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Caroline Flack was a Bafta-winning TV presenter, host of shows including Love Island and The X Factor. In February of 2020, she took her own life ahead of a court case in which she was charged with the assault of her then boyfriend, after weeks of press scrutiny. Her mother Christine Flack tells Clare McDonnell about spending the past five years uncovering documents from the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to try to find out more about the events around Caroline's death and she also questions the role of the press. That journey is documented in a two-part documentary out on Disney+ called Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth.A new schools inspection system begins in England today. Overall judgements, such as 'good' or 'requires improvement,' have been scrapped and schools will now be given one of five grades in several different categories. The changes were prompted by the death of the head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life in January 2023 whilst waiting for the publication of an Ofsted report she knew would grade her school as "inadequate." Clare speaks to the BBC Education Reporter Vanessa Clarke and Tom Middlehurst, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders.Louise Penny is the multi award-winning Canadian crime novelist. Her books have sold over 18 million copies worldwide and this year marks the 20th anniversary of her hugely popular Inspector Gamache series. Her latest novel is called The Black Wolf and follows on from her previous one The Grey Wolf. Gamache has foiled a plot to poison Montreal's drinking water, but has discovered that this is simply phase one of a dark master plan and he needs to take on not only an organised crime syndicate, but also delve into the murky depths of government and power to discover who the black wolf is. There is a brand new podcast out from a familiar voice - Emma Barnett: Ready to Talk, in which Emma invites listeners into her world for bold, honest, and deeply human conversations about the experiences in life that shape and connect us. In the first episode Emma talks to her friend, the journalist and presenter Kate Thornton, about something she's never spoken about publicly before: perimenopause. In the UK, 13 million women are currently experiencing the perimenopause, or menopause, but information about what it is and what can help can be hard to find. Emma tells Clare about her own experience.Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Andrea Kidd
Sara Imari Walker is Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, where she is Deputy Director of the Beyond Center. Sara is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, with research interests in the origins of life, artificial life, life and detection on other worlds. In this episode, Robinson and Sara discuss the physics that makes life possible. More particularly, they discuss assembly theory, the growing field of astrobiology, the difficulties of defining life, and where we are most likely to find aliens. Sara's latest book is Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence (Riverhead Books, 2024).Life as No One Knows It: https://a.co/d/2fdKa2eOUTLINE00:00 Introduction00:35 The Connection Between Physics and Biology07:15 Philosophy and the Origin of Life10:03 Is the Selfish Gene Theory Wrong?22:17 On Her Work with Lee Cronin38:47 Experiments To Discover the Origin of Life48:52 What Is Assembly Theory?01:00:42 Are Boltzmann Brains Possible?01:05:53 The Paradox of Defining Life01:31:10 Is Life a Vague Concept?01:38:13 Where Are All the Aliens?Robinson's Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
In this month's episode, Michael and Diana talk with Amanda Mrad and Juliet Cushing, two UCLA students who are involved with the World Food Forum and who participated in its annual flagship event at FAO headquarters in Rome this October.Juliet Cushing is a clinical researcher with the UCLA Department of General Internal Medicine, working on diabetes prevention and chronic disease management. Juliet graduated from UCLA with a degree in Human Biology and Society, and a minor in Food Studies.Amanda Mrad is a double Bruin, holding a degree in physiology and food studies and currently pursuing an MLS degree, specializing in food law. She is also currently interning at the FAO headquarters, where she works within the Office of Youth and Women, home to the World Food Forum. Diana Winters is the Deputy Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA Law.Michael T. Roberts is the Executive Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA Law.Some relevant links are here:World Food Forum (WFF)Join a WFF National Youth Chapter UCLA Teaching Kitchen UCLA MLS ProgramAs always, you can send questions or comments to Diana Winters at winters@law.ucla.edu.
Today's podcast is titled “Should America Build a Missile Defense System?” Recorded in 2001, Dennis McCuistion, former Clinical Professor of Corporate Governance and Executive Director of the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance at the University of Texas at Dallas, U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, Director of Defense Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, Ivan Eland, Deputy Director of the Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers, Stephen Young, and former Director of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization and Chairman of High Frontier, Henry F. Cooper discuss whether the United States should build a national missile defense system. Listen now, and …
Today, it is my pleasure and honor to speak with His Excellency Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah. His Excellency is the President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, one of the largest economic development arms in Dubai. In his current role, he oversees the implementation of Dubai Chambers' strategic initiatives and plans, which aim to improve ease of doing business in Dubai, support businesses expanding globally, attract foreign companies and investment and advance the digital economy. Previously, he served as CEO of the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection for Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, where he was responsible for overseeing consumer protection, business protection, intellectual property protection and commercial compliance. He also held several other leadership positions at the Department of Economic Development, namely Deputy CEO of the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection Sector, Deputy CEO of the Dubai Export Development Corporation, Executive Director of Corporate Quality and Excellence and Deputy Director of Information Technology Department at Dubai Land Department. Dubai has seen tremendous transformation and growth in the past couple of decades, which seems to only have accelerated in the recent 5 years since the COVID-19 pandemic. His Excellency gives our listeners an overview of Dubai as a regional center and highlights some of the benefits and policies that have contributed to its growth and popularity among global businesses and investors. Industry data shows that, in the past couple of years, the United Arab Emirates – and Dubai in particular – have seen tremendous influx of wealthy individuals and families, with many choosing to establish or relocate their family office there. His Excellency describes why family offices are flocking to Dubai and talks about the factors that are driving this rising interest and attraction among wealthy families and family offices. Within the umbrella Dubai Chambers organization exists the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, which is dedicated to positioning Dubai as a global hub for advanced technologies. His Excellency elaborates on Dubai's digitization strategy, the investments and transformation it entails, and its benefits and attractions for global families and their family offices. Dubai's geographic location and relative proximity to many key international markets is another strategic asset. His Excellency explains how and why global families of wealth should consider Dubai as a potential launchpad to neighboring markets and a hub for their regional and global strategies. Do not miss this exclusive conversation with one of the foremost leaders and supporters of the Dubai business and investment community, H.E. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah.
During this episode you get a chance to learn from Natali Betancur, a member of the Women in Agile Board who serves as the Executive Sponsor for our Scholarship Program. As you listen, you'll get a chance to hear about Natali's Agile journey, which began in local government and evolved through various roles including work at Queens University of Charlotte's Center for Digital Equity. This episode explores themes of gender discrimination in the workplace and strategies for women in leadership positions, including building confidence and setting boundaries. The conversation concluded with Natali sharing her team's implementation of agile practices and digital equity initiatives, including their work to make Mecklenburg County more digitally accessible through strategic planning and community-focused projects. About the Featured Guest Natali Betancur is a dynamic and results-driven professional with a passion for creating positive change. With a diverse background in business management, finance, and strategic planning, she brings a unique perspective to her work. All Natali does is grounded in her core values of community, family and service. She currently works as the Deputy Director in the Center for Digital Equity at Queens University of Charlotte and serves as a board member for Women in Agile Org. Follow Natali Betancur on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natali-betancur/) The Women in Agile community champions inclusion and diversity of thought, regardless of gender, and this podcast is a platform to share new voices and stories with the Agile community and the business world, because we believe that everyone is better off when more, diverse ideas are shared. Podcast Library: www.womeninagile.org/podcast Women in Agile Org Website: www.womeninagile.org Connect with us on social media! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/womeninagile/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/womeninagile/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/womeninagileorg Please take a moment to rate and review the Women in Agile podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. This is the best way to help us amplify the voices and wisdom of the talent women and allies in our community! Be sure to take a screenshot of your rating and review and post it on social media with the hashtag #womeninagile to help spread the word and continue to elevate Women in Agile. About our Hosts Leslie Porter is an agilist at heart. She was leveraging agile practices and appreciating agile principles long before she even knew what they were. Her agile journey officially started in 2010 and she never looked back. Her career has taken many twists and turns. She led a digital marketing start-up in college, was involved with replatforming Lowes.com while they adopted agile practices, provided training and coaching for agile transformation across a wide array of industries. She is trained in Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC) and has been involved in with Women in Agile since its original inception at Scrum Gathering 2013 in Las Vegas. You can follow Leslie on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliejdotnet).
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Jascin Finger, Deputy Director of the Maria Mitchell Association and Curator of the Mitchell House archives and special collections, for a fascinating conversation about cemeteries and the stories they hold. Jascin shares her deep knowledge of stone monuments, how they're cared for and cleaned, and why cemetery history is such a rich and revealing way to understand a community. Along the way, listeners will hear some surprising and delightful stories pulled from the archives….proving that there's a lot more life found among the stones than you might expect.Learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Columbus has rhythm, talent, and venues—but can it build a music industry that rivals Nashville, Austin, or Chicago? We explore Columbus' $1.3 BILLION local music economy and what it'll take to elevate it to national prominence. From local legends to industry insiders, we stagedive into strategy, investment, and how the city can turn homegrown talent into household names. Featuring: Bruce Garfield, Executive Director, Music Means Business Inc. Amy Holihan, Deputy Director, Music Columbus Natalie Jackson, Co-Founder, Natalie's Grandview Rashad Thomas, CEO, Elev8tor Music The host is Chris DeVille, Managing Editor, Stereogum, and Author of Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion. This forum was sponsored by Music Columbus. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. This forum was also supported by Downtown Columbus, Inc. and The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. CMC's onsite book sales partner for this forum was Gramercy Books. Ready for even more rock reading? Our partners at the Columbus Metropolitan Library recommends checking out "Love, Death & Photosynthesis" (2021) by Bela Koe-Krompecher, founder of Anyway Records. This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio on November 5, 2025.
With some countries and companies racing to exploit resources on the ocean floor, deep-sea mining is being hailed as the next frontier. Others, however, are strongly opposed, describing this type of mineral extraction as highly destructive. So, what does the science say? What do we actually know about the environmental impact? To discuss this, I'm joined by Pedro Ribeiro, Deputy Director of the Norwegian Centre for Deep-Sea Research.
In this special episode of Success Unlocked, Dr. Adrienne Shnier sits down with Katie Gibbs, Deputy Director of Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity (PAD), and LaShatá Grayson, PAD's Director of Training and Growth, to discuss the shared mission that brought Apply Yourself Global (AYG) and PAD together. The conversation explores community over competition, equity in legal education, and the power of coaching students toward success, academically, professionally, and personally.Together, they reveal how this partnership is transforming the way pre-law students approach applications, mental health, and leadership through PAD's upcoming Pre-Law Conference, where AYG will present two key workshops: The Perfect Personal Statement and Mental Health in the Application Process.What You'll Learn✔ The origins of PAD and how it became a “fraternity of firsts” in the legal world ✔ Why AYG and PAD's missions align around service, integrity, and authentic community ✔ How AYG's coaching approach helps students shift from fear and competition to clarity and confidence ✔ What students can expect from the 2025 PAD Pre-Law Conference: including networking, mock trials, and workshops with AYG ✔ How to craft personal statements that stand out by embracing your lived experience ✔ Why mental health, mindset, and sustainability are non-negotiables for success ✔ Dr. Adrienne's personal story of “unlearning competition” and building Apply Yourself on a foundation of care and communityResources MentionedPhi Alpha Delta Fraternity (PAD.org) : Learn more about membership and the upcoming Pre-Law ConferenceApply Yourself Global (AYG) : Explore AYG coaching programs and Mastering Academic ApplicationsMastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!Connect with Adrienne! Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal. Ask the Expert Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast! Work with Adrienne
Last time we spoke about the fall of Wuhan. In a country frayed by war, the Yangtze became a pulsing artery, carrying both hunger and hope. Chiang Kai-shek faced a brutal choice: defend Wuhan to the last man, or flood the rivers to buy time. He chose both, setting sullen floodwaters loose along the Yellow River to slow the invaders, a temporary mercy that spared some lives while ripping many from their homes. On the river's banks, a plethora of Chinese forces struggled to unite. The NRA, fractured into rival zones, clung to lines with stubborn grit as Japanese forces poured through Anqing, Jiujiang, and beyond, turning the Yangtze into a deadly corridor. Madang's fortifications withstood bombardment and gas, yet the price was paid in troops and civilians drowned or displaced. Commanders like Xue Yue wrestled stubbornly for every foothold, every bend in the river. The Battle of Wanjialing became a symbol: a desperate, months-long pincer where Chinese divisions finally tightened their cordon and halted the enemy's flow. By autumn, the Japanese pressed onward to seize Tianjiazhen and cut supply lines, while Guangzhou fell to a ruthless blockade. The Fall of Wuhan loomed inevitable, yet the story remained one of fierce endurance against overwhelming odds. #174 The Changsha Fire Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the summer of 1938, amid the upheaval surrounding Chiang Kai-shek, one of his most important alliances came to an end. On June 22, all German advisers to the Nationalist government were summoned back; any who refused would be deemed guilty of high treason. Since World War I, a peculiar bond had tied the German Weimar Republic and China: two fledgling states, both weak and only partially sovereign. Under the Versailles Treaty of 1919, Germany had lost extraterritorial rights on Chinese soil, which paradoxically allowed Berlin to engage with China as an equal partner rather than a traditional colonizer. This made German interests more welcome in business and politics than those of other Western powers. Chiang's military reorganization depended on German officers such as von Seeckt and von Falkenhausen, and Hitler's rise in 1933 had not immediately severed the connection between the two countries. Chiang did not share Nazi ideology with Germany, but he viewed Berlin as a potential ally and pressed to persuade it to side with China rather than Japan as China's principal East Asian, anti-Communist partner. In June 1937, H. H. Kung led a delegation to Berlin, met Hitler, and argued for an alliance with China. Yet the outbreak of war and the Nationalists' retreat to Wuhan convinced Hitler's government to align with Japan, resulting in the recall of all German advisers. Chiang responded with a speech praising von Falkenhausen, insisting that "our friend's enemy is our enemy too," and lauding the German Army's loyalty and ethics as a model for the Chinese forces. He added, "After we have won the War of Resistance, I believe you'll want to come back to the Far East and advise our country again." Von Falkenhausen would later become the governor of Nazi-occupied Belgium, then be lauded after the war for secretly saving many Jewish lives. As the Germans departed, the roof of the train transporting them bore a prominent German flag with a swastika, a prudent precaution given Wuhan's vulnerability to air bombardment. The Japanese were tightening their grip on the city, even as Chinese forces, numbering around 800,000, made a stubborn stand. The Yellow River floods blocked northern access, so the Japanese chose to advance via the Yangtze, aided by roughly nine divisions and the might of the Imperial Navy. The Chinese fought bravely, but their defenses could not withstand the superior technology of the Japanese fleet. The only substantial external aid came from Soviet pilots flying aircraft bought from the USSR as part of Stalin's effort to keep China in the war; between 1938 and 1940, some 2,000 pilots offered their services. From June 24 to 27, Japanese bombers relentlessly pounded the Madang fortress along the Yangtze until it fell. A month later, on July 26, Chinese defenders abandoned Jiujiang, southeast of Wuhan, and its civilian population endured a wave of atrocities at the hands of the invaders. News of Jiujiang's fate stiffened resolve. Chiang delivered a pointed address to his troops on July 31, arguing that Wuhan's defense was essential and that losing the city would split the country into hostile halves, complicating logistics and movement. He warned that Wuhan's defense would also be a spiritual test: "the place has deep revolutionary ties," and public sympathy for China's plight was growing as Japanese atrocities became known. Yet Chiang worried about the behavior of Chinese soldiers. He condemned looting as a suicidal act that would destroy the citizens' trust in the military. Commanders, he warned, must stay at their posts; the memory of the Madang debacle underscored the consequences of cowardice. Unlike Shanghai, Wuhan had shelters, but he cautioned against retreating into them and leaving soldiers exposed. Officers who failed in loyalty could expect no support in return. This pep talk, combined with the belief that the army was making a last stand, may have slowed the Japanese advance along the Yangtze in August. Under General Xue Yue, about 100,000 Chinese troops pushed back the invaders at Huangmei. At Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with poison gas finally forcing Japanese victory. Yet even then, Chinese generals struggled to coordinate. In Xinyang, Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted; they expected relief from Hu Zongnan's forces, but Hu instead withdrew, allowing Japan to capture the city without a fight. The fall of Xinyang enabled Japanese control of the Ping-Han railway, signaling Wuhan's doom. Chiang again spoke to Wuhan's defenders, balancing encouragement with a grim realism about possible loss. Although Wuhan's international connections were substantial, foreign aid would be unlikely. If evacuation became necessary, the army should have a clear plan, including designated routes. He recalled the disastrous December retreat from Nanjing, where "foreigners and Chinese alike turned it into an empty city." Troops had been tired and outnumbered; Chiang defended the decision to defend Nanjing, insisting the army had sacrificed itself for the capital and Sun Yat-sen's tomb. Were the army to retreat again, he warned, it would be the greatest shame in five thousand years of Chinese history. The loss of Madang was another humiliation. By defending Wuhan, he argued, China could avenge its fallen comrades and cleanse its conscience; otherwise, it could not honor its martyrs. Mao Zedong, observing the situation from his far-off base at Yan'an, agreed strongly that Chiang should not defend Wuhan to the death. He warned in mid-October that if Wuhan could not be defended, the war's trajectory would shift, potentially strengthening the Nationalists–Communists cooperation, deepening popular mobilization, and expanding guerrilla warfare. The defense of Wuhan, Mao argued, should drain the enemy and buy time to advance the broader struggle, not become a doomed stalemate. In a protracted war, some strongholds might be abandoned temporarily to sustain the longer fight. The Japanese Army captured Wuchang and Hankou on 26 October and captured Hanyang on the 27th, which concluded the campaign in Wuhan. The battle had lasted four and a half months and ended with the Nationalist army's voluntary withdrawal. In the battle itself, the Japanese army captured Wuhan's three towns and held the heartland of China, achieving a tactical victory. Yet strategically, Japan failed to meet its objectives. Imperial Headquarters believed that "capturing Hankou and Guangzhou would allow them to dominate China." Consequently, the Imperial Conference planned the Battle of Wuhan to seize Wuhan quickly and compel the Chinese government to surrender. It also decreed that "national forces should be concentrated to achieve the war objectives within a year and end the war against China." According to Yoshiaki Yoshimi and Seiya Matsuno, Hirohito authorized the use of chemical weapons against China by specific orders known as rinsanmei. During the Battle of Wuhan, Prince Kan'in Kotohito transmitted the emperor's orders to deploy toxic gas 375 times between August and October 1938. Another memorandum uncovered by Yoshimi indicates that Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni authorized the use of poison gas against the Chinese on 16 August 1938. A League of Nations resolution adopted on 14 May condemned the Imperial Japanese Army's use of toxic gas. Japan's heavy use of chemical weapons against China was driven by manpower shortages and China's lack of poison gas stockpiles to retaliate. Poison gas was employed at Hankou in the Battle of Wuhan to break Chinese resistance after conventional assaults had failed. Rana Mitter notes that, under General Xue Yue, approximately 100,000 Chinese troops halted Japanese advances at Huangmei, and at the fortress of Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with Japanese victory secured only through the use of poison gas. Chinese generals also struggled with coordination at Xinyang; Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted, and Hu Zongnan's forces, believed to be coming to relieve them, instead withdrew. Japan subsequently used poison gas against Chinese Muslim forces at the Battle of Wuyuan and the Battle of West Suiyuan. However, the Chinese government did not surrender with the loss of Wuhan and Guangzhou, nor did Japan's invasion end with Wuhan and Guangzhou's capture. After Wuhan fell, the government issued a reaffirmation: "Temporary changes of advance and retreat will not shake our resolve to resist the Japanese invasion," and "the gain or loss of any city will not affect the overall situation of the war." It pledged to "fight with even greater sorrow, greater perseverance, greater steadfastness, greater diligence, and greater courage," dedicating itself to a long, comprehensive war of resistance. In the Japanese-occupied rear areas, large armed anti-Japanese forces grew, and substantial tracts of territory were recovered. As the Japanese army themselves acknowledged, "the restoration of public security in the occupied areas was actually limited to a few kilometers on both sides of the main transportation lines." Thus, the Battle of Wuhan did not merely inflict a further strategic defeat on Japan; it also marked a turning point in Japan's strategic posture, from offense to defense. Due to the Nationalist Army's resolute resistance, Japan mobilized its largest force to date for the attack, about 250,000 personnel, who were replenished four to five times over the battle, for a total of roughly 300,000. The invaders held clear advantages in land, sea, and air power and fought for four and a half months. Yet they failed to annihilate the Nationalist main force, nor did they break the will to resist or the army's combat effectiveness. Instead, the campaign dealt a severe blow to the Japanese Army's vitality. Japanese-cited casualties totaled 4,506 dead and 17,380 wounded for the 11th Army; the 2nd Army suffered 2,300 killed in action, 7,600 wounded, and 900 died of disease. Including casualties across the navy and the air force, the overall toll was about 35,500. By contrast, the Nationalist Government Military Commission's General Staff Department, drawing on unit-level reports, calculated Japanese casualties at 256,000. The discrepancy between Japanese and Nationalist tallies illustrates the inflationary tendencies of each side's reporting. Following Wuhan, a weakened Japanese force confronted an extended front. Unable to mount large-scale strategic offensives, unlike Shanghai, Xuzhou, or Wuhan itself, the Japanese to a greater extent adopted a defensive posture. This transition shifted China's War of Resistance from a strategic defensive phase into a strategic stalemate, while the invaders found themselves caught in a protracted war—a development they most disliked. Consequently, Japan's invasion strategy pivoted: away from primary frontal offensives toward a greater reliance on political inducements with secondary military action, and toward diverting forces to "security" operations behind enemy lines rather than pushing decisive frontal campaigns. Japan, an island nation with limited strategic resources, depended heavily on imports. By the time of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japan's gold reserves,including reserves for issuing banknotes, amounted to only about 1.35 billion yen. In effect, Japan's currency reserves constrained the scale of the war from the outset. The country launched its aggression while seeking an early solution to the conflict. To sustain its war of aggression against China, the total value of military supplies imported from overseas in 1937 reached approximately 960 million yen. By June of the following year, for the Battle of Wuhan, even rifles used in training were recalled to outfit the expanding army. The sustained increase in troops also strained domestic labor, food, and energy supplies. By 1939, after Wuhan, Japan's military expenditure had climbed to about 6.156 billion yen, far exceeding national reserves. This stark reality exposed Japan's economic fragility and its inability to guarantee a steady supply of military materiel, increasing pressure on the leadership at the Central Command. The Chief of Staff and the Minister of War lamented the mismatch between outward strength and underlying weakness: "Outwardly strong but weak is a reflection of our country today, and this will not last long." In sum, the Wuhan campaign coincided with a decline in the organization, equipment, and combat effectiveness of the Japanese army compared with before the battle. This erosion of capability helped drive Japan to alter its political and military strategy, shifting toward a method of inflicting pressure on China and attempting to "use China to control China", that is, fighting in ways designed to sustain the broader war effort. Tragically a major element of Chiang Kai-shek's retreat strategy was the age-old "scorched earth" policy. In fact, China originated the phrase and the practice. Shanghai escaped the last-minute torching because of foreigners whose property rights were protected. But in Nanjing, the burning and destruction began with increasing zeal. What could not be moved inland, such as remaining rice stocks, oil in tanks, and other facilities, was to be blown up or devastated. Civilians were told to follow the army inland, to rebuild later behind the natural barrier of Sichuan terrain. Many urban residents complied, but the peasantry did not embrace the plan. The scorched-earth policy served as powerful propaganda for the occupying Japanese army and, even more so, for the Reds. Yet they could hardly have foreseen the propaganda that Changsha would soon supply them. In June, the Changsha Evacuation Guidance Office was established to coordinate land and water evacuation routes. By the end of October, Wuhan's three towns had fallen, and on November 10 the Japanese army captured Yueyang, turning Changsha into the next primary invasion target. Beginning on October 9, Japanese aircraft intensified from sporadic raids on Changsha to large-scale bombing. On October 27, the Changsha Municipal Government urgently evacuated all residents, exempting only able-bodied men, the elderly, the weak, women, and children. The baojia system was mobilized to go door-to-door, enforcing compliance. On November 7, Chiang Kai-shek convened a military meeting at Rongyuan Garden to review the war plan and finalize a "scorched earth war of resistance." Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, drafted the detailed implementation plan. On November 10, Shi Guoji, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, presided over a joint meeting of Changsha's party, government, military, police, and civilian organizations to devise a strategy. The Changsha Destruction Command was immediately established, bringing together district commanders and several arson squads. The command actively prepared arson equipment and stacked flammable materials along major traffic arteries. Chiang decided that the city of Changsha was vulnerable and either gave the impression or the direct order, honestly really depends on the source your reading, to burn the city to the ground to prevent it falling to the enemy. At 9:00 AM on November 12, Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed Zhang Zhizhong: "One hour to arrive, Chairman Zhang, Changsha, confidential. If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned. Please make thorough preparations in advance and do not delay." And here it seems a game of broken telephone sort of resulted in one of the worst fire disasters of all time. If your asking pro Chiang sources, the message was clearly, put up a defense, once thats fallen, burn the city down before the Japanese enter. Obviously this was to account for getting civilians out safely and so forth. If you read lets call it more modern CPP aligned sources, its the opposite. Chiang intentionally ordering the city to burn down as fast as possible, but in through my research, I think it was a colossal miscommunication. Regardless Zhongzheng Wen, Minister of the Interior, echoed the message. Simultaneously, Lin Wei, Deputy Director of Chiang Kai-shek's Secretariat, instructed Zhang Zhizhong by long-distance telephone: "If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned." Zhang summoned Feng Ti, Commander of the Provincial Capital Garrison, and Xu Quan, Director of the Provincial Security Bureau, to outline arson procedures. He designated the Garrison Command to shoulder the preparations, with the Security Bureau assisting. At 4:00 PM, Zhang appointed Xu Kun, Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment, as chief commander of the arson operation, with Wang Weining, Captain of the Social Training Corps, and Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Garrison Command, as deputies. At 6:00 PM, the Garrison Command held an emergency meeting ordering all government agencies and organizations in the city to be ready for evacuation at any moment. By around 10:15 PM, all urban police posts had withdrawn. Around 2:00 AM (November 13), a false report circulated that "Japanese troops have reached Xinhe" . Firefighters stationed at various locations rushed out with kerosene-fueled devices, burning everything in sight, shops and houses alike. In an instant, Changsha became a sea of flames. The blaze raged for 72 hours. The Hunan Province Anti-Japanese War Loss Statistics, compiled by the Hunan Provincial Government Statistics Office of the Kuomintang, report that the fire inflicted economic losses of more than 1 billion yuan, a sum equivalent to about 1.7 trillion yuan after the victory in the war. This figure represented roughly 43% of Changsha's total economic value at the time. Regarding casualties, contemporary sources provide varying figures. A Xinhua Daily report from November 20, 1938 noted that authorities mobilized manpower to bury more than 600 bodies, though the total number of burned remains could not be precisely counted. A Central News Agency reporter on November 19 stated that in the Xiangyuan fire, more than 2,000 residents could not escape, and most of the bodies had already been buried. There are further claims that in the Changsha Fire, more than 20,000 residents were burned to death. In terms of displacement, Changsha's population before the fire was about 300,000, and by November 12, 90% had been evacuated. After the fire, authorities registered 124,000 victims, including 815 orphans sheltered in Lito and Maosgang. Building damage constituted the other major dimension of the catastrophe, with the greatest losses occurring to residential houses, shops, schools, factories, government offices, banks, hospitals, newspaper offices, warehouses, and cultural and entertainment venues, as well as numerous historic buildings such as palaces, temples, private gardens, and the former residences of notable figures; among these, residential and commercial structures suffered the most, followed by factories and schools. Inspector Gao Yihan, who conducted a post-fire investigation, observed that the prosperous areas within Changsha's ring road, including Nanzheng Street and Bajiaoting, were almost completely destroyed, and in other major markets only a handful of shops remained, leading to an overall estimate that surviving or stalemated houses were likely less than 20%. Housing and street data from the early post-liberation period reveal that Changsha had more than 1,100 streets and alleys; of these, more than 690 were completely burned and more than 330 had fewer than five surviving houses, accounting for about 29%, with nearly 90% of the city's streets severely damaged. More than 440 streets were not completely destroyed, but among these, over 190 had only one or two houses remaining and over 130 had only three or four houses remaining; about 60 streets, roughly 6% had 30 to 40 surviving houses, around 30 streets, 3% had 11 to 20 houses, 10 streets, 1% had 21 to 30 houses, and three streets ) had more than 30 houses remaining. Housing statistics from 1952 show that 2,538 houses survived the fire, about 6.57% of the city's total housing stock, with private houses totaling 305,800 square meters and public houses 537,900 square meters. By 1956, the surviving area of both private and public housing totaled 843,700 square meters, roughly 12.3% of the city's total housing area at that time. Alongside these losses, all equipment, materials, funds, goods, books, archives, antiques, and cultural relics that had not been moved were also destroyed. At the time of the Changsha Fire, Zhou Enlai, then Deputy Minister of the Political Department of the Nationalist Government's Military Commission, was in Changsha alongside Ye Jianying, Guo Moruo, and others. On November 12, 1938, Zhou Enlai attended a meeting held by Changsha cultural groups at Changsha Normal School to commemorate Sun Yat-sen's 72nd birthday. Guo Moruo later recalled that Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying were awakened by the blaze that night; they each carried a suitcase and evacuated to Xiangtan, with Zhou reportedly displaying considerable indignation at the sudden, unprovoked fire. On the 16th, Zhou Enlai rushed back to Changsha and, together with Chen Cheng, Zhang Zhizhong, and others, inspected the disaster. He mobilized personnel from three departments, with Tian Han and Guo Moruo at the forefront, to form the Changsha Fire Aftermath Task Force, which began debris clearance, care for the injured, and the establishment of soup kitchens. A few days later, on the 22nd, the Hunan Provincial Government established the Changsha Fire Temporary Relief Committee to coordinate relief efforts. On the night of November 16, 1938, Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Changsha and, the next day, ascended Tianxin Pavilion. Sha Wei, head of the Cultural Relics Section of the Changsha Tianxin Pavilion Park Management Office, and a long-time researcher of the pavilion, explained that documentation indicates Chiang Kai-shek, upon seeing the city largely reduced to scorched earth with little left intact, grew visibly angry. After descending from Tianxin Pavilion, Chiang immediately ordered the arrest of Changsha Garrison Commander Feng Ti, Changsha Police Chief Wen Chongfu, and Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment Xu Kun, and arranged a military trial with a two-day deadline. The interrogation began at 7:00 a.m. on November 18. Liang Xiaojin records that Xu Kun and Wen Chongfu insisted their actions followed orders from the Security Command, while Feng Ti admitted negligence and violations of procedure, calling his acts unforgivable. The trial found Feng Ti to be the principal offender, with Wen Chongfu and Xu Kun as accomplices, and sentenced all three to prison terms of varying lengths. The verdict was sent to Chiang Kai-shek for approval, who was deeply dissatisfied and personally annotated the drafts: he asserted that Feng Ti, as the city's security head, was negligent and must be shot immediately; Wen Chongfu, as police chief, disobeyed orders and fled, and must be shot immediately; Xu Kun, for neglect of duty, must be shot immediately. The court then altered the arson charge in the verdict to "insulting his duty and harming the people" in line with Chiang's instructions. Chiang Kai-shek, citing "failure to supervise personnel and precautions," dismissed Zhang from his post, though he remained in office to oversee aftermath operations. Zhang Zhizhong later recalled Chiang Kai-shek's response after addressing the Changsha fire: a pointed admission that the fundamental cause lay not with a single individual but with the collective leadership's mistakes, and that the error must be acknowledged as a collective failure. All eyes now shifted to the new center of resistance, Chongqing, the temporary capital. Chiang's "Free China" no longer meant the whole country; it now encompassed Sichuan, Hunan, and Henan, but not Jiangsu or Zhejiang. The eastern provinces were effectively lost, along with China's major customs revenues, the country's most fertile regions, and its most advanced infrastructure. The center of political gravity moved far to the west, into a country the Nationalists had never controlled, where everything was unfamiliar and unpredictable, from topography and dialects to diets. On the map, it might have seemed that Chiang still ruled much of China, but vast swaths of the north and northwest were sparsely populated; most of China's population lay in the east and south, where Nationalist control was either gone or held only precariously. The combined pressures of events and returning travelers were gradually shifting American attitudes toward the Japanese incident. Europe remained largely indifferent, with Hitler absorbing most attention, but the United States began to worry about developments in the Pacific. Roosevelt initiated a January 1939 appeal to raise a million dollars for Chinese civilians in distress, and the response quickly materialized. While the Chinese did not expect direct intervention, they hoped to deter further American economic cooperation with Japan and to halt Japan's purchases of scrap iron, oil, gasoline, shipping, and, above all, weapons from the United States. Public opinion in America was sufficiently stirred to sustain a campaign against silk stockings, a symbolic gesture of boycott that achieved limited effect; Japan nonetheless continued to procure strategic materials. Within this chorus, the left remained a persistent but often discordant ally to the Nationalists. The Institute of Pacific Relations, sympathetic to communist aims, urged America to act, pressuring policymakers and sounding alarms about China. Yet the party line remained firmly pro-Chiang Kai-shek: the Japanese advance seemed too rapid and threatening to the Reds' interests. Most oil and iron debates stalled; American businessmen resented British trade ties with Japan, and Britain refused to join any mutual cutoff, arguing that the Western powers were not at war with Japan. What occurred in China was still commonly referred to in Western diplomatic circles as "the Incident." Wang Jingwei's would make his final defection, yes in a long ass history of defections. Mr Wang Jingwei had been very busy traveling to Guangzhou, then Northwest to speak with Feng Yuxiang, many telegrams went back and forth. He returned to the Nationalist government showing his face to foreign presses and so forth. While other prominent rivals of Chiang, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, and others, rallied when they perceived Japan as a real threat; all did so except Wang Jingwei. Wang, who had long believed himself the natural heir to Sun Yat-sen and who had repeatedly sought to ascend to power, seemed willing to cooperate with Japan if it served his own aims. I will just say it, Wang Jingwei was a rat. He had always been a rat, never changed. Opinions on Chiang Kai-Shek vary, but I think almost everyone can agree Wang Jingwei was one of the worst characters of this time period. Now Wang Jingwei could not distinguish between allies and enemies and was prepared to accept help from whomever offered it, believing he could outmaneuver Tokyo when necessary. Friends in Shanghai and abroad whispered that it was not too late to influence events, arguing that the broader struggle was not merely China versus Japan but a clash between principled leaders and a tyrannical, self-serving clique, Western imperialism's apologists who needed Chiang removed. For a time Wang drifted within the Kuomintang, moving between Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, and Chongqing, maintaining discreet lines of communication with his confidants. The Japanese faced a governance problem typical of conquerors who possess conquered territory: how to rule effectively while continuing the war. They imagined Asia under Japanese-led leadership, an East Asia united by a shared Co-Prosperity Sphere but divided by traditional borders. To sustain this vision, they sought local leaders who could cooperate. The search yielded few viable options; would-be collaborators were soon assassinated, proved incompetent, or proved corrupt. The Japanese concluded it would require more time and education. In the end, Wang Jingwei emerged as a preferred figure. Chongqing, meanwhile, seemed surprised by Wang's ascent. He had moved west to Chengde, then to Kunming, attempted, and failed to win over Yunnan's warlords, and eventually proceeded to Hanoi in Indochina, arriving in Hong Kong by year's end. He sent Chiang Kai-shek a telegram suggesting acceptance of Konoe's terms for peace, which Chungking rejected. In time, Wang would establish his own Kuomintang faction in Shanghai, combining rigorous administration with pervasive secret-police activity characteristic of occupied regimes. By 1940, he would be formally installed as "Chairman of China." But that is a story for another episode. In the north, the Japanese and the CCP were locked in an uneasy stalemate. Mao's army could make it impossible for the Japanese to hold deep countryside far from the railway lines that enabled mass troop movement into China's interior. Yet the Communists could not defeat the occupiers. In the dark days of October 1938—fifteen months after the war began—one constant remained. Observers (Chinese businessmen, British diplomats, Japanese generals) repeatedly predicted that each new disaster would signal the end of Chinese resistance and force a swift surrender, or at least a negotiated settlement in which the government would accept harsher terms from Tokyo. But even after defenders were expelled from Shanghai, Nanjing, and Wuhan, despite the terrifying might Japan had brought to bear on Chinese resistance, and despite the invader's manpower, technology, and resources, China continued to fight. Yet it fought alone. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In a land shredded by war, Wuhan burned under brutal sieges, then Changsha followed, a cruel blaze born of orders and miscommunications. Leaders wrestled with retreat, scorched-earth vows, and moral debts as Japanese force and Chinese resilience clashed for months. Mao urged strategy over martyrdom, Wang Jingwei's scheming shadow loomed, and Chongqing rose as the westward beacon. Yet China endured, a stubborn flame refusing to surrender to the coming storm. The war stretched on, unfinished and unyielding.
TopMedTalk's Andy Cumpstey recorded this piece recently for us at the Royal College of Anaesthetists' Centre for Perioperative Care's (CPOC) annual meeting in London. The conversation features key figures from CPOC, including: David Selwyn, Acting Chief Executive at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, appointed as the inaugural Director of CPOC in May 2019, Denny Levitt, Professor in Perioperative Medicine and Critical Care at the University of Southampton and a Consultant in Perioperative Medicine at Southampton University Hospital NHS Foundation trust (UHS), Scarlett McNally, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in Eastbourne DGH, UK since 2002, Deputy Director at the COPC (2020-26) and an honorary clinical professor at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Jugdeep Dhesi, Deputy Director for CPOC, Clinical lead for the innovative and award winning POPS (Perioperative medicine for Older People undergoing Surgery) service, Honorary Reader at King's College London and Associate Professor at University College London, and Lawrence Mudford, who transitioned from a healthcare professional to a patient, following a cancer diagnosis. Following his successful treatment, he took up his current role as a patient representative for CPOC. The panel explore the creation and evolution of CPOC since its inception in 2019, highlighting the collaborative efforts to improve surgical pathways by integrating patient and multidisciplinary voices. They discuss various initiatives, guidelines, and successful practices aimed at enhancing patient-centered care, managing conditions like frailty, diabetes, and anaemia, and promoting shared decision-making. The episode also delves into future goals, such as addressing the implementation gap, fostering digital transformation, and operationalizing educational curricula for healthcare professionals to further support perioperative care.
My guest today is Jeff Skopek, a Professor of Law and the Deputy Director of the Centre for Law, Medicine, and Life Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D. in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge.His research explores the normative and conceptual foundations of health law, focusing in particular on the health care system, biomedical research, and controversies about what constitutes a harm or benefit within medical care. His recent research also focuses on animal rights. He joins us today to discuss a work in progress, Created To Be Killed.Show NotesAbout Jeff SkopekAbout Kim KrawiecAbout Mason Marché
Disability Employment MonthDante Q. Allen was appointed by Governor Newsom to his new role of Deputy Director of the California Department of Rehabilitation Services on April 18, 2025 and sworn in by Director Kim Rutledge on May 5, 2025 Congratulations Danté!The U.S. Senate approved the nomination of Danté Quintin Allen to lead the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA). Until his confirmation, Allen had been serving as executive director for CalABLE, California's ABLE Act savings and investment program for people with disabilities. Under his five-year leadership, CalABLE was the fastest growing ABLE Act program in the country. Prior to leading CalABLE, Allen was a communications leader for organizations including Kaiser Permanente and the California Department of Public Health's Office of Health Equity. A fulltime wheelchair user, Allen is a well-known advocate for disability rights and equity. Upon his confirmation, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona remarked, “I look forward to working together with Mr. Allen to provide individuals with disabilities and all students with equitable access to the education and training they need to find good-paying jobs; achieve economic security; and lead healthy, independent lives.”© 2025 Building Abundant Success!!© 2025 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASJoin me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
As the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month nears, we spotlight the New Mexico Sexual Assault Helpline's first anniversary and hear from two directors about the impact it has had.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest:Alexandria Taylor, Executive Director, NM Coalition of Sexual Assault ProgramsRachel Cox, Deputy Director of Programs, NM Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
European carmakers are facing the risk of production stoppage as a result of the Dutch government's abrupt seizure of chip company Nexperia from its Chinese owner. What's behind the Nexperia drama? Has the Netherlands overplayed its hand? Who ultimately stands to lose the most? And what does it mean for Europe's industries? Host TU Yun joins Dr. Zhou Mi, the Deputy Director of the Institute of American and Oceania Study, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Dr. Eric Harwit, a professor of Asian Studies at the University of Hawaiito, and Andy Mok, a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization for a close look.
"My father used to say, ‘If you're gonna deliver mail, own the block you walk on.' That stuck with me.” Joe Drew-Hundley, Deputy Director of the Michigan Roundtable for Just Communities, sat down with Detroit is Different to trace his family's Detroit roots from Waynesboro, Mississippi to the east side post routes that built Black stability and ownership. In this powerful and personal conversation, Joe shares how his family's migration story mirrors Detroit's — the grind, the grief, and the genius of making something out of what others overlook. He breaks down the journey from Ford Motor Company to the military to the post office, the lessons of growing up in Detroit then navigating suburban schools, and how those experiences shaped his work building just and beloved communities today. “My mom worked to finance small Black businesses, my dad bought homes on his mail route — community work was our inheritance.” From the Great Migration to today's movement for racial and economic justice, Joe's story bridges the past and future of Legacy Black Detroit: how we moved, how we built, and how we keep giving back. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com
Empowering the next generation of Latino leaders to create lasting change. SHOW NOTES:October 30, 2025 – Episode # 205The Power of Us: Strengthening Latino Leadership, Amplifying Community Impact In this episode of Raise Nation Radio, host Dawn Lego sits down with Elizabeth Gutierrez, Deputy Director of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation, for an inspiring conversation about leadership, legacy, and Latino pride. From empowering the next generation through scholarships to uniting communities at their annual fundraising gala, Elizabeth shares how the foundation turns purpose into progress. Together, they explore the vibrant intersection of culture, community, and philanthropy that fuels the foundation's mission. Guest Reflection: “When you invest in a Latino student, you're not just changing one life — you're uplifting an entire community.“ — Elizabeth Gutierrez Episode Highlights: The Foundation's powerful mission to foster Latino leadership and education. How a scholarship program transforms futures and inspires community pride. Behind the scenes of their signature fundraising gala and its lasting impact. Debunking myths: Philanthropy is alive and thriving in the Latino community. The growing role of technology in connecting and empowering donors.OneCause Customer Profile: Customer Success Manager: Ahilen BernalFundraising Software: OneCause Fundraising Platform Signature Event(s): 4th Annual Gala: Our Wings, Our Legacy Connect with our Guests: Elizabeth Gutierrez Episodes Resources: Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation Support Rapid Response Program Episode Credits and Extras: YouTube FREE ResourcesRaise Event Fundraising Conference Grant ProgramThank you for tuning in wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. Please like, follow, and subscribe to grow our community. Stay Fearless!
Massachusetts Governor's Deputy Director, Lamar Cook, was arrested and fired from his position after several kilograms of suspected cocaine were seized. Visit the Howie Carr Radio Network website to access columns, podcasts, and other exclusive content.
3pm Hour: Jason talks about the best and worst times to wake up in the middle of the night. Then he talks with Dusty Letica, Deputy Director of Public Health and Human Services, St. Louis County, about how the federal government shutdown may impact greater MN. And why does Tracy Perlman hate 67 but love Halloween?
Due to the federal government shutdown, SNAP benefits run out on Saturday. What does that do to people who count on those benefits in greater MN? Jason talks with Dusty Letica, Deputy Director of Public Health and Human Services in St. Louis County.
Congressional oversight of the judiciary is a hot topic, and Cully Stimson of the Heritage Foundation joins Steve Gruber to make a bold case for reform. As Deputy Director of the Edwin Meese III Center and Senior Legal Fellow, Stimson argues that Congress should adopt a “California rule” to remove biased D.C. Superior Court judges. They discuss how this approach could restore accountability, protect fairness in the courts, and ensure that justice isn't influenced by political leanings.
What's the deal with the new zoning reform bills, and will they really help fix Nashville's housing gap? Metro's Deputy Director of Planning and Development Lisa Milligan joins us to talk about the proposed zoning changes, what they mean for neighborhoods, and residents' concerns. Check out the preliminary results of the Housing & Infrastructure study, and Metro Planning's recommendations to Council and other information. Get more from City Cast Nashville when you become a City Cast Nashville Neighbor. You'll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm/nashville Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Nashville newsletter. Follow us @citycastnashville You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 615-200-6392 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
As part of the Illinois Vision 2030 School Safety Initiative, IASA has partnered with the Illinois Fire Service (IFSI) Institute to raise awareness of free, comprehensive crisis response and reunification training available to school districts across Illinois. In this episode, hear from JP Moore, Deputy Director of the Illinois Fire Service Institute; Mary Vogt, Superintendent of Bement CUSD #5 and Dr. Dawn Bridges about what this training consists of, why it is important and the benefit it can have with your community and staff.
In the wake of Disco Demolition Night in 1979—a cultural bonfire that seemed to signal the end of disco—something unexpected began to rise from Chicago's underground. This episode traces the story of Frankie Knuckles, the Bronx-born DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House.” After the backlash against disco pushed the genre out of the mainstream, Knuckles found refuge in Chicago's Black, Latinx, and queer nightlife scenes, most famously at a club called the Warehouse. There, he pioneered a new sound: blending disco's heartbeat with gospel, soul, electronic drum machines, and experimental edits. What emerged was “house music,” named after the Warehouse itself, a genre that spoke directly to marginalized communities while later exploding into a global phenomenon. We'll explore how Knuckles's artistry and innovation not only kept dance floors alive after disco's so-called death but also transformed music history. By tracing the arc from the ruins of Disco Demolition to the rise of house, this episode reveals how moments of cultural rejection can spark radical creativity. Frankie Knuckles didn't just keep the party going—he built a new world of sound that would change the way the world dances. In this eighth episode of season two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares discuss the life and work of Frankie Knuckles with Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago's Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press, 2018). Micah Salkind is the Director of Civic and Cultural Life at the Rhode Island Foundation. Prior, in his roles as Deputy Director and Special Projects Manager at the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, he managed large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with non-profit cultural institutions as well as its emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies
In the wake of Disco Demolition Night in 1979—a cultural bonfire that seemed to signal the end of disco—something unexpected began to rise from Chicago's underground. This episode traces the story of Frankie Knuckles, the Bronx-born DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House.” After the backlash against disco pushed the genre out of the mainstream, Knuckles found refuge in Chicago's Black, Latinx, and queer nightlife scenes, most famously at a club called the Warehouse. There, he pioneered a new sound: blending disco's heartbeat with gospel, soul, electronic drum machines, and experimental edits. What emerged was “house music,” named after the Warehouse itself, a genre that spoke directly to marginalized communities while later exploding into a global phenomenon. We'll explore how Knuckles's artistry and innovation not only kept dance floors alive after disco's so-called death but also transformed music history. By tracing the arc from the ruins of Disco Demolition to the rise of house, this episode reveals how moments of cultural rejection can spark radical creativity. Frankie Knuckles didn't just keep the party going—he built a new world of sound that would change the way the world dances. In this eighth episode of season two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares discuss the life and work of Frankie Knuckles with Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago's Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press, 2018). Micah Salkind is the Director of Civic and Cultural Life at the Rhode Island Foundation. Prior, in his roles as Deputy Director and Special Projects Manager at the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, he managed large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with non-profit cultural institutions as well as its emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latino-studies
Why are illiberal governments able to retain support? How are they defeated at election time? And how do (and should) governments driven by a desire to undo illiberalism proceed? For all interested in elections, democracy, accountability and representation Poland provides much food for thought. We have seen two important elections in the country in the past couple of years with contrasting outcomes. Those two elections can be placed within a wider and deeper story of the fate of democracy in Poland and indeed a broader story about the challenges facing liberal democracy in Europe today. Stanley Bill is Professor of Polish Studies at the University of Cambridge and Ben Stanley is an associate professor at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, SWPS University in Warsaw. Tim Haughton is Professor of Comparative and European Politics and a Deputy Director of CEDAR at the University of Birmingham. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In the wake of Disco Demolition Night in 1979—a cultural bonfire that seemed to signal the end of disco—something unexpected began to rise from Chicago's underground. This episode traces the story of Frankie Knuckles, the Bronx-born DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House.” After the backlash against disco pushed the genre out of the mainstream, Knuckles found refuge in Chicago's Black, Latinx, and queer nightlife scenes, most famously at a club called the Warehouse. There, he pioneered a new sound: blending disco's heartbeat with gospel, soul, electronic drum machines, and experimental edits. What emerged was “house music,” named after the Warehouse itself, a genre that spoke directly to marginalized communities while later exploding into a global phenomenon. We'll explore how Knuckles's artistry and innovation not only kept dance floors alive after disco's so-called death but also transformed music history. By tracing the arc from the ruins of Disco Demolition to the rise of house, this episode reveals how moments of cultural rejection can spark radical creativity. Frankie Knuckles didn't just keep the party going—he built a new world of sound that would change the way the world dances. In this eighth episode of season two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares discuss the life and work of Frankie Knuckles with Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago's Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press, 2018). Micah Salkind is the Director of Civic and Cultural Life at the Rhode Island Foundation. Prior, in his roles as Deputy Director and Special Projects Manager at the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, he managed large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with non-profit cultural institutions as well as its emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In the wake of Disco Demolition Night in 1979—a cultural bonfire that seemed to signal the end of disco—something unexpected began to rise from Chicago's underground. This episode traces the story of Frankie Knuckles, the Bronx-born DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House.” After the backlash against disco pushed the genre out of the mainstream, Knuckles found refuge in Chicago's Black, Latinx, and queer nightlife scenes, most famously at a club called the Warehouse. There, he pioneered a new sound: blending disco's heartbeat with gospel, soul, electronic drum machines, and experimental edits. What emerged was “house music,” named after the Warehouse itself, a genre that spoke directly to marginalized communities while later exploding into a global phenomenon. We'll explore how Knuckles's artistry and innovation not only kept dance floors alive after disco's so-called death but also transformed music history. By tracing the arc from the ruins of Disco Demolition to the rise of house, this episode reveals how moments of cultural rejection can spark radical creativity. Frankie Knuckles didn't just keep the party going—he built a new world of sound that would change the way the world dances. In this eighth episode of season two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares discuss the life and work of Frankie Knuckles with Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago's Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press, 2018). Micah Salkind is the Director of Civic and Cultural Life at the Rhode Island Foundation. Prior, in his roles as Deputy Director and Special Projects Manager at the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, he managed large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with non-profit cultural institutions as well as its emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music
Keith Hennessey, the Bush Institute's David Rubenstein Fellow, Kristen Silverberg, Business Roundtable President and COO, and Marc Sumerlin, former Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, joined Director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative Cullum Clark for a thought-provoking and timely conversation on the condition of the U.S. economy, the role of the Federal Reserve, the relationship between the U.S. government and private businesses, the impact of tariffs, the state of international trade, technology's impact on the economy, and more.Related: Watch the NexPoint Lecture: America's Economic RealignmentRead the "America the Exceptional" series
In the wake of Disco Demolition Night in 1979—a cultural bonfire that seemed to signal the end of disco—something unexpected began to rise from Chicago's underground. This episode traces the story of Frankie Knuckles, the Bronx-born DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House.” After the backlash against disco pushed the genre out of the mainstream, Knuckles found refuge in Chicago's Black, Latinx, and queer nightlife scenes, most famously at a club called the Warehouse. There, he pioneered a new sound: blending disco's heartbeat with gospel, soul, electronic drum machines, and experimental edits. What emerged was “house music,” named after the Warehouse itself, a genre that spoke directly to marginalized communities while later exploding into a global phenomenon. We'll explore how Knuckles's artistry and innovation not only kept dance floors alive after disco's so-called death but also transformed music history. By tracing the arc from the ruins of Disco Demolition to the rise of house, this episode reveals how moments of cultural rejection can spark radical creativity. Frankie Knuckles didn't just keep the party going—he built a new world of sound that would change the way the world dances. In this eighth episode of season two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares discuss the life and work of Frankie Knuckles with Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago's Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press, 2018). Micah Salkind is the Director of Civic and Cultural Life at the Rhode Island Foundation. Prior, in his roles as Deputy Director and Special Projects Manager at the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, he managed large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with non-profit cultural institutions as well as its emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/lgbtq-studies
Why are illiberal governments able to retain support? How are they defeated at election time? And how do (and should) governments driven by a desire to undo illiberalism proceed? For all interested in elections, democracy, accountability and representation Poland provides much food for thought. We have seen two important elections in the country in the past couple of years with contrasting outcomes. Those two elections can be placed within a wider and deeper story of the fate of democracy in Poland and indeed a broader story about the challenges facing liberal democracy in Europe today. Stanley Bill is Professor of Polish Studies at the University of Cambridge and Ben Stanley is an associate professor at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, SWPS University in Warsaw. Tim Haughton is Professor of Comparative and European Politics and a Deputy Director of CEDAR at the University of Birmingham. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies
In the wake of Disco Demolition Night in 1979—a cultural bonfire that seemed to signal the end of disco—something unexpected began to rise from Chicago's underground. This episode traces the story of Frankie Knuckles, the Bronx-born DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House.” After the backlash against disco pushed the genre out of the mainstream, Knuckles found refuge in Chicago's Black, Latinx, and queer nightlife scenes, most famously at a club called the Warehouse. There, he pioneered a new sound: blending disco's heartbeat with gospel, soul, electronic drum machines, and experimental edits. What emerged was “house music,” named after the Warehouse itself, a genre that spoke directly to marginalized communities while later exploding into a global phenomenon. We'll explore how Knuckles's artistry and innovation not only kept dance floors alive after disco's so-called death but also transformed music history. By tracing the arc from the ruins of Disco Demolition to the rise of house, this episode reveals how moments of cultural rejection can spark radical creativity. Frankie Knuckles didn't just keep the party going—he built a new world of sound that would change the way the world dances. In this eighth episode of season two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares discuss the life and work of Frankie Knuckles with Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago's Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press, 2018). Micah Salkind is the Director of Civic and Cultural Life at the Rhode Island Foundation. Prior, in his roles as Deputy Director and Special Projects Manager at the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, he managed large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with non-profit cultural institutions as well as its emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sound-studies
In the wake of Disco Demolition Night in 1979—a cultural bonfire that seemed to signal the end of disco—something unexpected began to rise from Chicago's underground. This episode traces the story of Frankie Knuckles, the Bronx-born DJ who became known as the “Godfather of House.” After the backlash against disco pushed the genre out of the mainstream, Knuckles found refuge in Chicago's Black, Latinx, and queer nightlife scenes, most famously at a club called the Warehouse. There, he pioneered a new sound: blending disco's heartbeat with gospel, soul, electronic drum machines, and experimental edits. What emerged was “house music,” named after the Warehouse itself, a genre that spoke directly to marginalized communities while later exploding into a global phenomenon. We'll explore how Knuckles's artistry and innovation not only kept dance floors alive after disco's so-called death but also transformed music history. By tracing the arc from the ruins of Disco Demolition to the rise of house, this episode reveals how moments of cultural rejection can spark radical creativity. Frankie Knuckles didn't just keep the party going—he built a new world of sound that would change the way the world dances. In this eighth episode of season two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares discuss the life and work of Frankie Knuckles with Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago's Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press, 2018). Micah Salkind is the Director of Civic and Cultural Life at the Rhode Island Foundation. Prior, in his roles as Deputy Director and Special Projects Manager at the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, he managed large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with non-profit cultural institutions as well as its emerging artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture
This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features Jordi Serra del Pino, who is a consultant with more than 40 years experience in foresight, strategy and intelligence.As a professor, he's participated in numerous academic programmes and currently holds several positions:Deputy Director at the Centre for Postnormal Policy & Futures Studies, Associate Professor at Blanquerna Ramon Llull University, Foresight professor at Lisa Institute, and is responsible for foresight at the Interuniversity Master's in Intelligence Analysis. He also serves on the editorial board of Futures and World Futures Review.Jordi has consulted for private companies, government agencies and international organizations.He's also a writer, contributing to major journals and mainstream media, and as a public speaker has given keynotes at numerous events around the world.In this episode, we discuss all of the above, along with some of the key influences on his thinking over a long and fascinating career. Jordi also outlines the imminent arrival of a dynamic new platform that he's about to launch in the futures-consulting space…
Top Chinese leaders have adopted recommendations for the country's 15th Five-Year Plan during the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The plan will guide China's economic and social development from 2026 to 2030. According to the session's communique, the blueprint will emphasize high-quality growth, innovation, green development, modern industry, national security, and better education and healthcare. In this episode, we look at how China envisions its development for the next five years. Host Ding Heng is joined by Li Lun, Assistant Professor of Economics at Peking University; Dylan Loh, Associate Professor from Public Policy and Global Affairs Program, Nanyang Technological University; Yao Shujie, Chueng Kong Professor of Economics and Deputy Director of the Department of Social Sciences, Chongqing University.
How is mathematical knowledge recorded and preserved across generations? Contrary to the idea that mathematics itself is somehow ‘permanent', in this talk we will explore heritage-making in mathematics, that is the people, institutions, and material objects that can give mathematical ideas longevity. We will explore the heritage-making found in two very different types of French nineteenth-century libraries: those of famous mathematicians and those of secondary schools. We will especially focus on how the recording – and forgetting – of mathematical ideas is influenced by their publishing, political, and intellectual contexts.This lecture was recorded by Professor Caroline Ehrhardt on 8th October 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.Caroline Ehrhardt is Professor of History of Science and Deputy Director of IDHE.S at Université Paris 8 professor in history of science at the Université Paris 8 (France). Her research concerns the history of mathematics in France and Europe (1789–1914). She has published on Evariste Galois, on Galois theory and on mathematics education.Caroline is currently coordinating a collective project funded by the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche, entitled ‘Heritage and patrimonialisation of mathematics, 18th-20th centuries'. She also focuses on the practice of mathematics within French life insurance companies, on interactions between the mathematical and actuarial communities, and the production of mortality tables.The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/heritage-mathsGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/Website: https://gresham.ac.ukTwitter: https://twitter.com/greshamcollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeSupport the show
The International Court of Justice has said that Israel has a legal obligation to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by the UN and its entities to ensure the basic needs of Palestinian civilians there are met. John Whyte, Deputy Director for UNRWA Affairs in Gaza joined on Newstalk Breakfast this morning.
Japan's Top Business Interviews Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo, Japan
“Leading is easy. Getting people to follow is the hard part”. “Listen first; don't pre-decide the outcome”. “Japan is a Swiss watch—change one gear and the whole movement shifts”. “Do nemawashi before decisions; ringi-sho is the runway, not red tape”. “Bring people back to Japan—networks mature with the country”. Chris LaFleur is Senior Director at McLarty Associates, the Washington, D.C. based strategic advisory firm. A career U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he served multiple tours in Japan—including Sapporo, Yokohama language training, and Tokyo in political and politico-military roles—worked on the staff of Secretary of State Al Haig, at the U.S. Mission to the UN, and at the U.S. Embassy in Paris focusing on Asia during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. He later became Deputy Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, returned to Tokyo as Deputy Chief of Mission under Ambassador Tom Foley, and served in Washington as the No. 2 in the Bureau of East Asian Affairs as well as a negotiator on alliance modernisation with Japan and South Korea. He was U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia in the Iraq War era, then Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Japan, and repeatedly served as President and Chairman at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ). Today, he advises global firms on policy, regulatory, and political risk across Japan and the region. Chris LaFleur's leadership journey tracks the evolution of U.S.–Japan relations and the realities of making decisions inside complex systems. Beginning as a vice consul in Sapporo, he learned that listening precedes leading in Japan. Hokkaidō's standard Japanese, the step-by-step pace of regional life, and daily immersion built linguistic and cultural pattern recognition. That foundation scaled when he rotated through Yokohama language training and the Tokyo Embassy, where politico-military work brought alliance management into focus: with bases, communities, and bilateral policy layered together, decisions were not events but processes requiring consensus and continuity. Shifting to Washington to staff Secretary Al Haig offered a crash course in how policy gets made, while the UN posting and a Paris portfolio on Asia sharpened his systems view across capitals. Taiwan unlocked dormant Chinese language skills and reminded him that capability compounds with context. Returning to Tokyo as Deputy Chief of Mission under Ambassador Tom Foley, he saw that organisational power is distributed: success hinged on local staff with deep networks, continuity across rotating Americans, and steady, trust-building communication with home offices that wanted speed while Japan required sequence. As Ambassador to Malaysia during the second Iraq War, LaFleur had to explain and persuade amid public scepticism—learning again that legitimacy is earned by hearing concerns first. Transitioning to the private sector as Vice Chairman at JPMorgan Japan validated a surprising constant: large companies decide like large governments. He expected neat, calculated choices; he found coalitions, trade-offs, and path dependence. The lesson for leaders: map stakeholders, solicit ideas early, and let nemawashi do its work before the ringi-sho formalises momentum. In consulting today, he helps global executives reframe “risk” in Japan as uncertainty to be worked through with decision intelligence—aligning goals, mapping interdependencies, and testing scenarios before locking in. Japan, he says, is a Swiss watch: its precision is an asset, but every gear is linked. Leaders succeed by respecting that system—sequencing conversations, checking downstream effects, and ensuring consensus is genuine, not assumed. Technology can accelerate this work—digital twins for processes, collaborative platforms for traceable sign-offs—but tools must fit culture. Above all, bring people back to Japan; networks—and trust—rise with time. What makes leadership in Japan unique? Japan's operating model is sequence over speed. Nemawashi aligns stakeholders in advance; the ringi-sho codifies consensus; and downstream interlocks across compliance, customers, and partners mean details matter before decisions. Leaders must treat decisions as journeys, not moments, and recognise local staff as the critical path to progress. Why do global executives struggle? Headquarters often assumes top-down approvals equal action. In Japan, meetings with “the top” rarely move the machine unless the working levels are engaged. Foreign leaders also underestimate uncertainty avoidance embedded in tightly coupled processes—the “Swiss watch” effect—so a small tweak can ripple across functions and clients. Is Japan truly risk-averse? It is more accuracy-seeking than risk-averse. The system prizes predictability because errors propagate widely. What looks like reluctance is often prudent scenario-testing. Reframe risk as uncertainty management: clarify assumptions, run premortems, and build reversible steps that preserve harmony while enabling change. What leadership style actually works? Listening first. LaFleur emphasises not pre-deciding outcomes and actively soliciting ideas from Japanese colleagues. Credibility grows when leaders translate Japan's logic to HQ (and vice versa), sequence approvals, and sponsor inclusive consensus. Authority helps; empathy and patience deliver. How can technology help? Use decision intelligence to visualise interdependencies and simulate impacts. Digital twins of processes reveal where approvals, compliance, and client commitments intersect. Collaborative tools can make nemawashi transparent, while structured knowledge bases preserve networks as staff rotate. Tech should speed alignment, not bulldoze culture. Does language proficiency matter? Fluency amplifies effectiveness but isn't binary. Even partial competence builds sensitivity to context, omissions, and implied meaning. Leaders who grasp how Japanese sentences carry subject and object through context better “hear” what a yes might actually mean in terms of readiness. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? Inspire people to move together. Map the system, honour the culture, and turn listening into aligned action. Keep bringing talent back to Japan so relationships mature; in a consensus economy, trust is compounding capital. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie “One Carnegie Award” (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban “Hito o Ugokasu” Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.
Whether you're curious about e-bikes, new to biking, or finding more eco-friendly ways to travel, micro-mobility is becoming an increasingly popular (and practical) way to get around. But with more people riding on the road, safety, confidence, and smart planning matter more than ever. In this episode of Merging Into Life, host Zack Klapman talks with Tangier Barnes Wright, Deputy Director of Shared Micromobility at PeopleForBikes, about how cities can better support cyclists and how riders can better support themselves. They cover everything from choosing your first route to making yourself visible at night and practicing good etiquette on shared trailsLearn more: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/
In this episode, host Mike Shanley sits down with Steve Harris, Vice President for Defense and Intelligence at the Professional Services Council (PSC). Drawing on his decades of experience in government, including at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Steve shares insights on how PSC bridges industry and government to strengthen the defense industrial base. They discuss: How associations like PSC help government and industry collaborate effectively Why acquisition reform, industrial base capacity, and AI-energy alignment are top priorities for 2025 What attendees can expect at PSC's 7th Annual Defense Conference on October 30th, including featured speakers and panel highlights Practical advice for how government and industry leaders can make the most of conferences and build meaningful connections Whether you're a government professional, a large defense prime, or a small business entering the federal market, this episode offers practical perspective on how PSC drives engagement, advocacy, and insight across the defense sector. RESOURCES: PSC Defense Conference - Registration Link: https://defense.pscouncil.org/ PSC Defense Conference - Link to Sponsors: https://defense.pscouncil.org/sponsors Learn more about PSC: https://www.pscouncil.org/psc PSC Vision Conference - December 1 -3, 2025: https://vision.pscouncil.org/ Connect with Steve Harris on LinkedIn: / steve-harris-vp Connect with Mike Shanley on LinkedIn: / gov-market-growth BIO: Steve Harris, Vice President of Defense and Intelligence, PSC Steve Harris became Vice President for Defense and Intelligence at the Professional Services Council (PSC) on June 9, 2025. He brings more than 28 years of federal service, including positions at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD), along with extensive expertise in interagency collaboration, public-private partnerships, international policy, and acquisition. Before joining PSC, Harris was a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) and served as the Deputy Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). In this capacity, he led CISA's efforts to secure the nation's critical infrastructure in partnership with government and private-sector stakeholders. He also held several other senior roles at CISA and its predecessor organization, including Acting Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security, Acting Deputy Director for CISA, Acting Assistant Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate's (NPPD) Office of Infrastructure Protection, and Deputy Director of NPPD's Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis. Earlier in his career, Harris held various positions within the Department of Defense. He served as Deputy for Policy at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he developed and implemented international policy for Foreign Military Sales and security cooperation programs. He also held contracting and acquisition roles at the Naval Air Systems Command and the Navy International Programs Office. Harris has received numerous awards for his public service, including the Presidential Rank Award – Meritorious Executive, the DHS Secretary's Silver Medal for Meritorious Service, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service. He holds a Master of Science in Management/Contract Management from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary's College of Maryland. LEARN MORE: Thank you for tuning into this episode of the GovDiscovery AI Podcast with Mike Shanley. You can learn more about working with the U.S. Government by visiting our homepage: Konektid International and GovDiscovery AI. To connect with our team directly, message the host Mike Shanley on LinkedIn. https://www.govdiscoveryai.com/ https://www.konektid.com/
Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Donald Trump was relatively drama-free, but the devil is in the detail when it comes to the president’s ‘commitments’ on AUKUS and critical minerals. On this crossover episode of Follow the Money and After America, Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss why Australia is still unlikely to receive any Virginia-class submarines, why the “shared values” that supposedly underpin the Australia-US alliance are looking increasingly shaky, and Trump’s bizarre AI video showing himself dropping excrement on protesters. You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS. After America: Australia and the new world order by Emma Shortis is available via Australia Institute Press. Guest: Emma Shortis, Director of International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Can Albanese claim ‘success’ with Trump? Beyond the banter, the vague commitments should be viewed with scepticism by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (October 2025) Albanese hints US could still seek changes to Aukus agreement amid review by Josh Butler, Guardian Australia (October 2025) Trump’s shutdown power play, After America, the Australia Institute (October 2025) Trump’s tragedy: the US becomes an autocracy and the presidency, a dictatorship by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (October 2025) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the sixth episode of our trade series, Pitchfork Economics producer Freddy Doss talks with Mexican economist Juan Carlos Moreno-Brid about how NAFTA — and now the USMCA — reshaped Mexico's economy in ways that those of us north of the Rio Grande almost never hear about. Yes, exports skyrocketed. But wages stagnated, domestic industry hollowed out, and Mexico became structurally dependent on the United States — even as political rhetoric in the U.S. grew more hostile toward Mexican workers. Moreno-Brid explains why the promised “shared prosperity” never arrived, why Mexico got stuck in an export-without-development trap, and what a truly fair and resilient U.S.–Mexico trade relationship would actually require. It's a perspective rarely heard in Washington, and an essential one for understanding the real stakes of North American trade. Juan Carlos Moreno-Brid is a professor of economics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and one of Latin America's leading experts on trade, industrial policy, and economic development. A former Deputy Director of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) office in Mexico, he has spent decades analyzing the impacts of NAFTA and Mexico's transition to an export-led model. His research focuses on inequality, industrialization, and the structural challenges facing emerging economies. Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social TikTok: @pitchfork_econ Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer, @civicaction YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Substack: The Pitch
John Whyte, Deputy Director for UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, on aid deliveries resuming in Gaza yesterday.
Jennifer Schwalenberg is a New Mexico Casting Director based in Santa Fe. She began her casting career in Los Angeles in 1995, working for prominent commercial casting director, Beth Holmes. She spent five years honing the craft of traditional commercial casting while also scouting the streets for directors who favored “real people.” During her tenure at BHC, Jennifer worked on hundreds of national commercials, including numerous Super Bowl campaigns.She eventually left L.A. for Santa Fe, her geographic dream, hired by the New Mexico Film Office under Governor Bill Richardson to create a Native American casting database to showcase the state's tribal members.Jennifer served as Deputy Director of the New Mexico Film Office where she devoted her time for eight years recruiting and servicing productions, marketing New Mexico, its communities and resources, coordinating scouts throughout the state, managing the tax credit and loan programs, and assisting producers, studios and networks throughout production and the incentive process.She went back to her love of casting and joined the Midthunder Casting team from 2013 to 2019, where she worked on dozens of feature films, television productions, local and national commercials. Jennifer opened Casting by Jen in 2019, with highlights including local casting on four seasons of Dark Winds, The Night Driver, Lone Wolf, Olmo, and Rez Ball.She is a Member of the Casting Society of America, Television Academy, and Governor's Council on Film & Media Industries. Jennifer is passionate about animal welfare and her three large rescue dogs are often seen in her virtual casting sessions.Casting By Jen Watch DARK WINDSStagecoach FoundationNew Mexico Film Office-What's My Frame, hosted by Laura Linda BradleyJoin the WMF creative community now!Instagram: @whatsmyframeIMDbWhat's My Frame? official siteWhat's My Frame? merch
Twenty-five years ago, a landmark paper warned that the world's coral reefs could vanish by 2050. Now, halfway to that projected date (and amid ever more frequent coral bleaching events), that grim prediction feels increasingly close to reality. What is the current state of Earth's coral reefs, and what would happen to our planetary home without them? In this episode, Nate is joined by Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, the marine biologist who made this landmark prediction, for an update on the health of coral reefs and the primary ecological stressors driving their decline. Drawing on decades of research, he explains the mechanisms of coral bleaching, the critical biodiversity hotspots that reefs create, and the implications for human populations that depend on these ecosystems. Ove also touches on the emotional impact of witnessing the loss of reefs for the scientists who have dedicated their lives to studying them. How are human actions increasingly putting pressure on the very ecosystems that support more than one billion people? What would happen to the broader health of the oceans if reefs were to disappear entirely? And most of all, what changes can both individuals and institutions make today to support the health of these vital ecosystems – and in-turn, the well-being of the entire Earth? (Conversation recorded on August 6th, 2025) About Ove Hoegh-Guldberg: Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, as well as the Deputy Director of the Centre for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies. Over the past 10 years, he was also the Founding Director of the Global Change Institute. In addition to this work, Ove conceived and led the scientific XL-Catlin Seaview Survey which has surveyed over 1000 km of coral reefs across 25 countries and captured and analysed over 1 million survey images of coral reefs. Ove's research focuses on the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems, and he is one of the most cited authors on climate change. He has also been a dedicated communicator of the threat posed by ocean warming and acidification to marine ecosystems, being one of the first scientists to identify the serious threat posed by climate change for coral reefs in a landmark paper published in 1999, which predicted the loss of coral reefs by 2050. Show Notes and More Watch this video episode on YouTube Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie. --- Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future Join our Substack newsletter Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners
In this episode of Nurse Converse, host Rebeca Leon partners with Vot-ER to explore how civic health is public health. She's joined by Marcos Damian-Noyola, Deputy Director of Partnerships at Vot-ER, and Gilanie De Castro, RN, MSN, OCN, NE-BC, a nurse leader and former Civic Health Fellow.Together, they discuss how voting, policy, and advocacy shape patient care and community well-being. From telehealth and nurse staffing laws to lessons from the pandemic, the conversation highlights how nurses can use their voices beyond the bedside to drive meaningful change. Tune in to learn:Why civic engagement is essential to public healthHow Vot-ER empowers healthcare professionals to promote voter participationPersonal stories connecting nursing, policy, and patient outcomesWays to get involved using Vot-ER's free, nonpartisan tools and fellowshipsListen, be inspired, and join the movement to build a healthier democracy — one nurse, one vote, one community at a time.>>Vote in Scrubs: Why Civic Health Is Public HealthJump Ahead to Listen:[00:01:19] Civic health awareness in nursing.[00:04:14] Civic health and public health.[00:08:13] Voting access and health outcomes.[00:12:52] Civic engagement in nursing.[00:16:06] Impact of policies on health.[00:19:49] Voting and healthcare access.[00:25:05] Nurses and voting advocacy.[00:27:25] Time off to vote policy.[00:31:32] Civic engagement for nurses.Connect with Rebeca on Social Media:Instagram: @EnfermeraMami.RNConnect with Gilanie on Social Media:Instagram: @CitizenNurseWebsite: www.citizennurse.comFollow Vot-ER on their official channels:Website: vot-er.orgInstagram: @vot_er_orgThreads: @vot_er_orgLinkedIn: Vot-ERFor more information, full transcript and videos visit Nurse.org/podcastJoin our newsletter at nurse.org/joinInstagram: @nurse_orgTikTok: @nurse.orgFacebook: @nurse.orgYouTube: Nurse.org
This week's episode of Management Matters with James-Christian Blockwood features key selections from a recent Academy Standing Panel. It is clear the federal government impacts local government, city and county leaders have always had to leverage federal resources, but can that continue given budget constraints and the increasingly partisan political environment? Panelists highlight the impact of federal decision-making on services to people in communities (and foreshadow that the pressure and consequences will soon be felt), raise important questions about the size of government and how budgets dictate policy, and suggests what changes and investments are needed going forward.Tanisha Briley, City Manager, Gaithersburg, MDMichael Jacobson, Deputy Director, King County Office of Performance Strategy & Budget, WAVince Micone, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations, Department of LaborAlso featured on the full event: Abby Andre, Executive Director of the IMPACT ProjectChris Koliba, Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor of Public Administration, Policy & Governance, University of KansasView the full event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcLmE5Lva4Y&t=4286sManagement Matters is a presentation of the National Academy of Public Administration produced by Lizzie Alwan and Matt Hampton and edited by Matt Hampton. Support the Podcast Today at: donate@napawash.org or 202-347-3190Episode music: Hope by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comFollow us on YouTube for clips and more: @NAPAWASH_YT
Dr Todd Bond is marine ecologist who goes where very few humans have ever been: the underworld, or the deep ocean. There, he studies the strange, scary and often cute creatures who call the deepest parts of our oceans home.This part of the ocean starts at 6000 metres deep, and is known as the 'Hadal Zone'.Todd travels there in a small titanium submersible, not much bigger than his own 6'4'' frame.Waiting there for Todd, in the inky darkness, is mysterious and magic, and is still largely unexplored by humans.And when he can't get there himself, Todd sends cameras down to poke around these trenches and caverns.Dr Todd Bond is the Deputy Director of the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre at The University of Western Australia. You can read more about what the centre does online.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores fish, marine biology, marine science, Twiggy Forrest, deep sea, space, exploration, human curiosity, why fish matter, bio-medicine, submarines, OceanGate, Titan submersible implosion, James Cameron, Anglar Fish, snail fish, UWA, university, PhD, doctorate, how to study fish, why we study fish, Mariana Trench, Christmas Island, Java Trench, puffer fish, Antarctica, marine park, conservation, off-shore mining, manganese mining, deep sea mining, ethical science.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.
In this rare and candid conversation, Todd Chrisley sits down with Billy Marshall, Director of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Together, they open up about life inside the prison system, the realities of incarceration, and what change might look like from both personal and institutional perspectives.This interview goes beyond headlines to explore Todd's personal experience serving time in the federal prison system, Billy Marshall's role leading the BOP and overseeing federal corrections, and honest discussions about reform, accountability, and the future of corrections in America.Whether you've followed Todd's story from the start or you're interested in learning more about how the federal prison system really works, this conversation gives insight you won't hear anywhere else.THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!- Cowboy Colostrum: Visit www.cowboycolostrum.com and get 25% OFF your entire order when you use code CHRISLEY at checkout! #CowboyColostrumPod- Clean Safe Products: Go to www.cleansafeproducts.com/CHRISLEY today to get $15 OFF the Green Mitt Kit, the world's easiest soft surface cleaning solution!- Jones Road Beauty: Use code CHRISLEY at www.jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Cool Gloss with your first purchase! #JonesRoadBeauty #ad- Just Thrive: Go to www.justthrivehealth.com/CONFESSIONS to save 20%! Take the 90-Day Just Thrive Challenge today because when your gut thrives, you thrive!- Genesis Gold Group: Visit www.chrisleylovesgold.com today for your FREE Family Wealth Protection Gold Guide and join thousands of Americans who've protected their legacy with real assets!- Superpower: Go to www.superpower.com to learn more and lock in the special $199 price while it lasts. Live up to your 100-Year potential. #superpowerpodFOLLOW US ON SOCIALS:Todd Chrisley:Insta: (https://www.instagram.com/toddchrisley)Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/toddchrisley)Julie Chrisley:Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/juliechrisley)Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/JulieChrisley)Chrisley Confessions 2.0:Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/chrisleyconfessions2.0)TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisleyconfessions2.0)YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisleyConfessions)Produced and Edited by: The Cast Collective (Nashville, TN)YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/@TheCastCollective)Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/thecastcollective)TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@castcollective)About Billy Marshall:William K. Marshall III is the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Director Marshall was sworn in on April 21, 2025, and assumed responsibility for the operation of 122 BOP facilities, six regional offices, two staff training centers, and 22 residential reentry management offices. He is responsible for the oversight and management of approximately 36,000 staff members and 156,000 federal inmates.Director Marshall began his law enforcement career with the West Virginia State Police in Huntington, where he was honored as the 1995 National Association of Police Organizations West Virginia Police Officer of the Year. He transferred to the Interstate Drug Interdiction Team and worked with the West Virginia Worker's Compensation Fraud Task Force, as well as on drug task forces in Charleston and Parkersburg. His exemplary service led to his selection for the IRS Criminal Investigation Division's Fraud Task Force, working out of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia in Charleston, during which time he also received a deputation from the U.S. Marshals Service.Promoted to Sergeant in 2006, Director Marshall later became the Commander of the Pleasants County Detachment before serving as Commander of the Wood County Detachment. He was then selected as the Deputy Director of Traffic Records at State Police Headquarters, where he collaborated with the Governor's Highway Safety Program. In 2010, Director Marshall returned to Wood County to resume command until his retirement in July 2017, concluding more than 25 years of service with the West Virginia State Police.Following his retirement, Director Marshall was appointed as the first Director of Corrections Investigations for the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety (now known as the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security). He was also designated the Director of the Division of Juvenile Services. Under the newly formed Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, he served as Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Juvenile Services until Governor Jim Justice appointed him as the Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation in January 2023.Director Marshall earned his undergraduate degree from Marshall University and is a graduate of the West Virginia State Police Academy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.