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Allen covers Siemens Gamesa’s warning that Europe is 40 GW short on offshore wind, Shell’s plan to sell its offshore wind farms, Maine’s multi-state bidding round, and Egypt’s grid financing deal. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! The wind industry got a warning this week… and it came from the top. Siemens Gamesa, the world's largest maker of offshore wind turbines, says governments in Europe may be running out of time. The company's chief executive sounded the alarm Thursday. Europe is currently forty gigawatts short of its one-hundred-and-twenty gigawatt offshore target for twenty thirty. Sixteen gigawatts of projects in Germany alone are at risk of delay, tangled up in lengthy permitting and grid connection backlogs. The plants are running full today. But without new orders soon, factories could go dark for contracts starting in twenty twenty-eight. “It is not yet an existential threat,” said Siemens Gamesa chief Vinod Philip, “but it could become one.” He stopped short of predicting shutdowns. But he said the company would likely have to downsize resources if governments fail to act quickly. Europe's offshore supply chain has already committed fourteen billion euros to meet the twenty thirty targets. That is roughly sixteen billion dollars… with no guarantee the orders will follow. Meanwhile… one of the world's biggest oil companies is quietly walking away from wind. Shell is preparing to sell its offshore wind farms in a deal that could fetch more than one billion dollars. The company has hired advisers to run the process, which could launch before the year is out, with a sale expected sometime in twenty twenty-seven. Shell once dreamed of becoming the world's largest electricity producer. That vision died when its current chief executive took over in early twenty twenty-three and shifted the focus back to fossil fuels and shareholder returns. Since then, Shell has been unwinding its green power portfolio piece by piece. It sold its European onshore renewables arm. It sold Indian renewable company Sprng Energy, which it had bought just years earlier for one-point-five-five billion dollars. And it walked away from planned offshore wind farms in Scotland. When this latest sale closes, Shell will have little wind left in its portfolio. But where one door closes… another opens. Up in the northernmost corner of Maine, a region that has sat on one of the best wind resources in the country for years, a long-awaited breakthrough may finally be at hand. The Maine Public Utilities Commission is closing its latest round of bidding for wind and solar generation in Aroostook County, plus the new transmission lines needed to move that power south to the rest of New England. The target: at least twelve hundred megawatts. Enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. Maine is not going it alone this time. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont are sharing the cost of the new transmission infrastructure. The previous attempt in twenty twenty-one fell apart. Costs rose. Deals could not be finalized. Landowners fought the proposed one-hundred-forty-mile power line. This time, officials say things are different. The multi-state partnership changes the math. And northern Maine's wind resource has not gone anywhere. Dozens of energy companies have signed up to compete, from local developers to major multinationals. If everything goes to plan, the best-case scenario puts new turbines spinning in the twenty thirties. And half a world away… Egypt is making a major investment to keep pace with its own renewable ambitions. The Egyptian prime minister this week witnessed the signing of a financing agreement worth sixty billion Egyptian pounds, earmarked for the national electricity transmission network. That money will go toward upgrading the grid so it can absorb the solar and wind power Egypt plans to add in the coming years. The target: forty-five percent of national electricity from renewable sources by twenty twenty-eight. The electricity minister said modernizing the grid is a “continuous and evolving process,” and that implementation timelines are being compressed to meet that twenty twenty-eight deadline. The wind is shifting. The question is… who moves with it. And that's the state of the wind industry for the 15th of June 2026. Join us for the Uptime Wind Energy podcast tomorrow.
Photo: Pullers on Petersburg's killer whale canoe paddle in the water at Auke Recreation Area near Juneau on June 2, 2026. (Olivia Rose / KFSK) Petersburg (Séet Ká Kwáan), Alaska's first traditional canoe (kéet yaakw) in a century recently completed its maiden voyage. A small group of pullers paddled more than 100 miles through Southeast Alaska, following the tradition known as Journey before arriving in Juneau, Alaska for Celebration. KFSK's Olivia Rose spoke with some of Petersburg's pullers about the experience. Over 200 people, many wearing regalia, are gathered on a sunny afternoon at Auke Recreation Area, the former site of a Tlingit village. Ten canoes are floating near the shore, each taking turns for traditional protocols before landing on the beach. Among them is Petersburg's killer whale canoe. Brandon Ware is the skipper. He shouts an introduction from the water. “My name is Shashanee, my English name is Brandon Ware. I am Naanyaee with the mud shark house. Gulancheesh for having us. We are so grateful to be here. Forgive me if I miss protocol. This is our first Journey in over 100 years [rowdy applause]!” The 39-foot, fiberglass kéet yaakw is Petersburg's first in a century or so. This was its first multi-day Journey, and had its inaugural launch out of Petersburg – another big first – just ten days earlier. Soon, after introductions, permission is given and all the canoes land on the beach. Dozens of pullers from communities throughout and beyond the region are welcomed ashore. There is singing, dancing, and drumming. Friends, family and loved ones find each other in the crowd, hugging, taking pictures together, and congratulating the pullers on their arrival. Ten canoes take turns asking for permission to land at Auke Recreation Area near Juneau on June 2, 2026. (Photo: Yvonne Krumrey / KTOO) Ware says arriving feels … “…bittersweet, man. This is the most incredible feeling in the world, being able to pull up and see everyone here. I had tears in my eyes when we were coming ashore. This has been a dream of mine since I was since I was little, and to be able to see this and see it through, I can’t describe it, I can’t describe it.” Only about nine pullers signed up to paddle kéet yaakw through Alaska's Inside Passage — including his brothers. Sagooch Billy Ware describes the moment as powerful for keet yaakw and his community. And he says coming all this way feels surreal. “I’ve crabbed and I fished in these waters all the way from Petersburg to Juneau, but being able to take the time and camp on the beach, like in sum dum underneath the glaciers, it was breathtaking. It was amazing, and it really gave you a different perspective on just how tough and durable our people were, and just the life that they lived. This has been an amazing experience.” The group did a number of traditional landings, like today's, while making stops at villages along the way. He says the first time they did after departing from Petersburg was especially meaningful to him. “We got to do the first official landing for a canoe out of Séet Ká Kwáan in over 100 years, and I was privileged enough to do the landing introduction, and just ask for the permission to be on their land, and that was an incredibly important moment for me.” That first landing happened in Kake, a village on Kupreanof Island. The group ended up spending about three days there, waiting out some weather. For puller, Young Duane Gabe Dunham, it was the most memorable part of this Journey. “Kake was, they were wonderful hosts, and they fed us every night … and while we were there after dinner, we just, everybody got up and they shared songs, and we all danced … people from almost a half a dozen different communities just came together … and it was a really powerful thing to be able to share with my boys.” Dunham says he joined this historic paddle from Petersburg so he and his two young sons could learn more about Tlingit culture. Christian and Jacob, who tagged along on Journey, mostly aboard the safety boat. There are a couple other special moments on the 10-day Journey that stick out for Dunham, too, like when he earned a nickname from Billy and the group: “We got the Paddle Beaver over here. He chomped through two of them with the power strokes there.” “We were trying to break six knots speed in the canoe, and we nearly got there, but we were all paddling at about 110% and we’re working hard, and that’s when I broke my second paddle [light laughter].” Gooch tláa Victoria Moore paddled the canoe from Petersburg with her son, Đat xá a gutch Alex, who has autism. Like most of the pullers on keet yaakw, this was their first canoe Journey to Celebration. “He did great, I just so appreciate everybody helping me bring him to his culture and to Celebration, to my homeland here in Juneau, and, man, what an incredible to be a part of the canoe that it’s been over 100 years … that’s pretty special to me, and that my son got to join me on that Journey of, you know, making some new connections, so this is beautiful. Gualancheesh,” Over 100 years, ten days, and 100 miles later, Journey is complete for the first traditional canoe out of Petersburg. Kéet yaakw was shipped home to Petersburg after the ceremony – and the four-day Celebration wrapped up on June 6. Reporting help from Yvonne Krumrey Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, June 12, 2026 — Indigenous representation during the world's largest sporting event
We dive into Ivanka and Jared's Albanian nightmare. What were they really up to while trying to develop a private island in Albania on protected land, and what are the ramifications of this secret operation in the broader war of democracy vs. fascism? Why are they trying to buy an island in a part of the world notorious for sex trafficking? These questions matter in light of Ivanka's brother marrying Epstein's longtime banker, and the new bombshell reporting out of the New York Times. The Times reports that the Kremlin Klown Kar (KKK) in the White House uses our tax payer-funded Situation Room–meant for sensitive national security matters–to plot the ongoing Epstein cover-up, protecting Epstein's longtime friend, convicted felon Donald Trump. Look to the show notes for a gift link of the New York Times' reporting. For this week's bonus show, Russian mafia expert Ogla Lautman helps connect the dots on what is up with Ivanka and Jared's mysterious island in Albania, a part of the world known for sex-trafficking. Should we be concerned? The Albanian people are–they're storming their own government in a growing anti-corruption movement over Jared and Ivanka's attempts to buy an ecologically protected island. We also discuss Ben Black, Leon Black's son, getting a job in the Trump administration. Both father and son are all over the Epstein files. To listen to this full episode and support our independent journalism, subscribe to Gaslit Nation on Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com – thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Inside the White House Freakout Over the Epstein Files The president's top advisers gathered in a series of Situation Room meetings as they struggled to contain a scandal engulfing Donald Trump himself. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/magazine/trump-epstein-files-white-house-vance-doj.html?unlocked_article_code=1.pVA.8Bpw._gUv6lvoFPWC&smid=url-share Situation Room Scramble Over Sick Trump Fetish Claim Revealed https://www.thedailybeast.com/situation-room-scramble-over-sick-trump-fetish-claim-revealed/ Records: SC woman accused Trump, Epstein of sexual abuse in 1980s https://www.wistv.com/2026/03/09/records-sc-woman-accused-trump-epstein-sexual-abuse-1980s/ Donald Trump groped me in what felt like a 'twisted game' with Jeffrey Epstein, former model alleges https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/23/donald-trump-accuser-stacey-williams-jeffrey-epstein Dozens of FBI records apparently missing from Epstein files, including Trump accuser interviews https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/24/us/epstein-files-trump-accuser-missing-files-invs Justice Department publishes documents with sexual assault allegations against Trump https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/05/donald-trump-epstein-files-allegations-00816123 Opening clip: Rep. Garcia on MSNow https://bsky.app/profile/robertgarcia.house.gov/post/3mnzjwzllis2l "House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia says he plans to formally ask Chairman Comer to bring JD Vance, Susie Wiles, and Kash Patel before the Committee in light of the new NYT Epstein reporting." https://bsky.app/profile/kylegriffin1.bsky.social/post/3mnzj3dj7ns2z Trump appointee leading $205bn US agency had personal ties to Epstein, emails show https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/ben-black-investment-trump-epstein Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Find your community at GaslitNation.Substack.com or Patreon.com/Gaslit
Editors Jimmy Lovaas and Halima Mansoor discuss the earthquake in the southern Philippines that's left dozens dead, hundreds injured, and thousands displaced, plus more on a UFC fight at the White House, a referendum in Switzerland, the EU Summit, and the Juneteenth holiday in the U.S.Subscribe to the show: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many more. These stories and others are also available in our free weekly Forecast newsletter.This episode includes work from Factal editors Halima Mansoor, Michael Archer, David Wyllie, and James Morgan. Produced and edited by Jimmy Lovaas. Music courtesy of Andrew Gospe. Have feedback, suggestions, or events we've missed? Drop us a note: hello@factal.comWhat's Factal? Created by the founders of Breaking News, Factal alerts companies to global incidents that pose an immediate risk to their people or business operations. We provide trusted verification, precise incident mapping, and a collaboration platform for corporate security, travel safety, and emergency management teams. If you're a company interested in a trial, please email sales@factal.com. To learn more, visit Factal.com, browse the Factal blog, or email us at hello@factal.com.Read the full episode description and transcript on Factal's blog.Copyright © 2026 Factal. All rights reserved.
Is this the start of a new phase in the US-Iran war?Following another night of US strikes on Iran and Tehran responding by hitting its Gulf neighbours, Donald Trump has today vowed to ramp things up even further tonight. Roland Oliphant discusses the latest news with chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair, and asks whether Trump can bomb his way out of the deadlock. Plus, for the first time ever, the World Cup 2026 will see a nation host a team it's currently at war with. As the competition kicks off, sports news reporter Tom Morgan joins Roland Oliphant from Mexico to discuss the strength of each side's teams, the politics behind the visa and ticketing rows, and how Iran and USA could even face one another on the pitch. HighlightsTrump hits Iran with dozens of Tomahawks and vows to keep goingThe World Cup Iran war row: Everything you need to knowCONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantDavid Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdtTom Morgan, sports news correspondent @Tom_MorgsCONTENT REFERENCED:Iran arrive at World Cup with swipe at US over attack on schoolhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/06/08/iran-team-arrive-mexico-world-cup-swipe-us-attack-school/As cartels slink into shadows for the World Cup, horror remainshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/06/10/world-cup-mexico-search-victims-cartels-disappeared/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk ► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dozens of our region's hospitals could be fined for not publishing information about their pricing. A Long Island nonprofit helps folks navigate the new rules around SNAP. Governor Lamont weighs in on the senate race in Maine. Plus, the latest from WSHU's Good at Heart.
The U.S. carried out strikes against Iran after President Trump blamed Tehran for downing a U.S. Army helicopter. The Wall Street Journal’s Shelby Holliday details the dramatic rescue of two U.S. soldiers that followed. Election betting is on track for record highs this cycle, and the prediction markets are dealing with a surge of insider trading. Reuters’s Douglas Gillison walks through the cases already emerging. Dozens of families who were separated during the first Trump administration have been separated again, despite a landmark settlement meant to reunify them. Garance Burke of the Associated Press tells us the story of one of those families. Plus, the House passed Republicans’ $70 billion immigration bill, the FDA approved the first new U.S. sunscreen ingredient in nearly two decades, and how the Knicks’ playoff run is making MSG Sports shareholders very rich. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.
CreepGeeks Podcast Episode 362 INTRO You're listening to CreepGeeks Podcast! This is Season 10, Episode 362 World Cup FIFA 2026, Stargate, Star Trek, Sentient Plasmoids, and good drone bad drone. Welcome to CreepGeeks Podcast! We broadcast paranormal news and share our strange experiences from our underground bunker in the mountains of Western North Carolina. THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY BARLEY'S BITES Barley's Bites Barley's Bites is dedicated to providing top-quality, home-made dog treats for every doggo to enjoy. Our treats are made with fresh, healthy ingredients and no harmful chemicals, ensuring your pet receives the best possible nutrition. Jack loves them, and the dog neighbors approve. Made in New Mexico! Thanks, Kristen and Dave, for sending Jack and us some tasty treats! Barley's Bites: Exclusive offer for CreepGeeks Listeners- Barley's Bites would like to offer all CreepGeeks Podcast listeners 20% off their orders with code "CreepGeeks" at checkout. Your favorite anomalous podcast hosts are Greg and Omi Want to support the podcast? Join us on Patreon: CreepGeeks Paranormal and Weird News is creating Humorous Paranormal Podcasts, Interviews, and Videos! Get our new Swag in our Amazon Merch Store: https://amzn.to/3IWwM1x Get Starlink for Rural Internet Access- Starlink | Residential Hey Everyone. You can call the show and leave us a message! 1-575-208-4025 Use Amazon Prime's Free Trial! Did you know YOU can support the CreepGeeks Podcast with little to no effort? It won't cost you anything! When you shop on Amazon.com using our affiliate link, we receive a small percentage. It doesn't change your price at all. It helps us keep the coffee and gas flowing in the Albino Rhino! CreepGeeks Podcast is an Amazon Affiliate CheapGeek and CreepGeeks Amazon Page's Amazon Page Support the Show: CreepGeeks Swag Shop! Website- CREEPGEEKS PARANORMAL AND WEIRD NEWS Hey everyone! Help us out! Rate us on iTunes! CreepGeeks Paranormal and Weird News Podcast on Apple WARNING: This Podcast May Contain Bioengineered and Cell-Cultivated Food Products. Stanley Milford Navajo Rangers Book- The Paranormal Ranger: A chilling memoir of investigations into the paranormal in Navajoland https://amzn.to/3ZhzG8m Interested in Past Lives or Past Life's Journeying- RC Baranowski. Past Life Journeying: Exploring Past, Between, and Future Lives Past Life Journeying: Exploring Past, Between, and Future Lives - Kindle edition by Baranowski, R. C.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Over on our Patreon- Patron's Messages- Welcome, Patrons and new Patrons- New Lake Shawnee Haunted Amusement Park Video is available! Brown Mountain Lights Brown Mountain Lights Geological Survey- Here's a thought: Are Brown Mountain Lights caused by lithium? 1-800 Number Comments- Fate Magazine - Fate Magazine Did you know that #creepgeeks is ranked- FeedSpot- 10 Best North Carolina News Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025 10 Best North Carolina Technology Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025 GoodPods- Best Fortean Podcasts [2025] Top 3 Shows - Goodpods Best Bigfoot Podcasts [2025] Top 30 Shows - Goodpods Greg's Pen Tangent -The Sharpie S-Gel in Copper: https://amzn.to/4gNatda CreepGeeks Podcast NEWS: Omi- Into the Shadows of McDowell County Haunted Hollers of McDowell County What are we doing, what're we up to? CreepGeeks Podcast has won its copyright debacle. Digital Audio Player: FIIO Snowsky Echo Mini https://amzn.to/4n8rQYh Omi is a big-time artist and is busy. North Carolina artist creates 'Bluebirds of Hope' from glass shattered by Helene | Fox Weather One Artist Picks Up the Pieces | Our State Greg is pushing forward in his quest to own his own digital content. Greg celebrated his YouTube Channel's 15th birthday! Listener Messages- Last Episode FollowUp: World Cup FIFA 2026- American Heat is real, we told you. Europe has downplayed how hot it is in the USA. Shocker, it's worse than they knew. News Organizations are saying our normal heat levels are suddenly more dangerous than ever. Settle down, it's Summer, it's always hot. To combat extreme North American summer heat, many of the 104 World Cup 2026 matches are scheduled for late afternoon or evening kickoffs: Primetime Night Games: 22 matches (8:00 PM - 10:00 PM local time). Late Afternoon/Twilight Games: Over 30 matches (5:30 PM - 7:00 PM local time), with second halves often transitioning into night. As World Cup 2026 begins, dangerous heat is building across US World Cup player sends stern warning to FIFA amidst serious concerns over North American heat | All Out Soccer Can FIFA World Cup Compete With The Heat? 4 Looming Challenges Comments that aggravate me and muddy the issues. Probably just bots. Blaming Political Figures, past and present. All we want is a livable wage, affordable healthcare, and housing in response to incredible human events. Childhood Allergies: Childhood egg allergies fall as early introduction becomes more common, new study finds WORLD NEWS: WEIRD NEWS: Human Skull Donated to Florida Thrift Store SCI-FI NEWS: Stargate reboot cancelled by Amazon because only fans would like it? Paramount's New Star Trek Strategy Will Go Down as 1 of Sci-Fi's Most Historic Fumbles Uhura Wrongful Death Suit TECH AI: Clown Robot Roundhouse Kicks Kid Unmanned drone boat rescues 2 US crew members after helicopter downed by Iranian drone - ABC News TIKTOK: CRYPTID: Filmmakers claim they've caught America's Loch Ness Monster on video: 'My eyes were popping out' UFO /UAP: Sentient Plasmoids- https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Sentient+Plasmoids&atb=v468-1&ia=web Capitol Hill UFO Press Conference: Grusch Reveals Multiple Non-Human Life Forms, Legacy Programs, Sentient Plasmoid Entities, and Dozens of Aware U.S. Bases https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-government-aware-of-several-kinds-of-alien-life-whistleblower-says/ar-AA25eaaU PARANORMAL: ANIMALS: 'They surprise me every time': bees can use tools to solve problems, study finds *AD BREAK* READ: If you like this podcast, subscribe on YouTube, follow on Spotify, review on Apple podcasts, support on Patreon, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @CreepGeeks. LIBSYN AD *AD BREAK* Bumper Music- SHOW TOPICS: AD- Want to Start your own podcast? https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=CREEP Looking for something unique and spooky? Check out Omi's new Etsy, CraftedIntent: CraftedIntent: Simultaneously BeSpoke and Spooky. by CraftedIntent Want CreepGeeks Paranormal Investigator stickers? Check them out here: CraftedIntent - Etsy Check out Omi's new Lucky Crystal Skull Creations: Lucky Crystal Skull: Random Mini Resin Skull With Gemstones - Etsy Get Something From Amazon Prime! CheapGeek and CreepGeeks Amazon Page's Amazon Page Cool Stuff on Amazon -Squatch Metalworks Microsquatch Keychain: Microsquatch Keychain Bottle Opener with Carabiner. Laser-cut, stone-tumbled stainless steel. DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE USA. Amazon Influencer! CheapGeek and CreepGeeks Amazon Page's Amazon Page Instagram? Creep Geeks Podcast (@creepgeekspod) • Instagram photos and videos Omi Salavea (@craftedintent) • Instagram photos and videos CreepGeeks Podcast (@creepgeekspodcast) TikTok | Watch CreepGeeks Podcast's Newest TikTok Videos Need to Contact Us? Email Info: contact@creepgeeks.com Attn: Greg or Omi Want to comment on the show? omi@creepgeeks.com greg@creepgeeks.com Business Inquiries: contact@creepgeeks.com CreepGeeks Podcast Store Music is Officially Licensed through Audiio.com. Artist: Paper Tiger / Song Name: Knollwood / License# 1227348319 #creepgeek #bigfoot #mattrife #creepgeeks Tags: WNCbigfoot NC bigfoot sighting, Bigfoot, Ghost, Appalachianhotblob, Paranormal, CreepGeeks,
At least 35 people have been killed and 12 people are missing, after an earthquake in the southern Philippines on Monday. Rescuers continue to search for survivors near the epicentre of the 7.8 magnitude quake, which triggered a one-metre tsunami. - در پی یک زلزله ۷.۸ درجه ریشتر در جنوب فلیپین، حداقل ۳۵ تن جان باخته و ۱۲ تن دیگر ناپدید شده اند. تیم های نجات در نزدیکی مرکز زلزله در جزیره مینداناو به جستجوی بازماندگان ادامه می دهند.
At least 35 people have been killed and 12 people are missing, after an earthquake in the southern Philippines on Monday. Rescuers continue to search for survivors near the epicentre of the 7.8 magnitude quake, which triggered a one-metre tsunami.
Dozens of draft picks and more than a dozen players changed hands as the OHL trade window opened. Among the interesting stories are Brantford's attempts at a quick turnaround and the curse of being a captain in Niagara. Dan and Farwell break it down while trying to answer a modern OHL team's question -- how do you make up for players lost to the NCAA? Maybe it's time for compensatory OHL draft picks to make up for those losses. Or not... What part of Ethan Belchetz's NCAA deal, Barrie's new buyer, or contract extensions in Sudbury did a prominent OHL reporter want to recall? Farwell and Dan have ideas, plus a look into the Inbox, a discussion of USHL expansion, and some news from the OHL combine that Attack fans will love to hear and Sting fans will frown at. And finally, if the OHL wants to prove it's all grown up, it should act that way by hosting a splashy live draft. Period. Email us anytime at ohlpodcast(at)rogers.com. The OHL Podcast is supported by Draft Kings Sportsbook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
A national system tracks serious bus crashes so regulators can keep roads safe. But the process fails to identify most of a major company's fatal collisions, WBUR and ProPublica found.
DESCRIPTION A major immigration raid in South Carolina sparks debate over illegal labor, corporate accountability, and political timing just days before a critical Republican primary. Tara examines the broader economic impact of illegal hiring practices, the role of business leadership, and why some believe this enforcement action could signal a larger crackdown on employers. SUMMARY A large-scale federal immigration enforcement operation in South Carolina resulted in dozens of arrests, including workers and members of company management. The discussion centers on whether targeting employers and HR personnel could represent a meaningful shift in immigration enforcement strategy. Tara explores claims that illegal labor practices have depressed wages, reduced opportunities for working-class Americans, and created incentives for businesses to circumvent labor and tax laws. The episode also examines the political implications of the raid occurring shortly before South Carolina's Republican primary and questions whether additional prosecutions of corporate leadership could follow. KEY STORIES COVERED 1. Major South Carolina ICE Raid Federal authorities conducted a significant immigration enforcement operation. Dozens of undocumented workers were reportedly detained. Management personnel were also reportedly taken into custody. The raid received national media attention. 2. Employer Accountability Debate Discussion focused on whether immigration enforcement should target business leadership in addition to workers. Questions were raised about potential future investigations involving upper management. The conversation emphasized the role employers play in hiring decisions. 3. Economic Impact of Illegal Labor Claims were made that illegal labor practices suppress wages in certain industries. The discussion highlighted concerns regarding construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and processing plants. Speakers argued that labor market distortions have harmed upward mobility for lower-skilled American workers. 4. Political Fallout Before Primary Day The timing of the enforcement operation became a major topic of discussion. The raid occurred just days before South Carolina's Republican primary election. Debate centered on whether the operation could influence voter perceptions of immigration enforcement. 5. The Future of Immigration Enforcement Discussion explored whether future actions will focus more heavily on employers. The broader conversation examined federal-state cooperation in immigration enforcement. Questions remain regarding whether additional investigations will emerge from the operation. NOTABLE QUOTE "Until the shiny shoes go to prison, it's not going to make a difference." This quote captures the central argument that immigration enforcement should focus not only on illegal workers but also on business leaders who knowingly benefit from unlawful hiring practices. SEO KEYWORDS South Carolina ICE raid, immigration enforcement, illegal immigration, employer accountability, South Carolina politics, Republican primary, workforce economics, labor market impact, federal immigration crackdown, HR arrests SOCIAL MEDIA POST Facebook / LinkedIn
In this classic episode Greg Lawson is talking about his book 'Roswell: The After Action Report'. The Roswell Incident is possibly the most investigated and controversial UFO case in history. There are no shortages of beliefs and opinions to the actual events of this unusual happening. Dozens of corroborated witnesses and hundreds of professed witnesses have been interviewed, each with their varying degree of credibility. In Roswell: The After-Action Report, veteran detective Greg Lawson uses forensic statement analysis and his thousands of hours of training and experience to review the cultural influence, historical context, and eyewitness testimony of those closest involved. The results of his review prove once again, citizens should always be skeptical of those in charge. Bio Have you ever experienced something you could not explain? A feeling, a presence, a voice or a vision? If so, you are not alone. Millions of people have reported such experiences and they often dismiss them as misunderstandings. Still others hastily attribute them to ghosts, spirits, hauntings, the paranormal or the supernatural. Greg Lawson has traveled to over 40 countries visiting some of Earth's strangest sites and conducting his own investigation of their paranormal histories. Greg is a 30-year law enforcement officer, professional investigator, police academy instructor, college educator, and former expert witness for investigative procedures. He also researches and investigates human paranormal experience and locations known for spiritual or unusual activity. He has authored two books on the subject and specializes in providing alternative perspectives to explain human experience. Greg is also a 10-year military veteran with the US Army, Navy, and Air Force, (...yes you can do that...) and is currently a street patrol lieutenant in Central Texas. He uses the thousands of hours of training he has received through his profession and his experience as a detective along with his Masters Degree in Education to study paranormal human experience and physical anomalies. With deployments to Central America, Europe, Northern Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and two Western Pacific sea deployments, Greg is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and holds an honorary Admiral commission in the Texas Navy. Greg received his bachelors degree in applies arts and sciences and his master's degree in education, specializing in complex adaptive human systems. He is a proud alumni of Texas State University. Go Bobcats! https://www.amazon.com/Roswell-After-Action-Report-Greg-Lawson-ebook/dp/B09GRCPTG1 https://www.authorgreglawson.com/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/ https://www.patreon.com/alienufopodcast https://simonbown.com/ My new book, Aspects of Alien Abduction https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRRPCT9Y Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Israel and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to renew their fragile ceasefire and create a number of “pilot” security zones inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah terrorists would be banned. This comes as the US House, for the first time, approved a war powers resolution that would halt the US military action against Iran, even as the US is still negotiating a permanent ceasefire with the Islamic Regime. Horovitz unwinds the storm of headlines from the US and speaks about the relationship between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Dozens of ultra-Orthodox extremists smashed windows and caused property damage while trying to break into Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg’s house during a riot Wednesday night, in the latest such violent demonstration targeting law enforcement over the arrest of Haredi draft dodgers. Sohlberg’s wife, Meira, said to reporters outside her vandalized home. “Look at this devastation; it’s a pogrom. What is this, Kristallnacht?” Horovitz weighs in on what led up to this smashing of a societal red line. Lawmakers voted 61-57 in the Knesset on Wednesday to elect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal lawyer, Michael Rabello, as state comptroller in a controversial do-over vote marred by accusations that illegal pressure tainted the election. Can Rabello freely criticize the government of his former client? We get Horovitz's take. And finally, Horovitz narrates a troubling conversation he held this week -- with AI. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Israel and Lebanon agree to renew truce, create ‘pilot’ zones where Hezbollah is banned US House backs symbolic resolution aiming to halt Iran war, in rebuke of Trump Netanyahu downplays row with Trump, says he and US leader agree on the ‘main things’ ‘A pogrom’: Haredi rioters smash windows, damage home of deputy Supreme Court chief Netanyahu forces through election of his lawyer as state comptroller amid tainted vote Google’s Gemini AI admits it is unfit for purpose: ‘You should not trust a single thing I say’ Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Get the Notes: https://bit.ly/4vlUwS8 If this blessed you, don't just watch and leave. Get plugged in today so you can begin to experience God's Promise for Increase on new and exciting levels:
In this newscast: Celebration officially starts with a Grand Entrance tonight; Carvers have developed a new method to build traditional canoes without relying on old growth trees; Some cruise ship companies in Southeast Alaska say customers are concerned about Hantavirus, but state health officials are more worried about other diseases; Dozens and dozens of candidates officially kicked off their campaigns for governor, Congress and the state Legislature on Monday
Dozens and dozens of candidates officially kicked off their campaigns for governor, Congress and the state Legislature on Monday; and in celebration of National Trails Day, Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park is bringing volunteers to work on trail assessments and clean up on June 6th.
Kuwait says one person has been killed and at least 63 injured after Iranian drones strike a terminal building at its international airport. Officials say the dawn strike damaged civilian facilities, including diplomatic missions. Kuwait's foreign ministry called it an act of aggression. Also: Ukraine says a Russian warship was among targets hit in a large-scale drone attack on St Petersburg ahead of the Russian city's annual economic forum. Malawi becomes the latest country to offer to repatriate its citizens from South Africa, following incidents of xenophobia. Japan is being battered by tropical storm Jangmi. The government urges more than 400 thousand people to evacuate because of the risk of flooding and landslides. Voters in six US states choose candidates for mid-term elections in November. Scientists at Harvard University say weight lifting or strength training for two hours a week could increase your life span. And ahead of the men's football World Cup, a 92-year-old illustrator brings out a new book out about the history of the competition. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: Debris lies on the floor as fire burns in the background in the aftermath of Iranian strikes at Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait City. Credit: Social Media/via REUTERS
I LOVE IRISH LITERATURE. And like so many of you, I love the work of Maggie O'Farrell – so when I heard her new book was very Irish (set in the aftermath of The Great Hunger in the late 19th century) I wondered if she'd be willing to come on the pod to do one of our favorite things here on Culture Study: offer very specific book recommendations. Stay tuned for a delightful conversation that will add a solid half dozen books to your TBR list. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Go to https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you're in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/ Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today. Show Notes: You can buy Maggie O'Farrell's new book Land here: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780593320648 Links for the 30+ books we recommend are available for paid subscribers. We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this week's piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it's literally the name of the segment. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
//The Wire//2300Z June 1, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MASS WAVES OF MIGRANT CRIME REPORTED THROUGHOUT EUROPE. UNITED STATES CONDUCTS ADDITIONAL TARGETING OF IRAN, IRANIANS RESPOND BY TARGETING KUWAIT AGAIN. STABBING ATTACK REPORTED ON TRAIN IN ATLANTA. HENRY NOWAK MURDER BODY CAM FOOTAGE RELEASED.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Persian Gulf: Over the weekend, more mutual targeting efforts continued throughout the region. The targeting efforts began after an unidentified drone entered Iranian airspace, which was downed by the Iranians. Around the same time, the United States conducted an airstrike on the radio tower at the Iranian base on Sirik Island in the eastern Persian Gulf. An unidentified location in Gerak was also struck as well, which CENTCOM claims was serving as a drone launch site. After this wave of attacks, the Iranians launched two ballistics missiles toward the airbase that the attack was launched from, which they claim was Ali Al Salem Airbase in Kuwait. CENTCOM claimed that both missiles were intercepted. After the tit-for-tat targeting efforts were conducted on Saturday and Sunday, the United States and Iran continued their targeting efforts this morning. One merchant vessel (the MSC SARISKA V) was struck by an Iranian munition in the northern Persian Gulf, off the coast of Kuwait. Several hours after this first strike, the SARISKA reported being hit by a second munition, which caused a fire.Strait of Hormuz: Following the suspected mine detection off the coast of Oman that was reported on Friday, Omani Naval forces made visual contact with the mine, confirming it's coordinates at grid: 40RDQ3450820703. The mine appears to be a Maham-1 type device, a moored contact mine domestically produced within Iran.Lebanon: This afternoon President Trump stated on his social media accounts that he conducted a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, which resulted in Israeli forces halting their advance to Beirut.Analyst Comment: It is extraordinarily unlikely that the advance has actually stopped, however the reference to Beirut itself is odd because the IDF is currently nowhere near the city and there was no indication that they were headed there anyway (the invasion has so far been confined to mostly the areas near the Israeli border, with the main line of advance crossing the Litani a few days ago). It would be no surprise whatsoever if the Israelis actually did want to occupy the entirety of Lebanon (as this has been stated by politicians many times). However, aspirations are harder to achieve on the battlefield and the IDF has been getting hit hard by FPV drones for weeks. Likewise, the large-scale bombing of Beirut has been the main retaliatory measure for these FPV drone attacks, and regardless of President Trump's phone call, the war continues as before. About 20 minutes after President Trump's post, Hezbollah launched rockets and Israeli forces bombed targets in Lebanon again, with neither side expressing interest in halting the fighting.France: Mass civil unrest broke out over the weekend, following the UEFA Champions League soccer match resulting in a win for France. Large scale riots were reported throughout Paris, which carried on into Sunday evening. Dozens of assaults were reported, including some reports of individuals being dragged from their vehicles by mobs of migrants and assaulted.Austria: Yesterday a woman was attacked by an unidentified assailant on a train in Vienna. Local witnesses state that a woman of foreign origin attacked a local Austrian woman in an unprovoked attack while on the subway. No arrests have been made so far regarding this attack.Germany: This morning a migrant mob attack was reported in the small town of Tuttlingen. The mob attack was reported in the vicinity of a bus stop in the town, and resulted in a mob attempting to beat a man to death in the street. The status of the victim remains unclear.Analyst Comment: Extreme levels of violence have become very common in small European towns, even quaint villages tucked away in the foothills of the Alps. Many of these towns are now serving as an above-ground railroad of sorts, funneling migrants en masse northward into Germany. Tuttlingen has become one of these such towns. The bus stations at many of these villages are now effectively no-go areas for many locals, as large volumes of migrants tend to congregate at the facilities as they are transported by NGOs throughout the continent.United Kingdom: This afternoon the bodycam footage of the murder of Henry Nowak was leaked. The footage is worse than what was described in court, and has already resulted in increased calls for police accountability regarding this case.Analyst Comment: While everyone is rightfully calling for police accountability in this case, it is important to remember that people who directly caused the murder are still free. Only the murderer and the chief accomplice (Digwa's mother) were convicted. Per the official press release from the Southampton Constabulary, two other people were arrested that night; Digwa's family members that even the police have admitted lied on the night of the attack, causing the delay that contributed to Nowak's murder. These two other family members have not been charged with any crime.-HomeFront-Georgia: Over the weekend another subway murder was reported in Atlanta. Local authorities state that one assailant stabbed a woman to death on a MARTA train in the vicinity of Oakland City station. The victim died at the scene, and locals claim it was an unprovoked random stabbing attack. The suspect has been identified as John Elijah Matthews, who was arrested at the scene shortly after the murder.Florida: A street takeover mob attack was reported in Clearwater Beach over the weekend. One individual shot another individual during a street confrontation on Coronado Drive, wounding one person.Analyst Comment: Other than the shooting, roving bands and mobs swarmed through Clearwater over the weekend, which is likely to get the attention of much more substantial crowd-control efforts due to this area being a very big vacation area at the height of tourism season.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: In the Middle East, a pattern is beginning to emerge with regard to American targeting efforts in the region. CENTCOM is now conducting "self-defense" strikes on targets that are really stretching the definition of "self-defense", as per all prior CENTCOM targeting guidance. CENTCOM is claiming that since a radio tower was used at some point to support a drone strike, they can strike it in self-defense. The drones that are being launched by the Iranians throughout the region are very likely not being controlled from Sirik Island, but this outpost is probably being used by forward observers. This site was also probably used as a radio base to communicate with merchant shipping, and issue notices from the Iranians via radio.More broadly, these more recent targeting efforts also serve as an indicator for what the United States might be trying to do at a more strategic level. Within the past few days, the United States has twice launched offensive targeting efforts, while claiming to conduct a strike under "self-defense" criteria. This has now slipped into more of a "mowing the lawn" approach to targeting Iranian infrastructure, whereby every couple of days the US bombs something, then the Iranians counterattack, and the US clutches pearls and pretends like CENTCOM didn't start it in the first place. How long the Iranians will put up with this is purely up to them, but they also know that these smaller targeting efforts by the United States are probably intended to provoke a knee-jerk reaction and re-ignite the large-scale bombings of the war. Right now, the Iranians have a very powerful position, so they might not want to jeopardize kicking things off again based on a handful of strikes, but that option is always on the table. How things progress from here is anyone's guess, but every bomb that lands in Iran, and every missile that lands at an American base, is another step farther from the negotiating table.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//
Dozens of missiles and drones hit Kyiv and other major cities in Ukraine on Tuesday. More than a dozen people were killed and 100 injured in the attacks. Russia says it was in response to what it called "terrorist acts." Ramy Inocencio has the latest. Researchers from Penn Medicine found women taking GLP-1 drugs are less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Dr. Celine Gounder breaks down the study's findings and if the drugs caused the difference. A man tried to force his way into pop star Sabrina Carpenter's home in Los Angeles after weeks of watching the property, officials say. On Monday, the singer was granted a temporary restraining order against the man. Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam winner, confirmed her highly anticipated return to tennis in a video she posted on Instagram on Monday. Williams, who will play doubles next week, hasn't competed since 2022. Jericka Duncan reports. A new report finds summer hiring for teens is expected to fall to its lowest level in nearly 80 years. Harvard economist and CBS News contributor Roland Fryer explains what's driving the decline. Former Vice President Mike Pence joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss President Trump's policies and popularity among Republicans, personal values in politics today and who he supports in the Texas Senate race. Grammy Award winner P!nk is preparing to host the Tony Awards on Sunday on CBS. The singer speaks with "CBS Mornings" about what to expect and why she asked her daughter for permission before agreeing to host.
Guest: Kolach Clare The 2026 St. Ludmila’s Kolach Festival is June 12 – 14. The festival is a community-building and fundraising event, held annually on the second week in June. It is a celebration of all things delicious. Hundreds of volunteers bake thousands of fruit-filled pastries. Dozens upon dozens of these delightful desserts are made with ... Read more
While New York City is home to some of the best restaurants and cuisine in the world, the price of eating out can come as a shock to many visitors. In this episode, we're going to explore the real cost of eating and drinking in New York City and give you some tips to save money and budget effectively for your meals while visiting New York City. Let's do it.
Dozens are arrested outside Delaney Hall as officials attempt to calm tensions surrounding the immigration facility, and Joe Pags asks what the media isn't telling you about what's really happening on the ground. He breaks down the protests, the arrests, and the competing narratives surrounding the facility. Then, Jill Biden's book tour continues, and Pags says her comments on Joe Biden's pardons, cognitive decline, and the final years of his presidency are as revealing as they are astonishing. A blunt look at what she's saying now — and why many Americans are asking where this honesty was years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us Fan Mail50 individual billionaires, middle men, have been made from the American health care system.Dozens of pharmaceutical and insurance companies have also gotten filthy rich.While many Americans have gone bankrupt. Some of the numbers will shock you. What if that money didn't go up to the few...Take a listen Support the show
Israel added to blacklist for sexual violence“Israeli soldiers and prison guards have faced allegations of a wide range of abuses against Palestinian detainees since October 2023, including rape, torture, starvation and degrading treatment.At least 100 prisoners have reportedly died in custody under these conditions, with nearly half dying in military detention and the remainder in facilities run by the IPS.Dozens of testimonies from released detainees have detailed alleged mistreatment in Israeli custody.”What does being blacklisted do? First off: A Bar on Peacekeeping Operations: National military, police, or state security forces that are repeatedly listed are prohibited from participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations.Secondly it is more of a shaming tactic. While the listing itself is a public censure, it establishes a formal UN monitoring framework that increases the likelihood of targeted UN Security Council sanctions, arms embargos, or investigations by the International Criminal Court. Thus this aids the ICC investigation that is already ongoing. Above is a clip from TOOL. This has nothing to do with the story of Israel finally being blacklist for their grotesque ongoing acts of rape and sexual torture. But I feel like all of these dark stories can start to eat at people. Music can be therapeutic. It can unlock and release emotions that are already there. TOOL may or may not be you jam. But take a moment today maybe to pull up something you used to like. Use real headphones and take a few minutes to really just tune in.It is important for the mind to get a release. Let me know what your jamming to This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ryandawson.org/subscribe
How many people were legally hanged for stealing horses in the Old West? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? Join me today as we bust one of the most enduring myths of the American frontier. Despite what Hollywood and dime novels would have you believe, there was never a time in the Old West when stealing horses was legally punishable by death. Not in Texas, not in Arizona, not anywhere west of the Mississippi. We'll dig into the Espy File (the gold standard for documenting legal executions in American history), the brutal English Bloody Code inherited by American colonies, the concept of "pious perjury," and why Western juries, much like their English counterparts, flat out refused to convict when they felt the punishment didn't fit the crime. We'll also discuss why the famous Arizona law making train robbery a capital offense only resulted in a single execution, how the cattle barons of the Johnson County War weaponized lynch mobs against innocent homesteaders like Ella Watson, and why guys like Doc Middleton, arguably the most prolific horse thief of all time, walked away with only a few years behind bars. Wild West Quiz - https://wildwestquiz.com/ Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pope Leo XIV writes forcefully on the ethics of AI but even the pontiff himself doesn't dare to put God before private enterprise. Dozens of innocents are dying in American gulags, many by their own hand. Will lame duck Repugnants help to sabotage the Regime? www.charlesbursell.com
The commander of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed Odeh, has been killed in a strike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday - days after his predecessor died in a similar attack.Dozens more were injured in the attack, which hit a residential building in one of Gaza City's busiest market areas, local medics and witnesses said.Also in the programme: We'll hear from Africa's former top health official on the challenge of getting ahead of the newest strain of Ebola; why the moon's south pole is best for a lunar base; and keeping Ozzy Osbourne alive -- through an AI-generated avatar that can interract with his fans.(Photo shows people carring bodies identified by mourners as Hamas' military wing commander Mohammad Odeh and his wife and children during a funeral in Gaza City on 27 May 2026. Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
In early May 2026, transport vans rolled out of Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, carrying beagles toward new lives—grass under their paws, sunlight on their faces, and homes instead of stacked wire cages. Nearly 1,500 beagles were purchased by rescue organizations like Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Beagle Freedom Project after years of documented suffering at one of the nation's largest commercial beagle breeders for biomedical research. This outcome marks a rare, tangible win for animal advocates. But it came only after daring direct-action raids, mass protests met with tear gas and rubber bullets, a special prosecutor's investigation, and persistent legal pressure. Even now, roughly 500 dogs may remain behind as Ridglan winds down its commercial breeding operations by July 1, 2026. The Ridglan story is not just about one facility. It exposes deep, systemic failures in U.S. law that leave millions of animals in laboratories with minimal protections—and even those “covered” by federal rules often receive little meaningful relief. The Raids That Forced Change On March 15, 2026, activists from groups linked to the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs breached fences and buildings at Ridglan Farms. They removed around 22–30 beagles. Some were successfully rehomed; others were recovered by police. However, an estimated 2000 beagles remained in captivity, potentially subject to additional horrific experimentation. Our guest, Dean Guzman Wyrzykowski, was one of these activists. A second, larger action on April 18 drew roughly 1,000 protesters to rescue the remaining beagles. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets. No additional dogs could be rescued that day. Dozens of protesters were arrested, including our guest on The Breggin Hour, Dean Guzman Wyrzykowski, a San Francisco Bay Area-based animal rights activist and political organizer. He is co-founder of The Simple Heart Initiative—a nonprofit dedicated to advancing species equality through open rescue, impact litigation, undercover investigations, and activist training. With over eight years in nonprofit advocacy, Dean has recruited and trained hundreds of activists and is one of the lead organizers of the Ridglan campaign. He now faces serious felony burglary charges—potentially up to 12 years in prison—along with several co-defendants for the first March 15, 2026, rescue effort. Further charges may be pending. As a top priority, we urge that the charges be reduced or dropped to reflect the vastly important ethical basis of the actions of these animal advocates. How to Help Dean Dean reports that the best way to assist him with legal costs is to become a paid subscriber to his Substack at Urbananimal.substack.com. To support ending the breeding of dogs for lab testing, go to Save the Dogs, make a donation, and join over 111,581 others who have already signed the petition to end breeding of dogs for laboratory use. These weren't the first efforts to expose and stop the abuses of these dogs. Ridglan had faced scrutiny for years, including earlier investigations. The raids amplified public outrage and accelerated negotiations between rescuers and Ridglan Farms. In late April, rescue groups announced they had reached a deal to acquire ~1,500 dogs. Transports began in early May, with many “frosted face” seniors (older dogs with graying muzzles) now adjusting to life outside the facility—initially flinching at touch but quickly learning to wag tails and play. Decades of Alleged Cruelty at Ridglan — and Why It Is Winding Down Ridglan Farms operated for decades as a major supplier of beagles for testing. Former employees and state inspections described windowless warehouses, stacked cages over waste pits, high ammonia levels, rusted wires causing injuries, and routine surgeries (including eye procedures and devocalizations) performed without anesthesia or proper pain relief—sometimes by non-veterinarians. In 2025, Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) cited Ridglan for hundreds of violations. A judge found probable cause for animal cruelty. Special Prosecutor Tim Gruenke was appointed to investigate. Rather than face criminal charges, Ridglan chose to wind down. In a negotiated settlement in late 2025, the company agreed to surrender its Wisconsin commercial dog-breeding license by July 1, 2026. This effectively ends its large-scale commercial breeding and sales of beagles to external laboratories. In exchange, the state dropped the threat of felony animal cruelty prosecutions. This agreement was driven by years of accumulated citations, whistleblower testimony, undercover investigations, and intense public and activist pressure. While Ridglan can still conduct limited on-site research under its federal USDA licenses, its days as a major commercial beagle supplier are over. Parallels with Envigo and Other Scandals Ridglan is far from isolated. In 2022, a major scandal erupted at Envigo's breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia. PETA's undercover investigation revealed severe neglect: inadequate food, veterinary care, housing, and staffing; dead puppies were left among litters; and unqualified staff performed invasive procedures. The U.S. Department of Justice intervened, leading to the rescue of over 4,000 beagles—the largest such seizure in U.S. history. Envigo (and its parent company Inotiv) later pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and the Clean Water Act, agreeing to pay a record $35 million+ in fines and shutting down the breeding operation. From the Beagles to the Breggins, Senator Bill Stanley Sought Justice for the Underdog At a state level, key Virginia state legislators were involved in advocating for stronger animal welfare regulations in response to documented Animal Welfare Act violations, poor conditions, and high puppy mortality in the facility. Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Franklin County) was a leading champion at the state level. He visited the facility multiple times, co-sponsored several “Beagle Bills” in 2022 (e.g., SB 87, SB 88, SB 90, SB 604) to increase oversight, close loopholes for research animals, require adoption offers before euthanasia, and penalize repeat violators. He adopted two Envigo beagles (Daisy and Dixie) and worked on adoptions/rescues. We are especially happy to acknowledge Sen. Stanley's contributions because, among several attorneys we contacted to defend us against Robert Malone's lawfare defamation suit against us for $25 million, Bill was the first attorney willing to seriously pursue our case, which ended in the presiding judge throwing Malone's case out of court. From the beagles to the Breggins, Senator Stanley has sought justice for the underdog. The Sand Fly Experiments and High-Profile Scandals Public outrage over government-funded beagle suffering peaked in the early 2020s with revelations about NIH-funded experiments under Dr. Anthony Fauci's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). One widely criticized study involved beagle puppies in Tunisia exposed to sand flies carrying parasites (to study leishmaniasis). Reports described dogs having their heads locked in mesh cages filled with infected sand flies, being used as live bait in desert cages overnight, and in some cases undergoing cordectomies (vocal cord removal) to silence barking. The experiments sparked bipartisan congressional criticism and intense media coverage. The Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) and partners filed habeas corpus petitions seeking court recognition of the Ridglan dogs' right to freedom from cruelty and immediate remedies. While initial petitions faced dismissal, appeals continue for the remaining animals. Why U.S. Law Fails Experimental Animals The core federal statute is the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) of 1966 (and its amendments), enforced by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). It sets minimum standards for housing, feeding, veterinary care, and handling of certain animals. Critical Limitations Include: Massive Species Exclusions: Rats, mice, and birds bred for research—accounting for roughly 95% of lab animals—are explicitly excluded. Cold-blooded animals and others also fall outside coverage. Weak Standards for Covered Species: Even for dogs, cats, primates, etc., the AWA permits painful procedures if deemed “scientifically necessary.” There is no outright ban on specific types of experiments. Self-Regulation via IACUCs: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees—dominated by researchers at the institutions they oversee—review protocols. Approval rates hover near 98%, with limited external oversight. Enforcement Gaps: Under-resourced inspections, reliance on self-reporting, and modest penalties limit impact. Ridglan itself had passed many USDA inspections despite state-level findings of serious issues. Property Status: Animals remain legal property. Novel habeas efforts like the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) challenge this but face significant judicial hurdles, as courts have historically rejected animal “personhood” claims. For those of us who learned in childhood about unconditional love from our dogs, they are not only of equal value to people, but they seem on a higher spiritual level in the love they have given to us. Other frameworks, such as the Public Health Service Policy, apply only to federally funded research and offer even less robust enforcement. The 2022 FDA Modernization Act opened doors to non-animal alternatives, but broader statutory mandates for the “3Rs” (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) remain limited. Reform efforts often stall due to powerful research lobbies, congressional agriculture committees' oversight, and public support for medical research that can overshadow welfare concerns. Broader Context and the Path Forward Ridglan and Envigo show that systemic problems persist despite occasional rescues and fines. Millions of animals continue to be used annually in U.S. labs, yet positive developments exist: growing adoption of alternatives (organ-on-chip, AI modeling, human cell cultures), increased rehoming programs, and shifting public opinion favoring stronger protections. The Ridglan victory shows that sustained pressure—investigations, lawsuits, public protest, and direct rescue—can force change where law falls short. Yet relying on activists risking felony charges is not sustainable. Meaningful reform requires: Expanding Animal Welfare Act coverage to all vertebrates. Stronger, independent oversight and enforcement with real penalties. Mandatory consideration and funding for non-animal methods. Judicial tools (like effective habeas relief) to address cruelty in licensed facilities promptly. A Call to Readers The beagles now tasting freedom represent hope—but hundreds may still face uncertainty, and systemic issues persist for countless others. Share their stories. Support reputable rescues and organizations like The Simple Heart Initiative, the Nonhuman Rights Project, Beagle Freedom Project, and others working on legal and legislative fronts. Contact your representatives and demand real modernization of the Animal Welfare Act. Persistence works. Now we must translate outrage into lasting legal change—so no more facilities like this exist in the first place. What are your thoughts on balancing research needs with animal welfare? Have you followed the Ridglan story, the Envigo case, Dean's work, or the earlier sand fly scandals? Drop a comment or share this post. References / Endnotes Wisconsin Examiner / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage of Ridglan rescues and settlement (2026). Nonhuman Rights Project – Ridglan Beagles case page. U.S. Department of Justice – Envigo sentencing and $35M+ resolution (2024). Bipartisan congressional letters on NIAID/Tunisia sand fly experiments (2021). Dean Guzman Wyrzykowski / The Simple Heart Initiative statements (2026). USDA Animal Welfare Act overview and limitations. Additional reporting from WPR, Right to Rescue, and related investigations. ______ Learn more about Dr. Peter Breggin's work: https://breggin.com/ See more from Dr. Breggin's long history of being a reformer in psychiatry: https://breggin.com/Psychiatry-as-an-Instrument-of-Social-and-Political-Control Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal, the how-to manual @ https://breggin.com/a-guide-for-prescribers-therapists-patients-and-their-families/ Get a copy of Dr. Breggin's latest book: WHO ARE THE “THEY” - THESE GLOBAL PREDATORS? WHAT ARE THEIR MOTIVES AND THEIR PLANS FOR US? HOW CAN WE DEFEND AGAINST THEM? Covid-19 and the Global Predators: We are the Prey Get a copy: https://www.wearetheprey.com/ “No other book so comprehensively covers the details of COVID-19 criminal conduct as well as its origins in a network of global predators seeking wealth and power at the expense of human freedom and prosperity, under cover of false public health policies.” ~ Robert F Kennedy, Jr Author of #1 bestseller The Real Anthony Fauci and Founder, Chairman and Chief Legal Counsel for Children's Health Defense.
Grab the Estes Blue Origin model rocket ahead of Memorial Day with it's lowest price since January! (09:12) SpaceX just launched Starship V3 — its most powerful megarocket yet — into space for the 1st time in spectacular Flight 12 test (14:11) Dozens of Revolutionary War soldiers laid to rest after 250 years (23:42) Security Forces airman becomes first Air Force graduate of Army's revived jungle school (29:01) Unheralded History: Captain Larry L. Taylor, Medal of Honor Recipient, June 18, 1968 (42:40) https://lateforchangeover.com/ #lateforchangeover #veteranvoices #militaryeverything #militarypodcast #spaceforce #airforce #army #navy #marines #coastguard #militaryhistory #militaryhumor
Air New Zealand is making yet more cuts to domestic and international flights in the coming months, as it grapples with volatile jet prices. It's already cut dozens of flights over the next three months into Dunedin. Dunedin travel agent Vincent George spoke to John Campbell.
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From August, Greyhound racing will be illegal here. The move follows several critical reviews of the industry and concerns around animal welfare in the industry. A Transition Agency's been set up to help rehome up to 2000 dogs and is responsible for their welfare until then. Meanwhile Greyhound Racing New Zealand's floating the idea of taking up to 70 dogs, on a charter flight to Queensland Australia, where racing is still legal. Greyhound Racing New Zealand chief executive Edward Rennell spoke to Lisa Owen.
Mega Huepfbergenland is a fun park for children, with 50 bouncy castles in one place, just being set up with no customers there having fun yet. What this means for sound recordists today is rows and rows of generators along the path by the river, allowing us to get close-up recordings of multiple generators as we walk past - an interesting industrial machinery soundscape coming from a children's play attraction.Recorded in Bremen, Germany by Cities and Memory.
Starbucks just posted stronger profits — and the people who helped make that happen are the same protesters who spent months demanding change. The company responded the way corporations always do: cut costs, close underperforming stores, and lay off thousands of workers. Mission accomplished, apparently.Thousands of Starbucks employees are now out of work. Dozens of locations have closed. And the executives who weathered the boycott campaigns and walkouts are reporting to shareholders that margins are improving. This is what "winning" looks like when your protest strategy has no theory of economic leverage.Sean breaks down why the Seattle-born coffee giant's numbers tell a story the protest movement doesn't want to hear — and what it reveals about the gap between activist pressure and real-world consequences for working people.CHAPTERS0:00 Seattle Starbucks Protests Work:…1:57 Starbucks Protests Backfire on Seattle…3:03 300 Layoffs Hit as Union Stores Close3:47 Seattle Mayor Also Can't Afford Seattle5:21 Ex-Governor Blasts Washington's…7:02 Businesses Flee Washington Despite…7:51 Starbucks $400 Million Restructuring…9:32 Howard Schultz Blasts Seattle in WSJ…11:08 Starbucks Sales Surge After Store…12:35 Washington's Bikini Barista Culture14:05 Starbucks Employees Resist Nashville…16:39 Seattle Mayor's Starbucks Boycott…17:54 Seattle FIFA Ticket Sales DisappointSubscribe to @reasonablenews for daily news that cuts through the noise.#CorporateAmerica #Layoffs #ConservativeNews
Alberta premier Danielle Smith announces October referendum to decide whether Albertans want a vote on separatism. B.C. man sentenced to 4.5 years for "most prolific" voyeurism case in Canadian history, involving 652 victims. Foreign Minister Anita Anand says Canadians detained by IDF earlier this week are now in Turkey and are receiving urgent medical care. Uganda suspends travel with neighboring D.R.C. over spreading Ebola outbreak that has killed at least 177 people. NATO leaders are expressing confusion after a U.S. announcement of troop deployments in Poland. South and central China overwhelmed by heavy rain and floods. Dozens dead. Tens of thousands displaced. Veteran guide Kami Rita Sherpa urges Nepal to curb Everest overcrowding after receiving a hero's welcome for his record-breaking 32nd summit.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Master keycards that open every cabin. Youth centers without standardized staffing ratios. Background checks limited to whatever foreign governments provide. No international offender registry. No mandatory device screening. This is the access structure parents are not being told about — the gap between the safety the cruise industry markets and the screening that actually exists. According to a Congressional report, one-third of cruise ship assault survivors were minors. Maritime law firms confirm approximately one-third of their cases involve children. The highest-risk location for crew-on-child incidents: the guest cabin. Parents step out believing a locked door is enough. It is not enough when the crew member has a master key. The industry says it has strict policies. Those policies are self-created, self-enforced, and not independently audited. This is Cruising with Predators from Hidden Killers.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#CruiseShipSafety #KidsClub #MasterKey #CruisingWithPredators #CruiseIndustry #HiddenKillers #FamilyCruise #ChildProtection #TrueCrime #ParentWarning
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Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Someone close to Buster Murdaugh called Alex “a selfish, selfish old man” after the Supreme Court granted a retrial. That's not the language of a family rallying behind a defendant. That's the language of a family that's done.Tony Brueski and Robin Dreeke work through listener questions about the distance between the 2023 family and the 2026 family. Buster testified for his father three years ago. Now he reportedly won't visit him. The brothers who went on Good Morning America insisting Alex was innocent have gone quiet. And then there's Maggie's side—Marian Proctor testified in trial one that Alex never once talked about finding who killed his own wife and son.Robin analyzes what three years of financial crime revelations do to family loyalty. The people who stood by Alex before the full picture emerged had to reckon with the scope of his deception afterward. Dozens of financial crime convictions. Stolen money from people the family knew. An entire legacy destroyed. Robin explains the behavioral pattern: the last people to let go are the ones who don't come back.Tony and Robin examine what the defense does when the witnesses who humanized Alex in round one become unavailable or hostile in round two.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughFamily #MurdaughRetrial #TrueCrime #MurdaughTrial #HiddenKillers #SouthCarolina #CriminalJustice #MurdaughMurders
Australian Kylie Minogue has released 17 studio albums, nearly 100 singles, and sold more than 80 million records worldwide. And yet, most Americans remain largely unaware of this international princess of Pop. While Kylie has had numerous breakthroughs in all of the last five decades, her 2023 dance-pop track “Padam Padam” became one of the biggest hits in her nearly 40-year career, proving that we still can't get Miss Minogue out of our heads. So join the Great Pop Culture Debate as we attempt to name the Best Kylie Minogue Song.Musicals discussed: “Padam Padam,” “The Locomotion,” “Love At First Sight,” “Aphrodite,” “Come Into My World,” “I Should Be So Lucky,” “All the Lovers,” “Slow,” “Can't Get You Out of My Head,” “Your Disco Needs You,” “Confide In Me,” “Spinning Around,” “Get Outta My Way,” “I Believe In You,” “Wow,” “Timebomb”Join host Eric Rezsnyak, GPCD panelists Bob Erlenback and Jonny Minogue, and special guest panelist, Australian screenwriter and director Lee Galea, as they discuss and debate 16 of Kylie Minogue's most enduring songs.For the warm-up to this episode, in which we discuss literally DOZENS of other Kylie Minogue that didn't make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. EPISODE CREDITS:Host: Eric RezsnyakPanelists: Bob Erlenback, Jonny MinogueSpecial Guest: Lee Galea, Screenwriter & Director, "Single, Out"Producer: Curtis CreekmoreEditor: Bob ErlenbackIntro/Outro Song: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch#kylieminogue #kylie #kylieminoguesongs #popmusic #pop #australia #1980s #1990s #2000s #2010s #2020s #padampadam #cantgetyououtofmyhead #getouttamyway #timebomb #aphrodite #thelocomotion #comeintomyworld #yourdisconeedsyou #loveatfirstsight #ishouldbesolucky #allthelovers #spinningaroundSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City is a phenomenal three-day music, food, and art experience. While it's smaller-scale than some major festivals, it boasts an amazing location, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, simple transportation options, and a strong lineup every single year.In this no-nonsense guide, we'll cover the vital topics for a successful Gov Ball experience, including:Brief history of the music festivalWhat to bring/wear to Governors BallGetting to & from the festivalExpert tips for safety, experience, and the best viewingSee our full write-up with relevant links and information here.
These episodes of #thePOZcast, live from Transform 2026 in Las Vegas, are proudly brought to you by our friends at PIN. AI recruiting tools that automate candidate sourcing, screening, and scheduling across 850M+ profiles. Built for recruiters, agencies, and hiring teams. Learn more and check out a demo: https://www.pin.com/book-a-demo?via=adam-posner Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com Takeaways: 1. You Can't Improve What You Can't See The founding insight of BrightHire — and one of the most durable frameworks in this series — is that hiring is the most consequential activity in any business, yet it produces almost no data. Interview conversations happen, and then they're gone. Capturing them isn't surveillance; it's the minimum requirement for actually improving the process. 2. Comp Comes Up in Fewer Than 2% of Candidate Conversations The most surprising data point from BrightHire's 930,000-interview analysis: salary and compensation are almost never what candidates are actually talking about in interviews. What they are asking about: remote and flexible work, company growth trajectory, and product innovation. If your recruitment messaging is leading with comp, you're answering a question most candidates aren't asking. 3. Interview Data Is a Goldmine for Employer Brand Strategy Sliced by seniority, function, and location, BrightHire's interview data tells employers exactly what different candidate segments care about — giving TA teams real intelligence for outbound messaging, recruitment marketing, and preparing recruiters and interviewers to answer the questions candidates are actually going to ask. That's a fundamentally different input for employer brand strategy than surveys or focus groups. 4. Interview Fraud Is Real and Growing — and the Defense Is Already Built The use case nobody anticipated when BrightHire launched: using candidate video profiles to verify that the person who showed up for onboarding is the same person who interviewed. Dozens of customers have built SOPs around this capability. As AI-generated fraud becomes more sophisticated, the ability to cross-reference identity signals across the entire interview process is becoming a core compliance function, not a nice-to-have. 5. AI Interviewers Don't Replace Recruiters — They Give Them Better Candidates Recruiter reaction to BrightHire's AI interviewer product wasn't fear — it was relief. By expanding access at the top of the funnel, AI interviewers surface qualified candidates who would have been passed over due to capacity constraints, giving recruiters a better pool to work from and more time to do the high-value human work of cultivating and closing those candidates. 6. The Recruiter Who Adapts Has a Massive Advantage Teddy's view is direct: recruiting professionals who embrace agentic workflows will be elevated by them. Those who resist are going to find themselves on the wrong side of an irreversible shift. The profession has always evolved — and the ones who leaned into each evolution came out ahead. 7. AI Agents Are Taking on Longer, More Complex Tasks Than Most People Realize Teddy's personal experience in the last six weeks: watching an engineering colleague execute a complex multi-step task by telling his AI agent, 'Find Teddy's Slack and execute on what Teddy asked for' — and then quality-controlling the result. The length and complexity of what agents can handle autonomously is increasing faster than most people outside of engineering teams appreciate. 8. The Right Acquisition Is One That Protects Founder Velocity Teddy's framework for evaluating the Zoom acquisition: founder-led culture at the acquiring company, strong strategic alignment on product thesis, and a track record of enabling acquired companies to retain their brand, culture, and growth trajectory. Workvivo is the proof point. Being acquired by a company where the founder is still running the show at four billion in revenue is a different experience than getting absorbed into a conglomerate. 9. Customers Are Already Building What Vendors Are Selling The most clarifying thing Teddy saw on the conference floor: customers sharing the in-house AI workflows they've already built — and the framework they're using to decide what to outsource. If a tool doesn't touch PII, compliance, or regulatory requirements, they're building it themselves. The bar for defensibility has permanently moved upward, and every vendor on the floor needs to be honest about what's truly irreplaceable about what they offer. 10. Trust Is the Most Valuable Commodity in an AI-Flooded Market In a market where AI has lowered the cost of building software dramatically, vendors are proliferating and noise is at an all-time high. Teddy's observation is that the differentiator in this environment is old-fashioned: trust, integrity, post-sales investment, and actually showing up and delivering on promises. Easy to lose, hard to build — and more valuable than ever precisely because it's become rare. CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Introduction & Congrats on the Acquisition Adam welcomes Teddy Chestnut, co-founder of BrightHire, fresh off the company's acquisition by Zoom. 02:00 – Born Into Recruiting: The Origin Story Both parents in HR for 30 years. Dad met mom as a recruiter. A childhood of dinner table conversations about comp plans — and how that led to BrightHire. 05:00 – The Problem Statement That Started It All Hiring is the most important decision in business, yet treated with less rigor than a $15,000 software purchase. You can't improve what you can't see. 07:30 – 2019: A Crazy Idea That Turned Out to Be Right Pitching interview recording before LLMs, before COVID, before the world normalized AI in meetings — and how the pandemic validated the thesis overnight. 10:00 – The First Customer Who Asked If They Were Charging Enough BrightHire's first beta customer asked if they were making money on the deal. The signal that they were onto something real. 12:30 – From Resistance to Commonplace: The Adoption Journey How resistance to recording interviews dissolved as recording became normalized across all business meetings — and how the conversation shifted to unlocking insights. 15:00 – 930,000 Interviews: What the Data Says The striking finding: comp comes up in fewer than 2% of candidate conversations. What candidates are actually asking about: remote work, company growth, and product innovation. 18:30 – Turning Interview Data Into Employer Brand Intelligence How BrightHire slices that data by seniority, function, and location to give customers real intelligence for outbound messaging, recruitment marketing, and interviewer prep. 21:00 – Interview Fraud: The Use Case Nobody Saw Coming The email that changed BrightHire's roadmap: using candidate thumbnail profiles to verify that the person at onboarding was the same person who interviewed. 24:00 – AI Interviewers: The Next Frontier BrightHire's conviction that AI interviewers expand access — and the recruiter reaction: "This is a godsend because I'm getting better candidates I would have passed over otherwise." 27:00 – The Recruiter Who Adapts vs. The One Who Goes Extinct Recruiters who embrace agentic workflows gain time for high-value human work. Those who resist are on the wrong side of an inevitable shift. 29:30 – Agents Are Taking on Longer-Range Tasks What Teddy witnessed in the last six weeks: a colleague executing a complex task by telling his agent "Find Teddy's Slack and execute on what Teddy asked for." 32:00 – The Zoom Acquisition: Why It Was the Right Move Founder-led culture, strong product thesis alignment, and the Workvivo track record as proof that Zoom enables acquired companies to thrive independently. 35:00 – What Impressed Teddy Most on the Conference Floor Not a vendor product — the in-house AI workflows customers have already built, and the framework they're using to decide what to outsource vs. build themselves. 38:00 – Trust Is the Most Valuable Commodity in AI-Flooded Markets In a market where building AI products is cheap and vendors are proliferating, the only truly defensible asset is trust — brand, integrity, and delivering on promises.
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The future of war has been evolving before our eyes in Ukraine, yet the west still plans to fight the last war. In this special episode, guest host Noah Smith (@noahpinion) and Brandon Anderson sit down with Yaroslav Azhnyuk (@YaroslavAzhnyuk), a serial tech founder who went from building PetCube to founding The Fourth Law, one of the world's most advanced AI-guided drone companies. Over two hours we cover the technology, tactics, and geopolitics of drone warfare, and why the modern battlefield has already left the West behind:* Yaroslav's personal history and the Ukraine war [00:01:04 – 00:14:01]* The modern drone tech stack: why FPV drones are the new god of war, the future of the rifleman, fiber optic vs. AI, five levels of autonomy, and the eight dimensions of the autonomous battlefield [00:14:01 – 01:05:13]* The geopolitics and economics of drones: China's manufacturing advantage, the drone race, Western defense readiness, countermeasures, and why the gap is widening [01:05:13 – 01:58:57]For those looking for Noah Smith's commentary, it really gets going around the 00:51:31 mark.Yaroslav Azhnyuk / The Fourth Law:* X: https://x.com/YaroslavAzhnyuk* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaroslavazhnyuk/* The Fourth Law: https://thefourthlaw.aiNoah Smith:* Substack: Noah Smith * X: https://x.com/noahpinionTimestamps00:00:00 Cold Open: China's 4 Billion Drones and the Cameras-to-Explosives Pipeline00:01:04 Introduction: Brandon, Noah Smith, and Yaroslav Azhnyuk00:05:41 From Tech Entrepreneur to Defense: PetCube, Brave One, and the D3 Fund00:10:42 The Ethics of Building Weapons: Dual-Use Technology and the Wolf at the Door00:14:01 The Tech Stack: Cameras, Autonomy Modules, Interceptors, and a Semiconductor Fab00:18:47 Fiber Optic vs. AI: The Radio Horizon Problem and $32/km Cable00:25:32 FPV Drones: The New God of War — 70–80% of Frontline Casualties00:28:28 The Five Levels of Drone Autonomy: From Terminal Guidance to Full Autonomy00:41:37 The Eight Dimensions of the Autonomous Battlefield00:45:32 AI Safety and the Morality of Autonomous Weapons00:51:31 The End of the Rifleman? Noah's 2013 Prediction vs. Battlefield Reality01:05:13 China's Manufacturing Advantage and Western Vulnerabilities01:24:21 Policy Advice for Western Defense: Defense Valley and the Widening Gap01:32:54 The Drone Race: Who's Ahead, Category by Category01:41:57 Countermeasures: Shotguns, Jammers, Lasers, and Fishnets01:58:19 The Wedding and Final Takeaway: Be Prepared for WarTranscriptCold Open: China, FPV Drones, and the New Warning SignYaroslav [00:00:00]: Think about this. Last year, Ukraine produced 4 million FPV drones. Ukraine is not the most industrious nation in the world. China can produce 4 billion of these FPV drones.Noah [00:00:10]: Would you say that right now China is now the supreme conventional military power on Earth, given its ability to manufacture and deploy drones in the quantity and quality that you just described?Yaroslav [00:00:20]: I don't think we have all the information to claim that but we cannot count it out, and that alone should be a big warning sign. As I say, at some point in my life I went from making cameras that fling treats to pets to cameras that fling explosives to the occupiers. So that's the short story. And when you think about what your nation, what your patriots are going through, you realize that's the only morally right thing to do is to fight back, and it is immoral not to fight back, and then the choice becomes very clear.Introduction: Yaroslav Azhnyuk, Petcube, and the Last Flight into KyivBrandon [00:01:04]: Welcome to Latent Space. I'm Brandon. I normally do science podcasts, but today we're going to do something a little bit different. I'm joined by Noah Smith of Noahpinion on Substack and Twitter. And he has lots of interesting things to say about drones. And as a guest, we have Yaroslav Azhnyuk, founder of The Fourth Law and several other, drone-related startups. To get started, it is February 23rd, 2022. You are running a pet startup. You're connecting pets with their owners. Let's go in just a little bit of background. How did you get started in tech, and what were you working on before the Ukrainian war started?Yaroslav [00:01:50]: Good to be here. Thank you. On February 23rd, late in the evening, 11:00 PM Kyiv time, my wife and I landed in Kyiv. Actually, then she was a fiance. We came from Lviv, where we were looking at a church, where our wedding should have taken place. And we got into this cab ride from the airport to our home, and the driver was like, “You crazy. Like, everyone's leaving Kyiv. Why do you come?” We're like, “What? Nothing's going to happen. Dude, chill.” And then obviously, eight minutes later, or eight hours later, the bombs fell in the city. It was quite surreal. We probably landed on the last flight that landed in Kyiv, or one of those last flights. My background, I'm a tech guy. Studied applied mathematics in Kyiv Polytechnics, born and raised in Kyiv. My parents are old PhDs from academia, and grandparents too. Like, everything, from linguistics to nuclear physics. And I'm an entrepreneur, so I've built a bunch of companies. Petcube is the one you were referencing. So I lived in San Francisco 2014 to 2020, building Petcube, which is one of the leading, pet device companies in the world, selling lots of pet cameras. And then, yeah, as I say, at some point in my life I went from making cameras that fling treats to pets to cameras that fling explosives to the occupiers. So that's the short story.February 24th: Leaving Kyiv as the Invasion BeginsNoah [00:03:28]: February 24th, I guess a few hours after you, go to check out your wedding chapel, what do you do?Yaroslav [00:03:37]: We had a plan for this situation. So my parents and family live in Kyiv, and we're like, “Okay, this has actually started. The worst has, come true.” And so we basically packed our belongings and got in the car and spent 17 hours driving west. And that was pretty sure most people in our audience watched at least one apocalyptic movie in their life, so that was exactly like that. Like, felt exactly like that. Missiles are falling. Like, there was smoke in Kyiv. Like, my dad and I went, like, to central part of the cities. It's probably, likeYaroslav [00:04:20]: 800 meters from presidential office, to pick some stuff up at his workplace. Because he's, like, the head of an academic institution, so he had to get some of the things with him. And super surreal. Like, the streets are empty. Like, the gas stations are out of gas. Like, we found some gas station. We didn't have, like, spare canisters with us, so we're like, We figured out, like, the car was diesel, so like, we figured out, if it's diesel, you can actually store it in plastic, canisters, and we bought some window wash for the cars. We poured it out of the canisters, and we poured the diesel into that. Yeah, so it was like that. And then, like, helping friends get out, like my friend and his dog. Like, we found Like, my brother was also, like, riding in a separate car. We found a place for my friend who didn't have a car. It was like, yeah, it was like, totally surreal. And we didn't know of course, and you didn't know this will last for so long. You didn't know whether Ukraine will be able to defend Kyiv. And it was like, yeah, very little information and very little insight into future.From Pet Cameras to Defense Tech: Building for Ukraine and the Free WorldNoah [00:05:42]: What are your thoughts with regards to how do you, defend, Ukraine? So you eventually start building drones Like, what is the process to get from there from where you were building, devices that connect owners with pets to building drones, and what other things did you do to help the war effort in the process?Yaroslav [00:06:07]: It's definitely non-trivial, right? Like, I didn't go, to I didn't get any, like, military education when I was a student. Like, normally, in Ukraine, you would, you would go to like, this military school even if you're getting higher education in any other, sphere. I decided to skip that which is like, an unusual way to go. And I never thought that I will be somehow engaged in a war effort. Like, what is war? Of course, wars are over. It's the end of history. So one thing you got to understand about, like, many Ukrainians and like, I guess, it's also true about most of the people I met here in the US, that your who you are in terms of your nationality is a big part of your identity. So when that gets under attack, it's something deeper than just the country you live in gets under attack, right? And I Day one, I figured I'm going to I'm going to fight back with everything I can, right? But I didn't think on day one that I'm actually going to do, weapons. And a bunch of things. We were reaching out to a number of American, congresspeople and senators, and basically advocating for support of Ukraine, for voting for lend lease, which has happened in May 2022, but didn't actually work as expected. We helped start, Brave One, which is now a very important defense innovation cluster, sort of like a DIU here in the US. We helped start, a fund called D3. It's like, it was started or co-started by Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google. So a bunch of these odd things, but then eventually I was like, “Okay,”by 2023 it was obvious this thing, A is going to last a lot more time, and B, that the whole world is shifting and that there's going to be a new arms race, that the warfare is redefined by drones as platforms. And for the first time in history, you have a platform that is software defined, that can increase your battlefield capabilities, in a in a step change just overnight. So it's like if you were able to push a software update and get all of your Roman legionnaires a new helmet? That has never been possible before. It's the first time in the history of war this is possible. So all of that and many other things like, supply chain fragilization, and the impact that AI is going to have on all of this all these things have become evident to me in 2023, and it's like, “Okay, I should do what I do best, or what I know how to do best, start a tech company, and sort of leverage the global techno capitalist machine, to provide, defensibility to Ukraine and the free world.” So that's literally the mission of the company, increase defensibility of Ukraine and the free world. And then there was some sort of soul-searching and like, asking yourself. It's like, “Okay, am I Actually, I know nothing about weapons. Am I actually, like, ready to make, things that other people use to kill other bad people?”Yaroslav [00:09:36]: When you think about what your nation, what your Compatriots are going through And think about all the terror of places like Bucha, the occupied cities in the east and south, the abducted children, the raped women, all the economic damage that's being done, and the intention to destroy a whole nation, to genocide the people of Ukraine, you realize that's the only morally right thing to do is to fight back, and it is immoral not to fight back. And then the choice becomes very clear. And look, we're just passing the ammunition. We're not doing the actual job. The actual fighters and defenders and heroes are people in the armed forces. We're just support.The Moral Question: Weapons, Responsibility, and Fighting BackNoah [00:10:33]: I have so many questions. Actually, I know you seem to have a question. Do you want to ask anything?Yaroslav [00:10:38]: No, I'm just listening. Go ahead.Noah [00:10:40]: I do want to talk about, some of let's say, the moral issues, like you just said. You endYaroslav [00:10:50]: I think there are no issues there.Yaroslav [00:10:52]: What would an example of a moral question be in this case?Noah [00:10:55]: No, I mean Okay. As you just said, you are creating the tools, but others are using them.Noah [00:11:05]: I was maybe thinking of having this conversation later, but one of the questions is like, is it actually you are going to be building them for your homeland, which you are building it for your homeland, which is I think, very a strong morally defensible position, but this technology is not going to stay with you, right?Noah [00:11:26]: This you will probably be selling these to other people Yeah. So the future is really where the moral issues may come into playYaroslav [00:11:38]: The this question becomes, easier and more complete if we ask this not about a particular technology or particular weapon, if we think that this question actually applies to any kind of technology Right? So -Knife or fire. You can use knife to do surgery and save people's lives, or you can use it as a weapon to take people's lives.Noah [00:12:06]: Cut tomatoes, too.Yaroslav [00:12:08]: Cut tomatoes too.Noah [00:12:09]: Yes, knife.Yaroslav [00:12:09]: That's helpful.Noah [00:12:10]: In Japan, sword and knife, they, call the same word.Yaroslav [00:12:14]: It's like, it's with any technology. Large language models, right? Look at how powerful they are and yet they're available to anyone in North Korea or in Russia.Yaroslav [00:12:29]: That's one side of the argument. The other side is As a maker, what is your responsibility for how the tools you're creating, will be used? There's definitely some responsibility, right? Then How should the decision process look like? Should you, like, try to calculate all the possible scenarios before starting to work on something? Or do you create something that is needed now to save people's lives, and then think about, addressing the unwanted edge cases later? In ideal world where there's like, or okay, it's not ideal world. In a mythical world where there is some one governing party and it gets to decide everything, and there is no other country, that can, decide on their own, you could say, “Well, we need to calculate for all the consequences, and only then, maybe build this building, by replacing this park because, maybe we need this park in the city,”right? So that kind of situation. But when you're in a situation where you're in a forest, in front of a wolf, you first going to deal with the wolf that wants to eat you, and then you're going to go consult Greenpeace. So that's kind of situation that Ukraine is in.The Fourth Law, Odd Systems, and Ukraine's Drone StackNoah [00:13:59]: Enough. Because this is a tech podcast, I did want to spend some time talking about, sort of the tech in that you've developed and what you've been working on. So can you explain, I guess, first of all, like, the problem that you were trying to solve from a technical standpoint? And I think, and then maybe, like, go into some of the solutions and some of the design process that led you from designing, little laser-guided, guiding lasers with a with an iPhone versus Having drones.Yaroslav [00:14:34]: Like, it so happened, that my partners and I, we sort of So I started one company called The Fourth Law, and its goal was and is to Make, massively scalable on-drone autonomy. And then In parallel with that together with my, Petcube co-founders, partners, and friends, we started another company called Odd Systems Which, was focused on making thermal cameras. Cameras, thermal cameras are seeing thermal radiation and are used to see at night. And we're now sort of those companies are getting closer and closer together and we're probably going to merge them. And this group of companies is currently the leading, team in on-drone AI and thermal imaging on the Ukrainian battlefield, and Likely one of the leading, if not the leading in the world. So We have these, like, three sort of business units, which are cameras, drone autonomy, and drones. So the cameras and drone autonomy sell daytime and nighttime cameras and different types of drone autonomous modules to other drone manufacturers, over 200 drone manufacturers in Ukraine. And then the UAV, business unit sells the drones themselves to the armed forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian government. And there are different types of drones. Those are sort of front strike, as we call them, so those are sort of FPV strike drones and the bombers, and then interceptors. And there are different kinds of interceptors. We do Shahed interceptors and we do ISR interceptors. We don't do the deep strike-FPV Drones, Interceptors, and Battery-Powered WarfareNoah [00:16:32]: What's an ISR interceptor?Yaroslav [00:16:33]: ISR is stands for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and those are basically drones which are which, Russians are using to watch over positions and then communicate where, the targets are coming.Noah [00:16:48]: It's a reconnaissance.Yaroslav [00:16:48]: That's, the ISR is sort of a classical term for a for a reconnaissance drone.Noah [00:16:53]: Are all of these battery-powered drones that you just described? ‘Cause I know that the sort of deep strike drones still have, like Some sort ofYaroslav [00:17:01]: Internal combustion engine?Noah [00:17:02]: Internal combustion engine. Are all the things you're talking about battery-powered?Yaroslav [00:17:06]: What we're working on is all battery-powered, right? We don't do the deep strikes, right? And then in terms of autonomy-Noah [00:17:12]: You can catch a Shahed with a battery-powered thing. It's not Fast to catch.Yaroslav [00:17:17]: No, absolutely. Look, Shahed interceptor, like ours, it's called Zero, it goes up to 326 kilometers per hour.Noah [00:17:26]: For reference, how fast is a Shahed?Yaroslav [00:17:28]: Eight, like, in internal phase it could be 280, but in cruise phase it's, like, 220-ish.Yaroslav [00:17:36]: Yeah. And sorry, I'm not like you can convert that into miles if you're interested.Noah [00:17:41]: No, that's fine.Noah [00:17:41]: Multiply by two thirds or point six or something.Yaroslav [00:17:44]: That's easy. Yeah, I was saying that for autonomy modules, right, we, -We make systems, autonomous systems for frontline, for interceptors and some for deep strikes as well, and then different levels of autonomy. So from terminal guidance, which is like lasts 500 meters, give or take, to autonomous bombing, to autonomous target detection, to autonomous navigation and all of that across day and night, different terrains, different time of the year, different platforms like quadcopters and fixed wing, and maybe some other platforms. So it's quite a wide variety of products. We also have like our own simulation. We have our own training school for the war fighters. And we're about to start construction of two, semiconductor plants to make, sensors for thermal cameras. So that's super exciting for me as a computer science guy is Doing semiconductors. Super cool.Noah [00:18:49]: Like in terms of kind of core drone technologies, you basically are one is an FPV replacement without fiber optics, and the other isYaroslav [00:18:59]: YouNoah [00:18:59]: Signal tracking with interceptorsYaroslav [00:19:00]: With or without fiber optics. Fiber optics Is just like, sort of a communication module.Yaroslav [00:19:05]: You can, you can use classical analog, video link and radio link. Those would be two separate radios. You can do digital, or you can do fiber optic, and then fiber optic Has its own advantages but also adds weight and decreases, the distance and decreases, how fast you can, sort of turn and With a drone. Yeah.Noah [00:19:33]: Do you need AI for fiber optic drones?Yaroslav [00:19:36]: Like you can use AI for fiber optic drones. AI replaces a human, right? Fiber optic is making your communication link more resilient. So those are slightly different goals. Like if you want, you can have, AI controlling hundreds of fiber optic drones instead of having 100 operators for each.Fiber Optics, Radio Horizons, and Terminal GuidanceNoah [00:20:03]: I guess I thought that the key reason that people moved to fiber optic drones was for like electronic, countermeasures. Or I guess to counter those.Yaroslav [00:20:13]: I think that's a correct assessment from sort of a public awareness standpoint. In practice it's somewhat more difficult Because besides electronic countermeasures, you have these issues of a radio horizon For FPV drones, which means that asYaroslav [00:20:36]: I believe Earth is round Some people disagree. But basically if you fly a drone and you have a land station over here and a drone flying over hereYaroslav [00:20:49]: If your drone is flying high, you have good direct radio visibility. If your drone goes low, and usually, Russian infantry and vehicles, they're on the ground and you want to hit them, you need to go low. Lower you go, maybe you'll get behind a hill or behind a forest, and if you're far enough, you'll just get behind the curvature of the earth. You get into what's called a radio shadow. And then That is a real bummer because for the last, be it 60 or 20 meters, you won't be able to see anything and it will be very difficult to hit the target. So to counter that what-- And then the distances that these FPV drones, act on they're, they can be quite large. So for example, here in the US there was this drone dominance program competition, and in drone dominance the furthest distance was about 10 kilometers.Noah [00:21:44]: What was drone dominance? What was that competition?Yaroslav [00:21:47]: Drone, the drone dominance is a is a program started, by the US government, to accelerate the development of drone technology here in the US.Noah [00:21:57]: Got it. And the longest range thing they were using was 10 kilometers.Yaroslav [00:22:00]: Was 10 kilometers, right. In Ukraine, like if your drone doesn't fly at least 20, 25, it just, no one's interested in it, and the usual hits are happening. It was like, okay, many hits are happening between 30 and 40 kilometers, and that's what expected from a regular 10-inch, FPV drone. So at that distance, even at altitudes of like 60 to 100 meters, you might start losing, the link. So some of the earlier AI technology that was fielded in FPV drone was this terminal guidance technology. That was the first product that we ever, launched that helped you as an operator, once you see the target from two, three, 500 meters, you lock onto the target and then, it just, drives the drone towards the target no matter what, even after you lost the visual connection. So optic fiber solves that. However, if you want to go like 20 kilometers with optic fiber, that will add an extra three kilos, of useful weight to your drone. SoNoah [00:23:12]: ‘Cause the cable that you have to unspool as you go weighs.Noah [00:23:15]: It is heavy.Yaroslav [00:23:15]: At first, like the spool is about 800 grams, so a bit less than a kilo, and then, and then think about 10, 10 kilometer optic fiber is another kilo, something like that. That takes away from your useful mass and then now you have like, you need a 15-inch drone and it can only carry maybe one or two kilos of explosives if you want to go, 20 kilometers. If you want to go to 30 or 40, like 30 is probably max. 40 is like very problem problematic on optic fiber. And then the problem with optic fiber is it's actually getting super expensive. So and why? Because of all the data centers for AI. That's literally the same optic fiber-Noah [00:24:01]: We're running out of centersYaroslav [00:24:02]: That's being used there.Yaroslav [00:24:02]: Like when Ukrainians and Russians come to Chinese factories to buy the optic fiber, they're like, “We're out. We sold it out to the Americans.”? That's the craziest thing. So optic fiber went up in price from like, $4 per, kilometer to like, $32 per kilometer in a few months in the beginning of this year. And I'veBrandon [00:24:26]: Claude Code is stopping the Russian drone effort here.Yaroslav [00:24:30]: Ukrainian as well. Yeah.Brandon [00:24:31]: Ukrainian. But I read somewhere that the Russians had grown more dependent on fiber optic drones relative to the Ukrainians, and that's one reason why the Ukrainians have sort of regained the initiative in drones recently.Brandon [00:24:42]: How accurate's that?Yaroslav [00:24:43]: The Russians were the first ones to scale that. I think by as of now, Ukraine has caught up. I think, like, as of maybe three months ago, Ukraine is mostly caught up on fiber optic. Yeah.Brandon [00:24:57]: What percent of damage would you say is in terms of FPV drone damage would you say is now fiber optic versus, like autonomous?FPVs as the New God of War: Tanks, Artillery, and Cost per KillYaroslav [00:25:07]: For our, for our audience, I actually, I cannot answer that question. Like, it's like I know the answer, but I would not disclose that. But for our audience, I think another interesting fact is out of all the casualties on the front line Between 70 and 80% are done by FPV drones.Brandon [00:25:30]: FPV drones are the new weapon of universal weapon of warfare.Yaroslav [00:25:34]: It'sBrandon [00:25:35]: Land warfare, anywayYaroslav [00:25:35]: They used to say that artillery is a god of war because artillery used to cause, like 80% of casualties, and now On that ranking-Brandon [00:25:46]: FPVYaroslav [00:25:47]: FPV drones rule.Brandon [00:25:48]: FPV drones are the god of war.Yaroslav [00:25:51]: Sort of. Dethroned artillery. But it's not to say that artillery is not useful, is not needed. Like, all of these systems are needed. Maybe except cavalry, although Russians still use it. I know, have you seen the videos of Russians using mules and horses?Brandon [00:26:09]: What is the usefulness-Yaroslav [00:26:10]: It'Brandon [00:26:10]: Of a tank in the in the modern-Yaroslav [00:26:11]: That's where we need Greenpeace to say a word, but they're silent. Yeah.Brandon [00:26:15]: What's the use of a tank on the modern battlefield?Yaroslav [00:26:21]: It's diminishing.Brandon [00:26:22]: Diminishing.Yaroslav [00:26:22]: However, I think there might be technologies which will, revive the tank. Look, tank still provides you armor, and armor is important. Like, you still need to armor and firepower, right? Like, you can be an armor personal carrier that provides you, armor. The challenge that currently exists is armor is not very well protected against incoming drones. However, there are ways to do to protect it. We were previously talking about this before the podcast. The CEO of Rheinmetall, recently sort of ridiculed, Ukrainian drone industry, saying that like, there is nothing interesting there, no real innovation, no to stand Compared to like, Rheinmetall or Boeing, and it's all made by housewives. There was like, obviously a ton of memes about this people ridiculing the CEO of Rheinmetall. And one of the best quotes, I heard on this topic is from my friend, Alexey Babenko, who's, the head of and founder of VIARI Drone, which is one of the largest manufacturers of FPV drones. They're our partner. They're using our autonomy. So he said that the drones we manufacture in one day will be more than enough to destroy all the tanks Rheinmetall manufactures in a year.Yaroslav [00:27:52]: Then, yeah, cost-wise, of course, a drone is like, $500 and a Rheinmetall tank is what, probably 5 million-ish or maybe more.Brandon [00:28:00]: Don't mess with those housewives.Yaroslav [00:28:03]: Drone wives.Brandon [00:28:04]: Drone wives.Yaroslav [00:28:06]: That's it.Noah [00:28:06]: There's a classic saying that everyone always fights the last war.Noah [00:28:12]: Yet do How did So from your standpoint, how did we get to the point where tanks became irrelevant in at least for now In a matter of just a few years?Yaroslav [00:28:24]: Look, I think it's the same way, how do we get to the point that calculators become irrelevant?Yaroslav [00:28:31]: Now we have iPhones. Like, why would you need a calculator? Technology progresses and its influence grows non-linearly. It's all exponential. So I can tell you that full autonomy, when you put it on a drone Look, so if you, if you think about a tank and a like, it's not a direct comparison, but even, like, a drone and a artillery shell or like, sort of cost per kill, an artillery shell for 155 caliber, which is a standard NATO caliber Currently market price is about $4,000 per piece. So compare that to say, $400 per drone. That's 10 times more expensive. Account for the amortization of the artillery gun and for how vulnerable it is and what is the sort of tactical, capabilities it gives you as compared to a drone. You'll figure out that an FPV drone is maybe three orders of magnitude, more versatile, more useful, more capable than artillery and many of than a classic artillery. Many of Because there are different types of artillery. Not just, like, one 155. You have mortars, you have all that. But give or take, roughly three orders of magnitude maybe. Again, it doesn't have that firepower. It's not one-to-one comparison still.Yaroslav [00:29:53]: Now, take that FPV drone. When you put full autonomy on that FPV drone, which can be not very expensive, like systems that we're, producing are like, in hundreds of dollars of pure bombFull Autonomy: From Human Pilots to Smartphone-Directed Drone MissionsNoah [00:30:06]: Just interrupt. You said full autonomy Just a second ago you were saying that the autonomy here is guidance, right? It's not decision-making.Yaroslav [00:30:14]: No, I was I was saying that's the f-First and sort of easiest pieces of autonomy that was fielded by us. But if you, if you add full autonomy to a droneBrandon [00:30:24]: He, I think he's asking what does it can you, for the listeners, can you explain What the term full autonomy means?Yaroslav [00:30:29]: Basically, I think a good way to think about an FPV drone is like an iPhone of warfare. It's, like, very inexpensive, very mass producible, very versatile. You don't need a bunch of other things when you have a iPhone in your pocket. You don't have, need an MP3 player, you don't need a calculator, don't need other things. All right? So FPV drone is an iPhone. Or like, okay, Apple please don't sue me, is a smartphone. And then, when you add autonomy to it sort of becomes like Uber or ride sharing. Okay? So what it means is instead of actually being a trained pilot who has this complex remote controller device which requires a couple months of training to actually pilot the drone, and then having to pilot it for 30 minutes, flying towards the target, et cetera, et cetera, now you basically, you have your smartphone, you have a drone, you pick your smartphone, you say, “We are here. The bad guys are here. Go and get them.” And the drone goes up, flies in a given direction, localizes itself on the map, finds the dedicated area where they, the bad guys are supposed to be sees the bad guys, bombs them, return, like, watches, so does a damage assessment, returns back, sits down, and then you can pick it up and watch the video if you didn't have the radio link, right?Noah [00:31:59]: That's a bomber drone.Yaroslav [00:32:00]: That's full autonomy for a bomber drone, right?Noah [00:32:03]: You're saying that no human decision is made in this entire process?Brandon [00:32:06]: That's not, that's not what he's saying.Yaroslav [00:32:07]: A human decision was made at the beginning of the process-Noah [00:32:09]: I get it. I get itYaroslav [00:32:09]: The same way as you would fire an artillery.Yaroslav [00:32:12]: When you fire an artillery, you don't stop at like, 500 meters away from a target and ask it whether, you want to strike or not. That's exactly, a human decision is always made at some point. So when you do that's full autonomy, and such full autonomy is happening as we speak. And such full autonomy increases the capabilities of an FPV drone, which is already, like, three orders more powerful than an artillery shell. Full autonomy increases its capabilities by four orders of magnitude because now you can have 100 times as many people who can use it, because you don't need to train those people, and this is important. You can have 10 times, mission success rate, and you can have 10 times utility per drone because now instead of being one-way kamikaze, it's, it can be a bomber.Brandon [00:33:05]: Now wait, let's, you said 10 times mission success rate, which means that fully autonomous bomber drones succeed in their missions 10 times more often than human piloted bomber drones do. That's an important thing to know.Noah [00:33:17]: Maybe, to push back onBrandon [00:33:19]: They're super, they're superhuman. They're, they' 10X superhuman.Yaroslav [00:33:22]: They're not vulnerable to electronic warfare. They don't care about the radio horizon. They don't lose track during navigation. They are not susceptible to human error when, an artillery shell or other drone blows up besides you and you're like, “Hell no,”like, “I'm getting out of here.” Right? That doesn't happen to an autonomous drone. Like, all of those things. Like, we have, like, one of the brigades that's using our drones with just first level autonomy They literally said that their success rates-Brandon [00:33:53]: What's first level autonomy?Yaroslav [00:33:54]: First level autonomy is just the terminal guidance.Yaroslav [00:33:57]: By the way, we have video of that. We can watch that.Brandon [00:33:59]: Terminal guidance means a human gets it nearby and then the AI takes over.Yaroslav [00:34:03]: The human flies it all the way, like 30 kilometers towards the target, and obviously the target was probably given to that human by someone who's flying some ISR drone, some reconnaissance drone, right? So all the way to the target, and once you see the target from a distance of 500 meters, you do target lock, and from there drone flies autonomous. So just that feature alone, it has increased the guy's, his call sign is Grom, so it has increased his, mission success rate, like precision of mission, yeah, mission success rate from 20% to 71%, and it also increased his kill zone from three kilometers to 10 kilometers, which means there's certain area around the front line which is designated kill zone. Whenever enemy goes into that area, it's almost guaranteed to be to be destroyed by a drone. And then obviously the drones are not launched from like, the zero line. They're usually launched from like, minus 10 kilometer-Mission Success, Failure Modes, and the Five Levels of AutonomyBrandon [00:35:03]: What is a zero line?Yaroslav [00:35:05]: Zero line is sort of an imaginary line of control, of two conflicting forces.Brandon [00:35:14]: It's important to explain these things to a lot of the listeners who areYaroslav [00:35:17]: Thank you for askingBrandon [00:35:18]: Familiar with warfare.Noah [00:35:20]: Myself.Noah [00:35:20]: I'm one of those listeners.Brandon [00:35:20]: You said that level one autonomy, in other words just terminal guidance, just, like, human gets it to the finish line and then it goes over the finish line, increases mission success from 20 something percent to 71%, or something like that.Yaroslav [00:35:33]: Increases the kill zoneBrandon [00:35:34]: Increases the kill zoneYaroslav [00:35:34]: Three kilometers to 10 kilometers.Brandon [00:35:36]: Got it.Yaroslav [00:35:36]: On both parameters-Brandon [00:35:37]: What is full autonomy, dude? AndNoah [00:35:38]: Actually on real quick, can we define mission success and like, maybe in a way, what are the failure modes of missions?Brandon [00:35:44]: I have a guess what mission success is.Noah [00:35:46]: But I couldBrandon [00:35:47]: Get ‘em.Yaroslav [00:35:49]: No, but that's a very good question, in fact, because, even if you fly into the target, well, first the target can be damaged or destroyed. Those are two different modes. Then there can be different targets. A sole infantryman is one kind of target. A dugout where supposed there are some, enemies there is another kind of target, and a some mechanical equipment is another type of target. Radio emitting equipment, which, like, often, like, the targets that the military want to get more than anything else is the some enemy radio tower or something like that or some small radio dish that really makes life difficult in that area, in that combat area. So those are different targets, right? It can be destroyed, can be damaged.Then sometimes, the drone hits but doesn't explode. Like, that happens. And then, there are other failure modes. You didn't even reach the target because you were A jammed by electronic warfare; B, you lost the control over drone because of the radio horizon; C, you were jammed by a different type of electronic warfare that happens way before You hit the target area. It's, impacting your, video receiver. So like jamming on video or jamming on control are two different types of jamming. Then something malfunctioned on a drone, just a mechanical malfunction, maybe like a motor broke or like, whatever. So all of those are different failure modes. Yeah, or maybe you got lost, you're navigate navigating to your, to your target. That happens, too.Noah [00:37:41]: The Level one autonomy, basically you manage to point in a direction.Noah [00:37:49]: You go there, and then the last mile The drone taking over.Yaroslav [00:37:52]: We define this like, I define that but it sort of got picked up by the industry. We define five levels of autonomy. So level one is terminal guidance. It's what we just discussed. Level two is bombing. Level three is autonomous target detection and engagement decision. Level four is autonomous navigation. And level five is autonomous takeoff and landing.Noah [00:38:15]: Those are good things to knowYaroslav [00:38:16]: Those are five levels of autonomy. Now, if youNoah [00:38:19]: I have a question for you.Yaroslav [00:38:19]: Sorry. Like, let me finish withNoah [00:38:21]: SorryYaroslav [00:38:21]: Theoretical part.Noah [00:38:23]: What is Tesla running at right now?Yaroslav [00:38:25]: Tesla?Noah [00:38:25]: No, sorry.Yaroslav [00:38:26]: That's very good point. Like, it's exactly, it was inspired by the levels of self-driving autonomy.Noah [00:38:32]: Waymo's level five, right?Noah [00:38:35]: You just tell it where you want to go, it picks you up, and then you go there.Yaroslav [00:38:36]: I think, like, if you, if you look at the classic definitions of self-driving cars, Waymo is still, like, level four because it still requires even remote, but still, like, human control. It's like if Waymo gets in trouble, there is an operator who takes over and resolves this. So that would still be a level four. It doesn't map directly, but it's also five levels.Brandon [00:38:58]: Can I, can I interject a question here? In terms of an FPV drone that's like a suicide drone that'll just blow itself up killing something, how do what it hit? Like, does it, just transmit back, or do you sort of like, lose track of it and hope it hit? Like, what happens to that?Yaroslav [00:39:16]: That's a great question. SoBrandon [00:39:18]: You need another droneYaroslav [00:39:19]: Like, the current battlefield in Ukraine is saturated with different types of drones. So obviously you have all the FPV drones and last year alone, Ukraine manufactured about 4 million of these, and then Russia's maybe, like, 20% less than that. And for this year, the publicly voiced target was 7 million on Ukrainian side. So it's, like, serious numbers. We're getting in serious numbers here. And then besides those, there are different, reconnaissance drones, ISR as we call them, and there are sort of tactical level ISR where we, both Ukrainians and Russians usually use, Mavic, drone by DJI. And then there are a bunch of locally produced drones, which are sort of fixed wing drones that can stay in the air for much longer than Mavic, maybe, like, half an hour. And then, there are drones that can stay for many hours or even up to a day. And those drones have, are more expensive, have more expensive cameras, et cetera, et cetera. We hunt those drones that Russians launch. The Russians hunt our drones, and so on. But ideally, when you, are a group of soldiers operating an FPV, you'll have someone in your, company, or someone in your platoon who has an ISR asset that will do target designation for you. They'll say, “Oh, like, there's a Russian vehicle over there. Go and get him.”and you go there, you get it, and they're like, “Okay, confirmed.”Battlefield Surveillance and the Eight Dimensions of AutonomyBrandon [00:40:57]: Those guys are watching. They have their own drones in the sky.Yaroslav [00:40:59]: Target destroyed. They have, like, a carousel of drones because One Mavic cannot stay more than 30 minutes. ItBrandon [00:41:06]: They're constantly surveilling the battlefield.Yaroslav [00:41:07]: Almost every spot on the battlefield.Yaroslav [00:41:11]: It's not always the case. Sometimes you will not have a surveillance asset, so then you would launch another FPV just to confirm that there was a hit. Then if you see there was a hit and you're not sure if it completely destroyed, you maybe hit again for good measure.Brandon [00:41:26]: You double tap.Yaroslav [00:41:28]: That's how it works. But I was about to give you another sort of piece of taxonomy. So you have five levels of autonomy, right? Then you have sort of eight dimensions of autonomous battlefield. So what is eight dimensions? It's crucial to understand how autonomy evolves in a modern, battlefield environment. So dimension number one is level of autonomy. What are the capabilities that your asset has? Dimension number two is the platform you're operating on. So it can be a quadcopter, a fixed wing drone, different types of maybe, like, a long range drone or short range drone, but it can also be a missile. You can have autonomy even on an artillery shell or a ground vehicle or a sea vehicle. So all of those are different platforms. Level three would be domain. So it's ground to ground or ground to air as an intersection, or ground to sea or sea to air. They're all, like, all the nuances with different domains. Then level four, would be higher levels of autonomy, such as swarming, drone carriers, drone nests, et cetera.Brandon [00:42:39]: Now when you're saying level, you're talking about dimensions, not about-Yaroslav [00:42:42]: Sorry. YeahBrandon [00:42:43]: Autonomy levels. So dimension four.Yaroslav [00:42:43]: The dimension. Yeah, I used to say I was supposed to say dimension. I say dimension because each of them works with another, right? So you might have, like third level autonomy, fixed wing drone operating in land to air, and stuff like that right? And then operating in a swarm or operating from a nest. Right? Then you have, sort of dimension number five is environment. So is it day or night? Is it summer or winter? Is it, humid, cold, dry? What kind of target is it? Is your target hiding in a forest, or is it, behind a hill or within buildings? So all of that is environment. Then you have, dimension number six is command and control. How are you dealing with or like, tens of thousands of those assets around the battlefield? How are you coordinating that on the higher levels of command? How are you collecting data? All that.Yaroslav [00:43:44]: Dimension number seven would be infrastructure, so things like simulation, data collection tools, security, deployment mechanisms, et cetera. So all those systems have to be developed separately and integrate with all the others. And finally, dimension number eight is sort of distribution. Have you deployed 100 of these systems or 100,000 of these systems? Because those are two very different ballgames. So that now gives you a more broad overview of how autonomy propagates across the battle space.Targeting, Human Responsibility, and Rules of EngagementNoah [00:44:23]: As someone who has done machine learning and had gone out of distribution and had things, go horribly wrong, you were talking several of these, kind of axes of thinking about drone warfare seem like they could be very susceptible to some sort of distribution shift if you start making things autonomous.Yaroslav [00:44:41]: Like what?Noah [00:44:41]: I mean Well, first ofYaroslav [00:44:43]: If the I'm very interested Sort of sort of kinds of scenarios that you're thinking about.Noah [00:44:48]: Like the most obvious one is you, if I assume these are computer vision guided systems for at least the last mile, how do you ensure that oh, well, like you now have some fog roll in or something, and you, the drones just attack the wrong thing? Or maybe, it probably will not turn around and fly back and attack you, but youYaroslav [00:45:10]: Same, the same, the same question, how do you ensure that your mortar fire hits the right thing? Well, it's like mortar fire, give or take half a kilometer could be plus or minus. So maybe you fire one, and then you fire another. So drones are actually, much better in being precise in those scenarios. And I think, to your point, I think five to 10 years from now it will be immoral to use weapons without AI.Yaroslav [00:45:44]: ‘Cause weapons without AI will be more likely to cause, collateral damage or unwanted damage. Same way, it will be immoral to drive your own car manually on a public road because it's more likely to cause, unwanted damage.Noah [00:46:02]: Wow, I never considered that mightBrandon [00:46:04]: Really? That's definitely coming.Yaroslav [00:46:07]: Anyway.Brandon [00:46:07]: No, but that' I don't know, it's an obvious, an obvious thought. I agree with you.Brandon [00:46:12]: I, No, they, obviously they're not going to let you drive once most of the cars on the road are autonomous.Noah [00:46:17]: No, that one, don't I believe.Yaroslav [00:46:19]: No, I think you were you were talking about drones, right?Brandon [00:46:21]: The drones, right. Cool.Yaroslav [00:46:22]: The weapons, right?Brandon [00:46:23]: Friendly fire and collateral damage and stuff like that is all minimized with AI.Brandon [00:46:27]: Here's my question. Take all let's go to level six autonomy. Let's take all of the target selection. Let's take all the battlefield data, integrate it into one big AI, and have that big AI basically be in command of the battlefield And agentically do target selection.Yaroslav [00:46:44]: Be the general, right?Brandon [00:46:44]: It's a general. It's, you've cut humans out of the loop except maybe as dexterous robots, repairing drones and fastening things to drones or maybe something like that because you don't have those robots yet. How soon are we there? AI general.Yaroslav [00:46:58]: The most important thing to ask ourselves is who will be faster to that us or our adversaries?Brandon [00:47:07]: I assume us, but how fast will we be to that? I hope us.Yaroslav [00:47:11]: I hope so too.Brandon [00:47:12]: How fast can we Like when are we looking at that in terms of like horizons years?Yaroslav [00:47:18]: Like technically, it could be done now. The question is of course, there's, some engineering work to be done. The bigger challenge is deployment. Right? So okay, technically Like operation in Iran, right? They, the publicly, it was claimed that I think Palantir system was used for target designation, et cetera, et cetera. So it is not exactly as you say, the AI makes all the decisions, but basically AI goes through all the data you have, gives you these 1,027 different targets and says, “You-- To confirm, please press Okay.” And you look at the targets and you're like, “Yeah, sounds right. Press Okay.”so that's, I think that's where we are now already, or we were a couple weeks ago as we're recording this on April 10th. Another question is how massively deployable it is. Is it, like, every decision being made like that or is it, like, just some of the decisions made like that? And then different levels of command and control. There you have, like, the platoon, the company level, the battalion, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But the tricky thing here when we get into that territory, the tricky thing is If your enemy is getting advantage of being Thousand times faster than yourself by deploying such systems What do you do?Yaroslav [00:49:10]: You got to-Brandon [00:49:12]: The if the enemy is a thousand times faster than you at deploying those systems?Yaroslav [00:49:16]: Like, if enemy starts deploying level six autonomy, as you call And you have not started doingBrandon [00:49:22]: You're in troubleYaroslav [00:49:23]: Yes, exactly. So you have to catch up. So my point is that it is very important to think about the safety of these systems, but that thinking should not slow you down in developing them because they are critical for your existential, survival, right? And like, one person who doesn't think, doesn't get to think about the ethics of the war is a dead person. That person surely doesn't get to think about that.Brandon [00:49:52]: What would be the safety risk of such a system?Yaroslav [00:49:55]: Of course-Brandon [00:49:56]: Friendly fire?Yaroslav [00:49:56]: Just wrong decisions, right?Brandon [00:49:59]: I see.Yaroslav [00:49:59]: Maybe, these decisions-AI Command Decisions, Dead Zones, and Complex BattlefieldsBrandon [00:50:06]: Skynet AI decides it's going to useYaroslav [00:50:08]: No, these-Brandon [00:50:08]: Drone army to kill usYaroslav [00:50:09]: Decisions will not only be made about drones. They are likely to made about what the humans should do on your side as well. Then obviously some environments are more like Ukrainian-Russian war, where you haveBrandon [00:50:26]: It will have to choose to risk lives. It will have to choose to sacrifice human lives-Yaroslav [00:50:28]: Of courseBrandon [00:50:29]: On your side.Yaroslav [00:50:29]: Of course. And then some environments are just, like, dead, like, dead zones and there are no civilians there, or virtually no civilians close to the front line because, like, super dangerous. Everyone has evacuated from there. But there are other environments which are more like, okay, there's a counterterrorist operation. There's, like, a group of terrorists or a group of civilians. Or like, it's like the recent operations in Iran, I imagine that the US and Israeli forces do not want to harm civilians. They only targeted the military targets there, right? So in those situations, it's a different level of responsibility for that decision-making as well. And then there is just such a big variety of those military missions, and I'm not even, like, well-informed or well-educated in military science to tell you about all those scenarios. We would need to put some general besides me, and maybe a Ukraine general and American general would have told you very different stories about these things.Brandon [00:51:34]: Got it. Can I ask a few more questions? All right. So in 2013, I wrote one of my first, paid articles ever was about how the era of drones will change human society. I was just sitting around bored thinking about things.Yaroslav [00:51:54]: You were way ahead of your time.Brandon [00:51:55]: I said, I said, “The following will happen.”Yaroslav [00:51:57]: It's, this article is real. I've read it.Yaroslav [00:51:58]: It's actually-Brandon [00:51:59]: I said small autonomous, suicide drones, will cleanse the battlefield of human infantry. Human infantry will not be able to stand against swarms of AI-powered, suicide drones. That was I didn't even know about, like, AlexNet at the time, I think.Yaroslav [00:52:19]: You're just an avid sci-fi reader.Brandon [00:52:23]: I'm an avid sci-fi reader, but also, like, it's not Like, there will be a way to do that. It's a it's a nonlinear multidimensional search problem, and you get enough compute, you'll find some search algorithm that will get you there. And soBrandon [00:52:38]: I, yeah, I think that one sentence describes the bitter lesson right there.Brandon [00:52:41]: It's just like it's a multidimensional search space. You search it somehow. I don't know. Figure out some get a grad student-Yaroslav [00:52:47]: Sooner or laterBrandon [00:52:47]: To make a search algorithm.Brandon [00:52:48]: It's not that hard. Anyway, so but then, but I guess the point is The point is that human infantry on the battlefield will be will be gone at the end. I wrote that in 2013. Many people on social media laughed at me for that called me hysterical, said things like, “Electronic warfare will knock all the drones out of the sky.”like, “You need humans to hold ground.”that's something you still hear from a lot of people on social media today. I feel that this article that I've written has never been directionally wrong. It has gotten more and more right steadily over time, and that we're very reading the battlefield reports from Ukraine, where, human infantry are basically guy, like a few guys hiding in dugouts for months, and I'm not sure what they're doing.Yaroslav [00:53:35]: That's on Ukraine's side. On the Russian side, that's just like a zerg rush.Brandon [00:53:38]: The zerg rush, and then they just die. Then, but they have some guys in dugouts too, right? Like hiding in dugouts for months.Yaroslav [00:53:45]: They have. Yeah.Brandon [00:53:45]: Like, but that like, what are those guys doing in the dugouts? Are providing, like, frontline, like, reconnaissance? Like, what are they doing?Yaroslav [00:53:54]: If there is a guy in a dugout with some bullets and automatic weapon, the other guy cannot come and take the that dugout. That'Brandon [00:54:07]: I seeYaroslav [00:54:08]: They are they're establishing control over territory.Brandon [00:54:10]: I see. So that is so there still is a use for human infantry on the battlefield as of today.Yaroslav [00:54:15]: LikeBrandon [00:54:15]: How long will that last?Yaroslav [00:54:17]: I think it will last for a while. This is funny. There's this whole Layer of the modern culture, a modern Ukraine culture built around the war-related stuff. So there is this -Punk rock band, that is called SZC, I guess in English that would be. Which stands short for like a deserter or something like that. So anyhow, this band has a song titled “2030.” It's basically about the year 2030, and the war still goes on as like the whatever, third world war or whatever. And they basically, they, sang about the AI and like cyborgs and everything, but the simple infantry is still needed, and we're still, like, getting cold in those dugouts, and we're still doing our job. That's sort of the theme of the song. And it seems like that's actually what's going to happen. There areGround Robots, Simulation, and the Limits of World ModelsBrandon [00:55:30]: Ground robots will not replace humans in the dugouts soon.Yaroslav [00:55:34]: I'm very much interested in following the whole humanoid robot theme andBrandon [00:55:39]: What about like a dog robot?Noah [00:55:41]: Or just mobile controlled platforms or something.Brandon [00:55:44]: Spider robot, yeah.Brandon [00:55:45]: Everything evolves into a crab.Brandon [00:55:46]: You build a crab robot.Yaroslav [00:55:47]: A humanoid-Noah [00:55:48]: The carcinization of warfare.Yaroslav [00:55:51]: There is a lot of utility in humanoid robots because the world is designed around humanoids. So I would not, like, 100% disqualify the possibility that sometimes 10 years in the future, humanoid robots, will be actually fighting. So that's an actual Terminator kind of scenario.Brandon [00:56:14]: Yeah, in the first Terminator movie, you look at what they've got on the battlefield, they've got flying bomber drones and humanoid robots.Yaroslav [00:56:20]: Look, the cost of large language models of running them is getting so low, you can have basically an inexpensive computer running, what was a state-of-the-art model a year and a half ago, running it locally on a device with an open source model, which also means that the Chinese can have it, the Russians can have it, the North Koreans can have it, et cetera. So that is already possible. And with when we're looking at the acceleration of the neural nets, I would've, if not the acceleration of the large language models, I would've said that I don't think that humanoid robots will be able to be useful in the battlefield earlier than in 10 years. But if you account for the exponential, it might be five years or so. The problem with all of the autonomous systems, and it's like starts with self-driving cars and even with all the AI, like modern day AI agents, to make them really, useful, you have to solve such a long tail of edge cases, that it's really difficult to make them useful. Like we were promised, self-driving cars, what, like 2007, Sebastian Thrun and Google, and even before that all the challenges, everything. And Elon of course told us it's going to be one year from 2014, and now we still don't have self-driving Teslas everywhere. We have Waymos in SF and some other places, but they're still, like, not perfect. So I think, I expect something similar from self-flying drones and fully autonomous drones, and we saw that firsthand as with each level of autonomy that we're adding, there is a very wide distance between a prototype and something that is ready to be scaled to millions of units and something that has been scaled to millions of units. But the race with like AI coding tools is just insane. So things might accelerate very fast, faster than we can imagine.Noah [00:58:46]: I think your point is that with due to this long tail behavior Level one autonomy as you've defined it, is actually very natural. Like you basically are just solving an image recognition and tracking system.Yaroslav [00:59:02]: It's actually interesting that you say it that way, and I thought about this the very same way, and we have this joke that there are like 200 companies in Ukraine which are trying to solve last mile, targeting or terminal guidance. It seems like we're like the only company that actually solved that because even that problem-Noah [00:59:22]: I'm not saying it's, I'm not saying it's trivial, but it's at least something that you imagine given our current state.Yaroslav [00:59:26]: Like us and Eric Schmidt, like Eric Schmidt's companies are pretty good.Yaroslav [00:59:29]: Like, I actually have lots of respect to what they're doing, and they're, they have been practically influential and helpful on the battlefield, and they have good engineering.Noah [00:59:38]: I wasn't, I wasn't saying it's trivial. I'm just saying this is a something naturally adaptive based upon things that we know work, well. But some of the other domains that where you do have to make decisions and you have a long tail become much harder, and you worry about edge cases more.Yaroslav [00:59:57]: Like the more, the more complex behavior you're trying to simulate, the more edge cases there are right? The more ways to do it wrong there are. And then there are different approaches. It's like if you think about, if you read academic papers about robotics, right? You sort of the robot is represented as something that has the sort of sensor input, and then you have three, levels of sort of logics or decision-making, which are perception, planning, and control, and then you have actuators as output.So pre-neural nets, you would do perception output and control all with classic logics, right? Then, with AlexNet and computer vision, you could do perception with neural nets and the rest with logic. You cannot currently do each of those separately with neural nets, each of those separately with logics, or you can just have one huge neural net that just takes lots of sensory data. It's not just pixels. Could be sound, could be accelerometer, could be everything, as input, and just outputs the controls. And some of the self-driving car companies are doing that or like, experimenting between different ways of doing that. So you can also, like, think about that and the way you implement those features, also influences how much degrees of freedom the system would have, right? Like control, you can do it classical algorithmic control with common filters and PAD filter, PAD controllers, et cetera, or you can do a neural net, that was trained in a gym with a reinforcement learning, et cetera. And those would be two different behaviors of a system.Noah [01:01:53]: I-- Maybe my point was just much more high level. It'Yaroslav [01:01:56]: Or you can If you go even like, if you go high level, you can, you can like train to like have whatever, like Feifei Li and folks who are doing like physical, sortBrandon [01:02:08]: World modelsYaroslav [01:02:08]: World models, right, physical intelligence, they're trying to make these big models and sort of understand the world and then supposedly you have such model and you can tell a drone, “Okay, like, go over that hill and like, find the bad guys and then get them,”or “Make me a video, make me a photo of the guy smiling and get back to me.” Right? That's one way. Another way you have like these subsystems, like one is navigation, another is finding the person, another is like getting to them to take a photo. And those are again, very different behaviors. And then it's not that one is necessarily better than the other, and we might have more technological ability to do one or another. But all of those systems will exist. And then again, you should always keep in mind that it's only the not only the good guys that are developing these systems, the bad guys are developing these systems as well.China's Drone Supply Chain and the West's Manufacturing GapNoah [01:03:00]: I guess where I'm going with this back to Noah's original thought with the end of the end of the soldier. And so in order to replace-Brandon [01:03:10]: Or at least the end of the rifleman.Noah [01:03:11]: Or the end of the rifleman, yeah.Yaroslav [01:03:13]: I'm not seeing that very close, and it was like I'm, as much as I'm a lover of sci-fi and all of that and a technologist, the more I try to beYaroslav [01:03:27]: Like the I try to have certain humility about these things, and like the military, domain and there was just so much human history and blood and tears, dedicated to sort of understanding this art of war and perfecting it and so on. There is so much knowledge in there that I don't feel like I even started to comprehend, a lot of that. But one thing that I really understood is that even though drones are now making eighty percent of the casualties, you go to the actual officers, you talk to the actual, like, brigade commanders, corps commanders, and they explain to you, how all of it fits together, how when you're thinking about an operation that involves a couple thousand people to get this piece of land, out of the enemy's hands, deoccu deoccupy it, how it is so complex, it involves, dozens of different types of drones and then land operations and reconnaissance operations, psychological operations and then aviations and tanks and logistics and all kinds of these different assets. So modern warfare is really very complex, and the fact that the drones are the latest, coolest thing, and then the AI is latest, coolest thing, doesn't mean that now it's that and only that right? So yeah. Whoever's looking into that I think should realize that it's not just what the press talks about, that the reality is much more difficult, much more complex.Brandon [01:05:17]: Let's talk about China and China's manufacturing capabilities. So suppose that someone, like suppose the United States went to war with China. AndYaroslav [01:05:26]: I hope not.Brandon [01:05:27]: I hope not as well. And then but suppose that drones were very essential to that war of all the types of drones that we're talking about here, and that suppose that China said, “All right, well, you need X and Y and Z, to make those drones to fight us, and we control the production of X and Y and Z, so we're just going to cut you right off, and now you have no drones.”Brandon [01:05:47]: I know that a number of countries, including Ukraine and Taiwan, have been making moves to China-proof their drone productions that China couldn't do that. Examples of things they might be able to cut off might include rare earths, fiber optic cable that you were talking about before, various other things that where even if they don't control one hundred percent of the production, they control enough of the production that would be extremely expensive to produce it without relying on Chinese sources. Or the market's fragmented enough, et cetera. What do you see as China's key bottlenecks, and how easy are those to overcome in terms of China-proofing drone production in case of a war against China?Yaroslav [01:06:30]: Let me start with a saying that -Although China does not sell directly to Ukraine and it does sell directly to Russia, a lot of Ukrainian supply chains, they start in China, right?Yaroslav [01:06:49]: We're not in a conflict with China, and we would not want to be in a conflict with China. And we'd hope that China stays a neutral power between Ukraine and Russia and the US as well. That said, the scenario that you're describing, everything is much worse.Yaroslav [01:07:11]: Think about this. Last year, Ukraine produced four million FPV drones. Ukraine is not the most industrious nation in the world.Yaroslav [01:07:19]: China can produce four billion of these FPV drones.Yaroslav [01:07:23]: China can make them not drones with propellers, but fixed-wing drones, which go not forty kilometers far, but maybe two to three hundred kilometers inland.
Every coaster enthusiast has one. A specific ride. A specific day. The moment that turned a casual park visitor into someone who plans vacations around roller coasters, studies manufacturer lineups, and listens to theme park podcasts at 11pm on a Tuesday. This week Mike and EB asked the Coaster Radio community to share theirs — and the response was overwhelming. From Steel Phantom at Kennywood to Dueling Dragons at Islands of Adventure. From Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland at age six to Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1991. From watching Top Thrill Dragster launch for hours as a child to being forced onto a coaster by an older sibling and never looking back. From Dick Knoebel of Knoebels personally replying to a young fan's handwritten letters to a nine-year-old standing under a flickering chandelier at the Haunted Mansion and thinking "this is what I want to do with my life." Dozens of stories. Dozens of different rides. One common thread — the moment everything changed. But first — Cedar Point tried to cancel Coastermania and replace it with Morning Rush. The Coaster Maniacs responded. Tony Clark listened. And the Hulkster had some thoughts. Brothers, Coastermania is incoming. Also this week — Epic Universe opens Celestial Park to convention goers for the first time ever, giving the world its first look at how the portal system actually works. A bomb threat at Six Flags Magic Mountain delays opening until 12:30pm and nobody can explain why it was called in at 7:45 in the morning. The Family Kingdom Raptor coaster gets pushed to 2027 due to permitting issues. Busch Gardens Tampa files permits for a possible $16.5 million water ride to replace Stanley Falls. And Holiday World launches the most elaborate teaser campaign in park history for the mysterious Town of Boulder Canyon. Plus — a live trip report from Six Flags Great America on opening day, and the show teases something new coming to Coaster Radio very soon. Go read the full listener responses on the Coaster Radio Facebook page. Bring tissues.
Today, more Labour MPs have called for Keir Starmer to step down, but is an actual leadership challenge imminent?In a speech on Monday morning Keir Starmer vowed to prove his “doubters” wrong, but the number of Labour MPs calling him to go continues to rise. Dozens of MPs have urged Starmer either to step down immediately or set out a timetable for his departure. Adam, Chris and Alex discuss.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Jem Westgate. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.