Podcasts about european command

James Rosone began his writing career as a form of PTSD therapy after some of his experiences as an interrogator in Iraq. After exiting the military, he served overseas as a contractor in the sand box, and then transitioned to working in the field of biometrics supporting U.S. European Command. After releasing a number of books, writing changed from a hobby to a career. Now James is working with other veterans to help them find new a purpose as authors. He holds several degrees, including a Master of Science degree from the University of Oxford. His website is www.FrontlinePublishingInc.com.

Today, Jess, Morgan, Amy, and Algene dive into the shifting dynamics of European security as the Trump administration reportedly considers withdrawing up to 10,000 U.S. troops from the continent, while the head of U.S. European Command and several members of Congress urge against a drawdown. At the same time, European allies are boosting their defense investments, Ukraine is accusing China of direct involvement in the conflict, and the broader transatlantic relationship faces a potential realignment.What would a U.S. troop withdrawal signal to Russia and China? Is Europe prepared to fill the gap if the U.S. steps back? Could a force reduction undermine ceasefire efforts in Ukraine—or is this an opportunity for Europe to redefine its role in regional security?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out these sources which helped shape our Fellows' conversation: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-considering-proposal-cut-thousands-troops-europe-officials-sa-rcna199603https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/08/troops-europe-withdraw-cavoli-republicans-00007176https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-force-coalition-britain-france-nato-4c87525361eb3cf1c860075d4519f6d8https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/beijing-rejects-ukraines-claim-significant-numbers-chinese-troops-120627611https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/10/trump-defense-europe-eu-arms-sales-rearm-trade-war/?tpcc=recirc_latest062921Follow our experts on Twitter: @NotTVJessJones@amykmitchell@morganlroach@AlgeneSajeryLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/6NnsxR0jd64 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the joyous streets of Paris and the opening of the Olympic Games to the snap of gunfire at a presidential campaign rally, 2024 has seen its highs and lows. Evelyn Farkas helps us unpack the stories that defined 2024 and name our story of the year. Farkas is a highly respected expert in American foreign policy and geopolitics, particularly known for her insights into U.S.-Russia relations and now serves as the Executive Director of the Arizona State University’s McCain Institute, based in Washington, D.C. She earned her MA and Ph.D. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and is fluent in multiple languages. Under President Obama, Farkas served as the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. She is the author of the book, “Fractured States and US Foreign Policy: Iraq, Ethiopia, and Bosnia in the 1990s.” Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe and on sites including The Daily Beast, Politico, and Foreign Policy. Farkas has had an extensive career in government and has held prominent roles, such as senior advisor for Public-Private Partnerships to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the Commander of the U.S. European Command, and executive director of the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. She also served as a senior staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, overseeing U.S. defense policy and military budgets. Farkas also serves on the boards of several prestigious organizations, including the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Institute Socrates Seminar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Rosone began his writing career as a form of PTSD therapy after some of his experiences as an interrogator in Iraq. After exiting the military, he served overseas as a contractor in the sand box, and then transitioned to working in the field of biometrics supporting U.S. European Command. After releasing a number of books, writing changed from a hobby to a career. Now James is working with other veterans to help them find new a purpose as authors. He holds several degrees, including a Master of Science degree from the University of Oxford. His website is www.FrontlinePublishingInc.com.

What is Russia's most effective weapon in the war against Ukraine? You might be surprised by what Philip Breedlove thinks about this. He is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force who served as the commander of U.S. European Command, as well as the 17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO Allied Command Operations, from May 2013 until May 2016. We talked about the situation on the battlefield, about how Ukraine is using its F-16 jets, and how the West cannot continue to reward Vladimir Putin's bad behavior. Our interview took place at the annual GLOBSEC⁠ conference that was held in Prague this year. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Alliances are difficult beasts to manage. Priorities don't always align; gains for some are sacrifices for others. Resources aren't equally provided or distributed. It is a difficult dance for leaders to balance participation in alliances for the greater good while maintaining the strategic autonomy of their sovereign nation. Marcus Antonini spent his year at the U.S. Army War College as a member of the Advanced Strategic Art Program (ASAP) examining the concept of strategic autonomy, primarily within the context of NATO. Marcus joins host Darrell Driver to discuss the concepts that he studied in ASAP as well as the Russia-Ukraine Integrated Research Project he participated in. Their conversation covers meetings with French counterparts at École Militaire as part of the program as well as his previous experience leading the Bomber Task Force in U.S. European Command.

For review:1. US Military raises security alert level of bases in European Command.  2. Israeli Defense Minister (Yoav Gallant) visits Rafah. Defense Minister Gallant vowed the IDF will “continue and push until we reach a situation where we choke [Hamas's] windpipe, and do not allow it to rebuild its strength. This is the goal of this operation.”3. IDF locates and destroys the largest underground production site for long-range rockets site in the Tel-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah.4. Financial Times Report: Unnamed sources say that the United States, Israel and Ukraine are in talks to provide Kyiv with up to eight Patriot missile air defense systems- currently owned and employed by Israel.5. Russia Prepares Response to US Black Sea Drone Operations.The Russian Defense Ministry noted a recent “increased intensity” of U.S. drones over the Black Sea, saying they “conduct intelligence and targeting for precision weapons supplied to the Ukrainian military by Western countries for strikes on Russian facilities.”6. European Combined Development of Long-Range Strike Capability. A letter of intent is expected to be signed during the 09-10 July NATO Summit, laying the foundation of the European Long Strike Approach (ELSA).7. Former top Estonian General (Martin Herem), describes the purpose and objective of the future Baltic defensive project that will consist of bunkers, obstacles, and fighting positions in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. “So the idea is actually to shape [the invasion]...in order to strike the Kremlin's forces wherever they're funneled".8. Defense News (Stephen Losey) interview with USAF Secretary Frank Kendall concerning the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Fighter Platform. Secretary Kendall:  “I can tell you that we are looking at the NGAD platform design concept to see if it's the right concept or not. … We're looking at whether we can do something that's less expensive and do some trade-offs there.”

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), arguably one of the most successful alliances in history. Yet, after the fall of the Soviet Union, some questioned whether NATO was still needed and relevant. Putin's 2022 unprovoked re-invasion of Ukraine, which instigated the largest war in Europe since World War II, put those questions to rest. Even as the United States attempts to address serious threats in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, Washington now confronts “a combination of challenges and threats in the Euro-Atlantic area that we have not seen in more than thirty years,” according to congressional testimony last month by the commander of U.S. European Command (USEUCOM).So why should Americans care about security in Europe? What are Russia and China up to on the continent? How is the war in Ukraine going? What's the status of the alliance and what investments are needed to strengthen readiness and deterrence?To discuss these questions and more, FDD's Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP) hosts Lt. Gen. Steven Basham, Deputy Commander of U.S. European Command, and Ambassador Kate Marie Byrnes, the command's Civilian Deputy and Foreign Policy Advisor. CMPP Senior Director Bradley Bowman moderates the conversation and Ambassador Eric Edelman, who sits on CMPP's board, delivers introductory remarks.To watch the conversation and for more information: fdd.org/events/2024/05/10/transatlantic-security-after-75-years-of-nato-a-conversation-with-us-european-command/

Group strategies usually out-compete individualist strategies. https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=113977 WSJ: How the U.S. Forged a Fragile Middle Eastern Alliance to Repel Iran's Israel Attack: American-led effort was years in the making and hadn't been battle-tested when Tehran launched missile and drone barrage against Israel Israeli and the U.S. forces intercepted most of the Iranian drones and missiles. But they were able to do so in part because Arab countries quietly passed along intelligence about Tehran's attack plans, opened their airspace to warplanes, shared radar tracking information or, in some cases, supplied their own forces to help, officials said. The operation was the culmination of years of U.S. effort to break down political and technical barriers that thwarted military cooperation between Israel and the Sunni Arab governments, officials said. Instead of a Middle East version of the NATO alliance, the U.S. has focused on less formal regionwide air-defense cooperation to blunt Tehran's growing arsenal of drones and missiles—the very weapons that threatened Israel Saturday. Efforts to build an integrated air-defense system for the region date back decades. After years of false starts and minimal progress, the initiative gained momentum after the 2020 Abraham Accords brokered by the Trump administration, which established formal ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Two years later, the Pentagon shifted Israel from its European Command to Central Command, which includes the rest of the Middle East, a move that enabled greater military cooperation with Arab governments under U.S. auspices. https://odysee.com/@LukeFordLive, https://rumble.com/lukeford, https://dlive.tv/lukefordlivestreams Superchat: https://entropystream.live/app/lukefordlive Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/lukeford/ Soundcloud MP3s: https://soundcloud.com/luke-ford-666431593 Code of Conduct: https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=125692 http://lukeford.net Email me: lukeisback@gmail.com or DM me on Twitter.com/lukeford, Best videos: https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=143746 Support the show | https://www.streamlabs.com/lukeford, https://patreon.com/lukeford, https://PayPal.Me/lukeisback Facebook: http://facebook.com/lukecford Book an online Alexander Technique lesson with Luke: https://alexander90210.com Feel free to clip my videos. It's nice when you link back to the original.

(2/2/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The American Federation of Government Employees expresses fears about future telework cuts for Social Security employees. The U.S. European Command is seeking federal employees and government contractors to participate in its first-ever AI hackathon. And agencies have until midnight to shut down software that has been hit with dangerous cyber vulnerabilities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The real question is, what doesn't Dr. Amy Hamilton do? She's currently the visiting Faculty Chair for the Department of Energy (DOE) at National Defense University and the DOE Senior Advisor for National Cybersecurity Policy and Programs, and has had previous stops in the U.S. Army Reserves, NORAD and U.S. European Command, just to name a few. At National Defense University, Amy draws on all of this expertise to educate the workforce on AI and finding the right balance between automation and workforce training. Amy also explores how she teaches her students that cybersecurity has to be more than a 9-5 job, the balance of security vs. convenience, and how it will take the entire country getting on board to make the implementation of cybersecurity best practices truly possible. In this episode, we also dive into the realm of operational technology and the need to look to zero trust as we allow more smart devices into our lives and government ecosystems.Key Topics00:00 Importance of training, education and AI integration.06:52 Cybersecurity, AI and building codes challenges.09:47 Nuclear facilities need caution, open labs innovative.11:58 Helping students understand federal government and cybertech.15:37 Cyber college compared to traditional university programs.17:18 National Defense University offers master's degree programs.22:06 Addressing the urgent need to combat intellectual property theft.24:32 Passionate plea for cybersecurity vigilance and dedication.26:40 Using automation to streamline cybersecurity operations and training.32:06 Policy person struggles to tie guidance together.33:02 Collaboration is needed for addressing industry issues.38:25 Rethink security for devices in smart tech.41:16 Choosing sustainability as a guiding principle.43:22 Overcome writing and presenting challenges for success.Leveraging AI and Automation for Cyber InnovationEmphasizing Efficiency in the Generation of AbstractsDr. Amy Hamilton underlines the capabilities of artificial intelligence to streamline time-consuming processes, specifically the creation of abstracts. This innovation allows for a transition from mundane, repetitive tasks to pursuits that require a deeper cognitive investment. Therefore, elevating the nature of the workforce's endeavors. Dr. Hamilton's discussion focuses on the practical applications of this technology, and she cites an instance from the National Defense University's annual Cyber Beacon Conference. Here, participants were challenged to distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated abstracts, often finding it challenging to tell them apart. This exercise not only highlighted AI's proficiency but also introduced the workforce to the safe and practical application of this emergent technology.How do we use AI in a way that goes from low-value to high-value work? If I'm not doing abstract, what other things could I be doing and spending my brain calories towards? - Dr. Amy HamiltonPreparing the Workforce for Cyber InnovationDr. Hamilton stresses the necessity for workforce education in the context of AI and automation. Aiming for a future where employees are neither intimidated by nor unfamiliar with the advancing technological landscape. She illustrates the Department of Energy's proactive role in integrating AI into its training programs. Thus, ensuring that employees are well-acquainted with both the operational and potential ethical dimensions of AI deployment. Acknowledging the diverse range of operations within the DOE, including nuclear and environmental management, Dr. Hamilton notes that the appropriateness of AI application varies by context. Signifying the...

James Scaminaci is an independent researcher and former civilian senior intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army's Intelligence and Threat Analysis Center (ITAC) and the European Command's Joint Analysis Center (JAC), specializing in the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, counter-organized crime, and counter-terrorism.He received his PhD in sociology from Stanford University and has written about the Christian Right in America, the Patriot militia movement, the Tea Party, and the concept of fourth-generation warfare.In this conversation, we discuss Hamas's massacre on October 7, the Christian Right in America, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement, Trump's connection to NAR, anti-LGBT bigotry in Russia, “spiritual kung fu” in China, the racist roots of the pro-life and militia movements, the NRA, the corporate origins of the war on science, how woke leftists harm the lower class, why AOC is not really socialist, the military strategist John Boyd, the discursive force of identity politics, deep-fake propaganda, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theradicalist.com/subscribe

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Nov. 13 at 6:30 a.m. CT: WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson has unveiled his proposal to avoid a partial government shutdown next weekend by extending government funding for some agencies and programs until Jan. 19 and continuing funding for others until Feb. 2. The approach is unusual for a stopgap spending bill. Generally, lawmakers extend funding until a certain date for all programs. Johnson decided to go with the combination approach, addressing concerns from GOP lawmakers who want to avoid being presented with a massive spending bill just before the holidays, as has often occurred in the past. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the need to destroy Hamas as the path forward to peace on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. Israeli forces and Hamas militants continued to fight outside of a hospital in Gaza. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott says he is ending his 2024 bid for president in a move that surprised his donors and stunned his campaign staff. The South Carolina senator made the announcement on Fox News Channel's “Sunday Night in America” with Trey Gowdy. Scott says, "I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they're telling me, ‘Not now, Tim.'” The decision comes as Scott continued to struggle in the polls in a field dominated by former President Donald Trump. Scott, the Senate's only Black Republican, entered the race with more cash than any other Republican candidate but couldn't find a way to break through. NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's lawyers will start calling witnesses in the New York civil fraud trial that threatens the former president's real estate empire. First up on Monday is Trump's oldest son Donald Trump Jr. He is a Trump Organization executive vice president and a co-defendant in the case. He'll be returning to the witness stand two weeks after state lawyers quizzed him during a major stretch of the trial that also featured testimony from his father and siblings Eric and Ivanka Trump. Trump Jr. originally testified on Nov. 1 and 2. He said he never worked on the annual financial statements at the heart of New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Officials say Los Angeles motorists should expect traffic snarls as crews assess how much damage was caused by a weekend fire that closed a major elevated interstate near downtown. Hazardous materials teams removed burned material from underneath Interstate 10 on Sunday to make way for engineers to see if the columns and deck of the highway can support the normal traffic of about 300,000 vehicles per day. California Gov. Gavin Newsom says officials can't yet offer a timeline for when the highway might reopen. Commuters are being urged to work from home or take public transportation into downtown Los Angeles. LONDON (AP) — Former British Prime Minister David Cameron has made a shock return to high office. He was appointed foreign secretary on Monday in a major shakeup of the Conservative government that also saw the firing of divisive Home Secretary Suella Braverman. It's rare for a former leader, and a non-lawmaker, to take a senior government post. The government said Cameron will be appointed to Parliament's unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords. Sunak was under growing pressure to fire Braverman, a divisive figure popular with the authoritarian wing of the governing Conservative Party who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters. BERLIN (AP) — U.S. officials say five U.S. service members were killed when a military helicopter crashed during training over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The military's European Command said all five crew members were killed when the copter went down “during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training.” The military said the cause is under investigation but there are no indications hostile activity was involved. It first reported the crash Saturday and said on Sunday that search and rescue efforts began immediately. The aircraft's branch of service wasn't immediately clear. The Air Force has sent additional squadrons to the region, and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has been operating in the eastern Mediterranean. The Browns, Texans, Seahawks and Lions all win on game-ending field goals, while the Rockets, Sixers and Mavericks each prevail on the NBA hardwood. NEW YORK (AP) — Since 2008's “Iron Man,” the Marvel machine has been one of the most unstoppable forces in box-office history. Now, though, that aura of invincibility is showing signs of wear and tear. The superhero factory hit a new low with the weekend launch of “The Marvels." It opened with $47 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The 33rd installment in the MCU managed less than a third of the $153.4 million its predecessor “Captain Marvel," launched with. Sequels, especially in Marvel Land, aren't supposed to fall off a cliff. The previous low for a Walt Disney Co.-owned Marvel movie was “Ant-Man,” which bowed with $57.2 million in 2015. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said use of AI was a a key point for striking actors as part of the new contract.  And just like at the box office, “Barbie” will be seen — and heard — at the Grammys. Music from the hit film's soundtrack earned 11 nominations, including nabbing four of the five slots in the visual media song category. —The Associated Press About this program Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate. Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Stonestreet sits down with Joel Rosenberg and Eric Patterson to discuss the war in Israel.  Joel Rosenberg is the host and executive producer of THE ROSENBERG REPORT, the only weekly, prime time news and commentary show about Israel on any American news channel. It launched on October 6, 2022 and airs at 9pm eastern Thursday nights on TBN, the world's most-watched Christian TV network. Joel and his wife, Lynn, are dual U.S.-Israeli citizens and live in Jerusalem. Eric Patterson, Ph.D. serves as President of the Religious Freedom Institute. Patterson is past dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University and a Research Fellow at Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, where he previously served full-time. Patterson has provided briefings and seminars for multiple government agencies, including France's Ministry of Defense, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Central Command, U.S. European Command, U.S. Naval War College, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, the U.S. military academies, and many others.    Additional Resources  The Rosenberg Report All Israel News All Arab News The Joshua Fund _______ Religious Freedom Institute A Basic Guide to the Just War Tradition by Eric Patterson _______ Breakpoint: The Atrocities of Hamas and the Reality of Evil Breakpoint: Moral Clarity and the Attack on Israel Breakpoint This Week: The Attack on Israel Breakpoint: Barbaric Norms: Hamas, Israel, and Just War Breakpoint: A Critical Error Breakpoint: The Hard Stats on Palestinian Viewpoints

Recorded October 4, 2023 Signed on Oct. 1, 1953, in the wake of the armistice, the U.S.-South Korea alliance has matured into a dynamic partnership, deterring conflict and fostering cooperation with respect to trade, technology and people-to-people ties. This expert panel reflected on the legacy and future of the alliance. This program was jointly hosted by The Korea Society, the Korea Defense Veterans Association and the Korea-Pacific Program at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. About the Speakers: Thomas J. Byrne joined The Korea Society as its President in August of 2015 following a distinguished career that included Senior Vice President of Moody's Investor Services and Senior Economist of the Asia Department at the Institute of International Finance. Byrne has an M.A. degree in International Relations with an emphasis on economics from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Before doing graduate work at SAIS, he served in South Korea for three years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. His commentary on Korean affairs has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Financial Times among others. Stephen Haggard is the Lawrence and Sallye Krause Distinguished Professor and director of the Korea-Pacific Program at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. He teaches courses on the international relations of the Asia-Pacific at GPS covering political economy as well as security issues. He has done extensive research on North Korea in particular. In addition, he has a long-standing interest in transitions to and from democratic rule and the current phenomenon of democratic backsliding. His recent research on South Korea addresses the issue of political polarization, including with respect to foreign policy. Allison Hooker is a foreign policy and national security specialist with 20 years of experience in the U.S. Government working on Asia. She served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia, where she led the coordination and implementation of U.S. policy toward the Indo-Pacific region. Prior to that, Hooker served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Korean Peninsula, where she staffed the U.S.-DPRK Summits in Singapore, Hanoi, and the DMZ. Prior to her service at the White House, Hooker was a senior analyst for North Korea in the Department of State and staffed the Six-Party Talks on North Korea's nuclear program. She received a Masters' of Arts Degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and has been a research fellow at Osaka University and Keio University, where she focused on Japan-Korea relations, and Japan-China relations, respectively. Youngwan Kim is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Korea in 1993. He worked at various Ministries of the Korean Government, including Foreign Ministry, Unification Ministry, and Office for Government Policy Coordination, Prime Minister's Office. Prior to his current post as Consul General in LA, he served as Director-General for National Security and Foreign Policy at the Prime Minister's office. He also worked as Director-General for Planning and Management of the Foreign Ministry. His most recent foreign post was a Member of the Panel of Experts, UN Security Council Sanctions Committee at the United Nations headquarter. His foreign posts also include Washington D.C., New York, Beijing and Baghdad. Munseob Lee is an economist who concentrates his research efforts on macroeconomics, growth and development, firm dynamics, and Korea. He has investigated the factors that determine the growth of firms, with a particular focus on how government purchases can promote long-term growth of small businesses. Additionally, he examined the disproportionate effect of inflation, revealing that low-income households and black families are the most affected by rising prices in the United States. Lee, who is an Associate Director in GPS's Korea-Pacific Program, teaches courses including Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Macroeconomics of Development and The Korean Economy. In 2019, General Curtis “Mike” Scaparrotti completed a distinguished 41-year career in the U.S. Army as the Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO. Prior to that he served as the Commander of U.S. Forces Korea / United Nations Command / Combined Forces Command in Seoul from 2013 to 2016. Other prominent postings in his highly-decorated career include Director of the Joint Staff, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, the Deputy Commander of U.S. Forces – Afghanistan, the Commanding General of I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. Additionally, over the years, General Scaparrotti served in key leadership positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic level. He has commanded forces during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Support Hope (Zaire/Rwanda), Joint Endeavor (Bosnia-Herzegovina), and Assured Response (Liberia). General Scaparrotti holds a Master's degree in Administrative Education from the University of South Carolina. In addition to his work with The Cohen Group, General Scaparrotti sits on the boards iof the Atlantic Council and Patriot Foundation, and is a Senior Fellow at the National Defense University. Yoo Myung-hee served at the Ministries of Trade, Industry and Energy and Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea for nearly three decades before becoming Korea's first female trade minister (2019-2021). In a variety of roles she designed and implemented Korea's trade policy and negotiation strategies and led numerous bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations as Korea's chief negotiator, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and Korea's free trade agreements with the United States and ASEAN. As trade minister, she contributed to international initiatives to ensure supply chain resilience and to address digital trade policy. She received her BA and MPA from Seoul National University and JD from Vanderbilt University Law School and currently teaches at the Graduate School of International Studies of Seoul National University. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1745-the-u-s-republic-of-korea-alliance-at-70-legacy-and-future

U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Abernethy is the Senior Enlisted Leader for U.S. European Command. In this episode CSM Abernethy talks about his career in Special Forces, valuable take-aways from working at the highest levels, and advice to those in the force to remain ready and vigilant.All that and more on this episode of SOFcast!

This edition features stories on an MQ-1 Predator missing in action (MIA) from Afghanistan, the first launch of the unmanned aerial system (UAS) aircraft MQ-1Predator from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and the communications interoperability exercise hosted annually by U.S. European Command. Hosted by Senior Airman Brad Sisson.

Col. Larry Wilkerson speaks about how the media's portrayal of the U.S. invasion of Iraq barely encapsulates the damage wrought by the U.S.-led "coalition of the willing.” He also addresses recent developments in the Middle East, including Israel's increasingly belligerent policy on Iran, how the Saudi-Iran deal might end the Saudi blockade of Yemen, and the military significance of Israel being moved from U.S. European Command to U.S. Central Command.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, March 16th, 2023. Before we get to the news… CBS NCAA March Madness Theme (2021)- Play 0:00-0:11 March Madness is upon us today! Today is also the last day you can sign up and fill out a bracket! Go fill out your March Madness Brackets in our Fight Laugh Feasters bracket group. Here’s the deal. You don’t have to know a darn thing about basketball. That’s why they call it March Madness. So if you’d like to compete, you can find our group on social media, or here in the show notes. It’s ESPN’s tournament challenge, and our bracket group is Fight Laugh Feasters 2023. You only get one entry, so make it good! Whoever wins gets a prize from Rowdy Christian Merch! https://fantasy.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2023/en/group?redirect=tcmen%3A%2F%2Fx-callback-url%2FshowGroup%3FgroupID%3D5538514&ex_cid=tcmen2023_clipboard&groupID=5538514&groupp=ZmlnaHRsYXVnaGZlYXN0&inviteuser=ezQ1N0NBOUYyLTc0MjAtNDFCOC1BN0I2LTE3Q0UxRjMxODYxN30%3D&invitesource=clipboard Today we begin with world news… https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-jet-us-drone-collide-black-sea/ Russian jet collides with American drone over Black Sea, U.S. military says A Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with an American military drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, the U.S. said. The collision made the drone "unflyable" and officials crashed it into the sea, the Pentagon said. The White House called the Russian plane's intercept of the unmanned aircraft "reckless." "Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9," U.S. Air Force General James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said in a statement. Two Russian fighter jets were involved in the incident, U.S. European Command said. At approximately 2:03 a.m. EDT Tuesday, one of the Russian jets struck the drone's propeller. Before the collision, the jets dumped fuel on the drone and flew in front of it "in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner," European Command said. The Russian jet was likely damaged in the incident but it did land afterward, said Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman. He wouldn't say where the jet landed. Ryder, who wouldn't say whether the drone was armed, referred to the unmanned aircraft as a MQ-9, but not a Reaper. The U.S. uses MQ-9 Reapers for both surveillance and strikes and has operated the drones in a variety of locations, including in the Middle East and Africa. Other countries, including Britain and France, also fly Reapers. Reapers can be armed with Hellfire missiles as well as laser-guided bombs and can fly for more than 1,100 miles at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, according to the Air Force. The drone in Tuesday's incident was conducting an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission, Ryder said, adding that he didn't have any details to provide at the time on a possible operation to recover the drone. "To my knowledge at this point in time, the Russians have not recovered that aircraft," Ryder said. He also said officials were reviewing imagery from the incident to determine if any can be released. Moscow, for its part, denied causing the drone to crash. Speaking of Russia… https://www.dailyfetched.com/russia-teams-up-with-china-and-iran-for-joint-military-drills-as-war-tensions-rise/ Russia Teams Up With China And Iran For Joint Military Drills as War Tensions Rise The three U.S. adversaries are preparing to team their offensives n a series of exercises dubbed “Security Bond-2023.” The initiative will run through March 19, demonstrating their naval capacity in a coordinated effort against their enemies. China’s Defense Ministry said the exercises would “help deepen practical cooperation between the participating countries’ navies … and inject positive energy into regional peace and stability,” The Guardian reported. However, the White House has not expressed any concerns that Russia, China and Iran might using the military drills to escalate conflicts with the United States. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. would continue monitoring the situation. Tensions have been rising between the West recently due to provocative postures taken over Covid-19, the war in Ukraine and human rights abuses. The U.S. continues to sanction Iran for its Government’s use of live ammunition on peaceful protests. Meanwhile, Russia continues to face unprecedented sanctions and economic pressure from the U.S. The three countries stages similar military exercises in 2019 and 2022, as China has sought to strengthen its ties to nations against the U.S and expand its influence throughout the Middle East On Friday, China brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to end years of hostility and enter into new diplomatic relations. https://www.foxnews.com/media/court-rules-against-employee-fired-refusing-attend-lgbtq-training-session Court rules against employee fired for refusing to attend LGBTQ training session A federal appellate court rejected the appeal of a former account clerk in western New York who was fired from his job for refusing to attend a mandatory LGBTQ training in 2018. Raymond Zdunski was employed at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES for seven years before his termination, which he likened to "unlawful religious discrimination." He sued the organization seeking reinstatement, back pay and $10 million in damages. The Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is a public organization that was created by the New York State Legislature in 1948 to provide shared educational programs and services to school districts within the state. The plaintiff had argued that the LGBTQ training and makeup session were "aimed at changing his religious beliefs about gender and sexuality," and that attending the training "would have caused him to violate the religious teachings to which he adheres," according to the lawsuit. BOCES denied his request for a religious accommodation. District Court Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford dismissed Zdunski's lawsuit in 2022, concluding that his claims were "unsupported" and agreeing with BOCES that he was fired for refusing to attend the trainings, which BOCES had maintained were intended to help prevent discrimination in the workplace. "Plaintiff's unsupported assumption that Defendants believe him to be ‘bigoted’ due to his religious beliefs is insufficient to support an inference of discrimination," Crawford said in his ruling. "In sum, no facts in the record support a finding that Mr. Zdunski was terminated because of his religion; rather, the evidence in the record supports Defendants' position that his termination was due to repeatedly refusing to attend a mandatory employee training." Zdunski's lawyer Kristina S. Heuser, meanwhile, maintained that her client's rights were violated "for no other reason than his refusal to be indoctrinated with anti-biblical teaching." "Though the lower courts did not find in his favor, we are not deterred and will seek redress from the U.S. Supreme Court," she added, according to The Buffalo News. "Mr. Zdunski was an account clerk," Heuser continued. "He worked on spreadsheets in a cubicle. The training was not even remotely related to the requirements of his job. The Left will stop at nothing to force their ideology upon everyone, including stripping people of their livelihood if they do not submit to their beliefs. Mr. Zdunski refused to violate his sincerely held religious beliefs by submitting to teaching that contradicts what Scripture teaches, which is his absolute right under prevailing federal law. The Court's ruling was clearly erroneous and we intend to petition the United States Supreme Court to hear Mr. Zdunski's case." U.S. workplaces have in recent years experienced more of a push toward diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). But a recent study found that companies are slashing DEI jobs while workers were leaving these fields at a higher rate than non-DEI positions. The study by Revelio Labs said last year companies who had layoffs cut DEI positions at a 33% rate versus a 21% cut for other roles. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-james-okeefe-launches-okeefe-media-group-after-ouster-project-veritas?utm_campaign=64487 James O'Keefe launches O'Keefe Media Group after ouster from Project Veritas James O'Keefe appeared on the Charlie Kirk Show to promote his newest project since being ousted from Project Veritas, the O'Keefe Media Group, or OMG. O'Keefe launched the website on Wednesday and urged viewers to sign up, as did Kirk. O'Keefe said that he's received thousands of emails asking how they can join the cause and how they can help. O'Keefe said that viewers can subscribe to the website, and they can sponsor and pay for a camera that they can use to do their own undercover reporting. https://twitter.com/i/status/1636037876679860227 - Play Video "It's not going to be a tiny group. It's going to be thousands that we train and equip on this website. We have stories that we're about to break, but the story today is the existence of this website." O'Keefe said that he will host classes and seminars on journalism around the country. https://twitter.com/i/status/1636040105172299779 - Play Video https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2023/03/14/vermont-high-school-banned-from-playing-after-forfeiting-against-trans-player-n2620576’ Girls Basketball Team That Refused to Play Against a Transgender Athlete Banned From Sporting Events A private Christian school in Vermont that forfeited a girls’ basketball game against a team with a biological male “transgender” player has been banned from participating in upcoming sporting events. The Vermont Principals’ Association, which oversees school sporting events, announced on Monday that Mid Vermont Christian School would be ineligible to participate in sporting events and other activities done through the organization. “The VPA again reiterates its ongoing support of transgender student-athletes as not only a part of building an inclusive community for each student to grow and thrive, but also as a clear expectation by Vermont state law(s) in the Agency of Education Best Practices, and in VPA Policy regarding transgender student athletes,” the announcement said. Furthermore, the announcement included the VPA policy on “gender identity,” which is when a person feels like their gender does not align with their biological sex. “The VPA is committed to providing all students with the opportunity to participate in VPA activities in a manner consistent with their gender identity as is outlined in the Vermont Agency of Education Best Practices For Schools For Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Students,” the policy said. “The prohibition against discrimination includes discrimination based on a student’s actual or perceived sex and gender.” In a letter to MVCS, the VPA said that it violated the organization’s 1st and 2nd policies, which are “commitment to racial, gender-fair and disability awareness” and “policy on gender identity.” Townhall covered March 3 how MVCS was scheduled to compete against Long Trail School on Feb. 21, but pulled out once it learned that the opposing team included a male-bodied athlete. “We withdrew from the tournament because we believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” Vicky Fogg, the head of MVCS, said in a statement at the time. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general,” Fogg added. The issue of male athletes who believe that they are transgender infiltrating women’s sports has made international headlines. Last month, world-renowned surfer Bethany Hamilton, who the movie “Soul Surfer” is based on, said that she would no longer be competing in professional surfing if the World Surf League moved forward with its inclusive transgender policy. Last month, Townhall interviewed Riley Gaines, a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky who competed against Will “Lia” Thomas, the biological male swimmer who began identifying as transgender and competing on the women’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania. At last year’s NCAA championships, Gaines and Thomas tied in a race, but Thomas got to take the trophy home. “Within the past year, in terms of progress, there has not been a clear solution to the problem [of transgender athletes] at hand. There has still been an influx of biological men competing in women’s sports,” Gaines, who is a spokeswoman at the Independent Women’s Forum, told Townhall. "I think the Lia Thomas situation, bringing this to the national stage, opened a door. People see an opportunity when they see this, and they’re willing to take advantage of it. At the expense of, of course, female athletes,” she added. “If this continues, it’s a slippery slope. It’s truly only a matter of time before one transgender athlete winning a national title in the women’s category becomes three and five and 10 and so on,” Gaines concluded. “I think truthfully…the integrity of women’s sports will be lost.”

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, March 16th, 2023. Before we get to the news… CBS NCAA March Madness Theme (2021)- Play 0:00-0:11 March Madness is upon us today! Today is also the last day you can sign up and fill out a bracket! Go fill out your March Madness Brackets in our Fight Laugh Feasters bracket group. Here’s the deal. You don’t have to know a darn thing about basketball. That’s why they call it March Madness. So if you’d like to compete, you can find our group on social media, or here in the show notes. It’s ESPN’s tournament challenge, and our bracket group is Fight Laugh Feasters 2023. You only get one entry, so make it good! Whoever wins gets a prize from Rowdy Christian Merch! https://fantasy.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2023/en/group?redirect=tcmen%3A%2F%2Fx-callback-url%2FshowGroup%3FgroupID%3D5538514&ex_cid=tcmen2023_clipboard&groupID=5538514&groupp=ZmlnaHRsYXVnaGZlYXN0&inviteuser=ezQ1N0NBOUYyLTc0MjAtNDFCOC1BN0I2LTE3Q0UxRjMxODYxN30%3D&invitesource=clipboard Today we begin with world news… https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-jet-us-drone-collide-black-sea/ Russian jet collides with American drone over Black Sea, U.S. military says A Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with an American military drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, the U.S. said. The collision made the drone "unflyable" and officials crashed it into the sea, the Pentagon said. The White House called the Russian plane's intercept of the unmanned aircraft "reckless." "Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9," U.S. Air Force General James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said in a statement. Two Russian fighter jets were involved in the incident, U.S. European Command said. At approximately 2:03 a.m. EDT Tuesday, one of the Russian jets struck the drone's propeller. Before the collision, the jets dumped fuel on the drone and flew in front of it "in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner," European Command said. The Russian jet was likely damaged in the incident but it did land afterward, said Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman. He wouldn't say where the jet landed. Ryder, who wouldn't say whether the drone was armed, referred to the unmanned aircraft as a MQ-9, but not a Reaper. The U.S. uses MQ-9 Reapers for both surveillance and strikes and has operated the drones in a variety of locations, including in the Middle East and Africa. Other countries, including Britain and France, also fly Reapers. Reapers can be armed with Hellfire missiles as well as laser-guided bombs and can fly for more than 1,100 miles at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, according to the Air Force. The drone in Tuesday's incident was conducting an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission, Ryder said, adding that he didn't have any details to provide at the time on a possible operation to recover the drone. "To my knowledge at this point in time, the Russians have not recovered that aircraft," Ryder said. He also said officials were reviewing imagery from the incident to determine if any can be released. Moscow, for its part, denied causing the drone to crash. Speaking of Russia… https://www.dailyfetched.com/russia-teams-up-with-china-and-iran-for-joint-military-drills-as-war-tensions-rise/ Russia Teams Up With China And Iran For Joint Military Drills as War Tensions Rise The three U.S. adversaries are preparing to team their offensives n a series of exercises dubbed “Security Bond-2023.” The initiative will run through March 19, demonstrating their naval capacity in a coordinated effort against their enemies. China’s Defense Ministry said the exercises would “help deepen practical cooperation between the participating countries’ navies … and inject positive energy into regional peace and stability,” The Guardian reported. However, the White House has not expressed any concerns that Russia, China and Iran might using the military drills to escalate conflicts with the United States. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. would continue monitoring the situation. Tensions have been rising between the West recently due to provocative postures taken over Covid-19, the war in Ukraine and human rights abuses. The U.S. continues to sanction Iran for its Government’s use of live ammunition on peaceful protests. Meanwhile, Russia continues to face unprecedented sanctions and economic pressure from the U.S. The three countries stages similar military exercises in 2019 and 2022, as China has sought to strengthen its ties to nations against the U.S and expand its influence throughout the Middle East On Friday, China brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to end years of hostility and enter into new diplomatic relations. https://www.foxnews.com/media/court-rules-against-employee-fired-refusing-attend-lgbtq-training-session Court rules against employee fired for refusing to attend LGBTQ training session A federal appellate court rejected the appeal of a former account clerk in western New York who was fired from his job for refusing to attend a mandatory LGBTQ training in 2018. Raymond Zdunski was employed at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES for seven years before his termination, which he likened to "unlawful religious discrimination." He sued the organization seeking reinstatement, back pay and $10 million in damages. The Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is a public organization that was created by the New York State Legislature in 1948 to provide shared educational programs and services to school districts within the state. The plaintiff had argued that the LGBTQ training and makeup session were "aimed at changing his religious beliefs about gender and sexuality," and that attending the training "would have caused him to violate the religious teachings to which he adheres," according to the lawsuit. BOCES denied his request for a religious accommodation. District Court Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford dismissed Zdunski's lawsuit in 2022, concluding that his claims were "unsupported" and agreeing with BOCES that he was fired for refusing to attend the trainings, which BOCES had maintained were intended to help prevent discrimination in the workplace. "Plaintiff's unsupported assumption that Defendants believe him to be ‘bigoted’ due to his religious beliefs is insufficient to support an inference of discrimination," Crawford said in his ruling. "In sum, no facts in the record support a finding that Mr. Zdunski was terminated because of his religion; rather, the evidence in the record supports Defendants' position that his termination was due to repeatedly refusing to attend a mandatory employee training." Zdunski's lawyer Kristina S. Heuser, meanwhile, maintained that her client's rights were violated "for no other reason than his refusal to be indoctrinated with anti-biblical teaching." "Though the lower courts did not find in his favor, we are not deterred and will seek redress from the U.S. Supreme Court," she added, according to The Buffalo News. "Mr. Zdunski was an account clerk," Heuser continued. "He worked on spreadsheets in a cubicle. The training was not even remotely related to the requirements of his job. The Left will stop at nothing to force their ideology upon everyone, including stripping people of their livelihood if they do not submit to their beliefs. Mr. Zdunski refused to violate his sincerely held religious beliefs by submitting to teaching that contradicts what Scripture teaches, which is his absolute right under prevailing federal law. The Court's ruling was clearly erroneous and we intend to petition the United States Supreme Court to hear Mr. Zdunski's case." U.S. workplaces have in recent years experienced more of a push toward diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). But a recent study found that companies are slashing DEI jobs while workers were leaving these fields at a higher rate than non-DEI positions. The study by Revelio Labs said last year companies who had layoffs cut DEI positions at a 33% rate versus a 21% cut for other roles. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-james-okeefe-launches-okeefe-media-group-after-ouster-project-veritas?utm_campaign=64487 James O'Keefe launches O'Keefe Media Group after ouster from Project Veritas James O'Keefe appeared on the Charlie Kirk Show to promote his newest project since being ousted from Project Veritas, the O'Keefe Media Group, or OMG. O'Keefe launched the website on Wednesday and urged viewers to sign up, as did Kirk. O'Keefe said that he's received thousands of emails asking how they can join the cause and how they can help. O'Keefe said that viewers can subscribe to the website, and they can sponsor and pay for a camera that they can use to do their own undercover reporting. https://twitter.com/i/status/1636037876679860227 - Play Video "It's not going to be a tiny group. It's going to be thousands that we train and equip on this website. We have stories that we're about to break, but the story today is the existence of this website." O'Keefe said that he will host classes and seminars on journalism around the country. https://twitter.com/i/status/1636040105172299779 - Play Video https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2023/03/14/vermont-high-school-banned-from-playing-after-forfeiting-against-trans-player-n2620576’ Girls Basketball Team That Refused to Play Against a Transgender Athlete Banned From Sporting Events A private Christian school in Vermont that forfeited a girls’ basketball game against a team with a biological male “transgender” player has been banned from participating in upcoming sporting events. The Vermont Principals’ Association, which oversees school sporting events, announced on Monday that Mid Vermont Christian School would be ineligible to participate in sporting events and other activities done through the organization. “The VPA again reiterates its ongoing support of transgender student-athletes as not only a part of building an inclusive community for each student to grow and thrive, but also as a clear expectation by Vermont state law(s) in the Agency of Education Best Practices, and in VPA Policy regarding transgender student athletes,” the announcement said. Furthermore, the announcement included the VPA policy on “gender identity,” which is when a person feels like their gender does not align with their biological sex. “The VPA is committed to providing all students with the opportunity to participate in VPA activities in a manner consistent with their gender identity as is outlined in the Vermont Agency of Education Best Practices For Schools For Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Students,” the policy said. “The prohibition against discrimination includes discrimination based on a student’s actual or perceived sex and gender.” In a letter to MVCS, the VPA said that it violated the organization’s 1st and 2nd policies, which are “commitment to racial, gender-fair and disability awareness” and “policy on gender identity.” Townhall covered March 3 how MVCS was scheduled to compete against Long Trail School on Feb. 21, but pulled out once it learned that the opposing team included a male-bodied athlete. “We withdrew from the tournament because we believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” Vicky Fogg, the head of MVCS, said in a statement at the time. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general,” Fogg added. The issue of male athletes who believe that they are transgender infiltrating women’s sports has made international headlines. Last month, world-renowned surfer Bethany Hamilton, who the movie “Soul Surfer” is based on, said that she would no longer be competing in professional surfing if the World Surf League moved forward with its inclusive transgender policy. Last month, Townhall interviewed Riley Gaines, a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky who competed against Will “Lia” Thomas, the biological male swimmer who began identifying as transgender and competing on the women’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania. At last year’s NCAA championships, Gaines and Thomas tied in a race, but Thomas got to take the trophy home. “Within the past year, in terms of progress, there has not been a clear solution to the problem [of transgender athletes] at hand. There has still been an influx of biological men competing in women’s sports,” Gaines, who is a spokeswoman at the Independent Women’s Forum, told Townhall. "I think the Lia Thomas situation, bringing this to the national stage, opened a door. People see an opportunity when they see this, and they’re willing to take advantage of it. At the expense of, of course, female athletes,” she added. “If this continues, it’s a slippery slope. It’s truly only a matter of time before one transgender athlete winning a national title in the women’s category becomes three and five and 10 and so on,” Gaines concluded. “I think truthfully…the integrity of women’s sports will be lost.”

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 65-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,425 on turnover of 4.3-billion N-T. The market moved sharply lower on Tuesday. Analysts say although investors are anticipating the U-S Fed will hold back on its rate hikes to prevent liquidity risks following the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, concerns are lingering that rate increases will not be strong enough to tame (馴服) inflation. **NCSIST Unveils 'Suicide Drone' ** The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has unveiled nine domestically developed drones - including a loitering munition, or "suicide drone. The domestically made "suicide" drone is based on the U-S made AeroVironment Switchblade 300, which is currently being used by Ukrainian forces in the country's war with Russia. According to the institute's Aeronautical Systems Research Division, the miniature loitering munition drone has a range of 10-kilometers, can fly for 15 minutes and can be carried by a single soldier. It's equipped with a high-performance electro-optical and infrared sensor and can be used to destroy high-value and high-risk targets. **Limited Cross-Strait Ferry Services to be Expanded in Coming Week ** K-M-T lawmaker Chen Yu-zhen says the eligibility and scope of the limited ferry services between Kinmen and Xiamen in China will be expanded later this month. According to Chen, R-O-C passport holders from Taiwan proper and their spouses (配偶) will be able to use the ferry services, while daily trips between Kinmen and Xiamen will also be increased from two to 12. Chen says the expansion of ferry services follows talks between the Mainland Affairs Council and other related agencies - at which it was decided to bring forward the expanded service ahead of the five-day long weekend Tomb Sweeping Day holiday. However, Chinese independent travelers are still not included in the expanded service. **US Drone Crashes After Russian Jet Encounter ** The U.S. military says a Russian warplane struck the propeller (螺旋槳) of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday. The U.S. European Command said two Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted the drone while it was operating within international airspace. It said one of the Russian fighters struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to bring it down in international waters. US Air Force officials say the "unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash". Moscow says the U.S. drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept it near Crimea, but insists its warplanes didn't fire their weapons or hit the drone. **US Biden Takes Steps to Strengthen Gun Control ** US President Joe Biden has taken steps to strengthen (加強) gun background checks. AP correspondent Norman Hall reports. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (03/14/2023): 3:05pm- While appearing on The Daily Show with Kal Penn, President Joe Biden claimed it was “close to sinful” that states like Florida have passed legislation restricting “gender affirming” surgeries on children. 3:30pm- A recent National Public Radio (NPR) report by Lesly McClurg on Weekend Edition Sunday cited clinical research that indicates “[t]ransgender and non-binary people are up to six times more likely to also have autism.” Read more here: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/15/1149318664/transgender-and-non-binary-people-are-up-to-six-times-more-likely-to-have-autism 3:45pm- According to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer, babysitting rates in the Philadelphia-area are skyrocketing. 4:05pm- According to The Daily Wire's Ryan Saavedra, “[t]wo Russian fighter jets were reportedly harassing a U.S. military drone over international waters on Tuesday morning when one of the fighter jets collided with the drone, forcing the drone to crash into the Black Sea. The U.S. European Command said in a statement that one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the MQ-9 Reaper drone, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.” Read Saavedra's story here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/russian-fighter-jet-collides-with-u-s-military-reaper-drone-over-black-sea 4:20pm- On Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder held a press conference to address a morning collision between an American drone and a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea. According to Brig. Gen. Ryder, although the $32 million MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed, Russia had “not recovered the aircraft.” 4:30pm- According to a report from CNN's Natasha Bertrand, “Russia has been capturing some of the US and NATO-provided weapons and equipment left on the battlefield in Ukraine and sending them to Iran, where the US believes Tehran will try to reverse-engineer the systems.” You can read Bertrand's full report here: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/03/10/politics/russia-iran-ukraine-weapons/index.html 4:45pm- A far-left, self-described “craftivist” attempted to make Florida Governor Ron DeSantis look foolish while posing for a photo with him—but instead she made him look like a nice guy. So, why is the Philadelphia Inquirer glorifying her? 5:05pm- While appearing on The Daily Show with Kal Penn, President Joe Biden claimed that “we are going to need fossil fuels for at least the next 10-years.” He also warned that if we don't combat climate change and keep the global temperature from rising, “a whole generation will be damned.” 5:20pm- The Mystery Movie Clip! 5:30pm- Pennsylvania State Representative Amen Brown—and Philadelphia Mayoral Candidate—joins The Rich Zeoli Show in-studio to discuss his newly released “Public Safety, Enforcement, and Crime Reduction Plan” which details a comprehensive, 19-page strategy to remedy Philadelphia's record level of gun violence. Rep. Brown writes, “[u]nfortunately, every Philadelphian has been forced to accept a human condition that is neither healthy, nor normal. Violent crime and the epidemic of gun-related violence has been indiscriminate, and is no longer an inner-city problem, it has touched all neighborhoods in our city as a public health crisis of massive proportions. This is a result of the benign neglect of some leaders who were inattentive to its cause, an inattention to those chronic offenders in areas of the city where higher rates of crime have historically been high…” Learn more about Rep. Brown's campaign for Philadelphia Mayor here: https://amenforphilly.com 6:05pm- According to Congressman James Comer (R-KY), the United States Treasury Department has agreed to provide the House of Representatives Oversight Committee with access to suspicious activity reports (SARs) involving Hunter Biden business deals. 6:20pm- While speaking with Glenn Beck, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized public health officials for attempting to bully him into adopting nonsensical, overly restrictive policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The media has endlessly criticized Gov. DeSantis for his pandemic decisions. Meanwhile, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is now conceding that some of the COVID-era lockdown measures were “a little more than what we needed to do.” 6:30pm- According to reports, during a meeting about the U.S. government's bailout of Silicon Valley Bank, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) suggested that social media companies should be permitted to censor material that might lead to Americans withdrawing their money from savings accounts and causing a “bank run.” Sen. Kelly denies the reports. 6:50pm- Signature Bank spent millions of dollars creating cringe parody songs—no wonder they collapsed!

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: According to The Daily Wire's Ryan Saavedra, “[t]wo Russian fighter jets were reportedly harassing a U.S. military drone over international waters on Tuesday morning when one of the fighter jets collided with the drone, forcing the drone to crash into the Black Sea. The U.S. European Command said in a statement that one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the MQ-9 Reaper drone, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.” Read Saavedra's story here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/russian-fighter-jet-collides-with-u-s-military-reaper-drone-over-black-sea On Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder held a press conference to address a morning collision between an American drone and a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea. According to Brig. Gen. Ryder, although the $32 million MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed, Russia had “not recovered the aircraft.” According to a report from CNN's Natasha Bertrand, “Russia has been capturing some of the US and NATO-provided weapons and equipment left on the battlefield in Ukraine and sending them to Iran, where the US believes Tehran will try to reverse-engineer the systems.” You can read Bertrand's full report here: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/03/10/politics/russia-iran-ukraine-weapons/index.html A far-left, self-described “craftivist” attempted to make Florida Governor Ron DeSantis look foolish while posing for a photo with him—but instead she made him look like a nice guy. So, why is the Philadelphia Inquirer glorifying her?

Jack's BioPREREQUISITESPUBLIC AFFAIRS ADVISOR ON CYBER AND STRATEGIC COMPETITIONU.S. Army Reserve Active Duty 9/2020 to Current.COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND POLICY ADVISORBooze Allen Hamilton (BAH), Washington D.C., 8/2017- Optional return after military dutyConsultant to multiple U.S. Agencies on Public-Affairs and communication policyCOMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND POLICYUS Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, 7/2014 – 7/2017Designed and managed military, cross-agency, and multinational communication strategy, and campaigns across AfricaPUBLIC DIPLOMACY OFFICERUS Department of State, Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan, 1/2013 – 10/2013, (limited-term position)PUBLIC AFFAIRS, DEPUTY CHIEF OF PLANS AND OPERATIONSU.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, 3/2010- 1/2013Designed and led multiple U.S. & NATO communication campaigns, operations, and exercises throughout EuropeDOD PUBLIC AFFAIRS & STATE DEPT. PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OFFICERKirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team, Kirkuk, Iraq, 8/2006 – 1/2010Military deployment to the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team to lead public affairs and deputy public diplomacySPOKESPERSONState of California, Department of Transportation, San Francisco Bay Area, 01/2000 – 8/2006Phone: 571-289-8937Email: jack.h.gaines@gmail.comLI: linkedin.com/in/Jack-H-GainesSponsored by the Social Media Strategies Summit. Check out their website to learn more about their upcoming social media conferences for Public Safety and Government professionals. https://bit.ly/3IrRdDL

When the United States entered the Second World War, it needed to fight against both the Nazis in Europe and the Middle East and the Japanese in the Pacific. To manage that gargantuan task, American military planners divided the regions of the earth into different areas of responsibility, within which a single authority would unify and command forces from every military branch and service. That structure has lasted through today, so that the United States now has eleven combatant commands. Due to longstanding tension between Israel and its Arab neighbors, it had been included in the US military's European Command, even though much of the rest of the Middle East was organized as a part of its Central Command, known as CENTCOM. That Israel was included in European Command for all those decades had some benefits, like greater interaction with NATO. But in recent years its presence there limited America and Israel's ability to work together; as the cold war drew down, and the war on terror ramped up, European Command was no longer at the cutting edge of military strategy, attention, or resources. The Abraham Accords surfaced a new public friendliness between Israel and many of the Arab neighbors. In recognition of this fact, Israel was officially transferred to CENTCOM in January 2021, making possible enhanced coordination among the US military, the IDF, and regional Arab forces. This week, Richard Goldberg, a veteran Middle East observer and foreign-policy analyst, joins Mosaic editor Jonathan silver to look at the consequences and import of Israel's move to CENTCOM. They use the recent joint exercises undertaken by the US military and the Israel Defense Forces, known as Juniper Oak 23. Operating together on sea, land, and air, the joint exercises were widely thought to have been designed to convey a signal to Iran. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to listen to our Aerospace Nation event with Gen Tod D. Wolters, USAF (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. European Command and former NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).

The guys bring you a special series of deployment interviews with MSC officers from across the globe. This is the first episode with Captain Zach Gooch and his deployment as part of an Aeromedical Evacuation Liaison Team member in the European Command.

In today's episode, Alistair Taylor sits down with experts from MEI's Frontier Europe Initiative to assess the trajectory of Russia's war on Ukraine. They discuss Russia's growing attacks on critical infrastructure, its recent deployment of Iranian drones and their impact on the battlefield, the potential nuclear threat, and where things might be headed from here.  Today's guests are General Philip Breedlove and Iulia-Sabina Joja. General Breedlove is a retired United States Air Force General who served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Commander of U.S. European Command. He's the Distinguished Chair of MEI's Frontier Europe Initiative and a Distinguished Professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech. Iulia is a Senior Fellow and Director of MEI's Frontier Europe Initiative and Director of its "Afghanistan Watch" project. She teaches courses on European security at Georgetown and George Washington universities. 

Chief Master Sergeant Heriberto Diaz is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, Third Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The Third Air Force is U.S. Air Forces in Europe's Numbered Air Force for U.S. European Command as well as the U.S. Air Forces in Africa's Numbered Air Force for U.S. Africa Command, and is comprised of nine active-duty wings, ninety geographically separated units spanning 104 countries across Europe and Africa. As the Numbered Air Force's Senior Enlisted Leader, Chief Diaz advises the commander on issues affecting the readiness, organization, training, health, welfare, morale, development, and utilization of 30,000 Airmen. Chief Diaz is from Playas, New Mexico and enlisted in the Air Force in 1995. He has served in various duties in Munitions Maintenance, Operations Intelligence, Airman Development, and Senior Leadership positions. The Chief has a vast experience in the joint environment serving in combat with the US Army and Marine Corps, with a background in Security Cooperation. His broad range and depth of expertise includes weapons research and development, 24hr indications and warning operations, targeting analysis, Threat to Air Operations analysis, Airborne Intelligence analysis onboard the E-8C/JSTRS, Department of Defense airborne ISR operations management, and combat operations training in Latin America supporting SOUTHCOM priorities. Furthermore, Chief Diaz served as Commandant for the Erwin Professional Military Education Center, and as Command Chief for Air Mobility forces in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Chief Diaz has deployed on multiple occasions in direct support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM, and ENDURING FREEDOM. (This discussion is not endorsed by the USAF, it is a fun discussion between friends with the hope someone can gain positive insight)

If These Walls Could Talk with Wendy Stuart & Tym MossHosts: WENDY STUART & TYM MOSSSpecial guest: THERESA SAREOWednesday, May 25th2pm EST LIVE from PANGEA Restaurant, NYCWatch LIVE on YouTube at Wendy Stuart TVTheresa Sareo is a New York-based singer/songwriter. In June 2002 she was struck by an impaired driver and her injuries forced the amputation of her right leg. Since the accident, she has also become a motivational speaker, and has appeared on CNN's Larry King Live and in New York Magazine. She has released three self-produced albums, an eponymous debut in 1998, Embrace in 2000, and, after the accident, 2005's Alive Again. She performs and speaks regularly for the United States Military, and at hospitals, schools, and corporations worldwide. Theresa has also written and performed music for Former Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and was a keynote speaker at a national press conference on health care in 2007 with then NY Senators Clinton and Charles Schumer.After composing the song "Through A Soldier's Eyes," Sareo is noted for becoming the first civilian performer to sing the National Anthem at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. and at the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Units; European Command, sponsored by the Army's Dept. of Ministries.Her documentary film "Theresa Sareo: Alive Again" chronicles the story of her life and career and has garnished "Audience Choice for Best Documentary" (2012 Gasparilla International Film Festival—Tampa) and "Best Director of a Documentary (2012 NY International Film Festival—L.A. Edition) awards. It is produced by Evan Ginzburg, first-time director Rye Joseph and Ms. Sareo.Who else but hosts Wendy Stuart and Tym Moss could “spill the tea” on their weekly show “If These Walls Could Talk” live from Pangea Restaurant on the Lower Eastside of NYC, with their unique style, of honest, and emotional interviews, sharing the fascinating backstories of celebrities, entertainers, recording artists, writers and artists and bringing their audience along for a fantastic ride.Wendy Stuart is an author, celebrity interviewer, model, filmmaker and hosts “Pandemic Cooking With Wendy,” a popular Youtube comedic cooking show born in the era of Covid-19, and TriVersity Talk, a weekly web series with featured guests discussing their lives, activism and pressing issues in the LGBTQ Community.Tym Moss is a popular NYC singer, actor, and radio/tv host who recently starred in the hit indie film “JUNK” to critical acclaim.

Rodney and I were born the same year, both had absent fathers, both only got confirmed out of a sense of peer pressure, both have young kids and are both finding our way back to a spiritual way of life after spending many years trying to go it alone.  We talk about Jesus (and our discomfort with even uttering his name!), how we're going to bring spirituality to our kids, what sports have to do with spirituality and religion, and so so many other things.   I literally could not stop talking to Rodney on all things spirituality and religion.  So much so that we made a decision part way through to make this into a two-parter.    RODNEY'S FULL BIO  Rodney Mueller is an entrepreneur, advisor and mentor that has reinvented the antiquated way of setting and achieving goals. His mentorship and advisory of startup and mid-size CEOs has led to exponential growth through his Perfect Aim Method™.   A high-performance leadership advisor, Rodney believes that humans are the greatest untapped asset in any culture. His proprietary method teaches leaders how to grow into exceptional human beings, grow their companies at record rates, create a culture of visionary employees, and obtain deep fulfillment and meaning in their lives.  A former drill sergeant, Rodney has served in the U.S. Army Reserve for the last 22 years, and became one of the youngest to attain E-6 Staff Sergeant. He was assigned to the world's first joint biological point detection unit (the only one of its kind in the world), and has most recently served at U.S. Africa and U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.  In 2017, Rodney kicked off the Absent Father Podcast, after being featured on Oprah's Life Class (2013), about fatherless sons and having a desire to help others overcome the impact of growing up with an absent father. Rodney believes in, and derives the most meaning in his life from being a father and husband. He considers St. Louis home, and loves traveling with his wife, two daughter and two dogs Porter and Bruno in their vintage Airstream.    THE LORD'S PRAYER An Interpretation by Rodney   To the eternal spirit who is within us, And in communion with all that is beautiful.   We honor our collective divinity, Knowing that the divine order shall always overcome.   In this knowing, we surrender to you.   As the division between earth and heaven diminish, we bow to the divine source, knowing that you provide all that we need and want.   We ask that you Love the parts that we cannot love about ourselves, as we practice loving those who are unloving toward us.   Release us from our fears of not being enough, and return us to our higher purpose.   And so it is, that our heart, our soul and our mind are eternally loved.   Resources Rodney Mentions A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen   WHERE TO FIND RODNEY Rodney's website Rodney on LinkedIn Absent Father Podcast (all major podcast outlets)

Rodney and I were born the same year, both had absent fathers, both only got confirmed out of a sense of peer pressure, both have young kids and are both finding our way back to a spiritual way of life after spending many years trying to go it alone.  We talk about Jesus (and our discomfort with even uttering his name!), how we're going to bring spirituality to our kids, what sports have to do with spirituality and religion, and so so many other things.   I literally could not stop talking to Rodney on all things spirituality and religion.  So much so that we made a decision part way through to make this into a two-parter.    RODNEY'S FULL BIO  Rodney Mueller is an entrepreneur, advisor and mentor that has reinvented the antiquated way of setting and achieving goals. His mentorship and advisory of startup and mid-size CEOs has led to exponential growth through his Perfect Aim Method™.   A high-performance leadership advisor, Rodney believes that humans are the greatest untapped asset in any culture. His proprietary method teaches leaders how to grow into exceptional human beings, grow their companies at record rates, create a culture of visionary employees, and obtain deep fulfillment and meaning in their lives.  A former drill sergeant, Rodney has served in the U.S. Army Reserve for the last 22 years, and became one of the youngest to attain E-6 Staff Sergeant. He was assigned to the world's first joint biological point detection unit (the only one of its kind in the world), and has most recently served at U.S. Africa and U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.  In 2017, Rodney kicked off the Absent Father Podcast, after being featured on Oprah's Life Class (2013), about fatherless sons and having a desire to help others overcome the impact of growing up with an absent father. Rodney believes in, and derives the most meaning in his life from being a father and husband. He considers St. Louis home, and loves traveling with his wife, two daughter and two dogs Porter and Bruno in their vintage Airstream.    THE LORD'S PRAYER An Interpretation by Rodney   To the eternal spirit who is within us, And in communion with all that is beautiful.   We honor our collective divinity, Knowing that the divine order shall always overcome.   In this knowing, we surrender to you.   As the division between earth and heaven diminish, we bow to the divine source, knowing that you provide all that we need and want.   We ask that you Love the parts that we cannot love about ourselves, as we practice loving those who are unloving toward us.   Release us from our fears of not being enough, and return us to our higher purpose.   And so it is, that our heart, our soul and our mind are eternally loved.   Resources Rodney Mentions A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen   WHERE TO FIND RODNEY Rodney's website Rodney on LinkedIn Absent Father Podcast (all major podcast outlets)

Host Rich Goldberg speaks with two guests from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, Dr. Samantha Ravich and Retired Admiral Mark Montgomery. They discuss cybersecurity threats to cryptocurrency, ransomware, Russia, the Biden Administration’s recent Executive Order and much more! Dr. Samantha Ravich Dr. Samantha Ravich is the chairman of FDD's Center onCyber and Technology Innovation and its Transformative Cyber Innovation Lab and the principal investigator on FDD's Cyber-Enabled Economic Warfare project. She is also a senior advisor at FDD, serving on the advisory boards of FDD's Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP) and Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). Samantha serves as a commissioner on the congressionally mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission and as a member of the U.S. Secret Service's Cyber Investigation Advisory Board. Samantha served as deputy national security advisor for Vice President Cheney, focusing on Asian and Middle East Affairs as well as on counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation. Following her time at the White House, Samantha was the Republican co-chair of the congressionally mandated National Commission for Review of Research and Development Programs in the United States Intelligence Community. Most recently, she served as vice chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) and co-chair of the Artificial Intelligence Working Group of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board. She is advisor on cyber and geo-political threats and trends to numerous technology, manufacturing, and services companies; a managing partner of A2P, a social data analytics firm; and on the board of directors for International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT). Adm. Mark Montgomery (Ret.) Mark Montgomery serves as senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, where he leads FDD's efforts to advance U.S. prosperity and security through technology innovation while countering cyber threats that seek to diminish them. Mark also directs CSC 2.0, an initiative that works to implement the recommendations of the congressionally mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission, where he served as executive director. Previously, Mark served as policy director for the Senate Armed Services Committee under the leadership of Senator John S. McCain, coordinating policy efforts on national security strategy, capabilities and requirements, and cyber policy. Mark served for 32 years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer, retiring as a rear admiral in 2017. His flag officer assignments included director of operations (J3) at U. S. Pacific Command; commander of Carrier Strike Group 5, embarked on the USS George Washington, stationed in Japan; and deputy director for plans, policy and strategy (J5) at U. S. European Command. He was assigned to the National Security Council from 1998 to 2000, serving as director for transnational threats. Mark has graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford and completed the U.S. Navy's nuclear power training program.

Congress has passed a $13.6 billion aid package for Ukraine, divided between humanitarian and defense aid. The humanitarian section includes money for direct support to refugees, food and health care support and money to help groups working with people who have fled the country or are displaced within Ukraine. The defense spending includes $3 billion to support the U.S. military's European Command and additional money to allow President Biden to transfer defense equipment to Ukraine and allies supporting Ukraine. There's also funding to fight disinformation and to provide support for cybersecurity. On the domestic front, Kelsey says gas prices have hit a new record high this week with prices rocketing over $4.17 a gallon. It is creating huge price shocks across the economy, which is already struggling with inflation. Kelsey Snell is a congressional correspondent for NPR, based in Washington DC.

Thursday on Political Rewind: Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove joined the panel today to talk about the unfolding situation in Ukraine. Plus, we talk about the 4,000 Georgia soldiers on their way to Europe as the conflict in Ukraine intensifies. What are the next steps the Biden administration may be considering? The Panel:  Dr. Alan Abramowitz — Professor emeritus of political science, Emory University Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Gen. Phillip Breedlove — Former commander, U.S. European Command and 17th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, professor at Sam Nunn School of International Affairs Dr. Tammy Greer — Political science professor, Clark Atlanta University Timecodes: :00-Introductions 5:05-Performance of Russian military 11:36-No-Fly Zone? 22:00-Risk of Nuclear weapon use? 28:15-Why does this conflict matter to U.S.? 35:48-Cyber attacks 39:00-President Zelenskyy's comments Subscribe to the Political Rewind newsletter at gpb.org/newsletters!

Never underestimate the shocking antics Kanye West will do! Now - unraveling because of Kim Kardashian's plans to divorce him - he's planning a trip to Russia to meet with President Putin! And you thought our problems with Russia weren't precarious enough?! Putin is playing a cat and mouse game. Can Biden stop Russia from invading Ukraine? Here to talk about this and more is today's guest: Brigadier General Peter B. Zwack (Ret) Defense Attache to Moscow 2012 – 2014. He is a Global Fellow at The Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Senior Russia-Eurasia Research Fellow, National Defense University, and author of Afghanistan Kabul Kurier: One Soldier's Story of the Taliban, Tribes & Loyalties, Opium Trade, & Burqas; and Swimming the Volga: A U.S. Army Officer's Experiences in Pre-Putin Russia. BGr Zwack served in senior military positions both for Republican and Democratic Administrations (Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump). These include Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Ambassador to Moscow, Commander of European Command and US Army Europe, commander Kosovo Force and Afghanistan (NATO) and Directors of Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Army Cyber Command. As the senior Defense Attache to Moscow in 2014, he was present when the Russians invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea and had seen a variation of this before. So, he probably knows a lot more about Putin and Russia than Kanye! (Replay)

Never underestimate the shocking antics Kanye West will do! Now - unraveling because of Kim Kardashian's plans to divorce him - he's planning a trip to Russia to meet with President Putin! And you thought our problems with Russia weren't precarious enough?! Putin is playing a cat and mouse game. Can Biden stop Russia from invading Ukraine? Here to talk about this and more is today's guest: Brigadier General Peter B. Zwack (Ret) Defense Attache to Moscow 2012 – 2014. He is a Global Fellow at The Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Senior Russia-Eurasia Research Fellow, National Defense University, and author of Afghanistan Kabul Kurier: One Soldier's Story of the Taliban, Tribes & Loyalties, Opium Trade, & Burqas; and Swimming the Volga: A U.S. Army Officer's Experiences in Pre-Putin Russia. BGr Zwack served in senior military positions both for Republican and Democratic Administrations (Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump). These include Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Ambassador to Moscow, Commander of European Command and US Army Europe, commander Kosovo Force and Afghanistan (NATO) and Directors of Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Army Cyber Command. As the senior Defense Attache to Moscow in 2014, he was present when the Russians invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea and had seen a variation of this before. So, he probably knows a lot more about Putin and Russia than Kanye! (Replay)

Ever since the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded, in 1949, the Mediterranean and the Levant constituted NATO's Southern Flank, with the U.S. Sixth Fleet the main striking force in the region. With Europe once again a hot spot, especially on the Russia-Ukraine front, NATO could find itself back in its core mission, having all but withdrawn from the Mideast trouble spots its member nations deployed units to over the last three decades. If that is the case, and the last regional state to fall under the U.S. European Command, Israel, moved out of NATO's area of operations over to the Central Command, what role is left for the Alliance in the Mideast, while neighboring Russia and ambitious China are more and more involved in it? Panel: - Jonathan Hessen, Host. - Amir Oren, Editor at Large, Host of Watchmen Talk and Powers in Play. - Gen. Klaus Naumann, Former Bundeswehr Chief of General Staff and Chairman of NATO's Military Committee. - Dr. Uzi Arad, Former Israeli National Security Adviser and a Mossad Division Chief. Articles on the topic: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/israel-us-hold-desert-falcon-drill/ https://www.tv7israelnews.com/iran-russia-china-begin-joint-naval-drill/ https://www.tv7israelnews.com/iran-china-to-hold-strategic-talks/ You are welcome to join our audience and watch all of our programs - free of charge! TV7 Israel News: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/563/ Jerusalem Studio: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/18738/ TV7 Israel News Editor's Note: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/76269/ TV7 Israel: Watchmen Talk: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/76256/ Jerusalem Prays: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/135790/ TV7's Times Observer: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/97531/ TV7's Middle East Review: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/997755/ My Brother's Keeper: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/53719/ This week in 60 seconds: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/123456/ Those who wish can send prayer requests to TV7 Israel News in the following ways: Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Email: israelnews@tv7.fi Please be sure to mention your first name and country of residence. Any attached videos should not exceed 20 seconds in duration. #IsraelNews #tv7israelnews #newsupdates Rally behind our vision - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/donate/ To purchase TV7 Israel News merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/tv7-israel-news-store Live view of Jerusalem - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/jerusalem-live-feed/ Visit our website - http://www.tv7israelnews.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/tv7israelnews Like TV7 Israel News on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Follow TV7 Israel News on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tv7israelnews/ Follow TV7 Israel News on Twitter - https://twitter.com/tv7israelnews

Never underestimate the shocking antics Kanye West will do! Now - unraveling because of Kim Kardashian's plans to divorce him - he's planning a trip to Russia to meet with President Putin! And you thought our problems with Russia weren't precarious enough?! Putin is playing a cat and mouse game. Can Biden stop Russia from invading Ukraine? Here to talk about this and more is today's guest: Brigadier General Peter B. Zwack (Ret) Defense Attache to Moscow 2012 – 2014. He is a Global Fellow at The Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Senior Russia-Eurasia Research Fellow, National Defense University, and author of Afghanistan Kabul Kurier: One Soldier's Story of the Taliban, Tribes & Loyalties, Opium Trade, & Burqas; and Swimming the Volga: A U.S. Army Officer's Experiences in Pre-Putin Russia. BGr Zwack served in senior military positions both for Republican and Democratic Administrations (Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump). These include Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Ambassador to Moscow, Commander of European Command and US Army Europe, commander Kosovo Force and Afghanistan (NATO) and Directors of Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Army Cyber Command. As the senior Defense Attache to Moscow in 2014, he was present when the Russians invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea and had seen a variation of this before. So, he probably knows a lot more about Putin and Russia than Kanye!

Never underestimate the shocking antics Kanye West will do! Now - unraveling because of Kim Kardashian's plans to divorce him - he's planning a trip to Russia to meet with President Putin! And you thought our problems with Russia weren't precarious enough?! Putin is playing a cat and mouse game. Can Biden stop Russia from invading Ukraine? Here to talk about this and more is today's guest: Brigadier General Peter B. Zwack (Ret) Defense Attache to Moscow 2012 – 2014. He is a Global Fellow at The Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Senior Russia-Eurasia Research Fellow, National Defense University, and author of Afghanistan Kabul Kurier: One Soldier's Story of the Taliban, Tribes & Loyalties, Opium Trade, & Burqas; and Swimming the Volga: A U.S. Army Officer's Experiences in Pre-Putin Russia. BGr Zwack served in senior military positions both for Republican and Democratic Administrations (Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump). These include Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Ambassador to Moscow, Commander of European Command and US Army Europe, commander Kosovo Force and Afghanistan (NATO) and Directors of Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Army Cyber Command. As the senior Defense Attache to Moscow in 2014, he was present when the Russians invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea and had seen a variation of this before. So, he probably knows a lot more about Putin and Russia than Kanye!

About the lecture: In today's competitive world our prosperity and our way of life depend on unity among the world's democracies. Given the strength of the transatlantic economy and the success of NATO, the dynamic relationship between Europe and America is the engine of the global economy and the force supporting the rules-based world order. How we grow together or if we grow apart will determine our individual and collective fate. About the speaker: Michael Ryan served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy in the Pentagon following a distinguished career in the United States Air Force and the Senior Executive Service. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, Colonel Ryan began his career as a fighter pilot flying the A-10 in Europe during the Cold War. His extensive background in World Affairs includes service at NATO headquarters, the U.S. Mission to the European Union, U.S. European Command headquarters, and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He is a graduate of the French War College in Paris, was a National Defense Fellow at the U.S. Congress, and is a Distinguished Graduate of the Joint Military Intelligence College. He holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and has lectured extensively in Europe and the United States. His latest articles on transatlantic relations appeared recently in The National Interest.

The Kurdistan in America podcast is honored to have General James Jones as our guest in this special edition.General Jones was the 32nd Commandant of the US Marine Corps, the Supreme Allied Commander for the European Command, and National Security Advisor to President Barrack Obama. He was also one of the original commanders of Operation Provide Comfort, the military-humanitarian operation that saved countless lives in Kurdistan in 1991.General Jones shares with us his experience and insights into Operation Provide Comfort and explains why it was geo-strategically vital for the United States and not just for the people of Kurdistan. He gives his views on the US military partnership with the Peshmerga forces and lends his support for the concurrent resolution in the US Congress (H.Con.Res.32) commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation Provide Comfort. He also speaks about his decades of service in the US military, explaining how it ultimately led him to become President Obama's National Security Adviser.The KRG Representation calls on the Kurdish-American community to reach out to their members of Congress to ask them to support the resolution in both the House and the Senate.

The Tale of Two Russian Occupations: Georgia and Ukraine – Russian Roulette Episode 115   In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Mykola Bielieskov, Ph.D. student at the National Institute for Strategic Studies (NISS), Ukraine, and Natia Seskuria, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).  We discuss the effectiveness and shortcomings of Russia's hard and soft power influence tools in Georgia and Ukraine, including its “borderization” policy in Georgia, its “passportization” in Donbas, and the role of the Orthodox Church. Finally, we finish the conversation with recommendations regarding how the West can resist the challenges presented by Russia's occupation of Georgia and Ukraine's territories. Both Natia and Mykola participated in CSIS “Understanding the Russian Military Today” executive education program in June and this episode is inspired by their papers written as part of their independent research. In his paper, Mykola dissects Russia's military buildup near Ukraine's borders this spring, while in her paper, Natia focuses on Russia's “hybrid aggression” and influence tools in Georgia. Definitely check out their papers! Read Natia's bio here and follow her on Twitter @nseskuria Subscribe to Russian Roulette, so you do not miss an episode. Thanks for listening! This program was funded by the Russia Strategic Initiative U.S. European Command, Stuttgart Germany. Opinions, arguments, viewpoints, and conclusions expressed in this work do not represent those of RSI, U.S. EUCOM, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

During a Pentagon briefing with the press on the evacuation operation from Afghanistan, Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, commander, U.S. European Command, provided an update on the current evacuee efforts that continue in Europe. He said that since their operation in Europe began on August 20, they have been able to process 155 inbound flights from Afghanistan and taking care of 38,000 Afghan refugees. To date, the have had 16,000 Afghan evacuees depart from Europe for the United States.

Guests:Austin Long is Vice Deputy Director for Strategic Stability in the Joint Staff J5 at the U.S. Department of Defense.Ernest J. Herold is Executive Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies—Americas and a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army. He was previously the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment at NATO and Business Development Executive for NATO, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Africa Command at IBM.International Security Article:This podcast is based on Brendan Rittenhouse Greene and Austin Long, “Conceal or Reveal? Managing Clandestine Military Capabilities in Peacetime Competition,” International Security, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Winter 2019/20), pp. 48–83.Related Readings:Robert C. Toth, “Change in Soviets' Sub Tactics Tied to Spy Case: Material Reportedly Available to Walkers May Have Tipped Kremlin to Vessels' Vulnerability,” Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1985. Erica D. Borghard, “Chinese Hackers are Stealing U.S. Defense Secrets: Here is How to Stop Them,” Net Politics blog, Council on Foreign Relations, March 11, 2019. Daniel Gonzales et al., “Unclassified and Secure: A Defense Industrial Base Cyber Protection Program for Unclassified Defense Networks” (Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND, 2020).Originally released on June 22, 2021.

UN Envoy warns of 'Imminent Bloodbath' in Myanmar while China applauds ASEAN 'hands off' policy towards Myanmar | Russia says troop buildup along Ukraine border 'defensive' in nature and U.S. European Command goes to high alert | Philippines say China's flotilla is spreading.  

U.S. European Command, or EUCOM, is one of 11 combatant commands that make up the U.S. military. EUCOM is responsible for U.S. military operations across Europe, as well as portions of Asia and the Middle East, and the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. Conducting operations with that large of a reach is inherently complex. This newly produced series “Inside EUCOM,” will take a look at the command's various lines of effort with insight from current EUCOM subject matter experts. The first episode focuses on the responsibilities of the EUCOM Chaplaincy with command Chaplain Col. Kleet Barclay.

U.S. European Command, or EUCOM, is one of 11 combatant commands that make up the U.S. military. EUCOM is responsible for U.S. military operations across Europe, as well as portions of Asia and the Middle East, and the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. Conducting operations with that large of a reach is inherently complex. This newly produced series “Inside EUCOM,” will take a look at the command's various lines of effort with insight from current EUCOM subject matter experts. This episode focuses on EUCOM's support of allied and partner nations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interview subjects include senior leaders from the J9 directorate, Col. Kyle Simpson and Mr. Jose E. Colon.

Maj. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt is the Commander, Combined Force Space Component Command, U.S. Space Command; and Deputy Commander, Space Operations Command, U.S. Space Force, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. She leads more than 17,000 joint and combined personnel with a mission to plan, integrate, conduct and assess global space operations. Maj. Gen. Burt entered the Air Force in 1991 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Her career has included numerous satellite operations and staff positions in Air Force Space Command and U.S. European Command. Today we discuss the contagious nature of leadership passion, Gender bias from a Commander's perspective, how to reward bold leadership and how to persevere when trying to build connection and trust.

Joe Wallis, senior military engagement manager for Military Affairs at Microsoft, manages Microsoft's on-base military engagement for Microsoft Software and Systems Academy, as well as Microsoft's other military programs. Joe has supported military recruiting and engagement at Microsoft for more than four years, and more than half of his nearly 20 years of recruiting experience have been focused on transitioning veterans. A second-generation service member, Joe is a retired lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and has 28 years of combined active and reserve service. Upon commissioning as a second lieutenant, Joe spent more than five years on active duty as a communications officer and recruit training commander. He served on active duty for more than five years post-9/11, supporting the European Command, Southern Command and Headquarters Marine Corps. Joe earned a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master of arts in international relations from the University of Miami. He has also studied at the Naval War College, the Joint Forces Staff College and the National Defense University.

サーバーの押収は事実であり、内部解析が終わったようで、日本時間１１１７早朝にホワイトハウスに弁護団が緊急呼集されたよう。

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Hannah Alberts, analyst with U.S. European Command based in the United Kingdom, and Jade McGlynn, researcher and lecturer at the University of Oxford. They were participants in CSIS’s Understanding the Russian Military Today, a five-day, professional development program that explored the elements of Russian military power, including its composition and prospects, social and historical foundations, doctrine, and current operations. As a final exercise, participants were tasked with developing short, independent research papers that explored one of four major themes: Russian society, strategy, and history; elements of Russian military power; recent uses of Russian military power; and resources behind Russian military power. Hannah and Jade discussed their papers, both of which focus on how Russia instrumentalizes history and culture at home as well as abroad to serve a political or military purpose. You can find Hannah’s paper here: https://www.csis.org/blogs/post-soviet-post/next-generation-fighters Jade’s: https://www.csis.org/blogs/post-soviet-post/constructing-memory-alliances You can also follow Jade on Twitter: @jademcglynn122 You can find papers written by other participants here: https://www.csis.org/programs/russia-and-eurasia-program/understanding-russian-military-today Stay safe and healthy.

Julie Dimperio Holowach destroyed by Great White Shark 20 yards from shore of Bailey Island, Harpswell, southern Maine, while swimming with daughter. 1997 – date the National Marine Fisheries Service banned fishing for great white sharks in US territorial waters. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper – moving 1/3 of US Military Forces from Germany to USA and other locations in Europe; moving US European Command to Mons, Belgium to be co-located with NATO’s military HQ. Vladimir Putin’s Russian Regime – resistance is futile…his continuous oppression of all genuine political opposition, and continued program of assassination of all whom he fears and hates most. Alexei Navalny – his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) – and Putin’s regime’s police-state attacks of it and of Navalny, including attempted assassination.

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Jeff sits down with Stephen Blank, Michael Petersen, and Samuel Bendett to discuss the Russian military's developing operational concepts and capabilities, and what they mean for the United States and its Allies. Steve, Mike, and Sam contributed chapters to the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program's recent report "Improvisation and Adaptability in the Russian Military." Their biographies can be found here: Stephen’s: https://www.fpri.org/contributor/stephen-blank/, Michael’s: https://usnwc.edu/Faculty-and-Departments/Directory/Michael-Petersen, and Sam’s: https://www.cna.org/experts/Bendett_S The report can be found here: https://www.csis.org/analysis/improvisation-and-adaptability-russian-military You can follow Sam and Michael on Twitter: @SamBendett, @Mi_Petersen38 We thank the Russia Strategic Initiative, U.S. European Command, for their interest and support for the project. Stay safe and prosper.    

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, retired Admiral Sandy Winnefeld speaks with retired General Philip Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command, about the trajectories of the United States' relationships with North Korea, China, Russia, Europe, and other adversaries and partners. Breedlove addresses the leadership characteristics and regional objectives of each nation and assesses U.S. engagement to date. He and Winnefeld also discuss the U.S. military's capabilities and readiness for potential confrontation with key adversaries. Breedlove reflects on his career at all levels of the U.S. Air Force.

The U.S. Response to ISIS attacks in Europe, the role of Special Operations Command Europe, and building deterrence vis a vis Russia with General Gregory Lengyel ( fmr. Commander Special Operations Command Europe) and Ambassador Susan Elliott (fmr. Civilian Deputy, U.S. European Command). 

Brigadier Gen. Maria Biank talks with Target USA about the U.S. European Command's efforts to defend against cyber threats.

About Rob Teschner Rob has over 20 years of hands-on leadership experience in HighReliability Organizations and brings all of that experience with him wherever he speaks, teaches or coaches. Rob has a special way of connecting with his audiences, blending high-impact stories of fighter aviation and personal humility to achieve the intended outcome.In addition, his story of his personal fight with cancer serves as the launch pad for talks about humility, growth, motivation and constant improvement. He served as Commander of the 7th Fighter Squadron, responsible for transitioning a start-up F-22 “Raptor” squadron to operationally ready. He successfully deployed his new squadron to the Far East for four months, meeting all objectives. He was hand-selected to serve as an F-15C “Eagle” Instructor Pilot at the USAF Weapons School, the Air Force “TOP GUN” school. He flew more than 130 combat hours over Iraq in the F-15C in support of Operations NORTHERN and SOUTHERN WATCH. He also served as a senior staff officer at Headquarters U.S. European Command, where he was a key architect of a major and still ongoing multi-billion dollar overseas security initiative requested by the President of the United States.  In this episode Virginia and Rob discuss: Importance of ritual in team building Essential elements of creating high-performance teams How to have a high accountability day What to do when your organization (your referral team) has lost its way Difference between TEAM-work and TASK-work, and why the former is essential to the success of your team The value of building TEAMS of teams Key Takeaways: People WANT to be led The most value you get from a mission is in the DEBRIEF Success depends on following a PROVEN PROCESS Teams WANT to do well when they know WHY they are a team All teams have the same potential distractions and challenges  How to reach Rob: Phone: 314-925-2665 E-mail: info@robertteschner.com Booking: bookcujo@robertteschner.com Address: 700 Crown Industrial Ct, Suite B, Chesterfield, MO 63005  

Historically, U.S. interest in Africa, specifically, its foreign policy towards Africa has been two-pronged. Both of which, it can be argued, mapped back to the origins and proceedings of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, where U.S. official and unofficial representatives maneuvered amongst imperial powers to destabilize African societies in order to supply global racial capitalism with its material and human power. The historical two-pronged approach of U.S. foreign policy toward Africa lies, first, in protecting its material economic interests; and secondly, its desire to carefully maneuver this interest to avoid becoming involved in direct conflict with or between European imperial powers. To the present, Africa was always been seen as means to an economic end. Direct control of African territory has traditionally been the preoccupation of European imperial nations. However, it is clear that the historical origins of U.S. foreign policy have evolved. Specifically culminating into Africom. Foster (2006) lay the foundation for the ‘new Scramble for Africa' when he writes: “In West Africa, the U.S. military's European Command has now established forward-operating locations in Senegal, Mali, Ghana, and Gabon—as well as Namibia, bordering Angola on the south—involving the upgrading of airfields, the pre-positioning of critical supplies and fuel, and access agreements for swift deployment of U.S. troops.15 In 2003 it launched a counterterrorism program in West Africa, and in March 2004 U.S. Special Forces were directly involved in a military operation with Sahel countries activating more than 1,000 U.S. Special Forces.” Sandra T. Barnes, 2005 article titled Global Flows: Terror, Oil & Strategic Philanthropy , argued that “military spending in the four years following 9/11 has doubled the amount expended in the preceding four years. The total spent or allocated for arms, training and regional peacekeeping operations that focus primarily on training and arming sub-Saharan militaries in the four-year period from 2002 until the end of 2005 will amount to $597 million, whereas for 1998-2001 it was $296 million. At this rate, it will take a comparatively few years to equal the $1.5 billion that some believe was spent during the three decades of the Cold War on arms for African allies.” AWNP's collective member, executive producer, human rights activist, and international media journalist, Mwiza Munthali, recently caught up with long-time human rights expert and activist, Ajamu Baraka. Ajamu Baraka a highly recognized human rights expert and human rights defender whose experience spans four decades of domestic and international education and activism, Ajamu Baraka is a veteran grassroots organizer whose roots are found in organizing in the anti-apartheid and Central American solidarity struggles. Ajamu Baraka was the Founding Executive Director of the US Human Rights Network (USHRN) from July 2004 until June 2011. He is currently National Organizer for Black Alliance for Peace and an editor and contributing columnist for the Black Agenda Report and a writer for Counterpunch. For more information: https://blackallianceforpeace.com/usoutofafrica/ We then talk with Mr. Efi Tembon, Director, Center for Community Transformation, where we explore human rights, the history of marginalized people and recent elections in Cameroon. Today's program was produced in solidarity with the Native/Indigenous, African, and Afro Descendant communities at Standing Rock, Venezuela, the Avalon Village in Detroit; Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, Cooperation Jackson in Jackson Mississippi; Palestine, South Africa, and Ghana and other places who are fighting for the protection of our land for the benefit of all peoples!

Host: Mark Phillips  Guest: COL Ted Donnelly, Assistant Professor, NWC  Colonel Ted Donnelly joined the NWC faculty in 2016 from the U.S. European Command’s Directorate of Strategy, Policy, Partnering, & Capabilities (J-5), where he was Chief of the Black Sea-Eurasia Regional Division. He is a 1989 graduate of the University of Virginia, where he earned a B.A. in Foreign Affairs with a concentration in the Soviet Union & Eastern Europe. Originally commissioned as an Infantry officer, he later completed training to become a Eurasian Foreign Area Officer (FAO). As a FAO, he has served as a Eurasia Political-Military Planner at European Command; as Chief of the Offices of Military Cooperation (OMC) in Kazakhstan & the Kyrgyz Republic, and as U.S. Liaison Officer to the Russian Separate Airborne Brigade in Bosnia. He was the Associate Dean of the College of International & Security Studies at the George C Marshall Center, served as Course Director of the Eurasian Security Studies Seminar and also taught Central Asian Studies. He served as Director of the U.S. Army’s Eurasian Foreign Area Officer training program. He commanded Regional Support Command – North (RSC-N), NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan (NTM-A). He earned an M.A. in International Relations from Yale University, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

General Jack Gardner and Ambassador Kate Canavan on US military and diplomatic work at the US European Command in Germany: why do we have troops in Europe? What does the US get out of training with other countries? Georgia/Russia/refugees/evacuations…. and lessons from living next door to chef Julia Child in Boston!

U.S. European Command, Commander and Supreme Allied commander, General Curtis Scaparrotti visited soldiers in Camp Karliki, Poland.

The deadline to fund the government has passed and only one section of the government was funded in full for 2017: Military Construction and the Veteran's Administration. In this episode, analyze the wisdom of the military construction projects that are soon to begin and learn about the rest of the law that extended current funding for eleven out of twelve sections of our government until December 9th. Also in this episode, Jen admits a big mistake, an outline of the "9/11 victims bill", some suggestions to help you research your Election Day ballot, and the longest Thank You segment in Congressional Dish history. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bill Highlighted In This Episode H.R. 5325: Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriates Act 2017 and ZIKA Response and Preparedness Act Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 $7.2 billion for more than 200 military construction projects $177 million will go towards NATO facilities Funds can't be used to pay property taxes in foreign countries Any projects in Japan, a NATO country, or in countries that border the Arabian Gulf worth more than $500,000 must be awarded to United States firm or be awarded to a partnership including United States firms Money can't be used to close or realign the base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba No money can be used to create space within the United States for current prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. Department of Veterans' Affairs Provides over $103 billion for Veteran's benefits Provides approximately $56 billion for the Veteran's Administration and veteran's medical expenses. Provides approximately $7.2 billion in additional funding for private health care for veterans. Adds whistleblower protections and procedures Whistleblowers will submit paperwork to their supervisor; if the supervisor finds it to be legit, the whistleblower will be informed of transfer opportunities. Whistleblowers will have to provide their name and contact information A central whistleblower office will handle all whistleblower complaints, and will have a hotline for anonymous complaints Supervisors can be suspended and/or removed for failing to act on a whistleblower complaint, restricting an employees ability to file a complaint, or conducting a negative peer review or retaliating against a whistleblower. Supervisors who are suspended or removed can have their bonuses denied or rescinded. Includes $1.5 billion for Hepatitis C drug, which is $840 million above the request Zika Response & Preparedness $394 million, available until September 30, 2017, will be put in the "Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund" and be used for: Stockpiles of "products purchased" Purchase of and insurance for motor vehicles in foreign countries Construction, alteration, or renovation of "non-federally owned facilities" at State and local laboratories From Explanatory Statement: "Within the funds provide for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a robust level of funding is intended to support mosquito control efforts conduct by State, county, or municipal programs, including mosquito control districts." $387 million, available until September 30, 2017, will be used for: To response to Zika "and other vector-borne diseases domestically and internationally" To develop and purchase vaccines For health care for mothers and children To reimburse States for health care costs related to Zika that aren't covered by private insurance For projects in Puerto Rico and other territories for mothers and children $152 million, available until September 30, 2017, will be used for: Zika research Vaccine development $145 million will go to "Global Health Programs" for: Mosquito control (spraying) Vaccines The money can be donated to the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Pan American Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the Food and Agriculture Organization Money is prohibited from being spent on "the Grand Challenges for Development" program $15 million will go to the State Department $10 million will go to USAID Money can be used by Dept. of Health and Human Services, the State Department, and USAID to hire people to "perform critical work relating to Zika response" The hires will be exempt from some Federal laws (Sections 3309-3319) The money can be transferred to and merged with other accounts as long as Congress is informed Continuing Appropriations Extends current funding for the other 11 divisions of government until December 9, 2016. $174,000 is appropriated for the family of former Rep. Mark Takai Explanatory Statement for H.R. 5325 Missile Defense Fully funded an Aegis Ashore missile defense site in Deveselu, Romania and a second site at Redzikowo, Poland. "European Reassurance Initiative" Announced in 2014, EIR is designed to increase" the presence and joint training activities of U.S. military forces in Europe". The Department of Defense requested four times the money for ERI for 2017; they want an increase from $789 million in 2016 to over $3.4 billion. The request would support 5,100 active and reserve personel in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) More than double requested for "Improved Infrastructure", from $89 million in 2016 to $217 million in 2017. Explanatory Statement: “Although ERI military construction funding was originally intended to be a one-time only investment, the evolving nature of the threat has prompted the DoD to expand its plans for investing in military construction to support the continual presence of U.S. rotational military forces in Europe, increased training activities with European allies, and the prepositioning of Army combat-ready equipment in Poland to support and armored brigade combat team.” Plans include a $200 million facility for prepositioning Army combat brigade equipment in Poland and nine Air Force projects in Germany that will cost $260 million. Huge increase in funding for "Enhanced Prepositioning", from $57.8 million in 2016 to $1.9 billion in 2017. S. 2040: Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) "International terrorism" Does NOT include any act of war No Immunity for Foreign States "A foreign state shall not be immune from the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States in civil cases, seeking money, for injuries, damage to property, or deaths occurring in the United States and caused by an "act of international terrorism in the United States" or "acts of the foreign state, or of any official, employee, or agent of that foreign state while acting within the scope of his or her office"...regardless of where the act occurred. A foreign state can not be sued for negligence Stay of the Civil Action The Attorney General can intervene and stop or delay the civil action against a foreign country. The Attorney General can do this by granting unlimited stays of 180 day periods. The court can delay the proceeding against a foreign state for 180 days if the State Department "certifies that the United States is engaged in good faith discussions with the foreign state defendant" in an attempt find a resolution. The court must grant "an extension" if the State Department says the U.S. is still "engaged in good faith discussions" Applicability Applies to injuries caused to a person, property, or business on or after September 11, 2001. Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Oversight of the European Reassurance Initiative, House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, July 13, 2016. Witnesses: Major General David Allvin: J-5, US Air Force, US European Command (EUCOM) Rachel Ellehuus: Principal Director, Europe & NATO Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense Tom Tyra: G-3/5/7, US Army Timestamps & Transcripts {06:10} Chairman Vicky Hartzler (MO)- "Foremost of these challenges is a resurgent Russia." {08:12} Rep. Jackie Speier (CA)- "Recent events in Europe have underscored this threat. For example, Russia has occupied Crimea and has fomented the continuing separatists struggle in eastern Ukraine. Across Europe and in particular along Russia’s border, the threat of Russian intervention is on many people’s minds." {11:45} Major General David Allvin - "The strategic environment in Europe has changed drastically over the past 30 months. One of the key reasons for the growing instability has been Russian malign influence, coercion, and aggression against NATO allies and other partner nations. Since the illegal annexation of Crimea and the Russian activity in the Donbass region of Ukraine, the potential for Russia to further advance their military adventurism into NATO countries has demanded a strong response. We at U.S. European Command have been working to assure our allies that our commitment to Article 5 of the Atlantic Treaty is iron clad." {15:59} Rachel Ellehuus- "The three challenges that I see post-Warsaw, and as we continue to think about the future of ERI, are, firstly, institutional adaptation—we need to find a way to make NATO more agile in terms of its decision making, command structure, and defense planning; secondly, defense investment—and that’s not just monetary but also in terms of political will—we need to encourage folks to continue to increase their defense spending and to support operations both within the European and transatlantic theater and further afield; and finally, we need to combat internal political challenges and resist those who seek to divide us or undermine the international security order." {18:10} Major General David Allvin -"We find that within the European theater, we see a more aggressive Russia that is influencing on the periphery states of NATO, and so given the current correlation of forces that might exist in a conflict, specifically with the United States, we do not have nearly the forces we had after 25 years of the degradation of the forces in Europe. This has been understandable because there have been other national-security priorities that have actually taken precedence in other parts of the world. However, we find ourself now with smaller number of forces from all services, as well as the appropriate equipment, in order to be able to field and to respond to any other Russian aggression, and I would say that what ERI has done is it is rapidly enabled us to reverse that trend." {20:35} Rachel Ellehuus -"So we’ve seen the French carrier, Charles de Gaulle, deploy in the Middle East to help us with some of our stress on our naval and maritime Forces, we’ve seen cooperative arrangements to use one another’s bases, and we’ve seen host nations stepping up. So when we send our forces to the Baltic states, host nations such as Poland and the Balts are stepping forward to provide that infrastructure and support." {26:40} Rep. Jackie Speier -"You had indicated to me privately that the troops that we will have stationed as part of ERI would be engaged in military exercises, and you had suggested that the numbers may be as high as a hundred per year, some smaller, some larger. How many of these are air shows?" Major General David Allvin: "Ma’am, I actually wouldn’t put an air show in the—" Rep. Speier: "Good." Major General Allvin: "—category of exercise. When we refer to these exercises, and when I say a hundred, some of these are small, maybe company-level exercises, but these are building that understanding that cohesion at the unit level, and I would say those are the most prolific. However, with the initial funding we’ve been able to receive through ERI, we’re able to have exercises at the larger level, the battalion level and above, which really help us understand the inner operability between formations, because we understand that U.S. European Command will not be the sole entity that will have to defend against Russian aggression; we will be fighting with our allies and partners in the region. And so these broader exercises, these higher-level exercises, really enhance that confidence to be able to fight and maneuver and do combined-armed warfare beyond just the United States but in the coalition." {29:33} Tom Tyra -"In the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, you would see 80 M1 tanks and 140 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 18 artillery systems, a number of mortar systems and smaller pieces of equipment. So we would end up with that plus the support vehicles that enable that to fight. Then, there would be a rotating brigade that would bring identical sets of equipment. As you delivered the Fires Brigade, you would expect, a another hundred or so artillery systems, either tube or rocket launched to be added to that Fires Brigade." {52:16} Rep. Beto O’Rourke (TX) - "What are the potential risks of this strategy? What could go wrong?" Major General David Allvin: "So, you actually touched on it very well, Congressman, is that there is an escalation risk here." Suggested Congressional Dish Episodes Topic: Ukraine CD067: What Do We Want in Ukraine? CD068: Ukraine Aid Bill Topic: Syria CD041: Why Attack Syria? CD108: Regime Change Topic: Drug Prices for the Veteran's Administration CD107: New Laws & Veterans' Health Care Additional Reading Congressional Report: The 9/11 "28 pages" (previously classified) Article: Fanning: Continuing Resolution Could Snarl European Reassurance Initiative Efforts by Jen Judson, Defense News, October 2, 2016. Article: Budget deal avoids government shutdown, finalizes next year's VA budget by Leo Shane III, Military Times, September 28, 2016. Article: Mylan will help more patients pay for it's EpiPen. Why that's bad news for healthcare by Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, August 25, 2016. Article: A Permanent Fund That Could Help Fight Zika Exists, But It's Empty by Alison Kodjak, NPR, June 3, 2016. Op-Ed: Russia's got a point: The U.S. broke a NATO promise by Joshua R. Itzdowitz Shifrinson, Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2016. Defense Dept. Report: European Reassurance Initiative, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, February 2016. Article: The Same Pill That Costs $1,000 in America Sells for $4 in India by Ketaki Gokhale, Bloomberg, December 28, 2015. Fact Sheet: The European Phased Adaptive Approach at a Glance by Kingston Reif, Arms Control Association, posted May 1, 2013. Additional Information OpenSecrets: Influence & Lobbying Profile for Gilead Sciences Webpage: Information on Aerial Spraying, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Webpage: What is NATO? Hear Jen On... Rhodes to Success: Listener Supported Political Podcasting with Jen Briney Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

Talking Manpower continues its conversation with Ms. Karen Taylor, Chief of the Manpower and NATO Agreements Division, U.S. European Command

Talking Manpower continues its conversation with Ms. Karen Taylor, Chief of the Manpower and NATO Agreements Division, U.S. European Command

Talking Manpower sits down with Ms. Karen Taylor, Chief of the Manpower and NATO Agreements Division, U.S. European Command

Talking Manpower sits down with Ms. Karen Taylor, Chief of the Manpower and NATO Agreements Division, U.S. European Command.