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In this episode, we are joined by Zach Abrams, CEO of Bridge, to unpack the infrastructure behind the next generation of global payments. Zach discusses Bridge's mission to move stablecoins beyond mere trading use cases and into core financial services, a vision that recently led to its landmark acquisition by Stripe . He explains how stablecoins function as an innovation at every layer of the money stack, enabling payments that are fundamentally faster and cheaper than legacy systems like ACH or SEPA. They delve into the technical "puzzle pieces" of payments, from the inefficiencies of FBO bank accounts to the "cheat code" of compounding growth in the stablecoin sector. Zach introduces the concept of Stablecoin Orchestration and details why the current USDC/USDT duopoly is unaligned with high-velocity payments due to rent-seeking burn fees and AUM-focused models . Finally, the conversation explores the future of consumer finance, where non-custodial wallets act as bank replacements and a pluralistic ecosystem of local, company-issued stablecoins challenges the dominance of the US dollar Topics00:00 Intro & Context04:15 Legacy Rails vs. Stablecoin Innovation09:30 The "Cash App" Hack & Payments Creativity15:00 Why Bridge Joined Stripe21:45 Maslow's Hierarchy of Startup Needs27:10 Stablecoin Orchestration & Issuance Explained35:20 The Duopoly Problem: Why USDC/USDT Isn't Enough42:15 Orthogonal Competition: The "Europe" of Stablecoins49:00 Wallets as the New Primary Bank Account55:30 Regrets of a "Child of the Depression" FounderLinksZach Abrams on X: https://x.com/ZCAbramsBridge: https://bridge.xyzStripe: https://stripe.comGnosis: https://gnosis.io/Sponsors: Gnosis: Gnosis has been building core decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem since 2015. With the launch of Gnosis Pay last year, we introduced the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Start leveraging its power today at http://gnosis.io
1:11 A 2016 study published in The Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association found that pancreatic cancer was the fourth most common cause of cancer death in Oklahoma from 2008 to 2012. FBO's Zaakirah Muhammad examines why this cancer hits Black communities harder, what warning signs often go unheard, and how awareness, advocacy, and early action can save lives.14:58 In communities across Oklahoma, far too many young people are facing nights without a safe place to sleep. For queer youth, the risk of homelessness is even greater—driven by family rejection, discrimination, and a shortage of supportive services. This isn't just a statistic; it's a crisis that affects real kids in our neighborhoods. Anna Wilson shines a light on queer youth homelessness right here in Oklahoma.29:21 College football has entered a new era—one where name, image, and likeness, or NIL, deals have changed the business of the game. But for Black athletes playing on predominantly white campuses, the NIL era brings both opportunity and complication. FBO's Phil Childs shares the stories of two former college football athletes who unpack the realities behind the headlines.37:12 In part 2 of Sondra Slade's story on the unveiling of Clara Luper's statue in downtown Oklahoma City, she gets personal with Marilyn Luper Hildreth, Luper's daughter and one of the original 13 sit-inners. Slade also gains insight from sculptor Elliot Schwartz about his process, challenges faced, and what this project means to him.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music.Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew. Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Roma Carter, Jess Grimes, & Anna Wilson.You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.https://linktr.ee/focusblackok
In this powerful and wide-ranging episode of Gangland Wire, host Gary Jenkins sits down with Ken Behr, author of One Step Over the Line: Confessions of a Marijuana Mercenary. Behr tells his astonishing life story—from teenage marijuana dealer in South Florida, to high-level drug runner and smuggler, to DEA cooperating source working major international cases. Along the way, he offers rare, first-hand insight into how large-scale drug operations actually worked during the height of the War on Drugs—and why that war, in his view, has largely failed. From Smuggler to Source Behr describes growing up during the explosion of the drug trade in South Florida during the 1970s and 1980s, where smuggling marijuana and cocaine became almost commonplace. He explains how he moved from street-level dealing into large-scale logistics—off-loading planes, running covert runways in the Everglades, moving thousands of pounds of marijuana, and participating in international smuggling operations involving Canada, Jamaica, Colombia, and the Bahamas. After multiple arrests—including a serious RICO case that threatened him with decades in prison—Behr made the life-altering decision to cooperate with the DEA. What followed was a tense and dangerous double life as an undercover operative, helping law enforcement dismantle major trafficking networks while living under constant pressure and fear of exposure. Inside the Mechanics of the Drug Trade This episode goes deep into the nuts and bolts of organized drug trafficking, including: How clandestine runways were built and dismantled in minutes How aircraft were guided into unlit landing zones How smuggling crews were paid and organized Why most drug operations ultimately collapse from inside The role of asset seizures in federal drug enforcement Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here. To purchase one of my books, click here. Transcript [00:00:00] well, hey, all your wire taps. It’s good to be back here in studio of Gangland Wire. I have a special guest today. He has a book called, uh, title is One Step Over the Line and, and he went several steps over the line, I think in his life. Ken Bearer, welcome Ken. Thanks for having me. Thanks for having me. Now, Ken, Ken is a, was a marijuana smuggler at one time and, and ended up working with the DEA, so he went from one side over to my side and, and I always like to talk to you guys that that helped us in law enforcement and I, there’s a lot of guys that don’t like that out there, but I like you guys you were a huge help to us in law enforcement and ended up doing the right thing after you made a lot of money. So tell us about the money. We were just starting to talk about the money. Tell us about the money, all those millions and millions of dollars that you drug smuggler makes. What happens? Well, I, you know, like I said, um, Jimmy Buffett’s song a pirate looks at 40, basically, he says, I made enough money to to buy Miami and pissed it away all so fast, never meant to last. And, and that’s what happens. I do know a few people that have [00:01:00] put away money. One of my friends that we did a lot of money together, a lot of drug dealing and a lot of moving some product, and he’s put the money away. Got in bed with some other guy that was, you know, legal, bought a bunch of warehouses, and now he lives a great life, living off the money he put away. Yeah. If the rents and stuff, he, he got into real estate. Other guys have got into real estate and they got out and they ended up doing okay. ’cause now they’re drawing all those rents. That’s a good way to money. Exactly what he did. Uh, my favorite, I was telling you a favorite story of mine was the guy that was a small time dealer used to hang out at the beach. And, uh, we en he ended up saving $80,000, which was a lot of money back then. Yeah. And then put it all, went to school to be a culinary chef and then got a job at the Marriott as a culinary chef and a chef. So he, you know, he really took the money, made a little bit of money, didn’t make a lot Yeah. But made enough to go to school and do something with his life. That’s so, um, that’s a great one. That’s a good one [00:02:00] there. That’s real. Yeah. But he wasn’t a big time guy. Yeah. You know what, what happens is you might make a big lick. You know, I, I never made million dollar moves. I have lots of friends that did. I always said I didn’t want to be a smuggler. ’cause I was making a steady living, being a drug runner. If you brought in 40, 50,000 pounds of weed, you would come to me and then I would move it across the country and sell it in different, along with other guys like me. Having said that, so I say I’m a guy that never wanted to do a smuggling trip. I’ve done 12 of them. Yeah. Even though, you know, and you know, if you’ve been in the DEA side twelve’s a lot for somebody usually. Yeah. That’s a lot. They don’t make, there’s no longevity. Two or three trips. No. You know, I did it for 20 years. Yeah. And then finally I got busted one time in Massachusetts in 1988. We had 40,000 pounds stuck up in Canada. So a friend of mine comes to me, another friend had the 40,000 pounds up there. He couldn’t sell it. He goes, Hey, you wanna help me smuggle [00:03:00] this back into America? Which, you know, is going the wrong direction. The farther north it goes, the more money it’s worth. I would’ve taken it to Greenland for Christ’s sakes. Yeah. But, we smuggled it back in. What we did this time was obviously they, they brought a freighter or a big ship to bring the 40,000 pounds into Canada. Mm-hmm. He added, stuffed in a fish a fish packing plant in a freezer somewhere up there. And so we used the sea plane and we flew from a lake in Canada to a lake in Maine where the plane would pull up, I’d unload. Then stash it. And we really did like to get 1400 pounds. We had to go through like six or seven trips. ’cause the plane would only hold 200 and something pounds. Yeah. And a sea plane can’t land at night. It has to land during the day. Yeah. You can’t land a plane in the middle of a lake in the night, I guess yourself. Yeah. I see. Uh, and so we got, I got busted moving that load to another market and that cost, uh, [00:04:00] cost me about $80,000 in two years of fighting in court to get out of that. Yeah. Uh, but I did beat the case for illegal search and seizure. So one for the good guys. It wasn’t for the good guys. Well the constitution, he pulled me over looking for fireworks and, ’cause it was 4th of July and, yeah. The name of that chapter in the book is why I never work on a holiday. So you don’t wanna spend your holiday in jail ’cause there’s no, you can’t on your birthday. So another, the second time I got busted was in 92. So just a couple years later after, basically I was in the system for two years with the loss, you know, fighting it and that, that was for Rico. I was looking at 25 years. But, uh, but like a normal smuggling trip. I’ll tell you one, we did, I brought, I actually did my first smuggling trip. I was on the run in Jamaica from a, a case that I got named in and I was like 19 living down in Jamaica to cool out. And then my buddies came down. So we ended up bringing out 600 pounds. So that was my first tr I was about 19 or [00:05:00] 20 years old when I did my first trip. I brought out 600 pounds outta Jamaica. A friend of mine had a little Navajo and we flew it out with that, but. I’ll give you an example of a smuggling trip. So a friend of mine came to me and he wanted to load 300 kilos of Coke in Columbia and bring it into America. And he wanted to know if I knew anybody that could load him 300 kilos. So I did. I introduced him to a friend of mine that Ronnie Vest. He’s the only person you’ll appreciate this. Remember how he kept wanting to extradite all the, the guys from Columbia when we got busted, indict him? Yes. And of course, Escobar’s living in his own jail with his own exit. Yeah. You know, and yeah. So the Columbian government says, well, we want somebody, why don’t you extradite somebody to America, to Columbia? So Ronnie Vest had gotten caught bringing a load of weed outta Columbia. You know, they sent ’em back to America. So that colo, the Americans go, I’ll tell you what you want. Somebody. And Ronnie Vests got the first good friend of mine, first American to be [00:06:00] extradited to Columbia to serve time. So he did a couple years in the Columbian prison. And so he’s the one that had the cocaine connection now. ’cause he spent time in Columbia. Yeah. And you know, so we brought in 300 kilos of Coke. He actually, I didn’t load it. He got another load from somebody else. But, so in the middle of the night, you set up on a road to nowhere in the Everglades, there’s so many Floridas flat, you’ve got all these desolate areas. We go out there with four or five guys. We take, I have some of ’em here somewhere. Callum glow sticks. You know the, the, the glow sticks you break, uh, yeah. And some flashing lights throw ’em out there. Yeah. And we set up a, yeah, the pilot came in and we all laid in the woods waiting for the plane to come in. And as soon as the pilot clicks. The mic four times. It’s, we all click our mics four times and then we run out. He said to his copilot, he says, look, I mean, we lit up this road from the sky. He goes, it looks like MIA [00:07:00] behind the international airport. But it happens like that within a couple, like a minute, we’ll light that whole thing up. Me and one other guy run down the runway. It’s a lot, it’s a long run, believe me. We put out the lights, we gotta put out the center lights and then the marker lights, because you gotta have the center of the runway where the plane’s gonna land and the edge is where it can’t, right? Yeah. He pulls up, bring up a couple cars, I’m driving one of them, load the kilos in. And then we have to refuel the plane because you don’t, you know, you want to have enough fuel to get back to an FBO to your landing airport or real airport. Yeah. Not the one we made in the Everglades. Yeah. And then the trick is the car’s gotta get out of there. Yeah, before the plane takes off. ’cause when that plane takes off, you know you got a twin engine plane landing is quiet, taking off at full throttle’s gonna wake up the whole neighborhood. So once we got out of there, then they went ahead and got the plane off. And then the remaining guys, they gotta clean up the mess. We want to use this again. So we [00:08:00] wanna clean up all the wires, the radios. Mm-hmm. Pick up the fuel tanks, pick up the runway lights, and their job is to clean that off and all that’s gonna take place before the police even get down the main road. Right? Mm-hmm. That’s gonna all take place in less than 10 minutes. Wow. I mean, the offload takes, the offload takes, you can offload about a thousand pounds, which I’ve done in three minutes. Wow. But, and then refueling the plane, getting everything else cleaned up. Takes longer. Yeah. Interesting. So how many guys would, would be on that operation and how do you pay that? How do you decide who gets paid what? How much? Okay. So get it up front or, I always curious about the details, how that stuff, I don’t think I got paid enough. And I’ll be honest, it was a hell of a chance. I got 20 grand looking at 15 years if you get caught. Yeah. But I did it for the excitement. 20 grand wasn’t that much. I had my own gig making more money than that Uhhuh, you know, but I was also racing cars. I was, there’s a [00:09:00] picture of one of my race cars. Oh cool. So that costs about six, 7,000 a weekend. Yeah. And remember I’m talking about 1980s dollars. Yeah. That’s 20,000 a weekend. A weekend, yes. Yeah. And that 20,000 for a night’s work in today’s world would be 60. Yeah. Three. And I’m talking about 1985 versus, that was 40 years ago. Yeah. Um. But it’s a lot of fun and, uh, and, but it, you kind of say to yourself, what was that one step over the line? That’s why I wrote the book. I remember as a kid thinking in my twenties, man, I’ve taken one step over the line. So the full name of the book is One Step Over the Line Con Confessions of a Marijuana Mercenary. That’s me actually working for the DEA. That picture was at the time when I was working for the DEA, so the second time I got busted in 1992 was actually for the smallest amount of weed that I ever got, ever really had. It was like 80, a hundred pounds. But unfortunately it was for Rico. I didn’t know at the [00:10:00] time, but when they arrested me, I thought, oh, they only caught me with a hundred pounds. But I got charged with Rico. So I was looking at 25 years. What, how, what? Did they have some other, it must have had some other offenses that they could tie to and maybe guns and stuff or something that get that gun. No, we never used guns ever. Just other, other smuggling operations. Yeah, yeah. Me, me and my high school friend, he had moved to Ohio in 77 or 78, so he had called me one time, he was working at the Ford plant and he goes, Hey, I think I could sell some weed up here. All right. I said, come on down, I’ll give you a couple pounds. So he drives down from Ohio on his weekend off, all the way from Ohio. I gave him two pounds. He drove home, calls me back. He goes, I sold it. So I go, all right. He goes, I’m gonna get some more. So at that time, I was working for one of the largest marijuana smugglers in US History. His name was Donny Steinberg. I was just a kid, you know, like my job, part of my [00:11:00] job was to, they would gimme a Learjet. About a million or two and I jump on a Learjet and fly to the Cayman Islands. I was like 19 years old. Same time, you know, kid. Yeah, just a kid. 19 or 20 and yeah. 18, I think. And so I ended up doing that a few times. That was a lot of fun. And that’s nice to be a kid in the Learjet and they give me a million or two and they gimme a thousand dollars for the day’s work. I thought I was rich, I was, but people gotta understand that’s in that 78 money, not that’s, yeah. That was more like $10,000 for day, I guess. Yeah. You know? Yeah. It was a lot of money for an 18, 19-year-old kid. Yeah. Donnie gives me a bail. So Terry comes back from Ohio, we shoved the bale into his car. Barely would fit ’cause he had no big trunk on this Firebird. He had, he had a Firebird trans Am with the thunder black with a thunder, thunder chicken on the hood. It was on the hood. Oh cool. That was, that was a catch meow back then. Yeah. Yeah. It got it with that [00:12:00] Ford plant money. And uh, by the way, that was after that 50 pounds got up. ’cause every bail’s about 50 pounds. That’s the last he quit forward the next day. I bet. And me and him had built a 12 year, we were moving. Probably 50 tons up there over the 12 year period. You know, probably, I don’t know, anywhere from 50 to a hundred thousand pounds we would have, he must have been setting up other dealers. So among his friends, he must have been running around. He had the distribution, I was setting up the distribution network and you had the supply. I see. Yeah. I was the Florida connection. It’s every time you get busted, the cops always wanna grab that Florida connection. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. You gotta go down there. I there, lemme tell you, you know, I got into this. We were living in, I was born on a farm in New Jersey, like in know Norman Rockwell, 1950s, cow pies and hay bales. And then we moved to New Orleans in 1969 and then where my dad had business and right after, not sure after that, he died when I was 13. As I say in the book, I [00:13:00] probably wouldn’t have been writing the book if my father was alive. Yeah. ’cause I probably wouldn’t have went down that road, you know? But so my mother decides in 1973 to move us to, uh, south Florida, to get away from the drugs in the CD underside of New Orleans. Yeah. I guess she didn’t read the papers. No. So I moved from New Orleans to the star, the war on where the war on drugs would start. I always say if she’d have moved me to Palo Alto, I’d be Bill Gates, but No. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was so, uh, and everybody I knew was running drugs, smuggling drugs, trying to be a drug deal. I mean, I was, I had my own operation. I was upper middle level, but there were guys like me everywhere. Mm-hmm. There were guys like me everywhere, moving a thou, I mean, moving a thousand, 2000 pounds at the time was a big thing, you know? That’s, yeah. So, so about what year was that? I started in 19. 70. Okay. Three. I was [00:14:00] 16. Started selling drugs outta my mom’s house, me and my brother. We had a very good business going. And by the time I was got busted, it was 19 92. So, so you watched, especially in South Florida, you watched like where that plane could go down and go back up that at eventually the feds will come up with radar and they have blimps and they have big Bertha stuff down there to then catch those kinds of things. Yeah. Right, right. Big Bertha was the blimp. Uhhuh, uh, they put up, yeah. In the beginning you could just fly right in. We did one trip one time. This is this, my, my buddy picked up, I don’t know, 40 or 50 kilos in The Bahamas. So you fly into Fort Lauderdale and you call in like you’re gonna do a normal landing. Mm-hmm. And the BLI there. This is all 1980s, five. You know, they already know. They’re doing this, but you just call in, like you’re coming to land in Fort Lauderdale, and what you do is right before you land, you hit the tower up and you tell ’em you wanna do a [00:15:00] go around, meaning you’re not comfortable with the landing. Mm-hmm. Well, they’ll always leave you a go around because they don’t want you to crash. Yeah. And right west of the airport was a golf course, and right next to the golf course, oh, about a mile down the road was my townhouse. So we’re in the townhouse. My buddies all put on, two of the guys, put on black, get big knives, gear, and I drive to one road on the golf course and my other friend grows Dr. We drop the guys off in the golf course as the plane’s gonna do the touchdown at the airport. He says, I gotta go around. As he’s pulling up now, he’s 200 feet below the radar, just opens up the side of the plane. Mm-hmm. The kickers, we call ’em, they’re called kickers. He kicks the baskets, the ba and the guys on, on the golf court. They’re hugging trees. Yeah. You don’t wanna be under that thing. Right. You got a 200, you got maybe a 40 pound package coming in at 120 miles an hour from 200 feet up. It’ll break the bra. It’ll yeah. The [00:16:00] branches will kill you. Yeah. So they pull up, they get out, I pull back up in the pickup truck, he runs out, jumps in the back of the truck, yells, hit it. We drive the mile through the back roads to my townhouse. Get the coke in the house. My buddy rips it open with a knife. It’s and pulls out some blow. And he looks at me, he goes, Hey, let’s get outta here. And I go, where are we going? Cops come and he goes, ah, I got two tickets. No, four tickets to the Eddie Murphy concert. So we left the blow in this trunk of his car. Oh. Oh, oh man. I know. We went to Eddie Murphy about a million dollars worth of product in the trunk. Oh. And, uh, saw a great show and came back and off they went. That’s what I’m trying to point out is that’s how fast it goes down, man. It’s to do. Yeah. Right in, in 30 minutes. We got it out. Now the thing about drug deals is we always call ’em dds delayed dope deals because the smuggling [00:17:00] trip could take six months to plan. Yeah. You know, they never go, there’s no organized crime in organized crime. Yeah. No organization did it. Yeah. And then, then of course, in 1992 when I got busted and was looking at Rico, a friend of mine came up to me. He was a yacht broker. He had gotten in trouble selling a boat, and he said, Hey, I’d you like to work for the DEA. I’d done three months in jail. I knew I was looking at time, I knew I had nothing. My lawyers told me, Kenny, you either figure something out or you’re going to jail for a mm-hmm. And I just had a newborn baby. I just got married three weeks earlier and we had a newborn baby. I said, what are you crazy? I mean, I’m waiting for my wife to hear me. You know, he’s calling me on the phone. He goes, meet me for lunch. I go meet him for lunch. And he explains to me that he’s gonna, he’s got a guy in the, uh, central district in Jacksonville, and he’s a DEA agent, and I should go talk to him. And so the DEA made a deal with the Ohio police that anything that I [00:18:00] confiscated, anything that I did, any assets I got, they would get a share in as long as they released me. Yeah. To them. And, you know, it’s all about the, I hate to say this, I’m not saying that you don’t want to take drugs off the street, but if you’re the police department and you’re an agent, it’s about asset seizures. Yeah. Yeah. That’s how you fund the dr. The war on drugs. Yeah. The war begets war. You know, I mean, oh, I know, been Florida was, I understand here’s a deal. You’re like suing shit against the tide, right? Fighting that drug thing. Okay? It just keeps coming in. It keeps getting cheaper. It keeps getting more and more. You make a little lick now and then make a little lick now and then, but then you start seeing these fancy cars and all this money out there that you can get to. If you make the right score, you, you, you hit the right people, you can get a bunch of money, maybe two or three really cool cars for your unit. So then you’ll start focusing on, go after the money. I know it’s not right, but you’re already losing your shoveling shit against the tide anyhow, so just go after the goal. [00:19:00] One time I set up this hash deal for the DEA from Amsterdam. The guy brought the hash in, and I had my agent, you know, I, I didn’t set up the deal. The guy came to me and said, we have 200 kilos of hash. Can you help us sell it? He didn’t know that I was working for the DEA, he was from Europe. And I said, sure. The, the thing was, I, so in the boat ready to close the deal, now my guy is from Central. I’m in I’m in Fort Lauderdale, which is Southern District. So he goes, Hey, can you get that man to bring that sailboat up to Jacksonville? I go, buddy, he just sailed across the Atlantic. He ain’t going to Jacksonville. So the central district has to come down, or is a northern district? I can’t remember if it’s northern or central. Has to come down to the Southern district. So, you know, they gotta make phone calls. Everybody’s gotta be in Yep. Bump heads. So I’m on the boat and he calls me, he goes, Hey, we gotta act now. Yeah. And I’m looking at the mark, I go, why? He [00:20:00] goes, customs is on the dock. We don’t want them involved. So you got the two? Yeah. So I bring him up, I go, where’s the hash? He goes, it’s in the car. So we go up to the car and he opens the trunk, and I, I pull back one of the duffle bags I see. I can tell immediately it’s product. So I go like this, and all hell breaks loose, right? Yeah. I could see the two customs agents and they’re all dressed like hillbillies. They, you know. So I said to my, my handler, the next day I called them up to debrief. You know, I have to debrief after every year, everything. I goes, so what happened when customs I go, what’d they want to do? He goes, yep. They wanted to chop the boat in threes. So they’re gonna sell the boat and the 2D EA offices are gonna trade it. Yeah. Are gonna shop the money. Yeah. I remember when I registered with the DEA in, in, in the Southern district, I had to tell ’em who I was. They go, why are you working for him? Why aren’t you working for us? I’m like, buddy, I’m not in charge here. This is, you know? Yeah. I heard that many [00:21:00] times through different cases we did, where the, the local cop would say to me, why don’t you come work for us? Oh yeah. Try to steal your informant. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So how about that? So, can you get a piece of the action if they had a big case seizure? Yeah. Did they have some deal where you’d get a piece of that action there? Yep. That’s a pretty good deal. Yeah. So I would get, I, I’d get, like, if we brought down, he would always tell everybody that he needed money to buy electronics and then he would come to me and go, here’s 2000. And to the other cis, he had three guys. I saw a friend of mine, the guy that got me into the deal. Them a million dollar house or a couple million dollar house. And I saw the DEA hand him a suitcase with a million dollars cash in it. Wow. I mean, I’m sorry, with a hundred thousand cash. A hundred thousand. Okay. I was gonna say, I was thinking a million. Well, a hundred thousand. Yeah, a hundred thousand. I’ve heard that. I just didn’t have any experience with it myself. But I heard that. I saw, saw Open it up, saw money. I saw the money. It was one of those aluminum halla, Halliburton reef cases and Yeah, yeah. A [00:22:00] hundred thousand cash. But, uh, but you know, um, it’s funny, somebody once asked me out of, as a kid I wanted to be a cowboy, a race car driver, and a secret agent. Me too. Yes. Yeah. I didn’t want, I wanted to be a, I grew up on a farm, so I kind of rode a horse. I had that watched Rowdy, you got saved background as me, man. Yeah. You know, we watched, we watched, we grew up on westerns. We watched Gun Smoke, rowdy. Oh yeah. You know, uh, bananas, uh, you know, so, um. So anyway, uh, I got to raise cars with my drug money, and I guess I’m not sure if I was more of a secret agent working as a drug dealer or as the DEA, but it’s a lot of I, you know, I make jokes about it now, but it’s a lot of stress working undercover. Oh, yeah. Oh, I can’t even imagine that. I never worked undercover. I, that was not my thing. I like surveillance and putting pieces together and running sources, but man, that actual working undercover that’s gotta be nerve wracking. It’s, you know, and, and my handler was good at it, but [00:23:00] he would step out and let, here’s, I’ll tell you this. One day he calls me up and he goes, Hey, I’m down here in Fort Lauderdale. You need to come down here right now. And I’m having dinner at my house about 15 minutes away. Now he lives in Jacksonville. I go, what’s he doing in Fort Lauderdale? So I drive down to the hotel and he’s got a legal pad and a pen. He goes, my, uh, my, my seniors want to, uh, want you to proffer. You need to tell me everything you ever did. And they want me to do a proffer. And I go, I looked at him. I go, John, I can’t do that. He start, we start writing. I start telling him stuff. I stop. I go, I grew up in this town. Everybody I know I did a drug deal with from high school, I go, I would be giving you every single kid, every family, man, I grew up here. My, I’m gonna be in jail, and my wife and my one and a half year old daughter are gonna be the only people left in this town, and they’re not gonna have any support. And I just can’t do this to all my friends. Yeah. So he says, all right, puts the pen down. I knew [00:24:00] he hated paperwork, so I had a good shot. He wasn’t gonna, he goes, yeah, you hungry? I go, yeah. He goes, let’s go get a steak. And right across the street was a place called Chuck Steakhouse, which great little steak restaurant. All right. So we go over there, he goes, and he is a big guy. He goes, sit right here. I go, all right. So I sit down. I, I’m getting a free steak. I’m gonna sit about through the steak dinner, it goes. Look over my shoulder. So I do this. He goes, see the guy at the bar in the black leather jacket. I go, yeah. He goes, when I get up and walk outta here, when I clear the door, I want you to go up to him and find a talk drug deal. See what you can get out of him. I go, you want me to walk up to a complete stranger and say, he goes, I’m gonna walk out the door. When I get out the door. You’re gonna go up and say, cap Captain Bobby. That was his, he was a ca a boat captain and his nickname, his handle was Captain Bobby. And he was theoretically the next Vietnam vet that now is a smuggler, you know?[00:25:00] Yeah. And so he walks out the door and I walked out and sat with the guy at the bar and we started, I said, hi, captain Bobby sent me, I’m his right hand man, you know, to talk about. And we talked and I looked around the bar trying to see if anybody was with him. And I’m figuring, now I’m looking at the guy going, why is he so open with me? And I’m thinking, you know what? He’s wearing a leather jacket. He’s in Florida. I bet you he’s got a wire on and he’s working for customs and I’m working for the DEA, so nothing ever came of it. But you know, that was, you know, you’re sitting there eating dinner and all of a sudden, you know, look over my shoulder. Yeah. And, you know, and I’m trying to balance all that with having a newborn that’s about a year old and my wife and Yeah. Looking at 25 years. So a little bit of pressure. But, you know, hey and I understand these federal agencies, everybody’s got, everybody is, uh, uh, aggressive. Everybody is ambitious. And you just are this guy in the middle and right. And they’ll throw you to the [00:26:00] wolves in a second. Second, what have you done for a second? Right? It’s what have you done for me lately? He’s calling me up and said, Hey, I don’t got any product from you in a minute. I go, well, I’m working on it. He goes, well, you know, they’ll kick you outta the program. Yeah. But one of the things he did he was one of, he was the GS 13. So he had some, you know, he had level, you know, level 15 or whatever, you know, he was, yeah. Almost at the head of near retirement too. And he said, look, he had me, he had another guy that was a superstar, another guy. And we would work as a team and he would feed us all the leads. In other words, if David had a case, I’d be on that case. So when I went to go to go to trial or go to my final, he had 14 or 15 different things that he had penciled me in to be involved with. The biggest deal we did at the end of my two years with the DEA was we brought down the Canadian mob. They got him for 10,000 kilos of cocaine, import 10,000 kilos. It was the Hell’s Angels, the Rock something, motorcycle [00:27:00] gang, the Italian Mafia and the, and the Irish mob. Mm-hmm. And the guy, I mean, this is some badass guys. I was just a player, but. The state of Ohio, they got to fly up there and you know, I mean, no words, the dog and pony show was always on to give everybody, you know. Yes. A bite at the apple. Oh yeah. But I’ll tell you this, it’s been 33 years and the two people that I’m close to is my arresting officer in Ohio and my DEA handler in Jacksonville. The arresting officer, when he retired, he called to gimme his new cell phone. And every year or so I call him up around Christmas and say, Dennis, thank you for the opportunity to turn my life around, because I’ve got four great kids. I’ve started businesses, you know, he knows what I’ve done with my life. And the DEA handler, that’s, he’s a friend of mine. I mean, you know, we talk all the time and check on each other. And, you know, I mean, he’s, [00:28:00] they’re my friends. A lot of, not too many of the guys are left from those days that will talk to me. Yeah, probably not. And most of them are dead or in jail anyhow. For, well, a lot of ’em are, maybe not even because of you, I mean, because that’s their life. No, but a lot of them, a number of ’em turned their lives around, went into legal businesses and have done well. Yeah. So, you know, there really have, so not all of ’em, but a good share of ’em have turned, because we weren’t middle class kids. We were, my one friend was, dad was the lieutenant of the police department. The other one was the post guy. We weren’t inner city kids. Yeah. We weren’t meeting we, the drug war landed on us and we just, we were recruited into it. As young as I talk about in my book. But I mean, let’s talk about what’s going on now. Now. Yeah. And listen, I’m gonna put some statistics out there. Last year, 250,000 people were charged with cannabis. 92% for simple possession. There’s [00:29:00] people still in jail for marijuana doing life sentences. I’ve had friends do 27 years only for marijuana. No nonviolent crimes, first time offender. 22 years, 10 years. And the government is, I’ve been involved with things where the government was smuggling the drugs. I mean, go with the Iran Contra scandal that happened. We were trading guns for cocaine with the Nicaraguans in the Sandon Easterns. Yeah. Those same pilots. Gene Hassen Fus flew for Air America and Vietnam moving drugs and gun and, and guns out of Cambodia. Same guy. Air America. Yeah. The American government gave their soldiers opium in Civil War to keep ’em marching. You know, I mean, we did a deal with Lucky Luciano, where we let ’em out of prison for doing heroin exchange for Intel from, from Europe on during World War II and his, and the mob watching the docks for the, uh, cargo ships. So the government’s been intertwined in the war on drugs on two [00:30:00] sides of it. Yeah. You know, and not that it makes it right. Look, I’ve lost several friends to fentanyl that thought they were doing coke and did fentanyl or didn’t even know there was any. They just accidentally did fentanyl and it’s a horrible drug. But those boats coming out of Venezuela don’t have fentanyl on ’em. No. Get cocaine maybe. If that, and they might be, they’re probably going to Europe. Europe and they’re going to Europe. Yeah, they’re going, yeah. They’re doubt they’re going to Europe. Yeah. Yeah. And so let’s put it this way. I got busted for running a 12 year ongoing criminal enterprise. We moved probably 50 tons of marijuana. You know what? Cut me down? One guy got busted with one pound and he turned in one other guy that went all the way up to us. So if you blew up those boats, you know, you’re, you need the leads. You, you can’t kill your clients. Yeah. You know, how are you gonna get, not gonna get any leads outta that. Well, that’s, uh, well, I’m just saying [00:31:00] you right. The, if they followed the boat to the mothership Yeah. They’d have the whole crew and all the cargo. Yeah. You know, it’s, those boats maybe have 200 kilos on ’em. A piece. Yeah. The mothership has six tons. Yeah. That’s it. It’s all about the, uh, the, um, uh, optics. Optics, yeah. That’s the word. It’s all about the optics and, and the politic, you know, in, in some way it may deter some people, but I don’t, I I, I’ve never seen anything, any consequence. In that drug business, there’s too much money. There is no consequence that is really ever gonna deter people from smuggling drugs. Let me put it this way, except for a few people like yourself, there’s a few like yourself that get to a certain age and the consequence of going to prison for a long time may, you know, may bring you around or the, all the risk you’re taking just, you know, you can’t take it anymore, but you gotta do something. But no, well, I got busted twice. Consequence just don’t matter. There is no consequence that’s gonna do anything. Here’s why. And you’re right. [00:32:00] One is how do you get in a race car and not think you’re gonna die? Because you always think it’s gonna happen to somebody else. Exactly. And the drug business is the same. It’s, I’m not, it’s not gonna happen to me tonight. And those guys in Venezuela, they have no electricity. They have no water. Yeah. They got nothing. They have a chance to go out and make a couple thousand dollars and change their family’s lives. Yeah. Or they’re being, they’re got family members in the gar, in the gangs that are forcing them to do it. Yeah. It’s the war on drugs has kind of been a political war and an optics war from the seventies. I mean, it’s nobody, listen, I always say, I say in my book, nobody loved it more than the cops, the lawyers and the politicians. No shit. In Fort Lauderdale, they had nothing, and all of a sudden the drug wars brought night scopes and cigarette boats and fancy cars and new offices. Yes. And new courthouses, and new jails and Yep. I don’t have an answer. Yeah. The problem is, [00:33:00] you know what I’m gonna say, America, Mexico doesn’t have a drug problem. Columbia doesn’t have a drug problem. No. America has a drug problem. Those are just way stations to get the product in. In the cover of my book, it says, you don’t sell drugs, you supply them like ammunition in a war. It’s a, people, we, how do we fix this? How do we get the American people? Oh, by the way, here’s a perfect example. Marijuana is legal in a majority of states. You don’t see anybody smuggling marijuana in, I actually heard two stories of people that are smuggling marijuana out of the country. I’ve heard that. I’ve heard that. Yeah. They’re growing so much marijuana in America that it’s worth shipping to other places, either legally or illegally. Yeah. And, and, and you know, the biggest problem is like, what they’ll do is they’ll set up dispensaries, with the green marijuana leaf on it, like it’s some health [00:34:00] dispensary. But they, they just won’t it’ll be off the books. It just won’t have the licensing and all that. And, you know, you run that for a while and then maybe you get caught, maybe you don’t. And so it’s, you know, it’s, well, the other thing is with that dispensary license. It’s highly regulated, but you can get a lot of stuff in the gray. So there’s three markets now. There’s the white market, which is the legal Yeah. Business that, you know, you can buy stocks in the companies and whatnot. Yeah. There’s the black market, which is the guy on the street that Kenny Bear used to be. And then there’s the gray market where people are taking black market product and funneling it through the white markets without intact, you know, the taxes and the licensing and the, the, uh, testing for, you know, you have to test marijuana for pesticides. Metals, yeah. And, and the oils and the derivatives. You know, there’s oil and there’s all these derivatives. They have to be tested. Well, you could slide it through the gray market into the white market. So I know it’s a addiction, you know, whether it’s gambling or sex or Right. Or [00:35:00] there’s always gonna be people who are gonna take advantage and make money off of addiction. The mafia, you know, they refined it during the prohibition. All these people that drink, you know, and a lot, admittedly, a lot of ’em are social drinkers, but awful lot of ’em work. They had to have it. And so, you know, then gambling addiction. And that’s, uh, well here’s what I say. If it wasn’t for Prohibition Vegas, the mob never would’ve had the power and the money to build Vegas. No, they wouldn’t have anything. So when you outlaw something that people want, you’re creating a, a business. If, if somebody, somebody said the other day, if you made all the drugs legal in America, would that put out, put the drug cartels in Mexico and Columbia and out of business? Yeah, maybe. How about this statistic? About 20 to 30,000 people a year die from cocaine overdose. Most have a medical condition. Unknown unbe, besides, they’re not ODing on cocaine. Yeah. Alright. 300,000 people a year die from obesity. Yeah. And [00:36:00] another, almost four, I think 700, I don’t know, I might be about to say a half a million die from alcohol and tobacco. Mm-hmm. I could be low on that figure. So you’re, you probably are low. Yeah. I could be way more than that. But on my point is we’re regulating alcohol, tobacco, and certainly don’t care how much food you eat, and why don’t we have a medical system that takes care of these people. I don’t know that the answer if I did, but I’m just saying it, making this stuff more valuable and making bigger crime syndicates doesn’t make sense. Yeah. See a addiction is such a psychological, spiritual. Physical maldy that people can’t really separate the three and they don’t, people that, that aren’t involved and then getting some kind of recovery, they can’t understand why somebody would go back and do it again after they maybe were clean for a while. You know, that’s a big common problem with putting money into the treatment center [00:37:00] business. Yep. Because people do go to treatment two and three times and, and maybe they never get, some people never, they’ll chase it to death. No, and I can’t explain it. And you know, I, I’ll tell you what, I have my own little podcast. It’s called One Step Over the Line. Mm-hmm. And I released a show last night about a friend of mine, his name is Ron Black. You can watch it or any of your listeners can watch it, and Ron was, went down to the depths of addiction, but he did it a long time ago when they really spent a lot of time and energy to get, you know, they really put him through his system. 18 months, Ron got out clean and he came from a good family. He was raised right. He didn’t, you know, he had some trauma in his life. He had some severe trauma as a child, but he built one of the largest addiction. He has a company that he’s, he ran drug counseling services. He’s been in the space 20 or 30 years, giving back. He has a company that trains counselors to be addiction specialists. He has classes for addiction counseling. He become certified [00:38:00] members. He’s run drug rehabs. He donates to the, you know, you gotta wa if you get a chance to go to my podcast, one step over the line and, and watch this episode we did last night. Probably not the most exciting, you know, like my stories. Yeah. But Ronnie really did go through the entire addiction process from losing everything. Yeah. And pulling himself out. But he was also had a lot of family. You know, he had the right steps. A lot of these kids I was in jail with. Black and brown, inter or inner city youth, whatever, you know, their national, you know, race or nationality, they don’t have a chance. Yeah. They’re in jail with their fathers, their cousins, their brothers. Mm-hmm. The law, the war on drugs, and the laws on drugs specifically affect them. And are they, I remember thinking, is this kid safer in this jail with a cement roof over his head? A, a hot three hot meals and a bed than being back on the [00:39:00] streets? Yeah. He was, I mean. Need to, I used to do a program working with, uh, relatives of addicts. And so this mother was really worried about her son gonna go to jail next time he went to court. And he, she had told me enough about him by then. I said, you know, ma’am, I just wanna tell you something he’s safer doing about a year or so in jail than he is doing a year or so on the streets. Yeah. And she said, she just looked at me and she said, you know, you’re right. You’re right. So she quit worried about and trying to get money and trying to help him out because she was just, she was killing him, getting him out and putting him back on the streets. This kid was gonna die one way or the other, either shot or overdosed or whatever. But I’ll tell you another story. My best friend growing up in New Orleans was Frankie Monteleone. They owned the Monte Hotel. They own the family was worth, the ho half a billion dollars at the time, maybe. And Frankie was a, a diabetic. And he was a, a junk. He was a a because of the diabetic needles. [00:40:00] He kind of became a cocaine junkie, you know, shooting up coke. You know, I guess the needle that kept him alive was, you know, I, you know, again the addict mentality. Right, right. You can’t explain it. So he got, so he got busted trying to sell a couple grams. They made it into a bigger case by mentioning more product conspiracy. His father said, got a, the, the father made a deal to give him a year and a half in club Fed. Yeah. He could, you know, get a tan, practice his tennis, learn chess come out and be the heir to one of the richest families in the world, all right. He got a year and a half. Frankie did 10 years in prison. ’cause every time he got out, he got violated. Oh yeah. I remember going to his federal probation officer to get my bicycle. He was riding when he got violated. Mm-hmm. And I said, I said, sir, he was in a big building in Fort Lauderdale or you know, courthouse office building above the courthouse. I go, there’s so many cops, lawyers, [00:41:00] judges, that are doing blow on a Saturday night that are smoking pot, that are drinking more than they should all around us. You’ve got a kid that comes from one of the wealthiest families in America that’s never gonna hurt another citizen. He’s just, he’s an addict, not a criminal. He needs a doctor, not a jail. And you know what the guy said to me? He goes but those people aren’t on probation. I, I know. He did. 10 years in and out of prison. Finally got out, finally got off of paper, didn’t stop doing drugs. Ended up dying in a dentist chair of an overdose. Yeah. So you, you never fixed them, you just imprisoned somebody that would’ve never heard another American. Yeah, but we spent, it cost us a lot of money. You know, I, I, I dunno what the answer is. The war on drugs is, we spent over, we spent 80, let’s say since 1973. The, the DEA got started in 73, let’s say. Since that time we’ve, what’s that? 70 something years? Yeah. We’ve done [00:42:00] no, uh, 50, 60. Yeah. 50 something. Yeah. Been 50. We spent a trillion dollars. We spent a trillion dollars. The longest and most expensive war in American history is against its own people. Yeah. Trying to save ’em. I know it’s cra it’s crazy. Yeah, I know. And it, over the years, it just took on this life of its own. Yeah. And believe me, there was a, there’s a whole lot of young guys like you only, didn’t go down the drug path, but you like that action and you like getting those cool cars and doing that cool stuff and, and there’s TV shows about it as part of the culture. And so you’re like, you got this part of this big action thing that’s going on that I, you know, it ain’t right. I, I bigger than all of us. I don’t know. I know. All I like to say I had long hair and some New Orleans old man said to me when I was a kid, he goes, you know why you got that long hair boy? And this is 1969. Yeah, 70. I go, why is that [00:43:00] sir? He goes, ’cause the girls like it. The girls didn’t like it. You wouldn’t have it. I thought about it. I’m trying to be a hippie. I was all this, you know, rebel. I thought about it. I go, boy, he’s probably right. Comes down to sex. Especially a young boy. Well, I mean, I’m 15 years old. I may not even how you look. Yeah. I’m not, listen, at 15, I probably was only getting a second base on a whim, you know? Yeah. But, but they paid attention to you. Yeah. Back in those days you, you know, second base was a lot. Yeah. Really. I remember. Sure. Not as, not as advanced as they are today. I don’t think so. But anyway, that’s my story. Um, all right, Ken b this has been fun. It’s been great. I I really had a lot of fun talking to you. And the book is 1, 1, 1 took over the line. No one, no, no. That’s a Friday slip. One step over that. But that was what I came up with the name. I, I believe you, I heard that song. Yeah. I go, I know, I’m, I’ve just taken one step over the line. So that’s where the book actually one step over the line confessions of a marijuana mercenary. [00:44:00] And I’ll tell you, if your listeners go to my website, one step over the line.com, go to the tile that says MP three or the tile that says digital on that website. Put in the code one, the number one step, and then the number 100. So one step 100, they can get a free, they can download a free copy. Yeah, I got you. Okay. Okay. I appreciate it. That’d be good. Yeah, they’ll enjoy it. Yeah. And on the website there’s pictures of the boats, the planes. Yeah. The runways the weed the, all the pictures are there, family pictures, whatever. Well, you had a, uh, a magical, quite a life, the kinda life that they, people make movies about and everybody watches them and says, oh, wow, that’s really cool. But they didn’t have to do it. They didn’t have to pay that price. No. Most of the people think, the funny thing is a lot of people think I’m, I’m, I’m lying or I’m exaggerating. Yeah. I’m 68 years old. Yeah. There’s no reason for me to lie. And you know, the DEA is, I’m telling that. I’m just telling it the way it [00:45:00] happened. I have no reason to tell Phish stories at this point in my life. No, I believe it. No, no, no. It’s all true. All I’ve been, I’ve been around to a little bit. I, I could just talk to you and know that you’re telling the truth here I am. So, it’s, it’s a great story and Ken, I really appreciate you coming on the show. Thank you for having me. It’s been a very much a, it is been a real pleasure. It’s, it’s nice to talk to someone that knows both sides of the coin. Okay. Take care. Uh, thanks again. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
In this episode of The Fractional CMO Show, Casey tackles the brutal reality every fractional CMO faces: prospects just don't care about what you're offering. Casey shares a war story about losing a private jet deal the moment he confused "FOB" with "FBO" - instantly revealing himself as an outsider faking expertise. The prospect literally laughed in his face. Most fractional CMOs show up talking about "marketing that isn't working" instead of understanding the CEO whose marriage is crumbling from late nights, or the franchisor terrified about what their FDD will reveal. The truth? You don't know your audience well enough. Experienced executives don't hire generalists claiming to help "B2B SaaS" or "healthcare." Learn the pains. Speak the language. Become a student of one specific industry instead of pretending you can help everyone. Key Topics Covered: -Know your audience deeply: Become fluent in their language and visceral pains, not surface-level problems -The FOB vs FBO lesson: One wrong acronym cost Casey a private jet client - proving he was an outsider faking expertise -Real pains business owners face: Crumbling marriages from late nights, embarrassing FDD reports, losing first-to-market position, burnt out from bad consulting advice -"B2B SaaS" isn't a niche: Go specific enough that you know when companies get funding, what software they use, and speak the insider language -Nobody knows who you are: Stop waiting for inbound - go talk to strangers, build real relationships, announce yourself as the specialist -Business owners spend aggressively: They don't want to save money, they want speed - and they'll pay for the right person -Bridge the awareness gap: Prospects know something's broken but don't know a fractional CMO exists as the solution
In part two of her look at the growing wave of attacks on free speech across college campuses, Nico Berlin takes us inside the story of the Maneater, the University of Missouri's printed newspaper which switched to a digital only platform in May 2023 after nearly seven decades of publication. In her story, she reminds us that printed newspapers are significant because they make truth tangible.Breast cancer touches families across every community, yet the burden of this disease is not shared equally. For Black women, a breast cancer diagnosis too often carries higher stakes, revealing how survival is shaped not only by biology, but by history, access, and justice. This disparity reflects deeper inequities. Danielle A. Melton brings us more.As Oklahoma reduces nearly $40 million from its mental health budget, community-based programs across the state are feeling the impact. In the second part of her series on mental health, Alana Mbanza examines how therapists, artists, and community organizers are creating alternative spaces for healing, connection, and support.Clara Luper, also known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, was recently commemorated in the form of a statue honoring her legacy leading Oklahoma City's sit-in movement. Luper and the work of her student activists will now be memorialized forever. FBO's Sondra Slade was there.This podcast episode closes with a poem by Tinasha LaRayeė. She read this poem at the unveiling of the Clara Luper statue in Oklahoma City.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward.Our theme music is by Moffett Music.Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew. Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jess Grimes, Roma Carter, and Anna Wilson.You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK.You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK.You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.https://linktr.ee/focusblackok
THE PILOT TO PILOT MAGAZINE HAS LANDED!!!!!Thirteen articles + thirteen companion podcasts.Read. Listen. Share.Thinking about making the jump from fractional to the airlines—or wondering which path is right for you? In this episode, I break down my personal experience going from flying the Citation Latitude at a fractional operation to flying a 737 as a major airline pilot.We cover the real pros and cons of each career path: the seven-day work weeks and FBO life of fractional flying versus the "turn left and you're done" simplicity of airline operations. From quality of life changes after becoming a parent to the grind of short-call reserve, I try to give an honest, no-holds-barred comparison of both worlds.Whether you're chasing Garmin avionics and owner interactions or looking for longer overnights and schedule predictability, this episode will help you understand what to expect from each side of the professional pilot world.Topics covered:Quality of life: 7 on 7 off vs. airline schedulingCustomer service and crew dynamicsThe reality of short-call reserveMaking the decision that's right for your family
Focus: Black Oklahoma's Venson Fields turns our attention to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits crisis. Tens of thousands of families across the state are still feeling the ripple effects of the government shutdown—not in abstract political terms, but in their kitchens and on their dinner tables. At the University of Central Oklahoma, student journalists at The Vista have found their independence and integrity under fire, facing administrative pressures that echo the chilling precedents set at places like the University of Missouri, or Mizzou. These moments raise urgent questions about who gets to tell the story, whose voices are heard, and what happens to democracy when student press freedom is stifled. Nico Berlin takes a closer look at the growing wave of attacks on free speech across college campuses—right here at home and across the nation. In May of this year, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services revealed a 30 million dollar budget shortfall, which required an emergency appropriation by the state legislature. In September, the legislature announced hundreds of contracts would not be renewed to address the department's budget going forward. FBO's Alana Mbanza explores the human costs of these cuts.According to the World Health Organization, “Everyone, if they live long enough, will experience at least one eye condition in their lifetime that will require appropriate care.” An estimated 2.2 billion people, or a quarter of the world's population, live with visual impairment or blindness. In the town of Kinondo in Kenya, multiple organizations came together to provide vision care during World Blindness Month. Zaakirah Muhammad has details.A year after the opening of Zink Lake in Tulsa, questions continue to surface about the safety and quality of water in the Arkansas River. FBO's Roma Carter spoke with independent journalist Molly Bullock about her coverage of waterway contamination.For generations, African American musicians have turned rhythm into revolution—using their art to challenge racism, economic oppression, and social injustice. From gospel to hip-hop, protest songs to soul anthems, Francia Allen continues her series on music & culture as she traces how music continues to impact both hearts and movements, amplifying the call for freedom, dignity, and a world grounded in love.Finally, we pause to remember. This poem, written by Brooks Lansana, invites us into a space of reflection—of memory and reverence—for those whose names were never spoken, whose stories were buried beneath the ashes of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music. Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew.You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK. You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts. https://linktr.ee/focusblackok
Keith Raphael, Found and CEO of Straddle in this episode talks about compliance requirements for organizations that move money. We go over the specific examples and go in-depth into each scenario that triggers specific compliance requirements.Key takeaways from the episode:Reg E only applies to consumer transactionsReg Z is applied to debt instruments belonging to the individual consumer.Reg E is applied any time the consumer account is debited electronically. Reg E is the safety net that makes consumers comfortable about the banking system. Specifically it offers proper protocols that forces everyone to abide by.Reg E forces the FI or a payment processor or a marketplace owner - whoever is interacting directly with the customer, has to cover the transactions that are claimed as fraudulent by the consumer while they are under the investigation by the bank."You can't be too small for the AML rules". Whoever you are and whatever your intentions are, if you participate in the money laundering of any form (even if unintentionally), you will be punished.If an entity is acting as an agent of the payee, they don't have to adhere to the same regulations as an MSB. FinCEN Payment processor exemption allows some money flows to not be considered as Money Transmitters.The moment we are talking about storing value for an individual, processing P2P transactions - think MTL requirements.Article on FBO accounts issued through Omnibus accounts through sponsor banks: https://open.substack.com/pub/aftfinance/p/what-are-omnibus-accounts?r=8gvix&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseCDD = Customer Due Diligence My favorite quote from Keith: "If you solve for identity in payments, everything else is just accounting".And here is the article that I recently wrote on the subject of KYC/KYB requirements: https://aftfinance.substack.com/p/kyc-kyb-aml-and-bsa?r=8gvix
This time on The Green Dot, host Chris is joined by Matt and Jade Hofeldt, founders of Capital Flight — an FBO located at Morey Field in Middleton, Wisconsin, that provides primary, advanced, and transition training in Cirrus aircraft. The Green Dot, sponsored by Crewchief Systems, is a podcast created by aviation enthusiasts for […] The post EAA's The Green Dot — Capital Flight Founders Matt and Jade Hofeldt first appeared on Hangar Flying.
Nuvo podcast de Aviación Digital, "Aero-Tips", con el resumen semanal de las noticias más relevantes del sector aeroespacial, de defensa y aviación.En este episodio de finales de octubre y principios de noviembre de 2025 abordamos cuatro ejes temáticos:1. Desafíos estructurales y heroísmo en emergencias: Análisis del fallo sistémico en la coordinación de la DANA de Valencia, con propuesta de mando unificado nacional; homenaje al Helimer 203 y su tripulación (Comandante Lozano, Copiloto Nieto, Operador Peñuelas y Rescatador Ares), galardonados con el “Blades of Valor” 2025 por salvar once vidas; y apoyo de la Fundación SEPLA-Ayuda, Iberia y Vueling en la recuperación material y emocional.2. Nueva carrera espacial y cooperación: Avance chino hacia alunizaje tripulado en 2030 con lanzadores Gran Marcha y misiones Chang'e-7/8 desde Tiangong; 25 años de presencia humana continua en la ISS como modelo de colaboración internacional; y contribución española mediante astronautas (Duque, López-Alegría, Álvarez, García) y el instrumento AMS-02.3. Innovación y sostenibilidad tecnológica: Primer vuelo del X-59 QueSST de NASA-Lockheed Martin, que reduce el boom sónico a un retumbo suave; proyecto ALBATOR para eliminación sin contacto de basura orbital (>40.000 objetos) mediante haces de iones; y 85º aniversario del CIMA, centro de entrenamiento fisiológico adaptado al turismo espacial.4. Estrategia industrial y regulación aérea: Transformación de la industria de defensa española liderada por Indra, con inversión proactiva y ecosistema nacional para >80% de componentes propios; estandarización europea del equipaje de mano (40 × 30 × 15 cm) por A4E; y expediente sancionador de la CNMC contra siete FBO por presuntas prácticas anticompetitivas.
In this episode of FinTech Layer Cake, host Reggie Young speaks with Evan Minsberg, Partner at Morrison Foerster, about the nuanced world of money transmission licenses (MTLs). Evan explains what MTLs are, why fintechs need them, and the trade-offs between pursuing a license, partnering with a bank, or using alternative models. He also unpacks the hidden costs, both in dollars and time, behind getting licensed, and how fintechs can think strategically about when it makes sense to pursue one.From agent-of-payee exemptions to the risks of operating without proper licenses, Evan offers a practical primer for founders navigating regulatory quicksand. He also shares trends in state-level adoption of the Money Transmission Modernization Act (MTMA), rising anti-money laundering scrutiny, and myths about “FBO” and “BOBA” accounts. Whether you're building a payments product, exploring embedded finance, or just trying to future-proof your business, this conversation is packed with insights you won't want to miss.
As the world celebrated a new ceasefire agreement in Gaza, other conflicts continue to rage across the globe, including in Sudan. In January, then Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared the Sudanese military and allied militias were committing genocide. What does this have to do with Oklahoma? Here's FBO's Nick Alexandrov. As federal budget cuts to healthcare and education take hold, more families in the United States will have to make difficult choices. In Oklahoma, the disparities are evident for students with special needs and people with multiple sclerosis. Zaakirah Muhammad has the story.Since the passage of Oklahoma House Bill 1775 in 2021, educators and librarians have had to carefully navigate book offerings in classes and libraries. While legal challenges to the law persist, students of all ages risk missing out on learning opportunities that are only available in some banned books. Jess Grimes has more.What began as a town hall for Enid's Hispanic community turned into a cross-cultural summit—bringing together neighbors from all backgrounds to tackle shared struggles and build unity. Here's Venson Fields with details.Nestled in the Brookside neighborhood of Tulsa is a garden that's not just for growing herbs and vegetables, but for cultivating indigenous knowledge, wellness, and community. A nonprofit called "Burning Cedar Sovereign Wellness" aims to provide resources to tribal citizens living in an urban environment to promote health and cultural connection with an emphasis on growing and cooking food. Nico Berlin has details.Here's FBO's Sondra Slade with a friendly reminder that sometimes driving on Oklahoma roads requires the heart of a lion.
In May 2025, we successfully completed the acquisition of Infinity Aviation, the sole fixed-base operator (FBO) of a portfolio of on-airport general aviation hangars in the United States. This marks our first investment in the North American aviation sector. In this NEWSFLASH episode of Keeping it Real Assets, Julie Furber shares insights into Infinity Aviation's business model, the exciting growth potential of Tier 2 and Tier 3 airports, and how we plan to create value with this platform opportunity. ********************** Important informationThis material is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute investment or financial advice and does not take into account any specific investment objectives, financial situation or needs. This is not an offer to provide asset management services, is not a recommendation or an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any security or to execute any agreement for portfolio management or investment advisory services and this material has not been prepared in connection with any such offer. Before making any investment decision you should consider, with the assistance of a financial advisor, your individual investment needs, objectives and financial situation. We have taken reasonable care to ensure that this material is accurate, current, and complete and fit for its intended purpose and audience as at the date of publication. No assurance is given or liability accepted regarding the accuracy, validity or completeness of this material and we do not undertake to update it in future if circumstances change. To the extent this material contains any expression of opinion or forward looking statements, such opinions and statements are based on assumptions, matters and sources believed to be true and reliable at the time of publication only. This material reflects the views of the individual writers only. Those views may change, may not prove to be valid and may not reflect the views of everyone at Igneo Infrastructure Partners or First Sentier Group. About First Sentier Group References to 'we', 'us' or 'our' are references to Igneo Infrastructure Partners or First Sentier Group (as applicable). First Sentier Group is a global asset management business which is ultimately owned by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. Igneo Infrastructure Partners is an unlisted infrastructure asset management business and is part of the First Sentier Group. We communicate and conduct business through different legal entities in different locations. This material is communicated in: Australia and New Zealand by First Sentier Investors (Australia) RE Ltd, authorised and regulated in Australia by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (AFSL 240550; ABN 13 006 464 428) European Economic Area by First Sentier Investors (Ireland) Limited, authorised and regulated in Ireland by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI reg no. C182306; reg office 70 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland; reg company no. 629188) Hong Kong by First Sentier Investors (Hong Kong) Limited and has not been reviewed by the Securities & Futures Commission in Hong Kong. First Sentier Investors and Igneo Infrastructure Partners are business names of First Sentier Investors (Hong Kong) Limited. Singapore by First Sentier Investors (Singapore) (reg company no. 196900420D) and this advertisement or material has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. First Sentier Investors (registration number 53236800B) and Igneo Infrastructure Partners (registration number 53447928J) are business divisions of First Sentier Investors (Singapore). United Kingdom by First Sentier Investors International IM Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (reg. no. SC079063, reg office 23 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH2 1BB) United States by First Sentier Investors (US) LLC, registered with the Securities Exchange Commission (RIA 801#93167) Other jurisdictions, where this document may lawfully be issued, by First Sentier Investors International IM Limited, authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA ref no. 122512; Registered office: 23 St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 1BB; Company no. SC079063). To the extent permitted by law, MUFG and its subsidiaries are not liable for any loss or damage as a result of reliance on any statement or information contained in this document. Neither MUFG nor any of its subsidiaries guarantee the performance of any investment products referred to in this document or the repayment of capital. Any investments referred to are not deposits or other liabilities of MUFG or its subsidiaries, and are subject to investment risk, including loss of income and capital invested. © Igneo Infrastructure Partners
As the war in Gaza approaches its two year mark, criticism of Israel and support for the Palestinian population has ignited debates over free speech in the United States. Universities have become nexuses of protest against US support of Israel in the conflict, and the federal government's response has been to block education funding for schools and targeting activists for deportation. State governments and universities have begun taking their own actions to curtail pro-Palestine sentiments on campus. Nico Berlin has the story.Across Oklahoma, and the country, women are facing unaffordable childcare, rising maternal mortality rates, and a lack of support systems. National problems require national solutions, and Mom Congress, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is lobbying for federal legislation to address these gaps. Here's Danielle A. Melton.In May of this year, Oklahoma passed Senate Bill 806, otherwise known as the Food as Medicine Act. The bill aims to expand nutrition services and recognize the importance of food as a contributing factor to public health. A national organization based in Tulsa has been working to empower chefs to be nutrition leaders for their communities. Juddie Williams has details.In our first segment about music and social movements, Francia Allen explored how gospel, blues, and songs of the Civil Rights movement helped elevate the voices of resistance for African Americans. In part two of the series, she focuses on the powerful ways Indigenous communities have raised their voices in resistance and pushed back against cultural discrimination, immigration issues, and treaty violations while staying connected to Native traditions. Here's FBO's Francia Allen.The international conference Black Portraiture[s] will be hosted by New York University-Tulsa Friday October 3rd. The tenth in the series, the event will bring together scholars and artists to study the art and culture of the African Diaspora. Dr. Deborah Willis, University Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University has been a co-organizer since 2006. For more information and registration online visit blackportraitures.infoTurns out finding you're allergic to coconut after eating half your birthday cake isn't the best party favor. For 11-year-old Sondra Slade, what started as the perfect day of pancakes, bike rides, and backyard BBQ ended with a dramatic faceplant into the condiment table – and a family still convinced that “just wiping it off” fixes everything. Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music. Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew.Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jess Grimes, Roma Carter, and Anna Wilson. You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK. You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.
With a looming shortage of qualified mechanics, how will MROs and potential employees navigate the future hiring environment. You will be surprised by what you will discover as we discuss this and more with Elliott Aviation CEO Michael Parrish. Elliott Aviation has successfully been providing aircraft solutions including sales, FBO services, and more. Today we … Continue reading ACP433 MRO Career Opportunities And Why Choosing The Right Culture Is Important. → The post ACP433 MRO Career Opportunities And Why Choosing The Right Culture Is Important. appeared first on Aviation Careers Podcast.
Max talks with Cyriel Kronenberg, Vice President of Airports and Air Traffic Management at uAvionix and a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol's National Radar Analysis Team (NRAT), about one of aviation's most overlooked safety questions: if you survive a crash, how quickly will you be found? How Long Searches TakeCyriel explains that while ADS-B has shortened search times, the reality is sobering. Without a flight plan, overdue aircraft may not even be reported missing for hours. Average search times have historically stretched from 18 hours with a VFR flight plan to more than 60 hours with no plan at all. Even today, two to three hours is considered fast for locating a downed aircraft. ELTs: The Critical DifferenceCyriel stresses the enormous difference between old 121.5 MHz ELTs and modern 406 MHz beacons. The older units provide only a vague signal and are prone to false alarms, often ignored. A properly registered 406 beacon, by contrast, transmits GPS coordinates via satellite, dramatically reducing search times. But here's the catch: as many as half are mis-registered, with outdated or missing phone numbers. That makes even the best ELT nearly useless until rescuers conduct a blind search. Flight Plans, Contacts, and ADS-BFiling a flight plan helps, but only if searchers can reach someone who knows your intended route. Cyriel urges pilots to list an emergency contact not on the aircraft in the remarks section—ideally a spouse, friend, or FBO. While apps like ForeFlight allow pilots to enter contact details, those aren't passed to the FAA. ADS-B provides an even bigger safety net: an aircraft with ADS-B out can usually be pinpointed within yards, while non-equipped aircraft may take days to locate. Survival LessonsCyriel shares personal changes he's made after years of analyzing accidents. He always keeps his cell phone in his pocket so it won't be lost in a violent crash, carries a handheld transceiver tuned to 121.5 MHz, and wears or packs high-visibility gear. He emphasizes staying with the aircraft, since wreckage is easier to spot than a single person. Route planning also matters—flying near highways or populated areas at night increases survivability compared to wilderness routes. Behind the Scenes of NRATMax and Cyriel dive into how NRAT works with the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC). Using radar, ADS-B, and even cell-phone forensics, the team helps determine whether an incident is a false alarm, an accident with no survivors, or a mission where lives can be saved. They coordinate directly with controllers and search crews, sometimes correcting errors in coordinate formats that would otherwise send helicopters to the wrong location. Success Stories and ScaleIn 2024, AFRCC handled nearly 500 aviation missions, with over 200 lives saved. Civil Air Patrol was involved in more than 300 of those missions, while NRAT contributed to 71 cases—directly responsible for dozens of finds and 10 documented saves. Cyriel recalls a dramatic case in Montana where local ADS-B receivers installed by uAvionix employees helped locate a couple who survived a crash into icy water; thanks to quick coordination, a helicopter pulled them out within 20 minutes. Key Takeaways for PilotsCyriel closes with a checklist: Make sure your ELT is registered correctly. Consider adding a personal locator beacon. Use ADS-B out whenever possible. File a flight plan and put a reachable emergency contact in remarks. Carry your cell phone and handheld radio on your person. Stay with the aircraft if you go down. Max underscores the theme: nobody takes off expecting to crash, but hundreds of missions each year prove it happens. With preparation, you can improve your odds not just of surviving the impact, but of being found in time. If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Patreon. Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk. Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1299 NEW – Lightspeed Zulu 4 Headset $1099 Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $949Lightspeed Sierra Headset $749 My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu Send us your feedback or comments via email If you have a question you'd like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone. News Stories Duffy Takes ATC Privatization Off Table FAA opens bids for sweeping ATC overhaul EMAS Halts Two Runway Overruns in 24 Hours FAA reports 14% increase in wildlife strikes Pilot Killed in California Cessna Crash NTSB Prelim: Rockwell International 112 Savvy Aviation unveils AI-powered aircraft anomaly detection tool Mentioned on the Show Buy Max Trescott's G3000 Book Call 800-247-6553 Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset Giveaway NTSB News Talk Podcast UAV News Talk Podcast Rotary Wing Show Podcast Video of the Week: Arrival into AirVenture 406 MHz ELT Beacon Registration Civil Air Patrol Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we'll make a couple of dollars if you do. Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android. Check out Max's Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/ Social Media Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook Follow Max on Instagram Follow Max on Twitter Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium "Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
"It's more than just numbers. There's an emotional component, a psychological component there, that money has meaning to us, that we ascribe to it,” says Ashley Quamme. “And when we make financial decisions, it's not just making financial decisions from a number standpoint, but it's also making it from an emotional place as well.”A therapist and Certified Financial Behavior Specialist®, Ashley is the founder of Beyond the Plan, which connects firms with financial behavior officers (FBO) so they can navigate sensitive client financial decisions. In this conversation with host Shane Tenny, CFP®, Ashley suggests that financial decisions aren't driven solely by logic; they're deeply intertwined with our emotions, beliefs, and past experiences.“Financial psychology,” she explains, is about “understanding how people or how clients, how their emotions, their thoughts, their experiences, their behaviors, their attitudes, beliefs – how all of that impacts their financial decisions.” In working with advisory firms to help advisors and clients, Ashley focuses on how trauma and deeply held beliefs shape money behaviors. Past experiences create patterns – from scarcity and abundance mindsets to financial trauma and comfort spending – that either help or hinder our financial success. The discussion delves into the fundamental dynamics at play in couple relationships around money, with Ashley describing how anger often masks deeper fears and how financial arguments are rarely about the money itself. She also shares practical strategies for identifying personal money beliefs, including her "money timeline" exercise for self-discovery and her "think, feel, do" framework for understanding financial decision-making patterns.For medical and dental professionals juggling high-stress careers with complex financial decisions, Ashley's insights offer a pathway to better understand the emotional undercurrents that drive financial behavior and ultimately achieve greater financial wellness aligned with personal values.
Sex scandals and whistleblowers routinely make national headlines, but for years one Oklahoma whistleblower's report has been swept under the rug. Dr. Whitney Louis was fired in January 2023 from her job as a prison psychologist at the Dr. Eddie Warrior Correctional Center in Taft, after she reported numerous instances of rape and sexual assault of inmates by prison staff. Jeremy Kuzmarov has the story.In Oklahoma, just on the border of Kansas, stands a ghost town haunted not by ghosts or evil spirits but by extreme pollution. The abandoned town of Picher is part of the Tar Creek Superfund Site, so declared in 1983 due to contamination from mining operations. Over 40 years later, little cleanup progress has been made but two non-governmental organizations are working to change that. FBO's Roma Carter has more.In recent months the City of Tulsa has introduced myriad solutions to address the issue of homelessness. These programs and policy changes — ranging from additional shelters, increased access to services, and the installation of boulders at the Denver Avenue bus station downtown — have many Tulsans raising questions about how these decisions are made and whether they will achieve their intended outcomes. Listen to Carlos Moreno for more.The third annual Legacy Open Rodeo will take place Saturday August 23rd in Purcell. Focus: Black Oklahoma is a sponsor of the Legacy Open Rodeo, which is the only rodeo in the state led by a woman. Jamie Glisson tells about this Oklahoma original.It's been said that "laughter is the best medicine," but when Sondra Slade was trapped at an airport gate with a loquacious lady, she had to come up with a new cure of her own. Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music. Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew.Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jordan Sinkfield, Jess Grimes, & Roma Carter. You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK. You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The race to bring advanced air mobility (AAM) to market just hit a new gear. In this episode of the AviationPros Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Joe Petrie speaks with Jennifer Trock, Partner at Morgan Lewis, about the groundbreaking roadmap released by the National Aviation Authorities (NAA) Network—a multinational effort by the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to harmonize certification of piloted, remotely piloted, and autonomous AAM aircraft. Trock explains the significance of this document from a legal and regulatory perspective, including its performance-based certification model, crawl-walk-run deployment strategy, and impact on global market access for eVTOL manufacturers. She also shares key milestones, infrastructure implications, and the biggest hurdles to watch as the roadmap moves from concept to implementation. Whether you're an airport executive, OEM, FBO operator, or policymaker, this episode offers critical insights into the real-world rollout of AAM and what comes next.
For people convicted of a crime, punishments can extend beyond time behind bars. They can lose the right to vote, own a gun, or lose access to certain career fields- and with colleges and universities screening for criminal history on admission applications, they can lose access to higher education. However, a legal movement is working to change that. FBO's Dr. Nick Alexandrov has more.A curfew prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 to be in downtown Tulsa on weekends was established in late June. The new policy was implemented in response to downtown business owners telling city leaders they believe the presence of youth near their establishments is harmful. A recent string of violent incidents this year involving young people downtown was the catalyst for this curfew. We hear from some young people who say that there is much more to consider with this policy. Carlos Moreno has the story.When the Trump administration cut nearly $400 million dollars in AmeriCorps grants – almost half the agency's budget – it left programs across the country reeling. In Guthrie, the impact was immediate: volunteer capacity plummeted, youth and education programs stalled, and staff morale sank as the community's safety net frayed. FBO's Jordan Sinkfield has more.A new chapter of international friendship is unfolding. In April 2024, Tulsa signed its ninth Sister City agreement with Mwanza, Tanzania—its first new partnership in nearly 20 years. For Tulsans and Tanzanians alike, this connection offers a chance to deepen cultural ties, build business relationships, and challenge the stereotypes that often cloud perceptions of the African continent. FBO's Zaakirah Muhammad has more.Turns out, finding out you're allergic to coconut after eating half your birthday cake isn't the best party favor. For 11-year-old Sondra Slade, what started as the perfect day of pancakes, bike rides, and backyard BBQ ended with a dramatic faceplant into the condiment table – and a family still convinced that “just wiping it off” fixes everything. Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music. Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew.Our production interns are Alexander Evans, Jordan Sinkfield, Jess Grimes, & Roma Carter. You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK. You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In this Information Whiskey session, Ben achieves peak midlife status by straining his back loading golf clubs into his airplane, proving that "we are the joke." Meanwhile, Brian gets voice recognized at an FBO after some night flying adventure, and Ted successfully converts his partner from "scrambling for handholds" to enjoying turbulence on flights to Seattle. The crew dives into listener feedback from Chris J's comprehensive aircraft toolkit wisdom, Johnny L's inspiring F-16 crew chief to student pilot journey in Finland, and advice for midlife aviation career changes. Plus, community celebrations including Wendy's IFR checkride victory, Barry's San Francisco adventure sans Golden Gate Bridge, and a heartfelt message for Texas flood victims. Whether you're 45 and contemplating CFI life or just trying to figure out how so many excruciating aviation tasks always take exactly one hour, this episode covers the full spectrum of midlife flying challenges and triumphs.Links Mentioned on the Show:George Carlin on GolfSSI - St. Simons Island AirportEVV - Evansville Indiana AirportSpiders on LSD StudyDwight, Michael, Sorry I Annoyed You With My FriendshipLuke Air Force BaseOsan Air Base, KoreaCarl Valeri - Expert AviatorStuck Mic AvcastCAF Music City's T-6Operation Airdrop for Texas Flood ReliefMidlife Pilot Podcast:WebsitePatreon CommunityWatch Live on YouTube - Mondays 8PM EasternEmail: midlifepilotpodcast@gmail.comDiscord CommunitySpecial Mention:Oshkosh Discussion with ATC Controller - July 9th, 9PM for Patreon membersAdditional Resources:FAA Career InformationAOPA Career CenterAviation Career Resources
For decades, homeschooling in the U.S. was largely associated with white, religious, or affluent families. But as Danielle A. Melton reports, a growing number of Black families are turning to homeschooling, seeking a more rigorous, culturally relevant education for their children. In our penultimate installment of Tribal Justice: The struggle for Black Rights on Native Land (full story can be found on Audible.com), we hear about Michael Hill, a Cherokee Freedmen who was arrested by the Okmulgee Police in the fall of 2020. He fought to have his case transferred to tribal court because he's an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. After all, this was right after the McGirt decision, which returned criminal jurisdiction to tribal nations in Oklahoma when they involve Native people-like Michael. But, Michael's case was complicated-because of his status as a Black man with no blood quantum, his case did not qualify to be transferred. In this series, we've been exploring how centuries old laws have impacted people like Michael, and his brother Mikail, who was murdered in 2016. His case was transferred out of state court-even though like Michael, he is an enrolled Cherokee Freedmen. Listen as Allison Herrera and Adreanna Rodriguez give us the story.While return-to-office mandates make headlines in the United States, Kenya is developing the infrastructure and policy to become a global remote work destination. The capital, Nairobi, has earned a distinct nickname thanks in part to investment in telecommunications, education, and technology tailored to meet local needs. Here's Zaakirah Muhammad with more.Generosity often battles for space amid profit margins but here in Oklahoma, one small nonprofit in has managed to turn second-hand treasures into first-class impact. Park Avenue Thrift, a thrift store in Enid, didn't just settle for selling used clothing and furniture—it became a lifeline for other nonprofits, a backbone for community arts, and a catalyst for change. Recently, Park Avenue Thrift took home a major award from the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP). Venson Fields spoke with the prize winners.This year's Ride to Remember and Ride for Equity cycling events kick off Saturday May 31st in Tulsa's historic Greenwood District. Osborne Celestain, founder of The Community Light Foundation which hosts Ride to Remember, and Linda Jackson of the Major Taylor Oklahoma Cycling Club will be cycling from Black Wall Street in Tulsa to Wall Street in New York City for the 1645 mile Ride for Equity. FBO's Bracken Klar pulled up with Celestain and Jackson.Throughout United States history, music has been the heartbeat of political movements, marches, and protests. For Black Americans especially, music has been a source of comfort and strength in the face of systemic injustice. For the second part of FBO's Culture and Music series, Tulsa musicians David B. Smith and Charlie Redd share music's power to heal, inspire, and fuel social change with Francia Allen. Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music. Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar & Naomi Agnew. Our production intern is Alexander Evans.You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollectiveOK. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK. You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.
It's rare to hear someone call hope a “bad strategy” but Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly doesn't sugarcoat the truth. In a conversation with Focus: Black Oklahoma's Anthony Cherry, the Wayne State University Black Studies, political economy scholar, and author of Black Scare/ Red Scare: Theorizing Capitalist Racism in the United States explores the long history of racism, resistance, and radical ideas in this country. From McCarthyism to economic injustice, she invites us to think differently about freedom— and reminds us that real change comes from action, not just hope.As hate and division escalate globally, Holocaust scholar Dr. Carol Rittner returns to Tulsa with a call to action: remember the past and protect each other now. Speaking at this year's Yom HaShoah Interfaith Commemoration, Dr. Rittner challenges us to reject silence and embrace moral courage. Cory Ross has details.In our last installment of Tribal Justice: The struggle for Black Rights on Native Land (full story can be found on Audible.com), we heard about Michael Hill, a Cherokee Freedmen who was arrested by the Okmulgee Police in the fall of 2020. He fought to have his case transferred to tribal court because he's an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. After all, this was right after the McGirt decision, which returned criminal jurisdiction to tribal nations in Oklahoma when they involve Native people-like Michael. But, Michael's case was complicated-because of his status as a Black man with no blood quantum, his case did not qualify to be transferred. In this series, we've been exploring how centuries old laws have impacted people like Michael, and his brother Mikail, who was murdered in 2016. His case was transferred out of state court-even though like Michael, he is an enrolled Cherokee Freedmen. Listen as Allison Herrera and Adreanna Rodriguez give us the story.Throughout United States history, music has been the heartbeat of political movements, marches, and protests. For Black Americans especially, music has been a source of comfort and strength in the face of systemic injustices. For the first part of FBO's "Culture and Music" series, Tulsa musicians David B. Smith and Charlie Redd share how music has the power to heal, inspire, and fuel social change. FBO's Francia Allen is on the beat.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music. Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew. Our production intern is Alexander Evans.You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollective. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK. You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Fear is rising as politicians nationwide target immigrants with their Trump-inspired rhetoric and policies. KOSU's Lionel Ramos reports Oklahoma's Latino immigrant community has been stirred into a panic. Translations in this story were voiced by Sierra Pfeifer. To read more about this legal clinic and immigration enforcement in Oklahoma, visit KOSU.org.In Oklahoma, as in many places, addiction carries a heavy stigma, particularly within the Black community. But as Focus: Black Oklahoma's Cory Ross reports, the Oklahoma Harm Reduction Alliance is working to change that perception, offering resources and support to reduce the harms associated with drug use. In this story Allison Herrera, one of the creator's of Tribal Justice: The struggle for Black Rights on Native Land (The full story can be found on Audible) we hear about Michael Hill, a Cherokee Freedmen who was arrested by the Okmulgee Police. He fought to have his case transferred to tribal court because he's an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. But, Michael's case was complicated-because of his status as a Black man with no blood quantum, his case did not qualify to be transferred. In this series. We've been exploring how centuries old laws have impacted people like Michael...and his brother Mikail-who was murdered in 2016. His case was transferred out of state court-even though like Michael, he is an enrolled Cherokee Freedmen. In an era of shifting political landscapes and renewed focus on cultural identity, the stories of three Kenyan-American women offer a compelling lens through which to examine the immigrant, and emigrant, experience. From the challenges of navigating a new political climate in the U.S. to the surprising benefits of life in Kenya, they share their unique perspectives on culture, connection, and tradition. Zaakirah Muhammad has details.Easter is a holiday steeped in tradition, often marked by new clothes and family gatherings. But for FBO correspondent Sondra Slade, the experience of shopping for the perfect Easter dress with her mother became a cherished memory that captures the spirit and anticipation of childhood. Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio & Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund & Press Forward. Our theme music is by Moffett Music. Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana & Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar, Jesse Ulrich, & Naomi Agnew. Our production intern is Alexander Evans.You can visit us online at KOSU.org or FocusBlackOklahoma.com & on YouTube @TriCityCollective. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOK & on Facebook at Facebook.com/FocusBlackOK. You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tom Pinit's path to becoming a pilot was anything but conventional. As the son of Thai immigrants, he grew up believing he couldn't be a pilot due to vision requirements. After working in corporate consulting and land conservation, a layoff in 2019 pushed him to take a calculated risk: pursuing his dream of flying. With the unwavering support of his wife, Tom decided to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot. He started flight training at a Part 141 school, only to face another roadblock when the school shut down during the pandemic. He adapted—working at an FBO, becoming a CFI, flying aerial survey, and building hours however he could. Even after earning his ATP-CTP, job rejections kept coming. But he didn't give up. Now, he flies a Cessna Citation for a medical transport charter, where he plays a crucial role in life-saving missions, flying surgeons to retrieve organs under intense time constraints and challenging weather conditions. Tom's story is one of persistence, adaptability, and the sacrifices required to turn a passion into a career. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How Tom transitioned from corporate work to aviation The struggles of flight training during the pandemic and how he adapted What it's like to fly medical transport and the critical role pilots play in saving lives The challenges of weather, diversions, and time-sensitive missions in organ transport The reality of applying to aviation jobs and handling rejection Why perseverance, networking, and taking calculated risks can make all the difference Tom's journey proves that setbacks are just detours—if you're willing to keep flying forward. #Aviation #AviationCareers #pilotcareer #pilottips #pilotcareertips #aviationcrew #AviationJobs #AviationLeadership #flying #PilotSuccess #pilotpodcast #PilotPreparation #Pilotrecruitment #AviationEducation #AviationOpportunities #AviationPodcast #flyingtips #AirlineInterviewPrep #PilotDevelopment #PilotFinance #PilotExperience #PilotTraining
In the last year I don't think there is any area of fintech that has received more attention than the Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) space. And it is not just the Synapse debacle, it is all the consent orders that have come out of the bank regulators. We have a banking system that pretty much demands that fintech companies partner with banks and we are still yet to figure out what the optimal business model is here.My next guest on the Fintech One-on-One podcast is Jason Mikula, the publisher of Fintech Business Weekly and the Head of Industry, Strategy, Banking and Fintech at the risk decisioning platform Taktile. He has become one of the leading authorities on BaaS and has recently authored a book on this topic. It is the most comprehensive look at BaaS and the many challenges it has faced and we delve into these challenges in this episode.In this podcast you will learn:How Jason ended up living in the Netherlands.His impetus for starting the Fintech Business Weekly newsletter.What attracted Jason to focus so much on Banking-as-a-Service.Why he decided to write a book on BaaS.How he frames the difference between BaaS and embedded finance.Why fintech companies have been attracted to omnibus or FBO accounts at banks.The interview that Jason did with founder and former CEO of Synapse, Sankaet Pathak.Where we are with the Synapse saga (as of mid-February, 2025).What Jason thinks the likelihood the impacted consumers will get their funds back.Whether we will ever learn what happened to missing 90-odd million dollars.His thoughts on the middleware model that was core to the development of BaaS.How he views the BaaS model evolving long term in the U.S.Connect with Fintech One-on-One: Tweet me @PeterRenton Connect with me on LinkedIn Find previous Fintech One-on-One episodes
Our podcast show today features Jason Mikula, publisher of Fintech Business Weekly; a newsletter going beyond the headlines to analyze the technology, regulatory and business model trends, driving the rapidly evolving financial services ecosystem at the intersection of traditional banking, payments, FinTech and crypto. We discuss his recently released book, titled “Banking as a Service: Opportunities, Challenges, and Risks of New Banking Business Models” (Kogan Page 2024). The publisher describes the book as follows: “This book provides a comprehensive look at banking-as-a-service (BaaS), equipping readers with an understanding of the origins, evolution, future and applications of BaaS and the key differences across global markets.” BaaS is a game changer in the financial services sector, radically transforming both how consumers experience financial products and the business models delivering them. “Banking as a Service” cuts through the hype to provide a measured overview of BaaS, helping readers to demystify a complex evolving field, and understand its key opportunities, challenges, and risks. It provides a framework for understanding where BaaS came from, how BaaS changes the economics and business models of banking products and services, its impact on key stakeholders, and its key regulatory implications. “Banking as a Service” explains how business and operating models work, exploring different models such as interchange, deposit gathering, loan origination-to-distribute, legacy, API-first, own license, match-making and bank service providers, and offers a framework for thinking about whether or not they're sustainable. It explores how BaaS operating and business models compare in different global territories and is supported by real-world examples and cases profiling organizations such as Blue Ridge Bank, Unit, Synapse, Goldman Sachs, Railsr, Starling, Solaris, Cacao Paycard, QNB, OnePipe, Airwallex, Nium and Pomelo. It also explains the differences between BaaS, embedded finance and “open banking.” Alan and Jason discuss the answers to the following questions and topics: 1. What do we mean when we say "banking as a service"? 2. What are the different BaaS business models/operating models? 3. What led to the explosion in banking-as-a-service? 4. Why have bank/fintech partnerships had a rough go of it lately in the US and is that likely to change with a new administration? 5. What is (or what should be) regulators' role in supervising non-bank entities in the BaaS value chain (eg, middleware, customer-facing fintechs)? 6. What is an FBO and are FBOs the "original sin" of banking-as-a-service? 7. What advice would you give to banks considering getting into the BaaS space? How do you see the market evolving from here - for banks, for technology providers, and for customer-facing companies? 8. What advice would you give to fintechs that rely on a bank partner or are looking for one? Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel and former chair for 25 years of the Consumer Financial Services Group, hosts the discussion.
In November, Monroe Nichols was elected Tulsa's first black mayor. On December 2nd, Nichols was sworn into office at the Cox Business Convention Center where he outlined his vision for the city over the next two years. Cory Ross has more. In the fall of 2020, Michael Hill, a Black citizen of the Cherokee Nation, woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone banging on the windows of his home. He called police for help, but the police arrested Michael in his own front yard. When trying to get his case heard in tribal court he was rejected because though he has tribal citizenship, he has no blood quantum and by federal law is not legally an Indian. His story is told in a newly released Audible Original documentary called Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land, reported and written by two award-winning indigenous journalists, Allison Herrera and Adreanna Rodriguez. The following excerpt is the third installment of FBO's broadcast of the documentary.Medical gaslighting can impact patients with a range of conditions and some women experiencing menopause are vulnerable. Multiple factors contribute to accurate diagnosis and treatment for a process all women will go through. Francia Allen shares the details.FBO's Sondra Slade reminisces with her Aunts Mae Frances Stidham Stevenson, former queen of Oklahoma City's Eastside Roundup Club, and Lovenia Marie Stidham Moham about African American rodeo culture and its vibrant community, highlighting a rich legacy of horsemanship and family values. This series, as well as a photo exhibition featuring Black Rodeo photos by Jamie & Richard Glisson of ImpressOK Studio, is funded by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities. Please visit rodeo.kosu.org and sign up to receive further details on the February 1st, 2025 exhibition opening event.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund and Press Forward.Our theme music is by Moffett Music.Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Jesse Ulrich and Naomi Agnew.
On November 5th, Monroe Nichols was elected Tulsa's first Black mayor in the city's 129 year history. FBO's Jamie Glisson followed Nichols and his team for the day.In the fall of 2020, Michael Hill, a Black citizen of the Cherokee Nation, woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone banging on the windows of his home. He called police for help, but the police arrested Michael in his own front yard. When trying to get his case heard in tribal court he was rejected because though he has tribal citizenship, he has no blood quantum and by federal law is not legally an Indian. His story is told in a newly released Audible Original documentary called Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land, reported and written by two award-winning indigenous journalists, Allison Herrera and Adreanna Rodriguez. The following excerpt is the second installment of FBOs broadcast of the documentary.Though the holiday season can be a time of joy and celebration, for some families it can be a time of struggle and stress. The Tulsa Dream Center works to address some of these disparities. Here's Danielle A. Melton with details.Bishop Silvester Scott Beaman, the 139th Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the AME Church, and chair of the White House's Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement and longtime spiritual advisor to President Biden, reflects on his role in fostering connections between African Americans and the broader African diaspora. Here's our recent interview at Tulsa's historic Vernon AME Church, where Beaman shared his vision for strengthening ties and addressing challenges facing Black communities both in the U.S. and across the African continent.Greenwood Rising: The Rise of Black Wall Street is a new full-length motion picture that was released October 11th on the Fawesome and Future Today streaming platforms. This movie centers on O.W. Gurley, a visionary and trailblazing businessman whose hard work laid the groundwork for Tulsa's Greenwood District and the prosperous Black Wall Street. The film's director, Aaron L. Williams, and lead actress Fatima Marie, who plays Emma Gurley, spoke with FBO's Cepeda Cheeks about the film.Medicine, fashion, and film converge as Dawn Carter brings us the second of a three part series on Oklahoma's Black Rodeo and Culture.This series, as well as a photo exhibition featuring Black Rodeo photos by Jamie & Richard Glisson of ImpressOK Studio, is funded by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities. Please visit rodeo dot kosu.org and sign up to receive further details on the February 1st, 2025 exhibition opening event.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund and Press Forward.Our theme music is by Moffett Music.Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producer is Jesse Ulrich.
On today's newscast: Pitkin County and Atlantic Aviation are set to sign a billion-dollar, 30-year lease for Atlantic to operate the FBO at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport; the Aspen School District is working to expand its Career and Technical Education program; and states negotiating the future of the Colorado River appear to be far apart on new rules to share the shrinking water supply. Tune into these stories and more.
Dueling Visions for Oklahoma & the United States at the 2024 RNC & DNCIn this special episode we reflect on the distinct political climates of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions held this year. In this special episode we highlight the contrasts of the two events: the RNC's urgent call to defend traditional American values and the DNC's optimistic vision for an inclusive future. Delves into how each party's platform impacts marginalized communities, women's reproductive rights, and Oklahoma's economic challenges. Through interviews with delegates and politicians, we show the stark differences in ideology and policy proposals between the two major parties with a particular focus on Oklahoma and Oklahomans.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by The Commemoration Fund and Press Forward. This one hour special was made possible with support from KOSU Radio and Tri-City Collective. Special thanks to Rachel Hubbard, Ryan LaCroix, Robby Korth and Lori Walden. Special thanks to FBO correspondents Jamie Glisson and Shonda Little, who brought us this reporting on location in Milwaukee and Chicago.Our theme music is by Moffett (mawhfet) Music.Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producer is Jesse Ulrich. You can visit us online at KOSU.org, focusblackoklahoma.com, and on YouTube at Tri-City Collective. You can follow us on Instagram @FocusBlackOk and on Facebook at facebook.com/focusblackok.You can hear Focus: Black Oklahoma on demand for free at KOSU.org, the NPR app, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.
We visit the Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum in Maine and speak with the Vice President and Operations Manager, and the Executive Director. In the news, more furloughs and cost-cutting measures at Spirit Airlines, the FAA's final rule is out on powered-lift vehicles such as eVTOLS, a fuel top-off assumption leads to the loss of a Beechcraft B-60, the “doomsday plane” gets an official designation, and Boeing machinists vote again on a contract proposal. Guests At the Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum we spoke with Vice President and Operations Manager Jeff Smat and Executive Director John B. Briley. The Museum was founded in 2009 as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation with a mission to preserve the rich heritage of NAS Brunswick (NASB) by honoring the tens of thousands of men and women who served here, educate the public about the history of maritime patrol aviation and NASB, and maintain a memorial for those NASB-based airmen who gave their lives in service to their country. The museum is located at 179 Fitch Avenue, Brunswick, ME 04011. Currently, the Museum and Memorial Gardens are open Wednesdays (10:00 am-4:00 pm) and Sundays (12:00 pm-4:00 pm). For more on SERE, see Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. Jeff Smat on the flight simulator. Aviation News Spirit to Furlough More Than 300 Pilots as Losses Mount Spirit Airlines is experiencing financial difficulty and a second-quarter net loss of $158 million. More red ink is expected for the third quarter. Last month the airline furloughed 186 pilots and plans to do the same for 330 more pilots effective January 31, 2025. (Spirit has 3,500 pilots.) About 120 captains are to be downgraded. Spirit says it will sell 23 of its Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft next year. That's a fleet reduction of about 11 percent. Energy Reserves and Pilot Training For eVTOLs Addressed in FAA's SFAR Rules The FAA issued its final rule for powered-lift vehicles, such as eVTOLS. The Integration of Powered-Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations; Miscellaneous Amendments Related to Rotorcraft and Airplanes - Final Rule adopts permanent amendments and a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for ten years to facilitate the certification of powered-lift pilots, clarify operating rules applicable to operations involving a powered-lift, and finalize other amendments which are necessary to integrate powered-lift into the National Airspace System (NAS). The Integration of Powered-Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations; Miscellaneous Amendments Related to Rotorcraft and Airplanes NPRM was issued in June 2023. Standing order to top off fuel tanks backfires on pilot In November 2022, the pilot of a Beechcraft B-60 (N51AL) assumed the FBO topped off the fuel tanks, per his standing fueling order, before hangaring the aircraft. But fuel was not added this time and the pilot landed in a cemetery when both fuel-starved Lycoming engines quit. The pilot and his wife sustained minor injuries. See Project Summary: Aviation Investigation - 3 Docket Items - ERA23LA050 from the NTSB. SNC Receives Second Boeing 747-8 for SAOC Conversion as Aircraft Gets E-4C Designation Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) now has the second of five Boeing 747-8s from Korean Air for conversion to “Doomsday aircraft,” which become airborne command centers during national emergencies. These provide critical command, control, and communication (C3) for the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The E-4C will replace the current fleet of E-4B Nightwatch B747-200 aircraft. The contract notice says the award was for $13 Billion. SOC recently cut the ribbon for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) at its Aviation Innovation and Technology Center (AITC) in Dayton, Ohio. This 100,000 sq. ft. hangar is located near Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Boeing Machinists head to the polls in decisive vote that could end strike
In this episode of Hanger Flying, Gabe Muller speaks with Matt Hutton from Airspace Auctions about the innovative approach to selling aircraft through online auctions. They discuss Matt's journey into aviation, the importance of community in the aviation sector, and the detailed process involved in aircraft auctions. The conversation highlights the unique lifestyle of aviation enthusiasts and the potential for building community spaces at airports. Matt shares insights into the challenges of hiring in the aviation industry and the innovative strategies Airspace Auctions employs to connect buyers and sellers effectively. Takeaways: Airspace Auctions provides a comprehensive aircraft sales process with no upfront costs and a 92% success rate. Their documentation includes 150 photos, walk-around videos, complete logbook scans, FAA documentation, and NTSB reports when applicable. The auction process includes a 30-60 day publication period followed by a 7-day live online auction. All sales are completed through AIC Title with required funding within 7 days and aircraft pickup within 14 days. The company has expanded to include FBO services at 3F2 (Cisco, TX) with fuel services coming in 30-45 days. Sound Bites: Ag Aviation's not just a job - it's a lifestyle." "About 10 to 15% of the people that buy from us actually do a pre-buy inspection. They buy these airplanes sight unseen." "We're transforming the way people transact their aircraft." "We're trying to add a level of transparency that's never happened in aircraft purchasing before." "We sell more airplanes on Facebook marketplace than anywhere else." Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Hanger Flying 01:27 Introduction to Airspace Auctions 02:46 The Journey into Aviation 04:44 Building a Community at the Airport 06:51 The Auction Process Explained 09:56 Innovations in Aircraft Sales Links: https://bids.airspaceauctions.com/ https://www.smokehousepilots.com/
Greenwood Rising: The Rise of Black Wall Street is a new full-length motion picture that was released October 11th on the Fawesome and Future Today streaming platforms. This movie centers on O.W. Gurley, a visionary and trailblazing businessman whose hard work laid the foundation for Tulsa's Greenwood District. The film's director, Aaron L. Williams, and lead actress Fatima Marie, who plays Emma Gurley, spoke with FBO's Cepeda Cheeks about the film.
On October 8, an Oklahoma City man who was born in Afghanistan was charged in federal court for an alleged terror plot. 27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi faces one count of conspiring to conduct a terrorist attack, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI. While the story has made international news and went viral on social media, few are examining the potentially negative impact it could have on Oklahoma Muslims, including over 1,000 Afghan refugees who resettled in Oklahoma after the Taliban seized power. Shonda Little spoke with representatives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Western Oklahoma about the positive impact this community brings to Oklahoma.In a state grappling with the boundaries of religion in public education, State Superintendent Ryan Walters' directive to incorporate Bible teaching in classrooms has sparked controversy and confusion. As schools reopen, the implementation of this mandate remains unclear, with educators, students, and religious leaders voicing diverse opinions on its appropriateness and constitutionality. Venson Fields has the story.Tuesday, November 5 as people across the country head to the polls to vote for President, and in other federal and local elections, history will be on the ballot in Tulsa. Monroe Nichols is running for mayor. FBO was at Nichols's election watch party as the results came in showing Nichols had won the most votes in the mayoral primary. If he wins the vote on the first Tuesday in November, he will be the first Black Mayor of Tulsa in the city's history. In the fall of 2020, Michael Hill, a Black citizen of the Cherokee Nation, woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone banging on the windows of his home. He called police for help, but the police arrested Michael in his own front yard. When trying to get his case heard in tribal court he was rejected because though he has tribal citizenship, he has no blood quantum and by federal law is not legally an Indian. His story is told in a newly released Audible Original documentary called Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land, reported and written by two award-winning indigenous journalists, Allison Herrera and Adreanna Rodriguez. The following excerpt is the first installment of FBOs broadcast of the documentary.Ever been thrown from a horse? If you have, congratulations! You've just experienced the rodeo rite of passage: the ground's unwavering embrace. It's a lesson learned from Chaz Stephens' father, a retired cowboy with a knack for sage advice and questionable humor. But while rodeos might seem like a wild ride of bucking broncos they're also vibrant celebrations of Black culture, where community ties are as strong as calving ropes. Chaz Stephens brings us the first of a three part series on Oklahoma's Black Rodeos This series, as well as a photo exhibition featuring Black Rodeo photos by Jamie & Richard Glisson of ImpressOK Studio, is funded by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities. Please visit rodeo.kosu.org and sign up to receive further details on the February 1st, 2025 exhibition opening event.
Send us fan responses! What if you could unlock the secrets to family wealth preservation and ensure financial prosperity for generations to come? Join me, Don Kilam, also known as Malik Kalam, as we explore the critical steps to establishing and maintaining private family foundations and trusts. In our latest episode, we break down the essential strategies and legal structures that allow families to sustain wealth, focusing on the importance of insurance policies, the differentiation between fiat currency and real money, and the benefits of leveraging accounting laws for financial remedies. Learn how private contracts, strategic asset placement, and the right corporate structures can protect and grow your family's assets.We also discuss the significant advantages of setting up a 508(C)(1)(A) faith-based organization (FBO), an often overlooked alternative to the popular 501(c)3. Discover how this structure offers greater freedom of speech, fewer IRS reporting requirements, and the ability to receive unrestricted outside funding. Understand the broader implications of public trust and insurance and how government-issued documents can impact wealth transfer and taxation. By mastering these legal frameworks, you can optimize financial and operational freedoms, effectively supporting faith-based initiatives and family ministries.Lastly, we delve into asset protection and privacy strategies, exploring how states like Nevada, South Dakota, Alaska, Wyoming, and Delaware offer unique benefits for forming LLCs. Grasp the critical distinctions between manager-managed holding companies and member-managed operating companies, and the importance of private contracts in dispute resolution. We wrap up with an in-depth look at trustee responsibilities, including the doctrine of merger and the alter ego doctrine, and why separating personal benefits from trustee duties is crucial. Learn how to acquire an EIN without a social security number, the importance of maintaining trust minutes for audits, and how key man insurance can secure your family's financial legacy. Don't miss this comprehensive guide to sustaining family wealth and ensuring your family's financial future.FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - DON KILAMGO GET HIS BOOK ON AMAZON NOW! https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Touch-This-Diplomatic-Immunity/dp/B09X1FXMNQ https://www.amazon.com/CapiSupport the showhttps://donkilam.com
This week the JPR fly down to Key West to check out the newly designed FBO and other colorful attractions. Plus what to do when you lose your vacuum pump during flight.
Graduate Master Builders Curtis Lawson and Drew Ondrey (Partner at Southern Green Builders) explore the risks of owner-furnished materials (FBO) in custom home building and reveal the implications of how this route affects the whole team, schedule, and all the other moving parts of the project. Learn why FBO can lead to unexpected costs, quality issues, and project delays. Discover how builder-managed procurement can save time, money, and headaches in the long run. Essential listening for homeowners and builders navigating custom home projects. Key points: Hidden costs and risks of FBO Quality differences in materials Impact on project schedules and warranties Real-world FBO horror stories Advice for builders and homeowners Essential viewing for anyone planning or managing a custom home project. Avoid costly mistakes and ensure a smoother building process! Like what you heard?
The Tulsa County Family Center for Juvenile Justice, or FCJJ, was raided on Friday morning July 12th. Investigators with several law enforcement agencies spent an entire day and night removing boxes and electronic equipment from the Center, located at 500 W Archer St. in Tulsa.In Oklahoma City, frustration mounts as state officials highlight a $400 million dollar, funding shortfall for Langston University, the state's only Historically Black College & University. Despite a $5 billion dollar State budget surplus, Langston continues to receive a fraction of the support given to other state universities, prompting renewed calls for equitable funding. Anthony Cherry has details.In Oklahoma, where over 9,000 children are in foster care, Quinton and Danielle Melton have opened their hearts and home to more than 35 foster kids since 2016. For this Tulsa couple, it's about creating lasting memories and providing stability during uncertain times. Their journey reflects a broader effort to support foster children through innovative initiatives and community engagement. Zaakirah Muhammad has the story.Tulsa bid Kamren Larsen, the first Black BMX Olympian, farewell in style. USA BMX hosted a send-off party at their headquarters on July 16th, offering fans a final chance to meet and cheer on four of the five Olympians before they departed for France to compete for gold. Larsen sat down with FBO to share his excitement about this historic first.Jazz legend Freda Payne will be at Tulsa's The Church Studio July 27th for a book signing of her new biography “Band of Gold.” Payne spoke with FBO's Quraysh Ali Lansana about her legacy and the upcoming event.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund.Our theme music is by Moffett Music.Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar and Jesse Ulrich. Gabby Requer is our production assistant.
We are releasing this interview ahead of the full podcast so fans and fans-in-the-making will have time to listen before the Paris 2024 Olympic BMX Racing events, which begin on August 1st and finish on August 2nd.Tulsa bid Kamren Larsen, the first Black BMX Olympian, farewell in style. Although this will be his first Olympic competition, Kam is an accomplished rider, having won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games. USA BMX hosted a send-off party at their headquarters, located in the historic Greenwood district, on July 16th. Fans were offered a final chance to meet and cheer on four of the five Olympians before Team USA departed to compete for gold in the Paris Olympics. Larsen sat down with FBO to share his excitement about this historic first.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund.Our theme music is by Moffett Music.Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar and Jesse Ulrich. Special shout out to The bART Center for Music for granting us temporary residence to produce this podcast.
Marty sits down with Jason Mikula to discuss fintech, Synapse, Banking as a Service, and the general state of banking. Jason on Twitter: https://x.com/mikulaja Jason's Substack: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ 0:00 - Intro1:42 - Background on the Synapse case12:19 - River & Unchained13:35 - Who is at fault?20:10 - FBO account structure24:36 - Impact on end users30:54 - Gradually, Then Suddenly & Zaprite32:32 - Unclear resolution and stain on fintech41:18 - Can small banks compete?49:46 - SVB and the state of the banking system57:00 - Are we seeing Chokepoint 2.0?1:03:58 - Plugs Shoutout to our sponsors: River Unchained Zaprite Gradually, Then Suddenly TFTC Merch is Available: Shop Now Join the TFTC Movement: Main YT Channel Clips YT Channel Website Twitter Instagram Follow Marty Bent: Twitter Newsletter Podcast
I discuss my tour of the G700 and the HIGHLY unprofessional CFA incident that occurred in the FBO. Plus, I reveal the new bed making mandate that's a pain in the butt for all CFAs! WAYS TO SUPPORT THIS PODCAST: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Submit a 5-star rating/review
In May, Governor Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 4156, the controversial immigration legislation, into state law. The United States Justice Department reacted quickly by keeping its promise to file a lawsuit deeming the measure unconstitutional under the Supremacy clause. Proponents and opponents agree the law will drastically change the landscape of immigration in Oklahoma. As Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond prepares to defend House Bill 4156 in federal court and the federal government prepares to react days later in the same court, Shonda Little brings us statements from those fighting on both sides.In workplaces across the nation, many women quietly struggle with menstrual health issues that affect their well-being and productivity. Despite the impact of menstrual pain and the stigma that often surrounds it, necessary support and facilities like private restrooms and free sanitary products are often lacking. This gap highlights the urgent need to destigmatize menstruation and adopt more inclusive workplace policies. Zaakirah Muhammed has the story.Whether it's finding purpose, developing new skills, or giving back to the community that once cheered them on, Beyond the Ball is there to ensure that no athlete is left behind, reminding them that the game may have ended, but their journey has just begun. Anthony Cherry has more.Retirement usually signals a shift towards leisure, but for Katherine Penny Mitchell and Deborah J. Hunter, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in the Tulsa art scene. Mitchell now crafts stunning jewelry, including a permanent art installation at Vernon AME Church and Hunter has embraced spoken word, collaborating across genres. Their bold reinvention inspires women reimagining their own retirements. Here's Francia Allen.The Legacy Open Rodeo on June 29th will be produced by Oklahoma's only female rodeo producer. Tiffany Guess spoke with FBO's Jamie Glisson about how she got started in rodeo and what she hopes her legacy will be.Have you noticed the rising prices of, like- EVERYTHING these days?? Sondra Slade shares her unique perspective on gas and egg prices that blends humor with the practical realities of managing a household budget and the subtle ways in which rising costs influence family life and decision-making.Focus: Black Oklahoma is produced in partnership with KOSU Radio and Tri-City Collective. Additional support is provided by the Commemoration Fund.Our theme music is by Moffett Music.Focus: Black Oklahoma's executive producers are Quraysh Ali Lansana and Bracken Klar. Our associate producers are Smriti Iyengar and Jesse Ulrich. Gabby Requer is our production assistant.
In this episode of The Malibu Guru Podcast, Joe recounts his recent ferry flight in a Kodiak 100 from Turkey to Texas, sharing his experiences and challenges. He highlights the importance of having a reliable flight management company, such as Shepherd Aero, to handle logistics and provide support. Joe also discusses the impressive MSO Air and Space Museum in Turkey. He shares his encounter with severe icing and the decision to divert. He emphasizes the importance of making conservative piloting decisions and prioritizing safety. If you would like to watch this podcast, please visit our YouTube Channel! Visit our website at https://flycasey.com/Visit our NEW YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@caseyaviationFollow us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/CaseyAviationIf you are interested in speaking to us about our Buyer's Agent Services, fill out a questionnaire for pistons or turbines HERE.Our current inventory of airplanes available can be found HERE.Give us a call at (903)284-9245 if you have any other questions or want to speak to us about any of the services we provide.If you'd like to submit a question for Joe to answer on the podcast, please send it to clint@flycasey.com
Millions of fintech app users have lost access to their cash. In this episode, we explain why this happened and show you how to protect yourself when placing cash with traditional banks, neobanks, and fintech platforms.Topics covered include:The mass chaos in the fintech space spawned by the bankruptcy of Synapse Financial TechnologiesWhat are FBO accounts, and why they are so troublesomeWhat is the difference between a traditional bank, a neo bank, and a non-bankWhat to look for and protect yourself when investing your cash savingsSponsorsNetSuite Delete Me – Use code David20 to get 20% offOur Premium ProductsAsset CampMoney for the Rest of Us PlusShow NotesCHAPTER 11 TRUSTEE'S INITIAL STATUS REPORT BY UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA SAN FERNANDO VALLEY DIVISION—CourtListenerFintech platform Synapse raises $33M to build ‘the AWS of banking' by TechCrunch—SynapseX Post by Jason Mikula—X"Full Reconciliation... May Not Be Possible," Synapse Trustee Says by Jason Mikula—Fintech Business WeeklyMercury Seeking $30M From Synapse, Emergency Court Filing Reveals by Jason Mikula—Fintech Business WeeklyInfighting among fintech players has caused TabaPay to ‘pull out' from buying bankrupt Synapse by Mary Ann Azevedo—TechCrunchFintech startup Copper forced to discontinue banking services amid Synapse fiasco by Taylor Soper—GeekWirea16z-backed Tellus wants to offer consumers a much better savings rate. Here's how. by Mary Ann Azevedo—TechCrunchFDIC Demands Three Companies Cease Making False or Misleading Representations about Deposit Insurance—FDICRelated Episodes440: Beware of Platform Risk424: Are More Bank Runs Coming? The Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank412: Where to Invest Your Cash Savings for Higher Yields304: A 15% Guaranteed Return? Lending on the Fringes of FinanceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
J-Bone recaps and reviews the emotional 2024 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix that featured Charles Leclerc FINALLY winning his home race! J-BONE! Thank you to my sponsors: MasterClass: Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at https://www.MasterClass.com/FORMULA (30-day money-back guarantee!) BlueChew: Try for FREE with code FBO at checkout on https://www.bluechew.com (just pay $5 shipping) Shop Formula Bone Merch: https://www.bolenmedia.com/shop/formula-bone Become a Formula Bone YouTube channel member to get your name shouted out: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOFSwIi8EXEph8vS805-kQ/join Join 1,000+ members of the Bone Brigade in the Formula Bone Discord: https://discord.gg/YwsAtSCGNX Follow Formula Bone & J-Bone on all social media @FormulaBone & @JaredBorislow Original music by 7toMidnight Presented by Bolen Media: BolenMedia.com
J-Bone previews & predicts this weekend's 2024 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix! J-BONE! Thank you to my sponsors: goodr sunglasses: FREE shipping with code FBONE at https://www.goodr.com/FBONE (30-day money back guarantee!) BlueChew: Try for FREE with code FBO at checkout on https://www.bluechew.com (just pay $5 shipping) Shop Formula Bone Merch: https://www.bolenmedia.com/shop/formula-bone Become a Formula Bone YouTube channel member to get your name shouted out in my videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOFSwIi8EXEph8vS805-kQ/join Join 1,000+ members of the Bone Brigade in the Formula Bone Discord: https://discord.gg/YwsAtSCGNX Original music by 7toMidnight Presented by Bolen Media: BolenMedia.com Follow Formula Bone, J-Bone, and Bolen Media on all social media: @FormulaBone, @JaredBorislow, @BolenMedia
J-Bone previews & predicts this weekend's 2024 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, marking Formula Bone's first-ever Chinese Grand Prix preview! J-BONE! Thank you to my sponsors: BlueChew: Try for FREE with code FBO at checkout on https://www.bluechew.com (just pay $5 shipping) Indeed: Get a $75 sponsored job credit at https://www.Indeed.com/FBONE Shop Formula Bone Merch: https://www.bolenmedia.com/shop/formula-bone Become a Formula Bone YouTube channel member to get your name shouted out in my videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOFSwIi8EXEph8vS805-kQ/join Join 1,000+ members of the Bone Brigade in the Formula Bone Discord: https://discord.gg/YwsAtSCGNX Original music by 7toMidnight Presented by Bolen Media: BolenMedia.com Follow Formula Bone, J-Bone, and Bolen Media on all social media: @FormulaBone, @JaredBorislow, @BolenMedia
Host Max Trescott discusses the fatal crash of a Falcon jet in Georgia with aviation expert Rob Mark. The NTSB final report revealed a series of factors contributing to the accident. These included misreading a NOTAM regarding the ILS glideslope, difficulty entering the initial approach fix into the navigation system, high and fast arrival at the final approach fix, unauthorized use of airbrakes. It's also possible that they didn't realize the ILS approach required flying a procedure turn. They were also flying a black hole approach in dark night conditions with minimal ground lights, but apparently weren't referencing the PAPI visual indicator. The captain, aged 73, had extensive flight experience but had undergone retraining due to unsatisfactory performance in certain areas. The first officer, aged 63, had a significant number of flight hours, but received only a Second in Command (SIC) type rating, because of performance issues. The podcast delves into the transcript of communications between the flight crew and Atlanta Center, highlighting confusion regarding NOTAMs and the approach procedure. The crew, flying a cargo route from El Paso to Thomson, Georgia, requested information on the ILS approach, but there was a misunderstanding regarding the status of the glideslope and localizer. The approach required a procedure turn, which the crew seemingly missed, leading to an unstable approach. There were delays in programming the initial approach fix (IAF) into the navigation system, possibly due to confusion over the fix's identification. The crew ultimately crossed the IAF at an altitude significantly higher than prescribed, leading to a steep descent to intercept the glideslope. Max created a software simulation of the final minutes of the flight that revealed a rapid descent rate and an unstable approach. Despite warnings from the captain about being high, attempts to correct the descent were ineffective, ultimately resulting in impact with trees just short of the runway. This was a classic black hole approach, in which there are few lights on the ground before the runway. A Boeing simulator study of a black hole approach showed that pilots consistently crash short of the runway, and so they must have either an electronic or visual glide slope. During this accident, the glide slope was out of service. If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, the Cash app, Zelle or Patreon. Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk. Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1199 Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $899Lightspeed Sierra Headset $699 My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu Send us your feedback or comments via email If you have a question you'd like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone. News Stories 2 dead after airplane crash near Utah-Colorado border Grumman GA-7 Cougar Twin crashes in Pennsylvania FAA warns US Congress against hiking airline pilot retirement age AOPA mobilizes members, pilot organizations to fight egregious FBO fees Geese located in the debris field of a Bell 206 crash In battle of birds vs plane, birds win Touch and goes banned at KTOA, the Torrance, CA Airport ForeFlight announced for Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro 3 Killed in Aircraft Hangar Collapse in Idaho FAA approves Robinson empennage design for R44 helicopters Bonanza Crashes Into Home, Three Killed Mentioned on the Show #299 Flying Tips from a Military CFI for General Aviation Google Podcasts is going away after March Rob Mark's JetWhine.com blog Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we'll make a couple of dollars if you do. Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android. Check out Max's Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/ Social Media Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook Follow Max on Instagram Follow Max on Twitter Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium "Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
On Wednesday's Mark Levin Show, what is the most important issue or policy that you think a Republican congress should be focused on? The Republican's first act was to give Democrats 12 votes to overcome a filibuster to codify same-sex marriage. Why would they vote for this rather take on inflation, gas prices, the border, etc.? Because they are led by Mitch McConnell, who will disappoint you at every turn. Also, the media are desperate for a war between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. The media wants to knock both of them out to make room for a RINO for president. They shouldn't take the bait. Later, journalist Julie Kelly from American Greatness joins the show to discuss how Christopher Wray knew more than he let on initially with the FBO and January 6. Kelly's reporting on the January 6th riot has revealed that the current story just doesn't add up and it seems that the Democrats in the January 6 Committee are just trying to sweep things under the rug. Afterward, Charles Payne, host of FOX Business Network's Making Money, calls in to explain the Crypto Currency exchange FTX which just went bankrupt. FTX was fraudulent from the start and bilked billions from the people. The founder of FTX is a top Democrat Party donor and pledged a billion dollars to the Democrats if Trump runs in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices