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Friday, August 1st, 2025Today, party preference in the US has shifted back to the Democrats for the first time since 2023; Virginia Giuffre's family responds to Trump's admission that she was trafficked from Mar a Lago; trump always chickens out - he pauses Mexico tariffs for another 90 days; the DC Bar's Board of Professional Responsibility has recommended Jeffrey Clark be disbarred; the Navy reverses its decision to stop sharing weather data at the last minute; the Florida attorney general issued a subpoena to a bar to get the names of people who participated in a drag show; we have more details on California's plan to redraw voting maps in response to Texas; and Allison and Dana deliver the good news.Thank You, Naked WinesTo get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to nakedwines.com/DAILYBEANS and use code DAILYBEANS for both the code and password.Guest: John FugelsangTell Me Everything - John Fugelsang, The John Fugelsang PodcastJohn Fugelsang - Substack@johnfugelsang.bsky.social - Bluesky, @JohnFugelsang -TwitterSeparation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang - Pre-order StoriesDemocrats Regain Advantage in Party Affiliation | GallupNewsom will move to redraw California map if Texas redistricts, teeing up national fight | Texas TribuneGOP Attorney General subpoenas bar to hand over list of people who watched a drag show | LGBTQ NationTrump announces 90-day extension of prior trade deal with Mexico | NPRIn reversal, Defense Department will continue providing crucial satellite weather data | NPRGood Trouble Are you near Bethesda, Maryland? So What Else needs volunteer drivers with SUVs or trucks, or willing to make multiple trips in small cars, on Tuesday, August 5th, 11am-3pm to pick up food drive donation bags from houses in Montgomery County.Email volunteer@sowhatelse.org with any questions or concerns!So What Else From The Good NewsIt helps by mitigating many of the onerous side effects of the treatments, as well as the anxiety that comes with having the condition.Pretty Gritty ToursRainy Day Rabbit HolesTavern Talks, @taverntalksusa - Instagram, @tavern.talks6) - TikTokAPPEARANCES – DANA GOLDBERGReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Donate to the MSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory FundMSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory Fund | ActBlueWhistleblowerAid.org/beans Federal workers - feel free to email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Find Upcoming Actions 50501 Movement, No Kings.org, Indivisible.orgDr. Allison Gill - Substack, BlueSky , TikTok, IG, TwitterDana Goldberg - BlueSky, Twitter, IG, facebook, danagoldberg.comCheck out more from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | SubstackShare your Good News or Good TroubleMSW Good News and Good TroubleHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?The Daily Beans | SupercastThe Daily Beans & Mueller, She Wrote | PatreonThe Daily Beans | Apple Podcasts
A cult called Spawnism that started as a joke inside a video game on the Roblox platform is encouraging teens and children to self-harm.5) China may have had access to Defense Department cloud servers for more than a decade; 4) Democratic Party's favorability ratings hit 35-year low; 3) Information shared with AI chatbots could be shared with law enforcement or in other legal cases; 2) Video game cult encouraging players to self-harm; 1) Farewell to Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who died yesterday at age 65.SkyWatchTV's Joe Horn, Donna Howell, Nita Horn, Derek Gilbert, and Sharon K. Gilbert are featured at the Remnant Rising Conference Aug. 22–24, 2025 in Springfield, Missouri. Details and registration at HearTheWatchmen.com.Join Derek and Sharon Gilbert in the Holy Land! Their next Israel tour is October 19–30, 2025, and features special guest, researcher, author, and lecturer Carl Teichrib. Details and registration at GilbertHouse.org/travel.FOLLOW US!X: @WatchSkyWatchTV | @Five_In_TenYouTube: @SkyWatchTelevision | @SimplyHIS | @FiveInTenRumble: @SkyWatchTVFacebook: @SkyWatchTV | @SimplyHIS | @EdensEssentialsInstagram: @SkyWatchTV | @SimplyHisShow | @EdensEssentialsUSATikTok: @SkyWatchTV | @SimplyHisShow | @EdensEssentialsSkyWatchTV.com | SkyWatchTVStore.com | EdensEssentials.com | WhisperingPoniesRanch.com
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to the General Services Administration on Friday demanding more information about how the agency is using Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot built by Elon Musk's xAI. The correspondence comes after FedScoop reporting earlier this month revealed that government coders at GSA seemed to be looking at integrating Grok into their artificial intelligence work. Other sources told FedScoop that Grok had recently been approved for integration as an option into the GSAi app, a platform the agency has built to help federal workers access various generative AI models. Four days after the publication of FedScoop's story, xAI officially announced a “Grok for Government” service and confirmed that the company had been working to make its product available through GSA. As a result, Grok said ”every federal government department, agency, or office” could now access the company's tools. xAI also announced a $200 million Defense Department contract. The federal government's interest in using Grok — which recently espoused antisemitic and pro-Hitler content — has received pushback from Democrats. A group of Jewish Democrats recently wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about their concerns with the tool. Democrats in the House AI Caucus have also raised issues with the use of Grok, as has Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who condemned the Pentagon contract on the chamber's floor. But the latest letter, obtained by FedScoop, demands more information on the GSA's work with Grok. The letter was addressed to Stephen Ehikian, the deputy GSA administrator who led the agency on an acting basis until earlier this week, and signed by Reps. Robert Garcia of California and Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, the current and former ranking members of the committee, respectively. An outage last week of Starlink, the satellite internet service run by Elon Musk's company SpaceX, did have an impact on some services in the federal government. While several civilian federal agencies told FedScoop that the service interruption didn't disrupt operations, the U.S. Space Force confirmed that Starshield, the military-focused communications service on the Starlink network, was taken offline during the outage. “The Space Systems Command Commercial SATCOM Communications Office procures Starshield Global Access services over the Starlink Satellites/network,” a spokesperson for Space Systems Command told FedScoop. The spokesperson continued: “As such, the global outage did affect CSCO customers for the entire duration of the outage (~2.5hrs for most users). Services had a partial restoration midway through the outage and a complete restoration by the stated end time.” Defense customers are currently able to access Starshield through the Space Force, among other procurement mechanisms, SpaceX's website states. SpaceX says Starshield is for “national defense use cases” while Starlink “is not intended for any military end-uses or end-users.” Several branches of the U.S. military are currently testing or using Starshield, including the Air Force and the Navy. A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard told FedScoop earlier this month that the agency began installing both Starlink and Starshield back in 2023. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.
Strong families are the foundation of a mission-ready force. In this powerful conversation, host Bruce Moody speaks with Stephen Simmons — Marine veteran, military spouse, father and new deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy. Simmons shares how supporting military families drives retention, readiness and resilience and outlines his vision for transforming quality of life through initiatives like nutrition, mental health and spouse employment. This episode connects policy to everyday military life and why it matters for the future of the force. Visit Military OneSource at https://www.militaryonesource.mil/ to learn about the resources and support available to service members and families. Bruce Moody is a public affairs specialist with the Defense Department's Military OneSource. Share your feedback about this podcast as well as ideas for future episodes by visiting the Military OneSource Podcasts Feedback Form at https://public.militaryonesource.mil/podcast-feedback. The Military OneSource Podcast series is an official resource of the Defense Department. For more information, visit MilitaryOneSource.mil or call 800-342-9647. Military OneSource is your 24/7 connection to information, answers and support to help you reach your goals, overcome challenges and thrive.
President Donald Trump is heading to Scotland on Friday for a trip that blends golf with diplomacy. He'll first visit his Turnberry resort on Scotland's west coast, where he's set to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday for talks to advance the U.S.–UK trade deal. Trump will then travel 200 miles east to his Aberdeen property to open a second 18-hole course, which is named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. She was born on a Scottish island before immigrating to the United States.Trump paid a rare visit to the Federal Reserve headquarters on Thursday, ramping up pressure on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut interest rates. The two also clashed over a controversial Fed renovation project that's slated to cost billions of dollars. Powell defended the renovation costs, saying the building requires significant structural repairs.Lawmakers have subpoenaed the CEOs of two of America's biggest financial institutions, J.P. Morgan and Bank of America. They're under scrutiny for their roles in the initial public offering of Chinese battery giant, CATL. The company is flagged by the Defense Department as a Chinese military company. The chairman of the select committee on the CCP said that "Wall Street shouldn't be underwriting Chinese military companies—and the American people deserve transparency."
Chris and Hector dive into alarming cyber incidents shaking the U.S. government and military. They break down the massive National Guard network compromise by Chinese-linked group Salt Typhoon and the shocking revelation that Microsoft allowed Chinese engineers indirect access to Defense Department systems. Plus, they preview their upcoming Patreon series on the top 10 hacks of all time. Join our new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
The Defense Department is tightening its grip on foreign investments in U.S. defense contractors. A newly revised reporting form—SF 328—is at the center of the change, requiring broader disclosures and clearer documentation. That means more companies, even those working on unclassified programs, could face delays or denials if they're not prepared. Here with the details of what firms need to know is Special Counsel with Cooley, Grant Schweikert.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
As the Defense Department is working to incorporate right to repair provisions in all new and existing contracts, Congress is wrangling over how to strike the right balance between military readiness and protecting companies intellectual property rights. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis joins me today with more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The President of the Philippines was at the White House on Tuesday visiting President Trump, discussing the issue of China and their ambitions to expand. U.S. lawmakers have asked the Defense Department to study building a joint munitions hub in the Philippines, as China continues to menace other nations crossing through the South China Sea. When it comes to American military spending, we are on track to allocate more than $920 billion in the next fiscal year, and it appears there's bipartisan support to fully fund this Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott sits on the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committee, and he joined the Rundown to discuss the long-term threats posed by both China and Iran. The CDC reports an estimated 48,422 deaths from synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl, in 2024. With a dangerous amount of the drug supply now laced with this deadly substance, overdose deaths are surging, especially among young people. President Trump recently signed the Halt Fentanyl Act, expanding law enforcement's ability to crack down on traffickers. Gregory Swan, who lost his son Drew to a fentanyl overdose in 2013, co-founded Fentanyl Fathers to raise awareness and prevent more families from suffering the same loss. He joins the Rundown to discuss his mission: educating students, empowering parents, and mobilizing a movement to fight the fentanyl crisis. Plus, commentary from FOX News Digital columnist David Marcus. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Risky Biz returns after two weeks off, and there sure is cybersecurity news to catch up on. Patrick Gray and Adam Boileau discuss: Microsoft tried to make outsourcing the Pentagon's cloud maintenance to China okay (it was not) She shells Sharepoint by the sea-shore (by ‘she' we mean ‘China') Four (alleged) Scattered Spider members arrested (and bailed) in the UK Hackers spend $2700 to buy creds for a Brazilian payment system, steal $100M Fortinet has SQLI in the auth header, Citrix mem leak is weaponised, HP hardcodes creds and Sonicwalls get user-moderootkits. Just security vendor things! This week's episode is sponsored by Airlock Digital. CEO David Cottingham talks through what it takes to build a mature, resilient management platform for a security critical system. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Update on DOD's cloud services Microsoft to stop using engineers in China for tech support of US military, Hegseth orders review A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers While DOD policy bans unauthorized apps like TikTok from being on employees phones over national security risks Microsoft Fix Targets Attacks on SharePoint Zero-Day – Krebs on Security National Guard was hacked by China's 'Salt Typhoon' group, DHS says Suspected contractor for China's Hafnium group arrested in in Italy | Cybersecurity Dive Singapore accuses Chinese state-backed hackers of attacking critical infrastructure networks | The Record from Recorded Future News UK Arrests Four in ‘Scattered Spider' Ransom Group – Krebs on Security Four people bailed after arrests over cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op and Harrods Brazilian police arrest IT worker over $100 million cyber theft | The Record from Recorded Future News At Least 750 US Hospitals Faced Disruptions During Last Year's CrowdStrike Outage, Study Finds | WIRED Hacker returns cryptocurrency stolen from GMX exchange after $5 million bounty payment | The Record Indian crypto exchange CoinDCX says $44 million stolen from reserves | The Record Chainalysis: $2.17 billion in crypto stolen in first half of 2025, driven by North Korean hacks | The Record PoisonSeed bypassing FIDO keys to ‘fetch' user accounts Risky Bulletin: Browser extensions hijacked for web scraping botnet A Startup is Selling Data Hacked from Peoples' Computers to Debt Collectors A surveillance vendor was caught exploiting a new SS7 attack to track people's phone locations | TechCrunch Ukrainian hackers wipe databases at Russia's Gazprom in major cyberattack, intelligence source says File transfer company CrushFTP warns of zero-day exploit seen in the wild | The Record HPE warns of hardcoded passwords in Aruba access points Pre-Auth SQL Injection to RCE - Fortinet FortiWeb Fabric Connector (CVE-2025-25257) Researchers, CISA confirm active exploitation of critical Citrix Netscaler flaw | Cybersecurity Dive Google finds custom backdoor being installed on SonicWall network devices - Ars Technica Hackers Can Remotely Trigger the Brakes on American Trains and the Problem Has Been Ignored for Years
The President of the Philippines was at the White House on Tuesday visiting President Trump, discussing the issue of China and their ambitions to expand. U.S. lawmakers have asked the Defense Department to study building a joint munitions hub in the Philippines, as China continues to menace other nations crossing through the South China Sea. When it comes to American military spending, we are on track to allocate more than $920 billion in the next fiscal year, and it appears there's bipartisan support to fully fund this Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott sits on the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committee, and he joined the Rundown to discuss the long-term threats posed by both China and Iran. The CDC reports an estimated 48,422 deaths from synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl, in 2024. With a dangerous amount of the drug supply now laced with this deadly substance, overdose deaths are surging, especially among young people. President Trump recently signed the Halt Fentanyl Act, expanding law enforcement's ability to crack down on traffickers. Gregory Swan, who lost his son Drew to a fentanyl overdose in 2013, co-founded Fentanyl Fathers to raise awareness and prevent more families from suffering the same loss. He joins the Rundown to discuss his mission: educating students, empowering parents, and mobilizing a movement to fight the fentanyl crisis. Plus, commentary from FOX News Digital columnist David Marcus. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The President of the Philippines was at the White House on Tuesday visiting President Trump, discussing the issue of China and their ambitions to expand. U.S. lawmakers have asked the Defense Department to study building a joint munitions hub in the Philippines, as China continues to menace other nations crossing through the South China Sea. When it comes to American military spending, we are on track to allocate more than $920 billion in the next fiscal year, and it appears there's bipartisan support to fully fund this Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott sits on the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committee, and he joined the Rundown to discuss the long-term threats posed by both China and Iran. The CDC reports an estimated 48,422 deaths from synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl, in 2024. With a dangerous amount of the drug supply now laced with this deadly substance, overdose deaths are surging, especially among young people. President Trump recently signed the Halt Fentanyl Act, expanding law enforcement's ability to crack down on traffickers. Gregory Swan, who lost his son Drew to a fentanyl overdose in 2013, co-founded Fentanyl Fathers to raise awareness and prevent more families from suffering the same loss. He joins the Rundown to discuss his mission: educating students, empowering parents, and mobilizing a movement to fight the fentanyl crisis. Plus, commentary from FOX News Digital columnist David Marcus. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this week's Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics: Warm Open:• 26th Annual TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow• The Gate 15 Interview EP 60 – Sasha Larkin: “I like the chaos, chaos makes sense to me.” • The SUN will not be published the week of 28 Jul – 01 Aug. The SUN will resume the following week.• P2D2!Main Topics:Microsoft, China & Vendor Risk Management:• A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers• US senator seeks details from Defense Department on Microsoft's Chinese engineers• Microsoft says it will no longer use engineers in China for Department of Defense work• Chairmen Gimenez, Moolenaar, Self Probe Tech Companies Over Risks To Undersea Telecom InfrastructurePasswords. Weak password allowed hackers to sink a 158-year-old companyPatching!• Microsoft SharePoint vulnerability CVE-2025-53770: Microsoft: Customer guidance for SharePoint vulnerability CVE-2025-53770 & UK NCSC: Active exploitation of vulnerability affecting Microsoft Office SharePoint Server products in the UK• Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: CrushFTP security advisory (AV25-432)• CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog - CVE-2025-25257 Fortinet FortiWeb SQL Injection Vulnerability• CitrixBleed 2 situation update — everybody already got owned• Canadian Centre for Cyber Security - Vulnerabilities impacting Citrix NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway - CVE-2025-5349, CVE-2025-5777 and CVE-2025-6543 – Update 2 Managing Politics and BiasQuick Hits:• National Guard hacked by Chinese 'Salt Typhoon' campaign for nearly a year, DHS memo says• Charter Calls Increased Critical Infrastructure Attacks on Spectrum Network in Missouri Acts of Domestic Terrorism• UK NPSA - Security-Minded Communications - Guidance for Remote and Rural Locations • Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) & Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) Joint Advisory: Cyber officials warns of malicious campaign to impersonate high-profile public figures• Examining How International Hacktivist Groups Pursue Attention, Select Targets, and Interact in an Evolving Online Landscape• China's cyber sector amplifies Beijing's hacking of U.S. targets• Submarine Cables Face Increasing Threats Amid Geopolitical Tensions and Limited Repair Capacity• Of course, Grok's AI companions want to have sex and burn down schools• Investor Alert: Look Out For Possible Investment Scams Related to the Texas Floods • The Amnban Files: Inside Iran's Cyber-Espionage Factory Targeting Global Airlines• Indian crypto exchange CoinDCX hacked, $44M drained
The Government Accountability Office processed more than 5,700 allegations through its fraud hotline last year. That's according to the latest annual report on GAO's FraudNet program. FraudNet referred more than 2,100 allegations to federal agencies or other entities for further investigation, roughly the same number of referrals as in 2023. FraudNet analysts also supported more than 50 requests from GAO teams conducting audits and investigations. That includes helping GAO identify healthcare providers who were ineligible to work for the Defense Department's TRICARE Network. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. Justin interviews Major General (Ret.) Robert F. Whittle, Jr., RIMS Texas Keynote speaker, about his experience as Deputy Commanding General of Operations for U.S. Army North, responsible for homeland defense and coordination with civil authorities, about his experience with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its work in water resource management, and the lessons he can share for flood preparedness. Justin and Robert (Bob) discuss risk management training that engineers receive and how it applies to combat operations and domestic situations. Bob talks about building trust in different cultures. Finally, he shares some of what he will cover in his closing keynote on August 6th for the RIMS Texas Regional in San Antonio, Texas, from August 4th through 6th. Listen to learn military lessons that apply to risk management in industry. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:15] To our friends and RIMS members in Texas, it has been heartbreaking to witness the devastation caused by the floods in the Lone Star State. [:23] Your RIMS community extends its heartfelt thoughts and wishes for your health, safety, and well-being during this challenging time. [:30] The floods are a stark reminder of the critical role that risk professionals play in a crisis. The RIMS Hurricane and Storm Risk Management Resource Center offers several informative articles and resources about flood and storm preparedness and recovery. [:45] As you navigate through your recovery efforts, please know that you have the support of RIMS. [:50] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest today is Major General (Retired) Robert F. Whittle, Jr. He will be the closing keynote speaker at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference on August 6th. We will talk about his military career and flood risk and leadership. [1:23] RIMScast is a proud nominee of the 20th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards. I'm hoping I can count on you to help us bring this win home! Vote by going to PodcastAwards.com and the link in this episode's notes. [1:40] Sign up with your email, find RIMScast under Government and Organizations, and save your nomination. Every vote counts! Thank you so much for your support! [1:50] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! The next Virtual RIMS-CRMP exam prep, co-hosted by Parima, will be held on September 2nd and 3rd. [2:00] The next RIMS-CRMP-FED virtual workshop will be held on November 11th and 12th, in conjunction with George Mason University and led by Joseph Mayo. Links to these courses can be found on the Certification Page of RIMS.org and through this episode's show notes. [2:17] RIMS Virtual Workshops! We have a day-long course on July 24th, “Risk Taxonomy for Effective Risk Management.” On August 5th, we have a day-long course about “Emerging Risks.” [2:30] RIMS has launched a new course, “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders.” This is a two-day course. The first two-day course will be held on August 12th and 13th and will be led by former RIMS President, Chris Mandel. [2:45] The course will be held again on November 4th and 5th and will be led by Elise Farnham. RIMS members enjoy deep discounts! [2:54] The full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's notes. [3:05] If you tuned in to the recent episode featuring James Lam, you will know he is hosting a new six-module workshop for us, the “RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management”. [3:19] The inaugural summer course is completely sold out! We are filled to the virtual capacity! Don't worry, in the Fall, the bi-weekly course will begin on October 9th. Registration closes on October 2nd. A link is in this episode's notes. Check it out and register today! [3:38] Mark your calendars for November 17th and 18th for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Call for Nominations for the ERM Award of Distinction has been distributed. There is a link in this episode's show notes. The nomination deadline is August 16th. [3:59] If your organization's ERM program or one you know of has generated and retained value and led to the growth of your organization, consider nominating that ERM program and manager for the ERM Award of Distinction 2025. [4:13] RISKWORLD 2026 will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 3rd through May 6th. RIMS members can now lock in the 2025 rate for a full conference pass to RISKWORLD 2026 when registering by September 30th. [4:27] This also lets you enjoy earlier access to the RISKWORLD hotel block. Register by September 30th, and you will also be entered to win a $500 raffle. Don't miss out on this chance to plan and score some extra perks. [4:40] The members-only registration link is in this episode's show notes. If you are not yet a member, this is the time to register at RIMS.org/membership. [4:50] On with the show! Robert F. Whittle Jr. was a Major General of the U.S. Army. He retired in 2023 as the Deputy Commanding General of Operations for the U.S. Army North. He is also Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff to the CEO at USAA. [5:06] On August 6th, he will deliver the closing keynote at the RIMS Texas Regional, providing highlights from his 33 years in the Army, including years as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. [5:20] I'm so glad he's here to provide a preview of his keynote and also discuss flood risk and leadership. Let's get to it! [5:28] Interview! Retired Major General Robert F. Whittle Jr., welcome to RIMScast! [5:35] Joining us now is one of the RIMS Texas Regional's keynotes, Major General (Retired) Bob Whittle. [5:46] Major General (Retired) Bob Whittle, Jr. asks Justin to call him Bob. [6:03] This is the inaugural Texas Regional event. Bob is excited about it. He loves Texas, and he knows people are coming from all over the country to attend. Justin adds that it's a big deal for the Texas chapters, which are some of the most active and voluminous RIMS chapters. [6:27] Bob's keynote will close out the Conference on August 6th. [6:31] Today's discussion will be about flood risk and then about leadership. [6:47] Bob's bio is on the RIMS Texas Regional page. [6:52] Bob was Deputy Commanding General of Operations for the U.S. Army North, responsible for Homeland Defense and coordination with civil authorities. One major event occurred domestically while he was there. [7:17] That was the integration of 70,000 refugees from Afghanistan to the United States. When the U.S. left Afghanistan, a lot of interpreters, their families, and other key players were able to come to the United States. They needed help integrating into U.S. society with jobs and homes. [8:05] Bob says there was never an expectation that we would have to move 70,000 people here. We thought that Afghanistan would continue to move forward after we left, but it fell pretty rapidly. Some Afghan interpreters and officers who were under threat were brought to the U.S. [8:52] One of the challenges in any kind of operation like that is that it involves Federal, state, and local officials, and non-governmental organizations. Within the Federal side, we have FEMA, the State Department, and the Department of Defense. [9:14] These agencies worked together to build a framework and partner with the other authorities. The first risk is that politics or ego get in the way of accomplishing the mission. [9:28] The mitigation for that is trying to build relationships well ahead of the crisis, so people trust each other and can work together. They constantly emphasized the unity of the mission. [9:41] It's not unity of command, as there's no chain of command with all the partnerships, but there must be unity over the mission of resettling the Afghan refugees. [10:06] Justin asks if Bob is as easygoing as he seems. Bob says, you'd have to ask the people he worked with to get a solid understanding of who he is, versus how he self-reports. He says he is known for being cool, calm, and collected. When he needs to step it up, he can do it rapidly. [10:35] Bob found that projecting a calm personality helped him build trust. From years in the military, Bob learned that you succeed by making your peers successful. The more you help your peers, the more likely it is that you will earn a promotion or the assignment that you want. [11:37] Bob was in the Corps of Engineers for 33 years. He's a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Virginia. He led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. The civilian side of the Corps of Engineers deals with infrastructure. [12:13] Bob speaks of dam safety. The Corps of Engineers is responsible for the dams in Federal Navigation channels. They work through the inherent risks of the dams, making sure they have the right controls in place and testing to ensure that the controls are there. [12:42] There are so many other dams in the U.S. Some of them are private. While Bob was at the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, two private dams failed in Michigan, the Edenville Dam and the Sanford Dam. The Corps went up there to assist and help determine the root cause. [13:07] It was a lesson in making sure you are doing all the right things from a risk perspective. Controls weren't in place. Some issues had been identified but not mitigated. The State of Michigan stepped in and worked with the private company to mitigate the issues. [13:35] The dams had failed, and there was a lot of flooding in that area. It was unexpected as it had not happened before. It was in May 2020, a month after COVID-19 started hitting. [13:53] When things happen, you have to look forward. The Corps of Engineers is key. If the Ohio River drops too low for barge traffic to go through, eventually, Nashville starts to have a lot of trouble with power. It's very important to keep the Corps of Engineers running. [14:15] During COVID-19, the Secretary of Defense stated, “I want everybody in the Defense Department to stop moving. Stay where you are.” Bob was the Acting Deputy of the Corps of Engineers then. He immediately communicated to the 37K in the Corps, Don't stop moving. [14:32] If the Army Corps of Engineers had stopped, it would have been a huge issue. There were repair shifts at work, making sure things were running. In Michigan, when those two dams failed, the Corps put their masks on and moved out to help solve issues. [15:03] The risk framework the Corps of Engineers uses for dam safety is similar to what Bob has seen in industry and similar to what the Army does, even at a small unit level. The Army has a risk document that they use for training or going into combat. [15:26] The Army's risk document covers inherent risk, the probability of an issue, mitigation and controls, residual risk, and what the impact would be. The controls are the most important thing. They help ensure a low probability of a huge issue. The risk document is simple, and it works. [16:17] On the topic of the tragic recent Texas floods, how should leaders be thinking about flood risk mitigation? Bob knows that everyone involved in the situation is doing the absolute best that they can. If you want to be prepared for any disaster, it starts with simple planning. [17:24] You have to look at what the disaster may be, what the probability of it may be, and if it does occur, the key things that will need to happen on the ground in response, the people who will need to be involved, the resources they will need, and the timing of those activities. [17:46] It's like deliberate project management. You have to make assumptions in the beginning about what will happen. The next thing is getting funding for the resources, the people, and the tasks that have to occur. [18:01] There's a lot of deliberate planning and, for any domestic emergency in the U.S., the planning has to be done at the Federal level, the State level, the local level, and with non-governmental organizations that will be involved. [18:15] The first step is building relationships ahead of time. Step two is to have rehearsals. The rehearsals can be with a map and some key leaders on site. Rehearsals help to validate the planning you've done. [18:51] In a disaster, one of the first steps is to allocate resources. There were decisions about resources when COVID-19 hit all over the U.S. They couldn't just send money to one area. The Federal government, states, local governments, and NGOs decided how to allocate resources. [19:23] Bob points out that you can decide with no information or with 100% of the information. In an emergency, you don't have time to get 100% of the information out there, so you need to determine if you have enough information to make this decision and if you need to act now. [19:46] It's about risk. Do you take a chance? Risk is all about the probability of success. It's achieving an objective. [20:04] After the disaster is over, a lot of people evaluate those decisions and take two years to study whether the right decision was made. You've got to be in the shoes of the person making the decision, with the same timing, to understand how they did it and why. [20:24] You do want to review the decisions, to learn from them, but you have to know that these leaders are making decisions based on the time available and the necessity of moving things forward. [20:36] Plugs with Roma Rishi, Sr. Sales Executive, Origami Risk! Origami Risk is excited to be a sponsor at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference. Origami Risk will have a booth there to demonstrate their products. They will also speak at one of the sessions. [21:17] They will be talking with Roy Hock, the Director of Excess Insurance at Valero Energy, about leveraging technology to manage your captive. See Origami at its table, at its session, or both! [21:30] Origami Risk will be at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference from August 4th through August 6th. Origami Risk will also be at the tenth Chicagoland Risk Forum, on September 18th at the Old Post Office in Chicago. [21:44] Origami Risk will have a booth there, and Roma's colleague, Gina Rothweiler, is going to be speaking. Come find Origami Risk at the Chicagoland Risk Forum! [21:54] Registration is complimentary for members of risk management departments in the nearby area. A link to the registration page is in this episode's show notes. You can visit ChicagoRIMS.org as well. [22:15] On October 1st through the 3rd, Origami Risk will be in the Bay Area, California, for the RIMS Western Regional Conference. They will have a booth and will speak at a session with the Risk Manager of Sprouts about leveraging data and technology for proactive risk management. [22:44] Origami Risk will be at RIMS ERM, on November 17th and 18th in Seattle, Washington. That agenda is being built. Origami Risk will have a kiosk and hope to speak, too. [22:59] Origami Risk will have a presence at the 2025 Florida RIMS Educational Conference from July 29th through August 2nd. Connect with Roma's colleague Alex and Origami Risk there. [23:19] Roma, it's always great to see you and the Origami Risk team. Connect with Roma and Origami Risk online at LinkedIn and OrigamiRisk.com, in the Contact Us area on the website. [23:34] Let's Return to the Conclusion of My Interview with RIMS Texas Keynote Speaker Major General (Ret.) Robert F. Whittle Jr.! [23:44] What's the vibe at a Bob Whittle keynote? Bob focuses on the lessons he's learned over his career. A lot of the lessons are from mistakes that he has made, or vicariously from mistakes others have made. [24:00] Bob's goal is to make it humorous with some anecdotes; people remember anecdotes. He plans for an enjoyable session. Bob feels that when you're speaking to an audience, it's a hostage crisis. You owe it to them to entertain them a bit while providing valuable information. [24:34] Bob says it's not a hostage crisis if people are glad they went. [24:44] At the end of his keynote, Bob takes questions from the audience. He says it's the most enjoyable part because it's a free flow of information. [25:01] Bob has led troops in combat and peacekeeping missions across multiple continents. Bob says he learned a lot about cultural risk and adaptability in leadership. He says the Armed Forces learned a lot during that process, and the U.S. government did, as well. [25:22] After major combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and moving into a stability effort, Bob says they learned about human terrain, the culture of the people. The culture can vary from place to place and village to village. [25:58] An American isn't ever going to understand the cultures as well as the interpreters (many of whom had emigrated to the U.S. and had come back to interpret) and the NGOs in place. Have them help you learn the culture. [26:34] Bob talks about how these experiences shaped his strategies. He became more of an active listener to gain situational awareness. To develop a relationship with an Afghan officer, you visit him at least three times and have tea with them. [27:11] Bob speaks of vision. Afghanistan, for thousands of years, had not been a democracy. Are you going to make it a democracy in a year or even in one generation? You have to know the human terrain. What is the best governance for the people to make the country not a threat? [27:55] Within the culture, how do you make that as benign as possible and effective, the way that they like to do it? [28:17] Bob talks about decision-making under pressure. It is harder in some ways and easier in others than your regular decisions. You're not going to get to 100% of the information under pressure. [28:33] You have to accelerate the decision-making. The more you know about your environment and the probability of different things happening, the more comfortable you can be with that. [28:50] A leader has to stay as cool, calm, and collected as possible in that environment. Everyone who works for you or with you, whom you want to influence, is looking to you for how they should feel. How bad is it? If you can keep that posture, they're going to perform better. [29:18] It's easier to do that when you're a leader because you know people are counting on you. If you focus on that, the cool calmness just comes. [29:31] Bob was Commandant of the U.S. Army Engineers School. Bob talks about preparing the next U.S. Army Engineers. The key is training. If you know your job well and you've trained as much as possible, then you'll be more apt to take the right actions and be cool and calm. [30:05] The Army does a great job of investing in training for its people. An Engineer Officer goes to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for seven months right after they're commissioned. They come back, four years later, for a year. [30:19] They'll come back again as they get different promotions and constantly sharpen their edge. They are trained in every task that they're going to do, domestically in the U.S., or combat. [30:37] The training is repeated so the officers will gain good instincts and be able to take action without having to think long and hard about it; at the same time, being able to realize that every situation is different; How do they need to make this decision? [30:53] The U.S. Army Engineers School specifically teaches risk management. When the Army goes into a new nation for combat operations, they have to assess the bridges there. The bridges won't be in a U.S. database. A lot of the bridges are small. There may be many streams. [31:15] Bridges over streams may be small, and the Army has huge tanks. The Army has float bridges that they assemble in streams. The speed of the river and the types of banks affect how much material those bridges can handle. [31:51] They need engineers to go out there and evaluate the load classification for each bridge. When the Army went into Bosnia, they crossed the Sava River, which was in flood stage at the time. That takes a much longer bridge. It took a lot of ingenuity and more resources to cross. [32:34] When it comes to risk management, it's important to look at all the different controls. For bridges, one control is that one vehicle crosses at a time. You don't need three tanks on the bridge. Engineers need to decide if a float bridge can handle two tanks or limit it to one. [32:55] They could limit it to day crossing only, with people guiding the tank. There are all kinds of things to make sure they get right. [33:04] Justin looks forward to hearing more about Bob's experience on August 6th at 11:00 a.m. at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025 in San Antonio. [33:17] Bob is a graduate with a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, so a little Texas accent comes through. He loves Texas, and he got there as soon as he could. [34:23] Special thanks again to Retired Major General Bob Whittle for joining us here on RIMScast. Visit RIMS.org/TexasRegional to see the full agenda and register. I've got a link to the opening keynote's RIMScast episode. Huw Edwards joined us recently to discuss his address. [34:41] Huw will present “Your Insurance Policy for Success: Eight Mental Toughness Lessons I've Learned from Running 100 Miles through the Mountains.” Be sure to check that out. We look forward to seeing you August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio, Texas! [35:01] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [35:28] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [35:46] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [36:04] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [36:21] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [36:35] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [36:42] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe! Links: 20th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards! Vote for RIMScast (Gov't & Organizations) To vote for RIMScast, please sign up with your email, then select RIMScast on the pulldown under Government and Organizations. Thank you! RIMS Risk Management Magazine 2025 Awards Edition RIMS Texas Regional 2025 — August 3‒5 | Registration open. RIMS-CRMP In-Person Workshop in Texas Aug. 6 & 7 RIMS 2025 Florida Educational Conference | July 31‒Aug 2 | Registration open. RIMS Canada 2025 — Sept. 14‒17 | Registration open! 10th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum — Sept. 18 | Registration open! RIMS Western Regional — Oct 1‒3 | Bay Area, California | Registration open! RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration! Register through Sept 30! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center Spencer Educational Foundation 2025 Funding Their Future Gala — Sept. 18, 2025 in NYC! 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RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now RIMS Rocky Mountain Chapter RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — Sept 2-3, 2025 | Presented by RIMS and PARIMA RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — November 11‒12 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule “Risk Taxonomy for Effective Risk Management” | July 24 | Instructor: Joe Mayo “Emerging Risks” | Aug 5 | Instructor: Joe Mayo “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders” | Aug. 12‒13 | Instructor: Chris Mandel “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders” | Nov. 4‒5 | Instructor: Elise Farnham See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “Risk and Clarity with Huw Edwards, RIMS Texas Keynote” “James Lam on ERM, Strategy, and the Modern CRO” “ERM, Retail, and Risk with Jeff Strege” “Bigger Risks with the Texas State Office of Risk Management | Sponsored by Hillwood” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs” | Sponsored by Zurich “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed! RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information. Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org. Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About our guest: Major General (Retired) Robert F. Whittle, Jr., Senior Vice President and CEO, Chief of Staff at USAA Production and engineering provided by Podfly.
Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 38-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,301 on turnover of 5.2-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Monday as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing fell into consolidation mode on the back of lingering concerns over U-S tariff policies. US House approves 'Honest Maps' amendment targeting China's depiction of Taiwan The U-S House has passed an amendment banning the Defense Department from creating, buying, or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China. The "Honest Maps" amendment was proposed by Republican Representative Tom Tiffany and approved as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the Act to create, buy, or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou, Green Island, or Orchid Island as part of the P-R-C. The Act includes 831.5-billion U-S dollars in discretionary (自行決定的) spending. Officials deny 32% US tariff rumors Economics minister Kuo Jyh-huei is dismissing claims that the U-S has already set a 32-per cent tariff rate for Taiwan. Speaking at a legislative hearing, Kuo said he has no idea where the rumors came from and he remains confident that Taiwan can negotiate a lower tariff rate than the 25-per cent given to Japan and South Korea. Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee is also denying the rumors (謠言) about the tariff rate - saying the government has yet to receive any notification from Washington. The statements come after former Broadcasting Corporation of China Chairman Jaw Shaw-kang made the claim about the 32-per cent tariff rate for Taiwan. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun is leading a delegation to the U-S this week for a fourth round of tariff negotiations. HARVARD ARGUES WHITE HOUSE VIOLATED CONSTITUTION OVER FUNDING FREEZE Harvard University lawyers argued in a Boston court on Monday that the Trump administration blatantly violated the U.S. Constitution by freezing federal funding. It follows the White House freezing (停止) around two billion dollars' worth of grants to the elite (精英) private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mitch McCann reports: Milan Mayor Denies Wrongdoing in Real Estate Probe Milan's mayor says he will not step down in the face of a sweeping probe into the city's massive urban development over the last two decades. The city's top urban development official resigned while denying wrongdoing. Milan prosecutors last week announced the investigation into Milan's real estate boom that has seen skyscrapers transform the city's skyline and entire neighborhoods rebuilt. It includes the construction of a new Olympic village for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. The investigation targets more than 70 people for a system of corruption that prosecutors allege made Italy's financial and fashion capital “a commodity to be plundered (被掠奪).' That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. ----以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供---- 挺你所想!與你一起生活的銀行 中國信託行動銀行APP 全新推出「交易中安全提示」防詐騙功能 開啟後,轉帳的同時也在通話,會自動跳出貼心提醒,力挺你的金融安全 防護再進化,交易好安心! 馬上下載「中國信託行動銀行APP」 https://sofm.pse.is/7xxgu3 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn
Scott recorded this week's special episode live from the 2025 Aspen Security Forum, where he sat down with a panel of top national security journalists—including co-host emeritus Shane Harris of The Atlantic, Mark Goldberg of the Global Dispatches podcast, and Alex Ward of the Wall Street Journal—to talk about some of the issues that have emerged at and around this year's Forum, including:“Putting the Ass in Aspen.” Twenty-four hours before the Aspen Security Forum was set to begin, the Defense Department barred more than a dozen officials who had been publicly set to participate, for months, on the grounds that the Forum promotes “the evils of globalism.” What does this tell us about the Trump administration's relationship to the foreign policy establishment?“Rolling Alone.” While U.S. officials were in short supply at the Forum, foreign officials were not, as foreign ministers and other officials from Europe, Asia, and other corners of the world had a heavy representation on the panels. And while those panels often addressed different topics, at least one common theme tended to emerge across them: the challenges of the new era of major power competition, especially at a moment when the United States seems especially skeptical of traditional alliances and multilateral institutions. What did we learn about the challenges these countries are facing? And what does it mean for the United States' ability to strategically compete?“Deus Ex Machina.” If there is one topic that was represented at almost every panel at this year's Forum, it is the question of Artificial Intelligence — how important it is, what it will do to solve the world's problems, new problems it will cause, and all it will cost to win the race to perfecting it. But is AI really that important? Or does its ubiquity in national security conversation reflect more hype than substance?For object lessons, Shane shared his latest piece for The Atlantic about an old man, a dog, and the CIA's efforts to keep them apart. Scott endorsed the Aspen Security Forum itself and urged those not in attendance to check out Aspen's recordings of the event—as well as the recordings of various side conversations he made, which will be up on the Lawfare Daily feed later this week. Mark recommended his new podcast with Anjali Dayal on the United Nations, To Save Us From Hell, which they release as part of his U.N. Dispatch newsletter. And Alex shared his quest to read a book about each U.S. president, what it's taught him about how weird the presidents are, and the online community that's helping him get through it.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Scott recorded this week's special episode live from the 2025 Aspen Security Forum, where he sat down with a panel of top national security journalists—including co-host emeritus Shane Harris of The Atlantic, Mark Goldberg of the Global Dispatches podcast, and Alex Ward of the Wall Street Journal—to talk about some of the issues that have emerged at and around this year's Forum, including:“Putting the Ass in Aspen.” Twenty-four hours before the Aspen Security Forum was set to begin, the Defense Department barred more than a dozen officials who had been publicly set to participate, for months, on the grounds that the Forum promotes “the evils of globalism.” What does this tell us about the Trump administration's relationship to the foreign policy establishment?“Rolling Alone.” While U.S. officials were in short supply at the Forum, foreign officials were not, as foreign ministers and other officials from Europe, Asia, and other corners of the world had a heavy representation on the panels. And while those panels often addressed different topics, at least one common theme tended to emerge across them: the challenges of the new era of major power competition, especially at a moment when the United States seems especially skeptical of traditional alliances and multilateral institutions. What did we learn about the challenges these countries are facing? And what does it mean for the United States' ability to strategically compete?“Deus Ex Machina.” If there is one topic that was represented at almost every panel at this year's Forum, it is the question of Artificial Intelligence — how important it is, what it will do to solve the world's problems, new problems it will cause, and all it will cost to win the race to perfecting it. But is AI really that important? Or does its ubiquity in national security conversation reflect more hype than substance?For object lessons, Shane shared his latest piece for The Atlantic about an old man, a dog, and the CIA's efforts to keep them apart. Scott endorsed the Aspen Security Forum itself and urged those not in attendance to check out Aspen's recordings of the event—as well as the recordings of various side conversations he made, which will be up on the Lawfare Daily feed later this week. Mark recommended his new podcast with Anjali Dayal on the United Nations, To Save Us From Hell, which they release as part of his U.N. Dispatch newsletter. And Alex shared his quest to read a book about each U.S. president, what it's taught him about how weird the presidents are, and the online community that's helping him get through it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Coldplay kiss-cam flap proves we're already our own surveillance state Amazon Ring Cashes in on Techno-Authoritarianism and Mass Surveillance OpenAI LLM's gold medal-level performance on the world's most prestigious math competition Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2 Billion at $10 Billion Valuation The Epic Battle for AI Talent—With Exploding Offers, Secret Deals and Tears Trump Signs Stablecoin Bill, Delivering Win for Crypto Industry Engadget Podcast: Ancestra director Eliza McNitt defends AI as a creative tool DOGE staffer with access to Americans' personal data leaked private xAI API key DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists EU backs down on Big Tech tax ahead of US trade deal Reddit begins age verification checks for UK users Roblox will require a facial scan or government ID to have unfiltered chats EU to test age-check app under new child safety rules - 9to5Mac Trump administration to spend $1 billion on 'offensive' hacking operations | TechCrunch A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers Uber to invest in Lucid and Nuro in massive robotaxi deal YouTuber leaked iOS secrets via friend spying on dev's phone, Apple lawsuit claims This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It I Tested the Galaxy Z Fold 7: It's Slim, Powerful and Surprisingly Practical Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Iain Thomson, and Devindra Hardawar Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/Twit helixsleep.com/twit uscloud.com zscaler.com/security storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25
Coldplay kiss-cam flap proves we're already our own surveillance state Amazon Ring Cashes in on Techno-Authoritarianism and Mass Surveillance OpenAI LLM's gold medal-level performance on the world's most prestigious math competition Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2 Billion at $10 Billion Valuation The Epic Battle for AI Talent—With Exploding Offers, Secret Deals and Tears Trump Signs Stablecoin Bill, Delivering Win for Crypto Industry Engadget Podcast: Ancestra director Eliza McNitt defends AI as a creative tool DOGE staffer with access to Americans' personal data leaked private xAI API key DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists EU backs down on Big Tech tax ahead of US trade deal Reddit begins age verification checks for UK users Roblox will require a facial scan or government ID to have unfiltered chats EU to test age-check app under new child safety rules - 9to5Mac Trump administration to spend $1 billion on 'offensive' hacking operations | TechCrunch A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers Uber to invest in Lucid and Nuro in massive robotaxi deal YouTuber leaked iOS secrets via friend spying on dev's phone, Apple lawsuit claims This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It I Tested the Galaxy Z Fold 7: It's Slim, Powerful and Surprisingly Practical Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Iain Thomson, and Devindra Hardawar Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/Twit helixsleep.com/twit uscloud.com zscaler.com/security storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25
Coldplay kiss-cam flap proves we're already our own surveillance state Amazon Ring Cashes in on Techno-Authoritarianism and Mass Surveillance OpenAI LLM's gold medal-level performance on the world's most prestigious math competition Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2 Billion at $10 Billion Valuation The Epic Battle for AI Talent—With Exploding Offers, Secret Deals and Tears Trump Signs Stablecoin Bill, Delivering Win for Crypto Industry Engadget Podcast: Ancestra director Eliza McNitt defends AI as a creative tool DOGE staffer with access to Americans' personal data leaked private xAI API key DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists EU backs down on Big Tech tax ahead of US trade deal Reddit begins age verification checks for UK users Roblox will require a facial scan or government ID to have unfiltered chats EU to test age-check app under new child safety rules - 9to5Mac Trump administration to spend $1 billion on 'offensive' hacking operations | TechCrunch A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers Uber to invest in Lucid and Nuro in massive robotaxi deal YouTuber leaked iOS secrets via friend spying on dev's phone, Apple lawsuit claims This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It I Tested the Galaxy Z Fold 7: It's Slim, Powerful and Surprisingly Practical Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Iain Thomson, and Devindra Hardawar Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/Twit helixsleep.com/twit uscloud.com zscaler.com/security storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25
Coldplay kiss-cam flap proves we're already our own surveillance state Amazon Ring Cashes in on Techno-Authoritarianism and Mass Surveillance OpenAI LLM's gold medal-level performance on the world's most prestigious math competition Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2 Billion at $10 Billion Valuation The Epic Battle for AI Talent—With Exploding Offers, Secret Deals and Tears Trump Signs Stablecoin Bill, Delivering Win for Crypto Industry Engadget Podcast: Ancestra director Eliza McNitt defends AI as a creative tool DOGE staffer with access to Americans' personal data leaked private xAI API key DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists EU backs down on Big Tech tax ahead of US trade deal Reddit begins age verification checks for UK users Roblox will require a facial scan or government ID to have unfiltered chats EU to test age-check app under new child safety rules - 9to5Mac Trump administration to spend $1 billion on 'offensive' hacking operations | TechCrunch A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers Uber to invest in Lucid and Nuro in massive robotaxi deal YouTuber leaked iOS secrets via friend spying on dev's phone, Apple lawsuit claims This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It I Tested the Galaxy Z Fold 7: It's Slim, Powerful and Surprisingly Practical Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Iain Thomson, and Devindra Hardawar Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/Twit helixsleep.com/twit uscloud.com zscaler.com/security storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25
Coldplay kiss-cam flap proves we're already our own surveillance state Amazon Ring Cashes in on Techno-Authoritarianism and Mass Surveillance OpenAI LLM's gold medal-level performance on the world's most prestigious math competition Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2 Billion at $10 Billion Valuation The Epic Battle for AI Talent—With Exploding Offers, Secret Deals and Tears Trump Signs Stablecoin Bill, Delivering Win for Crypto Industry Engadget Podcast: Ancestra director Eliza McNitt defends AI as a creative tool DOGE staffer with access to Americans' personal data leaked private xAI API key DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists EU backs down on Big Tech tax ahead of US trade deal Reddit begins age verification checks for UK users Roblox will require a facial scan or government ID to have unfiltered chats EU to test age-check app under new child safety rules - 9to5Mac Trump administration to spend $1 billion on 'offensive' hacking operations | TechCrunch A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers Uber to invest in Lucid and Nuro in massive robotaxi deal YouTuber leaked iOS secrets via friend spying on dev's phone, Apple lawsuit claims This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It I Tested the Galaxy Z Fold 7: It's Slim, Powerful and Surprisingly Practical Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Iain Thomson, and Devindra Hardawar Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/Twit helixsleep.com/twit uscloud.com zscaler.com/security storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25
Defense Department acknowledges mistake in identification of World War II soldier Swimmers memorialize the Edmund Fitzgerald by swimming 411 miles Apple Store to close at The Mall at Partridge Creek in Clinton Township
Coldplay kiss-cam flap proves we're already our own surveillance state Amazon Ring Cashes in on Techno-Authoritarianism and Mass Surveillance OpenAI LLM's gold medal-level performance on the world's most prestigious math competition Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2 Billion at $10 Billion Valuation The Epic Battle for AI Talent—With Exploding Offers, Secret Deals and Tears Trump Signs Stablecoin Bill, Delivering Win for Crypto Industry Engadget Podcast: Ancestra director Eliza McNitt defends AI as a creative tool DOGE staffer with access to Americans' personal data leaked private xAI API key DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists EU backs down on Big Tech tax ahead of US trade deal Reddit begins age verification checks for UK users Roblox will require a facial scan or government ID to have unfiltered chats EU to test age-check app under new child safety rules - 9to5Mac Trump administration to spend $1 billion on 'offensive' hacking operations | TechCrunch A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers Uber to invest in Lucid and Nuro in massive robotaxi deal YouTuber leaked iOS secrets via friend spying on dev's phone, Apple lawsuit claims This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It I Tested the Galaxy Z Fold 7: It's Slim, Powerful and Surprisingly Practical Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Iain Thomson, and Devindra Hardawar Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/Twit helixsleep.com/twit uscloud.com zscaler.com/security storyblok.com/twittv-25 code TWIT25
Kara and Scott discuss whether Trump will fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and all of the administration's efforts to distract from the Epstein scandal. Elon Musk's Grok scores a contract with the Defense Department, and Andrew Cuomo will officially run as an independent in the NYC mayoral race. Plus, the House advances three crypto bills, and Kara and Scott are feeling better than ever after getting some love from a certain fellow podcast host. Watch this episode on the Pivot YouTube channel. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us on Bluesky at @pivotpod.bsky.social. Follow us on TikTok at @pivotpodcast. Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at nymag.com/pivot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News! I'm Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast. My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter. Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community! July 11 Funding: Firestorm $47m Series A Field Medical raises again Tang Capital acquires SoftEye acquired AI Launches: Trust & Will launches new AI platform Wealth tech Copia AI new partnership Comma AI valued at $1B Clickup's AI Agent gets top ranking by G2 Atrium Energy powering commercial properties Alexandria Signs 466k Lease with Big Pharma Oku launches into Sprouts Modal AI in the new U.S. Defense Department video Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote
House Armed Services committee's version of the 2026 defense policy bill. Just like the Senate's bill, focuses heavily on reforming the Defense Department's slow acquisition process, it also continues the quality of life improvements that began last year in the defense bill federal news networks. Anastasia Obis is here with more details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen
The Defense Department is on the verge of fully launching the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program, or CMMC, after years of effort to secure sensitive information across the Defense Supply Chain. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis took a deep dive into the origins of CMMC and she's here now with the fascinating history of this important program.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Columbus City Schools teacher killed in a domestic violence incident; drivers stranded after a semi crash closed I-71 northbound in Fayette County for more than 8 hours overnight; some Ohio lawmakers are urging federal officials to keep Wright-Patterson Air Force Base under 4-star command amid Defense Department cuts; why did ODOT post a rendering of the new Cleveland Browns stadium full of trash?
Columbus City Schools teacher killed in a domestic violence incident; drivers stranded after a semi crash closed I-71 northbound in Fayette County for more than 8 hours overnight; some Ohio lawmakers are urging federal officials to keep Wright-Patterson Air Force Base under 4-star command amid Defense Department cuts; why did ODOT post a rendering of the new Cleveland Browns stadium full of trash?
July 16, 2025 ~ Fox Correspondent Tonya J. Powers talks with Kevin, Lloyd, and Jamie 596 books being removed from the shelves of the Department of Defense schools, raising First Amendment concerns.
Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok became infamous for posting antisemitic rants and praising Hitler. Now it's landed a $200 million contract with the Defense Department. Plus, underwater divers were left stranded in subway stations filled with water as flash floods hammered parts of the Northeast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NotebookLM, is introducing “featured notebooks” from various sources, Microsoft utilizes engineers in China to maintain Defense Department computer systems, and the DOD intends to allocate $1 billion over the next four years to “offensive cyber operations.” MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE for free or get DTNS Live ad-free. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you,Continue reading "Microsoft Utilizes Engineers In China To Maintain Defense Department Computer Systems – DTH"
In her first interview since becoming Principal Director of the Defense Department's Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO), Diba Hadi reflects on her role and vision for the office since stepping into the position in 2024 during the 2025 HammerCON conference in Laurel, Maryland. Hadi shares insights into her day-to-day responsibilities and highlights efforts to strengthen the integration of universities into the Centers of Academic Excellence community. Her goal: to develop cyber talent aligned with the Defense Department's evolving workforce needs. She explores how improved data collection, interagency collaboration and smarter resource allocation can streamline reporting processes and support broader DOD hiring objectives. Hadi also discusses key initiatives, including scholarships, research partnerships and capacity-building grants, that bring together academia, industry and government to build cyber capabilities at their source.
xAI, the artificial intelligence company led by Elon Musk, announced new efforts Monday to get its generative AI tool, Grok, into the hands of federal government officials. In a post to X, the company announced “Grok for Government,” which it described as a suite of products aimed at U.S. government customers. FedScoop reported on the General Services Administration's interest in Grok last week. xAI disclosed two new government partnerships: a new contract with the Defense Department, which we'll get to in a moment, and that the tool was available to purchase through GSA. “This allows every federal government department, agency, or office, to purchase xAI products,” the post added. “We're hiring mission driven engineers who want to join the cause.” The new products from xAI follow the introduction of government-specific AI intelligence platforms from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI. The announcement was made just days after xAI's formal apology for the chatbot's recent antisemitic outputs. Last Thursday, FedScoop reported that government coders at GSA were discussing, on GitHub, incorporating Grok into a testing sandbox associated with a yet-to-launch tool called AI.gov and GSAi, a GSA-created AI platform. Anthropic, Google and xAI will join OpenAI on the CDAO's nascent effort to partner with industry on pioneering artificial intelligence projects focused on national security applications. Under the individual contracts — each worth up to $200 million — the Pentagon will have access to some of the most advanced AI capabilities developed by the four companies, including large language models, agentic AI workflows, cloud-based infrastructure and more. Chief Digital and AI Officer Doug Matty said in a statement: “The adoption of AI is transforming the Department's ability to support our warfighters and maintain strategic advantage over our adversaries. Leveraging commercially available solutions into an integrated capabilities approach will accelerate the use of advanced AI as part of our Joint mission essential tasks in our warfighting domain as well as intelligence, business, and enterprise information systems.” OpenAI received the first contract for the effort June 17 and will create prototypes of agentic workflows for national security missions. According to CDAO, work with all four vendors will expand the Pentagon's experience with emerging AI capabilities, as well as give the companies better insights into how their technology can benefit the department. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.
The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department have over 100 sharing agreements to help deliver health care services. These agreements provide greater access to health care for veterans while also saving money for the federal government. But the agencies don't evaluate their effectiveness or track opportunities to expand them for more federal news networks. Anastasia Obis spoke to the Government Accountability Office's Alyssa Hundrup,See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Scott brought Dan McKnight back on the show to discuss the ongoing effort to pass Defend The Guard bills in state legislatures across the country. McKnight explains what the legislation is, gives an update on where progress is being made in different states and details the increasingly desperate moves the Defense Department has been making to stop it. Discussed on the show: DefendTheGuard.us BringOurTroopsHome.us Dan McKnight is the founder and Chairman of Idahoans to Bring Our Troops Home. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, three years active duty with the U.S. Army and ten years with the Idaho Army National Guard, including a one-year deployment to Afghanistan in 2006. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Incorporated; Moon Does Artisan Coffee; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; Libertas Bella; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Download Episode. Scott brought Dan McKnight back on the show to discuss the ongoing effort to pass Defend The Guard bills in state legislatures across the country. McKnight explains what the legislation is, gives an update on where progress is being made in different states and details the increasingly desperate moves the Defense Department […]
Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture Trump has sent out new tariff letters, the world is about to change, he is hitting the [CB] system hard and is reversing what they had in place. The US is taking back control of the production of coal and rare earth minerals. Trump hits Powell again, Bernie Moreno calls for Powell to resign. The [DS] is in a panic, investigations have begun and one will lead to another. The conductor is Obama and all the investigation will lead back to him. It has now come out that Epstein worked for the CIA, was the [DS] using Epstein to blackmail people in the US around the world and were they working with foreign governments, most likely yes. The storm is forming and all the treasonous acts are coming together to create the perfect storm. Economy https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1943046253232713988 25% 12. Japan: 25% 13. South Korea: 25% 14. Brunei: 25% 15. Moldova: 25% 16. Philippines: 20% These tariffs are set to go live on August 1st. President Trump says any retaliation will be met with increased tariffs. Trump also says there will be no further tariff pause extensions. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); 50% TARIFF will reverse the Biden Administration's thoughtless behavior, and stupidity. America will, once again, build a DOMINANT Copper Industry. THIS IS, AFTER ALL, OUR GOLDEN AGE! Trump Administration Takes Stake in Rare Earths Firm In Move To End China's Control The Trump administration is deepening its effort to sever U.S. reliance on Chinese rare earth supplies, committing $400 million in equity financing to MP Materials Corp. as part of a broader plan to expand domestic production of rare earth magnets used in advanced weapons systems and industrial technologies. The Department of Defense will acquire a newly issued class of preferred stock in MP Materials, convertible into common shares, along with warrants to purchase additional equity. Following the transaction, which is expected to close Friday, the Pentagon will become the company's largest shareholder, with a potential stake of about 15%, according to MP Materials. The deal also includes a 10-year commitment by the U.S. government to support pricing and demand for domestically produced rare earth magnets. The Defense Department has guaranteed the purchase of 100 percent of the output from a planned magnet manufacturing facility—dubbed the “10X” plant—at a minimum price of $110 per kilogram for neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr), a key rare earth alloy used in missile guidance systems, fighter jets, and electric motors. The U.S. imported roughly 70 percent of its rare earths from China in 2023, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The push to reshore the supply chain gained urgency during the trade war launched by President Trump, when Beijing threatened to restrict rare earth exports. Source: breitbart.com Political/Rights https://twitter.com/dogeai_gov/status/1943128485758706090 of America's livestock and food supply. https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/1943139533572252007 https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/1943147963074711683 AND THERE IT IS: California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Funding for New ‘Multifamily Rental Hou...
Mark Gorak, the Defense Department's Cyber Academic Engagement Office's (CAEO) director and principal director for Resources and Analysis, shares how his office is shaping the future of cyber talent during the 2025 HammerCON conference in Laurel, Maryland. Launched in 2024, CAEO has partnered with over 480 academic institutions nationwide to identify and develop the next generation of cyber professionals. The office is working to streamline academic partnerships, create equitable opportunities for smaller schools and better align education with national security needs. Gorak also discusses the Pentagon's shift toward skills-based hiring, beginning with a pilot program for cybersecurity roles, with plans to expand the approach across the future defense workforce.
In this episode of The DINFOS Way, host Jack Rous welcomes Col. Richard McNorton, acting director of the Defense Media Activity (DMA) and commandant of the Defense Information School (DINFOS). Col. McNorton shares his vision for shaping the next generation of military communicators, with a focus on people, training, and modernization. Discover how DMA and DINFOS are working together to meet the secretary of defense's priorities and tackle the evolving challenges of military communication. Col. McNorton offers practical insights and real-world examples that highlight the essential role of communicators in today's information environment. Don't miss this engaging conversation packed with strategies, inspiration, and a look at the future of Defense Department communication.
Monday, July 7th, 2025Today, at least 69 people are dead across five counties in Texas after massive flooding that hit as key roles were left vacant at local weather service offices by Trump cuts; the Defense Department says it will stop providing crucial satellite weather data; there's a hearing today on Mr. Abrego's amended complaint that includes his detailed description of his torture in CECOT; Pete Hegseth unilateral stopped arms transfers to Ukraine and then lied about it; a rural Nebraska medical center says it plans to close because of uncertainty over funding cuts in the Billionaire Bailout Bill; Republican donors are cashing in on Florida's concentration camp; the eight men trapped in Djibouti awaiting due process have been sent to war torn South Sudan; a six year old Honduran boy with leukemia who had been seized by ICE has been released and is back in Los Angeles. Dana is out and about!Thank You, DeleteMeFor 20% off your DeleteMe subscription go to Deleteme.com/dailybeans code dailybeans.Thank You, Fay NutritionYou can qualify to see a registered dietitian for as little as $0 by visiting FayNutrition.com/dailybeansGuest: Rick SmithThe Rick Smith ShowPolitical Voices Network - substackThe Rick Smith Show - Free Speech TV@ricksmithshow.bsky.social - BlueskyRick Smith (@RickSmithShow) / Twitter StoriesDeath toll nears 80 as local officials promise ‘full review' of what went wrong | The Washington PostAs Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas | The New York TimesDefense Department will stop providing crucial satellite weather data | NPRHegseth falsely cited weapon shortages in halting shipments to Ukraine, Democrats say | The GuardianSouthwest Nebraska medical center announces plans to close, blames uncertainty over funding | Nebraska Public MediaRepublican Donors Cash In on 'Alligator Alcatraz' Immigrant Camp | Rolling Stone6-year-old Honduran boy with leukemia who had been seized by ICE is back in L.A. | NBC NewsGood Trouble From indivisible: Across the country, authoritarian forces are getting bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda: mass deportations, rollbacks of civil rights, weaponized courts, and full-scale attacks on our democracy. We don't have to wait until it's too late. We can stop this. But it'll take all of us—not just on single days of mass action, but through sustained organizing in our communities. That's why this summer, we're launching One Million Rising.MSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory Fund | ActBlueWhistleblowerAid.org/beans From The Good NewsStudioVibesBySteph - Etsyamazon-pr@amazon.comHow to Report an Item or Shop – Etsy HelpImmigrantJustice.orgteepublic.com/user/zellyteesDeclaration of Independence: A Transcription | National ArchivesThe Biggest Power Grab Yet - UnJustified - Apple PodcastsReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Donate to the MSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory Fundhttps://secure.actblue.com/donate/msw-bwcFederal workers - feel free to email me at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen.Share your Good News or Good TroubleMSW Good News and Good Trouble Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewrote , Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote,Dana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced it had suspended some weapons deliveries to Ukraine. The Defense Department says the U.S. needs the weapons to be ready for its own contingencies. Nick Schifrin discussed the move with Kimberly Kagan of the Institute for the Study of War and Jennifer Kavanagh of Defense Priorities. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Notwithstanding regular headlines and firm conventional wisdom, the MAGA Movement is not and never has been an isolationist faction of the Republican Party. Neither the American people nor self-identified MAGA Republicans are fundamentally isolationist, and in fact score higher than non-MAGA Republicans on support for U.S. intervention abroad. The numbers don't lie: this year's Reagan Foundation Summer Poll found the MAGA coalition strongly support Trump's decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Why are these results counterintuitive? And how has a tiny isolationist faction of self-appointed MAGA spokespeople drummed up so much noise? Roger Zakheim serves as the Washington Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. Before joining, he was General Counsel and Deputy Staff Director of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee. In this role, Mr. Zakheim managed the passage of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, the defense policy bill which authorizes the Defense Department's budget. Mr. Zakheim's government experience also includes serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense where he supported the department's policies and programs related to Iraq and Afghanistan coalition affairs.Read the transcript here
This week we talk about the NOAA, FEMA, and the SSMIS.We also discuss Arctic ice, satellite resolution, and automated weather observation stations.Recommended Book: Superbloom by Nicholas CarrTranscriptThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is a US scientific and regulatory agency that tackles an array of environmental, climatic, and weather-related issues, alongside its responsibilities managing oceanic ecosystems.So it's in charge of managing fishing protections and making sure endangered species within US waters are taken care of, but it also does scientific exploration—mapping the ocean, for instance—it monitors atmospheric conditions and keeps tabs on the various cycles that influence global and US water, air, and temperature happenings, and it tracks macro- and micro-scale weather events.That latter responsibility means NOAA (which is the modern iteration of several other agencies, including the US Environmental Science Services Administration and the US Weather Bureau) also manages the US National Weather Service, which is the sub-agency that sends out hazardous weather statements when there are severe storms or tornadoes or other weather-related events of note in a given area, and which also provides weather forecast information that local experts on the ground use to make their own predictions.Most of what the National Weather Service puts out is in the public domain, which means anyone can access and use it, free of charge. That's a pretty big deal, because the data they collect and informational products they distribute, including all those hazardous weather statements, are at times life and death, but they're also a big part of what makes standard local weather services possible in the US—they help the FAA and other agencies do their jobs, and they help everyday people understand how hot or cold it's going to be, whether to pack and umbrella for the day, and so on.To accomplish all this, the NOAA and its sub-agencies make use of a bunch of facilities and other tracking resources to collect, aggregate, and interpret all those data points, crunching them and spitting them back out as something intelligible and useful to their many end-users.They've got weather observation stations across the US, many of them automated surface observing stations, which are exactly what they sound like: automated stations that collect data about sky conditions, wind direction and speed, visibility, present weather conditions, temperature, dew point, and so on—most of these are close to airports, as this information is also vital for figuring out if it's safe to fly, and if so, what accommodations pilots should be making for the weather and visibility and such—but they also collect data from smaller weather stations scattered across the country, around 11,000 of them, many operated by volunteers under the auspices of an effort called the Cooperative Observer Program that was established in 1890, and that's paired with another volunteer data-collection effort called the Citizen Weather Observer Program.There are also weather buoys and weather ships lingering across the surface of the ocean and other bodies of water, tracking additional data like sea surface temperature and wave height at various points. And there are weather balloons which collect additional information about happenings further up in the atmosphere, alongside the many satellites in orbit that capture various sorts of data and beam that data down to those who can make use of it.Again, all of this data is collected and crunched and then turned into intelligible outputs for your local weather forecasters, but also the people who run airlines and fly planes, the folks out on boats and ships, people who are managing government agencies, scientists who are doing long-term research on all sorts of things, and everyday people who just want to know if it'll be sunny, how hot it will be, and so on.There's one more major client of the NOAA that's worth noting here, too: the Department of Defense. And that relationship is a big part of what I want to talk about today, because it seems to be at the root of a major curtailing of weather-related data-sharing that was recently announced by the US government, much to the chagrin of the scientific community.—US President Trump has long voiced his skepticism about the NOAA.There have been claims that this disdain is the result of the agency having called him out on some bald-faced lies he told about hurricane projections during his first administration, when he reportedly altered an NOAA hurricane impact projection map with a Sharpie to support a misstatement he had previously made about a hurricane impacting Alabama; the hurricane in question was not anticipated to hit Alabama, Trump said it would, and he later altered a map in order to make it look like he was right, when all the data, and all the experts, say otherwise.Whether that's true or not, the NOAA later released an unsigned statement seeming to support his false assertion, and it's generally understood that the agency was forced to make that statement against the will of its staff and leadership by the then-president.It's also been posited that Trump doesn't care for the NOAA because of their connection with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.FEMA became the target of several conspiracy theories on the US political right, which allege that liberal lawmakers, including former President Biden, used it as a sort of piggy bank for their personal projects and priorities; the agency provides funding and on-the-ground support for areas that have been impacted by hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, and other such weather-related disasters, but as immigration became more of a focal point of right-leaning and far-right politics in the US, accusations that the Biden administration was using FEMA funds to help immigrants enter and stay in the US grew; there's no evidence this is the case, but that's the nature of conspiracy theories—evidence isn't necessary when something feels true to a big enough group of people.In any event, FEMA is now on the chopping block, the second Trump administration has said it could be dissolved as soon as December of 2025, the biggest changes to the agency coming just after the end of this year's hurricane season, which traditionally ends of November. Trump himself said FEMA would be giving out less money to states recovering from weather disasters, and that a panel he's appointed will figure out exactly how to restructure or replace the agency.To be clear, the president cannot kill off FEMA, only Congress can do that, and they have said they intend to reform the agency by making it easier for disaster survivors to access resources and by moving FEMA from its current position under the Department of Homeland Security into its own thing; a big contrast to Trump's ambitions for the agency, which basically seems to be that FEMA shouldn't do what it currently does, and the states should mostly or exclusively cover disaster costs and provide post-disaster resources, instead of the federal government helping out.So Trump seemingly has a thing against these sorts of agencies, has semi-regularly called climate change a hoax, doesn't seem to have any particular fondness for the idea of the US federal government helping out with local problems, or the local consequences of larger-scale problems like weather disasters, and has acted in a variety of ways to cut funding for science and public service related agencies and efforts across the board.All of that has been pretty fundamental to his platform since his first administration. And while the scientific community has sounded the alarm about these stances, saying what he's planning will put a lot of people and infrastructure at risk, and while this data and these resources are fundamental to reducing the damage, both human and otherwise, caused by such disasters, in the US and globally, to some degree, that doesn't seem to bother this administration, which usually cites cost-cutting as their rationale, but also regularly points at the concept of immigration to justify many of the decisions they make, including some of these ones.So that's the context shaping the perception of an announcement made by the NOAA in the latter-half of June 2025 that the agency would no longer be importing, processing, or distributing data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder, or SSMIS system, as of June 30—which was yesterday, if you're listening to this episode on the day it's released.The agency cited recent service changes as their rationale for this cessation, and weather forecasters have been in a tizzy about this, because the SSMIS system is pretty fundamental to what they do, especially when it comes to hurricane forecasting.The SSMIS is a satellite-based system that passively maps the whole world twice a day from space in very, very high resolution, and in addition to hurricane-tracking and other weather-related tasks, it also allows scientists to monitor sea ice in the Arctic and other such long-term projects.The NOAA said that this cessation of service would not impact the quality of hurricane forecasting as we step into the beginning weeks of the traditional Atlantic hurricane season, but non-NOAA scientists and other experts, folks who aren't on the US federal governments' payroll, basically, have said this would blind them in this regard, and that while they can approximate some of the same forecasting powers using other data, it won't be the same, and it won't be nearly as good.This system is the only one that allows scientists to see inside the clouds as hurricanes develop, and before such data was available, hurricane projections were a lot less accurate, and powerful storm systems would often sneak up on unsuspecting areas, because we lacked the heightened resolution and power necessary to make more up-to-the-minute and fine-grained projections.Also, and this is perhaps less of an immediate concern, but might be an even bigger long-term issue than deadly hurricanes, is that there's a more than 40-year-old study that's been tracking changes to polar sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic that will no longer be feasible lacking this data, so everything that's influenced by global water cycles and sea levels, which is basically everything weather- and climate-related, and that means, well, everything on earth could also be impacted by this new, US government-imposed reduced visibility, all of that research is upended, made less useful, and all of us in turn could suffer some pretty significant consequences because we lack that high-resolution understanding of what's going on.What's worse is that this announcement was made just days before this source of data was scheduled to disappear, leaving them without time to cobble together less-good, but serviceable replacements for everything they'll be losing as a consequence of these changes; and again, all of this is happening right at the beginning of hurricane season, so the stakes are very high.Allegations of revenge as a motivation, or speculation that this is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to systematically dismantle science and the public's ability to get objective information about the world aside, there have also been rumblings that this might have been a Department of Defense decision, since these satellites are operated by the NOAA for the DoD on behalf of the US Space Force, which has ultimate authority over all satellites owned by the government.In practice, that might mean that this is the consequence of the US military, or some facet of the US military, deciding that this information is too precious or dangerous to share broadly—as again, most of this information has been flagged public domain, so anyone can see and use it however they like—or it may be that this has been a miscommunication or the result of someone in the Navy making a decision without realizing the full implications of that decision.As of the day I'm recording this, on the day this data is scheduled to disappear from the public domain, and some reports have indicated it has, indeed, disappeared as scheduled, journalists have been trying to get in touch with the relevant people at the Navy for comment, thus far unsuccessfully, but that outreach and their hopefully eventual contact with those in charge could result in a change in these plans, if it is indeed just a miscommunication or misunderstanding situation.Either way, we'll hopefully know more what happened here, as that could help us understand how safe or vulnerable other major sources of vital data might be under this administration, and/or under the current leadership of the DoD and similar military entities.Show Noteshttps://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-season-meteorologists-losing-vital-tool-forecasting/story?id=123305760https://www.npr.org/2025/06/28/nx-s1-5446120/defense-department-cuts-hurricane-ice-weather-satellitehttps://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/06/29/italy-and-spain-bake-in-heatwave-as-cities-issue-red-alerts-and-regions-mull-work-banshttps://www.upi.com/Science_News/2025/06/28/Defense-Department-ends-satellite-data-hurricane-experts/7881751141308/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/28/noaa-cuts-hurricane-forecasting-climatehttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weather-forecasters-lose-crucial-hurricane-detection-microwave-satellite/https://www.kgw.com/article/news/nation-world/noaa-discontinues-data-website-trump-executive-order/507-f40d60d7-fb52-4cb4-a64b-f22bd1100562https://hackaday.com/2025/06/12/end-of-an-era-noaas-polar-sats-wind-down-operations/https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/5357564-trump-cuts-noaa-nasa-farmers-climate-change-food-supply/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/05/14/national-weather-service-vacancies-hurricane-season/https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/us-hurricane-forecasting-cuts-1.7573024https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-season-disaster-weather-doge-fema-noaa-cd215947480de9099a53fe20669bb923https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/05/florida-weatherman-john-morales-funding-cuts-forecastshttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/remote-sensing/articles/10.3389/frsen.2022.1021781/fullhttps://www.propublica.org/article/fema-grants-trump-emergencieshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/us/politics/as-fema-shrinks-a-grassroots-disaster-response-is-taking-shape.htmlhttps://www.propublica.org/article/fema-grants-trump-emergencieshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/27/is-alligator-alcatraz-detention-centre-funded-by-florida-hurricane-moneyhttps://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5430469/faq-fema-eliminationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Atlantic_hurricane_warningshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Dorian%E2%80%93Alabama_controversyhttps://www.wusa9.com/video/weather/dod-stops-providing-noaa-with-satellite-data/65-a35e6409-20ad-4db1-83a1-0b281fcfb38bhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Weather_Servicehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administrationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hurricane_Center This is a public episode. 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The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: 3:05pm- On Saturday night, seven U.S. B-2 bombers dropped a total of fourteen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. In a press conference following the strategic strike, President Donald Trump called the mission a “spectacular military success.” 3:10pm- On Monday, Iran responded to U.S. strikes on key nuclear development facilities by launching missiles at an American base in Qatar—the largest American military installation in the Middle East. The Defense Department has said the air defense systems intercepted the missiles and there were no U.S. casualties. 3:20pm- During a press conference Sunday night, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Dan Caine revealed that Iranian air defense never spotted the American B-2 bombers over Iranian airspace and, consequently, never fired a single shot during Saturday night's strategic bombing. 3:30pm- Deputy Head of Russian President Vladimir Putin's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev called America's strike on Iranian nuclear facilities a “dangerous escalation” and suggested other countries may supply Iran with a nuclear weapon—though, he did not say which nations. 3:40pm- Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned Iran not to shut down the Strait of Hormuz with mines. China, an ally of Iran, has echoed a similar sentiment. According to estimates 84% of the crude oil that moves through the Strait goes to Asian markets.
The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (06/23/2025): 3:05pm- On Saturday night, seven U.S. B-2 bombers dropped a total of fourteen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. In a press conference following the strategic strike, President Donald Trump called the mission a “spectacular military success.” 3:10pm- On Monday, Iran responded to U.S. strikes on key nuclear development facilities by launching missiles at an American base in Qatar—the largest American military installation in the Middle East. The Defense Department has said the air defense systems intercepted the missiles and there were no U.S. casualties. 3:20pm- During a press conference Sunday night, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Dan Caine revealed that Iranian air defense never spotted the American B-2 bombers over Iranian airspace and, consequently, never fired a single shot during Saturday night's strategic bombing. 3:30pm- Deputy Head of Russian President Vladimir Putin's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev called America's strike on Iranian nuclear facilities a “dangerous escalation” and suggested other countries may supply Iran with a nuclear weapon—though, he did not say which nations. 3:40pm- Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned Iran not to shut down the Strait of Hormuz with mines. China, an ally of Iran, has echoed a similar sentiment. According to estimates 84% of the crude oil that moves through the Strait goes to Asian markets. 4:05pm- Listeners react to the Trump Administration's decision to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Is there concern that Iran and its allies—China, Russia, and terror organizations like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis—could retaliate? 4:30pm- John Yoo—The Emanuel Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley—joins The Rich Zeoli Show and dismisses Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's (D-NY) suggestion that President Donald Trump violated Article II of the Constitution and should be impeached for authorizing strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. 4:50pm- While appearing on Fox News, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) praised the U.S. military's strikes on Iran and President Trump's decision—explaining “it was a very limited military exercise” and did not amount to a declaration of war. 5:00pm- Dr. EJ Antoni—Chief Economist at the Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to breakdown potential financial repercussions related to the strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Could Iran respond by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, and what would that mean for oil prices globally? 5:20pm- While appearing on Fox News, Trump Administration Border Czar Tom Homan discussed potential Iranian sleeper cells in the United States—explaining that the Biden Administration's relaxed border security policies resulted in “1,272 nationals of Iran released” into the U.S. 5:40pm- Breaking News: The Supreme Court has stayed a lower court order and will allow the Trump Administration to deport illegal migrants swiftly to countries where they don't have citizenship. 5:50pm- Did Mel Gibson and Pierce Brosnan turn down the role of Batman? 6:05pm- Dr. Victoria Coates—Former Deputy National Security Advisor & the Vice President of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show and reacts to the United States's strategic strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Plus, BREAKING NEWS: Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire. Dr. Coates is the author of the book: “The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel—and America—Can Win.” 6:30pm- In a post to Truth Social, Preside Donald Trump wrote: “CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, E ...