressman, securing convictions for the crime of harsh political speech. Notably, the Act was written to expire in 1801—conveniently, the moment Adams's term would end—so that it could be wielded against his critics but would not outlive his own hold on power.The reaction was fierce and consequential. Jefferson and James Madison drafted the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions arguing the Act was unconstitutional, and the ensuing backlash helped sweep Jefferson into the presidency in 1800; once in office, he pardoned those convicted under it. The Sedition Act was never tested at the Supreme Court, but history rendered its verdict. More than a century and a half later, in New York Times v. Sullivan, the Court looked back and declared that the Act's assault on free expression had been repudiated “in the court of history,” using it as a touchstone for modern First Amendment law. The lesson of July 14, 1798 endures: laws that punish criticism of the government are almost always tools of the powerful against their critics—and a free press is most necessary precisely when the state would prefer it silent.Federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas seeking to compel four New York Times journalists to testify before a Manhattan grand jury, part of a leak investigation into the paper's reporting on security concerns surrounding President Trump's flight on the new Qatari-donated Air Force One. Federal agents delivered some of the subpoenas to the reporters' homes. Here's the legal terrain. There is no absolute federal reporter's privilege—the Supreme Court held decades ago that the First Amendment doesn't categorically shield journalists from grand jury subpoenas—but the Justice Department has long operated under internal guidelines that made going after reporters a last resort. Those guardrails matter here, because in 2025 Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded the Biden-era policy that had sharply limited subpoenas against journalists, restoring broader authority to pursue them. The Times says it will fight, and can ask a court to quash the subpoenas as overbroad, issued in bad faith, or violating the First Amendment. The significance is the pressure this puts on newsgathering: when the government can subpoena reporters to unmask their sources, sources stop talking, and the kind of national-security reporting at issue here gets harder to do. Press-freedom groups warn this administration has reached for subpoenas and search warrants against journalists—at the Times, the Post, and the Wall Street Journal—more freely than its predecessors.Explainer: Can prosecutors compel New York Times journalists to testify in leak probe? | ReutersA federal judge has voided President Trump's roughly $1.78 billion settlement with the IRS, delivering a scathing rebuke and referring his lawyers for possible discipline. The backstory is unusual. Trump sued his own administration in January over the leak of his tax returns, and by late May had reached a deal with the IRS to create an “anti-weaponization” fund and to “forever bar” the government from any action related to his past tax returns—protection extending to his family and businesses. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams found the whole thing was a setup. The core legal defect is the absence of what courts call adverseness. Federal courts can only decide genuine “cases or controversies”—real disputes between opposing parties. Here, Judge Williams wrote, “there was never adverseness between the Parties; there was never a case or controversy; and there was never a question as to who would prevail,” because Trump was effectively suing himself, with his own Justice Department on the other side agreeing to lose. She found the case was brought for an improper purpose: to get a court's stamp of legitimacy on a settlement with no basis in law or fact. She sanctioned Trump's attorneys and referred one, Alejandro Brito, to the Florida bar, and suggested Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche should face discipline too. The significance is a court refusing to be used as a rubber stamp—insisting that its legitimacy can't be borrowed to bless a collusive deal dressed up as litigation.US judge voids Trump's settlement with IRS | ReutersA federal appeals court has revived more than 500 private lawsuits against Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, alleging that acetaminophen use during pregnancy caused autism and ADHD in children—and here it's worth being clear about the science before the law. There is no firm scientific evidence that Tylenol causes autism or ADHD. The most rigorous recent research, including a large Swedish sibling-comparison study of millions of children, found no causal link once you control for genetic and environmental factors shared within families; mainstream medical bodies continue to regard acetaminophen as one of the safer pain and fever options in pregnancy, and untreated high fevers carry their own real risks. So this ruling is not a finding that Tylenol is dangerous. What the Second Circuit actually decided was narrower and procedural: that the trial judge had wrongly excluded the plaintiffs' expert witnesses. Under the rules governing expert testimony, judges act as “gatekeepers,” admitting expert opinion only if it rests on reliable methodology. The district court had tossed the plaintiffs' experts as unreliable; the appeals court, per Judge Guido Calabresi, said their methods reflected approaches other scientists use and amounted to “acceptable interpretations of scientific evidence where scientists may, and in fact do, disagree.” Crucially, the court stressed it was not deciding whether Tylenol actually causes these conditions. The significance is about who weighs contested science—the ruling lets juries, not just judges, hear the dispute, which is a real win for the plaintiffs procedurally even though the underlying causation case remains, on the current evidence, weak.US appeals court revives private lawsuits linking Tylenol to autism, ADHD | ReutersAnd finally, in my column for Bloomberg Tax this week, I take on a counterintuitive idea: that big corporate taxpayers may come to miss the boring, predictable world of administrative tax law now that the Supreme Court has overruled Chevron deference. My argument, in short, is that a weaker IRS and Treasury is not the unalloyed win a lot of multinationals assume it is.Here's the setup. For forty years, under Chevron, courts deferred to a federal agency's reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous statute. With Chevron gone, courts no longer have to defer to Treasury's reading of the tax code just because the statute is vague and the agency has expertise. A lot of corporate taxpayers cheered that—less agency power sounds like more freedom. But my point is that killing Chevron did nothing to remove the underlying ambiguity in the tax code; it just moved the job of resolving that ambiguity to a different desk. And there are only two other desks it can land on, and I don't love either one for a company that wants predictability.The first desk belongs to the courts. If Treasury can't issue as many binding, prospective rules, then more of these questions get resolved through litigation—case by case, on particular records, often years after the transactions are done. Courts are built to handle controversies, not to administer a global corporate tax system. The Coca-Cola transfer-pricing fight is the stress test I point to: a company may win a great refund that way, but you can't organize a multinational's affairs around the hope that every ambiguous question turns into a bespoke judicial adventure. The second desk belongs to Congress, which is the more democratically satisfying answer—Congress writes the code and is politically accountable. But in practice Congress moves slowly and episodically, usually only when tax changes ride along on some bigger budget deal. By the time Congress fixes an international tax problem, the business model that created it has been reorganized twice and pivoted to something involving AI.So the core of my argument is that corporate taxpayers need to distinguish between a useful litigation win and a stable legal environment—those two things don't always travel together. A bad but clear rule can be modeled and planned around; an ambiguous rule, as I put it, isn't really a rule, it's a threat in the shape of a Treasury notice. My prescription is that Congress should make clearer, more deliberate delegations where technical administration is unavoidable—transfer pricing, international tax, anti-abuse rules—and that Treasury should do a post-Chevron audit of its own regulations to flag where the code is asking too much of administration and too little of legislation. Because the real choice here isn't between IRS power and taxpayer freedom. It's between prospective administration and retroactive improvisation—and multinationals may get their wish, see the IRS diminished, and then find themselves stuck with rules everyone knows are broken but no one can fix.Big Corporate Taxpayers Need More Clarity in a Post-Chevron World | Bloomberg Tax This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Legacies of the 1920s: Hoover and Roosevelt Guest: David Pietrusza The final segment contrasts the presidencies of Herbert Hoover and FDR, the last of the six presidents from the 1920 cycle. Hoover, despite rising from "great poverty" to become a "great engineer," struggled with a cold public persona that failed to rally the nation during the Great Depression. Conversely, the wealthy FDR was transformed by his battle with polio, which observers like Frances Perkins believed allowed him to empathize more deeply with human suffering. FDR became a master of radio and newsreels, using them to refine his communication and build a broad "progressive coalition." Crucially, Roosevelt learned from Wilson's failure to compromise on the Versailles Treaty; when he later championed the United Nations, he made sure to involve Republicans in the process. By applying the hard lessons of the 1920 election, FDR successfully realized the internationalist vision that had eluded Wilson. (8)1920

The Katherine Massey Book Club @ The C.O.W.S. debuts Session 1 on The Memoirs of Robert and Mabel Williams: African American Freedom, Armed Resistance, and International Solidarity. The Biography Kings have officially returned to primary-source reality. After a grueling 12-week forensic audit dismantling the sanitized academic distortions of The New Jim Crow, we wash our hands of corporate non-profit "Race Management" and return to the uncompromised gold standard of Black revolutionary history. This newly compiled text features previously unpublished, first-person manuscripts written by both Robert and Mabel Williams. Crucially, the text is co-edited by definitive historian Dr. Akinyele Umoja, who has been a featured guest on our program twice for his masterwork We Will Shoot Back. More than a decade after our comprehensive review of the foundational text Negroes With Guns, we step back into the trenches of Monroe, North Carolina, to trace how the Williamses organized armed self-defense guards to repel Ku Klux Klan motorcades.Most importantly, this joint memoir shatters the provincial limits of typical domestic political discourse. While much of mainstream, so-called "Black Nationalist" dialogue remains hyper-focused exclusively on lines drawn within the borders of the United States, Robert and Mabel Williams intentionally target a global System of White Supremacy. We analyze their strategic political exile, tracking their underground international solidarity networks from the shortwave transmissions of Radio Free Dixie in Havana, Cuba, straight to elite anti-colonial alliances in Beijing, China. We back up this premiere broadcast by deploying a multi-layered, twin-engine audio intro featuring Dr. Umoja's previous C.O.W.S. guidance stacked back-to-back with raw, shortwave archive broadcasts of Robert and Mabel themselves. INVEST in The COWS: - PayPal: [http://paypal.me/TheCOWS](http://paypal.me/TheCOWS) - Cash App: [https://cash.app/$TheCOWS](https://cash.app/$TheCOWS) #SurviveYourShift #SafetyFirst #TheCOWS17Years #CounterRacism Call-In Number: 720.716.7300 Code: 564943#

What does it really mean to become an expert in resuscitation and critical care? It is tempting to think that expertise comes from accumulating enough facts, passing enough exams or simply spending 10,000 hours at work. In this episode, Iain Beardsell is joined by emergency physician, intensivist and medical educator Sara Crager to explore why expertise is less about how much we know and more about how we think. Sara explains how experts develop high-quality mental models that allow them to organise information, recognise patterns and approach difficult clinical problems. Crucially, these mental models do not have to remain hidden inside the heads of experienced clinicians: they can be identified, explained and deliberately taught. The conversation moves from the limitations of mnemonics and assessment-driven education to the value of deliberate practice, feedback and safe failure. Sara describes how an expert might organise the differential diagnosis of cardiac arrest into respiratory, haemodynamic and metabolic problems, rather than relying solely on a memorised list of Hs and Ts. Iain and Sara then discuss Rapid Sequence, the gamified clinical-learning platform Sara created with emergency physician Ryan Ernst. Learners work through realistic cases in a simulated clinical environment, managing several patients while dealing with interruptions, competing priorities and the consequences of their decisions. After each block, Sara and Ryan deconstruct the cases, make their clinical reasoning explicit and introduce mental models that learners can immediately apply when they try again. It is a cycle of practice, failure, teaching and repetition—without putting a real patient at risk. They also explore why attention, storytelling and visual design matter in medical education; how “multitasking” may be better understood as rapid task switching; and what Sara has learned from turning an educational passion project into a working product. In this episode Why expertise is about cognitive strategies and mental models—not simply knowledge Why experts are made rather than born The limitations of the “10,000-hour rule” How deliberate practice differs from repetition When learners are ready to be taught expert ways of thinking Foundational knowledge versus clinically useful organisation Moving beyond mnemonics such as the Hs and Ts How experts can make their implicit reasoning explicit Why acquiring a new mental model can produce a sudden leap in performance The importance of inspiration—and giving learners an achievable pathway How Rapid Sequence creates a safe place to make mistakes Managing several patients, interruptions and cognitive load Teaching shock, respiratory failure and acid–base physiology Why engaging design is part of the educational method The role of games alongside podcasts, lectures and clinical experience Reframing multitasking as rapid task switching The “pause and bookmark” technique for managing interruptions The realities of building an independent medical-education project Why partnership, persistence and a genuine belief in the project matter Learning from podcasts? If podcasts form part of your CPD, you can log your listening time across all podcasts on MedPod Learn — not just St Emlyn's — and generate structured reflection. The app is free to download, includes a one-month free trial, and offers globally adjusted pricing.

Four Africans living in Luxembourg share why the future of Africa-Europe capital is ownership, not aid, & the people structuring it are already in the room There is a moment in the conversation when Cheikh Ndiaye, a fund lawyer at Elvinger Hoss Prussen who was born and raised in Senegal, describes his job in one word: plumbing. He designs the structures that let capital move across borders, legally and at scale. It is an unglamorous metaphor for a profound idea, and it reframes everything the African diaspora in Luxembourg is trying to do. Around the studio table at RTL City sat four people whose journeys began in Cameroon, Algeria, Mauritania and Senegal, and converged in one of the world's largest fund centres. Burrel Ngatcha, founder of the African Luxembourg Community (ALC), brought them together. Sonia Brahmi runs a boutique tax advisory firm. Dr. Leila Kamara builds sustainable investment funds. What they share is a conviction that the old story about Africa and money has expired, and that they are the ones positioned to write the new one. Why all of Africa, not just the countries? Luxembourg holds roughly 700,000 inhabitants and an outsized share of the world's investment funds. Ngatcha arrived in 2023, joined Société Générale, and quickly noticed how hard it was to find people who shared a common history. So in May 2025 he launched a LinkedIn group. It has since grown into a network of more than 1,400 professionals. "Africa has 54 countries, from the north to the south, the east to the west. It was making sense for me to create something for all the continent, not only for Cameroon." Crucially, the ALC is not a closed door. Ngatcha is direct about who belongs: the point is not heritage but curiosity about the continent's dynamics. "It's not about being African who matters the most. It's about being conscious and curious about the dynamics that happen in Africa." The diaspora's real asset is proximity The sharpest idea of the conversation came from Ndiaye, who pushed back on the reflex to equate diaspora capital with remittances. Money sent home, he argued, is love, but it is not leverage. The leverage is something far rarer. "We're not standing outside of global finance. We are in the machinery, right here." There are people of African origin in Luxembourg structuring funds, running compliance and sitting on management committees who understand both European regulation and the reality back home. That double fluency, Ndiaye said, is the whole game. "The lever is turning that proximity into vehicles, people who can make an African asset legible to European capital and root it back as ownership, not aid." The numbers most investors are missing Ask anyone to picture African investment and they tend to picture risk. Ndiaye offered a corrective that should make any allocator pause: ten of the twenty fastest-growing economies in the world are African. He pointed to Niger growing at around 11 percent a year, precisely the kind of country most European investors would never consider. His point was not naivety about risk. It was that treating a continent of 54 distinct economies as a single block is itself the error, and that local knowledge is a competitive advantage hiding in plain sight. "If you have boots on the ground, if you know the country, there are a lot of opportunities. There are a lot of success stories, but you don't know them." Blockchain as a bridge, not a buzzword Brahmi, who grew up in a third-generation Algerian family in France and now works heavily in crypto and tax, made the case for digital assets as practical infrastructure rather than speculation. Banking access across much of Africa is expensive and slow, and the continent's many currencies complicate even neighbourly trade. Stablecoins, she argued, lower the friction. She and Ngatcha recently ran a conference on exactly this, titled Digital Assets Without Borders. Her argument is that transparency, not hype, is the real promise, since transactions on a public ledger can be tracked and proven in ways paper never could. "We don't need ink signatures, because everything is documented. It should lead to better governance in the end." Sustainability as a financial strategy Kamara relocated from Paris five years ago, having grown up in Mauritania, and recently founded Kamara Advisory after three years of doctoral research into socially responsible investment. Her conclusion reshaped her career: the real gap is not in avoiding heavy emitters but in financing their transition. That insight became NZiFund, a Net-Zero Innovation Fund built to channel capital toward green technology and toward the high-emitting companies that most need to change. Her framing rejects the idea that sustainability is a compliance cost. "We really need to support them in their transition, rather than divesting from them when we are practising sustainable investment." She is candid that climate finance has a long way to go, a view shared by the wider industry. Private money, she and the table agreed, is still far from where it needs to be, and de-risking it remains the central challenge. The thread that ties it together What emerges across these four stories is a single argument made four ways. Identity is something you choose and carry rather than something assigned to you. Africa is plural, not monolithic. And the diaspora's true value is that it sits inside the machinery of global capital while understanding the ground back home. At 29, Ngatcha has built that bridge faster than most. As Brahmi put it, watching her younger colleague work, the energy and commitment to bring African voices to a platform is rare. The conversation has moved decisively away from aid and toward ownership, and these are some of the people doing the plumbing. Guests and links Burrel Ngatcha, Founder and President, African Luxembourg Community Sonia Brahmi, CEO, Kairō (LinkedIn) Dr. Leila Kamara, CEO, Kamara Advisory (LinkedIn) Cheikh Ndiaye, Counsel, Elvinger Hoss Prussen (LinkedIn)

Send us a textGout is common, painful and might not get the attention it needs. This episode reframes gout as a long-term condition that deserves confident, compassionate consultations in primary care. Nik and Fiona unpack the key practice-changing points from the latest guidelines and evidence, including why serum urate testing at presentation may challenge old habits. Crucially, they also tackle the stigma: gout is not simply a lifestyle problem, genetics matter, and the way we explain this can reduce shame and improve engagement. Press play if you want a practical update that will sharpen your diagnosis, simplify follow-up, and help patients feel supported rather than blamed. Useful LinksPrimary Care IT (Primary Care IT has built a series of searches for gout. These integrate into your clinical systems)Useful resources for patients:https://www.arthritis-uk.org/information-and-support/understanding-arthritis/conditions/gout/ (patient information leaflet)Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited.  Find out more here. Follow us:  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInDisclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Interview with Darren Bowden, CEO of Metals Exploration PLCOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/metals-exploration-lsemtl-doubling-gold-output-as-build-on-track-on-budget-9180Recording date: 8th July 2026Metals Exploration (LSE:MTL) presents a self-funded gold development story entering its most consequential phase, with a newly acquired copper optionality layered on top. The company's flagship growth asset, La India in Nicaragua, is roughly 50% built and remains on schedule for first gold production in December 2026. CEO Darren Bowden confirmed that a previously flagged risk, the power transmission to the construction site, has now been substantially resolved through a revised delivery arrangement with the Nicaraguan government, under which the state handles design and the company handles construction.Construction progress is tangible: front-end processing infrastructure is complete, the CIL tanks are half-erected, and both mills are currently being installed. Some equipment deliveries such as an elution circuit from Australia and high-voltage cabling have slipped by a few weeks, but management maintains that the December 2026 target is intact, aided by a stockpiling strategy designed to bank four to five months of processing feed ahead of commissioning.The build is being funded entirely from Runruno's operating cashflow. The Philippines-based mine delivered record FY2025 results - $208.4 million in revenue and $115.3 million in free cashflow - leaving the company debt-free. FY2026 Runruno guidance of 40,000-48,000oz represents a step down from FY2025's 65,287oz, reflecting the mine's advancing age rather than any operational issue, as La India is designed to take over as the group's primary cashflow generator from late 2026.La India's underlying economics remain strong: a pre-tax NPV6 of $882 million at $2,500/oz gold (rising to $1,378 million at $4,000/oz), targeting 145,000oz of annual production over a mine life of 12-plus years, at an initial capital intensity of $1,138/oz - the lowest among the development-stage peer group Crux tracks for comparison.Layered on top of this near-term gold catalyst is a newly signed set of agreements over the Batong Buhay copper-gold porphyry project in the Philippines, announced 15 June 2026. The 440-hectare licence hosts two historically drill-tested porphyry systems and a high-sulphidation gold vein system, with a historical (non-JORC) resource at the Dickson porphyry of 86.9 million tonnes at 0.60% copper and 0.25 g/t gold. Crucially, the licence sits with the state-owned Philippine Mining Development Corporation, which satisfies local ownership requirements automatically and gives the project government backing that makes it a very different prospect. Initial exploration is underway, with a drill programme targeted for H2 2026.For investors, the near-term case rests on execution through La India's remaining construction and commissioning phases - watch particularly for confirmation of the final capital figure, which has moved slightly across recent company materials - alongside early drill results from Batong Buhay and the company's existing Abra and Cacao exploration targets, both expected in H2 2026.View Metals Exploration's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/metals-exploration-plcSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

JR Bruning analyses her article, “An Election Agreement that has locked in a Road User Charging Revolution” and asks why this was necessary in the first place. Crucially, how it will affect every one of us? Investigative writer JR Bruning (aka Jodie Bruning) covers a range of topics; sociological studies of ignorance, "non-knowledge” and the production of science and technology. Her primary research focus is on the relationship between governance, policy, and the production of scientific and technical knowledge for public good. We cover “New York's Deal with the Devil”. And we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer. File your comments and complaints at Leighton@newstalkzb.co.nz OR Carolyn@newstalkzb.co.nz Haven't listened to a podcast before? Check out our simple how-to guide. Listen here on iHeartRadio Leighton Smith's podcast also available on iTunes:To subscribe via iTunes click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Jason Bassler and Matt Agorist welcomed back grassroots activist, author, and cultural builder Maj Toure for his sixth appearance on the Free Thought Project podcast. Maj is the founder of Black Guns Matter, the Solutionary Center in Philadelphia, and the online education platform Solutionary University. For over a decade, he has been an uncompromising defender of self-ownership, urban firearm rights education, and civic accountability. Maj's work focuses heavily on teaching practical conflict resolution, de-escalation, and helping peaceful individuals break free from the mental and economic traps designed by the state. The conversation dives deep into the shifting political landscape, analyzing the hyper-partisan gridlock of modern politics and the deep-seated cognitive dissonance that keeps voters trapped in establishment cults. The discussion unpacks the landmark unanimous Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Hemani—which declared that the federal government cannot strip individuals of their Second Amendment rights solely over cannabis use—and exposes the hypocrisy of an administration that aggressively pursued the case while masquerading behind a pro-2A facade. Crucially, the dialogue details a powerful wave of organic, multi-regional resistance against the encroaching surveillance state, highlighting decentralized campaigns like "Operation Flock Out" and "Knock the Flock" as citizens actively push back against FLOCK license plate cameras, Palantir data grids, and centralized tracking infrastructure.    The dialogue then pivots to the cultural dynamics of the digital age, examining how toxic online rage-baiting from political provocateurs is engineered to trigger emotional physical retaliation, ultimately weaponizing narrative control to drive disenfranchised youth straight toward authoritarian socialism. The conversation also highlights the severe state overreach surrounding the case of Dexter Taylor, a nonviolent man sentenced to a decade in a maximum-security prison for manufacturing 3D-printed firearms in his own home.   Ending on a powerful "White Pill" note, the episode highlights the necessity of shifting human energy away from systemic distractions and focusing entirely on personal development and local resilience. The final portion of the show underscores the vital role of holistic, decentralizing tools like Solutionary University—including foundational courses on family gun safety, civics, understanding imminent threats, and rights education—to build stronger, self-reliant individuals. The episode concludes with an empowering call to action: to reject state-sponsored demoralization, embrace analog presence, improve physical health, and use local body politics to actively secure liberty as an unalienable birthright. (Length: 1:30:52)   Guest Links & Resources: Maj Toure's Website: Solutionary University Featured Video/Resource: Black Guns Matter Shop Support Maj's Mission: Solutionary GiveSendGo Jason's Know Your Rights Course: Here   Support The Free Thought Project

This Day in Legal History: The Execution of Sir Thomas MoreOn July 6, 1535, Sir Thomas More was beheaded at Tower Hill in London, convicted of high treason against King Henry VIII. More had been one of the most powerful men in England—a lawyer, a scholar, a former Lord Chancellor, the King's own friend—and he went to the scaffold because he would not say the words the King demanded.The dispute was, at its heart, about supremacy. Henry VIII had broken with Rome and declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, and Parliament had passed the Act of Supremacy and an Act of Succession requiring subjects to swear an oath acknowledging the King's new status and the legitimacy of his marriage to Anne Boleyn. More refused to take the oath. Crucially, he did not denounce the King. He said nothing at all. He believed that by staying silent he stayed within the law—that under the old maxim, silence gives consent, and no court could convict a man for what he had not said.The Crown answered that theory with new law. The Treason Act of 1534, which took effect in early 1535, made it treason to “maliciously” deprive the King or Queen of their “dignity, title, or name”—and the government argued that More's conspicuous silence about the King's supremacy was itself a denial of it. More was tried on July 1, 1535, before a panel that included Anne Boleyn's father, brother, and uncle. The decisive testimony came from Richard Rich, the solicitor general, who claimed More had privately rejected the King's title in conversation in the Tower. More insisted the testimony was perjured. The jury deliberated for about fifteen minutes and found him guilty. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered; the King, in what passed for mercy, commuted the sentence to beheading.More's case endures in the legal imagination because it sits at the fault line between law as an instrument of power and law as a limit on power. More was a formidable lawyer who tried to use the law's own rules—the presumption that silence is not a crime, the requirement of proof—to protect his conscience, and the state simply rewrote the rules and manufactured the proof. His famous last words, that he died “the King's good servant, but God's first,” draw the line between obedience to the state and obedience to something the state cannot command. Four centuries later, we still cite More when we argue about compelled speech, about the right to remain silent, about loyalty oaths, and about what a person owes a government that has turned the machinery of law against him. He is a patron saint of lawyers precisely because he lost—because his trial shows how thin the protection of law can be when those in power decide they would rather have a conviction than a fair one.A federal appeals court has ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot detain migrants for more than ninety days without giving them a chance to seek release at a bond hearing. In a 2-1 decision, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—one of the most conservative in the country—sided against the administration, a ruling that could affect thousands of people held in detention in states like Texas and Louisiana.When the government seeks to deport someone, that process can take months or even years, and in the meantime the government often detains the person. The legal question is whether the government can simply hold someone indefinitely while the case grinds on, or whether at some point that person is entitled to a hearing where a neutral decision-maker asks whether they actually need to be locked up—whether they're a flight risk or a danger, or whether they can safely be released on bond while they wait. The administration argued that certain migrants are subject to “mandatory detention” with no such hearing at all. The Fifth Circuit said that after ninety days, that position runs into constitutional trouble.Imagine being held in a jail cell for months, not because a judge decided you were dangerous, but because a statute was read to mean nobody ever has to ask the question. The core idea the court is protecting is an old one: the government generally cannot deprive a person of physical liberty without some individualized process, some moment where a human being reviews your particular case. A bond hearing is that moment. It doesn't guarantee release—it guarantees that someone with authority has to look at you and decide.The Department of Homeland Security said it disagreed with the ruling and remained confident in its legal position on mandatory detention, which signals a likely appeal, possibly to the Supreme Court. But for now, the decision draws a line: prolonged civil detention without any bond hearing is constitutionally suspect, and the length of confinement matters. The ruling is significant not only for the thousands of detainees it directly affects, but because it comes from a court that rarely rules against this administration—a reminder that even sympathetic judges have limits when the question is indefinite detention without a hearing.Appeals court bars mandatory detention for migrants past 90 days without bond hearing | Fox NewsCourt Blocks Immigration Detention Without HearingsThe Supreme Court has refused to hear Donald Trump's appeal seeking to overturn the jury verdict finding him liable for abusing and defaming the writer E. Jean Carroll. With the Court declining to take the case, the 2023 verdict and the roughly five-million-dollar judgment against him stand.In 2023, a civil jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a New York department store in the mid-1990s and later defamed her by branding her account a lie. He was ordered to pay her about five million dollars. Trump appealed and lost in the lower courts, then asked the Supreme Court to step in. Last week the Court denied that request. When the Supreme Court denies review—what lawyers call denying “certiorari”—it isn't endorsing the verdict or ruling on the merits. It's simply declining to hear the case, which leaves the lower court's decision in force. But the practical effect is the same as a loss: the judgment is final, and there are no more appeals to pursue.It helps to separate two things people often blur together. This is a civil case, not a criminal one. Carroll didn't send anyone to prison; she sued for money and for the harm to her reputation, and a jury of ordinary citizens weighed the evidence and believed her. The Supreme Court's role at this stage isn't to re-try the facts—juries find facts, and appellate courts generally don't second-guess them. The question the Court was asked was narrower and more legal, and the Court decided it wasn't worth their time to review.The significance here is partly about accountability and partly about the ordinariness of the outcome. A private citizen brought a claim, a jury sided with her, the appellate courts affirmed, and the highest court in the country let that stand—the system working exactly as it's supposed to, regardless of the defendant's power. It's also a marker of the limits of that power: the office does not come with a trapdoor out of a civil judgment. The verdict is now as final as verdicts get.Supreme Court rejects Trump effort to overturn E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse and defamation verdict | NBC NewsThe Supreme Court's next term, beginning in October, is already set to feature major cases involving gun rights, voting rules, LGBT rights, immigration detention, and corporate disputes. One of the highest-profile cases concerns whether states and local governments may ban assault-style rifles such as AR-15s, with challenges coming from Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois. Gun rights advocates argue that these weapons are commonly owned and protected by the Second Amendment, while government officials describe them as military-style firearms that pose serious public safety risks.The Court will also hear a voting rights dispute over Arizona rules that would impose stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration and allow removal of suspected noncitizens from voter rolls. A lower court blocked parts of that law after finding that they conflicted with federal voter registration protections. Another case involves whether certain immigrants with criminal convictions can be held for long periods during deportation proceedings without receiving bond hearings. The Trump administration is asking the Court to uphold that detention policy, while a lower court found that prolonged detention without a hearing can violate due process. The Court will also consider a religious rights case from Colorado involving Catholic groups that want an exemption from nondiscrimination rules tied to a state preschool funding program. That case adds to the Court's ongoing disputes over how to balance religious liberty claims against LGBT anti-discrimination protections. The term will also include business-related cases involving ExxonMobil and Suncor, Apple and Epic Games, and PepsiCo.US Supreme Court to hear gun, LGBT, voting rights cases in next term | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Send us Fan MailThis narrative will intricately weave together the stories of three monumental empires during the tumultuous era stretching from the mid-17th century through the early 18th century. My focus will be on France, China, and Russia, exploring the profound changes and intricate connections that defined their respective reigns.Crucially, this expansive story will be told through the intimate lens of their three iconic monarchs. I will delve into the personal perspectives, political strategies, and lasting legacies of Louis XIV of France, famously known as the Sun King; the revered Kangxi Emperor of China; and Peter I of Russia, whose reforms earned him the title of Peter the Great. By examining the world through their eyes, I intend to offer a unique and deeply human insight into an age of unprecedented change and imperial grandeur.Support the show

This month, Scott Ferguson speaks with Mario Rendina about the politics of public employment and training in the United States as they shifted over the course of the late 20th century. Unlike our standard episodes, this conversation is an archival treat: it was originally recorded 11 years ago in 2015, three years before the Money on the Left podcast officially began.Rendina brings over thirty years of hands-on experience working within municipal government in Tampa Bay, Florida—specifically within Hillsborough County. Grounded in his extensive career as a local administrator, Rendina walks us through the decades he spent supervising county initiatives, sketching out how local experimentation actively moved with and against broad macroeconomic shifts at the federal level.As Rendina explains, local administrators routinely interpreted federal laws regulating public employment and training rather than passively accepting top-down mandates as fixed or uncontestable. Despite federal directives to prioritize private-sector placement, Rendina and his colleagues routinely found creative ways to bolster and expand public employment—whether by baking future public employment contracts into library building projects or dynamically staffing their own municipal offices.Throughout the interview, Rendina's testimony tacitly underscores a core Money on the Left lesson: we must not underestimate the institutional and communal capacities that regional governments always-already have at their disposal. While pro-social change requires funding, local institutions can actively leverage their crediting powers and existing infrastructure to mobilize and value local communities.Ultimately, the conversation maps a troubling yet instructive historical trajectory from Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society to Bill Clinton's notorious "end to welfare as we know it." While the federal government never fully committed to a well-compensated, non-exclusive public job guarantee during this era, Rendina's account highlights genuine pro-social advances we can still learn from today. Crucially, it recounts how Reaganite and Clintonian neoliberalism systematically undercut these endeavors over time, defunding public training programs and increasingly privatizing their leadership, operations, and aims.Conducted with an eye toward future struggles for a federal Job Guarantee grounded in an inalienable right to work, this interview provides a vital archive from which to advance modern movements for public provisioning.Additional Resources:The Full, Raw Audio: Listen to the complete, unedited 2015 recording on our SoundCloud.Conference Presentation: Watch Mario Rendina's presentation delivered at the inaugural Money on the Left Conference at the University of South Florida in 2018.Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/MoLsuperstructureMusic by Nahneen Kula: www.nahneenkula.com

Matt Agorist and Don Via, Jr. sat down with the relentless Catherine Austin Fitts for an incredibly vital status report on the global fight for financial freedom. A former Wall Street powerhouse and former Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Bush Senior administration, Catherine is the publisher of The Solari Report and one of the liberty movement's most brilliant economic minds. After famously looking inside the belly of the beast and blowing the whistle on the missing trillions of dollars leaking out of the federal budget decades ago, she has dedicated her life to exposing state overreach and the encroaching digital panopticon. Fresh off a massive interview with Tucker Carlson and a major speaking appearance at the John Birch Society Conference in Salt Lake City, Catherine joins the show in the midst of a grueling multi-city tour to break down how everyday people can bypass the uni-party trap and construct an unbroken, parallel world. The core of the discussion dismantles the insidious architecture of the "Digital Control Grid" and the mechanism of what Catherine defines as the "automatic third lock". The conversation exposes how recent political theater—such as a temporary ban on retail Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)—serves as a massive bait-and-switch, masking a back-door corporate-government hydra built on private stablecoins through legislative frameworks like the GENIUS Act. This programmable ledger system aims to transition traditional bank deposits, stocks, and bonds into a machine-driven surveillance apparatus that can instantly freeze, block, or condition transactions from above the institutional level, entirely bypassing human legal accountability. The dialogue maps out the immense physical scale of this grid, detailing how the United States has become the global hardware hub by housing more data centers than the top 14 countries combined. Crucially, the breakdown reveals how everyday citizens are being manipulated into financing their own digital cages through local taxpayer subsidies and heavily concentrated 401(k) and IRA retirement portfolios that pour billions into tech monopolies. Finally, the geopolitical lens is turned onto the deceptive "multipolar world order" narrative, revealing that central planners across both the BRICS nations and Western alliances remain uniformly loyal to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) digital ID model, reframing the current global tension as a mere turf war over who secures "middle management" data rights.   Shifting gears entirely to actionable resistance and "The White Pill," the episode maps out a comprehensive tactical manual for individual and community empowerment. The path forward demands an active financial decoupling—urging listeners to defund the surveillance panopticon by auditing their wealth, pulling retirement funds out of Wall Street's concentrated index funds, and shifting capital toward localized, tangible assets. True systemic pushback relies on a dual-layered approach: aggressively utilizing physical cash through localized "Turtling for Cash" campaigns to build community resilience and starve data center resource consumption, while simultaneously adopting decentralized, protocol-level digital privacy networks like Monero or Zano to secure long-distance commerce outside the matrix. Catherine highlights the Coming Clean blueprint—a downloadable guide packed with practical steps to systematically stop feeding energy to the state and start financing your own family. Ultimately, building a free civilization relies on a node-to-node system anchored entirely in real-world human relationships of trust. The show closes with an inspiring spiritual framework drawn from The NeverEnding Story, reminding the audience that the ultimate defense against the technocratic "nothing" is to aggressively protect personal joy, foster community connection, and maintain an unshakeable state of amusement. (Length: 56:12)   Guest Links & Resources: Catherine Austin Fitts's Website: The Solari Report Featured Resource: Coming Clean PDF Guide Referenced Substack Article: Are Taxpayers Helping to Finance America's Data Center Boom? Support The Free Thought Project

Seniors are increasingly feeling lonely. Learn why preventing elderly loneliness starts in your 20s. Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. The shift from open kampungs to closed-door HDB flats has left many Singaporean seniors socially isolated—often feeling invisible even while living with their own families. This chronic loneliness takes a severe toll on psychological well-being, acting as a major risk factor for cognitive decline and conditions like dementia. How can our seniors age with dignity, connection, and purpose? In this episode, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong speaks with Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders. The social service agency leverages both high-touch human interventions and innovative technology, like Gen AI, to rebuild the kampung spirit in its transformative, relationship-centred approach to eldercare. Crucially, Karen emphasises that preparing for a healthy old age cannot wait until retirement; it must begin decades earlier through the social habits and personal passions we develop in our 20s and 30s. This requires a societal shift away from purely economic achievements, toward teaching the younger generation how to form deep human relationships that will give them purpose long after they leave the workforce. Highlights (click/tap above): 13:00 Scams are one reason why seniors refuse to open their doors 18:14 Why social loneliness develops from a young age 21:48 How seniors are benefiting from talking to Gen AI 42:04 Why pursuit of personal passions improves ageing 45:58 How social isolation progresses and worsens over time Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most episodes of this show feature a single guest sharing their unique path through the industry, but today we are completely flipping the script. In this special roundtable edition of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James brings together two of the sharpest tactical minds in the home services space: Chris Nordyke of Floodlight Consulting Group and Nikole Mackenzie of Momentum Accounting. If you are a restoration business owner generating anywhere from two million to ten million plus in annual revenue and you feel like you have hit a glass ceiling, this transparent, no-nonsense conversation is your blueprint to breaking through.The panel tackles the real friction points that keep growing companies stuck in a loop of high stress and stagnant margins, unpacking the business across three critical domains: sales, marketing, and financials.- Chris Nordyke targets the foundational flaws in traditional B2B sales pipelines, challenging owners to aggressively move past the old school "candy and smiles" route marketing model. He explains how minor behavioral changes can transform underperforming field reps into high-producing B2B sales assets. Chris introduces the power of the "pain-seeking question" as the definitive tool to disrupt entrenched vendor relationships and secure lucrative commercial accounts. Furthermore, he analyzes the toxic internal friction between sales reps and operations teams, outlining how to build a unified system where fulfillment consistently executes on the promises made in the field.- Nikole Mackenzie exposes the operational vulnerabilities hidden within fragmented back-office structures. From relying on well-meaning spouses and office managers to fighting chaotic data streams inside job management software, many operators are completely blind to their job-level profitability. Nikole demystifies cost structures by introducing the 50/30/20 framework, designed to inject simplicity into complex financials. She details how clean, standardized charts of accounts enable companies to implement precise department-level benchmarks and execute technician incentive programs that maximize cash flow. Crucially, she explains how tracking true cash health protects growing businesses from looking profitable on paper while bleeding capital in reality.- Clinton James grounds the conversation in the shifting realities of digital lead generation, detailing how rapid developments in AI search engines threaten to make legacy marketing tactics obsolete. He breaks down what it takes to prevent your brand from becoming an "invisible restorer" to modern consumers and outlines how to claim dominant local visibility outside of low-margin third-party administrator networks.To bridge the gap between theory and execution, Clinton, Chris, and Nikole pull back the curtain on a collaborative, highly exclusive live intensive they are hosting this summer. The Restore Scale Dominate workshop is a rigorous, two-day event taking place on August 27th and 28th in San Diego, California. Hosted inside a functioning multi-million dollar restoration facility, this application-only masterclass is strictly limited to forward-thinking owners who want to walk away with fully customized strategic asset toolkits, standard charts of accounts, and live interactive operational audits. Listen in for a masterclass on cross-department execution, and discover how to claim your market before your competitors beat you to the punch.-----Apply for the Live Intensive Workshop:Ready to sit in a room with elite peers, dissect your market's data, and install these frameworks directly into your business? Space is strictly limited to ensure high-level collaboration. Secure your seat before the early bird pricing expires on July 18th.Apply to attend here: restorescaledominate.com-----Scale Your Lead Generation:If you want to stop guessing on your ad spend, optimize your local maps presence, and ensure your business dominates both Google and AI search engines, let's look at your market together. Book a free digital strategy session with the Water Restoration Marketing team:waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

Episode 1: Grid Resilience & Safety — Caroline Thomas Jacobs, California Office of Energy Infrastructure SafetyThis is the first of a six-part series recorded live at the Grid Resilience Summit, a half-day industry event organised by LiveEO. Hosts Nick Ferguson and Steve Cieslewicz hand over to moderator Patrick Hollenbeck for a keynote and Q&A with Caroline Thomas Jacobs, Director of California's Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety — known as Energy Safety.Caroline has appeared on the UVM Podcast before: she was the very first guest when the show launched. Her return here marks another milestone — this is the UVM Podcast's inaugural video episode after four years of audio-only production since 2021.About Energy Safety Energy Safety was created in 2020 in direct response to the catastrophic utility-caused wildfires of 2017 and 2018, which killed over 100 people and destroyed more than 25,000 structures. Its core mission: review and approve annual Wildfire Mitigation Plans submitted by California's electric utilities, oversee their implementation through audits and field inspections, and drive the cultural change inside utilities needed to truly integrate fire risk into how they build, operate, and maintain the grid.Crucially, Energy Safety was designed not to be a traditional penalty-based regulator. The focus is on continuous improvement and learning — holding utilities accountable to developing new capabilities, not just meeting minimum standards.What's working Five years in, the data is encouraging. Total ignitions in California's High Fire Threat Districts in 2024 were down 18% on the seven-year average, and down 34% compared to 2020. Utilities have invested billions in grid hardening — covered conductor, undergrounding, remote sensing devices — and have deployed satellite imagery, LIDAR, and AI-driven risk modelling to transform how they manage vegetation and assess asset condition. A mandatory performance metrics regime means utilities must now demonstrate that their mitigations are reducing risk, not just describe what they're doing.As Caroline puts it: utilities were never going to cut their way out of the wildfire problem. They had to innovate their way out.Landscape-scale coordination California's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force — created by Governor Newsom in 2021 — is aligning federal, state, local, tribal, and private organisations around shared forest health goals. It has invested nearly $6 billion and now treats over 700,000 acres annually. Energy Safety leads the development of a Utility Wildfire Resilience Partnership Program, modelled on a successful collaboration between Liberty Utilities, the US Forest Service, and the Tahoe Conservancy in the Lake Tahoe basin, designed to amplify the impact of utility corridor investments through landscape-scale coordination.The challenge ahead The January 2025 LA fires are a sobering reminder that the wildfire threat is not receding — climate conditions once considered extreme are now the norm. Building California's clean energy future (targeting 100% clean electricity by 2045) on ageing, wildfire-prone infrastructure is not sustainable. Caroline is clear that urgency, equity, and cross-agency coordination are all essential — the communities facing the greatest wildfire risk are too often the ones with the least access to backup power and recovery resources.In the Q&A, Caroline addresses whether California's separated regulatory model can be replicated in other states (political will, not financing, is the key enabler), how the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force is structured to actually get things done, and the role of the Wildfire Safety Advisory Board in advising both Energy Safety and California's 50 publicly owned utilities.

Episode Overview In this episode, we explore the alarming surge in cardiac care demand and its direct link to systemic leadership stress. Featuring insights from Michael D. Levitt, Founder and Chief Burnout Officer of Breakfast Leadership, we move beyond the idea of "bad luck" to examine how broken organizational systems are literally breaking the hearts of executives. Key Highlights & Statistics The Cardiac Surge: Demand for outpatient cardiology procedures is projected to increase by 25% over the next decade, while the industry itself is growing at a 4% compound annual rate. A Workforce Crisis: Cardiovascular disease claims a life every 33 seconds in the U.S.. Crucially, one in five cardiovascular deaths occurs in adults younger than 65—working-age leaders who are often high-performing until the moment of a health crisis. The Physician Shortage: While demand spikes, the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortfall of over 7,000 cardiologists by 2034. Physiology of Stress: Chronic workplace stress is not just a "feeling." It triggers a physiological chain reaction: Elevated cortisol leads to chronic inflammation, which accelerates cardiovascular disease. The "Leadership OS" Failure Michael Levitt shares his personal journey of surviving a 2009 cardiac event and the 369 days of "worst-case scenarios" that followed. He argues that you "cannot meditate your way out of a broken system" and identifies three structural pillars that, when missing, create toxic stress: Decision Clarity: Without it, leaders operate in permanent ambiguity, causing sustained cortisol elevation. Operational Rhythm: A lack of rhythm means the nervous system never fully recovers between demands. Culture Infrastructure: Broken culture forces individuals to absorb systemic dysfunction rather than the system holding it. Actionable Solutions for Executives and HR To prevent leadership health events from becoming business continuity crises, organizations must make three structural commitments: Measure Stress Drivers: Track decision fatigue, role ambiguity, and "always-on" communication norms. Design for Recovery: Treat recovery as a prerequisite for performance, not a reward for it. Preventive Investment: View leadership health as a business continuity issue; it is cheaper to protect a leader than to replace one. Featured Resources Book: 369 Days: How To Survive The Worst Year Of Your Life by Michael D. Levitt. Organization: Breakfast Leadership Network – Specializing in burnout prevention and leadership strategy. Featured Practice: San Diego Cardiac Center – A model for specialized, patient-centered cardiovascular care. Tool: Schedule a Leadership Diagnostic to identify structural stress points in your organization. The Bottom Line "Your leadership system either protects the people inside it, or it quietly depletes them. There is no neutral position".

Episode OverviewHosts Mike and Glenn return to the coffee shop to discuss the concept of "living weed-free" and the shifting landscape of modern sobriety. They voice concern that while the younger generation is moving away from alcohol, many are replacing it with marijuana, leaving a whole new demographic hurting and in need of support. [1, 2]The Validity and Mechanics of AAStrength in Numbers: The hosts emphasize that finding strength requires community, which is achieved through consistent attendance at meetings. [1]Proof It Works: Countering critics who claim Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is ineffective, the hosts argue they see living proof of its success every single day through the lives of countless meeting attendees. [1]The Turning Point: AA works for those who approach it correctly. The program truly begins to function at the exact point of complete surrender.Expectation Management: Setting proper expectations is the ultimate secret to finding success within the program.Redefining True SobrietyThe "Weed-Free" Rule: The hosts firmly agree that using marijuana contradicts the true definition of sobriety. You are not practicing authentic AA if you still use weed.Mind-Altering Substances: Sobriety requires saying no to all mind-altering drugs, with strict exceptions only for legitimate pain management.The Reward of Clarity: Mental clarity is the ultimate benefit of a sober life. Where they once begged for pain medications, they now restrict them exclusively to necessary, true pain relief.Societal Value: Prioritizing personal sobriety and spirituality creates a default benefit for everyone around the addict, improving society as a whole.Mission Over NumbersFocus on the Individual: Unlike ego-driven podcasts or "mega-churches" that obsess over metrics, Mike and Glenn focus strictly on their mission. [1]The "One Person" Rule: The show's purpose is not high download numbers; it is about helping the single, individual person who might find healing through their conversation.Actionable Advice & WarningsTry Abstinence: If you find yourself "dangling in the weeds" or struggling with dependency, the hosts recommend attempting complete abstinence.New Drug Hazards: Beware of the emergence of dangerous, heavily marketed "sexy" new drugs.Medical Transparency: When seeking medical pain relief, always consult a healthcare professional. Crucially, always tell your doctor that you are an addict so they can treat you safely. [1]Closing Thought: Mike and Glenn choose to protect their peace by living in a strict weed-free zone and challenge listeners to consider doing the same.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom and Brain Health: What Four Clinical Trials Actually Found Many stroke survivors and people managing cognitive decline more broadly eventually ask the same question: Is there anything beyond physiotherapy and medication that can actively support brain healing? Not symptom management. Actual repair. Lion’s Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) is one compound that has gathered genuine clinical attention. It is not a cure, the human trial evidence is still limited in scale, and it is not a replacement for the fundamentals of brain health. But the mechanism is unusual, the safety profile is consistently good, and for anyone serious about their brain, the research warrants an honest look. Why Lion’s Mane Is Neurologically Unusual Most supplements that claim to support brain health cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, the tightly regulated membrane that controls what enters the brain. Without crossing it, any direct effect on brain tissue is limited. Lion’s Mane contains two families of bioactive compounds found almost nowhere else in nature. Hericenones come from the fruiting body, the visible mushroom. Erinacines come from the mycelium, the root-like underground network. Both stimulate the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). These are proteins the brain uses to grow new neurons, maintain existing ones, and strengthen the connections between them. Crucially, erinacine A, one of the key mycelium compounds, has been confirmed in preclinical studies to cross the blood-brain barrier. That is not a trivial distinction. It is one of the reasons researchers have taken this mushroom seriously. “These are proteins your brain uses to grow new neurons, maintain existing ones, and build and strengthen the connections between them. They are, in a very real sense, your brain’s repair and maintenance crew.” — Bill Gasiamis What the Human Clinical Trials Found Four published human clinical trials have examined Lion’s Mane. Here is what each found: Mori et al. (2009): In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 30 older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) took Lion’s Mane supplement or placebo for 16 weeks. The Lion’s Mane group showed significantly better cognitive function scores at weeks 8, 12, and 16. When supplementation stopped, scores declined again within four weeks, suggesting the effect was tied to ongoing intake, not a placebo response. Saitsu et al. (2019): A multicenter RCT tested 12 weeks of oral Lion’s Mane in older adults. Participants in the treatment group showed significant improvement on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) compared to placebo. No adverse effects were observed. Nagano et al. (2010): A 4-week RCT using Lion’s Mane-enriched cookies found significant reductions in self-reported depression and anxiety in women compared to placebo, suggesting effects extend beyond cognition to mood and emotional regulation, possibly via the gut-brain axis. Docherty et al. (2023): A double-blind pilot study from Northumbria University tested 41 healthy young adults aged 18–45. After a single dose, participants performed significantly faster on the Stroop task, a measure of cognitive processing speed and flexibility. After 28 days, there was a trend toward reduced subjective stress. This was a small study, and results should be interpreted cautiously, but it suggests Lion’s Mane effects are not limited to populations already experiencing cognitive decline. The Stroke-Specific Preclinical Data For stroke survivors, the preclinical research adds another dimension. In a 2014 animal study, erinacine A reduced brain infarct volume by 22–44% in ischemic stroke models (depending on dose), and significantly lowered pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α markers of the neuroinflammatory cascade that follows stroke. A 2022 study found that erinacine A helps preserve glutamate clearance in the brain after ischemic injury. Excess glutamate is one of the key mechanisms of neuronal death after stroke, so anything that helps regulate it post-injury is clinically relevant. These are animal studies. They do not translate directly to human outcomes. But they provide a biological rationale that supports why clinical researchers are now investigating Lion’s Mane in neurological recovery contexts. What the Research Does Not Yet Tell Us The limitations matter, and any honest assessment must include them. All four human trials are relatively small, none exceeds 100 participants. We do not yet have large-scale, long-term RCTs in stroke survivor populations specifically. The optimal dose, duration, and form (fruiting body vs mycelium vs dual extract) have not been established in human trials. Direct confirmation that erinacines cross the blood-brain barrier in humans rather than in animal models does not yet exist. Bill says it directly in the video: “The human trial data is still relatively limited in scale. We need larger, longer trials.” Practical Questions to Raise with Your Doctor If you are considering Lion’s Mane supplementation, the following questions are worth raising with your neurologist or GP: Is it safe alongside my current medications? Theoretical interactions exist with anticoagulants (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel) and antidepressants, not confirmed in human trials, but worth disclosing. Anyone on blood thinners following a stroke should have this conversation before starting. What form should I look for? Products should specify standardised hericenone content (fruiting body extract) or erinacine A content (mycelium extract). Products listed only as “mycelial biomass on grain” typically contain very low levels of active compounds and high levels of starch from the growth substrate. If the label does not specify active compound content, treat that as a quality flag. Are there any trials I could join? ClinicalTrials.gov lists current recruiting studies for Hericium erinaceus and cognitive function worth checking if you are interested in contributing to the evidence base. More information: https://recoveryafterstroke.com/book | Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke *This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. The post Can a Mushroom Help Your Brain Heal? The Science Says Maybe appeared first on Recovery After Stroke.

There are two great forces reshaping the world of energy today. The AI boom and the wave of investment in new data centres have sent power producers scrambling for generation capacity to meet soaring electricity demand. At the same time, the severe disruption to shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has put security of supply at the top of every importer's agenda. In this special episode, recorded at Wood Mackenzie's Gas, LNG and the Future of Energy Conference in London, host Ed Crooks speaks with three guests about what these twin pressures mean for gas. They discuss demand for gas for power, the sources of supply that could provide energy security in volatile times, and plans for tackling the increased greenhouse gas emissions that could result from increased consumption.First, Ed sits down with Neal Kalita, senior director of global energy management at NTT Global Data Centers, one of the world's largest data center developers. Neal explains why "speed to power" is a priority, and why gas plays such a key role in providing the reliable 24/7 firm capacity hyperscaler clients require.Relying on gas as a key component of the power generation mix means managing a complex set of issues around supply security, demand management and long-term investment. Neal explains how NTT thinks about commodity risk, the trade-offs involved in power supply agreements, and why on-site gas generation may be not just a bridge solution but long-term infrastructure for the electricity system. He highlights the key drivers that are changing the data centre industry, including rising GPU power density, AI-driven volatility in load, and climate-related grid reliability concerns. He also discusses NTT's participation in a demand response programme run by Voltus, which helped stabilise the grid when Winter Storm Fern hit Virginia in January.Next, Ed hears from Keith Shoemaker, Chief Commercial Officer at Coastal Bend, which is developing a new LNG liquefaction project at Corpus Christi, Texas. Coastal Bend is aiming to have the first project in the US to integrate carbon capture and sequestration into its design. Combined with the procurement of upstream gas with low methane leakage and flaring, that should make for the lowest carbon-intensity LNG in the world, Keith says. Crucially, the project can match competitor prices without charging a green premium. The US 45Q tax credit will cover the operational spending (Opex) for the transport and sequestration of the carbon, and costs will be kept down by using brownfield maritime infrastructure that is already in place. Regulation will still be essential in creating a market for lower-emissions LNG. Keith sets out an idea for making that work in the EU: linking the new Methane Emissions Regulation with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to create an "avoided carbon" currency that LNG importers could use to offset CBAM fees on other products such as cement, steel and fertiliser. That way, the methane regulation would change from a stick to a carrot for the LNG industry.Kristy Kramer, Head of LNG at Wood Mackenzie, closes the episode by assessing how the three trends of AI demand, energy security and decarbonisation fit together. She discusses the big question: has the conflict on the Middle East changed the world completely, forever. It may play out like the Covid pandemic. Huge changes were predicted, and although there were some permanent impacts, in other areas the world has gone back to the way it was before. Politics will change from week to week, or even from hour to hour, but geology and economics don't, and over time the fundamentals will reassert themselves. Kristy and Ed reflect on what that means for the future of energy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode OverviewIn this Central PA Fishing Report from The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash checks in with George Costa, manager at TCO Fly Shop in State College, Pennsylvania, for a timely early-summer conditions and hatch update. The season is at a pivotal transition: the dominant spring hatches are winding down, the summer hatch calendar is coming online and terrestrial season is officially starting — all critical intelligence for anglers planning Central PA trout outings over the weeks ahead.Costa delivers a full-picture conditions read. Water levels are running a touch below seasonal average, with recent rain bringing some temporary color and a slight rise. Temperatures have been stable but are beginning to creep into the mid-60s°F on brighter, hotter days, which makes temperature-checking a new essential habit for summer outing planning. The hatch situation is in transition: sulphurs are still producing but require evening commitment on sunny days, while Cahills, Isos, summer quills, caddis, size 16 Cornutas and scattered stoneflies fill out the summer hatch calendar. Cloudier days give anglers an earlier dry fly window, while bright days push the best action to last light. On the nymph front, the prescription shifts to smaller, more precise patterns — perdigons and small Walt's worms — as larger attractor-nymph approaches give way to a tighter subsurface game. Crucially, Costa signals that the greenie weenie hatch (inchworm fall) is officially underway, making this the moment to add inch worms, ants and beetles to the summer dry fly box. Shop news includes a topwater smallmouth tying class with Caleb Rebarchak at the State College location, the All Fins In tournament benefiting Clearwater Conservancy and a fly fishing festival at TCO's Boiling Springs shop in August.Key TakeawaysWhy the greenie weenie (inchworm fall) marks the start of terrestrial season in Central PA and why inch worms, ants and beetles should be in your box from here forward.How to shift your nymph game as the major spring hatches wrap up — smaller, more precise patterns like perdigons and Walt's worms become the go-to subsurface approach.When to start actively monitoring water temperatures as summer heats up, particularly on bright, sunny days when temps begin pushing into the mid-60s°F range.Why evenings are your best window for dry fly fishing on Central PA trout water as summer sets in, with cloudier days pushing hatch activity earlier in the day.How to approach the variable nature of summer hatches in Central PA, where a strong emergence one evening can be followed by minimal activity the next — making patience and water-reading essential.Techniques & Gear CoveredThe episode centers on the tactical adjustments required as Central PA enters its early-summer transition. With the major spring hatches largely behind them, George Costa recommends downsizing nymph presentations to smaller, more precise patterns — specifically perdigons and small Walt's worms — as fish dial in to the subtler subsurface fare that characterizes this period. On the dry fly front, the priority shifts to evening sessions targeting sulphurs, Cahills and Isos, with summer quills, caddis, size 16 Cornutas and scattered stoneflies filling out the hatch calendar for those willing to stay on the water late. Terrestrials take center stage starting now, with Costa specifically calling out the greenie weenie as the signal that the inchworm fall has begun, while also recommending ants and beetles as essential additions to the summer dry fly box as conditions warm into the heart of the terrestrial season.Locations & SpeciesCentral PA's limestone stream corridor around State College is the setting for this report, with TCO Fly Shop's State College location serving as the operational center for George Costa's conditions read. While no specific stream names are mentioned in this episode, the conditions, hatches and tactical advice apply broadly to the region's wild trout fisheries — the spring creeks and limestone runs that draw anglers from across the mid-Atlantic for their hatch diversity and technical dry fly fishing. The key seasonal context is the early-summer transition: water temperatures are beginning to creep toward the mid-60s°F on warmer days, which will become an increasingly important factor for trout welfare and fishing strategy as summer advances. FAQ / Key Questions AnsweredWhat hatches are active in Central PA as summer gets underway?The major spring hatches are mostly wrapping up, but the calendar remains active. Sulphurs are still coming off in the evenings, with Cahills, Isos, caddis, summer quills, size 16 Cornutas and scattered stoneflies all in play as summer takes hold. George Costa notes that hatch activity can vary significantly day to day at this time of year — a strong emergence one evening can be followed by minimal activity the next — so working the water methodically and being in the right place at the right time is the primary strategy.When is the best time to fish dry flies on Central PA trout water in early summer?Evenings are the priority window for dry fly action during this period. On sunny or hot days, Costa advises anglers to stay late to catch the best hatch activity, particularly for sulphurs. Cloudier days push bug activity earlier in the day, giving anglers a longer productive window — so overcast conditions are worth capitalizing on when they arise.What nymph patterns work best as the big hatches wind down in Central PA?When the major hatches wrap up, Costa recommends shifting to smaller, more precise nymph patterns rather than larger attractor approaches. Perdigons and small Walt's worms are his go-to subsurface options for this period, matching the smaller aquatic fare that fish are keying on once the spring hatch season gives way to summer conditions.When does terrestrial season start in Central PA and what flies should I have ready?Costa signals that the greenie weenie hatch — the inchworm fall that marks the beginning of terrestrial season in Central PA — is underway now. Anglers should have greenie weenies in the box along with ants and beetles, and can expect those patterns to become increasingly productive as the warmer months set in. Costa frames this as one of the more reliable transitions of the summer season: once the greenie weenies start dropping, terrestrials will carry the dry fly game through the heat of summer.Related ContentS8, Ep 35: From Sulphurs to Drakes: George Costa's Essential Fishing Report for Central PAS8, Ep 30: Central PA Chronicles: George Costa's Guide to Spring Fishing Conditions and TechniquesS7, Ep 57: Cicada Mania: Central PA Fishing Insights with George CostaS7, Ep 70: The Dog Days of Summer: Trico Tactics in Central PA with George CostaConnect with Our GuestFollow TCO on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.Follow the ShowFollow The Articulate Fly on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and YouTube.Follow our Substack newsletter for episode updates, tips and resources.Support the ShowShop through our Amazon link to support the podcast.Join our Patreon community to support the show.If you are in the industry and need help getting unstuck, learn more about our consulting options.Subscribe & AdvertiseSubscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcast app.Think our community is a good fit for your brand?

Matt explains sleep inertia - the groggy transition to wakefulness - noting that waking is a process, not a switch, and that brain regions activate at different speeds. While the core wakes fast, the prefrontal cortex, which handles judgment, remains foggy for 15 minutes. This window can leave you more impaired than after an all-nighter.He suggests a toolkit: use bright light, time caffeine for waking, and keep naps under 20 minutes. Matt also recommends melodic alarms and warns that the snooze button just results in deepening the fog. Crucially, he advises a 15-minute buffer before making big decisions to allow every brain system to fully restart.Please note that Matt is not a medical doctor, and none of the content in this podcast should be considered medical advice in any way, shape, or form, nor prescriptive in any way.In a supplement industry where trust is critical, Matt uses podcast supporter Puori. Their protein powders are free from hormones, GMOs, and pesticides, with every single batch third-party tested for over 200 contaminants. For protein you can trust, save 20% at puori.com/mattwalker.Another of this week's sponsors, AG1, is one that Matt relies upon for his foundational nutrition. Their new science-backed Next Gen formula features upgraded probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. Start your subscription today to get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 and 5 free travel packs with your first order at drinkag1.com/mattwalker.As always, if you have thoughts or feedback you'd like to share, please reach out to Matt:Matt: Instagram @drmattwalker, X @sleepdiplomat, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sleepdiplomat

In this episode, Brad Onishi sits down with Rev. Alba Onofrio, the Executive Director of Soulforce and author of Spiritual Violence: Religious Phenomena That Defile the Faith. Rev. Alba brings nearly two decades of global activism across four continents to a critical conversation about the exact mechanisms religious systems use to inflict deep psychological and physical harm. Moving past vague concepts of religious trauma, she provides a clear framework that categorizes spiritual harm along a spectrum—ranging from everyday theological microaggressions to full-scale "spiritual terrorism." By defining spiritual terrorism as a sustained, systemic deployment of fear designed to subjugate entire communities, Rev. Alba exposes how weaponized theology acts as an active tool of control rather than an accidental byproduct of faith. The discussion dives into how traditional religious imagery—such as framing God exclusively as a punishing "Father," "King," or "Judge"—subtly normalizes abusive and hierarchical dynamics in families, intimate relationships, and broader civic life. Rev. Alba and Brad unpack how white Christian supremacy shapes what the American context recognizes as violence, using the deployment of Romans 13 during the separation of immigrant families at the U.S. border as a chilling case study in theological terrorism. Crucially, the episode addresses Christianity's historical condemnation of "the flesh," explaining how policing the body strips individuals of their bodily autonomy and self-trust. Ultimately, Rev. Alba shares why she fiercely maintains her faith, arguing that naming these systemic abuses is not a rejection of spirituality, but the vital first step toward true healing, resistance, and collective liberation. Subscribe to our free newsletter: ⁠https://swaj.substack.com/⁠ Order American Caesar by Brad Onishi: ⁠https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/⁠ Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(2) Bob Zimmerman details the December 21, 1968, launch and the historic trans-lunar injection that sent humans toward another planet for the first time. Zimmerman describes the Saturn 5 ride as surprisingly smooth compared to Gemini rockets, despite the primitive onboard computers that required manual data entry of long number strings. He shares Jim Lovell's perspective of the Earth shrinking until the entire Atlantic could be covered by a thumb. Crucially, the discussion reveals that while the Space Race remained competitive, NASA was unaware that Soviet Zond failures had secretly forced the cancellation of their own manned mission.1939

Last time we spoke about the second phase of the One Hundred Regiment Offensive.  During the second phase of the Hundred Regiments offensive, CCP forces emphasized strongpoint and transportation warfare across the Taihang/Jizhong area. Units were organized with wings containing Japanese positions while a central force struck deeper, as in the Renhe Dasu fighting in early October 1940. Night raids seized strongholds, while engineers and sabotage teams disrupted roads, bridges, and mobility, and ambushes targeted Japanese foraging and supply routes. Across these theaters, the strategy was consistent: make Japanese control porous by destroying or capturing local nodes and forcing constant repairs, re-routing, escorts, and slowed reinforcement, so occupation logistics and strongpoint networks could not function reliably. This approach supported wider offensives by isolating strongpoints, draining enemy strength, and giving Communist base areas room to endure and expand.   #204 The One Hundred Regiment Offensive Phase Three Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. After the two large-scale offensives carried out over wide areas of North China, the Japanese army did what it always did when control started to slip: it tried to turn mobile pressure back into something it could "manage" again. The Eighth Route Army's continued fighting had shown that Japanese-occupied space was not secure, and that base areas could still resist, strike, and persist even while under counterpressure. That was dangerous for occupation. If the enemy could keep operations going, Japanese lines of movement stayed uncertain and "stabilization" became a temporary illusion. To prevent the situation from worsening and to re-stabilize the occupied areas as quickly as possible, the Japanese mobilized heavy forces and launched retaliatory counter–"mopping-up" operations against anti-Japanese base areas in North China beginning October 6. The Japanese attempt wasn't only to punish; it was designed to take advantage of an asymmetry: the Eighth Route Army was striking and fighting continuously, and it did not have the luxury of resting, replenishing, and re-cohering as neatly as a garrison army might. Japanese commanders hoped that if they struck hard enough in enough places, the Communist main forces could be isolated, destroyed, or at least forced into a defensive posture that would break their operational tempo. At Liaodong and Yulin, Japanese reinforcements also created a second political-military stake. After the Yuliao Campaign ended, the Eighth Route Army headquarters issued instructions on October 1 to major regions, warning that enemy reinforcements in Liaodong and Yulin might use the opening to "sweep" the Taibei region. In the Communist operational mind, this wasn't just one threat; it was a pattern. A "sweep" could come as a wave that pushed inward, burned villages, destroyed supplies, and tried to force Communist forces out of their protected networks. Even if the offensive couldn't win a conventional decisive battle, it could aim to strip the base areas of people, food, and mobility—things that make guerrilla and strongpoint warfare possible. By October 19, 1940, the Eighth Route Army headquarters issued a counter–"mopping-up" operation plan, and civilian and military authorities in various regions launched counter-"mopping-up" operations accordingly. This is important background: in these campaigns, "mopping-up" was not only an army activity. The Japanese were attempting to break the base system itself—its logistics, its local administration, and the relationship between armed units and civilians who hid, moved, fed, and replaced them. So the counter-operations had to be just as systemic. The Communists needed to keep people alive, keep movement possible, and keep the enemy from consolidating inside a cleared space. In southeastern Shanxi's Taihang and Taiyue regions, the Japanese 1st Army aimed to strike the main force of the 129th Division and destroy anti-Japanese base areas by running a series of mopping operations from October 6 to December 5. The plan had a typical occupation logic: push through strongholds gradually, clear pockets methodically, and rely on local superiority—especially in manpower, logistics, and the ability to reinforce by road. And because the Communist main force had been operating without meaningful rest after the earlier offensives, the Japanese believed they could catch formations while they were still "in between battles." On October 6, in the Taihang region, more than 800 enemy troops from Wu'an in western Hebei began a "mopping-up" operation in the Yangyi area. By October 11, the Japanese posture escalated. Part of the Japanese Independent Mixed 4th Brigade departed from Liaoxian and Wuxiang, while part of the 36th Division departed from Lucheng and Xiangyuan; together they totaled over 3,000 troops. Coordinating from north and south, they carried out operations to "mop up" both banks of the Zhuozhang River between Yulin, Liaoxian, and Wuxiang, encircling and clearing the south side of the Yulin–Liaoxian highway. This emphasis on riverbanks and highway corridors reveals the Japanese method: move along terrain that controls movement, then compress enemy options until the defenders have to fight inside a narrowing space. The counter to that method required more than bravery. The Eighth Route Army's 385th and 386th Brigades, along with the 1st Column of the Decisive Battle, fought on inner lines—where they could move more rapidly between known local positions and threaten the enemy's flanks or supply behavior. Meanwhile the New 10th Brigade fought on outer lines, where it could intercept, delay, and force the enemy to spend time reacting instead of clearing. By the morning of October 15, the New 10th Brigade delivered a concrete example of that interception strategy. Two regiments ambushed an enemy motor-transport convoy at Gongjiagou on the Heliao Highway, destroying more than 40 vehicles and annihilating more than 100 Japanese soldiers escorting the convoy. The meaning of a convoy ambush is strategic even when the numbers are modest: vehicles represent speed, logistics, and reinforcement. If the enemy loses vehicles repeatedly, "mopping" becomes slower, and slower clearing creates openings for the defenders to reorganize, disperse, or shift main effort. After that, on October 17, the enemy forces that had been mopping up the convoy withdrew in different directions. Withdrawal in multiple directions is a sign that the Japanese clearing operation, meant to compress a space, had instead been forced into a reactive mode. It also hints at a recurring pattern in these years: Japanese units could clear what was already weak, but when defenders hit their movement corridors, the occupiers had to spend time and combat power simply to recover mobility. The next major sweep began October 20, 1940, and it was much larger. Nearly 10,000 troops—from the 36th Division and Independent Mixed Brigade No. 4—set off from multiple locations, including Wu'an, Liaoxian, Wuxiang, and Lucheng, to sweep the area east and west of the Qingzhang River, focusing on land between Matian and Zuohui. Crucially, that was not random ground. The Japanese sought to strike the CCP Central Committee Northern Bureau, the Eighth Route Army headquarters, and the 129th Division headquarters, along with party and government organs of the Jin-Ji-Yu Border Region, located together with Shexian and Piancheng. In other words, the Japanese targeted not just armed units but the political-administrative heart that makes base areas function. Once in the attack area, the Japanese carried out "mopping-up" operations paired with burning and killing for several days. That brutality wasn't only cruelty; it served a purpose. Burning villages, destroying crops, and killing civilians could deny the base area food and shelter while making local cooperation more difficult. Then, on October 26, the Japanese began to withdraw and carried out mopping-up in different areas on the way back. The base area was "severely damaged and destroyed," indicating that even when the Japanese didn't annihilate the main Communist force, they could still achieve degradation—hurting the system they needed to keep operating. But the Communists were not simply absorbing damage. On October 29, a force of over 500 men from the 36th Division, plus over 400 supply and laborers, was mopping up Huangyandong and advanced through Zuohui to Guanjia'nao east of Panlong, preparing to return to Wuxiang. This is where counter-mopping becomes operationally dangerous for the occupier. Supply and labor detachments move differently from combat formations, and they represent an enemy's assumption that the base area is being "cleared." The Eighth Route Army headquarters ordered, at 1:00 p.m., for the 129th Division to concentrate its main force to annihilate the enemy. That night, the 129th Division—uniting the main forces of the 385th and 386th Brigades, parts of the New 10th Brigade, and the First Column of the Death Squad—surrounded the enemy at Guanjia'nao with a plan to launch a general offensive at 4:00 a.m. The besieged enemy, besides quickly building fortifications, seized Fengkengding high ground southwest of Guanjia'nao under cover of darkness. The two high points helped defenders support one another and resist stubbornly. The battle lasted until dawn on October 31, when most of the enemy had been annihilated, leaving only more than 60 men to hold positions. Then reinforcements arrived—over 1,500 from Huangyandong—supported by more than 10 aircraft. The 129th Division withdrew, and the remaining enemy fled toward the flood, leaving behind more than 280 corpses. By then, most Japanese troops had withdrawn from the central base area. The background stake is clear: "mopping-up" could damage and burn, but if defenders could convert the Japanese attempt into a trap—especially when enemy units had become separated from their core and committed to clearing—they could turn a destructive operation into a costly one for the occupier. In early November, the Japanese continued. In Licheng south of Taihang, Japanese forces invaded Nanweiquan and Beiweiquan and then Xijing. Elsewhere, Japanese forces in Xiangyuan invaded Panlong via Xiying, attempting to attack Dongtian and the area around Zhuanbi, where the Eighth Route Army headquarters was located. In that moment, the 386th Brigade was ordered to rush to the north–south line of Damocun, east of Panlong, block the invading enemy, and cover the transfer of the Eighth Route Army headquarters. At 9:00 a.m. on November 3, 1940, fierce fighting broke out as the troops finished deploying near Damocun. The Japanese launched continuous attacks and captured some positions. The 386th Brigade held until 4:00 a.m. on November 4, then withdrew after the headquarters successfully moved. The Japanese attempt to launch a pincer attack failed, and they retreated to the Baijin Line on November 5. Even when Japanese action couldn't be fully blocked, the counter's aim was not only tactical survival but prevention of strategic encirclement—protecting the central institutions and preserving the ability to fight again. In the northern Taihang region, more than 2,500 enemy troops from Heshun arrived in Yushe on November 3 via Hanwang Town and Changcheng Town, reinforcing Japanese forces in the Yu, Liao, and Wu areas. Then they carried out repeated mopping operations south of the Yuliao Highway, including Jiangtang, Lingshang, Songjiazhuang, Guojiao, and Dayouyi. Harassment and attacks by military and civilians forced Japanese troops back into their strongholds by the 13th. A "40-day" counter-mopping operation in Taihang came to an end. The term "40-day" isn't only calendar time; it suggests that these were not one-off battles but sustained campaigns of movement, dispersal, and repeated harassment meant to drain the enemy's capacity. Starting November 17, the Japanese launched a multi-pronged attack on Qinyuan and the area north of Guodao Town. The attack involved part of the 37th Division from Qin County and Nanguan Town, part of the Independent Mixed Brigade from Pingyao, Jiexiu, and Huo County, and a battalion of the 41st Division from Hongdong—more than 7,000 troops deployed to attack Qinyuan and the north area. But the Taiyue Military Region response shows how the Communist counter-mopping wasn't always to meet force with force. To avoid the enemy's "sharp edge," the Taiyue Military Region formed two detachments—Qin East and Qin West—with leadership and main force moving to both sides of the Qin River outside the Japanese attack zone, targeting scattered Japanese troops instead of being fixed into a single killing field. By November 23, due to harassment by local armed forces, the Japanese reached the attack zone and then carried out dispersed mopping operations. Qinyuan County was the most severely damaged, with more than 5,000 people killed (about one-tenth of its population), nearly 10,000 livestock killed and over 7,000 stolen, and 30,000 to 40,000 houses destroyed. Those details are brutal, but they explain why background stakes mattered: "mopping-up" was meant to break the social base. If civilians died or fled, the guerrilla system became harder to sustain. The response from the Dayue Military Region seized the opportunity created by Japanese dispersal. On November 23, the 42nd Regiment of the Qinxi Detachment annihilated more than 100 Japanese soldiers in Guantan. On November 27, parts of the 42nd and 59th Regiments killed or wounded more than 160 in Huhanping and Mabei. The Qindong Detachment's 17th and 57th Regiments inflicted serious damage in a series of places—Guang'ao, Chenjiagou, Longfosi, Wuyuanzhen, Nanweicun, Nanli, and more. The 17th Regiment's battle at Longfosi annihilated more than 100 Japanese. Additional heavy losses were inflicted by the 212th Brigade in Jiaokou. By December 5, the Japanese were forced to withdraw from the Taiyue area in separate routes. Strategically, dispersal punished the occupier because scattered units are harder to protect and easier to ambush. Across the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region, anti-"mopping-up" operations unfolded gradually, beginning with the Pingxi area, the first target of the Japanese on the path toward the Japanese-held headquarters and rail lines. Pingxi mattered because it directly threatened the headquarters of the Japanese North China Area Army and Beiping—the puppet regime's center—and also threatened the Pinghan and Pingsui railways, North China's main transportation lines. So Pingxi became an operational priority: if the occupier couldn't keep the rail network secure, their ability to reinforce and supply their own strongpoints suffered. On October 13, 1940, more than 10,000 Japanese and puppet troops attacked Sanpo, the central area of the Pingxi base area, in 10 routes. This attack used a methodical, steady approach: advance gradually, rely on strongholds, and cover 5 to 10 kilometers each day. In response, the Pingxi Military Sub-district countered using timely maneuvers of its main forces and extensive guerrilla warfare. Over more than a week of fighting, the enemy was constantly harassed and attacked, wearing them down. Although Japanese troops penetrated deep, they failed to identify the main force's movements. By November 21, when the encirclement tightened further, the Pingxi main force jumped out from the Sanpo area and moved southwest. Encountering the enemy at Pengtou, it then moved to the Yegu and Datai line east of Bancheng. After the Japanese entered the Sanpo area, they conducted widespread burning and killing and looted grain. Starting from the 23rd, the Japanese retreated in different routes. By the end of October, the main force had withdrawn from Pingxi, but more than 2,000 troops remained in the Pingxi anti-Japanese base area to build strongholds and roads. Strongholds were added in places like Changping and Wanping—14 strongholds alone—and villages such as Dongzhaitang and Dujiazhuang came under their control. The base area began to shrink and shrink. That shrinkage is the other background stake: even when guerrilla forces avoid annihilation, the occupier may still carve away space through fortification. On October 19, 1940, the Eighth Route Army headquarters instructed that enemy attacks in Pingxi and Taihang might turn around and attack the Beiyue area. The Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region needed to prepare quickly to crush these "mopping-up" operations, coordinating Party, government, military, and civilians and conducting in-depth combat mobilization. The main force should assemble in appropriate positions and prepare to annihilate one or two enemy forces decisively. The headquarters also instructed the 129th and 120th Divisions to cooperate actively. By November 9, 1940, the Japanese struck again in a massive sweep. The 110th Division, along with other units and more than 14,000 puppet troops, launched a "mopping-up" operation in the jurisdiction of the 1st Military Sub-district. The Japanese and puppet troops moved in coordinated lines: along the line of Yi County, Dalonghua, Wang'an Town, Laiyuan, and Chajianling from north to south, while those in Baoding and Mancheng moved east to west. The intent was to squeeze Communist sub-district forces into a narrow area for a decisive battle. On November 10, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region issued operational guidelines and deployments for countering "mopping-up" operations. By the 12th, in response to Japanese widespread burning and killing, it further instructed that without hindering mobility, the main force could disperse a portion of troops—no more than one-third—to strike resolutely at attempts to burn and kill. That instruction captures the balance commanders tried to strike: disperse too much and you lose power; disperse too little and you become trapped by the occupier's brutality. The Japanese then attempted to pressure multiple places. On November 9, more than 6,000 enemy troops from Laiyuan, Yixian, and Baoding attacked Guantou, Yinfang, Huangtuling, and Shenbei. On the 12th, their attack failed; they burned and killed people before retreating in different routes. At that time, the 1st Military Sub-district assembled the 1st and 25th Regiments to intercept them. One enemy force of more than 800 was intercepted on the 14th as it retreated from Wujiazhuang to Yuangang; some were killed or wounded. Even so, the enemy broke through under aircraft cover and retreated to Guantou. On the way, it was intercepted again by the 20th Regiment, suffering heavy casualties, and it fled back to Mancheng. Then on November 13, more than 2,700 Japanese and puppet troops attacked the 3rd Military Sub-district; on November 14, about 2,600 advanced from Dingxiang, Dongye, and Wutai toward Fuping and its southwest area in two routes. The Japanese attacked with east-west coordination, launching joint attacks on Taiyu north of Fuping. The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region headquarters and the command organs of the 3rd and 5th military sub-districts, along with the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th regiments and other troops, transferred to the outer line before the enemy encirclement formed. On the 16th, the Japanese launched a joint attack again on Taiyu and Zhangjiayu, and the guerrillas who failed to transfer fought hard. Commander Wang Pu and Deputy Director of the Political Department Hao Yuming were killed, and troops suffered more than 100 casualties. On November 18, the enemy from Taiyu quickly occupied Hanping City. By the 21st, enemy forces from Daying via Shentangbao and Wuwangkou, and from Wutai via Taihuai, Shizui, Longquanguan, and Xiaguan, also gathered in Fuping City. After occupying Fuping, the Japanese launched repeated attacks "sweeping" areas under the jurisdiction of the 3rd Military Sub-district from both inward and outward strongholds, conducting brutal burning and killing and destruction. On the night of November 21, the 2nd Regiment dispatched more than 30 men to raid Dangcheng and attack Japanese barracks with grenades. The Japanese panicked and fired guns and cannons all night. On the 26th, four plainclothes officers infiltrated Baoding and attacked a theater where the Japanese army was holding a meeting, causing panic among the Japanese. The enemy that had invaded the base area withdrew in different routes on the 25th. By December 3, 1940, most Japanese troops had withdrawn from the Beiyue area, but more than 1,000 remained along lines including Fuping, Wangkuai, Dangcheng, and Quyang to continue building points and roads in an attempt to occupy the area long-term. To force the enemy back, eliminate occupied points, and completely crush Japanese and puppet "mopping-up," the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region organized the Fuping–Wangkuai Campaign starting December 9, with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th regiments participating. At 21:00 on December 14, the 6th Regiment attacked enemy forces in Dongzhuang. The 1st Battalion captured three fortified positions on the north mountain of Dongzhuang and rushed into the village, only for Japanese counterattacks to recapture fortified positions and kill or wound more than 170 Japanese during the counterfight. The 4th Regiment attacked the enemy in Fuping; the 2nd Regiment and guerrilla forces entered Dangcheng and Lingshan. On the 21st, more than 130 enemy soldiers escorting more than 100 pack animals carrying military supplies reached Wangkuai and were completely annihilated when they reached Wanglinkou. By December 26, an ambush in the Xuancun area of the Pinghan Railway destroyed 14 Japanese trains and their vehicles as well as three heavy artillery pieces. On the 27th, more than 1,200 enemy troops advancing from Dongzhuang in Fuping were attacked in Luoyu and Tumen, suffering more than 140 casualties. The remaining Japanese withdrew from Fuping, Dongzhuang, and Wangkuai starting New Year's Day 1941. By January 4, the 55-day anti-"mopping-up" campaign had basically ended, with the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region killing and wounding more than 2,000 Japanese and puppet troops while suffering 1,382 casualties itself. These numbers and dates show why background and stakes matter: the counter-mopping effort wasn't short. It was sustained, operationally demanding, and required continued offensive action even while facing superior Japanese resources. The pressure didn't end there. From October 25 to early November, about 4,000 Japanese troops, including the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade, launched a mopping operation in the Miyu and Loufan areas of the 8th and 3rd military sub-districts in northwestern Shanxi, but they were attacked by local soldiers and civilians. In mid-December, Japanese forces transferred additional strength: parts of the 37th Division from southern Shanxi and the 41st Division from southeastern Shanxi, along with parts of the 3rd, 9th, and 16th Independent Mixed Brigades and the 26th Division from northwestern Shanxi—totaling more than 20,000 troops—to prepare for a full-scale mopping operation in northwestern Shanxi. After the second phase of the Hundred Regiments Offensive ended, the 120th Division anticipated retaliation and actively prepared for counter-mopping. On October 30, the division was ordered to establish the Jin-Northwest Military Region, and on November 7, the military region was established in Lijiawan, Xing County. The Jin-Northwest Military Region had direct military sub-districts and six military sub-districts: the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, and Yanbei. Then the occupier escalated. Starting December 14, 1940, the Japanese launched a full-scale mopping operation against the Jin-Northwest region. More than 5,000 enemy troops invaded the Mi-Yu Town area of the 8th Military Sub-district, more than 4,000 invaded Lin-Xian, and more than 6,000 attacked Xing-Xian and the area south of Bao-De from strongholds such as Lan-Xian and Qi-Lan. By December 23, Japanese forces had occupied all county towns, most market towns, and Yellow River crossings in the Jin-Northwest region except for Bao-De and He-Qu counties, and began to implement a systematic policy commonly described as the "Three Alls" policy. The "Three Alls" emphasis is the clearest expression of stakes turning lethal. Japanese troops and traitors disguised themselves as the Eighth Route Army to lure and kill masses. They sent out core detachments to attack and repeatedly sweep the area, seeking to annihilate party, government, and military leadership organs—focusing on destroying the rear organs and facilities that made Communist endurance possible. According to incomplete statistics, more than 5,000 people were brutally killed during these sweeps. In Xingxian County alone, 150,000 catties of grain were looted and burned; in the 4th Military Sub-district, more than 5,000 head of livestock were looted and killed; and more than 19,000 houses and cave dwellings were burned down. In the early stage of this anti-mopping campaign, the Jin-Sui Military Region mainly used a portion of its forces to cooperate with local troops and guerrillas in widespread guerrilla warfare. They harassed and contained the attacking enemy, disrupted enemy transportation, and covered the transfer of the masses. The main force avoided the enemy's sharp edge and moved to the outer line to seek opportunities to attack the Japanese army. This describes the classic guerrilla operational pattern: avoid being fixed into a single decisive trap, but create enough friction that enemy operations degrade into a struggle they can't sustain. repeated attacks and ambushes during the mopping period across Miyu Town and other areas—units striking repeatedly, destroying roads, cutting off enemy transportation, and attacking enemy strongholds north of Dawu. To thwart the Japanese army's plans to build roads and fortifications—plans that would make future sweeps easier—the Jin-Sui Military Region instructed, on December 27, all sub-districts to mobilize forces to disrupt Japanese road construction and fortification. The 358th Brigade attacked enemy road construction from Lanxian to Dashetou and from Puming to Chijianling; the Independent 1st Brigade sabotaged the Dawu–Linxian highway; and the 4th Column of the Death Squad sabotaged the Dawu–Fangshan highway. Part of the Independent 1st Brigade's 2nd Regiment organized over 2,000 civilians to sabotage the Dawu–Sanjiao highway twice, forcing the enemy in Linxian to detour through Fangshan to contact Lishi. The Lishi guerrillas led civilians in two sabotage attacks on the Lishi–Jundu highway, destroying over 30 "li" of road. Other units attacked strongholds along key highways and destroyed or disrupted the "maintenance committees" that surrounded newly built enemy strongholds. There were also direct raids—storming into Linxian County and capturing representatives of enemy maintenance organizations. Meanwhile, the Workers' and Patriots' Brigade carried out continuous sabotage on the Taifen Highway. As the enemy plans ran into persistent disruption, Japanese and puppet forces began to retreat in different routes starting January 2, 1941, and by January 24 they returned to their original strongholds. The Jin-Sui winter counter-mopping operation lasted 40 days, annihilated more than 2,500 enemy troops, destroyed 125 kilometers of roads and 23 bridges, and recovered all towns occupied by the enemy during the campaign. Here the stakes show through most clearly: the campaign was not merely about killing enemy troops. It was about preventing the occupier from building a durable, road-connected grid that would allow future sweeps to be faster, larger, and more decisive. At the wider campaign level, the Eighth Route Army also recorded its total effects from August 20 to December 5, covering roughly three and a half months. During that period, the Eighth Route Army fought 1,824 battles of varying sizes, killing or wounding 20,645 Japanese soldiers (including senior officers), killing or wounding 5,155 puppet troops, and capturing 281 Japanese soldiers and 18,407 puppet troops. 47 Japanese soldiers surrendered voluntarily, and 1,845 puppet troops defected, totaling 46,380 people. The Communists captured 5,942 guns and 53 artillery pieces, and destroyed extensive transportation infrastructure: 474 kilometers of railway, 1,502 kilometers of highway, 213 bridges, 37 railway stations, 11 tunnels, more than 217,000 rails, more than 1,549,000 sleepers, more than 109,000 telephone poles, and more than 424,000 kilograms of telephone wire. Five coal mines and 11 warehouses were destroyed. The narrative further adds that when including casualties of Japanese and puppet forces across related engagements—such as Fuwang and the anti–mopping operations in northwest Shanxi—the total number of casualties reached more than 50,880. Japanese statistics were also cited for damage assessment, noting destruction of track and bridges across key railways (Zhengtai, Tongpu, Pinghan), telegraph pole damage, power line cuts, and effects on coal production—such as the Jingxing New Mine being unable to produce coal for at least six months. These details underline a broader background stake: infrastructure damage was meant to weaken the occupier's ability to keep its occupation apparatus working, even after the direct battles ended. The price of that multi-month struggle was high for the Eighth Route Army as well. Over the three and a half months leading up to the Hundred Regiments Offensive, the Eighth Route Army suffered 17,000 casualties, and more than 20,000 were poisoned. During the Hundred Regiments Offensive itself, post-war statistics state that the 129th Division suffered 7,362 casualties and 450 missing persons, and the entire division suffered 7,812 casualties. When you connect these lines—offensive sabotage, counter-offensives, Japanese mopping-ups, and anti-mopping resistance—you see why this second wave of fighting mattered. It wasn't only about whether the Japanese could respond to the offensive. It was about whether both sides could sustain their operational logic: the Japanese trying to stabilize occupation through "mopping," and the Communists trying to preserve base systems through dispersal, harassment, and counter-moves that convert the occupier's clearing effort into something too costly to maintain. The background of the Hundred Regiments offensive, who authorized it, who planned it, and why, remains unclear. The Japanese response was so severe that, in retrospect, it appeared to some as if the offensive had been a mistake. Some leaders, especially Mao, may have wanted to disavow it. Indirect hints in Mao's writings in subsequent months and years suggest he may have viewed it critically or harbored misgivings from the start. It was not the kind of strategy Mao preferred. More than twenty years later, during the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards charged that Mao had not even known of the plan in advance because of Peng Dehuai's alleged duplicity, at the time, Peng was being denounced. While this seems unlikely, it may contain some substance. In his own defense against these charges, Peng stated that after the 8RA headquarters—located not in Yan'an but in Jin-Cha-Ji—planned the operation, it sent mobilization orders downward to each regional command and also notified the Central Military Affairs Commission headed by Mao. In the original plan, the action would begin in early September. But, Peng wrote, to prevent enemy discovery and to ensure simultaneous surprise assaults—thereby inflicting an even greater blow to the enemy and the puppets—they began about ten days earlier than scheduled, during the last week of August. "So we did not wait for approval from the Military Affairs Commission (this was wrong), but went right into combat earlier than planned." There is also the issue of the "spontaneous" participation of more than eighty regiments without authorization from the Eighth Route Army headquarters, and not from Yan'an as well. If Peng Dehuai's account is accepted (written in 1970, shortly before his death), then Mao and Party Central had no role in conceiving or planning the Hundred Regiments campaign. In that case, the "grand strategy" motivations for undertaking it largely vanish—except perhaps insofar as they were considered by Peng and his colleagues. One alleged motive was to counter any tendency toward capitulation by Chiang Kai-shek and the Chongqing regime: if the war heated up and the CCP threw itself into fighting, any accommodation between Chiang and Japan would look like cowardly surrender. A related consideration was the Communist leadership's sensitivity to the charge that they were simply exploiting the war to expand their influence—avoiding Japanese combat while letting KMT armies bear the real burden of fighting. The Nationalists gave major publicity to the accusation that CCP policy devoted 70 percent of effort to expansion, 20 percent to coping with the KMT, and only 10 percent to opposing Japan. A third suggested motive was to divert attention from the New Fourth Army's offensives against Nationalist forces in Central China, which were peaking around the same time. Peng Dehuai acknowledged the campaign was "too protracted," yet he defended its importance in maintaining the CCP's anti-Japanese image in the wake of anti-friction conflicts, in demonstrating the failure of the cage-and-silkworm policy, in returning at least twenty-six county seats to base control, and in keeping "wavering" elements in line. Even if these reasons mattered less than regional and tactical calculations in launching the campaign, they could always be used for propaganda afterward. Whatever misgivings Mao and Party Central may have had, the Party kept them to itself. Mao radioed congratulations to Peng after his victory, and in public statements the Hundred Regiments were turned into legend. Even if the Hundred Regiments campaign aimed to defeat Japanese pacification efforts, it did not succeed in a decisive way. Shocked and stung by the 8RA's action, the North China Area Army intensified its efforts to bring North China under tighter control. Under General Tada and then his successor, General Okamura Yasuji (July 1941–November 1944), the Japanese inflicted brutal, sustained violence against all North China bases. Between 1941 and 1944, about 150,000 Japanese troops were assigned full-time to pacification duty, supported by roughly 100,000 Chinese auxiliaries of widely varying description and effectiveness. The remainder of the NCAA (about 150,000–200,000 men) was assigned to other tasks such as garrisoning major cities and containing Nationalist forces. Communist regulars were estimated at around 250,000 within base areas and 40,000 in SKN. The Japanese and their Chinese auxiliaries invested even more heavily than before in constructing moats, ditches, palisades, and blockhouses. Japanese sources claimed that by 1942 their forces had built 11,860 kilometers of blockade line and 7,700 fortified posts, mostly in the Hebei plains and the foothills of the Taihang mountains. A massive trench ran for 500 kilometers along the western side of the Pinghan railway line, with a depopulated and constantly patrolled zone on either side. The 250 Japanese outposts established in southern Hebei by December 1940 were more than quadrupled by mid-1942. These became the key means of controlling plains areas; by the end of 1941, all Communist bases in such terrain had been reduced to guerrilla status. Many main force units—such as those under Liu Cheng'ao and Yang Xiufeng—were compelled to move westward into mountains to survive. What distinguished the new Tada–Okamura approach from earlier tactics was the much larger and more protracted search-and-destroy thrust into the core mountain-base areas. They also replaced selective repression with indiscriminate, generalized violence. These infamous "Three-All" mop-up campaigns meant: kill all, burn all, loot all. Unable to distinguish ordinary peasants from Communists, the Japanese waged war on everyone. After attempting to seal off major consolidated regions in the base areas, they sent in very large detachments to search for Communist forces, civilian cadres, and activists. They also tried to destroy base facilities and war material stockpiles; to disrupt agriculture by burning crops or interfering with planting and harvesting; and to seize grain stores. Entire villages were razed, and everything alive found there was killed. Unlike earlier mop-ups that swept through an area and then departed, these campaigns left troops in the targeted zones for extended periods, "combing" the area back and forth and building at least temporary strongpoints in more accessible parts of mountain bases. These mop-up operations took a heavy and painful toll on rural populations. No doubt the harsh tactics and atrocities frequently committed during these actions did cause many peasants, rich and poor alike, to harbor deep hatred of the Japanese and to commit more fully to the Communist side. But intra-party sources also portray cases in which repression worked even more effectively than earlier attempts to drive a wedge between party and peasantry. As one internal assessment put it: If we only stress concealment… we are bound to be divorced from the masses. The morale of the masses cannot be sustained for long either. On the other hand, if we only seek fleeting gratification in careless fighting, we may also invite still more cruel enemy suppression. That will also alienate the masses. Communist spokesmen acknowledged that, in North China base areas, the population under Party control fell from 44 million to 25 million, while the Eighth Route Army declined from 400,000 to 300,000. Local records present an even grimmer picture. By 1942, 90 percent of the plains bases had been reduced to guerrilla zones or outright enemy control. In the mountainous Taiyue district within the Jin-Cha-Lu-Yi base, one cadre admitted that "not a single county was kept intact and the government offices of all its twelve counties were exiled in Jin-yuan." All twenty-six county seats occupied following the Hundred Regiments fighting were lost. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Japan tried to regain control through retaliatory "mopping-up" operations starting in October 1940. In response, the Eighth Route Army and its commanders issued counter-measures: coordinate party, government, military, and civilians; keep mobility while dispersing forces when possible; and focus on annihilating incoming enemy units decisively. Counter-sweeps and anti-pacification actions continued through December, involving repeated ambushes and sabotage of roads, highways, and fortification efforts.