Podcasts about French

Elizabeth Laime and Andy Rosen of hit true crime-esque podcast Beth's Dead are here to talk about what everyone wants to know about: Elizabeth's teeth. We also discuss kid sports, parasocial relationships, Elizabeth's French friends, charisma, making Beth's Dead (spoiler free), Andy's clogs, the coffee dads and so much more.   Plus we did a round of JMOE, HGFY and Podcast Pals Product Picks. Get yourself some new ARIYNBF merch here: https://alison-rosen-shop.fourthwall.com/ Subscribe to my Substack: http://alisonrosen.substack.com Podcast Palz Product Picks: https://www.amazon.com/shop/alisonrosen/list/2CS1QRYTRP6ER?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfalisonrosen_0K0AJFYP84PF1Z61QW2H Products I Use/Recommend/Love: http://amazon.com/shop/alisonrosen Check us out on Patreon: http://patreon.com/alisonrosen   This episode is brought to you by OSEA (use code alisonrosen for 10% off) Buy Alison's Fifth Anniversary Edition Book (with new material): Tropical Attire Encouraged (and Other Phrases That Scare Me) https://amzn.to/2JuOqcd You probably need to buy the HGFY ringtone! https://www.alisonrosen.com/store/ Try Amazon Prime Free 30 Day Trial

With the Americans and French in the north and the British in the south, the last holdouts of Axis forces in Tunisia are pushed against the wall of Tunisia. Yet American mistakes and British caution will cause a few more casualties before the fighting is over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Sinica, I welcome back Finbarr Bermingham, the Brussels-based Europe correspondent for the South China Morning Post, about the Nexperia dispute — one of the most revealing episodes in the global contest over semiconductor supply chains. Nexperia, a Dutch-headquartered chipmaker owned by Shanghai-listed Wingtech, became the subject of extraordinary government intervention when the Netherlands invoked a Cold War-era emergency law to seize temporary control of the company and suspend its Chinese CEO. Finbarr's reporting, drawing on Dutch court documents and expert sources, has illuminated the tangled threads of this story: preexisting concerns about governance and technology transfer, mounting U.S. pressure on The Hague to remove Chinese management, and the timing of the Dutch action on the very day the U.S. rolled out its affiliate rule. We discuss China's retaliatory export controls on chips packaged at Nexperia's Dongguan facilities, the role of the Trump-Xi meeting in Busan in unlocking a temporary thaw, and what this case reveals about Europe's agonizing position between American pressure and Chinese integration in global production networks.4:34 – Why the "Europe cracks down on Chinese acquisition" framing was too simple 6:17 – The Dutch court's extraordinary tick-tock of events and U.S. lobbying 9:04 – The June pressure from Washington: divestment or the affiliate list 10:13 – Dutch fears of production know-how relocating to China 12:35 – The impossible position: damned if they did, damned if they didn't 14:46 – The obscure Cold War-era Goods Availability Act 17:11 – CEO Zhang Xuezheng and the question of who stopped cooperating first 19:26 – Was China's export control a state policy or a corporate move? 22:16 – Europe's de-risking framework and the lessons from Nexperia 25:39 – The fragmented European response: Germany, France, Hungary, and the Baltics 30:31 – Did Germany shape the response behind the scenes? 33:06 – The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan and the resolution of the crisis 37:01 – Will the Nexperia case deter future European interventions? 40:28 – Is Europe still an attractive market for Chinese investment? 41:59 – The Europe China Forum: unusually polite in a time of tenterhooksPaying it forward: Dewey Sim (SCMP diplomacy desk, Beijing); Coco Feng (SCMP technology, Guangdong); Khushboo Razdan (SCMP North America); Sense Hofstede (Chinese Bossen newsletter)Recommendations: Finbarr: Chokepoints by Edward Fishman; Underground Empire by Henry Farrell and Abe Newman; "What China Wants from Europe" by John Delury (Engelsberg Ideas) Kaiser: The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan and Milady (2023 French film adaptation)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to episode 285 of Growers Daily! We cover: if vermicompost tea can help protect from frosts, Tool maintenance, and tilling compost 20 inches into the soil? We are a Non-Profit! 

What are the highs and lows of waiting on tables? In this episode of the Food Chain Ruth Alexander speaks to restaurateurs from London, New York and Mumbai to find out about the inner workings of one of the hardest jobs in the business. Ruth hears from French celebrity Maitre d, Fred Siriex, Mumbai based restauranteur Gauri Devidayal and Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, the New York based author of Your Table Is Ready.Get ready to hear stories of the pressures, the pleasures and the pay, plus the moments when the tension all got too much. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukImage: The torso of a waitress, carrying two plates of food, against a purple background. CREDIT: Maria Korneeva/Getty images

Diane Gottlieb, Jennifer Fliss, and Nina B. Lichtenstein join Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about their work as editors and what they look for in submissions, setting your writing apart, knowing where to omit for maximum impact, the magic of prompts, working with supportive editors, how constraints give us freedom, ordering an essay collection, how stories sustain us, disentangling the artist from politics, allyship, the process of becoming ourselves, celebrating our heritage, the ecosystem of Jewish life, submission calls, and our new anthology Manna Songs: Stories of Jewish Culture and Heritage. Also in this episode: -being seen -writing into joy -being a Jew by choice    Purchase Manna Songs here: https://elj-editions.com/mannasongs/ and wherever you get your books www.Dianegottlieb.com www.Jenniferflisscreative.com https://www.ninalichtenstein.com/   Diane Gottlieb, MSW, MEd, MFA, is the editor of Manna Songs: Stories of Jewish Culture & Heritage, the award-winning anthology Awakenings: Stories of Body & Consciousness, and Grieving Hope. Her writing appears in Brevity, Witness, River Teeth, 2023 Best Microfiction, Smokelong Quarterly, Bellevue Review, Colorado Review, JUDITH, and Jewish Book Council among many other lovely places. She is the winner of Tiferet Journal's 2021 Writing Contest in Nonfiction, and a finalist for Hole in the Head Review's 2024 Charles Simic Poetry Prize and Florida Review's 2023 Editor's Choice Award in Nonfiction. Diane is the Prose/CNF Editor at Emerge Literary and the Special Projects Editor at ELJ Editions. Connect with Diane:  https://elj-editions.com/mannasongs/ dianegottlieb.com @dianegotauthor   Jennifer Fliss (she/her) is a Seattle-based author of the collections, As If She Had a Say and The Predatory Animal Ball. Over 200 of her stories and essays have appeared in F(r)iction, PANK, Hobart, The Rumpus, The Washington Post, and elsewhere. She was a Pen Parentis Fellow and recipient of a Grant for Artist Project award from Artist's Trust.  www.jenniferflisscreative.com https://nupress.northwestern.edu/9780810146259/as-if-she-had-a-say/ https://okaydonkeymag.bigcartel.com/product/the-predatory-animal-ball-by-jennifer-fliss   Nina B. Lichtenstein is a native of Oslo, Norway, and holds a PhD in French literature from UCONN and an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast program. She is the founder and director of Maine Writers Studio, and the co-founder and co-editor of In a Flash Lit Mag. Her writing has appeared in various journals, magazines, and outlets, as well as in several anthologies. Her book, Sephardic Women's Voices: Out of North Africa, was published by Gaon Books in 2017, and her memoir, Body: My Life in Parts by Vine Leaves Press in May , 2025. She has three adult sons, and lives in Maine with her husband.  https://www.facebook.com/ninalich/ https://www.instagram.com/vikingjewess/ https://ninablichtenstein.substack.com/ https://www.ninalichtenstein.com/ https://www.mainewritersstudio.com/ https://vineleavespress.myshopify.com/products/body-my-life-in-parts-by-nina-b-lichtenstein – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

 “When did your love of the raccoon start—was this a childhood thing, or did it develop in adulthood?” With this playful question, Sandy McIlree launches an episode that's equal parts heartwarming, hilarious, and thought-provoking. This week on The Sandy Show, Sandy and his witty, candid wife Tricia dive into the quirks of family life, the evolving relationship between humans and wildlife, and the unpredictable nature of luck.Key Moments & ThemesFamily Dynamics & Parenting: Sandy and Tricia share relatable stories about parenting, discipline, and the art of letting kids learn from their mistakes. Sandy's confession about turning his daughter's grounding into a fun weekend (“She was grounded, but y'all did fun things. She had a sleepover at a friend's, she was grounded!”) sets the tone for honest, humorous reflections on family life.Wildlife Wonders: Tricia's newfound fascination with raccoons—sparked by viral social media videos—leads to a surprising scientific revelation: raccoons are physically evolving to look cuter as they interact more with humans. The episode explores how animals adapt to urban life and the emotional bonds people form with wild creatures.Tech & Trends: The hosts poke fun at the latest “smart” gadgets, including the world's smallest wearable device—a smart earring that tracks everything from sleep to blood flow. Their banter highlights the absurdity of tech overload (“We don't need the toaster oven to connect to the phone. It's annoying!”) and the ever-expanding world of wearable technology.Fortune & Fairness: From a French treasure hunter who may lose his gold to a couple who won the lottery twice, Sandy and Tricia debate the rules of luck, greed, and justice. Tricia's fiery take on “finders keepers, losers weepers” and her reaction to the double lottery win (“Greedy! You already won a million dollars!”) add humor and bite to the discussion. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments“Don't be the bigger person today. Be the person that helps them understand that sometimes when you F around, you find out. That is a fact, Jack.”“Researchers say that raccoons may be inching closer to becoming our companions… their faces are evolving to look cuter.”“We don't need the toaster oven to connect to the phone. It's annoying!”“Greedy! You already won a million dollars!”Call-to-Action Love what you hear? Don't miss a moment—subscribe to The Sandy Show, leave us a review, and share this episode with friends who need a laugh or a little wild inspiration. Your support helps us keep the good vibes rolling!

Our guest is Tadashi Ono who is the executive chef at Teruko https://hotelchelsea.com/dining-and-bar/teruko at The Hotel Chelsea in New York. Tadashi's career has been built through deliberate decisions along with his flexible, lighthearted approach to life. When he arrived in Los Angeles in 1982, he started his culinary training and eventually proved his talent as the executive chef at the legendary French restaurant La Caravelle in New York, where he earned a 3-star review from The New York Times twice. Over time, he realized that Japanese cuisine was what he wanted to cook and shifted his focus. He earned a great reputation at the popular Japanese restaurants, including Matsuri at the Maritime Hotel in Manhattan. In this episode, we will discuss Tadashi's unique career development, why he enjoys cooking Japanese more than French (which he also loves), the Japanese dishes he wants you to know beyond sushi and ramen, the creative yet traditional menu he serves at Teruko and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's story: Parkrun is a free, volunteer-run event that takes place every Saturday morning in parks around the world. Participants run, jog, or walk a 5K route, and the focus is on community, health, and fun—not competition. What started with just 13 runners in London has expanded to over 23 countries.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/819Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/819 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.--Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/joinHere's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | EmailMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

In this video, I walk you through my best tips for improving your French pronunciation.

This week we welcome Penelope Bourbon and long time friend of the show Co-founder and master blender, Danny Polise back to the Bourbon Showdown! We go through the brands history, some of the mega whiskey hits they have had, how they are absolutely rocking the ready-to-drink category in 2025 and of course their current line-up of Estate Collection whiskey! We pop the top on their new Estate Collection Omega, an amazing 11 year whiskey that has been finished in French oak, and Danny lets me know what's next for Penelope on this episode of the Bourbon ShowdownPodcast! 

This was a fine crossword to solve, but it must've been a bear to construct. Jeremy Newton was up to the task, though, serving up a perfect midweek puzzle. He had us at 16A, Times noted in Captain Kirk's logs, STARDATES; enthralled us at 11D, Finito or kaput, DUNZO; and endeared us with 13A, Establishment whose name means "lounge" in French, SALON.Show note imagery: IBIZA, regrettably not our home-away-from-home. We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

The French pioneer of European integration Jean Monnet believed that Europe would be ‘built in crisis'. The war in Ukraine is putting this theory to the test, once again. Gideon discusses with historian Timothy Garton Ash how European leaders are responding to this latest crisis after the brief ‘holiday from history' that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Clip: ITVFree links to read more on this topic:US and Russian officials draft new peace plan for UkraineThe scramble for Europe is just beginningUkraine secures winter gas support from GreecePoland blames Russia-linked operatives for rail explosionSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retrouvez l'émission du jeudi 20 novembre 2025 en (presque) intégralité.

In this episode of Franchise Marketing Radio, Lee Kantor interviews Michael Jacobson, CEO of French Florist. Michael shares his journey from corporate consulting to revitalizing his uncle's struggling flower shop by adopting European floral culture and modernizing operations. He discusses overcoming industry challenges like outdated technology and high commissions, and explains French Florist's focus on […]

Episode 219: Moroccan Publishing, Cultural Decolonization, and the Book Revolution: The Souffles Experience, 1966-1971 During the 1960s and 1970s, Morocco was a center for the invention of cultural decolonization and a key site in the twentieth-century book revolution. A group of young poets, novelists, critics, painters, and photographers created a cluster of publications, whose centerpiece was the magazine Souffles, and linked their publishing projects to ideas about national cultural decolonization on a global scale. The magazines, paperbacks, chapbooks, and posters they made have loomed large in the landscapes of postcolonial francophone literature and Moroccan modernist art for nearly six decades. The Souffles story also highlights the key roles of print media and cultural institutions for mid-twentieth-century discussions about the end of empire. Important and underexplored primary sources relating to these publishing projects exist in the collections of Moroccan libraries and booksellers. In this episode, Alexander Baert Young, Ph.D. candidate in history at Johns Hopkins University and 2023 AIMS/TALIM fellow, presents research he completed in Morocco during June-July 2023 at the Bibliothèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc, in the library of the Ecole des Sciences de l'Information, and at used book dealers in Rabat and Tangier. Alexander Baert Young is a historian whose work connects book history, African history, and French history. As a Ph.D. candidate in the history department at Johns Hopkins University, Young is currently researching and writing his dissertation, “Africa's Book Revolution: Print Culture, Decolonization, and Development, 1954-1988,” a multi-site project that will tell the connected stories of African publishers, librarians, bibliographers, cultural development experts, and media theorists across Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon, Senegal, France, and beyond. His research draws on published paperbacks, little magazines, book fair catalogues, media studies and library science scholarship, and bibliographies, as well as archives of nation-states, international organizations, publishing companies, libraries, and writers. Young's work has received support from the American Institute for Maghrib Studies (including the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies and the Centre d'Etudes Maghrébines à Tunis), the Western Society for French History, and the Bourse Jeanne Marandon of the Société des Professeurs Français et Francophones d'Amérique. During June-July 2023, he conducted research in Morocco as an AIMS/TALIM fellow. To see related slides please visit our website: www.themagribpodcast.com Discover an other podcast by Alexander Baert Young: Episode 175: Tunisian Librarians and the Book History of African Decolonization, 1956-1988 This episode was recorded on July 19, 2023, at the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM).  Recorded and edited by: Abdelbaar Mounadi Idrissi, Outreach Director at the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM).  

https://thecommunists.org/2025/11/01/news/comrade-leon-landini-century-of-revolutionary-fire-obituary-prcf/ The exemplary life of this former resistance partisan reminds us that the fight against fascism and the fight for socialism are one and the same. I urge you not to give in to political correctness, to confront the violently reactionary nature of the European Union, to categorically reject the conflation of communists and fascists, because ultimately, this only reinforces the fascistization of European states, of which ours is now on the brink of collapse. Long live free, independent, democratic and sovereign France; long live communism, which is the youth of the world. – Léon Landini Léon Landini died on 21 September 2025 at the age of 99. He was one of the the last surviving members of the French resistance, a lifelong communist, and a founding member of the Pôle de Renaissance Communiste en France. We reproduce below the obituary written by his comrades in the PRCF. Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: Each one teach one! www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/

Psaumes 118:19-29

Send us a textFrench-Today's Advanced Word: [L'objectif]Want to master this word and sound more like a native French speaker?

In this truly chaotic Thanksgiving-themed episode, Julia and Nick celebrate the holiday the only way that makes sense: unpacking the LIES and encasing everything in jello. Course by course, the binchies revisit the original feast of 1621, the one 19th century lady who kept trying to make Thanksgiving happen, and your insane family stories and recipes. Digressions include the French winning the IDGAF war, Kim Kardashian's ChatGPT induced academic failure, and a surprise attack in the stu. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and our monthly news broadcast What the Hell Sure NEWS, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.  

"Why Does Too Much Choice Make Us Less Happy?"Transcription : https://www.patreon.com/posts/142815921?pr=true Pour soutenir mon travail :-) Quelques sources pour aller plus loin : https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2016/12/19/la-tyrannie-du-choix_5051147_1650684.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/afrique/articles/c8d1yrn1zprohttp://thedecisionlab.com/fr/biases/choice-overload-bias

Welcome to episode 284 of Growers Daily! We cover: Dan Brisebois, host of The Seed Farmer Podcast and author of The Seed Farmer joins us to talk saving bean seeds, pepper seed saving, and creating your own hybrid seed. We are a Non-Profit! 

As 200 nations from around the globe meet on the edge of the Amazon rainforest to hammer out cooperative goals on climate change, Indigenous people are making their presence known. They are included in discussions but have no negotiation power outside of the official representation from the countries they reside in. Many Indigenous attendees have organized marches, experienced civil disobedience, and even clashed with security officials in order to have their voices heard. Notably absent from this year's talks is any senior Trump administration delegation. We'll hear Indigenous perspectives about their role at COP30. We'll also hear from Cree journalist Brandi Morin, who spent months reporting on conflicts between Indigenous communities in Ecuador and Canadian mining companies. Currently, Ecuador's president is working on reforming the country's constitution to open up more natural resources for extraction. GUESTS Taily Terena (Terena), Indigenous climate and land activist Andrea Carmen (Yaqui), executive director of the International Indian Treaty Council Edson Krenak (Krenak), Brazil program manager for Cultural Survival Brandi Morin (Cree, Iroquois, and French), journalist

learn how to say 'landscape' in French

It's Die Hard in a mansion!This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we're discussing the 2005 Bruce Willis action-thriller HOSTAGE! And to break it all down we brought in special guest Jim Penola!After a fatal miscalculation in a previous siege, hostage negotiator Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) quits the LAPD and becomes the police chief of a small, quiet, remote California town. However, Talley is thrust back into the limelight when a trio of young criminals rob the mansion of the wealthy local figure Walter Page (Kevin Pollak) and take his children hostage. When the siege goes public, the situation becomes further complicated when it is revealed that Page is a mob accountant. The mysterious criminal syndicate then pressurize Talley to retrieve a valuable item from the house, putting Talley and his own family between a rock and a hard place. Given its presence and its leading actor, it's a film positively overflowing with DIE HARD DNA…yet unlike the 1988 Christmas classic, HOSTAGE has a particularly mean-spirited and abrasive tone. To make sense of this picture, we enlisted the help of Jim Penola, a connoisseur of the “home invasion” movie, and together the guys discuss this film in the wider context of the “action-horror” subgenre, the French extremist movement, and Bruce Willis' career. They hand out awards in the DIE HARD OSCARS and pit their wits against the quizmaster in the Double Jeopardy section! You won't feel like a hostage listening to this episode!!! (etc. etc.)TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCt4L7RPweEAt the time of release, HOSTAGE is streaming on Hoopla in the US, and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media! Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES!www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Casey French, marketing and PR director at CASSCOMM discusses how branding goes beyond a logo to include community engagement, co-branding, locally produced video and creative mascots, like their superhero, “Gigabolt.”

The interview is also on Youtube: https://youtu.be/oSIFewGWnNE?si=efQOrP5YXeoWuYYAGuest Carlos Moreira Founder & CEO of SealSQ Ticker: (Nasdaq: LAES)Website: https://www.sealsq.com/BioCarlos Creus Moreira is a global technology entrepreneur and cybersecurity authority, serving as Founder, Chairman, and CEO of WISeKey (NASDAQ: WKEY) and SEALSQ (LAES). For decades, he has been a leading voice in securing the internet, developing trusted digital identity ecosystems, and advocating for the ethical use of artificial intelligence.Moreira began his career as a United Nations expert on CyberSecurity and Trust Models, working with agencies such as ILO, UNCTAD, ITC/WTO, World Bank, UNDP, and ESCAP (1983–1999). He is also the Founder of OISTE.org, a global non-profit dedicated to strengthening digital identity standards.From 1995 to 1999, he served as an Adjunct Professor and Head of the Trade Efficiency Lab at RMIT University in Australia, contributing to advances in trade facilitation and cybersecurity. His academic and professional work has consistently focused on enhancing trust in digital systems.Moreira holds influential roles in numerous international organizations. He is a Founding Member of the Geneva Government's E-Voting Steering Committee, a UN Global Compact Member, and has contributed extensively to the World Economic Forum (WEF). His WEF roles include: Founding Member of Global Growth Companies, WEF New Champion (2007–2016), Vice-Chair of the Agenda Council on Illicit Trade (2012–2015), Member of the WEF Selection Committee for Growth Companies, and contributor to the Agenda Council on the Future of IT Software & Services (2014–2016). He has been recognized as one of the WEF's Trailblazers, Shapers, and Innovators.He also serves on the Blockchain Advisory Board of the Government of Mexico, the Blockchain Research Institute, and is Founder of the Geneva Security Forum, the Blockchain Center of Excellence, and TrustValley.Moreira has received numerous honors, including:• One of Switzerland's 300 most influential people (Bilan.CH 2011, 2013)• Top 100 in the Net Economy• Most Exciting EU Company (Microsoft MERID 2005)• Man of the Year (AGEFI 2007)• One of Switzerland's 100 most important digital leaders (Bilanz 2016)• Best EU M&A Award (2017)• Blockchain Davos Award of Excellence (GBBC 2018)• CGI Award HolderHe is co-author of the global best-selling book “The TransHuman Code,” a leading work on managing technology's impact on humanity. As a multilingual keynote speaker (English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese), Moreira has spoken at the UN, WEF, CGI, ITU, Bloomberg, Munich Security Conference, World Policy Conference, Zermatt Summit, Microsoft, IMD, INSEAD, MIT Sloan, HEC, UBS, and the CEO Summit.Pioneering Work During the Dawn of the World Wide Web (WWW)During the early 1990s in Geneva, at the same time Tim Berners-Lee was creating the World Wide Web at CERN, Moreira was deeply involved in advancing secure digital identity and trust models. His UN cybersecurity work positioned him as a key advocate for building security into the fabric of the emerging web. This vision led him to found WISeKey in 1999, which has become a global leader in digital identity, authentication, and securing online transactions.He later established the Geneva Security Forum and Geneva Philanthropy Forum, reinforcing Geneva's role as a center for digital trust, innovation, and global cybersecurity dialogue.Married with six children, Carlos Creus Moreira remains committed to building a secure, transparent, and human-centered digital future. More information can be found at carloscreusmoreira.com.

Who would be so foolish as to mention Jean-Luc Godard and Ed Wood in the same sentence? Well, we just did--and Richard Linklater drew a (perhaps unintentional) parallel between the two polar-opposite filmmakers in his latest movie, Nouvelle Vague!On today's IndieSeen, Ian and Sujewa welcome back Jeff York to review one of the year's very best films: a breezy, loving, fictionalized look at the filming of Godard's groundbreaking French crime/romance, Breathless. Guillaume Marbeck stars as a young Godard, who is the last of his clique of film critic colleagues to try his hand at actually making a movie.He recruits Algerian soldier-turned-actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) and up-and-coming American acting sensation Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) to star as doomed lovers on the run. During his frantic 20-day shoot, Godard must dodge a nervous producer, a suspicious cast and crew, and a complete lack of filming permits in order to finish a work that would help redefine his beloved medium (jump-cuts, anyone?).In this spoilerific love letter to Nouvelle Vague (which translates to "French Wave"), the guys look at how Linklater (Dazed and Confused, the Before Trilogy) captures a time, place, and, most importantly, burgeoning creative spirit. They also stray far afield into a debate about the effectiveness of title portraits--and whether or not they derail this movie!Whether you're a devoted cineaste and fan of the French Wave--or if you think "Jean-Luc Godard" was that bald guy from Star Trek, Nouvelle Vague is an open invitation to explore colorful characters, a passion for filmmaking, and the calling to do something creative--no matter how much (or how little) time, talent, and experience one has. Kinda like Ed Wood!Nouvelle Vague is now streaming exclusively on Netflix!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Nouvelle Vague (2025) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Flashback to Ian and Sujewa's review of Breathless!Support Sujewa's new film project, 53 Spaceships, the latest adventure of Cosmic Disco Detective Rene!Watch Sujewa's latest film, Cosmic Disco Detective Rene for free on YouTube! Rent The Secret Society for Slow Romance (the predecessor to Cosmic Disco Detective Rene).Follow Sujewa on X.Check out all the episodes in our “IndieSeen” Playlist!

French seaplane owner and pilot Derry Gregoire joins Steve on this episode of the Water Flying podcast to discuss a seaplane event like no other: the Rassemblement Internatinal d'Hydravions de Biscarrosse.Held every other year on an historic freshwater seaplane lake just a stone's throw from the Atlantic Ocean on France's southwestern coast, the International Seaplane Meeting Biscarrosse combines history, seaplanes, aerobatic routines, military fighter demonstrations, historic flights and so much more, all for a massive celebration of hydro aviation—water flying.It's a little-known fact that the very first seaplane flight took place in France, and Biscarrosse played an important part in France's aviation history. Tune in for an enjoyable exploration of now-historic seaplanes that were developed in this small beach community with a Key West vibe, sand dunes, and some of the world's best wine and oysters.Though seaplanes no longer are manufactured in Biscarrosse, the community now hosts one of the largest seaplane events in the world. It is a spectacle featuring seaplanes from across all of Europe. Visitors get to enjoy seaplane formation flights, a night airshow, a drone show, fireworks displays, concerts, food vendors, a dedicated seaplane museum, and so much more. It is a bucket-list event for seaplane enthusiasts especially, but also anyone enamored with aviation of any kind.Get ready to be surprised when you learn about a thrilling example of a vibrant and hugely popular international seaplane event and the many adventures awaiting you in Europe. Learn more about the Rassemblement Internatinal d'Hydravions.Learn more about the Seaplane Museum in Biscarrosse.Learn more about the Aquitaine Hydravions Seaplane AeroClub and School.

The Cybercrime Wire, hosted by Scott Schober, provides boardroom and C-suite executives, CIOs, CSOs, CISOs, IT executives and cybersecurity professionals with a breaking news story we're following. If there's a cyberattack, hack, or data breach you should know about, then we're on it. Listen to the podcast daily and hear it every hour on WCYB. The Cybercrime Wire is brought to you Cybercrime Magazine, Page ONE for Cybersecurity at https://cybercrimemagazine.com. • For more breaking news, visit https://cybercrimewire.com

Rashi Class, a weekly exploration of Torah featuring a deep dive on the text and lively conversation focused on an 11th-century French commentary, conducted by Rabbi Adam Kligfeld at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, this week beginning with Shemot/Exodus 12.39. (Facebook/Zoom)

Four-time Academy Award nominee and BAFTA and Caesar Awards winner Sylvain Chomet (director of "The Triplets of Belleville" and "The Illusionist") joins me to discuss his latest animated feature, "A Magnificent Life", about French playwright, poet and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol. It opens in select theaters for an awards-qualifying run this Friday Nov. 21 and will officially release in North America on Feb. 20, 2026.

Psaumes 118:1-18

Send us a textFrench-Today's Advanced Word: [L'inconvénient]Want to master this word and sound more like a native French speaker?

The 26th year of the IFI French Film Festival kicks off today, featuring 22 Irish premieres and 34 titles across the twelve days. But, what else can people expect at Ireland's largest French cultural event?Joining guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss is David O'Mahoney, Head of Cinema Programming at the Irish Film Institute.Image: IFI

Deblock, a French crypto-banking startup founded by former Revolut and Ledger executives, has secured €30 million in Series A funding to expand its blockchain-based banking app to Ireland and further across Europe. The round was led by Speedinvest, with participation from CommerzVentures and Latitude. Deblock launched in France last year and has already attracted more than 300,000 users, reflecting an increasing demand for finance apps that make it easy to manage both euros and digital assets in one place. The fresh capital will fuel Deblock's expansion across Europe, with Ireland identified as a key early market. The company was founded by Aaron Beck, Adriana Restrepo, Jean Meyer, and Mario Eguiluz, who bring senior executive experiences from neobank, Revolut, and leading crypto hardware wallet maker, Ledger. Europe's first fully on-chain banking solution Deblock is Europe's first fully on-chain banking solution, offering a single blockchain-based banking app that combines everyday banking features with decentralised finance (DeFi) services. Deblock brings together a euro current account with a self-custody crypto wallet, enabling users to manage euros and digital assets in one platform. With its infrastructure built entirely on blockchain technology, Deblock enables faster, more transparent and more efficient processes, particularly for cross-border transfers and on-chain financial products. Its self-custody design allows users to hold, convert and use their assets within a single app, with private keys secured directly on their devices rather than by a third party. The platform also incorporates strong security standards and adheres to EU regulatory requirements for operational resilience and cybersecurity. Through Deblock, users can access everyday banking features - payments, savings, investing and borrowing - and gain direct access to DeFi services. They can move between euros and digital assets, save through Deblock's on-chain saving Vaults, which offer variable interest rates up to 10% AER, and access borrowing options secured against their digital assets. Ireland as a key early market for Deblock's European expansion The Series A funding follows exceptional growth. Since launching in France in April last year, Deblock has welcomed more than 300,000 customers. This reflects the growing demand for a new kind of banking experience that combines usability and security, where customers retain full control over their digital assets through self-custody. As part of its next phase of European expansion, Deblock has identified Ireland as a key early market, and plans to launch its platform in the country in 2026. The company has already engaged with its early Irish users to understand the needs of the Irish market, and will now focus on market preparation to make its on-chain banking experience accessible to Irish users. Ireland's established fintech sector, English-speaking market, and clear regulatory framework make it a natural step in Deblock's wider European rollout. The country also shows a steady level of interest in digital asset products, supporting the company's plans to introduce a unified platform that brings euros and digital assets together. Deblock is authorised as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) by the Banque de France/ACPR and was the first fintech to receive a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) licence from the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). Through EU passporting, these licences allow Deblock to operate and offer its services in Ireland. "With a strong footprint in our home market France, Ireland represents an important early step in our European expansion," says Jean Meyer, Co-founder and CEO of Deblock. "Our goal is to create a clear and secure way to use both euros and digital assets in everyday life - and Ireland is one key market that is critical to defining the future of on-chain banking in Europe." "What stood out to us was how focused and fast the Deblock team executes," says Tom Filip ...

British politicians have been warned by the security services that they face a significant risk of espionage from the Chinese state, after an MI5 alert identified two LinkedIn profiles it says have been operating on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security. The UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis has warned that the government won't tolerate covert attempts by China to interfere in the UK's sovereign affairs.In the Philippines, prosecutors have charged several people in connection with an ongoing corruption scandal linked to inadequate or non-existent flood defences. Also: the global vaccine alliance GAVI says it has prevented nearly one and a half million deaths from cervical cancer through a three-year vaccination campaign in low-income countries. How AI could help speed up research into ways of stopping anti microbial resistance. A human rights group accuses the French oil giant, Total, of complicity in war crimes at one of its gas sites in Mozambique. Cambridge Dictionary names ‘parasocial' as its Word of the Year for 2025 - and should there be a universal scale to measure spice levels?The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

President Trump is set to meet with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. Semafor’s Matthew Martin explains how the meeting is a significant development in U.S.-Saudi relations. The acting head of FEMA resigned after just six months on the job. Brianna Sacks, reporter for the Washington Post, joins to discuss what comes next for the beleaguered agency. The Louvre heist highlighted how unequipped many French museums are to safeguard irreplaceable historical artifacts. The Wall Street Journal’s Stacy Meichtry examines why they’re so vulnerable. Plus, the U.N. Security Council delivered its judgment on Trump’s Gaza plan, Larry Summers responded to pressure over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and why turkeys cost so much more this Thanksgiving.

Ukraine Conflict: French Arms Deal, Sabotage, and the Perilous Battle for Pokrovsk. Guest: John Hardie. John Hardie reported that Ukraine signed a letter of intent with France to obtain 100 Rafale warplanes over 10 years, along with air defense systems. While this partnership is encouraging, Hardy expressed concern that Ukraine is excessively over-diversifying its future air fleet (including F-16, Grippen, Mirage, and Rafale) which complicates long-term sustainment and maintenance. Simultaneously, alarming reports surfaced that sabotage was blamed for an explosion on a major railway line in Poland used to supply Ukraine, fitting a pattern of suspected Russian covert operations against European infrastructure. On the battlefield, fighting continues in Pokrovsk (Picro). Hardy warned that if Ukrainian forces prioritize a politically motivated hold, they risk the encirclement and destruction of troops in nearby areas. Poor weather, such as fog, plays a significant role in the conflict, as Russians often time assaults during these conditions to impede Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance and FPV drones.1855 CRIMEA

In the autumn of 1954, France found itself gripped by a strange and unnerving spectacle. From quiet rural villages to bustling towns and cities, witnesses reported everything from flying discs, cigars and carrots, to little creatures in diving gear waddling beneath a glowing sphere. Newspapers buzzed with excitement as sightings unfolded night after night, spreading across the country like a raging epidemic. It was the first major group of UFO sightings outside of America, and by the end of the year, more than two thousand reports were made from people from all regions of the country, and all walks of life. Was it signs of an impending alien invasion, or all the outcome of a collective delusion? That was the question posed at the time, and it's still one that's never really been answered. SOURCES Michel, Aimé (1958) Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery. S. G. Phillips Inc. NY, USA. Graeme Rendall (2024) The French UFO Wave of 1954. Independently Published. Gross, P. (2025). UFOS at close sight: the 1954 French flap sightings catalogue. Patrickgross.org. https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/1954/1954.html ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surely Henry V can't like what he's about to do, but he knows enough about what cruelty can deliver. It's 1418 and his forces have been instructed to lay siege to Normandy's glittering capital, Rouen. If he takes this city, Henry places himself in prime position to take the French crown. With this stakes this high, Rouen's starved and desperate citizens call for help from Paris. It falls on deaf ears.  To hear about the last time an English monarch invaded France, listen back to The Battle of Crecy in season 6.  Remember, you can always delve deeper into the history behind each episode by becoming a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes — now available to watch on video — you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, chat with Dan and the team, and get exclusive access to behind the scenes extras just for favourites.  Don't miss out. Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory  –  A Sony Music Entertainment production.  Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts  To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com  Learn more about your ad choices.  Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  Written and presented by Dan Jones Producer - Alan Weedon  Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Executive Producer - Simon Poole Production Manager - Jen Mistri  Production coordinator - Eric Ryan  Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux Head of content - Chris Skinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're unpacking a topic that so many families struggle to understand—Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD—especially when it shows up in children. My guest is Dr. Tamar Chansky, a clinical psychologist and author of the newly updated and revised edition of her seminal book Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In our conversation, Tamar and I talk about how our understanding of OCD has evolved over the past 25 years, what intrusive thoughts really are, and how parents can recognize and respond to them with compassion and clarity. Tamar walks us through her five-step approach for helping kids manage OCD effectively, and she offers a message of hope—reminding us that with the right support, children can learn to take charge of their thoughts and lead full, joyful lives. About Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D. Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D., founder of the Children's and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety, has helped thousands of children overcome fears and gripping mental compulsions. She is also the author of Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking, Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Freeing Yourself from Anxiety. Things you'll learn from this episode How OCD can deeply impact family life and why awareness and understanding make such a difference Why recognizing the difference between typical anxiety and OCD is key to getting the right support How intrusive thoughts are more common than many realize—and can be effectively managed with treatment Why parents play a central role in helping children navigate OCD using structured, behavior-focused approaches How the five-step model empowers families to support change without reinforcing compulsions Why education, support, and understanding can ease parental fears and lead to better outcomes for kids Resources mentioned Dr. Tamar Chansky's website Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Powerful, Practical Program for Parents of Children and Adolescents (Updated in 2025) by Dr. Tamar  Chansky Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking: Powerful, Practical Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Resilience, Flexibility, and Happiness by Dr. Tamar Chansky Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: Practical Strategies to Overcome Fears, Worries, and Phobias and Be Prepared for Life–from Toddlers to Teens by Dr. Tamar Chansky Children's and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety in Plymouth Meeting, PA Dr. Tamar Chansky on How to Free Children from Negative Thinking (Full-Tilt Parenting podcast) Tamar on Instagram Natasha Daniels on Helping Kids Crush OCD (Full-Tilt Parenting podcast) Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids: 50 Fun Activities to Overcome OCD With CBT and Exposures by Natasha Daniels Filmmaker Chris Baier Helps Families Get Unstuck from OCD (Tilt Parenting Podcast) UNSTUCK: An OCD Kids Movie (Available with Spanish, French, Russian, Greek, Portuguese subtitles and an audio description) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did a story made up by a mother for her sick children turn into Babar The Elephant? Why did two immigrants to France create such a patriotically French cartoon in Asterix and Obelix? How should we feel about racist depictions of people of colour in beloved children's cartoons today? Listen as William and Anita explore the controversial debates about two of the most beloved cartoons from twentieth-century France: Asterix the Gaul, and Babar The Elephant. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Email: empire@goalhanger.comInstagram: @empirepodukBlue Sky: @empirepodukX: @empirepodukProducer: Anouska LewisAssistant Producer: Alfie RoweExecutive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet Penelope Fletcher, who runs two Paris bookshops, side by side near the Luxembourg Gardens. The shops: The Red Wheelbarrow and The Red Balloon The Red Balloon is just for children's books, and is almost certainly the most likely of all shops in Paris to have all our own children's books.  Addresses: 9-11 Rue de Médicis, 75006. This episode is from The Earful Tower podcast archives.  Here are all the books that Penelope mentioned, in order: Books for adults Stories from the Magic Canoe of Wa'xaid, by Cecil Paul.  A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway. Selected Letters, by Madame De Sevigne. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, by Gertrude Stein. The Flight Portfolio, by Julie Orringer. Almost French, by Sarah Turnbull. Circe, by Madeline Miller. Walking on the Ceiling, by Aysegül Savas. Demystifying the French, by Janet Hulstrand. Books for children Paris Chien, Adventures of an Expat Dog, by Jackie Clark. Marielle in Paris, by Maxine Schur. I'm sure you can find these and more at The Red Wheelbarrow. Check out the site here. Music in the episode was from Pres Maxson, his take on the classic Charles Aznavour song Hier encore. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For the past 92 months and counting it has cost just $10 a month to unlock almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris.  Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.  For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links: Website  Weekly newsletter  Walking Tours

This week we talk about Venezuela, casus belli, and drug smuggling.We also discuss oil reserves, Maduro, and Machado.Recommended Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnimanTranscriptVenezuela, which suffered all sorts of political and economic crises under former president Hugo Chávez, has suffered even more of the same, and on a more dramatic scale, under Chávez's successor, Nicolás Maduro.Both Chávez and Maduro have ruled over autocratic regimes, turning ostensibly democratic Venezuelan governments into governments ruled by a single person, and those they like and empower and reward, over time removing anyone from power who might challenge them, and collapsing all checks and balances within the structure of their government.They still hold elections, then, but like in Russia, the voting is just for show, the outcome predetermined, and anyone who gets too popular and who isn't favored by the existing regime is jailed or killed or otherwise neutralized; the votes are then adjusted when necessary to make it look like the regime is still popular, and anyone who challenges that seeming popularity is likewise taken care of.As a result of that state of affairs, an unpopular regime with absolute power running things into the ground over the course of two autocrats' administrations, Venezuela has suffered immense hyperinflation, high levels of crime and widespread disease, ever-increasing mortality rates, and even starvation, as fundamentals like food periodically become scarce. This has led to a swell of emigration out of the country, which has, during the past decade, become the largest ever recorded refugee crisis in the Americas, those who leave mostly flooding into neighboring countries like Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.As of 2025, it's estimated that nearly 8 million people, more than 20% of Venezuela's entire population as of 2017, has fled the country to get away from the government, its policies, its collapsed economy, and the cultural homogeny that has led to so much crime, conflict, and oppression of those not favored by the people in charge.This has also led to some Venezuelans trying to get into the US, which was part of the justification for a proposed invasion of the country, by the US government, under the first Trump administration in 2017.The idea was that this is a corrupt, weak government that also happens to possess the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Its production of oil has collapsed along with everything else, in part because the government is so ineffectual, and in part because of outside forces, like longstanding sanctions by the US, which makes selling and profiting from said oil on the global market difficult.Apparently, though, Trump also just liked the idea of invading Venezuela through US ally Colombia, saying—according to Trump's National Security advisor at the time, John Bolton—that Venezuela is really part of the US, so it would be “cool” for the US to take it. Trump also later said, in 2023, that when he left office Venezuela was about to collapse, and that he would have taken it over if he had been reelected instead of losing to Joe Biden, and the US would have then kept all the country's oil.So there's long been a seeming desire by Trump to invade Venezuela, partly on vibe grounds, the state being weak and why shouldn't we own it, that kind of thing? But underlying that is the notion of the US being a country that can stomp into weaker countries, take their oil, and then nation-build, similar to what the government seemed to be trying to do when it invaded Iraq in the early 2000s, using 9/11 as a casus belli, an excuse to go to war, with an uninvolved nation that happened to own a bunch of oil resources the US government wanted for itself.What I'd like to talk about today is the seeming resurgence of that narrative, but this time with an, actual tangible reason to believe an invasion of Venezuela might occur sometime soon.—As I mentioned, though previously kind of a success story in South America, bringing people in from all over the continent and the world, Venezuela has substantially weakened under its two recent autocratic leaders, who have rebuilt everything in their image, and made corruption and self-serving the main driver behind their decisions for the direction of the country.A very popular candidate, María Corina Machado, was barred from participating in the country's 2024 election, the country's Supreme Court ruling that a 15-year ban on her holding public office because of her involvement with an alleged plot against Maduro with a previous candidate for office, Juan Guaido; Guiado is now in exile, run out of the country for winning an election against Maduro, which Maduro's government has claimed wasn't legit, but which dozens of governments recognize as having been legitimate, despite Maduro's clinging to power after losing.So Machado is accused of being corrupt by Maduro's corrupt government, and thus isn't allowed to run for office. Another candidate that she wanted to have run in her place was also declared ineligible by Maduro's people, so another sub was found, Edmundo González, and basically every outside election watchdog group says that he won in 2024, and handedly, over Maduro. But the government's official results say that's not the case, that Maduro won, and that has created even more conflict and chaos in the country as it's become clearer and clearer that there's no way to oust the autocrat in control of the government—not through the voting box, at least.This is part of what makes Venezuela an even more appealing target, for the Trump administration, right now, because not only is Maduro incredibly unpopular and running the country into the ground, there's also a very popular alternative, in the shape of María Corina Machado, who could conceivably take control of things should Maduro be toppled. So there's a nonzero chance that if someone, like the US military, were to step in and either kill Maduro or run him out of town, they could make a very sweet deal with the incoming Machado government, including a deal that grants access to all that currently underutilized oil wealth.This is theoretical right now, but recent moves by the US government and military suggest it might not remain theoretical for much longer.In mid-November, 2025, the US Navy moved the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean—the USS Gerald R Ford being an aircraft carrier, and the strike group being the array of ships and aircraft that accompany it—it was moved there from the Eastern Mediterranean, where it was moved following the attack on Israel that led to Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip.This, by itself, doesn't necessarily mean anything; the shifting of aircraft carrier groups is often more symbolic than practical. But the US government has suggested it might us these vessels and aircraft to strike drug manufacturers across South and Central America, and specifically in Venezuela.This is being seen as an escalation of an already fraught moment in the region, because the US has launched a series of strikes against small boats in the area, beginning back in September of 2025.These boats, according to the US government, are drug smuggling vessels, bringing fentanyl, among other drugs, to US shores. So the idea is that the people aboard these boats are criminals who are killing folks in the US by bringing this drug, which is highly addictive and super potent, and thus more likely to kill its users than other opioids, into the country for illegal sale and distribution. So, the claim goes, this is a justified use of force.These strikes have thus far, over the past two months, killed at least 79 people, all alleged by the US government to be drug smugglers, despite some evidence to the contrary, in some cases. The US's allies have not been happy about these strikes, including allies the government usually relies on to help with drug-related detection and interdiction efforts, including regional governments that take action to keep drugs from shuffling around the region and eventually ending up in the US.Many US allies have also called the strikes illegal. The French foreign minister recently said they violate international law, and the EU's foreign policy chief said something similar, indicating that such use of force is only valid in cases of self-defense, and when there's a UN Security council resolution on the matter.Canadian and Dutch governments have been doing what they can to distance themselves from the strikes, without outright criticizing the at times vindictive US government, and some regional allies, like Colombia, have been signaling that they'll be less cooperative with the US when it comes to drug-related issues, saying that they would no longer share intelligence with the US until they stop the strikes, which they've called “extrajudicial executions.”An extrajudicial killing is one that is not lawful; it doesn't have the backing of a judicial proceeding, and thus lacks the authority typically granted by the proper facets of a government. Lacking such authority, killing is illegal. Given said authority, though, a killing can be made legal, at least according to the laws of the government doing the killing.The argument here is that while governments can usually get away with killing people, only authoritarian regimes typically and regularly to use that power to kill folks without going through the proper channels and thus getting the legal authority to do so.In this case, the facts seem to support the accusations of those who are saying these killings aren't legally legitimate: the Trump administration has launched these attacks on these vessels without going through the usual channels, and without declaring Congressionally approved war on anyone in particular. They've instead claimed that drug cartels are terrorists, and have said that anyone they suspect of smuggling drugs, or who they suspect in any way might be involved with the illegal drug making and smuggling industry, can be considered enemy, non-state combatants that they're allowed to kill at will.And as part of that declaration that the US government has the right to kill anyone they like who's involved in drug smuggling, in late-October 2025 it was reported that the US has identified targets on land, as well, some of these targets located within ports and airstrips across Venezuela, including those used by the Venezuelan government, which the Maduro regime allegedly also uses for drug smuggling purposes.This loops us back around to that original possibility that the Trump administration, looking for a casus belli, an excuse to go to war with Venezuela, may be using these strikes and the drug smuggling industry to get social and maybe legal backing for strikes that reach closer and closer to Maduro and the Venezuelan military.If the US were to strike some vital Venezuelan military ports, using drug smuggling as justification, but taking out Venezuelan military infrastructure and/or people in the process, would that be an act of war? Would that trigger a response from Maduro? Could that response then allow the US military to claim self-defense?These questions are up in the air right now, and that confusion could provide the opportunity to move fast and not have to suffer legal consequences until all is said and done, but it could also help shape the outcome of those decisions: ask for forgiveness, not permission, basically, but maybe not even forgiveness, if other aspects of the government come to support the Trump administration's decisions and rule in their favor, after the fact.Some analysts have said they suspect this drumbeat toward war with Venezuela is meant to solve several problems for the Trump administration. It could help them deal with plummeting approval numbers leading into a midterm election in 2026, and it could also give Trump himself cover from the escalating issue of the Epstein files, which, among other things, seem to connect Trump with someone who's become the world's most famous human trafficker and pedophile even more tightly than before.This sort of process may also serve to slowly bolster the perception that the presidency has more powers than it has traditionally wielded, like the ability to unilaterally declare war, even though such powers are supposed to rest with Congress; an extension of other efforts by this administration to reinforce the presidency at the expense of the checks and balances that are meant to keep the US government from becoming an autocracy, like the one in Venezuela.Show Noteshttps://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/01/27/venezuela-s-supreme-court-disqualifies-opposition-leader-from-running-for-president_6469941_4.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/06/venezuela-election-maduro-analysishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Venezuelan_presidential_electionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_Strike_Group_12https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/15/politics/venezuela-trump-military-what-we-knowhttps://www.cnn.com/2025/11/12/americas/venezuela-us-aircraft-carrier-reaction-latam-intlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/us/politics/trump-pressure-venezuela.htmlhttps://www.npr.org/2025/11/15/nx-s1-5609888/aircraft-carrier-caribbean-venezuela-military-actionhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/16/us-rogue-state-extrajudicial-killings-venezuelahttps://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/15/trump-maduro-venezuela-column-00652369https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/justice-department-drug-boat-strike-memo-83711582https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/world/americas/trump-drug-boat-strikes-colombian-fisherman.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7810w37vwdohttps://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2025/11/13/colombia-to-suspend-intelligence-sharing-with-us-over-boat-strikes/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_military_strikes_on_alleged_drug_traffickershttps://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2025/11/trump-boat-strikes-killings-venezuela/684921/https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/trump-boat-strikes-drug-9bbbeb90?mod=hp_lead_pos11https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrajudicial_killinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_in_Venezuelahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_refugee_crisishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_United_States_invasion_of_Venezuela This is a public episode. 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November 18th: Pierre Chanal Born (1946) There are some cases that, when looked at from an outside perspective, are very clearly mishandled. On November 18th 1946 the man at the center of what was later considered one of the most badly bungled investigations in French history was born. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Chanal, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/oct/16/france.jonhenley, https://murderpedia.org/male.C/c/chanal-pierre.htm, https://julesyus.medium.com/the-french-serial-killer-commando-9a374a18b784 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following God does not always mean understanding God.  In fact, following God can lead us away from comfort, conformity, and communities we once loved. Few people are living that story more authentically than my guest Nancy French. She is a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter who has a dramatic story of her very own. Nancy has been abused and alienated by the people she trusted most, yet she's continued to show up to her life and to the good/hard work God has for her.I adore this woman and the way she's navigating the complex landscape of her life. In our conversation, she was so generous to share how she's reconciling loving God more than ever even when the church confuses her, how she's pursuing unity with people who see the world differently, and how she's raising resilient kids. You do not want to miss this hour with my new friend Nancy French.Show NotesMake a donation to Hope Heals at hopeheals.com/support.What we mentioned:Ghosted: An American Story by Nancy French - https://a.co/d/cRyFY5bAll My Knotted Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore - https://a.co/d/5ignBRQWhere the Light Fell: A Memoir by Philip Yancey - https://a.co/d/7iX4U2eThe Holy Post Podcast - https://pod.link/591157388Good Faith Podcast - https://pod.link/1594454747Beth Moore on The GoodHard Story Podcast - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/NDdjMDEzNWEtMDU1NS00YWVkLWEwZDgtNGNlNWM4MzQxYWQzWhere to find Nancy:Website: nancyfrench.comTwitter / X: @nancyafrenchScriptures we referenced:James 1:4Ecclesiastes 7:2For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me: https://hopeheals.com/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664bebWant a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, a monthly digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet's most redemptive content: http://eepurl.com/gGUnlfGet to know us:⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/spaces⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.com/Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

Nataliia Richardson won the hearts of viewers on this year's edition of the Great British Bake Off. Now, the fan-favourite is in the Ukrainecast studio to discuss starring on the show. She also talks about growing up in Ukraine, moving to the UK six months before the full-scale invasion, and keeping in touch with family and friends in the occupied territories.Plus, Victoria and Vitaly run through the weekend's events - from Poland's claims of "foreign" sabotage on a key Ukrainian aid route, to the promise of new French fighter jets, and the latest on the corruption scandal in Ukraine's embattled energy sector.Today's episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Laurie Kalus, Julia Webster and Adriana Urbano. The technical producer was Jack Graysmark. The executive producer was Lewis Vickers. The series producer is Chris Flynn. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord