Podcasts about English Channel

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Asos customers banned over returns say it is slap in the face British man charged with organising Disneyland Paris mock wedding of nine year old Russian naval ship disguised itself while passing through English Channel PM vows to press on with welfare cuts despite growing rebellion Minister to meet food delivery firms over reports of illegal workers Swansea man accused of hiring 1,500 hitman to kill wife Natural History Museum to display rare dog sized dinosaur Bezos wedding Venice protestors claim enormous victory after venue change Should this lab grown burger really be served in restaurants UK to purchase nuclear carrying fighter jets

Maddie Musselman Woepse has an incredible story; complete with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Through it all her passion, positivity, composure and resilience absolutely shines through. Truly amazing. Maddie's path to becoming a three time Olympic athlete, a two time gold medalist, Olympic MVP and one of the most decorated athletes in women's water polo. Her accomplishments are based on those very same traits… and she talks about her incredible journey. Maddie met her match in another “hard charger” in her husband Patrick Woepse. Patrick was a celebrated collegiate 2x NCAA water polo champ who went on to swim both the Catalina Channel and the English Channel. The latter crossing was completed with an incredible group of friends, great conditions and “with a cough.” Shortly after completing that swim that cough was diagnosed as NUT Carcinoma cancer, which sadly took his life after battling for 13 months; at only 31 years old. The story of Pat's fight, with Maddie by his side, while training for her third Olympics is a chicken skin memoir. Today, Pat's legacy is vibrant and clearly embodied in the Patrick Woepse Foundation which is focusing on helping others with NUT Carcinoma and operating under Pat's mantra of “We Can Do Hard Things.” Maddie continues to be a positive and inspirational force in so many ways, to so many people, and is an incredible example of living, and leading by Pat's mantra… every day.

I mean come on, it's Julius Caesar, you've waited long enough so I'm keeping this short. The man has a salad dressing, a hotel/casino, and an orange smoothie franchise named in his honor..... BUT in addition to that he was captured by pirates, was co-president of Rome for a year, added all of Gallic France and Spain to the Roman Empire, led the first Roman Army across the Rhine River in Germany, led the first Roman Army across the English Channel to Britain, started a Roman civil war, went to Africa and got it in with Cleopatra, and I'm rabbling, go now, start the episode. FOR THE GLORY OF ROME.Support the show

The French authorities will soon have new powers to intercept small boats carrying asylum seekers across the English Channel, even if they are already at sea. Writer: Serena CesareoProducer: Serena CasareoHost: Tomini BabsExecutive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Chris Thrall on the Bought the T-Shirt podcast for an epic conversation with Mitch Hutchcraft, a former Royal Marines Commando who completed the world's longest triathlon covering over 13,000km from England to Mount Everest. Mitch swam the 35km English Channel, cycled 11,921km through 19 countries to Nepal, ran 875km to Everest Base Camp, and then made the longest climb of Mount Everest in history. Hear his incredible story of grit, adventure, and breaking limits in this unfiltered, inspiring episode. Subscribe for raw tales of endurance and triumph. Socials: instagram.com/chris.thrall youtube.com/christhrall facebook.com/christhrall christhrall.com Support the podcast at: patreon.com/christhrall (£2 per month plus perks) gofundme.com/christhrall paypal.me/teamthrall Our uncensored content: christhrall.locals.com Mailing list: christhrall.com/mailing-list/ Life Coaching: christhrall.com/coach/

Legendary distance and open water marathon swimmer Katie Pumphrey returns to Faidley's Seafood at Lexington Market on the Maryland Crab Cake Tour to educate Nestor and Damye Hahn about the art of her international sport that has taken her from across the English Channel to the local education about the cleanliness of the Inner Harbor. Come take a swim with the dolphins and sharks... The post Distance swimmer Katie Pumphrey updates Nestor on Inner Harbor water improvement and why she swims in it first appeared on Baltimore Positive WNST.

June 16-22Many years ago, I read Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo: the unabridged version which is 1,463 pages long. Next to the scriptures, it was the greatest reading experience of any book I have ever had. I became so close to the characters, Jean Valjean, Monsieur Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel—the Bishop of Digne (‘deen'), Fantine, Cosette, Gavroche, Marius, Javert and many others that I wept for a long time after I finished the book because I was so sad, I would not be able to meet them in the Spirit World! Maurine reminded me they were fictional characters. I was completely transported into their hearts, their world, their times, their pain, their burdens. Maurine and I even went to Victor Hugo's home in Guernsey Island off the coast of Normandy in the English Channel to get a sense of where he wrote this classic novel. Do you want to know my very favorite moment from the entire 1,463 pages? It has to do with our lesson in this episode.

In this action-packed episode of Got Faded Japan, Johnny sits down with the legendary professional mahjong player, Jenn Barr, to dive deep into the fascinating world of mahjong culture in Japan. Jenn shares her journey from a passionate player to a professional, offering an insider's perspective on the game's intricacies and the vibrant community surrounding it! Follow Jenn's Mahjong adventures at: Mahjong YouTube: http://youtube.com/@mahjongjen YouTube Personal: http://youtube.com/@japanpromahjong Japan Professional Mahjong League official English Channel:  http://youtube.com/@worldriichi Be sure to get a copy of Jenn's book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1944877770?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PKKBATDNNB80C2WE12PH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Supporting GOT FADED JAPAN ON PATREON directly supports keeping this show going and fueled with booze, seriously could you imagine the show sober?? Neither can we! SUPPORT GFJ at: https://www.patreon.com/gotfadedjapan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!!!!   1. THE SPILT INK: Experience art, buy art and get some original art commissioned at: SITE: https://www.thespiltink.com/ INSTAGRAM: @thespiltink YouTube: https://youtu.be/J5-TnZLc5jE?si=yGX4oflyz_dZo74m -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. MITSUYA LIQUOR in ASAGAYA: "The BEST beer shop and standing beer bar in Tokyo!" 1　Chome- 13 -17 Asagayaminami, Suginami Tokyo 166-0004　 Tel & Fax: 0303314-6151Email: Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------   3. Harry's Sandwich Company 1 min walk from Takeshita Street in HarajukuCall 050-5329-7203 Address: 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 1 Chome−16−7 MSビル 3F -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Share Residence MUSOCO “It's a share house that has all that you need and a lot more!” - Located 30 minutes form Shibuya and Yokohama - Affordable rent - Gym - BAR! - Massive kitchen - Cozy lounge space - Office work units - A spacious deck for chilling - DJ booth and club space - Barber space - AND MORE! Get more info and move in at: https://sharedesign.co.jp/en/property.php?id=42&property=musaco&fbclid=IwAR3oYvB-a3_nzKcBG0gSdPQzxvFaWVWsi1d1xKLtYBnq8IS2uLqe6z9L6kY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soul Food House https://soulfoodhouse.comAddress:2-chōme−8−10 | Azabujūban | Tokyo | 106-0045 Phone:03-5765-2148 Email:info@soulfoodhouse.com Location Features:You can reach Soul Food House from either the Oedo Line (get off at Azabujuban Station and it's a 7-minute walk) or the Namboku Line (get off at Azabujuban Station and it's a 6-minute walk). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET YOURSELF SOME GOT FADED JAPAN MERCH TODAY!!! We have T-Shirts, COFFEE Mugs, Stickers, even the GFJ official pants! BUY NOW AND SUPPORT THE SHOW: http://www.redbubble.com/people/thespiltink/works/16870492-got-faded-japan-podcast -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Got Faded Japan Podcast gives listeners a glimpse of the most interesting side of Japan's news, culture, peoples, parties, and all around mischief and mayhem. Hosted by Johnny and Jeremy who adds opinions and otherwise drunken bullshit to the mix. We LOVE JAPAN AND SO DO YOU! Send us an email on Facebook or hell man, just tell a friend & post a link to keep this pod rolllin' Fader! Kanpai mofos! #japan #japantalk #japanpodcast #gotfadedjapan #vistjapan #japanvacation #thebestthingstodoinjapan

This episode delves into the intense aerial battles of July 1940 during the Battle of Britain, focusing on the RAF and Luftwaffe's clash over the skies as Germany sought to dominate the English Channel and cripple British shipping and naval power. From fiery dogfights on July 10th to covert bombing raids that tested Nazi morale, the episode explores the strategic gambits, weather challenges, and human cost of this pivotal moment in WWII. With gripping accounts of high-stakes maneuvers and the looming threat of Operation Sea Lion, it's a must-listen for history enthusiasts eager to uncover the drama that nearly changed the course of the war. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January of 2024 two teams of five swimmers set off to become the first winter relays to swim the English Channel. With the air temperature at 2 degrees and the water around 7 degrees, the men's team were successful in 14 hours and 45 minutes. Each team member swimming at least three one hour rotations in just their trunks, goggles and swim hat, as per EC Swimming rules. Sadly, the women's team had to abort due to a boat malfunction: that being said, while the boat was stationary and the crew were attempting to remove the issue, the women's team had to tread water alongside the bobbing vessel: again as per the hourly swim rotation rules. This event was some of the most extreme cold water swimming I have ever seen, and I was lucky enough to chat to two of the men's team... this episode is with one of the most humble swimmers you are ever likely to meet: Lee Johnson.

Get signed up for the Book Sales School Summit here: https://katcaldwell.com/booksalessummit2025If you're a fiction teacher or coach you might be interested in the Fiction Teachers Summit. Sign up here:https://katcaldwell.com/fiction-teachers-summitRhonda Douglas is starting her Book Finishers Bootcamp July 18th. It's a ver good way to get ahead in your writing this summer: https://katcaldwell.com/book-finishersWe're talking about 13 ways to keep writing this summer. All the links I promised are below.Check out Jessie Cunniffe's Book Blurb Magic course. It really is magic! https://katcaldwell.com/book-blurb-courseBooks: Writing Archetypal Character Arcs, Creating Character Arcs, 2000-10000, The Science of Storytelling, The Heroine's Journey, Three Story Method, Story Genius, Wired for Story.Be sure to fill your ebook reader this summer as well. Get Across the English Channel from me or from Amazon or Kobo.

Europa is one of the most interesting places in the solar system. In this episode of Astrobiology Roundup, where astrobiologist Nozair Khawaja answers some of the questions about Europa, Enceladus, and life in the universe. #europa #europaclipper #scienceexplained #jupiter #scienceexplained #astronomy #nasa #astronomyadventures Subscribe to our NEW Kids English Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCdIRtt8-Og1q99bkK5XBhoQ Subscribe to our Kids Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@KainaatKidsSubscribe to our English Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@kainaatastronomyinenglish   For more information about Kainaat Studios:https://www.kainaatstudios.com/

This week, we'll uncover the stories of four different shipwrecks. I'll start with an ancient Roman ship found near the Greek island of Antikythera which sank around 60 to 70 BC with mind blowing treasures on board. Next, I'll talk about the sinking of King Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, in 1545 and it's rediscovery twice in the 400 years since. Then we'll move on to my personal favorite, the Queen Anne's Revenge, which was intentionally run aground by the infamous pirate Blackbeard in 1718 and rediscovered in 1996. Finally, the HMS Victory which sank in the English Channel in 1744, one of the largest and most mysterious naval tragedies in British history. We'll take a closer look at the artifacts that came off of these wrecks and what they can teach us about the people once onboard. And, we'll dive into some difficult ethical questions. What is a shipwreck really? A museum? A treasure chest? A graveyard? And should that affect how we handle these discoveries?Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources: Scientific American "An Ancient Greek Astronomical Calculation Machine Reveals New Secrets"Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution "Antikythera Shipwreck"Royal Museums Greenwich "Mary Rose"maryrose.org "The Mary Rose in History"Museum Crush "11 Tudor Treasures Recovered from the Wreck of the Mary Rose"Queen Anne's Revenge Project "Discovery of the Shipwreck"Wikipedia "Queen Anne's Revenge"BBC "HMS Victory: The English Channel's 'Abandoned Shipwreck'"The Guardian "Wreckage of HMS Victory's Predecessor Discovered in Channel After 265 Years"Time Magazine "The HMS Victory, Famed Shipwreck, Is Found"Shoot me a message!

Send us a textThe best bits from Mark and AB for breakfast on 92.7 MIX FM5 to 9am weekdays LISTEN LIVE: https://www.mixfm.com.au/More Mark and AB Podcasts here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2038628

Labor is accused of presiding over a “part-time” parliament, the UK struggles to control its borders with more than 1,000 people crossing the English Channel in a day. Plus, Tony Abbott discusses Ukraine’s drone strike on Russia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashley Semmens is a former Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver who served for 18 years, specialising in explosive ordnance disposal. He has deployed multiple times, including to Afghanistan, and participated in Australia's military withdrawal in 2021. After surviving trauma from an IED attack, a sniper incident, and a horrific shark attack aftermath in Sydney Harbour, Ashley was medically discharged due to PTSD. Now, he's preparing to swim the English Channel — not just any swim, but on his back, using fins. It's a fundraising mission for the Navy Clearance Diver Trust and a deeply personal journey into fear, resilience, and purpose. In this episode, Ash opens up about overcoming fear of the water, losing close mates, post-service mental health, and how he's turning pain into a platform for support and recovery. Key Moments 00:00 – Ben and Tim intro the episode and Ash's unique goal: finning across the English Channel 01:14 – Comparison to Sam Penny's Channel swim (Season 1, Episode 27) 01:40 – Ash's clearance diving background and fear of water after trauma 02:45 – Military and Afghanistan service; PTSD and recovery journey 04:00 – Ash joins the conversation, starts with early life and growing up in Adelaide 06:00 – Competitive swimming as a teen; early struggles and successes 07:45 – 2003: Racing against Grant Hackett at Nationals 09:18 – Backstroke vs freestyle debate; Ash's short course gold medal (with caveats) 10:00 – Natural transition to the Navy from competitive sport 11:01 – Joining as a direct entry diver and diver vs boatswain's mate decision 12:01 – Clearance Diver selection process explained — 10 days of being wet, sandy, and psychologically tested 14:07 – What Ash learned about focus, fatigue, and resilience during selection 15:00 – 2009 shark attack incident: Ash explains what happened to Paul de Gelder 17:34 – Ash's role in the aftermath: trauma from cleaning the boat, psychological impact 18:29 – Lingering fear of large bodies of water, even lakes 20:00 – Later incident at Jervis Bay: panic before dive leads to difficult team moment 21:12 – Realisation of responsibility and shame around not seeking help 22:30 – Stigma and lack of psychological support during service 23:45 – What clearance divers do: diving, EOD, underwater repair, and land-based ops 25:16 – How Ash ended up doing EOD work in Afghanistan despite being too junior 27:22 – Becoming the most junior sailor to deploy for combat operations in Afghanistan 28:46 – Motivation to deploy: “It's like a footballer wanting to play a grand final” 29:00 – Getting targeted by an IED during deployment 31:30   About the Bushmaster 34:42   Pressure builds up 39:30   PTSD, cracks, symptoms and care 44:00   ‘More to live for' – side story 49:10   Medical discharge… and there are no protective factors in the military uniform 51:00   Role identity fusion 54:30   Finning the channel- breaking it down     External Links Navy Clearance Diver Trust Paul de Gelder – Shark Attack Survivor & Advocate S1E27 – Sam Penny swims the English Channel Contact Us www.unforgiving60.com Email: debrief@unforgiving60.com Instagram & Twitter: @Unforgiving60   Music With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

Want to read the book? Head here to buy from me: https://katcaldwell.com/books Head here for Amazon: https://katcaldwell.com/english-channel Want o make your own audiobooks? Go to https://spoken.press and use the code word PENCILS to make an account!Let me know what you think! @author_katcaldwell on Instagram and @katcaldwell.author on TikTok

Hello there!WTC 2025 is in the books and a new team stands a top of the globe as the kings of Legion.After last years outstanding performance by Team France led by Antoine Granet he the title heads over the English Channel to England with a team led by Dave Grant. Dave and his very humble team (proclaimed the all stars) of Dave, Geoff Porrit, Lyla Claire and 2024 individual worlds champion (and social organiser king) Olly Dier are all on the show and talk all things WTC 2025. If you like what you hear and want to support more of our work please head to out patreon page. It really does help the show out and helps us support the community.https://patreon.com/thatsnomoonpodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkTo know more about unique order tokens and more head to Commscan Gaming on the link below.https://commscan.etsy.comFor information about events head to https://www.legionevents.app/To know more about unique order tokens and more head to Commscan Gaming on the link below.Check out our instagram page for some entertaining pics and more https://www.instagram.com/thatsnomoonpodcast/For more info please check out our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Thatsnomoonpodcast and our Youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@TNMPod/about#StarWarsLegion #hobbying #miniwargaming #AtomicMassGames

At midnight, Sarah Thomas stepped off the coast of England into darkness—swimming into history as the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel, nonstop. That alone would be astonishing. But what makes her story unforgettable is what came before: a breast cancer diagnosis, grueling treatment, and the slow, painful journey of rebuilding trust in a body that no longer felt like hers.In this powerful episode, Sarah opens up about more than just world-record swims. She reflects on how to start over after loss, how movement can become a form of healing, and what it really means to “still float”—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Whether you're an athlete, a survivor, or simply navigating your own midlife turning point, her story is a quiet masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and grace.

Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Lectionary: 292The Saint of the day is Saint Augustine of CanterburySaint Augustine of Canterbury's Story In the year 596, some 40 monks set out from Rome to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons in England. Leading the group was Augustine, the prior of their monastery. Hardly had he and his men reached Gaul when they heard stories of the ferocity of the Anglo-Saxons and of the treacherous waters of the English Channel. Augustine returned to Rome and to Gregory the Great—the pope who had sent them—only to be assured by him that their fears were groundless. Augustine set out again. This time the group crossed the English Channel and landed in the territory of Kent, ruled by King Ethelbert, a pagan married to a Christian, Bertha. Ethelbert received them kindly, set up a residence for them in Canterbury and within the year, on Pentecost Sunday 597, was himself baptized. After being consecrated a bishop in France, Augustine returned to Canterbury, where he founded his see. He constructed a church and monastery near where the present cathedral, begun in 1070, now stands. As the faith spread, additional sees were established at London and Rochester. Work was sometimes slow and Augustine did not always meet with success. Attempts to reconcile the Anglo-Saxon Christians with the original Briton Christians—who had been driven into western England by Anglo-Saxon invaders—ended in dismal failure. Augustine failed to convince the Britons to give up certain Celtic customs at variance with Rome and to forget their bitterness, helping him evangelize their Anglo-Saxon conquerors. Laboring patiently, Augustine wisely heeded the missionary principles—quite enlightened for the times—suggested by Pope Gregory: purify rather than destroy pagan temples and customs; let pagan rites and festivals be transformed into Christian feasts; retain local customs as far as possible. The limited success Augustine achieved in England before his death in 605, a short eight years after his arrival, would eventually bear fruit long after in the conversion of England. Augustine of Canterbury can truly be called the “Apostle of England.” Reflection Augustine of Canterbury comes across today as a very human saint, one who could suffer like many of us from a failure of nerve. For example, his first venture to England ended in a big U-turn back to Rome. He made mistakes and met failure in his peacemaking attempts with the Briton Christians. He often wrote to Rome for decisions on matters he could have decided on his own had he been more self-assured. He even received mild warnings against pride from Pope Gregory, who cautioned him to “fear lest, amidst the wonders that are done, the weak mind be puffed up by self-esteem.” Augustine's perseverance amidst obstacles and only partial success teaches today's apostles and pioneers to struggle on despite frustrations and be satisfied with gradual advances. Saint Augustine of Canterbury is the Patron Saint of: England Love the saints? Check out these six titles on Catholic saints! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

We spoke to this weapon..... Ex-Royal Marine Mitch Hutchcraft has just completed the world’s longest sea-to-summit ascent of Everest and it’s nothing short of legendary.⁠ ⁠ Starting with a 34 km swim across the English Channel, he then cycled more than 11,910 km to India, ran 900 km to Kathmandu, and trekked 359 km to Everest Base Camp.⁠ ⁠ Understandably, the journey’s been dubbed ‘the world’s longest triathlon'. Mitch Hutchcraft started by swimming the English Channel on 15 September and the 240-day challenge concluded when he topped the world's highest mountain He was doing it for charity and you can donate here as well - https://givestar.io/gs/limitless

Esther thought of herself as a reluctant reader until she read John Irving's, The World According to Garp in her teens. From that day on, she discovered that she loves books! These days, she mostly listens to audiobooks. Esther's writing career grew from the stories she told her children. Book after book poured out of her as she began to put the words down on paper. She also shares her deep knowledge of storytelling, Judaism, and faith through teaching and speaking work (connect with Esther here to learn more). Find her Desert Song Trilogy here: https://www.esthergoldenberg.com/booksJoin me at the Spark to Story Summit: https://katcaldwell.com/spark-to-storyListen to the Across the English Channel teaser: https://katcaldwell.com/audio-teaser-aecYou can order Across the English Channel from Amazon, Kobo or directly from me.

For centuries, the English Channel served as a moat that kept the conflicts of Continental Europe away from the island of Great Britain. While it served as a barrier for armies, it also served as a hindrance to commerce. The movement of goods and people across the English Channel was much more difficult than he small distance that had to be crossed.  Some dreamed of one day taming that barrier, and in the 1990s, that dream came true. Learn more about the Channel Tunnel, aka the Chunnel, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Newspapers.com Get 20% off your subscription to Newspapers.com Mint Mobile Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Stitch Fix Go to stitchfix.com/everywhere to have a stylist help you look your best Tourist Office of Spain Plan your next adventure at Spain.info  Stash Go to get.stash.com/EVERYTHING to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase and to view important disclosures. Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This episode of _History of the Second World War_ dives into the critical moments of the Battle of Britain, exploring the German plan for invasion—Operation Sealion—and its unrealistic ambitions to cross the English Channel. As the Luftwaffe struggled with unclear strategies and fragmented operations in the summer of 1940, the episode reveals how chaos and uncertainty shaped the conflict. Listeners will uncover the high-stakes clash between Nazi ambitions and Britain's desperate preparations, offering a gripping look at the turning point that defined the war's outcome Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up, in our Overachievers segment, we meet Mitch Hutchcraft, an ex-royal marine who’s officially done too much. He swam the English Channel, biked 12,000km to India, ran to Kathmandu, and trekked to Everest Base Camp—dodging dogs, dodging bullets, and surviving car crashes. Meanwhile, we get puffed walking to the servo. Then it’s all about baby talk... for dogs! A new study reveals that pups actually prefer that high-pitched, cringey baby voice. Yep, their brains light up like fairy lights when we go full goo-goo gaga. In the Glossy’s, Pedro Pascal brings his rave energy to The Last of Us, Kim Kardashian drops a faux-nipple bra, Hulk Hogan bids to save Hooters (yes, really), and the Biebers prove that love means saying sorry for doubting your wife’s Vogue cover dreams. Also, 10 prisoners escape by removing a toilet, and over in Korea, people are winning competitions by doing absolutely nothing. Sounds like Joel’s kind of sport.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That title is not even a joke. Tammy Van Wisse actually lost 10kgs in 9 hours (and 6 minutes), swimming forty kilometres in the extremely cold water of Loch Ness, while trying not to get eaten by a f**king monster. This was Tammy's second visit to TYP and this chat was a truly fascinating insight into weirdness and wonder of marathon swimming at the highest jevel, from a practical, psychological and physiological perspective. Learn about Tammy's encounters with Tiger and Brown snakes while swimming the 2,438 kilometres of the Murray River (WTF!), the time she almost got eaten by a great white shark (for real), the buoyancy difference between fresh and salt water, the process of 'getting fat' for endurance events and the science behind it, the time her brother John 'kind of' died swimming the English Channel with her (and the Aussie Olympic legend who dived in to save him) and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert F McLean was just 19 years old when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy to do his part in WWII. Invited to join the Navy Seals, he declined and enrolled in the U.S.N. Patrol Torpedo Boat School in Melville, R.I. Upon graduation Bob was assigned to Squadron 30, destined for the European Theatre of Operations. Shortly after midnight on June 6, 1944, his squadron became the outermost fighter convoy of the Normandy Invasion. The largest force ever assembled included his Patrol Torpedo Boat 461, a fighter escort. Bob valiantly participated in the fall of Le Havre, France and received a Bronze Star. He also was awarded a Presidential Citation for his squadron's heroic rescue work in the English Channel during the Battle of the Bulge. He also took part in the liberation of the Channel Islands off the coast of France.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com

This week I'm so excited to bring an interview with Spoken to you! They are truly changing the audiobook industry and I want you to be part of it! I've always wanted to have audiobooks, but it's been so far out of reach due to price for me, but not any more! Spoken Studio is the first purpose-built workflow empowering authors breaking the sound barrier. Spoken deeply analyzes each work and character to surface, or design from scratch, the perfect voices. These voices, whether of voice actors or character-generated, are used to craft the perfect single or multi-cast narration. Once a project is narrated, intelligent mastering and publishing tools make distribution a breeze.Check them out here https://www.spoken.press/ and use code PENCILS to start making your own audios! Listen to my short story, Chilled Wine, here: https://ihave.spoken.press/p/QVRdJVQYXm1Pre-order Across the English Channel here: https://www.amazon.com/Across-English-Channel-Stepping-Book-ebook/dp/B0F6QGS6M2/Sign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletterWant more information on my books, author swaps, short stories and what I'm reading? Sign up for my readers' newsletter. https://storylectory.katcaldwell.com/signup You can always ask me writing questions on instagram @katcaldwell_writing

Vicki explores the glorious world of older women swimmers, highlighting their achievements, dreams and passions. Sal Minty-Gravett MBE, who has swum the English Channel in each decade of her life since she was a teenager, talks about her Channel swims and co-hosts the programme. Almost Synchro, open water synchro swimmers, try to set a World Record for the longest cold water routine. Deborah Vine, a Team GB Ice swimmer, explains her love of cold water swimming. Listener Nickie Gore discusses the extra challenges of swimming with Parkinson's disease and Laura Reineke tells us about her love of the River Thames and her challenge to swim the Oceans 7. Kari Furre shares how she loves to teach Butterfly and her passion for teaching older swimmers.   Find out more: ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠swimout.net⁠

It’s time for another trip around the solar system on the BIGGER and BETTER Science Weekly! In this episode of the Fun Kids Science Weekly, we answer YOUR questions, have scientists battle it out to determine which science is the best, and this week we're learning all about the power of neurosurgery! Dan kicks off with the latest science news, starting with some hopeful news for one of the world's most endangered species. Next, as David Attenborough celebrates his 99th birthday, we take a look at one of the most important films of his legendary career. And finally, Jon Carter from the British Trust for Ornithology explains how the warm spring will bring exotic birds across the English Channel. Then, we answer your questions! Jess wants to know: Why babies are born with more bones than adults? And Dr. Thomas Woolley from Cardiff University answers Ziholi's question: How many milliseconds are there in 1000 centuries? In Dangerous Dan, we learn all about the Fennec Fox. In Battle of the Sciences, paediatric neurosurgeon Professor Ian Kamily from the Royal College of Surgeons of England explores the incredible workings of the brain — and why it’s one of the most important organs in the human body What do we learn about? · Good news for one of the world's rarest species · The arrival of exotic birds to the UK· Why babies have more bones than adults?· How many milliseconds are in 1000 centuries?· And in Battle of the Sciences, the importance of the brain! All on this week's episode of Science Weekly!Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

fWotD Episode 2925: American logistics in the Western Allied invasion of Germany Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Thursday, 8 May 2025, is American logistics in the Western Allied invasion of Germany.American logistics in the Western Allied invasion of Germany supported the American and French operations in Northwest Europe during the Second World War from 26 January 1945 until the end of World War II in Europe on 8 May 1945.By the end of January 1945, the American forces had recovered from the disruption to the supply system and the large losses of materiel inflicted by the German offensives in the Ardennes and Alsace. Sixty-eight ships loaded with replacement ordnance were dispatched from the United States. Casualties were harder to replace, and about 49,000 men were transferred from service units to the infantry branch. The Allied forces had to advance across the Rhineland, which was in the grip of thaws, rains and floods. They were then confronted by the Rhine, the most formidable barrier to the Allied advance since the English Channel. The river was crossed and bridged, and railways and pipelines were run across it. Most supplies were delivered by rail, and five railway bridges over the Rhine supported the final American advance into the heart of Germany.Once across the Rhine, combat losses in terms of tanks, vehicles and equipment, and the expenditure of ammunition declined, while shortages of fuel and spare parts developed, as was to be expected in fast-moving mobile operations. The American logistics system was stretched, but came nowhere near breaking point. The railheads were pushed forward, the rehabilitation of the network keeping pace with the advance. No less than twenty-six engineer general service regiments worked on the railways, and by late April rail had supplanted motor transport and was carrying the bulk of supplies across the Rhine. By 8 May, when the war in Europe ended, railheads had been established at Stendal, Magdeburgy, Leipzig, Regensburg and Stuttgart in Germany. The Motor Transport Service organized XYZ, an express road service that moved supplies from the railheads to the forward units. Air supply also played its part in bringing the campaign to a successful conclusion, with a substantial amount of gasoline delivered by air in the final weeks.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:36 UTC on Thursday, 8 May 2025.For the full current version of the article, see American logistics in the Western Allied invasion of Germany on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Matthew.

This week I am talking with author Nancy Christie. She got her start in journalism and has written nonfiction, short stories and novels. Nancy's fiction and nonfiction books explore the subject of change — the challenges in transitioning (physically or emotionally) from one place to another, the sense of loss that develops when the landscape of life undergoes a metaphorical shift and the importance of finding the strength and courage to move forward. Find out more about Nancy and her books at https://www.nancychristie.com/books/ Check out Nancy's YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/@midlifemoxienovelseries3804Across the English Channel will be out May 28th! Pre-order it here: https://www.amazon.com/Across-English-Channel-Stepping-Book-ebook/dp/B0F6QGS6M2/ See the reviews coming in here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232279941-across-the-english-channelSign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletterWant more information on my books, author swaps, short stories and what I'm reading? Sign up for my readers' newsletter. https://storylectory.katcaldwell.com/signup You can always ask me writing questions on instagram @katcaldwell_writing

Dr Beibei Du Harpur & Kathryn Clifford from Skin Cancer charity SKCIN tell us we need to know about Skin Cancer Awareness Month.Footballer legend Graeme Souness, speaks to us live from the English Channel as he swims to France and back, raising money for the charity, DEBRA.Join Chris, Vassos and the Class Behind The Glass every morning from 6.30am for laughs with the listeners and the greatest guests. Listen on your smart speaker, just say: "Play Virgin Radio." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming up on the next episode of Key Change... the trajectory of an opera career from academia to the main stage with musicians & opera educators Jamie Flora and Kirstin Ditlow. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: agarcia@santafeopera.org Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.  

A 9-year-old boy from Kentucky is remembered by many after being swept away by flood waters. AND 49-year-old Melanie Barratt becomes the first blind woman to swim the English Channel. To see videos and photos referenced in this episode, visit GodUpdates! https://www.godtube.com/blog/9-year-old-boy-swept-away.html https://www.godtube.com/blog/melanie-barratt-swims-english-channel.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Heading back to the skies over England as we tackle the classic Battle of Britain. In 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the U.K. We are NOT experts, veterans or...

Nancy Steadman Martin is the only woman in the world, over 70, to break 21 minutes in the 1500 freestyle! What does it mean to be truly unstoppable at 70? Steadman Martin embodies this question as she continues to shatter world swimming records while maintaining a thriving career as a senior law partner. Her remarkable journey defies every notion about aging and physical limitations. She's also a mermaid--really!Nancy's swimming resume reads like a fantasy novel: world records in the 800 and 1500 freestyle (70-74 age group), swimming the English Channel in record time for women over 50, completing the coveted Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, and winning national titles that often beat competitors decades younger. All while working full-time in law.The secret to her extraordinary success? A 5:05 AM daily plunge into the pool for a 4,500-yard workout before heading to the office by 8:00, coupled with an unwavering commitment to goal-setting. "I couldn't just get in the pool and swim up and down," Nancy explains. "I need something that I'm looking forward to." This forward-looking perspective has carried her through every challenge, including a life-threatening bout with pneumonia that required lung surgery in 2017.Perhaps most touching is the legacy connection—Nancy now competes to break her late mother's backstroke records as she ages into each new bracket, describing the feeling as if her mother is swimming in the lane beside her. This familial connection extends to her chosen swimming family, the Mighty Mermaids, a legendary team of women in their 60s and 70s who have been breaking relay records together for 20 years.When asked what word comes to mind when diving into water, Nancy's answer is profoundly simple: "I'm home." For anyone feeling limited by age or circumstance, Nancy's extraordinary journey proves that with the right mindset and community, our greatest achievements may still lie ahead, regardless of age.Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

Saturday 16th July 1967 was destined to be the warmest day of the year in the South of England. But in the English Channel, there was a fog. A small dinghy pushed off the coast near Selsey on the Sussex coast, and set in motion a mystery that until this moment has never been solved. Involving missing cash, Miss World contestants and suspicious deaths, it was the scandal of the summer that has remained unsolved ever since..... Until Now.   Links: Narrated, written and produced by Ken Davies, Managing Director, GSE Media Ltd ken.davies@gsemedialtd.com Fred the Head Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/fredtheheadpodcast/   The Mysterious Case of Michael Benedict is a copyrighted GSE Media Ltd production - the content of thus podcast, including the audio recordings, scripts, and any original material, is subject to copyright protection. © 2025 GSE Media Ltd  

From Paralympic pools to the English Channel, Melanie Barratt took on the toughest swim of her life — laying to rest her demons, and honouring her beloved mum.Melanie Barratt was born with congenital toxoplasmosis that left her severely visually-impaired. As a teenager she excelled academically but found it hard to keep friends. She found solace in the swimming pool where again she shone, earning a chance to represent Team GB at the 1996 and 2000 Paralympic Games. Despite winning gold medals at both, her confidence in the pool did not extend to her social life, where she struggled with self-loathing. One constant source of support however was her mother, who continued to inspire Melanie even after her death. It would take decades and a gruelling swim across the English Channel – earning a place in history – for Melanie finally to find peace.Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Hetal Bapodra and June ChristieGet in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784

More than 36,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats last year. Our correspondent investigates the increasingly sophisticated business strategies of the criminals who smuggle them. As the planet heats, wildfires in East Asia are becoming fiercer and more frequent (10:36). And why ordinary Americans are falling out of love with their former international allies (18:31).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than 36,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats last year. Our correspondent investigates the increasingly sophisticated business strategies of the criminals who smuggle them. As the planet heats, wildfires in East Asia are becoming fiercer and more frequent (10:36). And why ordinary Americans are falling out of love with their former international allies (18:31).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

If you ever wondered what drives someone to run 100 miles, swim across the English Channel, or dive into near-freezing water—all in the name of pushing limits—this episode is for you. We're joined by Shannon Hogan, author of The Unforgiving Hours, a new book celebrating the grit and grace of "ordinary" endurance athletes. In the episode, Shannon shares... Her own “unforgiving” athletic feats; How the subjects in her book prove that mental toughness can often trump physical ability; Lessons from endurance sports that apply to everyday life…and more.  Note: This is our final Miles of Books segment on Another Mother Runner. Starting Tuesday, April 22, Miles of Books launches as its own podcast! Episodes will air every other Tuesday, alternating between nonfiction (hosted by Coach Liz + Sarah) and fiction (hosted by Sarah + Ellison Weist). We're excited to share more stories—and grow our community of book-loving runners! Join us for your own adventure this fall at the Grand Traverse.  When you shop our sponsors, you help AMR. We appreciate your—and their—support!   Try before you buy: Get 20% off all Tifosi sunglasses  with code AMR2025 at TifosiOptics.com Get 20% off, plus free shipping, on all IQBar products by texting AMR to 64-000 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carrie Barrett welcomes the remarkable Shannon Hogan, an inspiring figure in the world of ultra-endurance sports and the author of the newly released book, The Unforgiving Hours: The Grit, Resilience, and Perseverance at the Heart of Endurance Sports. Hogan, a former pro mountain biker, ultra-runner, open water swimmer, and avid adventurer, shares her insights on the mindset required to tackle numerous extreme athletic challenges, featuring stories and lessons from a diverse cast of lesser-known yet extraordinary athletes. They discuss the importance of community support, resilience, and the joys of discomfort, showcasing stories of athletes who have achieved the extraordinary. With themes of personal growth and perseverance, this episode encourages listeners to embrace their own challenges and explore the limits of their potential where "will becomes stronger than skill." This book will ignite your endurance spirit and help you discover the unthinkable achievements awaiting just beyond your comfort zone.    Purchase The Unforgiving Hours on Amazon or wherever books are sold Read more about Shannon and her book in The Seattle Times Support the Podcast through Venmo https://www.venmo.com/u/CarrieSappBarrett or  BuyMeACoffee.com - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/CarrieBarrett  Save 15% on  Plantstrongfoods.com with code: CARRIE15 "I Could Never Do That" Website - https://www.podpage.com/icouldneverdothat/  "I Could Never Do That" Instagram - @icouldneverdothat Theme Music: Your Love by Atch -License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)        

Sophie Etheridge is redefining open water swimming. A marathon swimmer, coach, and disability advocate, she made history in 2023 by becoming the first person with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome to swim the English Channel solo—setting a World Record for the longest English Channel Swim at an astonishing 29 hours and 4 minutes. In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, Sophie takes us behind the scenes of her record-breaking swim, sharing the physical and mental challenges she faced during nearly 30 hours in the water. From training and preparation to the unexpected obstacles that tested her resilience, Sophie's story is a testament to determination, adaptability, and the power of a strong support team. She also speaks about her work in making swimming more accessible, advocating for better opportunities for disabled swimmers, and why she believes everyone should have the chance to experience the freedom of open water. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about overcoming adversity, pushing boundaries, and the true meaning of endurance. *** Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women.  Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you for your amazing support! *** Show notes Who is Sophie  Ultra marathon swimmer and adaptive athlete. Previously peaking to Sophie on the Tough Girl Podcast (TGP) in August 23rd 2022  Being the founder of ADOWS - Adaptive and Disabled Open Water Swimmers  What we talked about the first time we spoke on the TGP What was happening in 2022 The English Channel Relay Swim  Marathon Swimming Federation  Thinking about doing a solo English Channel swim  Swimming Teachers Association (STA) Conference  Wanting to complete the original swimming triple crown as a disabled person Getting sponsored to swim the English Channel  What changed going forward  Needing to have a medical and do a qualification swim  Wanting to learn as much as she could about swimming the English Channel solo Going on a swim camp in Wales by herself and travelling solo  Why 2023 was a very quick year, but took a long time Sharing her goal of a solo swim  Having 8 months to train  Starlight - shining a light on disability swimming  Up-skilling swimming teachers and training them how to teach disabled people how to swim  Having no doubts and the power of words and language  Not being able to tread water and how that changed the feeding process The multiple challenges that Sophie would have to face during the swim  Having a great crew and team around her  Going on a spring tide and getting the last slot available to swim the channel  The fear of getting out of the water at the end of the swim and not being able to use her legs… Expecting to do the swim in 18/19 hours The strategy and the plan for the swim Night swimming  Swimming sideways for 7 hours and not being able to make any progress forward 29hrs 4 mins…. Swimming!  Why it became more of a mental challenge  Aiming to swim for 24hrs! Setting 3 world records and not knowing until back on the boat Reaching France  Getting back on the boat and heading back to England Not celebrating straight away  Getting a huge amount of press Raising over £6,000 for STA  Fundraising for Level Water  How to connect with Sophie and follow along with her challenges Final words of advice Find out the starting point  Give yourself permission to let go and to try new things Why you never know where the journey is going to take you    Social Media Website/Blog: sophie-adaptive-athlete.com  Instagram: @sophie_adaptive_athlete Facebook: @sophie_adaptive_athlete  

Chloë McCardel holds multiple long distance swimming records. In October 2021 she set the record for the most English Channel crossings at 44. She also holds the Australian record for triple non-stop crossing of the English Channel. Chloë is a speaker and coach, having coached many marathon swimmers. She is also an advocate for domestic violence victims and involved in Marine Rescue - NSW (New South Wales)  “Volunteers Saving Lives on the Water.” 4:00 The Hinge Moment Of Starting Swimming From Pure Embarrassment 5:39 Being Motivated From A Young Age 7:25 Getting Swimming Taken Away 9:36 Deciding To Be The Best In The World 12:37 Having A Dream And Committing To That 14:12 An 11.2k For A First Swim 16:31 Inviting Death Into The Sport 21:39 Having The Confidence To Do A Double Crossing Of The English Channel 26:20 Outsmarting The Competition On The Hudson River 29:05 Gaining The Ability To Stay Mentally Focused 31:28 Failing At A Triple Crossing But Still Choosing To Go Back 34:29 Creating A Mindset Of A Future Identity 38:32 Choosing Not To Try To Prove People Wrong  43:13 The Most Memorable Moment Of Finishing The Triple Crossing 47:35 The Power Of Visualization And Staying In The Right Headspace 56:03 The Quad Attempt From 2018 57:51 Accepting The Quad Failure 1:01:35 Deciding To Become The Queen Of The Channel 1:03:50 Developing A Love For The Channel From The Start 1:08:35 Telling Yourself It's Ok You Can Stop  1:14:37 Box Jellyfish Attack  1:19:29 Converting The Love For Water To Help People 1:24:34 The Need For Passion To Complete Your Goals 1:26:48 The Channel Queen Foundation Don't forget you can also follow Dr. Rob Bell on Twitter or Instagram.  Follow At:  Twitter @drrobbell Instagram @drrobbell Download Your Daily Focus Road Map! https://drrobbell.com/ If you enjoyed this episode on Mental Toughness, please subscribe and leave a review! Dr. Rob Bell

On this week's Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Harriet Strahl about the White Ship Disaster. A PHD student at Durham University, Harriet has done extensive research on the various accounts of the tragic event from different scholars at the time and lends an equally balanced 12th century and 21st century take on the problematic circumstances of this doomed voyage across the English Channel. Afterwards, Patreon subscribers can revisit the board with Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early and see if the verdict sinks or swims. Not part of the Patreon family yet?! Join us below.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.Make a one time Donation while we recover from the Eaton Canyon Fires.Join our Patreon!Join our Discord!Tell us who you think is to blame at http://thealarmistpodcast.comEmail us at thealarmistpodcast@gmail.comFollow us on Instagram @thealarmistpodcastFollow us on Twitter @alarmistThe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/alarmist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From burned out to fired up. Maryam Farizadeh takes the woo out of corporate wellness. Maryam is a corporate wellness consultant. Companies hire her to create and implement wellness strategies to improve employee mental and physical health. Healthy employees tend to be happier employees. Happier employees tend to clock in and be productive. "There's a lot of good research coming out that when we feel good we do better. Our work is better. We're more productive. The research is out there," says Maryam. Maryam founded a company called Office Yoga 10 years ago. That program went global and was used in more than 475 companies around the world including Amazon, Oracle and Twitter. The pandemic changed everything. Employers are turning to wellness programs to reinvigorate staffers and build engagement. But, it goes both ways. Taking advantage of wellness programs can energize an employee to better manage and enjoy their personal life too. Maryam's latest company is ZaaS. It stands for Zen-as-a-Service. And she's sharing some simple work wellness hacks that can make a day at the office feel like a day at the spa. Kidding. But, you will feel a mood and energy boost with just a few minutes of conscious stretching or focusing. 85% of American companies offer some kind of a wellness program. If you're not taking part, you're missing out. Maryam is an entrepreneur and endurance athlete. She's the first woman and only the second person to swim around San Francisco. And she even swam across the English Channel. She's done big things by focusing on little things that matter. And you can too. On this Dying to Ask: The true cost of burnout The link between mental health and the bottom line The number one reason corporate wellness programs fail (heads-up bosses!) The two minute break you can take at work that will give you energy and improve your mood

President Trump has been threatening to “take back” the Panama Canal since he regained power. In this episode, listen to testimony from officials serving on the Federal Maritime Commission who explain why the Panama Canal has become a focus of the administration and examine whether or not we need to be concerned about an impending war for control of the canal. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes Current Events around the Panama Canal March 5, 2025. the Associated Press. Sabrina Valle, Suzanne McGee, and Michael Martina. March 4, 2025. Reuters. Matt Murphy, Jake Horton and Erwan Rivault. February 14, 2025. BBC. May 1, 2024. World Weather Attribution. World Maritime News Staff. March 15, 2019. World Maritime News. July 29, 2018. Reuters. Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 U.S. Department of State. The Chinese “Belt and Road Initiative” Michele Ruta. March 29, 2018. World Bank Group. The Trump-Gaza Video February 26, 2025. Sky News. Laws Audio Sources Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 28, 2025 Witnesses: Louis E. Sola, Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Daniel B. Maffei, Commissioner, FMC , Professor, Scalia Law School, George Mason University Joseph Kramek, President & CEO, World Shipping Council Clips 17:30 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Between the American construction of the Panama Canal, the French effort to build an isthmus canal, and America's triumphant completion of that canal, the major infrastructure projects across Panama cost more than 35,000 lives. For the final decade of work on the Panama Canal, the United States spent nearly $400 million, equivalent to more than $15 billion today. The Panama Canal proved a truly invaluable asset, sparing both cargo ships and warships the long journey around South America. When President Carter gave it away to Panama, Americans were puzzled, confused, and many outraged. With the passage of time, many have lost sight of the canal's importance, both to national security and to the US economy. 18:45 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): But the Panama Canal was not just given away. President Carter struck a bargain. He made a treaty. And President Trump is making a serious and substantive argument that that treaty is being violated right now. 19:10 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): President Trump has highlighted two key issues. Number one, the danger of China exploiting or blocking passage through the canal, and number two, the exorbitant costs for transit. 19:20 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Chinese companies are right now building a bridge across the canal at a slow pace, so as to take nearly a decade. And Chinese companies control container points ports at either end. The partially completed bridge gives China the ability to block the canal without warning, and the ports give China ready observation posts to time that action. This situation, I believe, poses acute risks to US national security. 19:50 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Meanwhile, the high fees for canal transit disproportionately affect Americans, because US cargo accounts for nearly three quarters of Canal transits. US Navy vessels pay additional fees that apply only to warships. Canal profits regularly exceed $3 billion. This money comes from both American taxpayers and consumers in the form of higher costs for goods. American tourists aboard cruises, particularly those in the Caribbean Sea, are essentially captive to any fees Panama chooses to levy for canal transits, and they have paid unfair prices for fuel bunkering at terminals in Panama as a result of government granted monopoly. Panama's government relies on these exploitative fees. Nearly 1/10 of its budget is paid for with canal profit. 21:25 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Panama has for years flagged dozens of vessels in the Iranian ghost fleet, which brought Iran tens of billions of dollars in oil profits to fund terror across the world. 21:40 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): And Chinese companies have won contracts, often without fair competition, as the infamous Belt and Road Initiative has come to Panama. China often engages in debt trap diplomacy to enable economic and political coercion. In Panama, it also seems to have exploited simple corruption. 32:40 Louis Sola: The Panama Canal is managed by the Panama Canal Authority, ACP, an independent agency of the Panamanian government. The ACP is a model of public infrastructure management, and its independence has been key to ensure a safe and reliable transit of vessels critical to the US and global commerce. 33:25 Louis Sola: In contrast, the broader maritime sector in Panama, including the nation's ports, water rights, and the world's largest ship registry, falls under the direct purview of the Panamanian government. 33:35 Louis Sola: Unfortunately, this sector has faced persistent challenges, including corruption scandals and foreign influence, particularly from Brazil and China. These issues create friction with the ACP, especially as it works to address long term challenges such as securing adequate water supplies for the canal. 33:55 Louis Sola: Although the ACP operates independently, under US law both the ACP and the government of Panama's maritime sector are considered one in the same. This means that any challenges in Panama's maritime sector, including corruption, lack of transparency, or foreign influence, can have a direct or indirect impact on the operations and long term stability of the canal. This legal perspective highlights the need for diligence in monitoring both the ACP's management and Panama government's policies affecting maritime operations. 34:30 Louis Sola: Since 2015, Chinese companies have increased their presence and influence throughout Panama. Panama became a member of the Belt and Road Initiative and ended its diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Chinese companies have been able to pursue billions of dollars in development contracts in Panama, many of which were projects directly on or adjacent to the Panama Canal. Many were no bid contracts. Labor laws were waived, and the Panamanian people are still waiting to see how they've been benefited. It is all more concerning that many of these companies are state-owned, and in some cases, even designated as linked to the People's Liberation Army. We must address the significant growing presence and influence of China throughout the Americas and in Panama, specifically. 35:20 Louis Sola: American companies should play a leading role in enhancing the canal's infrastructure. By supporting US firms, we reduce reliance on Chinese contractors and promote fair competition. 36:55 Daniel Maffei: Because the canal is essentially a waterway bridge over mountainous terrain above sea level, it does depend on large supplies of fresh water to maintain the full operations. Panama has among the world's largest annual rainfalls. Nonetheless, insufficient fresh water levels have occurred before in the canal's history, such as in the 1930s when the Madden Dam and Lake Alajuela were built to address water shortages. Since that time, the canal has undertaken several projects to accommodate larger, more modern ships. In the last couple of years, a trend of worsening droughts in the region, once again, has forced limits to the operations of the canal. Starting in June of 2023 the Panama Canal Authority employed draft restrictions and reduced the number of ships allowed to transit the canal per day. Now the Panama Canal limitations, in combination with the de facto closure of the Suez Canal to container traffic, has had serious consequences for ocean commerce, increasing rates, fees and transit times. 39:30 Daniel Maffei: Now, fortunately, Panama's 2024 rainy season has, for now, alleviated the most acute water supply issues at the canal, and normal transit volumes have been restored. That said, while the Panamanian government and Canal Authority have, with the advice of the US Army Corps of Engineers, developed credible plans to mitigate future water shortages, they also warned that it is likely that at least one more period of reduced transits will occur before these plans can be fully implemented. 41:55 Eugene Kontorovich: We shall see that under international law, each party to the treaty is entitled to determine for itself whether a violation has occurred. Now, in exchange for the United States ceding control of the canal which it built and maintained, Panama agreed to a special regime of neutrality. The essential features of this regime of neutrality is that the canal must be open to all nations for transit. That's Article Two. Equitable tolls and fees, Article Three. An exclusive Panamanian operation, Article Five. The prohibition of any foreign military presence, Article Five. Article Five provides that only Panama shall operate the canal. Testifying about the meaning of the treaty at the Senate ratification hearings, the Carter administration emphasized that this prohibits foreign operation of the canal, as well as the garrisoning of foreign troops. Now, Article Five appears to be primarily concerned about control by foreign sovereigns. If Panama signed a treaty with the People's Republic of China, whereby the latter would operate the canal on Panama's behalf, this would be a clear violation. But what if Panama contracted for port operations with a Chinese state firm, or even a private firm influenced or controlled in part by the Chinese government? The Suez Canal Company was itself, before being nationalized, a private firm in which the United Kingdom was only a controlling shareholder. Yet this was understood to represent British control over the canal. In other words, a company need not be owned by the government to be in part controlled by the government. So the real question is the degree of de jure or de facto control over a Foreign Sovereign company, and scenarios range from government companies in an authoritarian regime, completely controlled, to purely private firms in our open society like the United States, but there's many possible situations in the middle. The treaty is silent on the question of how much control is too much, and as we'll see, this is one of the many questions committed to the judgment and discretion of each party. Now turning to foreign security forces, the presence of third country troops would manifestly violate Article Five. But this does not mean that anything short of a People's Liberation Army base flying a red flag is permissible. The presence of foreign security forces could violate the regime of neutrality, even if they're not represented in organized and open military formations. Modern warfare has seen belligerent powers seek to evade international legal limitations by disguising their actions in civilian garb, from Russia's notorious little green men to Hamas terrorists hiding in hospitals or disguised as journalists. Bad actors seek to exploit the fact that international treaties focus on sovereign actors. Many of China's man made islands in the South China Sea began as civilian projects before being suddenly militarized. Indeed, this issue was discussed in the Senate ratification hearings over the treaty. Dean Rusk said informal forces would be prohibited under the treaty. Thus the ostensible civilian character of the Chinese presence around the canal does not, in itself, mean that it could not represent a violation of the treaty if, for example, these companies and their employees involved Chinese covert agents or other agents of the Chinese security forces. So this leads us to the final question, Who determines whether neutrality is being threatened or compromised? Unlike many other treaties that provide for third party dispute resolution, the neutrality treaty has no such provision. Instead, the treaty makes clear that each party determines for itself the existence of a violation. Article Four provides that each party is separately authorized to maintain the regime of neutrality, making a separate obligation of each party. The Senate's understanding accompanying to ratification also made clear that Article Five allows each party to take, quote, "unilateral action." Senator Jacob Javits, at the markup hearing, said that while the word unilateral is abrasive, we can quote, "decide that the regime of neutrality is being threatened and then act with whatever means are necessary to keep the canal neutral unilaterally." 46:35 Joseph Kramek: My name is Joe Kramek. I'm President and CEO of the World Shipping Council. The World Shipping Council is the global voice of liner shipping. Our membership consists of 90% of the world's liner shipping tonnage, which are container vessels and vehicle carriers. They operate on fixed schedules to provide our customers with regular service to ship their goods in ports throughout the world. 47:15 Joseph Kramek: As you have heard, using the Panama Canal to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific saves significant time and money. A typical voyage from Asia to the US or East Coast can be made in under 30 days using the canal, while the same journey can take up to 40 days if carriers must take alternate routes. From a commercial trade perspective, the big picture is this. One of the world's busiest trade lanes is the Trans Pacific. The Trans Pacific is cargo coming from and going to Asia via the United States. Focusing in a bit, cargo coming from Asia and bound for US Gulf and East Coast ports always transits the Panama Canal. Similarly, cargo being exported from US and East Coast ports, a large share of which are US Agricultural exports, like soybeans, corn, cotton, livestock and dairy also almost always transits the Panama Canal. The result is that 75% of Canal traffic originates in or is bound for the United States. 48:55 Joseph Kramek: We've talked about the drought in 2023 and the historic low water levels that it caused in Lake Gatún, which feeds the canal locks, a unique system that is a fresh water feed, as contrasted to an ocean to ocean system, which the French tried and failed, but which is actually active in the Suez Canal. These low water levels reduced transits from 36 transits a day to as low as 22 per day. Additionally, the low water levels required a reduction in maximum allowable draft levels, or the depth of the ship below the water line, which for our members reduced the amount of containers they could carry through the canal. This resulted in a 10% reduction in import volumes for US Gulf and East Coast ports, with the Port of Houston experiencing a 26.7% reduction. 51:10 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Are you aware of allegations from some vessel operators of disparate treatment such as sweetheart deals or favorable rebates by Panama for canal transits? Louis Sola: Thank you for the question, Mr. Chairman, we have become aware through some complaints by cruise lines that said that they were not getting a refund of their canal tolls. When we looked into this, we found a Panamanian Executive Order, Decree 73, that specifically says that if a cruise line would stop at a certain port, that they could be refunded 100% of the fees. And as far as I know, that's the only instant where that exists. 53:05 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): So Panama was the very first Latin American country to join China's Belt and Road Initiative, and right now, China is building a fourth bridge across the Panama Canal for car traffic and light rail. Chairman Sola, why should Chinese construction of a bridge near Panama City concern the United States? Louis Sola: Mr. Chairman, we all saw the tragedy that happened here in the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident and the devastation that had happened to Baltimore. We also saw recently what happened in the Suez Canal, where we had a ship get stuck in there. It's not only the construction of the bridge, but it's a removal of a bridge, as I understand it, called the Bridge of the Americas. It was built in 1961 and that would paralyze cargo traffic in and out of the canals. 53:55 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Panama also recently renewed the concessions for two container ports to a Chinese company, Hutchison Ports PPC. Of course, Chinese companies are controlled by the Communist Party. How does China use control of those ports for economic gain? Louis Sola: Mr. Chairman, I am a regulator, a competition regulator. And the Chinese ports that you're referring to, let me put them into scope. The one on the Pacific, the Port of Balboa, is roughly the same size as the Port of Houston. They do about 4 million containers a year. They have about 28 game tree cranes. The one on the Atlantic is the same as my hometown in Miami, they do about 1 million containers. So where Roger Gunther in the Port of Houston generates about $1 billion a year and Heidi Webb in Miami does about $200 million, the Panama ports company paid 0 for 20 years on that concession. So it's really hard to compete against zero. So I think that's our concern, our economic concern, that we would have. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Commissioner Maffei, anything to add on that? Daniel Maffei: Yeah, I do too also think it is important. I would point out that you don't have to stop at either port. It's not like these two ports control the entrance to the canal. That is the Canal Authority that does control that. However, I think it's of concern. I would also point out that the Panamanian government thinks it's of concern too, because they're conducting their own audit of those particular deals, but we remain very interested as well. 56:25 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Would the facts discussed here be considered violations of the neutrality treaty in force right now between the United States and Panama? Eugene Kontorovich: So I think Senator, I think potentially they could, but it's impossible to say definitively without knowing more, in particular, about the degree of Chinese control and involvement in these companies. I think it's important to note that these port operation companies that operate the ports on both sides, when they received their first contract, it was just a few months before Hong Kong was handed over to China. In other words, they received them as British companies, sort of very oddly, just a few months before the handover. Now, of course, since then, Hong Kong has been incorporated into China, has been placed under a special national security regime, and the independence of those companies has been greatly abridged, to say nothing of state owned companies involved elsewhere in in the canal area, which raised significantly greater questions. Additionally, I should point out that the understandings between President Carter and Panamanian leader Herrera, which were attached to the treaty and form part of the treaty, provide that the United States can, quote, "defend the canal against any threat to the regime of neutrality," and I understand that as providing some degree of preemptive authority to intervene. One need not wait until the canal is actually closed by some act of sabotage or aggression, which, as we heard from the testimony, would be devastating to the United States, but there is some incipient ability to address potential violations. 58:10 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): If the United States determines that Panama is in violation of the treaty, what is the range of remedies the United States would have for that treaty violation? Eugene Kontorovich: So I think it may be shocking to people to hear today, but when one goes over the ratification history and the debates and discussions in this body over this treaty, it was clear that the treaty was understood as giving both sides, separately, the right to resort to use armed force to enforce the provisions of the treaty. And it's not so surprising when one understands that the United States made an extraordinary concession to Panama by transferring this canal, which the United States built at great expense and maintained and operated to Panama, gratis. And in exchange, it received a kind of limitation, a permanent limitation on Panamanians sovereignty, that Panama agreed that the United States could enforce this regime of neutrality by force. Now, of course, armed force should never be the first recourse for any kind of international dispute and should not be arrived at sort of rationally or before negotiations and other kinds of good offices are exhausted, but it's quite clear that the treaty contemplates that as a remedy for violations. 1:03:20 Louis Sola: I believe that the security of the canal has always been understood to be provided by the United States. Panama does not have a military, and I always believed that there's been a close relationship with Southern Command that we would provide that. And it would be nice to see if we had a formalization of that in one way or another, because I don't believe that it's in the treaty at all. 1:05:05 Daniel Maffei: While we were down there, both of us heard, I think, several times, that the Panamanians would, the ones we talked to anyway, would welcome US companies coming in and doing a lot of this work. Frankly, their bids are not competitive with the Chinese bids. Frankly, they're not that existent because US companies can make more money doing things other places, but even if they were existent, it is difficult to put competitive bids when the Chinese bids are so heavily subsidized by China. 1:06:10 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): What would China's incentive be to heavily subsidize those bids to undercut American companies and other companies? Daniel Maffei: Yeah, it's not a real short answer, but Senator, China's made no secret of its ambitious policies to gain influence of ports throughout the globe. It's invested in 129 ports in dozens of countries. It runs a majority of 17 ports, that does not include this Hong Kong company, right? So that's just directly Chinese-owned ports. So it has been a part of their Belt and Road strategy, whatever you want to call it, the Maritime Silk Road, for decades. So they believe that this influence, this investment in owning maritime ports is important to their economy. 1:07:05 Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE): In 2021, Hutchison was awarded those two ports, Port Balboa and Port Cristobal, in a no-bid award process. Can you tell me, does the United States have any authority or recourse with the Panama Canal Authority under our current agreement with Panama to rebid those terminal concession contracts. And perhaps Mr. Kantorovich, that's more in your purview? Louis Sola: Senator, both of those ports were redone for 25 years, until 2047, I believe. And they have to pay $7 million is what the ongoing rate is for the Port of Houston- and the Port of Miami-sized concessions. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE): And it can't be rebid until after that date? Louis Sola: Well, I believe that that's what the comptroller's office is auditing both of those ports and that contract. That was done under the previous Panamanian administration. A new administration came in, and they called for an audit of that contract immediately. 1:20:10 Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Are the companies now controlling both sides of the Panama Canal, the Chinese companies, subject to the PRC national security laws that mandate cooperation with the military, with state intelligence agencies. Does anyone know that? Eugene Kontorovich: They're subject all the time. They're subject to those laws all the time by virtue of being Hong Kong companies. And you know, they face, of course, consequences for not complying with the wishes of the Chinese government. One of the arguments -- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Wouldn't that be a violation of the treaty? And isn't that a huge risk to us right now that the Chinese -- Eugene Kontorovich: That is a threat to the neutrality -- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): If they invaded Taiwan, invaded the Philippines, they could go to these two companies saying, Hey, shut it down, make it hard, sink a ship in the canal. And wouldn't they be obligated to do that under Chinese law if they were ordered to by the PLA or the CCP? Eugene Kontorovich: I don't know if they'd be obligated, but certainly the People's Republic of China would have many tools of leverage and pressure on these companies. That's why the treaty specifically says that we can act not just to end actual obstructions to the canal. We don't have to wait until the canal is closed by hostile military action. Thatwould be a suicide pact, that would be catastrophic for us, but rather that we can respond at the inchoate, incipient level to threats, and then this is up to the president to determine whether this is significantly robust to constitute -- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): So aren't we kind of walking up to the idea of a suicide pact, because we've got two big Chinese companies on both ends of the Panama Canal, who, if there's a war in INDOPACOM, Taiwan that involves us and China, these companies would be obligated to do the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party and PLA? I mean, are we kind of walking up to a very significant national security threat already? Eugene Kontorovich: Yeah, certainly, there's a threat. And I think what makes the action of the Chinese government so difficult to respond to, but important to respond to, is that they conceal this in sort of levels of gray without direct control. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Let me ask you on that topic, as my last question, Professor, let's assume that we find out. And again, it wouldn't be surprising. I think you can almost assume it that these two companies have Chinese spies or military officials within the ranks of the employees of the companies. Let's assume we found that out, somehow that becomes public. But I don't think it's a big assumption. It's probably true right now. So you have spies and military personnel within the ranks of these two companies that are controlling both ends of the Panama Canal for you, Professor, and Chairman Sola, wouldn't that be a blatant violation of Article Five of the neutrality treaty, if that were true, which probably is true? Eugene Kontorovich: Yeah, I do think it would be a clear violation. As former Secretary of State, Dean Ross said at the ratification hearings, informal forces can violate Article Five as well as formal forces. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Is there any evidence of Chinese spies or other nefarious Chinese actors embedded in these companies? Louis Sola: Senator, we have no information of that. That's not under the purview of -- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): But you agree that would be a violation of Article Five of the neutrality treaty? Louis Sola: I do. 1:26:25 Daniel Maffei: Senator Sullivan was talking about Hutchison Ports. That's actually the same company that runs terminals on both ends of the canal. I am concerned about that. However, if we want to be concerned about that, all of us should lose a lot more sleep than we're losing because if there are spies there, then there might be spies at other Hutchinson ports, and there are other Hutchinson ports in almost every part of the world. They own the largest container port in the United Kingdom, Felix Dow, which is responsible for nearly half of Britain's container trade. They control major maritime terminals in Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, Myanmar, the Netherlands, South Korea and Tanzania. If owning and managing adjacent ports means that China somehow has operational control or strategic control over the Panama Canal, they also have it over the Suez, the Singapore Straits, the Mediterranean Sea and the English Channel. 1:35:45 Louis Sola: The fees that I think we are looking at, or have been looked at, the reason that we went there was because of the auctioning of the slots. And so what Panama did is they had a smaller percentage, maybe 20% allocation, and then they moved it up to 30% and 40% because it became a money maker for them. So as they were doing -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Okay, let me interject here. The auctioning of the slots gives these the right to skip the queue? Louis Sola: Yes, ma'am. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Okay, so just for the record there. Continue. Louis Sola: So the auctioning of the slots. Under maritime law, it's first come first serve, but Panama has always put a certain percentage aside, and they started to put more and more. So we got a lot of complaints. We got a lot of complaints from LNG carriers that paid $4 million to go through, and we got a lot of complaints from agriculture that didn't have the money to pay to go through, because their goods were gonna go down. So if you look at the financial statements -- I'm a nerd, I look at financial statements of everybody -- the canal increased the amount of revenue that they had from about $500 million to $1.8 billion in the last three years just because of those fees. So this is what is very concerning to us. 1:39:20 Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN): Do you know of any instances where the United States has been singled out or treated unfairly under the neutrality treaty in the operation of the canal? Daniel Maffei: I do not. I would add that one of the reasons why saying the US is disproportionately affected by raises in Canal fees and other kinds of fees at the canal is because the United States disproportionately utilizes the canal. 1:44:55 Louis Sola: We have a US port there, SSA, out of Washington State that I actually worked on the development of that many years ago, and helped develop that. That used to be a United States Navy submarine base, and we converted that. As far as the two ports that we have, they're completely different. One is a major infrastructure footprint, and also a container port that's moving 4 million containers a year. That's really phenomenal amount. That's more than Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and you've probably got to get Tampa and a little bit of Jacksonville in there to get that type of volume. And on the other side, we have a very small port, but it's a very strategic port on the Atlantic. So how are the operations done?I don't know how they don't make money. I mean, if you want to come right down to it, if they've been operating the port for 20 years, and they say that they haven't made any money, so they haven't been able to pay the government. That's what concerns me is I don't believe that we're on a level playing field with the American ports. 1:58:50 Eugene Kontorovich: I think the charges and fees are less of an issue because they don't discriminate across countries. We pay more because we use more, but it's not nationally discriminatory. 1:59:00 Eugene Kontorovich: The presence of Chinese companies, especially Chinese state companies, but not limited to them, do raise serious issues and concerns for the neutrality of the treaty. And I should point out, in relation to some of the earlier questioning, the canal, for purposes of the neutrality treaty, is not limited just to the actual locks of the canal and the transit of ships through the canal. According to Annex One, paragraph one of the treaty, it includes also the entrances of the canal and the territorial sea of Panama adjacent to it. So all of the activities we're talking about are within the neutrality regime, the geographic scope of the neutrality regime in the treaty. 2:00:30 Daniel Maffei: I actually have to admit, I'm a little confused as to why some of the senators asking these questions, Senator Blackburn, aren't more concerned about the biggest port in the United Kingdom being run by the Chinese. Petraeus in the port nearest Athens, one of the biggest ports in the Mediterranean, is not just run by a Chinese-linked company, it's run directly by a Chinese-owned company, and I was there. So you're on to something, but if you're just focusing on Panama, that's only part. 2:01:45 Louis Sola: About a year ago, when we were having this drought issue, there was also a lot of focus on Iran and how they were funding Hamas and the Houthis because they were attacking the Red Sea. What the United States has found is that Iranian vessels are sometimes flagged by Panama in order to avoid sanctions, so that they could sell the fuel that they have, and then they can take that money and then they can use it as they wish. Panama, at the time, had a very complicated process to de-flag the vessels. There was an investigation, there was an appeals process. By the time that OFAC or Treasury would go ahead and identify one of those vessels, by the time that they were doing the appeals and stuff like this, they've already changed flags to somewhere else. So when we went to Panama, we met with the Panamanian president, and I must say that we were very impressed, because he was 30 minutes late, but he was breaking relations with Venezuela at the time because the election was the day before. We explained to him the situation. The very next day, we met with the maritime minister, with US embassy personnel and Panama actually adjusted their appeals process so to make it more expedient, so if the United States or OFAC would come and say that this Iranian vessel is avoiding sanctions, now we have a process in place to go ahead and do that, and 53 vessels were de-flagged because of that. 2:06:05 Sen. John Curtis (R-UT): Is there any reason that China can't watch or do whatever they want from this bridge to get the intel from these containers? And does that concern anybody? Louis Sola: Well, it definitely concerns Southern Command, because they've brought it up on numerous occasions that there could be some sort of surveillance or something like that on the bridges. 2:20:30 Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT): We segregate ourselves artificially in a way that they do not. We segregate ourselves. Let's talk about military. Let's talk about intelligence. Let's talk about economics. They don't. China doesn't work that way. It's a whole of government approach. They don't draw a delineation between an economics discussion and a military one. And their attack may not look like Pearl Harbor. It may look like an everyday ship that decides, you know, it pulls into the locks and blows itself up. And now the locks are non-functional for our usage, and we can't support an inter ocean fleet transfer, and our ability to defend it, as you referred to Chairman, is now inhibited by the fact that we no longer have the military infrastructure around the canal that we did just as recently as 1999. 2:21:10 Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT): So from a commercial perspective, do the shipping companies have concerns over the security of the narrow waterways? We've the Strait to Malacca, we've got the Suez Canal, we've got Gibraltar, we've got Panama. Is that a concern that's thrown around in the boardrooms of the largest shipping corporations in the world? Joseph Kramek: Senator, I think it's something they think about every day. I mean, really, it's drawn into sharp relief with the Red Sea. It was what I call a pink flamingo. There's black swans that just come up and there's pink flamingos that you can see, but you don't act. But no one really thought a whole lot that one of the most important waterways in the world could be denied, and moreover, that it could be denied for such a sustained period. The good news is that -- Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT): And denied, I might add, by a disaffected non-state actor of Bedouins running around with rocket launchers, who also managed to beat us in a 20 year war in Afghanistan. My point to saying all this is we're just debating operational control of the canal, yet it seems very clear to all of us that a very simple act can debilitate the canal and eliminate our ability to use it in a matter of minutes with no warning, and we have no ability to intervene or stop that. To me, that means we do not have operational control of the canal. 2:30:40 Daniel Maffei: I will say that certainly we need to look at other kinds of ways to get US companies in positions where they can truly compete with the Chinese on some of these things. Blaming it all on Panama really misses the point. I've seen the same thing in Greece, where Greece didn't want to give the concession of its largest port to a Chinese company, but because of its financial difficulties, it was getting pressure from international organizations such the IMF, Europe and even maybe some of the United States to do so. So I just ask you to look at that. 2:31:20 Daniel Maffei: Panamanians are making far more on their canal than they ever have before. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it's going to the right place. But where they're really making the money is on these auctions, and that is why it remains a concern of mine and I'm sure the chairman's. That is where we are looking at, potentially, using our authority under Section 19 of the Merchant Marine Act where we could, if we can show that it is a problem with the foreign trade of the US, it's interfering with foreign trade of the US, there are certain things that we can do. Senate Foreign Relations Committee January 15, 2024 Clips 4:01:40 Marco Rubio: The thing with Panama on the canal is not new. I visited there. It was 2016. I think I've consistently seen people express concern about it, and it's encapsulized here in quote after quote. Let me tell you the former US ambassador who served under President Obama said: "the Chinese see in Panama what we saw in Panama throughout the 20th century, a maritime and aviation logistics hub." The immediate past head of Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, said, "I was just in Panama about a month ago and flying along the Panama Canal and looking at the state owned enterprises from the People's Republic of China on each side of the Panama Canal. They look like civilian companies or state owned enterprises that could be used for dual use and could be quickly changed over to a military capability." We see questions that were asked by the ranking member in the house China Select Committee, where he asked a witness and they agreed that in a time of conflict, China could use its presence on both ends of the canal as a choke point against the United States in a conflict situation. So the concerns about Panama have been expressed by people on both sides of the aisle for at least the entire time that I've been in the United States Senate, and they've only accelerated further. And this is a very legitimate issue that we face there. I'm not prepared to answer this question because I haven't looked at the legal research behind it yet, but I'm compelled to suspect that an argument could be made that the terms under which that canal were turned over have been violated. Because while technically, sovereignty over the canal has not been turned over to a foreign power, in reality, a foreign power today possesses, through their companies, which we know are not independent, the ability to turn the canal into a choke point in a moment of conflict. And that is a direct threat to the national interest and security the United States, and is particularly galling given the fact that we paid for it and that 5,000 Americans died making it. That said, Panama is a great partner on a lot of other issues, and I hope we can resolve this issue of the canal and of its security, and also continue to work with them cooperatively on a host of issues we share in common, including what to do with migration. 4:38:35 Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT): Now, President Trump has recently talked a little bit about the fact that there are some questions arising about the status of the Panama Canal. When we look to the treaty at issue, the treaty concerning the permanent neutrality and operation of the Panama Canal, we're reminded that some things maybe aren't quite as they should be there right now. Given that the Chinese now control major ports at the entry and the exit to the canal, it seems appropriate to say that there's at least an open question. There's some doubt as to whether the canal remains neutral. Would you agree with that assessment? Marco Rubio: Yes. Here's the challenge. Number one, I want to be clear about something. The Panamanian government, particularly its current office holders, are very friendly to the United States and very cooperative, and we want that to continue, and I want to bifurcate that from the broader issue of the canal. Now I am not, President Trump is not inventing this. This is something that's existed now for at least a decade. In my service here, I took a trip to Panama in 2017. When on that trip to Panama in 2017 it was the central issue we discussed about the canal, and that is that Chinese companies control port facilities at both ends of the canal, the east and the west, and the concerns among military officials and security officials, including in Panama, at that point, that that could one day be used as a choke point to impede commerce in a moment of conflict. Going back to that I -- earlier before you got here, and I don't want to have to dig through this folder to find it again, but -- basically cited how the immediate past head of Southern Command, just retired general Richardson, said she flew over the canal, looked down and saw those Chinese port facilities, and said Those look like dual use facilities that in a moment of conflict, could be weaponized against us. The bipartisan China commission over in the House last year, had testimony and hearings on this issue, and members of both parties expressed concern. The former ambassador to Panama under President Obama has expressed those concerns. This is a legitimate issue that needs to be confronted. The second point is the one you touched upon, and that is, look, could an argument be made, and I'm not prepared to answer it yet, because it's something we're going to have to study very carefully. But I think I have an inkling of I know where this is going to head. Can an argument be made that the Chinese basically have effective control of the canal anytime they want? Because if they order a Chinese company that controls the ports to shut it down or impede our transit, they will have to do so. There are no independent Chinese companies. They all exist because they've been identified as national champions. They're supported by the Chinese government. And if you don't do what they want, they find a new CEO, and you end up being replaced and removed. So they're under the complete control of their government. This is a legitimate question, and one that Senators Risch had some insight as well. He mentioned that in passing that needs to be looked at. This is not a joke. The Panama Canal issue is a very serious one. 4:44:30 Marco Rubio: In 2016 and 2017 that was well understood that part of the investments they made in Panama were conditioned upon Panama's ability to convince the Dominican Republic and other countries to flip their recognition away from Taiwan. That happened. Jen Briney's Recent Guest Appearances Travis Makes Money: Give and Take: Music by Editing Production Assistance

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