Podcasts about Foreign Service Officer

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Miranda Rinaldi, owner and head baker of Nino's Bakery in Washington, D.C., and a former Foreign Service Officer who served in Afghanistan and Milan. They discuss Miranda's journey from diplomacy to pastries, her training in Italy and Chicago, and how her dachshund Nino inspired the beloved neighborhood bakery, renowned for its buttery, hand-laminated croissants.

Our guest this time, Kane Brolin, will quickly and gladly tell you that as a blind person born in Iowa in 1965 he was mightily blessed to be born in that state as it had the best programs for blind people in the nation. Kane was born prematurely and, because of being given too much oxygen he became blind due to a condition known as retinopathy O. Prematurity. In fact I am blind due to the same circumstance. As it turns out, Kane and I share a great many life experiences especially because of the attitudes of our parents who all thought we could do whatever we put our minds to doing. Kane attended public school and then went to Iowa State University. He wanted to be a DJ and had a bit of an opportunity to live his dream. However, jobs were scarce and eventually he decided to go back to school at Northwestern University in Illinois. He formed his own financial and investment company which has been in business since 2002. He is a certified financial planner and has earned the Chartered Special Needs Consultant® designation.   We talk quite a bit about financial matters and he gives some sage advice about what people may realize are good investment ideas. He talks about investing in the stock market and urges investing for the long term. I leave it to him to discuss this in more depth.   Kane is quite committed to “pay it forward” insofar as dealing with blind people is concerned. He is currently the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Indiana. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Penny Forward, Inc., a not-for-profit founded and run by blind people which strives to build a diverse and aspirationally-focused community of blind people who help one another achieve financial fitness, gainful employment, and overall fulfilment in life.   I find Kane quite inspirational and I hope you will do so as well. He has much to offer and he provided many good life lessons not only about financial matters, but also about blindness and blind people.       About the Guest:   Born in 1965, Kane Brolin spent his formative years in the state of Iowa and later went on to earn a Master's degree from the JL Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, which is near Chicago.  Since the year 2002, he has owned and operated a financial planning and investment management business based in Mishawaka, Indiana, located not far from The University of Notre Dame.  Over the years, he has become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional and has earned the Chartered Special Needs Consultant® designation.  When doing business with his clients, securities and Advisory Services are offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, a Registered Investment Advisor which is a Member of FINRA and SIPC,.   Having been totally blind for all his life, Kane feels indebted to many people who selflessly gave of their time, talent, and resources to help him acquire the education, skills, and confidence that enable him to lead a busy and productive life in service to others.  Many of those who made the biggest impact when Kane was growing up, also happened to be members of the National Federation of the Blind.  So after getting established on his current career path, he increasingly felt the impulse to give back to the organized blind movement which had served his needs from an early age.   Kane co-founded the Michiana Chapter in the National Federation of the Blind in 2012 and subsequently was elected to serve a two-year term as president of the Indiana State Affiliate of the NFB in October, 2022.  He is thankful for the early introduction of Braille, as well as for the consistent drumbeat from parents, peers, and professors which set and reinforced continuously high expectations.     In addition to his work with the NFB, Kane serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Penny Forward, Inc., a not-for-profit founded and run by blind people which strives to build a diverse and aspirationally-focused community of blind people who help one another achieve financial fitness, gainful employment, and overall fulfilment in life.   Kane lives in Mishawaka with Danika, his wife of 27 years, and their four children.  Kane and Danika were active foster parents for 11 years.  The Brolin family have been committed to numerous civic organizations; they and their family are active in their place of worship.  Giving back to the world is a continuously high priority.  They endeavor to teach their children by example, and they impart to them the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “You can all be great, because you can all serve.”   Ways to connect with Rob:   BrolinWealth.com LinkedIn public profile nfb-in.org pennyforward.com   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Hi, everyone. I am your host, Michael Hingson, or you can call me Mike. It's okay. And this is unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity in the unexpected. Meet today. We're going to do a little bit of all. We're inclusive because my guest Kane Brolin, or if you're from Sweden, it's Brolin, and it's pronounced Brolin, not Brolin, but Kane bralin, or broline, is in Indiana, and Kane also happens to be blind, and has been blind his entire life. We'll get into that. He is very much involved in investing and dealing with money matters that I'm interested to get a chance to really chat about it's always fun to talk to people about how they're helping people with finances and money and getting insights. And I'm sure that he has some to to offer. So we'll get to that. Kane also happens to be the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Indiana, and so that keeps him busy, so he deals with money, and he's a politician to boot. So what else can you ask for? I pick on Kane by doing that, but nevertheless, Kane, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Thank   Kane Brolin ** 02:34 you. And there are there are times when the politics and the money issues can be a dream. There are other times it can be an absolute nightmare, either one, either one or both and and the thing that ties those together in common ground is that I walk in in the morning, and sometimes they have no idea what I'm about to walk into. So it does make for an adventure. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 02:57 the Fed has lowered interest rates. What do you think about that?   Kane Brolin ** 03:01 Well, there is some ramification for what happens in the consumer marketplace. The main thing that I've been hearing today is that even with those lowering of short term interest rates, you're seeing some long term interest rates go down the mortgage rates, especially, and those two are not necessarily always related. You don't always see the long term interest rates that the market determines through supply and demand. They don't always go in sync with the short term baseline rate that the Federal Reserve banking system sets, but in this particular case, they are, and what I've been reading this morning is that that may be at least good news in the short run for consumers, because they'll be paying Lower interest for new mortgages and also perhaps lower credit card rates or credit card payments. Of course, the downside is that if one invests and is lending money instead of borrowing it, that means sometimes lower rates of income that you can get from things like a certificate of deposit or an annuity. So there's always two sides of the same coin, and then it depends on which side you happen to be looking at. At the moment, right now, the market seems to like this convergence of interest rate activities, and the stock market has generally been up today. So by the time people hear this, that won't matter because it's a whole different day, but, but right now, the early returns coming in are pretty good for the the common human being out there trying to just manage their money.   Michael Hingson ** 04:54 Well, that's not really surprising, in a sense, because rates have been high for a while. Yeah, and things have been tough. So it's not surprising that people have made, and I would put it this way, to a degree, the marketing decision to respond favorably to the rates going down, and I know there's been a lot of pressure for the thread to lower its rate, and so they did. And I think that a lot of different entities kind of had to respond in a reasonably positive way, because they kept saying that it's time that the rates go down. So they had to respond. So we'll see how it it all goes. I   Kane Brolin ** 05:33 think, you know, and there's an issue I think that's salient to people with disabilities, blind people, included, if it's less expensive for the consumer to borrow money, it should follow that in the coming weeks, it should be less expensive for businesses to borrow money if they need some, and they may be more inclined to open up more jobs to people or to not shrink the jobs or The hiring that they have done by laying people off so and that's what I was just about. No one is a recession, and so it may mean that there are openings, there's room in the job market for more of us, because the thing I'm most passionate about in this whole game of helping blind people is getting us access to money and getting us access to gainful permanent work.   Michael Hingson ** 06:24 And that's what I was actually going to going to talk about, or not talk about a long time, but, but mention was that the real test will be how it affects the job market and the unemployment rate and so on. And I hope that that that will go down. I know it's been sort of ticking up a little bit, although in reality, of course, for persons with disabilities, the unemployment rate is a whole lot higher than around 4% so it'll be interesting to see how all that goes all the way around. But even just the national unemployment rate, I would hope that if that has been an excuse because the rates have been high, that now we'll see that start to drop, and, you know, so we'll see. But I think it's a it's going to be one of those waiting games to see how the world responds. Of course, we have a whole political thing going on with the election and I'm sure that some people on the political side like the the drop better than people on the other side do, but again, we'll see how it all goes. So it's it makes life fun. Well, tell me a little bit about you, if you would, sort of maybe the early cane growing up and all that sort of stuff. You were born, according to your bio, back in 1965 so I was 15 at the time, so I remember the year. So you've, you've been around a little while, though, however, so tell us a little bit about the early cane.   Kane Brolin ** 07:54 Yeah, I don't remember too many years, or any years, really, prior to about maybe 1971 or 72 with any degree of real clarity. You know, I would say that my early years were a mixed bag, but in the main they were good, of course, being immediately confronted with rLf, or retinopathy of prematurity, as they call it these days, and being blind from the very beginning, most people would probably out there consider it a tragedy. But if I if I knew that it was my fate to be a blind person, which I suppose it is, then I won the lottery as being a blind person, I think. And that might be a controversial statement, but the truth is that there is no place in the United States, and probably no place in the world that would have been better for me to grow up in in the late 1960s and 1970s than in Iowa, because now there was, there was no other blindness in my family. It's not hereditary. My parents had no idea how to deal with it in the very beginning.   Michael Hingson ** 09:12 Were you born prematurely? I was, yeah, which is why I weigh you have that   Kane Brolin ** 09:16 something like two pounds, 10 ounces at birth. So there is a part of me that realizes that I am very fortunate to be alive, and I'm very fortunate that my brain has functioned pretty well for most of my life. You can't always count on that either, you know, and when you get when you get older, my my father was a very bright person, and yet he lived during the last 10 years of his life, he struggled with dementia and some other problems so but I can say that I've had a good run so far, and you know what they what they didn't know. At least my parents and others in my family knew what they didn't know. And I. But when you don't know what you don't know, you flounder and and settle for almost anything, including fear. But when you know what you don't know, then you understand you need to research things. And I happened to be in a state that had been graced by the presence of Dr Kenneth Jernigan, principally. And of course, other people that I had no idea who they were at that time. You know, folks like James gaschell and James on VIG right, and and others. I think Joanne Wilson came out of that mix. I didn't know her either, but I've read about all these people in the past, but, but first and foremost, my parents found out that Dr Jernigan was number one, very brilliant. Number two did not settle for low expectations. And number three had the advantage of being both the head of the Iowa Commission for the Blind, which was a state sanctioned Agency, and the National Federation of the Blind, which is, or, you know, has been for most of the last 84 years, the leading advocacy organization and civil rights organization of the Blind in in the United States. Now, I'm not here to make a political point about that, but in Iowa, they were definitely more well known than anyone was, and because he could pull strings which influence things like educational budgets, and he also had very much a civil rights mindset and an aggressive mindset of going forward and breaking down barriers, this is a rare combo platter of traits and possibilities that I very much benefited from. And when I say that, I mean that from the very beginning, at five or six years old, I had Braille. I didn't have Braille in the beginning, but, but my parents did and and my dad actually knew enough about it to construct a set of blocks with print lettering on one side, Braille on the other side. And so not only did I have a really good teacher in my first couple of years of public school education named Doris Willoughby, some may be familiar with her. I know Doris will rip she has passed on in the past couple years, but she made a great impact in in my life, and a very deep impact in others lives too. But because of her influence and like minded people, I had access to books. I had access to mostly mainstreamed integrated education, where I was in the classroom with other sighted students, except for certain parts of certain days, you know, I had access to a great big wall mounted tactile map that was like a puzzle. And I understand Dr Jernigan designed that one too, where I could actually feel and take apart the states of the Union. And so I could tell where Oklahoma was, where Massachusetts was, where Indiana is. I could tell the shapes of the various states. I thought it was kind of curious that California, where you are from, Michael, is shaped very much like a banana, or at least that's what occurred to me at that time. I had recorded books. I had talking books. And you know, while there are things I did not get out of a mainstream public education that I kind of wish I had gotten out of it, from a social standpoint, from an athletic standpoint, the academics were on point, and I had access to resources, and I kind of just was living in a in a dream world, in a way, because even through my college days, I thought, Well, gee, it's great that we have all this now. Why is there all this blind civil rights stuff going on now? Because this was solved from the beginning of my childhood. Little did I realize that that is not the case in most other parts of the country or the world, but I got what I needed to at least have a shot on goal at success, and I'm very grateful for that, and it's one of the reasons that I have chosen to dedicate a portion of my life, during my prime working years, even to the National Federation of the Blind, because I want to pay this forward and help out some people that may not have had all the advantages that I had, even, even in the bygone days that I was growing up,   Michael Hingson ** 14:23 sure? So tell me, because I went through some of the same experiences you did in terms of being born premature and becoming blind due to rLf, which stands for retro enteral fibroplasia. And if people want to know how to spell that, they can go by thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at ground zero. And you can learn how to spell it there, because I don't remember how to spell it. We put it in the book, but that's what I remember. But so when you be when it was discovered that you were blind, how did your parents handle that? What did they say? Right? What did the doctors say to them? Because my experience was and, you know, of course, I didn't know it at the time, but my parents told me later that the doctor said, send him off to a home because he could never amount to anything, because no blind child could ever contribute to society. What was, if, from your understanding from your parents, what was what happened to you? If any   Kane Brolin ** 15:21 doctor ever said that to them? They never told me about it. What I what I do know is that there is an eye doctor that was a part of their lives, who I saw a couple of times, probably in my childhood, who was a a female optometrist or maybe an ophthalmologist in the area, and they really had a lot of respect for her. I never felt marginalized or dismissed. Yeah, as a part of my childhood, part of it is that I don't think my parents would have tolerated that, and my   Michael Hingson ** 15:55 parents didn't, either my parents and my parents didn't either they said, No, you're wrong. He can grow up to do whatever he wants, and we're going we're going to give him that opportunity. And they brought me up that way, which is, of course, part of what led to my psyche being what it is. And I too, believe in paying it forward and doing work to try to educate people about blindness and so on, and supporting and and I've been involved with the National Federation of the Blind since 1972 so it's been a while. Yeah, I would say,   Kane Brolin ** 16:27 I know I remember. I have a very, very fuzzy memory of being four, maybe five years old, and I know that they considered putting me into the Iowa Braille and sight saving School, which was a school for the blind in Iowa no longer exists, by the way, but they did consider it and decided against it. I don't think they wanted me to just go off to boarding school I was five. I know that that does work for some people, and I know that in later years, I've read that in some cases, even Dr Jernigan believed that schools for the blind were better, especially in places where there wasn't a truly sincere effort by public school systems to integrate and set high expectations for blind students. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 17:13 of course, here in California, for example, in the 50s and so on, as the California School for the Blind we had and and earlier, Dr Newell Perry, among others, who was a blind mathematician. Of course, Dr tembrech was was out here, and there were values and reasons why the schools could make a difference. My parents were pushed really hard by my elementary school principal to send me off to that school, and I actually remember hearing shouting matches between them, because parents said ah and and I didn't go to the school. I don't know what it was like by the time we moved out here and we were putting me in kindergarten, first and second grade. So like in 5657 I'm not sure what the school was like, but my parents didn't want me to not have a real home environment. So, you know,   Kane Brolin ** 18:12 yeah, and so, you know, I remember my childhood is, well, it wasn't like everybody else's childhood. One of the the issues happened to be that my the neighborhood that my family lived in, did not have a lot of kids in it that were my age for most of the time I was there, the schools in the early to mid 70s at least that admitted blind students in the town that I grew up in, which was Cedar Rapids, Iowa, there was only one set of schools on the opposite side of town where they were sending blind kids for those resources. Now that later changed and the decision was made. I guess I made the decision to stay out there. So one of the differences was that I was bussed from the southeast side of town to the southwest side of town. So there were kids I got to know through school, but I didn't have any kind of social life with most of them, with a couple different exceptions, through my childhood. So it was a lot of academics, it wasn't a lot of play time, right? That certainly informed how I grew up, and it's made me a little bit struggle to understand and and be a really sensitive, playful, patient type parent, because my my kids and I'll, we'll go there when we get there, but my, my children, I have four, they're all still in home right now, are very normal kind of rambunctious kids that enjoy and struggle with the same things that any other kids do. They are all sighted, but, but my parents were. Was pretty strict. They set high expectations, but some of that was high expectations for behavior as well. So I really wasn't ramming around and causing trouble and getting into mischief and, you know, getting on my bike and riding for miles outside the way kids did in the 70s. So there there were limitations in my childhood, but, but, you know, my parents, too, expected me to utilize and to have the resources that would lead me to be anything I wanted to be. And I honestly think that if I had said, I want to be the President of the United States, they would not have ruled it out. Now, the only thing I've really been president of is several different civic organizations and the Indiana branch of the NFB. You know, that's something not everyone does. I've interviewed a governor before when I was a journalism student. That was fun, and I've met congress people, but they did not set the limitations. You know, sometimes maybe I did, but but they didn't. And so I'm really grateful for that, that as long as I knew what I wanted, they made sure that I had the tools and access to whatever training they knew about that could help me to   Michael Hingson ** 21:18 get there. So you you went through school. And I think our our younger lives were fairly similar, because I also, when I went into fourth grade, and we finally had a resource teacher in the area, I was bused to the other side of town for that. And all of that kind of came together when I started high school, because everyone in Palmdale went to the same high school, so anyone I knew prior to going across town, I got to know again, and still knew as as friends growing up, but we all went to high school together. But you know, I hear exactly what you're saying, and my parents did not impose limitations either, and I'm very blessed for that. But you went through school and then you went to college. Tell me about college.   Kane Brolin ** 22:19 It was a fun experience. Glad that I went through it. I attended Iowa State University for my bachelor's degree. I know that you've never, ever heard this before, but I really dreamed about being a radio personality. And I say that sarcastically. It's what I wanted to be, because I had a cousin that was in the business. But of course, since then, as I've gotten more into blind blindness culture and met many other people that I never knew growing up, I know that that the media and especially radio as a gift, is really fascinating to many of us, and a lot of us have had rotations in different parts of that, especially with the advent of the internet, but this was back during the 70s and 80s, and what I wanted to be at first was a DJ. Used to pretend to be one at home all the time and then, but I also knew where the library was, and I developed a great love of books and information and data. To some degree, I wasn't really a math guy, more of a word guy, but I then developed a deep interest in journalism and investigation and research, and so by the middle to late 80s, what I wanted to be was, let's just call it the next Peter Jennings, if one can remember who that is, right. And I'm sure that there are probably, you know, facsimiles of him today,   Michael Hingson ** 23:50 but it's hard to be a facsimile of Peter Jennings. But yeah, he really is,   Kane Brolin ** 23:55 and that he was great and but you know the disadvantage, the advantage and the disadvantage of going to Iowa State University. I Why did I go there? Because any of my few relatives that had gone to college, including my dad, had had gone there. My dad was very loyal to his alma mater, and he told both myself and my sister, who is a very different person and not blind at all. If it was good enough for me, it's good enough for you, and if you want me to pay for it, here's where you're going to go. Now, Iowa State is mostly an engineering and agricultural school. It's a land grant institution. And I know that land grant institutions are a little controversial in today's climate where there is more of an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion and making up for some past societal wrongs, but these are deeply respected institutions that mainly turned out people that ended up well, doing things like building. Bridges and being mechanical engineers and developing new seed corn hybrids and things of this nature. It did have a telecommunicative arts program, and I was in it, but there were very few of us in it, and I did get a chance to get my hands on the equipment. I was a broadcaster, first on a student radio station at Iowa State called K usr. Then I actually did work for pay, sort of for a number of years for w, O I am and FM, which were flagship stations of what we would now call the the NPR network. You know, these were around since the 20s, and I actually did work for them. I was on air a little bit. I ran the control board a lot, and I worked for those two stations on a part time basis, probably about a three quarter time basis, for several years after leaving college, and it was really a student job, but I had trouble finding any other more meaningful work in the industry. What I gradually came to find out is that I loved radio, but radio really didn't love me, and I wasn't really thinking strategically. At that time, I graduated in 1988 it is that very same year that a little known figure from Kansas City named Rush Limbaugh hit the American airwaves like a ton of bricks. And because of him and some other people like him, all of a sudden, local stations realized that they could drop their news and information programming, stop hiring so many people, and because Mr. Limbaugh was as popular as he was, they could basically run a lot of satellite based programming, have somebody sort of halfway monitor the board and hire somebody else to program computer systems that would put automated commercial breaks on and things like this, and they wouldn't really have to produce local content. We also saw the elimination of the equal time standard and the Fairness Doctrine, which required local stations to put on a variety of viewpoints and air programming every week that was in the public interest, that didn't necessarily have commercial value. And so the things I wanted to do became a lot harder to do, because by the time I was ready to get hired to do them, not a lot of radio stations were hiring people to do it, even in the even in the television world, and so strategically, I was buying into a sinking market, and That wasn't a great place to be at that time. And so with some reluctance, after a lot of fruitless job searching, I chose another path, not necessarily knowing where that path would lead. And so the last time I ever got paid to run a shift for a radio station was in late June of 1993 I've been a guest on a couple of different shows and some podcasts like this one. I greatly enjoy it. I've even thought about doing some internet broadcasting. I don't have the time, really to do that now, but, but, and I miss it, but I have found out there are ways of diverting the skill sets I have to another path.   Michael Hingson ** 28:25 And what path did you choose?   Kane Brolin ** 28:28 Initially, the path I chose was graduate school. I was fortunate enough to have gotten good enough grades that I was able to get approved by a number of different business schools. You know, the first path I really wanted to do is be a Foreign Service Officer for the diplomatic corps. I applied for the US Department of State. And I had some hopes in doing that, because around 1990 a gentleman named Rami Rabbi. You may know him, I do did became the first blind person ever to be a Foreign Service Officer. Now, he had advantages. He had traveled the world. I had traveled to Mexico and Costa Rica, and I spoke Spanish, and I was pretty fluent, but he was a little bit more qualified in different ways that they were looking for. So I wanted some international experience. I applied for the Peace Corps, and I had no real shot at that. What they were looking for was something very different from what I was then. But I did apply to the Foreign Service, and I made it almost all the way down the hiring process. I made the final 3% cut among the class they were looking at in 1990 and 91 I went to Virginia to, I think Alexandria and I sat for the last round of interviews and simulations that they did. Unfortunately, I was in the top 3% and they wanted the top 1% so I had a really fun few days out there at the government's expense. But I also found that I was not going to be hired to be the second blind. Foreign Service officer. I later found out that Mr. Robbie had to actually file a lawsuit and win that lawsuit to get his opportunity. So I know that the system were not exactly bought in to blame people doing this on a regular basis. I know there's others that have gotten there since that, and I've met one of them, but but that that wasn't for me, but they also said what I really needed was more management experience. I'd never done anything in management, so I decided to go to management school or business school as graduate school. I got accepted by a few different places. I chose Northwestern University in Chicago. My sister had gone through that program. I guess that's maybe one of the reasons I selected that one. I could have gone to a couple of others that also had accepted me, and sometimes I wonder what would have happened had I done that. But I did spend two years in Chicago land met some of the most impressive people that I've ever met in my life. Figured out train systems and pace bus systems, and went all over the place and had friends in the city, not just in the school. I made the most of that time, and that's what I did from 1993 to 1995 unfortunately, I found out you can get a an MBA or a master of management, but they still, still weren't hiring a lot of blind people out there. And so while my associates were getting jobs at McKinsey and Company, and Booz Allen Hamilton, as it was known at that time, and they were working for Bank of America, doing all kinds of interesting things and and also brand management companies like disco and Kellogg and all that. I got all of one job offer coming out of one of the top 5b schools in the country, and I took that job offer, which led me to Midland, Michigan, where I knew nobody at that time, but I spent about three and a half years doing various types of business research for the Dow Chemical Company, and that did not last as a career, but I got a chance to make the first real money I had ever earned. At that time through another connection that wasn't related to Dow, I happened to meet the woman that I eventually married and am with now, and have had four kids with, and so that was a whole different kettle of fish. But at the end of 98 I was downsized, along with several others in my department, and we decided at that time that entrepreneurship was probably not a bad way to go, or, you know, something that wasn't just strictly speaking corporate. In 2000 I landed in the South Bend, Indiana area, which is where she is from. I had never lived here before. This is where I am now. And while struggling to find a place here, I realized that I could get hired on as what is called a financial advisor. I had no idea what that was. Well, you know, with a business degree, I could probably be a credible hire as a financial advisor. Little did I know that that involved tele sales. In the very beginning, never thought I was a salesperson either. Since then, I have found out that I have more selling ability than I had ever thought that I might and that that is an honorable profession if you're convincing people to do what is right for themselves. And so I've found that over the years, being what I am enables me to, well, in a way, keep my own hours. We've chosen the small business, sort of independent contracting route, rather than the employee channel, working for a bank or for somebody else's brokerage. I get to be a researcher, I get to be a public speaker now and then, and I get to help people problem solve, which is something I would not have had a chance to do on the radio. And when someone comes up to you, as a few people have and have, said, you know, thank you for making it possible for me to retire and to do what I want to do, and to spend time with grandkids and to live where I want to live. You know, that's a that's definitely a hit. That's a great feeling to have someone say, Thank you for helping me to do and to be what I didn't know I could do or be. So   Michael Hingson ** 34:38 investing isn't what you had originally planned to do with your life. So I can't say that it was necessarily a lifelong goal from the beginning, but you evolved into it, and it seems to be going pretty well for you.   Kane Brolin ** 34:51 Well, yeah, I think it has. It's investing means different things to different. People, to some clients, the goal is, I just don't want to lose money. Please put me in something that earns a little bit, but I don't want the chance for anything I'm in to go down for others. What investing means is, I want to be more aggressive. I want to build what I have. What do you think about this or that opportunity? What stock should I be in? Because I really want to grab onto an opportunity and seize the day and have as much as I can have at the end of the day. And you know, For still others, it means, it means giving. It means building something up so I can pass it along, either to a charity, to the kids, to the grandkids, to to my religious institution of choice, whatever that is. So I find that investing is not just investing, the the at the root, at the heart of investing, the heartbeat of it, is really the people that I serve. And you know, I was told early on, hey, you don't have a practice. All you're doing is practicing, unless you have people to be in front of. And so in my mind, you know, and I'm not that much of a quantitative guy. I'm I'm not the person out there working as an actuary for Symmetra Life Insurance Company figuring out how much money has to go in and how much it must earn to be able to give 50,000 people the payouts they want from an annuity till the end of their projected lifespans. That's that's not where I am. I'm not designing a mutual fund that's more like what a certified financial analyst would be. I am a Certified Financial Planner practitioner, and what a CFP does is takes numbers that you see and translates those into action steps that I can explain in plain English terms to a client I'm in front of that can give that individual person, family or small business the kinds of outcomes that they want. So I'm on the retail end of the food chain, and my job is to try to take the numbers that others are generating and boil that down into something that is digestible to the common man and woman, that allows them to, we hope, live the way they want. So   Michael Hingson ** 37:29 I gather from listening to you though, that you enjoy what you do.   Kane Brolin ** 37:36 I do particularly when it works.   Michael Hingson ** 37:39 Well, there's times.   Kane Brolin ** 37:40 There are times it gets a little tricky. 2001 2002 I know that you had a very personal experience that vaulted you, Michael, into this, into the realm of the famous, or the Almost Famous, on 911 I remember what 911 was like as a very small time retail investment person working out of a field office. I was somebody's employee at that point. I was working for American Express financial advisors, and I remember my life was never in danger in 911 but there were a lot of clients that thought their money and their data were in danger, and then the country that the country itself, might even be in danger. And so I morphed during that week from being a telemarketing person trying to set appointments with people I'd never met to being a person who was trying to dole out comfort and a feeling of security and solace to people I had met who the few that I was managing their accounts at that time, calling them and saying, You know what, your money and your data are safe. I'm here. The company that you have your stuff invested with is based in Minneapolis. It's not based in the Twin Towers, the markets are shut down. There will be volatility, but you're not crashing today, just so   Michael Hingson ** 39:08 the other the other side of it, the other side of that, was that during that week after September 11, there were a lot of people who were working and moving, literally Heaven and Earth, if you will, to bring Wall Street back. And I know I'm working with some of those companies and providing them with the backup equipment, or not so much at the time, backup equipment, but the equipment that would be able to read existing tape backups and put that back on computers. And I know, I think it was Morgan Stanley had found an office space sometime during the week after September 11. Then, as they describe it, it was the building with a floor the size of a foot. Football field, and they scrounged and scavenged and got their providers of equipment, like IBM to provide them with computers, even taking them from IBM employees desks to provide enough equipment to be able to set up what was the equivalent to the trading floor that had been in the world trade center that was destroyed on September 11, and literally from Friday afternoon that would have been the 14th to the 16th in 36 hours. They not only reconstructed physically what the trading floor was but because of what we provided them with, they were able to completely reconstruct what everything looked like on their computers. So when Wall Street reopened on the 17th, everything was like it was when everything shut down on the 11th now, I think there's some blessings to the fact that the towers were struck before Wall Street opened. I don't know how much easier that made it maybe some, but the reality is that data is backed up regularly, so they would have been able to to survive, but the fact that the markets hadn't opened in the US certainly had to help. But by Monday, the 17th, they brought Wall Street back, just as if nothing had happened. It was a monumental feat to be able to do that. That is a story   Kane Brolin ** 41:37 that I would love to read, because I've never heard that story before, and that makes me feel very unintelligent. Michael, you know, I can't even imagine the logistics and the people and just even the imagination that it would take to reconstruct that. I'm sure it was 1000s. I'm sure it was 1000s of people. And I'm sure that probably that's something that somebody had thought about even before the 911 incident happened. I don't think that was invented out of whole cloth on Friday the 14th, but that's a story that would be a very captivating book, and if no one's written it, then, gosh, would that be a fun thing to research and write.   Michael Hingson ** 42:21 Well, you know, the reality is, the SEC required that all data from financial institutions had to be backed up and kept available off site for seven years. So first of all, the data was all around and that's why I think it was an especially great blessing that the markets hadn't opened, because all the backups from the previous night, and probably from all the not only the futures, but the sales from foreign markets, were pretty much all backed up as well. So everything was backed up. That, of course, was the real key, because getting the hardware, yes, that was a logistical nightmare that they were able to address, getting the computers, getting everything where they needed it. Then companies like ours providing them with the wherewithal to be able to pull the data from the tapes and put it back onto the computers. It had to be quite a feat, but it all worked. And when Wall Street opened, it opened as if nothing had happened, even though some of the the offices were now in completely different places across the river. But it all worked, incredible. Yeah, I was, it was, it was pretty amazing. I knew people from the firms. And of course, we helped them by providing them with equipment. But at the same time, hearing about the story later was was really quite amazing, and and they did a wonderful job to bring all that back. So it was pretty, pretty amazing that that all that occurred. So that was pretty cool all the way. And   Kane Brolin ** 44:00 of course, the other struggle was in 2007 2008 I remember when I would be sitting at my desk and I'm not a day trader, I'm, I'm, I'm a long term investor. That's what most of my clients want. I'm not in there, you know, trading, trading daily options. I'm not doing inverse leveraged products that have to be bought in the morning and then sold in the afternoon under most cases. But I remember sitting at my desk in 2008 when the great recession was going on with the financial crisis happened and and when banks and huge investment banks, brokerage institutions were, in some cases, completely failing, that's a whole other story that was chronicled in books like The Big Short as an example, but I remember sitting at my desk and timing it and watching in a five minute period of time. As the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which was back in in those days, was, was what maybe 6000 or so as a benchmark. It was going up and down by a margin of error of 800 points in five minutes, it would be 400 up one minute, and then 400 down from that level. In other words, an 800 point swing within a five minute period of time. There was one day I went to take a test, because I have continuing education on a pretty regular basis, had to go to a testing center and take a test that lasted maybe three hours. I got back, and I think the market for at least the Dow Jones had dropped by 800 points during the time that I was in the testing center. And that gives you some stomach acid when that sort of thing happens, because even though it it's, you know, things always bounce back, and they always bounce up and down. Clients call and they say, oh my gosh, what happens if I lose it all? Because people really think that they could lose it all. Now, if you're in a mutual fund with 100 different positions, it's very unlikely, right? All of those positions go to zero. What I found out is that when people's money is concerned, it's emotional. Yeah, it's all rational. They're not looking at the empirical data. They're thinking fight or flight, and they really are concerned with what in the world am I going to do if I go to zero? And   Michael Hingson ** 46:38 it's so hard to get people to understand, if you're going to invest in the market, it has to be a long term approach, because if you don't do that, you can, you can disappoint yourself, but the reality is, over the long term, you're going to be okay. And you know now, today, once again, we're seeing the evidence of that with what the Fed did yesterday, lowering by a half a point, and how that's going to affect everything. But even over the last five or six years, so many people have been worried about inflation and worried about so many things, because some of our politicians have just tried to scare us rather than dealing with reality. But the fact of the matter is that it all will work out if we're patient and and allow things to to work. And what we need to do is to try to make wise decisions to minimize, perhaps our risk. But still, things will work out.   Kane Brolin ** 47:43 Yeah, I remember, I think, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which is what always used to get quoted, at least on the radio and the television. It was somewhere in the somewhere in the 11,000 range, before the 2008 debacle. And it fell to, I think, 6400 right was the low that it reached. Now it's over 41,000   Michael Hingson ** 48:11 closed up above 42 yesterday. I'm not   Kane Brolin ** 48:13 sure it very well may have so you know when you when you really think about it, if you just stayed in and it's more complicated than that. One of course people have with the market is that when the market crashes, they also may need to get their money out for different, unrelated reasons. What if I lost my job as a result of the market crashing? Right? What if? What if there is a need that I have to fulfill and that money has to come out for me to make a house payment. You don't know that. And so that's the unfortunate part, is that a lot of the academic missions don't take into account the real human factor of real people that need to use their money. But if you could stand to hang on and leave it in, it would be worth you know, what would that be like six or seven times more than it was in 2008 but that's not what what clients often do. They they often want to sell out of fear when things are down, and then wait too long to buy back in when the elevator has already made its way quite a ways up, right?   Michael Hingson ** 49:25 I remember once, and I don't remember what the cause was, but Rolls Royce dropped to $3 a share. And there were some people saying, this is the time to buy. It is it's not going to go away. And those who did have done pretty well. Bank   Kane Brolin ** 49:44 of America was $3 a share for quite some time. It was, it was technically a penny stock. This is Bank of America, you know, one of the leading financial institutions in the in the country, which, incidentally, has a very interesting. History. It wasn't born in New York, it was born in the south, right? But, yeah, if you only knew what those trough opportunities were and knew exactly when to buy in and and I'm constantly telling people, look my my goal is, is not so much to figure out what to buy but when to buy in. We're trying to buy low and sell high, and just because something did well last year doesn't mean you have to hang on to it. It might mean we want to trim that position a little bit, take some profit and and pick something that doesn't look as attractive or sexy because of last year's lackluster returns, but maybe this year. It will just due to changing conditions. Financial markets run in cycles. And it's not that some things are inherently good or bad. Some things are in favor now. They were not in favor last year, and they might not be in favor, you know, two years from now, but they are now. So that's the hard part. You're not supposed to really time the market. We can't predict all these things, but that's why you encourage people to diversify and to have some things that are not correlated with each other in terms of doing well or badly at the same time. So you can always sometimes be gaining with in with your left hand, while your right hand is is struggling a bit. Hence,   Michael Hingson ** 51:25 the need for people who are certified financial planners, right? So there you go. So you, you got married, what, 27 years ago, and you married someone who was fully sighted, who probably didn't have a whole lot of exposure to blindness and blind people before. How did all that work out? Obviously, it's worked out because you're still married. But what was it like, and was it ever kind of an uncomfortable situation for you guys?   Kane Brolin ** 51:58 I don't think blindness. Surprisingly enough, I don't think it was super uncomfortable for her. Now, she had not encountered lots of blind people before, maybe not even any before. She met me, but I met her, and this is where I had it easy. She didn't have it easy, but I met her through her family. I knew my wife's name is Danica. I knew her brother before I knew her, because he and I had been buddies. We for a little while. We ended up living in the same town up in Michigan, and it was not here in the South Bend area where she is, but I went home and had a chance to be to tag along as he was doing some some family things and some things with his friends so but, but my wife is a very interesting father. She has a very interesting dad who is no longer with us. May he rest in peace? No, no. Hello. Sorry. My nine year old just made a brief appearance, and she's incorrigible.   Michael Hingson ** 53:00 You wouldn't have it any other way. No, there   Kane Brolin ** 53:03 are days when I would, but I don't. So anyway, the I found out some interesting things raising kids as a blind parent too, but you know, her dad did not see really any kind of limitations when the world around him was racist he really wasn't. When the world around him was ableist. He really didn't. And one of the things he encouraged me to do, they had a little acreage Danika parents did. And he actually asked me one time when it was a leaf blowing or leaf storing season, it was in the fall, lots of oak trees, different things there to drive the garden tractor, as there was a Baleful leaves behind that he was taken to an area where they would eventually be burned up or composted or something. And I did that. He had an old garden tractor with a, you know, his gas powered, and it had pedals and steering wheel, and he would literally run around alongside it, didn't go very fast, and tell me kind of when and where to turn. I'm told that I almost crashed into the pit where the basement of the home was one time, but I didn't. So he was one of these people that like saw virtually no limitations. Encouraged his kids and others to do great things. He didn't have a great feel for people. He would have been an anti politician. He had trouble remembering your name, but if you were a decent person and treated him right, it didn't matter if you were black, purple, green, blind, deaf, whatever. He saw it as an interesting challenge to teach me how to do things. He taught me how to kayak. He taught me how to cross country ski. Back in those days before climate change, we actually got quite a bit of snow in the area where I live, even as early as Thanksgiving to. I'm in November. And so the first couple of winters that we lived here, and we would go to a local park, or, you know, even just out in the in the backyard of where his property was, and, and, and ski, Nordic ski, not downhill ski, really, but it was, it was an amazing exercise. It's an amazing feel to be able to do that, and I have no memory, and I had no relatives that that were in touch with the true Scandinavian heritage, that ancestry.com says that I have, but the act of doing a little bit of Nordic skiing with him gave me a real feel for what some people go through. Because traditionally, skiing was a form of transportation in those countries. In the Larry P you skied to work, you skied to somebody else's house. So, you know, I thought that that was fun and interesting. Now, the last few winters, we haven't gotten enough snow to amount to anything like that, but I do have, I still have a pair of skis. So no, that may be something that we do at some point when given the opportunity, or some other place where we have a bit more of a snow base.   Michael Hingson ** 56:10 Well, I'm sure that some people would be curious to to know this being blind and doing the work that you do, you probably do. Well, you do the same things, but you probably do them in different ways, or have different technologies that you use. What's some of the equipment and kind of technologies that you use to perform your job?   Kane Brolin ** 56:32 Well, you know, I wouldn't say that. I'm cutting edge. I'm sure there are people who do differently and better than I do, but I do most of my work in a PC based environment. It's a Windows based environment at the present time, because the broker dealers and the other firms that I work through, you know, I'm independent, in a way, meaning I pay my own bills and operate out of my own space and have my name of Berlin wealth management as a shingle on my door, so to speak. But you never walk alone in this business. And so I chose, ultimately, a company called the Commonwealth financial network to serve as my investment platform and my source of technology, and my source of what is called compliance, which means, you know, they are the police walking alongside what I do to make sure that I've documented the advice I've given to people, to make sure that that advice is suitable and that I'm operating according to the law and in the best interest of my clients, and not Not taking money from them, or, you know, doing phony baloney things to trade into a stock before I recommend that to somebody else. You know, there's a lot of malfeasance that can happen in this type of industry, but all these securities that I sell and all the advice that I given are done so with the blessing of the Commonwealth Financial Network, which is a member of FINRA and SIPC, I just need to point that out here. But they also provide technology, and most of their technology is designed to work in a Windows environment, and so that's typically what I have used. So I use JAWS.   Michael Hingson ** 58:23 And JAWS is a screen reader that verbalizes what comes across the screen for people who don't know it right, or puts   Kane Brolin ** 58:28 it into Braille, or puts it into Braille in the in the in the early days of my doing the business, many of the programs that we had to use to design an insurance policy or to pick investments, or to even monitor investments were standalone programs that were not based on a web architecture that would be recognizable. And so I was very fortunate that there was money available from the vocational rehab system to bring somebody in from Easter Seals Crossroads here in Indiana, to actually write Jaws script workarounds, that is, that could help jaws to know what to pull from the graphics card on the screen or in the system, to be able to help me interact. Because otherwise, I would have opened up a program and to me, it would have just been like a blank screen. I wouldn't be able to see or interact with data on the screen. Now, with more things being web based, it's a little easier to do those things. Not always. There are still some programs that are inaccessible, but most of what I do is through the use of Windows 10 or 11, and and with the use of Jaws, I do have, I devices. I like Apple devices, the smaller ones. I'm actually speaking to you using an iPad right now, a sixth generation iPad I've had for a while. I have an iPhone so I can still, you know, look up stock tickers. I can send 10. Text messages or emails, if I have to using that. But in general, I find that for efficiency sake, that a computer, a full on computer, tends to work best and and then I use that more rapidly and with more facility than anything else, right? I use the Kurzweil 1000 system to scan PDFs, or sometimes printed documents or books, things like that, into a readable form where I'm trying to, trying to just kind of anticipate what other things you may ask about. But you know, I use office 365, just like anybody else might. You know, I I have to use a lot of commonly available programs, because the people monitoring my work, and even the clients that I interact with still need to, even if they have sight, they need to read an email right after I send it. You know, they've my assistant has to be able to proof and manipulate a document in a form that she can read, as well as one that I can listen to or use Braille with. I'm a fluent Braille reader and writer. So there are some gizmos that I use, some braille displays and Braille keyboards and things of that nature. But, you know, most people seem to be under the misconception that a blind guy has to use a special blind computer, which must cost a king's ransom, not true, if anybody's listening to the program that isn't familiar with 2024 era blindness technology, it's mostly the same as anybody else's except with the modifications that are needed to make stuff accessible in a non visual format, and   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:45 the reality is, that's what it's all about. It's not like it's magically expensive. There are some things that are more expensive that do help. But the reality is that we use the same stuff everyone else uses. Just have some things that are a little bit different so that we are able to have the same access that other people do, but at the same time, that's no different than anyone else. Like I point out to people all the time, the electric light bulb is just a reasonable accommodation for light dependent people. Anyway, it's just that there are a whole lot more people who use it, and so we spend a whole lot more time and money making it available that is light on demand to people. But it doesn't change the fact that the issue is still there, that you need that accommodation in order to function. And you know that that, of course, leads to and, well, we won't spend a lot of time on it, but you are are very involved in the National Federation of the Blind, especially the NFB of Indiana, and you continue to pay it forward. And the NFB has been all about helping people to understand that we're not defined by blindness. We're defined by what we are and who we are, and blindness is happens to be a particular characteristic that we share   Kane Brolin ** 1:03:09 well, and there's a lot of other characteristics that we might not share. As an example, somebody, I don't know that he is involved in the NFB as such, but you know blind, if you're involved in American Blind culture and and that you've probably heard of a man named George Wurtzel. He is the brother of the guy that used to be president of the NFB of Michigan affiliate. But I understand that George is very good at things that I am not at all good at. He, you know? He understand that he almost built his own house from the ground up. His skill is not with computers and email and all this electronic communication that they do today, but he's a master woodworker. He's an artisan. You know, I I'm also involved, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it, I'm also involved with an organization called Penny forward, which is, you know, it could be the direction that I ultimately head in even more because it dovetails with my career. It's financial, education and fitness by the blind, for the blind, and it was started by a young man named Chris Peterson, who's based in the Twin Cities, who is not an NFB guy. He's actually an ACB guy, but his values are not that much different, and he's been a computer programmer. He's worked for big organizations, and now he started his own and has made a full time business out of financial fitness, educational curricula, podcasting, other things that you can subscribe to and buy into. And he's trying to build a community of the varied blind people that do all kinds of things and come from all sorts of backgrounds. And in one of the later editions of his podcast, he interviewed a man who's originally from Florida, who. Founded a company called Cerro tech that some might be familiar with, Mike Calvo, and Mike came to some of the same conclusions about blindness that you and I have, except that he's much younger. He's from Florida, and he's a Cuban American. He's a Latino whose first language growing up probably was Spanish, and who actually came out of, out of the streets. I mean, he was, he was in gangs, and did all kinds of things that were very different from anything I was ever exposed to as a young person. So I think in a lot of ways, we as blind people face the same types of issues, but we don't. None of us comes at it from the same vantage point. And, you know, we're, we're all dealing with maybe some of the same circumstances, but many, many, we've gotten there in very many different ways. And so I try to also impose on people. We are all different. We're a cross section. We don't all tie our shoes or cook our meals the same way. We don't want to live in the same environment. We don't want to do the same hobbies. And we don't all have better other senses than sighted people do. I don't know how many times you've heard it. I'd be a very rich man if I had $1 for every time someone said, Well, yeah, but you know, being blind, your hearing must be so much better, your sense of smell must be so much more acute. Well, no, the the divine forces in the universe have not just compensated me by making everything else better. What do you do with someone like Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf. There are people with plenty of people with blindness, and also other morbidities or disabilities, or I don't even like disabilities, different different abilities, different strengths and weaknesses. Along with blindness, there are blind people who also happen to be autistic, which could be an advantage to them, in some ways a disadvantage to others. I would like to go beyond the discussion of disability and think of these things, and think of me and others as just simply being differently able, because, you know, what kinds of jobs and roles in life with people that have the characteristic of autism, maybe they are actually better at certain things than a non autistic person would be. Maybe overall, people who live with the characteristic of bl

2/18/25 Hour 2 Vince speaks with Ronald Mortensen, Retired career U.S. Foreign Service Officer and Former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration about how DOGE can expedite deportations. Donald Trump takes questions from Maralago. US Judge Tanya Chutkan shuts down 14 Democratic attorneys General’s bid to block DOGE from slashing waste at 7 federal agencies. Donald Trump is making progress in the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. For more coverage on the issues that matter to you visit www.WMAL.com, download the WMAL app or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 from 3-6pm. To join the conversation, check us out on social media: @WMAL @VinceCoglianese. Executive Producer: Corey Inganamort @TheBirdWords See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vince speaks with Ronald Mortensen, Retired career U.S. Foreign Service Officer and Former Nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration about how DOGE can expedite deportations. Mortensen is also a Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies. For more coverage on the issues that matter to you visit www.WMAL.com, download the WMAL app or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 from 3-6pm. To join the conversation, check us out on social media: @WMAL @VinceCoglianese. Executive Producer: Corey Inganamort @TheBirdWords See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest episode of Parsing Immigration Policy highlights the diplomatic initiatives supporting U.S. border security that have been undertaken by the Trump administration. Phillip Linderman, a retired State Department senior Foreign Service Officer and a Center for Immigration Studies board member, discusses actions recently taken by President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that […]

The latest episode of Parsing Immigration Policy highlights the diplomatic initiatives supporting U.S. border security that have been undertaken by the Trump administration. Phillip Linderman, a retired State Department senior Foreign Service Officer and a Center for Immigration Studies board member, discusses actions recently taken by President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that promote structured and lawful migration and seek to put an end to the global migration chaos.Key points:International Cooperation on Deportations – Countries such as Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Mexico have agreed to accept the return of their citizens, signaling a shift in regional migration policies.Changing U.S. Policy – The U.S. has fundamentally changed its stance, no longer encouraging unchecked migration but instead promoting legal and orderly processes.Diplomatic Leverage – The threat of tariffs and the use of tools such as Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which allows the U.S. to suspend visas for countries refusing to accept deportees, has proven effective in securing cooperation.Mexico's Role – Mexico has agreed to deploy 10,000 Mexican National Guard troops to combat human trafficking and drug smuggling at the border.El Salvador's Role – Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has offered to accept U.S. deportees of any nationality.Gitmo's Role – Trump will open Guantanamo Bay to alien detainees.Economic & Political Factors – Countries reliant on remittances, such as El Salvador and Venezuela, are having to balance economic interests with security cooperation.Global Implications – The discussion explores the idea of an international migration summit and the need for updated legal frameworks outside traditional organizations like the UN.HostJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestPhillip Linderman is a retired State Department senior Foreign Service Officer and a Center for Immigration Studies board member.RelatedEl Salvador, Guatemala deals key to Trump deportation promisesTrump Tariffs and Border SecurityMigrants Sent to Gitmo, India, and Potentially VenezuelaColombia's President Tests Trump on Migrant Returns, Quickly Backs DownTrump Dares to Send Criminal Aliens Back to Their New Home, Down by the (Guantanamo) BayState Department Can Lead on Fighting Illegal Immigration and Promoting Border SecurityIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Paul W. Neville brings a wealth of firsthand travel experience, cultural insights, and actionable advice that captivates interviewers and audiences alike. Having explored over 120 countries, Paul is a seasoned adventurer with a deep understanding of global travel and the transformative power it holds. Whether offering practical travel tips, sharing stories of resilience and humor, or providing guidance for aspiring adventurers, Paul connects with audiences through his relatable and inspiring approach.A U.S. Foreign Service Officer currently stationed in the Netherlands, Paul's career and travels have given him a unique lens on the world. His Peace Corps service in Tonga and a yearlong backpacking odyssey through Oceania, Southeast Asia, Northern Europe, and South America shaped his global perspective and storytelling style. Fluent in Tongan, Thai, and Spanish, he has lived and worked in diverse countries, including Thailand, Honduras, Pakistan, and Mexico, gaining insights into cross-cultural connection and the human spirit.Paul's debut book, Endless Horizons: A Global Backpacker's Quest for Adventure, Connection, and Discovery, is a tribute to the power of travel to foster growth, community, and self-discovery. As the cofounder of Lana Learn, an e-learning platform for language and workplace skills, he's passionate about empowering others to explore the world and embrace new opportunities.http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Simon Hankinson is a Senior Research Fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation.From 1999–2022, he was a Foreign Service Officer serving in India, Fiji, Ghana, Slovakia, Togo, Washington, D.C., Marseille, and Nairobi. Prior to entering the State Department, Hankinson worked as a lawyer in London, and then taught history, English, and drama at a private school in Miami.Hankinson holds a master's degree in modern history from St. Andrews, Scotland, a degree from the College of Law in London, and a master's degree in international security affairs from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.FOLLOW Simon Hankinson on X: @WatchfulWaiter1VISIT: https://www.heritage.org/staff/simon-hankinsonSUPPORT OUR WORK https://www.judicialwatch.org/donate/thank-youtube/ VISIT OUR WEBSITE http://www.judicialwatch.org

This week we were on the road in Oklahoma City and had the exciting opportunity to sit down with Dr. Ann Bluntzer Pullin, Executive Director of the Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University. Ann was appointed to Executive Director in August and has over 25 years of experience in higher education as a professor and administrator, most recently serving as Executive Director of the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute at TCU's Neeley School of Business where she served in several leadership capacities for a tenure of eleven years. Ann started her career as a Foreign Service Officer in Education and Agriculture and served in Poland, Lithuania, Indonesia, and Australia. Established in 2021, the Hamm Institute is at the forefront of energy geopolitics and international energy security initiatives, in addition to driving technological and policy innovations through research to address domestic and global energy challenges. It was our pleasure to visit with Ann on-site at the Hamm Institute to discuss their latest updates and observations on today's energy world. In our discussion with Ann, we explore the critical intersection of energy security and national security, the Hamm Institute's mission to foster informed dialogue around energy and economic growth, and the importance of partnerships with responsible energy producers to improve global security and sustainability. Ann shares insights from a recent trip to Taiwan, Korea, and Japan with Governor Stitt of Oklahoma, highlighting discussions with energy ministries, economists, and industry representatives about the energy security challenges faced by these countries, as well as the global trend to prioritize national interests and how a strong and self-reliant America can serve as an example for other nations. We touch on the role of the U.S. in exporting natural resources and fostering energy security, the challenge of balancing short-term geopolitical stability with long-term innovation and sustainability, the Hamm Institute's efforts alongside OSU to shape global energy discussions and support developing nations' energy needs, the potential for Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's DOGE initiative to disrupt conventional thinking, the positive opportunity for media to bring awareness to government issues and necessary reforms, and much more. We greatly enjoyed the discussion and appreciate the important contributions Ann and the Hamm Institute team are making around energy, particularly with issues around national security and energy security and how they are completely intertwined. Thanks to Ann for joining and thanks to you all for your friendship and support!

John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi interview Dan Spokojny, a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer and the founder of fp21, a think tank devoted to promoting more evidence and learning based foreign policy processes. This conversation discussed knowledge management, groupthink, U.S. policy processes, and efforts at State Department reform. You can learn more about fp21 here: https://www.fp21.org/

In this episode of the High Impact Man podcast, host Defib and co-host Dial-Up welcome Paul Berg, a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer. They discuss Paul's extensive career in diplomacy, his upbringing in Wisconsin, and his experiences in Vietnam and Afghanistan. The conversation touches on the challenges of U.S. foreign policy, the importance of patience in international relations, and personal growth through boxing. Paul shares insights from his life as a diplomat and reflects on the complexities of American involvement abroad. In this engaging conversation, Paul Berg, a retired diplomat, shares his experiences and insights from his time in Afghanistan, the impact of American foreign policy, and his reflections on cultural connections from around the world. He discusses the challenges faced during the tsunami in Aceh, his evolving relationship with New York City, and offers thoughts on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Throughout the discussion, he emphasizes the importance of understanding local perspectives and the need for moral clarity in diplomacy.

Please join the Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project (DLIA) for the sixth and final episode of Driving Impact Season 2 with Clinton D. White, Counselor of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Hear about his experience as the highest-ranked career Foreign Service Officer at USAID and his commitment to diversity and inclusion in global development.

Episode Summary In this episode of the OFM Podcast, Peter Defty, Tony Konvalin, and John Rutherford discuss a variety of topics related to OFM and Human Performance in the context of John's recent EPIC accomplishment of finishing 10th overall at the Badlands 800 Kilometer gravel bike in the Andalusian Deserts of Spain. This event has taken on legendary status in just a few short years  attracting the best gravel cyclists from across the globe to challenge themselves against the terrain and elements as well as each other.  John shares his incredible experiences as an elite cyclist, Marine Corps F-18 fighter pilot, ultrarunner, IronMan Triathlete then coming back full circle to his first love of cycling culminating most recently with Badlands.  John was an early, early adopter of OFM beginning in 2010 by first using VESPA. Like so many people pursuing endurance sports John was suffering from GI issues and bonking. While VESPA made a huge difference in John's fueling, his full adoption of OFM in the fall of 2010 has had profound long term benefits which are part of the conversation.  Key Highlights: John Rutherford's Journey John ‘chased the dream' of being a professional cyclist following the conventional high carb diet & fueling recommended at the time which resulted in ever increasing swings in both energy and weight which impacted his ability to perform consistently.  Recognizing the costs associated with pursuing a career in Pro Cycling were not worth the benefits, John punched out of the USA Cycling Development Team and went to school and graduated from UC Davis then immediately into the Marine Corps to become an F-18 Pilot with multiple combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. During this time John's ‘sports' were confined to basic PT onboard an aircraft carrier or base. While in the Marine Corps as an F-18 pilot John was nominated and selected to become the White House Liaison to the Secretary of the Navy which seeded the bug to become a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. It was at this point John took up endurance running which transformed into ultrarunning. After going all in on OFM John had several successful 100 milers before transitioning to competing in Half and Full IronMan triathlons including qualifying for and competing at the Kona IronMan World Championships. While posted in Belgrade, Serbia for the State Department during COVID John's rekindled his love for cycling.  His selection as the foreign service officer to NATO in Brussels, Belgium has further fuelled the cycling bug, especially gravel racing. Though he continues to run regularly for cross training, his focus since COVID has been on ultracycling events including winning the Liege-Chimay-Liege 500 Kilometer Road Cycling Event overall beating the 2nd place finishers (a 2 person Team) by over 2 hours.   . The Badlands Experience A firsthand account of tackling the infamous Badlands 800k race, including its brutal terrain, lack of support, unrelenting heat,  grueling climbs and treacherous descents…..all of this balanced by the incredible beauty, resilience, camaraderie and, ultimately, the triumph of a top ten finish. How John secured a top-10 finish despite zero recon or training on course, gravel specific conditioning challenges, and competing against highly prepared, supported athletes. Metabolic Efficiency/Flexibility and OFM The benefits of OFM: reduced calorie intake, performance, endurance, mental clarity/focus/executive function and avoiding the “gut bombs” of traditional fueling. John's experience as the top fat-burner in the FASTER study and how he sustains long efforts with minimal carbs yet uses them when he needs to. John articulates how easy the dietary aspects of  OFM are in terms of daily life due to his experience on both ends of the spectrum. Prior to VESPA and OFM, John was High Carb/Low Fat/Low Protein and after finding OFM and the publication of “The Art & Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance”, John moved to a more Keto level of carbohydrate restriction for a few years before starting to re-introduce carbohydrates back into his diet and fueling per OFM's “Strategic Carbohydrates” protocols.   Lessons Learned and Future Goals The importance of VESPA and strategic carb use for high-intensity efforts.  The importance of event specific training, including training with gear and conditions mimicking the event one is training for. Balancing a demanding career with a family and ultra-endurance sports. Discussion Topics: Adapting a low-carb diet for endurance sports. Fueling strategies for ultras: water, salt, Vespa, and strategic carbs. Wisdom and self-awareness gained from years of racing. The role of OFM in high-level performance and Metabolic Efficiency/Flexibility. Closing Musings: This episode showcases the transformative power of OFM for endurance athletes over the long term. John Rutherford's journey . . .  High Carb Pro Cyclist F-18 fighter pilot  100 Mile Ultras (where he found VESPA & OFM)  Kona IronMan  Winning the prestigious 500K Liege-Chimay-Liege Road Race 10th place Badlands 800K  . . . highlights how OFM supports a person to consistently show up and be the best version of themselves no matter what the challenges of ultra-endurance events, including Life! Remember, along with being the Foreign Service Officer for the US Department of State assigned to NATO (John reports directly to the US Ambassador to NATO &  he is fluent in Russian), John has a wife and two boys.  Hopefully John's long term OFM journey will inspire you to reassess whether the conventional wisdom of high carb dieting and fueling (which is, essentially, “too much sugar”) and whether it really makes sense while exploring how the OFM program and protocols offer a roadmap back to your native physiology and in alignment with our evolutionary heritage.  Doesn't matter whether you're an elite athlete, age grouper or simply looking to be the best version of yourself in all aspects of life, John's journey there are nuggets to glean for everyone including how to enjoy the ride, because, remember, whether you know it or not we are all signed up for that ultra-endurance event called Life! 

In this episode, we sit down with Carmela Conroy, a third-generation union member and proud Eastern Washingtonian with nearly 30 years of dedicated public service. From her early work as a Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor to her impactful career as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Carmela has consistently focused on finding solutions to complex challenges. Now running for Congress, she's committed to protecting personal freedoms, addressing affordability issues, and bringing common sense back to government for Eastern Washington. Learn more about her journey and campaign at conroy4congress.com.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Madam Policy welcomes Running Start alumnae Nykarlis Santos Núñez and Jessica Vallejo, political powerhouses and experts in legislative affairs and policy. Hosts Dee Martin and Kendall Mitchell sit down with Nykarlis and Jessica to highlight the vital contributions of Latina leaders in shaping policy, what it was like to go through Madam Policy alum Susannah Wellford's Running Start program which trains young women to join the political space, and the amazing work that Nykarlis and Jessica have done since the program. Spoiler alert, Nykarlis Santos Núñez is currently serving as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Agency of International Development and Jessica Vallejo is in her second year at the University of Pennsylvania's world-renowned Wharton Business School! Want to hear about Jessica's emotional experience being in Congress during the passing of the Dreams and Promise Act? Want to know about Nykarlis' journey from immigrant to Foreign Service Officer? Then tune in!

Join us as we host Morton Holbrook, retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State, attorney, and professor at Kentucky Wesleyan College. We discuss American policy in the Middle East, China, and the rest of the world.   *The views expressed in this episode do not reflect the views of Kentucky Wesleyan College.

Konektid Chief Operating Officer, Christy Hollywood, and CEO of Pope International and former Senior USAID staff member, Chuck Pope, discuss key trends in the USAID market and the impact of the upcoming election. The discussion included insight on USAID solicitation delays; localization; new partners and barriers to entry into the USAID Market; and the potential impact of the election on USAID.  QUOTES 4:42: “USAID is continuing to broaden their definition of what local inclusion and new partners look like. Also starting to make sure missions have access to ways to engage with local organizations more systematically”. – Christy Hollywood 5:42: “We're seeing both USAID and implementing partners look at capacity strengthening beyond just compliance and proposals, which is a really nice change, especially as USAID continues to try to lower barriers to entry. – Christy Hollywood 6:47: “Whatever happens, localization is here to stay…it makes sense.” – Chuck Pope BIOGRAPHY Christy Hollywood: Christy Hollywood supports Konektid clients and consultants with skills honed during 20+ years of leadership in international development, professional services, and consulting organizations. She led a successful consulting firm of her own for 11 years. Earlier, she served as Vice President for BD of Cardno (a large USAID and MCC contractor, since acquired) and held pivotal business development roles at KPMG's Emerging Markets Group, RTI International, PATH, as well as Fidelity Investments and Noblis. A recognized expert in business development consulting, she's authored several articles and is five-time invited presenter at international conferences on proposal management, competitive intelligence, and business development. Chuck Pope: Charles S. “Chuck” Pope is a recognized global leader of acquisitions and agreements and is a formerly commissioned Foreign Service Officer and warranted senior Contracting/Agreement Officer for USAID. Chuck is a development professional with over a quarter century of experience on four continents working for the US Government and implementing partners (contractor/recipient).

What does it take to navigate the complex world of international agricultural trade? Join us as we explore the fascinating career of Olutayo Akingbe, a dedicated Foreign Service Officer with the USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service. Discover how Olutayo's role as the eyes and ears of the USDA at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo involves promoting U.S. agricultural exports, conducting market intelligence, and overcoming intricate regulatory challenges, such as facilitating the import of U.S. kosher beef jerky into Israel. Olutayo's insightful stories offer a behind-the-scenes look at the crucial collaboration between U.S. officers and local staff in achieving these goals.Ever wondered what it's like to represent the United States abroad? Olutayo shares her personal and professional journey, from rigorous training in Washington, D.C., to securing overseas assignments in diverse locations like Egypt and Canada. Learn about the complexities of bidding for positions, the necessity of language training, and the extensive preparation required for each role. Olutayo candidly discusses the balance between professional duties and personal life, highlighting both the rewards and challenges of her role.Curious about a career in international affairs? Olutayo's path from studying at UPenn and Columbia University to discovering the FAS through networking and fellowship opportunities provides valuable insights. Hear about her experiences working with NGOs, the importance of relationships, and the benefits of diverse experiences in shaping a successful international career. Olutayo's passion for mentoring and preparing the next generation of diverse Foreign Service Officers shines through, emphasizing the critical need for diversity and representation in leadership within the Foreign Service. This episode is a must-listen for anyone aspiring to make a global impact.For more #CareerCheatCode, visit linktr.ee/careercheatcode & make sure you subscribe and follow us across all platforms. Let's make an impact, one episode at a time! Host - Radhy Miranda LinkedIn Instagram Producer - Gary Batista LinkedIn Instagram To watch on YouTube Follow us on our YouTube Clips ChannelFollow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn

From Moldova to Tajikistan, from Belarus to Uzbekistan: The Formulation and Flow of National Identity from the Late Czarist Times to Today Riordan will explore the formulation of identity over the past 150 years in Moldova, Tajikistan, Belarus and Uzbekistan. Drawing on decades of on-the-ground work and research across all four countries, Riordan will discuss his findings on the trajectory of national identity and how it continues to shape the political discussion in each country today. About the Speaker: John P. Riordan is a career Foreign Service Officer in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He currently serves as the Deputy Mission Director at USAID/Moldova. Prior to Moldova, he was on assignment as a Development Advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in Tampa, Florida (2017-2020). Riordan was the USAID Country Director in Uzbekistan (2014-2017), where he served for multiple, extended periods of time as acting Deputy Chief of Mission. He was also USAID's Country Director in Belarus (2009-2013). In both Belarus and Uzbekistan, Riordan pioneered the leveraging of Baltic partner expertise and regional knowledge in order to advance shared objectives. He was recognized in 2017 with a Diploma of Commendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia for his decade contribution to fostering a close relationship between Latvia and the United States and in jointly providing support for Belarus and Central Asian countries. Riordan was the USAID Development Adviser to the command group at Combined Joint Task Force 101 and 82 in Bagram, Afghanistan (2008-2009). Riordan served two assignments in Iraq (2006 and 2008, respectively) as the Deputy Director of USAID's Governance and Provincial Reconstruction Team Office during the U.S. Government “surge,” and then helped to launch the Joint Interagency Task Force at Multi-National Forces-Iraq. He also served at the Agency's mission in Romania (2005-2006). Riordan was honored to be the first Foreign Service Officer selected for an academic year in the Advanced Military Studies Program at the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas (2007- 2008). While there, Riordan produced a monograph, Red D.I.M.E., which drew on original research on the Basmachi Resistance Movement against the fledgling Bolshevik forces of the Soviet Union in the Ferghana Valley region of Central Asia in order to apply historical and political lessons to irregular warfare in complex, adaptive environments. Before joining USAID, Riordan lived and worked in the Ferghana Valley region of Central Asia. He lectured at Ferghana State University and was the first American to conduct research in the Ferghana City archives as a Fulbright scholar in Uzbekistan. He also collected oral histories of Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Russian, and Tajik World War II veterans in order to better understand the formation of Soviet identity in Central Asia (2002-2003). He was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Ferghana Valley region of Kyrgyzstan (1998-2000), and worked as the Office Director of the State Department funded Freedom Support Act/Future Leader Exchange Program (FSA/FLEX) in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (2000-2001). Riordan earned a master's in military arts and sciences from the School of Advanced Military Studies at the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., and a master's in Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was awarded a Foreign Language Area Scholarship while at Wisconsin for the study of the Uzbek language and spent three summers on scholarship at Indiana University studying Russian, Uzbek, and Turkmen. He completed his undergraduate degree in Political Science at Marquette University, where he was selected for an internship on Capitol Hill via Marquette's Les Aspin Center for Government.

David is an award-winning author who written some incredible political and psychological nail-bitters. His new book, Mapping the Night, is coming out in June. He is originally from Palo Alto, California and is the son of Paul D. Bethel, who was a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. David graduated from Miami Edison High School in Miami, Florida and went to Tulane University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He was a speechwriter at the Department of Commerce to Cabinet Secretaries in both President George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush's administrations. Thanks for joining me today, David.

Join us on this episode of the EcoVybz Podcast's Karibe Speak Season as we sit down with Jevanic Henry, a distinguished climate and development professional from Saint Lucia. Jevanic has an impressive background, having served as the Climate Change Special Envoy for the Caribbean Youth Environment Network and as a Foreign Service Officer with the Government of Saint Lucia. His extensive experience in the multilateral space includes roles such as United Nations Foundation's Next Generation Fellow, a position with the climate change unit of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and co-authoring a practical guide on enhancing access to climate finance. In 2023, Jevanic became Saint Lucia's first Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Fellow, working at the Permanent Mission of Saint Lucia to the United Nations in New York. He also achieved the milestone of being appointed the first Caribbean representative to the UN Secretary-General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. Throughout the episode, we delve into the climate realities facing the Caribbean, particularly in Saint Lucia. We discuss the critical importance of climate finance, the intricacies of climate finance negotiations at COP 28, and the progress being made on Loss and Damage. Additionally, Jevanic shares his insights on the significance of community engagement and his ongoing efforts to support community-based youth entities in Saint Lucia. These efforts include building capacity, developing bankable project proposals, and accessing relevant financing facilities for climate change resilience projects. Tune in to hear from Jevanic Henry and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in climate advocacy within the Caribbean. This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about climate action and the empowerment of local communities. Check out Jeo on LinkedIn Follow @ecovybz on social media platforms

Welcome back to our weekend Cabral HouseCall shows! This is where we answer our community's wellness, weight loss, and anti-aging questions to help people get back on track! Check out today's questions:    May: Dr. Cabral, I highly trust and appreciate your opinion. Can you please share your opinion on contraceptives and explain the difference, drawbacks, short and long term side effects, risks and effectiveness. I am deciding between pills, copper IUD, hormonal IUD. What's the best option? Thank you   Al: Hello Doctor Cabral, what do you suggest for strep throat? Almost every year I suffer from it and I've red about Biocidin throat spray, nastrium tincture, gargling colloidal silver. Are there any effective alternatives to antibiotics, which I don't want to take? Can you share a specific strep throat protocol that you would use if you had such bacterial infection. Thank you very much for your expertise, it means a lot.   Jo: My recent blood work shows low red and white blood cell counts ( just below the green normal levels). Should I be concerned? All other blood markers were within the normal limits. Iron levels are normal. I am 60 years old. Also, I have had a fissured tongue for as long as I can remember, not painful, and no known allergies. Any idea what this could mean?   Kristen: Hi Dr. Cabral! I recently started listening to your podcast because I have been dealing with digestive and bladder issues for over 5 years. I am a 37 year old female. I eat well and exercise regularly. My digestive symptoms recently worsened and I began having left abdominal pain on the inferior margin of my ribs. A CT scan was negative. H. Pylori breath, stool and culture with upper endoscopy were all negative. An upper endoscopy revealed gastric myoplasia on biopsy. I also have on and off bladder irritation. It feels like I have to urinate and I don't. I feel like this is all related. I listened to your podcast on ulcers and began doing twice a day cabbage juice and doing an antihistamine diet. My symptoms stabilized a bit but have not resolved. Please advise on what to do. Thank you!   Greg: Dear Dr. Cabral, Thank you for your effort to promote a more holistic approach to living. I am a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in a U.S. Embassy overseas and find health management a bit more challenging, including taking advantage of the testing options, etc. available to those in the US. I recently started statins and a few days later listened to episode #2958 (Medications and Drugs that Drain Your Energy). I was particularly moved by your discussion on how statins can reduce mitochondrial health in the heart (just the heart?). For those that have hereditary reasons to stay on statins, what can we do, beyond lifestyle (food/exercise), to mitigate/promote/preserve mitochondrial health of the heart (and body generally) that may be affected by statins? Thank you again, Greg   Thank you for tuning into today's Cabral HouseCall and be sure to check back tomorrow where we answer more of our community's questions!    - - - Show Notes and Resources: StephenCabral.com/3046 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!  

USAFA Class of 2010 valedictorian, Maj. Austin McKinney, discusses how the trust he earned and integrity he learned as a cadet led him to the U.S. Department of State where he helps build relationships between U.S. and global leaders.----more---- SUMMARY Maj. Austin McKinney '10 shares his journey from the Air Force Academy to becoming a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department. He emphasizes the importance of public service, teamwork, and never accepting the first no. McKinney highlights the value of the Academy's wide core curriculum and the opportunities it provides for personal and professional growth. He also discusses the significance of integrity and reputation in leadership and the need to adapt to the changing perspectives and interests of the younger generation. McKinney encourages others to consider the reserves as a way to stay connected to the military and emphasizes the importance of convincing young people of the value of joining the military and the Academy. The conversation explores the importance of storytelling in leadership and the value of being ready to say yes. It emphasizes the need to listen actively and understand the core similarities that unite people across different cultures. The conversation also highlights the challenge of transitioning from a tactical leader to a strategic leader and the importance of building relationships and networks. The key takeaways include the significance of delegation, the need for personal board of advisors, and the importance of being part of a supportive community.   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "Part of leadership is process. But part of leadership is relationships." "Leadership by walking around is talking to people and developing those relationships, not sitting in your office and just working on the next memo, or the next email." "Never never accept the first no." "Always be ready to say yes." "We're (USAFA grads) part of a special community and always be contributing two is what I would encourage us all to think about it."   SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN  |  

Early in her career, Alaina had to learn how to translate all she'd learned in culinary school to the traveling life of the partner of a Foreign Service Officer.After years of running a successful catering business in several countries, she's now back in D.C. discovering what her next version of success will look like.Listen in as Alaina shares the lessons she's learned, including why she values contentment over happiness. As an added bonus, Alaina shares tips on what to bring that next international school potluck!.BIOAlaina Missbach is, first and foremost, an avid eater and, secondly, a chef. She's a former Army officer turned graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park (earning her diploma at 8 ½ months pregnant) before being whisked off to their first post with her two small kids and newly-appointed FSO husbandDelighting in the truth that “Everybody eats!” she started her own catering business, serving the Embassy and International School communities.Fast forward 12 years, 5 posts, and more events/dinners/meals than she can count, Alaina has experienced the ups and downs of changing careers, finding her way as an EFM business owner, and maintaining all aspects of her identity in the meantime.In her business, Alaina specializes in custom menus created for each client and event. She loves sharing her joy for American food and culture with her friends and Foreign Service family overseas.Alaina is a lifelong learner and takes on the challenge of always increasing her knowledge, learning new things, and trying new methods—both in cooking and in life.Learn more about Alaina:www.instagram.com/ChefAlainawww.facebook.com/TheGlobalForkwww.linkedin.com/in/alaina-missbachwww.theglobalfork.com (soon to be live!).This episode is sponsored by DiploDash.Are you struggling to figure out how to get your consumables? If shopping and packing out your consumables is a challenge, DiploDash® can help! When you hire DiploDash to manage your consumables, you get a partner in the process. We've been there – hungry for certain foods and frustrated by what's available in the local market. We've also been confused by the endless lists of recommendations.Working with DiploDash you'll be guided through the consumables process from start to finish. Your biggest task is deciding what you want us to buy for you.Get the consumables you want and never leave Post. Contact DiploDash to schedule a complimentary call today. www.DiploDash.comhttps://www.facebook.com/diplodashservicehttps://www.instagram.com/diplodash/ 

Global Minnesota offers a wide-range of programs in our mission to advance international understanding and engagement in Minnesota. Our efforts include major public events with international dignitaries, grassroots foreign policy discussion groups, K-12 education programs, international student outreach, and international Professional Exchanges. Overseeing all of these various programs is Global Minnesota's Program Director. On this episode, hear from Erin Hart, who started as Global Minnesota's Program Director back in January. Her career spans several tours as a Foreign Service Officer, as well as leadership positions at several nonprofit organizations in Minnesota. She joined to talk about her experiences, the various programs under her supervision, and what to expect from Global Minnesota throughout this year. Links Erin Hart in Oman (Beginning at 1:17) Kabul City Initiative Global Minnesota Events Professional Exchanges Discussion Groups K-12 Education Programs

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we are joined by Sarah Lundquist Nuutinen. Sarah is a Badger alum and is currently serving as Foreign Service Officer. She majored in Political Science and International Studies at UW-Madison, and also earned a Masters of Science in International Relations and Development at Bristol University. We asked Sarah about her time at UW Madison, her advice for students looking to perhaps become a Foreign Service Officer, and her work in a career path that has taken her around the world. We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with Sarah and hope you will too.

Hear the insightful and popular annual U.S. Foreign Policy Update with Diplomat in Residence and career Foreign Service Officer, Tom Hanson. Tom explored and discussed the latest foreign policy developments, trends, and challenges facing the U.S. in the year ahead including the repercussions from the ongoing war in Ukraine, concerns facing China's economy, renewed conflict in the Middle East, and ongoing global struggles for peace and security.

Bob Seidenschwarz invited Kate Schilling to join us. She is a Foreign Service Officer here in Missoula.

Today, panelists, Ashley Frost and James Maloney, Deputy Directors, Office of HIV/AIDS USAID, discussed USAID's localization initiative, locally-led development, and the importance of diversified local partners. They discuss USAID's Global Health work, how USAID supported PEPFAR and the successes it has enjoyed, including statistics of lives saved and changed.   James Maloney and Ashley Frost share the new PEPFAR five-year strategy, the USAID Approach to HIV and Optimized Programming (AHOP). AHOP is a framework for USAID to employ assets through efficient, measured, and simplified programmatic approaches to ensure resilient and country-led approaches to the HIV response. The AHOP defines five critical pathways through which USAID will assist countries in sustaining epidemic control and accelerating progress in those that have not yet achieved the 95-95-95 goals. Each pathway outlines planned results and time-bound milestones. If this resonates with you, share successes with Congress to fund the five-year reauthorization of PEPFAR.   IN THIS EPISODE: [00:32] Mike Shanley outlines key talking points regarding the accomplishments that PEPFAR has achieved over the last 20 years, delivering unprecedented impact in the global fight against HIV AIDS.  [02:57] Ashley Frost and James Maloney describe their roles at USAID as Deputy Directors.  [04:40] Discussion where funding originates, the investments they make at the primary healthcare level, and successes they have accomplished through PEPFAR, stating that USAID is the largest donor and they are advancing work in the HIV vaccine space.  [11:00] James shares statistics of the impact made in the world attributed to PEPFAR and reflects on the history of growth and prevention.  [14:50] Discussion of localization, local entities and partners and relationships within country-led staff and senior diplomats in their countries.         [20:06] Looking forward to goals and objectives, James discusses the AHOP framework in response to HIV.  [25:24] Ashley comments on the importance of keeping an open dialogue between all partners within the HIV AIDS space, and James outlines the importance of seeing the 5-year reauthorization of PEPFAR.    KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Oftentimes, hospitals and building new infrastructure is what gets a “ribbon cutting”, but in terms of buying the best health outcome with USAID's investments from U.S. taxpayers, the first area of importance is investments made at a primary care level, which will most impact healthcare outcomes, saving lives and supporting healthy lives. The second thing that drives a lot of USAID's investments across individual disease or health areas is health security. Much of PEPFAR's success lies in engaging with local partners. With regard to localization, the Office of HIV AIDS and the Global Health Bureau have been the front runners in the agency and have been able to guide our agency in these spaces. Right now, about 58 percent of our resources are implemented through local entities, and those sets of partners have been diversified. Small business engagement in the U.S. is essential and has much to offer to the work we can accomplish together. More significant international partners have specific skill sets that are necessary for USAID. As we think about localization, everyone needs to think outside the box and remember that one size does not fit all.  By the end of 2025, the vision is to help countries reach what the USAID calls the global commitment of 95-95-95 goals. That means that 95 percent of those who have HIV know their status. 95 percent of those individuals are on treatment, and 95 percent of those individuals would be virally suppressed. The AHOP defines five critical pathways through which USAID will assist countries in attaining these goals.  RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube Mike Shanley - LinkedIn James Maloney - LinkedIn USAID Approach to HIV and Optimized Programming   BIOGRAPHIES:  James Maloney has served as the Deputy Director for the Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) within the Global Health Bureau at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) since March 2020. OHA provides overall programmatic guidance for USAID's implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and oversight of $4 billion in 53 countries. In March 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, James was asked to support the National Security Council Global Health Development Directorate and serve as the Coordinator for the Ukraine and Regional Health working group. In October 2022, James was designated as the Senior Operations Official for the Global Mpox Response Team and has led coordination of the United States' global response to mpox. Previously, James led the Supply Chain for Health Division at USAID overseeing over $700 million per year in HIV commodity procurement and supply chain management to advance HIV epidemic control and strengthen the capacity of countries to manage health supply chains. Prior to joining USAID Washington, James served as Senior Technical Advisor from 2015 to 2018 with USAID Haiti managing primary health care and supply chain programs to improve the availability, quality and utilization of health services in the areas of maternal and child health, HIV and TB, reproductive health, nutrition, and WASH. Prior to Haiti, James worked in South Africa from January 2010 with the Department of State and served as the Country Coordinator for PEPFAR and lead the U.S. Government's interagency response to HIV/AIDS in South Africa.     Ashley Frost joined the Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) as Deputy Director in August 2023. As a Foreign Service Officer, she most recently served as Health Office Director for USAID/Southern Africa. Over the last decade, she has served as Deputy Director for Operations, Care and Treatment Lead, and Strategic Information (SI) Lead, supporting USAID's PEPFAR programming in South Africa, Zambia, and Guatemala/Central America. Ashley holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography from Penn State University, and her academic work includes quantitative and qualitative research in HIV, reproductive health, and gender. Before joining USAID in 2011, she worked with Congressional staff members, international researchers, policymakers, and program managers to improve evidence-based decisions for public health outcomes. She served as an education Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa. Fun Facts: Ashley has three sons (ages 12, 9, and 9), and they do many sports as a family! They spend their free time jogging, biking, hiking, and attending many soccer games. Ashley and her husband, Jason, are section hiking the Appalachian trail each year and have walked through Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee together. Degrees: MA, PhD in Sociology and Demography, Languages: English, Spanish, French (comprehension)  

Once upon a time, I was interested in becoming an FSO (Foreign Service Officer) with the US Department of State. I passed the FSOT (Foreign Service Officer Test) but that was, apparently, not good enough.

Cybercrime has many names but what, actually, is it?  Jim Lewis, former Foreign Service Officer, now Senior Vice President and Director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, gives us a candid description of cybercrime's mechanics: who does it, why, how, and what is the impact of these activities on global democracy and security?  What is the role of diplomacy in managing these unprecedented military, intelligence, economic and political threats?  Join us for an close look under the hood of cybercrime.

Entrepreneurial ventures often begin as solitary pursuits, but today, we're unlocking the doors to a different narrative – a narrative that revolves around the power of kinship, camaraderie, and community in the world of business. In this episode of the Black To Business Podcast, we're stepping into uncharted territory, discussing a topic that resonates deeply with many and is crucial for those currently navigating or aspiring to navigate the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship within the embrace of family and friends.   The significance of this conversation is not just in the story we unfold but in the relevance it holds for countless dreamers and doers out there. Imagine building a business not with colleagues or partners but with those who share your blood or the bonds of friendship that run just as deep. It's a scenario that demands not just strategic business acumen but a profound understanding of the delicate balance between personal connections and professional endeavors.   In this episode, we go behind the scenes of the Shanklin Hall journey, unraveling the intricacies of how a group of family and friends turned a collective vision into a thriving social club that stands at the intersection of community, creativity, and wellness. Tau Shanklin Roberts, one of the five founders, is sharing insights, challenges, and triumphs that come with intertwining the worlds of business and personal relationships.   THINGS YOU'LL LEARN DURING THIS EPISODE:: Discover how a group of family and friends transformed a collective vision into the thriving social club, Shanklin Hall. Explore the narrative of building a business with family and friends. Understand the intricacies of maintaining a delicate balance when your business partners are those who share deep personal connections. Gain insights into the intentional communication, transparency, and unique dynamics that define businesses built on familial and friendship bonds. Discover the strengths that emerge when business is founded on the foundation of close-knit connections.   About Tau: Tau Shanklin Roberts aims to be a visionary and prides himself on his expertise to find opportunities through connection and collaboration. He began the journey to bring Shanklin Hall to fruition after serving 10 years as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State, where he first began understanding the value and potential that people-to-people connection unlocks. His experiences in foreign lands helped inspire an insatiable curiosity for new ideas, designs, and culture, which he hopes to provide a platform through Shanklin Hall. He holds an MPA from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and a BA in Economics from Morehouse College. As a native Washingtonian, he's also a proud graduate of D.C. Public Schools, receiving a diploma from Benjamin Banneker Academic Senior High School.   Don't miss out on the resources mentioned in this episode by checking out the show notes at blacktobusiness.com/177   Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!   Got a question? We'd love to answer it in an upcoming Q&A. Simply record your quick question → https://blacktobusiness.com/QA    Connect with us on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/blacktobusiness/    Don't miss an update! Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://blacktobusiness.com/mailinglist

Host Jon Olson’s guests are noted authors JJ Harrigan, David Bruns, and David McCloskey. They discuss the intersection of national security thriller novels and actual national security challenges and opportunities. JJ Harrigan is former state department Foreign Service Officer and was a political science professor, David Bruns served in submarines and is co-author with Jon […]

Host Jon Olson's guests are noted authors JJ Harrigan, David Bruns, and David McCloskey. They discuss the intersection of national security thriller novels and actual national security challenges and opportunities. JJ Harrigan is former state department Foreign Service Officer and was a political science professor, David Bruns served in submarines and is co-author with Jon Olson for their national security thrillers, and David McCloskey is a former CIA intelligence analyst and also served as a consultant. 

Upward mobility in a thriving career is often cited as one of the biggest pain points for military spouses. But foreign service spouses also face this challenge, which is what this conversation is all about. I chat with Rona Jobe, a foreign service spouse, who is doing something about the lack of career options for foreign service and military spouses.   As an Eligible Family Member (EFM) of a Foreign Service Officer, Rona experienced career interruptions from frequent moves due to her husband's career, which meant she had to re-establish her career every time they moved to a new post.   Rona founded LVL-Up Strategies in 2020 as an opportunity to make an immediate impact in two communities: the U.S. military/foreign service spouse community and the small business community. Now in its fourth year, LVL-Up Strategies provides opportunities for foreign service and military spouses to thrive professionally and use their extensive experience and varied perspectives to help small business owners thrive and grow.   If you have been frustrated by a lack of career opportunities or career progression, or you just need the reminder that all of us have the ability to make a difference in the status quo, definitely give this episode a listen! Better Together, Christine   MENTIONS Connect with Rona https://www.lvlupstrategies.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lvlupstrategies/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LVLUpStrategiesLLC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lvlup.strategies/   RESOURCES Free Clarity Workshop Self-Guided Clarity Course Free Milspouse Community What Matters Most Worksheet: https://milspousemastermind.com/values  Design a Life You Love: https://milspousemastermind.com/growthwheel Leave a Show Review: https://milspousemastermind.com/show Work With Me: milspousemastermind.com/unstuck

SCOTT EDELMAN- Foreign Service Officer (retired) U.S. Department of State - returns as our guest at Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan Podcast. Mr. Edelman will talk about the Hamas horrifying attack on Israel; Israel at war; the current situation, and what the future might look like. Mr. Edelman retired from the United States Foreign Service (diplomatic corps) within the U.S. Department of State in 2015 following 35 years of service largely focused on the Middle East and intelligence analysis. Mr. Edelman entered government service in 1980 as an intelligence analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. In that capacity, he followed and analyzed political developments in East Africa (1980-83) and Eastern Europe (1986-89), receiving an Exceptional Performance Award upon his departure. He also worked on loan to the State Department as a political officer at the United States Embassy in Bucharest, Romania (1984-86). After joining the Foreign Service in 1989, he served overseas as a consular and political officer in Poland (1990-92), commercial attaché in the Bahamas (1992-94), political officer in the United Arab Emirates (1997-2000), deputy consul at the U.S. consulate in Adana, Turkey (2001-02), U.S. consul in Izmir, Turkey (2002-04) and as the State Department advisor (POLAD) to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet at its headquarters in Bahrain (2010-13). He also served as the political officer at the U.S. liaison mission in Mogadishu, Somalia during Operation Restore Hope (1993) and as a civilian observer with the international peacekeeping force in the Sinai, Egypt (1994-95). During the course of these assignments, he received two Superior Honor awards and a Meritorious Honor award. From 2004 to 2006, he was the analyst for Turkish affairs in the Department's Intelligence and Research Bureau (INR), receiving INR's Best New Analyst award in 2005. From 2009-10, he returned to INR as its sole (later senior) analyst for Iraq, receiving special recognition for his contributions to the 2010 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq. From 2006-08, he was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO (serving as the State Department's “diplomat in residence.”) Born in New York in 1955, Mr. Edelman received his BA in Politics (with a focus on Near Eastern studies) at Brandeis University, a law degree from the University of Connecticut, and pursued graduate studies in Government (National Security Studies) at Georgetown University. He speaks, at varying degrees of fluency, Hebrew, Arabic, French, Romanian, Polish and Turkish. His hobbies and interests include travel, history and photography. He is married and has one son. Follow Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan Podcast at: Edifi: https://edifi.app/podcasts/courageous-leadership-with-virginia-prodan-26927/ Or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7kHPeoAgbkAHCg2C6RApEZ - to hear encouraging & inspiring messages each Wednesday & Saturday at 10:00 a.m. CST‬. We love to hear your comments, questions or share what you have learned from this podcast. To apply for our training and coaching sessions - go to: https://www.virginiaprodanbooks.com/freedom-coaching Order your autographed copy(s) of #SavingMyAssassin by Virginia Prodan - directly here: https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/product/book/ Invite Virginia Prodan to speak at your events -: https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/invite-virginia/ Follow Virginia Prodan on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/VirginiaProdan Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/virginia.prodan.1 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-prodan-0244581b/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiaprodan/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VirginiaProd Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan Podcast at Edifi: https://edifi.app/podcasts/courageous-leadership-with-virginia-prodan-26927/ Or - On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7kHPeoAgbkAHCg2C6RApEZ Donate to Virginia Prodan Ministries - here: https://www.virginiaprodan.com/donate/  

J. ANDRE LAVEAU: Consul General and father of 3, born in Trinidad and Tobago, has served our beloved country and Republic of Trinidad and Tobago as a Foreign Service Officer for over 30 years. Mr. Laveau gained his BA in History and Law (Law Major) at the University of the West Indies, Barbados, a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations, at the Institute of International Relations at UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad, and his Master's degree in International Politics (Hons.) from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Brussels, Belgium, where he became fluent in French. Since then, he became a Foreign Service Officer at the Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, in 1993, where his major assignments were: Director-Consular Division; Chief of Protocol; Director-European Affairs Division; Director-Mission Inspectorate; First Secretary-Trinidad & Tobago High Commission in Brussels; First Secretary-Mission to the European Union; Deputy High Commissioner-Trinidad & Tobago High Commission in Kampala, Uganda -[entrusted with the establishment of the High Commission in Kampala in 2007; also entrusted with heading a preparatory Mission for the re-establishment of a High Commission in Bridgetown in 2017], from November 2017-November2018, Mr. Laveau was the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Labor and Small Enterprise Development with duties such as: ILO matters, Launch of key labor related legislation, Communications, International Migration Policy - Chair of two inter-ministerial Committees, Oversight of International Affairs Unit, Work Permits, Heading Recruitment processes for new staff, from June 2016 - December 2016, he served at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries with duties that included Leading recruitment exercises, Policy Analysis of Renewable Energy matters, from December 2016 - July 2017, Mr. Laveau served in the Ministry of Agriculture Land & Fisheries, with Land Division related matters to Fisheries duties: from June 2005-June 2007, Mr Laveau as Communications Manager/Advisor to the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, where he managed official participation: event management, publicity activities for the participation of Trinidad & Tobago, for the first time in the FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament; assisted in steering Trinidad & Tobago participations in the hosting of the 2007 ICC World Cup Cricket Tournament. Since 2018, Mr. J. Andre Laveau has held the position of Consul General at the Trinidad & Tobago Consulate General in New York, with vested powers to represent the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, in all matters related to the bilateral relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States of accreditation and related bodies. He serves as Head of Chancery, and manages the strategic direction and day to day operations of the Mission, providing professional and technical leadership. * We see and appreciate you, Mr. J. Andre Laveau. Thank you for all your excellent service to us and our country! Find out more about our Consul and our country at: https://foreign.gov.tt/cgnewyork -Host/Exec. Producer - Ozzie Stewart @onthecallpodcast.com -Editor: Kaleem -Website: James Bailey -Music: JLC Media @jacylamarcampbell -Camera: Jacy Campbell -Art: Dawad Philip --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ozzie-stewart/support

Welcome back to the Millionaire Real Estate Podcast! Today, we sat down with special guest Tanya Salseth to discuss Finding your competitive advantage and market to that, How to spend $0 on advertising and be able to sell 100 homes a year and more   -   Tanya Salseth is a licensed realtor who has been working with Keller Williams Realty in Falls Church, VA since May 2019. Prior to her real estate career, Tanya worked for the U.S. Department of State for over 14 years as a Foreign Service Officer. During her tenure, Tanya served in various roles, including Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, Consular Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Deputy Information Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, Public Affairs Chief at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, Italy, and Area Management Officer at Overseas Buildings Operations in Arlington, VA. In April 2016, Tanya obtained her real estate license and worked as a licensed realtor for Fairfax Realty in Falls Church, VA for three years before joining Keller Williams Realty. With her diverse experience and extensive knowledge of the real estate market, Tanya is committed to providing her clients with exceptional service and helping them achieve their real estate goals.   Websites: https://www.kw.com   -   This episode is sponsored by CanZell Realty. CanZell is one of the fastest-growing virtual/hybrid companies with a focus on providing local leadership, revenue share opportunities, and top technology for agents. Learn how you can keep more of your commission and sell more real estate at joincanzell.com

Our podcast editor, Jon, is traveling today. So, we wanted to use this time to release an interview we've had for a little bit. This is a discussion between two people on different sides of the immigration issue.  Alejandra Oliva is an essayist, translator, and immigrant justice advocate. Her writing has been included in Best American Travel Writing 2020, nominated for a Pushcart prize, and was honored with an Aspen Summer Words Emerging Writers Fellowship. Her book, Rivermouth, is forthcoming from Astra House in 2023, and received a Whiting Nonfiction Grant. She was the Yale Whitney Humanities Center Franke Visiting Fellow in Spring 2022.  Simon Hankinson is a Senior Research Fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation. From 1999–2023, he was a Foreign Service Officer serving in India, Fiji, Ghana, Slovakia, Togo, Washington, D.C., Marseille, and Nairobi. Prior to entering the State Department, Hankinson worked as a lawyer in London, and then taught history, English, and drama at a private school in Miami. For weeks, we've been hyping the first-ever live Tangle event in Philadelphia on August 3rd. I am thrilled to announce our three guests and the topic: We'll be joined by Mark Joseph Stern of Slate, Henry Olsen of The Washington Post, and Anastasia Boden of the Cato Institute. On stage, I'll be moderating a discussion on the biggest Supreme Court decisions from this term and the current state of the high court. As we've said in the past, our goal with this event is to gather the Tangle community and bring the newsletter live to the stage. Please come join us! Tickets here. You can read today's podcast here and you can also check out our latest YouTube video here. You can⁠ subscribe to Tangle by clicking here⁠ or drop something⁠ in our tip jar by clicking here.⁠ Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction with Tangle's social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tanglenews/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tanglenews/support

Duncan Varda is a criminal defense attorney in Kentucky focused on litigating felony cases. Prior to becoming an attorney, Duncan served as a Foreign Service Officer in South America, North Africa, and the Middle East, and is a Marine Corps veteran with multiple combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.Timestamps: 1:00 - What is DPA? - Kentucky Dept of Public Advocacy; 7:30 - Duncan's path: Marine Corps -> State Dept-> Pubic Defense 15:00 - What is the rule of law and how does it affect our lives? 24:00 - Overcharging & Wrongful Imprisonment 37:00 - Policing 47:00 - Qualified Immunity Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy: https://dpa.ky.gov/who-we-are/National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers: https://www.nacdl.org/National Association for Public Defense: https://www.publicdefenders.us/Gideon's Promise: https://www.gideonspromise.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Today's Episode - ?? Chuck says the White House looked a little different this week.  The Rainbow flag – is the exact same height and in the middle of the American flags.  Which is against the rules of how we use the American Flag.  Which is a subtle show to us all, that the Democrats can get away with anything.  There is so much stuff going on it is amazing to Chuck.  The one thing that isn't mentioned with the whole Trump thing, no one is mentioning the Presidential Information Act.  This Trump situation is 3rd world communist stuff we have devolved into.  It is election interference – prosecuting your political opponents.  Our JUST-US system only looks out for Democrats – the IRS can go after conservative nonprofits, or Tea Party groups.  They will not be happy till they have Trump in chains.  This stuff comes out of Davos and the World Economic Forum – heavily influenced by Kissinger.  We are introduced to today's guest Bart Marcois who gives us a little background about him and what he does.  Marks tells us we are going to talk China, some population issues, and the Trump indictment.  Tune in to listen to it all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4XWiKZNMOU&ab_channel=VariousArtists-Topic Bart Marcois is an international expert in energy, foreign affairs, and national security?with experience in Europe and NATO, the Arabian Gulf, and East Asia. A senior corporate, government and foundation executive, Mr. Marcois has managed delicate negotiations in uncertain and changing environments.?A media analyst in print and broadcast, he has served as a career Foreign Service Officer and as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs. At the Department of Energy, Marcois was the chief operating officer of a department with over 100 senior specialists and a $20 million budget to formulate U.S. domestic and international energy security policy. More recently, he managed an Administration effort at the FERC to streamline the permitting process for large infrastructure projects.?As an American diplomat, Mr. Marcois conducted political analysis. He assisted the development of civil society, the rule of law, and democratic institutions in the context of Islamic societies. Mr. Marcois provided early warning of Islamist ideology, at a time when most American officials were oblivious to the threat. He is fluent in Arabic and Dutch.?Marcois is a prolific contributor to the national debate about politics, culture, and national security affairs. He has authored over 200 articles in The Hill, American Greatness, OpsLens.com, and The Daily Caller, and is a frequent guest on television and radio broadcasts. He has appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Fox and Friends, National Public Radio, The Hugh Hewitt Show, and The Blaze, among other programs.?In the private sector, Mr. Marcois has served as a corporate director in a DC-based investment partnership managing activities in highly regulated sectors in Eastern and Central Europe. He was a director and executive in a Washington-based investment banking and commercial intelligence firm, and was a confidential advisor to several government entities. He conceived and executed public relations campaigns that achieved national impact.?Mr. Marcois has served as a consultant to a federal advisory council on energy policy, and has been a course developer and instructor at both the Institute for Public-Private Partnership and The Leadership Institute.?He has served as an executive and board member of several non-profit organizations, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of a coalition of 28 Christian churches that cooperate to provide early childhood care and education, food, rental assistance,...

Mr. Mohammed Motiwala will discuss the importance of multilateral cooperation on AI and the U.S. government's efforts in this year. About Lecture: Are you curious about the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and how they are shaping the world? As AI rapidly advances, it is increasingly clear that cooperation among nations is essential for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks of this powerful technology. Join us for a lecture on the importance of multilateral diplomacy in AI cooperation, presented by Mohammed Motiwala, a Foreign Service Officer with extensive experience in international relations. In this talk, you will learn: The current state of AI technology and its potential applications in various fields. The challenges and risks associated with AI, such as biases, privacy concerns, and cyber attacks. The importance of international cooperation in promoting trustworthy AI. Examples of successful multilateral initiatives in AI cooperation and their impact on global governance This lecture is open to anyone interested in the intersection of technology and diplomacy, whether you are a student, a researcher, a policymaker, or a curious citizen. Join us and discover how multilateral diplomacy can help us navigate the future of technology and build a better world. About the Speaker: Mohammed Motiwala is a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service. He is currently in the Cyberspace and Digital Policy Bureau covering the OECD and the Global Partnership on AI. Mohammed's most recent assignment was a graduate program at the National Intelligence University where he focused on Eurasia. Prior to that, he was an Analyst focusing on Russia in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the State Department's component of the Intelligence Community. His last overseas assignment was as an Assistant Cultural Affairs officer in Kyiv, Ukraine. His other overseas assignments were in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Lebanon. Prior to joining the Department of State, Mr. Motiwala worked as a hedge fund analyst at MTB Capital in New York City. Mr. Motiwala has a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18

Have you ever been to a different country? This week's guest has been to many, and not just to visit. Matthew West is a Foreign Service Officer and a Deputy Counselor for Economic Affairs for the United States Government.  Today he shares about different cultures, foods and how when crave getting out of your comfort zone, it will take you to crazy places! 

What's it like working in the world? TNWAC hosts a seminar featuring professionals from a variety of occupations to discuss their career paths, experiences and ups and downs of working in international jobs. Dr. Gretchen Neisler - Moderator - University of Tennessee Vice Provost for International Affairs, Director, Center for Global Engagement; Member of Board of Directors, Tennessee World Affairs Council Terrance Fluker – U.S. Peace Corps, Tennessee Regional Recruiter Saúl Hernández – U.S. State Dept. Foreign Service Officer and Southeast Diplomat in Residence Sabrina Miller – SVP, Pinnacle Financial Partners, former Foreign Exchange Manager Rachel Bowen Pittman – Executive Director, United Nations Association, USA April 12, 2023

Julie Conner shares her incredible journey as a Foreign Service Officer fo the U.S. Government. Her first trip was from Baton Rouge, Louisiana as she traveled to the World's Fair in New York City.  Hear about Julie's odyssey  and service to nine countries including Israel, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, Portugal, Spain, Guatamala, Indonesia, and Malaysia.  Living in a country versus merely visiting is a world of difference. According to Julie, your eyes are opened and perspective is forever changed. Not everything is the best in the United States.  Enjoy this story of how Julie merged her avocation with vocation.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

Julie Conner shares her incredible journey as a Foreign Service Officer fo the U.S. Government.Her first trip was from Baton Rouge, Louisiana as she traveled to the World's Fair in New York City. Hear about Julie's odyssey and service to nine countries including Israel, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, Portugal, Spain, Guatamala, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Living in a country versus merely visiting is a world of difference. According to Julie, your eyes are opened and perspective is forever changed. Not everything is the best in the United States. Enjoy this story of how Julie merged her avocation with vocation.

Col. Grant Newsham discusses the changing world order which is not anything new or unprecedented. The conflict with China is primarily fought through non-kinetic and insidious means of unrestricted warfare and subversion (e.g. cultural, information, psychological, economic, cyber). Just like the U.S. and Western business helped build up Hitler and the Nazi regime, the same has happened with China. The Biden Administration is the most seriously compromised administration when it comes to China. He comments on COVID19 and the population control system (e.g. Social Credit). China has undergone the fastest military buildup in history, surpassing the U.S. in some areas. There are real possibilities of a war breaking out, but Beijing will attempt to achieve its goals through political warfare. Watch On BitChute / Brighteon / Rokfin / Rumble / PentagonTube Geopolitics & Empire · Col. Grant Newsham: War With China a Real Possibility, But Political Warfare is Preferred #360 *Support Geopolitics & Empire! Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.comDonate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donationsConsult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation **Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors! Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopoliticseasyDNS (use code GEOPOLITICS for 15% off!) https://easydns.comEscape The Technocracy course (15% discount using link) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopoliticsPassVult https://passvult.comSociatates Civis (CitizenHR, CitizenIT, CitizenPL) https://societates-civis.comWise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics Websites "When China Attacks" Book https://www.regnery.com/9781684513659/when-china-attacks Twitter https://twitter.com/NewshamGrant About Col. Grant Newsham Col. Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine, served in the Indo-Pacific for decades, including in intelligence and liaison roles, and was instrumental in establishing Japan's amphibious force. As a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he covered a number of regions, including East and South Asia, and specialized in insurgency, counterinsurgency, and commercial matters. An attorney, he lived in Tokyo for more than twenty years, working for an investment bank and in the high-tech industry. *Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Season 5, episode 5. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has posed an existential crisis for numerous multilateral institutions, worsening several ongoing global issues such as food insecurity while also upending the architecture of European Security. Few organizations understand that or deal with that more than the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. For this week's episode, we chatted with Allison Hart, Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid. She shared how the organization operates, the unique challenge of having one of its member states upend the issue they are most focused on, how they worked to ease tensions between Russia and Ukraine before the invasion, and how they can be part of the solution to the current crisis.    Allison Hart is the Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid. She took up this role in Vienna in February 2022. Prior to joining the OSCE, Allison served in a number of roles at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, including as Special Advisor to the Deputy Secretary General, Executive Officer of NATO's Public Diplomacy Division, and most recently as Head of the Human Security Unit. Allison began her career as an entrepreneur in Chicago where she launched and managed two successful businesses before pursuing international relations. In Washington, she coordinated a foreign policy team for a major political campaign and spent several years at The Brookings Institution on projects related to national security and transatlantic relations.    Allison holds a Bachelor of Arts in Middle East Language & Civilization from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in European Studies & International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.   NOTE: Any views expressed are strictly her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the OSCE or any member state.   And as a special treat for this episode, the interview was conducted by ISD Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow Nathanial Haft. Nate Haft is a career Foreign Service Officer. He most recently served as a senior policy advisor on the U.S. delegation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. Nate's prior overseas assignments include covering rule of law and counternarcotics issues in Pakistan, human rights in Albania, and consular affairs in Taiwan. In Washington, he served as a multilateral affairs officer in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs. Nate is a recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship in Foreign Affairs. Prior to joining the State Department, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru as well as a research assistant at the Brookings Institution. Mr. Haft graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and earned an MPP from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.   NOTE: While Nate is a career U.S. diplomat, his views are also his own and do not reflect the view of the U.S. State Department or the U.S. government.   Episode recorded: March 3, 2023   Produced by Daniel Henderson   Episode Image: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits among his counterparts on December 8, 2016, as he attends a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. U.S. State Department on Wikimedia Commons   Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs   Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.    Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.    For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Clarity and candor are the cornerstones of any great conversation, but for the CIA they are the critical link between information and policymakers. This week Jennifer Ewbank shares how her role in Digital Innovation at the CIA helps carry technical conversations for stakeholders across the agency, breaking down barriers and building trust at all levels. In this conversation Laura and Jennifer discuss understanding the pressure stakeholders are under, getting out of your way to create change, and the role of cybersecurity in leadership.   Here are a few things you'll learn during this conversation: How to be an authentic leader and develop trust within a team Why imposter syndrome is a leadership issue among women and men How proving yourself can cause barriers instead of partnerships Strategies for assessing and conveying the risks of a message Jennifer's best advice for learning a new language   During the 24-Hour Influence Challenge, Jennifer encourages you to create allies by sharing information. You can do this by choosing a busy day on your calendar and taking a moment after each engagement to think about what you learned and who could benefit from that information.   About Jennifer Ewbank: Jennifer Ewbank is the Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation, responsible for accelerating the development and integration of digital and cyber capabilities across all of CIA's mission areas, to include enterprise information technology, cyber security, cyber operations and analysis, data strategy and artificial intelligence, open source collection, and reporting, as well as building the digital acumen of the CIA workforce through training and education. As the Agency's de facto Chief Digital Officer, Ms. Ewbank oversees the Digital C-Suite roles of Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, and Chief Data Officer.   A career federal government official, Ms. Ewbank has 35 years of experience, initially as a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department, and more recently with the CIA, primarily in the Directorate of Operations, where she has held key leadership positions and served the bulk of her career abroad, to include four tours as Chief of Station. In one of Ms. Ewbank's previous leadership roles, she was responsible for leading CIA's engagement with the US private sector and academia.    You can connect with Jennifer in the following ways: Jennifer's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-ewbank The CIA's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/central-intelligence-agency   You can listen to The Langley Files here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-langley-files-a-cia-podcast/id1645885248   To learn more about Dr. Laura Sicola and how mastering influence can impact your success go to https://www.speakingtoinfluence.com/quickstart and download the quick start guide for mastering the three C's of influence.   You can connect with Laura in the following ways:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaurasicola LinkedIn Business Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vocal-impact-productions/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VocalImpactProductions Facebook: Vocal Impact Productions Twitter: @Laura Sicola  Instagram: @VocalImpactProductions  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we continue to empty the oceans, our species' demand for fish only seems to increase. But what if we could eat all the bluefin tuna and salmon we wanted without having to harm fish and other aquatic animals? That's the vision that companies like Wildtype are working toward. Founded in 2016, this cultivated fish startup has raised $120 million so far and now has 60 employees who are growing real fish meat without the fish. I've enjoyed their product now twice, both pre-pandemic and recently, and enjoyed it both times.  Wild Type salmon that I recently enjoyed while in their San Francisco HQ. Today, Wildtype is building serious cultivation capacity to help turn the tide for the oceans, and in this episode, we discuss the company's origins, the role bird poop played, and what the company's up to today. We even discuss the co-founders' first company idea which they abandoned in favor of Wildtype: a redesigned Neti pot that would've been called The Schnozel. (They never trademarked this, so maybe one day you'll be able to buy that Schnozel of your dreams.) In addition to chatting about whether it's faster and cheaper to grow fish cells compared to mammalian and avian cells, co-founders Justin and Arye open up about what impact it's had on their personal lives to have gone from normal jobs to running their own company. We also talk about the perennial question in this industry: If the FDA gave them approval today, how soon would it be before we see Wildtype fish on restaurant menus? Discussed in this episode Our past episode with BlueNalu New Harvest founder Jason Matheny recently became CEO of the Rand Corporation The 2018 book Clean Meat (still highly relevant!) Bored Cow's great chocolate milk made with Perfect Day's animal-free whey protein More about Justin Kolbeck and Aryé Elfenbein Justin Kolbeck is co-founder and CEO of Wildtype, which is on a mission to create the cleanest, most sustainable seafood on the planet. Before Wildtype, he spent nearly five years as a consultant at Strategy& (not a typo!) helping companies develop and launch products, grow into new markets, and operate efficiently. Justin started his career as a Foreign Service Officer, serving in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, and Washington DC.  He is a graduate of the Yale School of Management, L'Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, and UC Berkeley. Aryé Elfenbein is co-founder of Wildtype, where he directs the company's scientific research. Aryé completed his MD and PhD at Dartmouth and Kyoto University; he completed his clinical training in internal medicine and cardiology at Yale. Prior to Wildtype, he completed a fellowship in regenerative cardiovascular medicine research at the Gladstone Institutes / UCSF. He currently practices cardiology in the critical care setting.