Podcasts about British

England refused to let us use OUR military base in England when we attacked Iran. They didn't let us use our base because they didn't want to offend the Muslims in England. Muslims have conquered England. Is it too late for the British to take it back? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to lead one of the world's most powerful banks when the global financial system is on the brink of collapse? As CEO for Goldman Sachs from 2006 to 2018, Lloyd Blankfein was at the helm as the global financial system teetered on collapse. He successfully steered the company through the most devastating financial crisis of our age, and stabilised its ascent for the following decade. His story is one of decisive global leadership at the top of one of the most competitive and successful corporations in the world.  In this episode he speaks to Lionel Barber about his journey from the public housing projects of Brooklyn to the highest level of global finance. Drawing on his new memoir, Streetwise: Getting to and Through Goldman Sachs, Blankfein revisits the decisions that defined an era, and what his long tenure taught him about leadership, human nature, financial capitalism.  Lionel Barber is a journalist and the former Editor of the Financial Times, and author of The Gambling Man. This episode is created in partnership with Guinness Global Investors, an independent British fund manager that helps both individuals and institutions harness the future drivers of growth to achieve their investment goals. To find out more, head to guinnessgi.com If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside London is a one-square-mile entity older than Parliament itself. It has its own mayor. Its own police. Its own flag. And a permanent representative embedded inside the British legislature who has never been elected.This is the City of London Corporation — and for centuries, it financed the British Empire.But when that empire collapsed after World War II, something unusual happened. The land empire ended. The financial empire didn't.In 1957, a quiet regulatory decision birthed the Eurodollar market — and the City reinvented itself as the center of global offshore banking. Using jurisdictions like Jersey, Cayman, and the British Virgin Islands, it built what researchers call "the spider's web": a hidden empire for moving capital outside normal regulation.The old empire ruled territory. The new empire rules liquidity.This episode investigates:• The medieval charter that still protects the Square Mile• The Remembrancer — the City's unelected agent inside Parliament• How the Eurodollar market rewired global finance• The birth of offshore banking and the spider's web• Why the British Empire didn't disappear — it went underground

England refused to let us use OUR military base in England when we attacked Iran. They didn't let us use our base because they didn't want to offend the Muslims in England. Muslims have conquered England. Is it too late for the British to take it back? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

British pedal steel guitar legend BJ Cole joins me on the show today. BJ is a masterful steel player - very inventive and textural but with incredible chops and skills as well. He's amassed an incredible body of solo work over the years, but has also been the top call steel session player in the UK for decades. He had a very solitary musical start, but got into country bands in England and eventually started gigging and playing sessions. Things changed for BJ when he got called to play steel on Elton John's “Tiny Dancer” in 1971. He laid down some very tasty and memorable steel parts on that hit, and the phone started ringing big time. BJ has played on records and toured with an incredible array of artists like Joan Armatrading, Marc Bolan, KD Lang, Beck, Bjork, Sting, John Cale, Brian Eno and many more.He's also always written and recorded his own music and collaborations, which have been all over the place musically and are a great way to delve into his musical brain. There's a new collab with cellist Emily Burridge - cello and steel duets that's really cool, and his solo albums like Transparent Music, The New Hovering Dog, Trouble in Paradise - all great albums well worth checking out. We get into all it, plus some seriously nerdy pedal steel talk.You can keep up to date on BJ's latest projects and tours at bjcole.co.ukEnjoy my conversation with BJ Cole!This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1960, as he headed home from military service, the King of Rock 'n' Roll made an unexpected stop at Prestwick Airport.It's believed to be the only time Elvis Presley is known to have set foot on British soil.It was only a brief visit, but for 16 year old Anne Murphy, watching him walk down the airplane steps is a memory that has never faded. More than six decades later, she tells Megan Jones what it was like to see Elvis up close.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: Elvis at Prestwick Airport, with Anne Murphy looking up at him. Credit: The Hollywood Archive via Alamy)

Today, President Trump has publicly criticised Keir Starmer saying “This is not Winston Churchill we're dealing with”.The comments came during a press conference at the White House alongside the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. President Trump said he was “not happy with the UK” because of the initial refusal from London to let Washington use the British base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean during its first strikes on Iran.It comes as the UK government has announced it is sending “helicopters with counter drone capabilities” and a warship to the region, after attacks on it's base in Cyprus. Financial markets have also reacted to the uncertainty with oil and gas prices rising, and share prices down. Adam and Chris are joined by Jane Corbin, Panorama Film Maker and Dharshini David Deputy Economics Editor. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can take part in the Newscast census here - https://bbc.in/newscastcensusYou can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Shiler Mahmoudi and Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Jack Graysmark. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Luca, Stelios and Josh discuss the British position on Iran, Scotland's migrant problems, and the EU's insane plans to stop terrorism.

Robyn Openshaw reads the Guiding Principles, and half the Intro, of her NEW BOOK, an expose on the supplements industry, here. Subscribe so that you can listen to upcoming subsequent chapters, as she reads the whole book. Or, get the professionally recorded and edited version on Audible, where British co-author Mike Fairclough narrates half the chapters! Connect With Me: Blog Website LINKS AND RESOURCES: Watch Video Version Here: Youtube Video- Subscribe now! Robyn's Substack– Subscribe HERE! Get your Take Daily Come DETOX with Robyn! Join Robyn’s personal-interaction Health Coaching Group Join Robyn for a free class for Bitcoin Insiders **Get this episode's resources: The post Ep. 360: Take Daily: How Supplements Hijack Our Health. First Chapter Author Reads appeared first on GreenSmoothieGirl.

President Trump says the U.S. operation against Iran was projected to last four to five weeks. The president also laid out the operation's four objectives. That's as the nation now mourns six U.S. troops killed in Operation Epic Fury.Israel is expanding strikes on Beirut after Iran retaliated for the killing of its supreme leader and nearly 50 top officials. The conflict is rapidly escalating across the region.Meanwhile, the Iran war is affecting U.S. partners across multiple continents. Iran attacked a British military base in Cyprus, dragging a NATO member into the conflict. And countries in the Middle East are pausing their much-needed energy production.

Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a BrandMost founders expand the “right” way: local → regional → national → international.Cameron Healy totally skipped the “national” part. When Kettle Chips was still an upstart regional brand, Cameron made a move that seems almost reckless: he launched his thick-cut, kettle-cooked chips to the United Kingdom — one of the most competitive “crisps” markets on earth — before conquering the U.S.And that wasn't his first risky move. Before Kettle, Cameron was a turban-wearing Sikh entrepreneur in 1970s Salem, Oregon, building a natural foods business…until he was abruptly fired. He started again from scratch with a $10,000 bank loan. Inspired by the extra thick, crunchy potato chips that he sampled on a trip to Hawaii, he taught himself how to fry sliced potatoes through trial-and-error. Then, just as Kettle started taking off overseas, another trip to Hawaii sparked a second act: Kona Brewing — a craft beer brand that initially lost $20K a month — for years — before Cameron was able to make it work.Meanwhile, buoyed by its UK success, Kettle chips eventually spread across the US, becoming the top-selling natural chip in the country. What you'll learnThe hidden details (like cooking-oil quality control) that can make or break a chipHow curiosity about British “crisp” culture fueled a risky UK rolloutThe decision that turned Kona Brewing from a money pit into a scalable brandTimestamps07:21 — “You had to get up at 3 a.m.”: building a life in a Sikh community in Salem10:11 — Fired with four kids and no severance: the moment Cameron is forced to rebuild12:04 — The $10K loan (helped along by the offer of ski passes)14:06 — The 1980 peanut crop gamble that suddenly capitalized Cameron's business23:14 — “Pot Chips” was the original name…until friends told him how bad it was24:48 — Hand-feeding potatoes into vats of oil: inventing a process with zero playbook29:10 — The Safeway disaster: rancid oil, a rejected order, and demand evaporating overnight31:52 — The car crash that jolted Cameron out of despair46:35 — UK word-of-mouth “switches on”--with an extra boost from Lady Di56:03 — Kona Brewing bleeds money…until one decision turns things around***Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you're building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they're facing right now. Advice that's smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call. We can't wait to hear what you're working on.***This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Donald Trump has warned that more American military personnel are likely to be killed as the US and Israel continue their attacks on Iran. Three US service members have already died after Iranian retaliatory strikes on military sites. Trump says Operation Epic Fury could last weeks. Also: the conflict widens as Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire, with the IDF hitting targets in Beirut's southern suburbs. Oil prices surge after Iran warns tankers to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. The UK says it will allow the US to use British bases. And we look at Mossad and the CIA's intelligence efforts to carry out the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 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.ukImage credit: Truth Social/Reuters

Another Marvel Monday is here! Let's kick off the week with Iron Man 3. ABOUT IRON MAN 3 When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution. AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR IRON MAN 3 May 3, 2013 | Theatrical Release CAST & CREW OF IRON MAN 3 Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts Don Cheadle as Colonel James Rhodes/War Machine Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery BRAN'S MOVIE SYNOPSIS We're back in 1999 in Switzerland on New Year's Eve. Tony Stark is hanging out with scientist Maya Hansen, who's showing him some new experimental regenerative tech called Extremis. It's supposed to heal the human body — but there's a big problem with it: sometimes it explodes. Also at the party, Tony gets approached by Aldrich Killian, who awkwardly pitches him on joining his company, Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM). Tony blows him off in the most Tony way possible — tells him to meet on the roof later and then never shows up because he's too busy with Maya. Cut to the present day, and Tony is not doing great. Ever since the alien invasion in New York, he's been having nonstop panic attacks. He barely sleeps, he keeps building new Iron Man suits, and it's putting serious strain on his relationship with Pepper — especially when he accidentally summons a suit in his sleep and it crashes down on top of her. One day Killian shows up to Stark Industries to pitch Pepper on AIM's tech. She's impressed but can tell it's clearly headed toward becoming a weapon, so she turns him down. Happy overhears the meeting and gets bad vibes from Killian and his associate, Eric Savin, so he starts following them. Happy tails Savin into a crowded market and watches him hand off a briefcase to a military veteran. Inside are these weird glowing capsules that look like drugs or something. Happy confronts the guy, things get physical, and that's when he realizes Savin is basically a human weapon. It ends horribly — there's a massive explosion, and Happy is left critically injured in the hospital. A terrorist known as the Mandarin takes credit for the blast, along with several others around the country. Furious about what happened to Happy, Tony goes on live TV, calls out the Mandarin, and — in a truly terrible decision — gives him his home address. Yeah. That backfires immediately. Before the attack, Maya Hansen shows up trying to warn Tony about something, but she doesn't get the chance. Moments later, helicopters roll in and absolutely level Tony's Malibu mansion. Pepper barely survives, and Tony escapes in a new prototype suit that runs out of power mid-flight and crash-lands in rural Tennessee. The world assumes Iron Man is dead. Stranded with a half-working suit, Tony meets a smart kid named Harley who helps him regroup. Together they investigate the site of a nearby Mandarin explosion, and Tony starts noticing a pattern: all the victims are military veterans connected to AIM. After hacking into AIM's systems, Tony learns the truth — the "bombings" aren't terrorist attacks at all. They're caused by failed Extremis experiments. Some people's bodies reject it and literally blow up, and Killian has been covering it up by framing the "Mandarin". Savin tracks Tony down and attacks him, giving him his first real look at how powerful Extremis is. Following the trail to Miami, Tony storms the Mandarin's hideout using homemade weapons since he still doesn't have a working suit — only to discover the Mandarin isn't a mastermind terrorist at all. He's just a clueless British actor named Trevor who was hired to play the role, created by Killian to have someone to blame. Killian then kidnaps Pepper and injects her with Extremis, planning to use her as leverage to force Tony to help perfect the tech. When Maya changes her mind and tries to stop him, Killian kills her real bad. Killian also lures Rhodey — now rebranded as the Iron Patriot — into a trap and steals his armor. Using it, Killian kidnaps the President right off Air Force One in a staged "Mandarin" attack. Tony manages to remotely save some passengers, but the President is taken. The plan? Kill the President live on TV and install the Vice President — who Killian has been secretly giving Extremis to — as a puppet leader. With Tony & Rhodey teaming up, Rhodes rescues the President while Tony goes after Pepper. Tony calls in all of his Iron Man suits that he has been creating while not sleeping and they swarm the platform in an all-out battle. Pepper survives the Extremis procedure and turns out to be incredibly powerful, but during the fight she falls into the flames below, and Tony thinks she's dead. Tony confronts Killian and traps him in a suit that self-destructs — but it still doesn't finish him off. And since the explosion didn't kill Killian, maybe the explosion didn't kill Pepper. That's right - Pepper's alive. Extremis healed her and gave her super strength, and she uses it to finally kill Killian for good. After the fight, Tony has JARVIS destroy all of his Iron Man suits, Pepper's Extremis is stabilized, and Tony finally has the shrapnel removed from his chest. But he'll always be….IRON Man 3. Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

18 years after her wrongful arrest for the murder of 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher, Amanda Knox returns to Perugia, Italy, to confront the man who led an aggressive prosecution against her: Dr Giuliano Mignini.    In this episode, Laura Richards deconstructs the psychological and systemic failures—including confirmation bias and media distortion - that allowed a "fictionalized" narrative to supersede forensic reality – for nearly a decade.   Key Discussion Points & Behavioral Analysis: ·       The Prosecutorial Narrative: Amanda reflects on how the prosecution built a case around a "sex game gone wrong," a story that persisted despite the lack of forensic evidence connecting her to the crime and only one suspects, Rudy Guede's, DNA at the crime scene. ·       Systemic Failures: A deep dive into the legal hurdles and institutional injustices that denied Amanda a fair trial, including the early "fast-track" trial of Rudy Guede that effectively shielded him from public scrutiny while Amanda remained the media's focus. ·       The Psychology of Public Vilification: Laura explores the "Foxy Knoxy" tabloid phenomenon, analyzing how confirmation bias and sexualized media tropes were used to dehumanize Amanda and influence public perception. ·       Confronting the "Wolf": Amanda discusses her decision to meet face-to-face with lead prosecutor Dr Giuliano Mignini. She explores the complex journey from being a "hurt person" seeking understanding to finding the capacity for grace and regular correspondence with the man who imprisoned her. ·       Documenting Trauma: Christopher Robinson shares the emotional weight of filming Amanda's return to Italy, balancing his dual roles as a protective husband and a filmmaker capturing raw, often unflattering moments of vulnerability and healing.  ·       Watch Mouth of the Wolf on Disney Plus and Hulu. ·         #MeredithKercher #AmandaKnox #RudyGuede #Podcast #TrueCrime #CrimeAnalyst #CriminalBehaviouralAnalysis #Forensics #Police #Advocacy #ItalianPolice #Mignini #truecrimepodcast #podcast #expert #expertanalysis    Clip  https://youtu.be/2MkaH9qgZwk?si=aea9UgTcXdKk0HyI  More from Amanda and Christopher:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39365783/        • The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox | Official...       2026 Masterclasses and Crime Analyst Resources and Community       Laura offers 2026 Masterclasses : University Accredited DASH Risk Masterclass March 11 and 12 and DASH Train the Trainer.    Register for Masterclasses         www.dashriskchecklist.com   www.thelaurarichards.com         For more insight and knowledge, advocacy and professional development join The Crime Analyst Squad. It's a growing and dynamic community offering expert insight, in-depth conversations, exclusive episodes and videos, and live events:    www.Patreon.com/CrimeAnalyst     Subscribe to Crime Analyst YouTube: @crimeanalyst       Facebook: Crime Analyst Podcast       Instagram: @crimeanalyst, @laurarichards999       Threads: @crimeanalyst       X (Twitter): @thecrimeanalyst, @laurarichards999       TikTok: @crimeanalystpod       Website: www.crime-analyst.com         If you found this episode valuable, please consider leaving a five-star review wherever you listen.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

History must be studied to put current events in context. Iran is the latest example. In 1953, the CIA and British intelligence orchestrated a coup to overthrow Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, who had nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later British Petroleum). The Shaw was installed returning majority control of the oil business back to the USA and UK. Since the Islamic revolution that ousted the Shaw in 1979, all we have done is demonize Iran. What is the truth? The narratives of those in power will always shape a story that benefits them and their objectives. Question everything. Wars are not quick, not simple and always lead to unanticipated consequences.  #BardsFM_Morning #Propaganda  #QuestionEverything Bards Nation Health Store: www.bardsnationhealth.com EnviroKlenz Air Purification, promo code BARDS to save 10%: www.enviroklenz.com EMPShield protect your vehicles and home. Promo code BARDS: Click here MYPillow promo code: BARDS >> Go to https://www.mypillow.com/bards and use the promo code BARDS or... Call 1-800-975-2939.  White Oak Pastures Grassfed Meats, Get $20 off any order $150 or more. Promo Code BARDS: www.whiteoakpastures.com/BARDS BardsFM CAP, Celebrating 50 Million Downloads: https://ambitiousfaith.net Morning Intro Music Provided by Brian Kahanek: www.briankahanek.com Windblown Media 20% Discount with promo code BARDS: windblownmedia.com Founders Bible 20% discount code: BARDS >>> TheFoundersBible.com Mission Darkness Faraday Bags and RF Shielding. Promo code BARDS: Click here EMF Solutions to keep your home safe: https://www.emfsol.com/?aff=bards Treadlite Broadforks...best garden tool EVER. Promo code BARDS: TreadliteBroadforks.com No Knot Today Natural Skin Products: NoKnotToday.com Health, Nutrition and Detox Consulting: HealthIsLocal.com Destination Real Food Book on Amazon: click here Images In Bloom Soaps and Things: ImagesInBloom.com Angeline Design: AngelineDesign.com DONATE: Click here Mailing Address: Xpedition Cafe, LLC Attn. Scott Kesterson 591 E Central Ave, #740 Sutherlin, OR  97479

What if the biggest secret in UFO history isn't alien… it's angelic? Or demonic. Or somewhere in that awkward in-between where rockets and ritual candles share shelf space.This week, we plunge headfirst into one of the strangest rabbit holes in modern conspiracy lore: the alleged “Collins Elite” — a rumored faction inside the U.S. government that supposedly concluded UFOs aren't extraterrestrials at all, but deceptive spiritual entities. We unpack where the story comes from, what believers claim insiders discovered, and why some say disclosure could be less about little green men and more about theological shockwaves.But that's just the warm-up.Did Allied intelligence really brush shoulders with a British occultist during WWII? Was Aleister Crowley pitching magical countermeasures against Nazi symbolism? And how does rocket pioneer Jack Parsons' sex-magic rituals tie into the birth of the modern UFO era?We explore the full fringe narrative — demons disguised as aliens, ritual “doorways,” Cold War psychic programs, and secret spiritual warfare in the Pentagon — while also laying out the documented history, the skepticism, and the very human tendency to mythologize the unknown.Is this a hidden chapter of national security history… or a masterclass in how conspiracies evolve when secrecy meets symbolism?Strap in. It's rockets, rituals, remote viewing, and Revelation — this week on Hysteria 51.Special thanks to this week's research sources:Congressional & Government RecordsU.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth.” Hearing, November 13, 2024.https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/unidentified-anomalous-phenomena-exposing-the-truth/U.S. Congress. “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth.” 118th Congress Hearing Record.https://www.congress.gov/118/chrg/CHRG-118hhrg57440/CHRG-118hhrg57440.pdfShellenberger, Michael. Written Testimony. U.S. House Oversight Committee, November 13, 2024.https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Written-Testimony-Shellenberger.pdfCentral Intelligence Agency. “STARGATE Collection.” CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room.https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/collection/stargateCentral Intelligence Agency. “An Evaluation of the Remote Viewing Program.”https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00791R000200180005-5.pdfCentral Intelligence Agency. “Project MKULTRA.” CIA FOIA Reading Room.https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/06760269U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “Project MKULTRA, the CIA's Program of Research in Behavioral Modification.” Hearing, August 3, 1977.https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/sites-default-files-hearings-95mkultra.pdfU.S. Department of Defense. FOIA Reading Room Release referencing MKOFTEN and related research.https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/NCB/02-A-0846_RELEASE.pdfCollins Elite & Demonic UFO ClaimsRedfern, Nick. Final Events: Demonic UFOs, Alien Abductions, the Government, and the Afterlife. Anomalist Books, 2010.“Final Events.” Wikipedia.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_EventsMilburn, F. “The Pentagon's UAP Task Force.” BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,836, 2020.https://besacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/183-Milburn-study-final.pdfOccult & WWII ContextCrowley, Aleister. Biographical overview.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley“V sign.” Wikipedia (Crowley and WWII ‘V for Victory' claims).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_signParsons, Jack. Biographical overview.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Parsons“Sex-Cult Rocket Man.” JSTOR Daily.https://daily.jstor.org/sex-cult-rocket-man/Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas. The Occult Roots of Nazism. NYU Press.https://nyupress.org/9780814730607/occult-roots-of-nazism/Media CoverageMedill on the Hill. “UAP Hearing Coverage.” November 2024.https://medillonthehill.medill.northwestern.edu/2024/11/uap/Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comHelp Support the Show:Get exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1Shop:Be the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We hear from Lebanon and head to the Persian Gulf to take a look at the impact on oil prices. Israel's Head of State, President Isaac Herzog speaks to the BBC about his perspective on the conflict. Also on the programme: we hear about the British allied response to the war as Cyprus remains on high alert and Greece sends military vessels and aircraft to help. (Photo: Aftermath of an Israeli & US strike in Gandhi Hotel Hospital in Tehran Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

Harry Benjamin and Jennie Gow are joined by ex-McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley and former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer from Mercedes' Brackley HQ ahead of the new F1 season. With the new rules and regulations dominating the build-up to the 2026 campaign, we ask whether they are a good thing for the sport. Will we have a four-way fight for the title? Will Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari have a resurgence after a disappointing 2025? And how will defending champion Lando Norris fare? We hear from Norris, as well as British rookie Arvid Lindblad, plus motorsport content creator Izzy Hammond joins the team.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Rockets and drones launched from Lebanon set sirens blaring across northern Israel in the early hours of Monday, as the Hezbollah terror group entered the fray to assist its backer, Iran, after the killing of the supreme leader. Fabian describes how this strike from the terror group has allowed the IDF to add Hezbollah heads to an ongoing campaign to decapitate the leadership of Iran. Nine people were killed and more than 40 were injured when a missile destroyed a Beit Shemesh synagogue and caused extensive damage to a public bomb shelter beneath it, as well as surrounding homes. Fabian explains what we know about the failure to down this missile and why the impact was so deadly. Three American soldiers have been killed, and five have been seriously wounded in the ongoing conflict with Iran, the US Central Command said Sunday, announcing the first US casualties in the conflict. We also learn how a strike on a UK base in Cyprus has potentially changed its willingness to aid the effort against Iran. Fabian turns back to 8:10 a.m. on Saturday and explores how the conflict began. Israeli Air Force fighter jets have dropped over 2,000 bombs in strikes against hundreds of Iranian regime targets and military sites since the start of the war with the Islamic Republic on Saturday morning. How does this compare with the June 12-day war? And finally, as Purim is set to begin this evening for most of the Jewish world, are Israelis allowed to gather for the reading of the Book of Esther? Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: IDF strikes in Beirut after Hezbollah enters fray and fires rockets, drones at north Four of the 9 victims of Iranian missile strike on Beit Shemesh named by authorities 9 killed as Iranian missile destroys synagogue, smashes bomb shelter in Beit Shemesh ‘Everything is gone’: Deadly Iranian strike on Beit Shemesh leaves residents reeling 3 American soldiers killed, 5 seriously injured in war with Iran — US military Drone hit British military base in Cyprus, local and UK officials say IDF: Over 2,000 bombs dropped on Iran in 30 hours, air supremacy achieved on 1st day Trump says he’s agreed to talk to Iran’s leaders, but estimates operation will take weeks Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Adina Karpuj. IMAGE: Hezbollah supporters wave their group's flags and an Iranian national flag during a protest in Beirut, Lebanon, February 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Timothy 4:8 NIV “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”   *Transcription Below*   Brian Smith, author of The Christian Athlete: Glorifying God in Sports, is a staff member with Athletes in Action and a cross-country coach at Lowell High School. A former collegiate runner at Wake Forest University, he earned a BA in Communications and Journalism before completing his MA in Theology and Sports Studies at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary. Brian lives in Lowell, MI with his wife and three children. You can find him on Twitter @BrianSmithAIA.   Ed Uszynski is an author, speaker, and sports minister with over three decades' experience discipling college and professional athletes. With a heart for reconciliation and justice, he also works as a racial literacy consultant and marriage conference speaker, blending Biblical wisdom with practical living in the midst of complex cultural realities. He has two theological degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a PhD in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. He and his wife Amy have four children and live in Xenia, Ohio.   The Christian Athlete Website   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Questions and Topics We Cover: What is one of kids' greatest game day complaints?  Is it true that young athletic success is a predictor of adult athletic success? What are a few tips for instilling a heart of gratitude in our young athlete, rather than entitlement?   Related Savvy Sauce Episode: 230 Intentional Parenting in All The Stages with Dr. Rob Rienow   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:51) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today, over 55 years later, at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka.   Owned and operated by the Bertschi family, Sam Leman and Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over Central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at lemangm.com.   Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski are my guests for today.   They are co-authors of this recent amazing book entitled, A Way Game, A Christian Parents Guide to Navigating Youth Sports. And from the very beginning, I was captivated, even with one of the endorsements from Matt Martens, who's the president and CEO of Awana, and he summed it up this way, A Way Game provides a much needed perspective shift on one of the most sacred idols in our culture, youth sports. So, Brian and Ed are all for youth sports, and yet you're going to hear there's a different way to approach it than what we've been trained in culture.   And they're going to share some wonderful and very practical insights. I can't wait to share this with you. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Ed and Brian.   Ed Uszynski & Brian Smith: (1:51 - 1:54) Thanks for having us, Laura. Yeah, good to be here, Laura.   Laura Dugger: (1:54 - 2:04) So, excited about this chat. And will the two of you just start us off by sharing your family's stage of life and your involvement in sports?   Brian Smith: (2:05 - 3:29) Yeah, there could be a lot on the back end of that question. I'll start with sports, then get into family. I've been involved in sports my entire life, played every sport imaginable growing up, got cut from just about every single sport my freshman year of high school, ended up running track and cross country because it was the only sports that you could not get cut from at my high school.   And I ended up being pretty good at it by the time I was a senior, won some state championships, ended up getting a scholarship to run at Wake Forest University. So, I did that for four years right out of college. I coached a little bit collegiately.   Soon after that, I joined staff with a sports ministry called Athletes in Action that Ed and I have a combined 50 years with Athletes in Action. And really, that's been my life ever since. I've been ministering to college and pro athletes, discipling them, helping them figure out what does that actually look like to integrate faith in sport.   Even today, I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I coach high school cross country while I'm still on staff with Athletes in Action. I have a middle school Bible study that I run on Wednesday mornings.   Been married to my wife, who I actually met in high school. She was a distance runner too, and she ran at Wisconsin. So, we've been married for 20 years.   We have three kids, a high schooler, a middle schooler, and an elementary schooler who are all involved in sport at some level, some way, shape, or form.   Laura Dugger: (3:30 - 3:34) Wow, that's incredible. Thank you, Brian. And Ed, what about you?   Ed Uszynski: (3:34 - 5:04) Well, my story is very parallel to Brian's, just different sports and some different numbers. Just tack on 15 years. Yeah, I was a basketball player.   Grew up on the west side of Cleveland with a high school football coach. My dad was, but I was a basketball player. I played at high levels all the way through my 20s, got to play overseas.   I mean, this was a long time ago, but I got everything I could out of that sport. And as soon as I graduated from college, though, I started to work with that Athletes in Action ministry that Brian mentioned. So, I've been working with college and professional athletes for 34 years now.   And same, coached at different levels, have four kids. Amy and I have been married for 26 years. We have four kids, three are in college, and one's in ninth grade, who has a game this afternoon, actually.   So, we've just been going to games and have been involved in going to sports stuff for the last 20 years with our kids. And really what happened with Brian, and I is that we looked up a decade ago and realized this youth sports thing was a fast train that was moving in directions that we weren't used to ourselves, even though we've been around sports our whole life. It's like, there's something different happening now.   And then thinking about it as Christians, like, how do we do this well as Christ followers? We don't want to separate from it. We don't want to just go for the ride. How do we do this as Christian people? And that's what got us talking about it and eventually led to this book.   Laura Dugger: (5:05 - 5:23) Well, the book was easy to read and incredible. And I'd like to start there where you begin, even where you go back before going forward. So, when you're looking back, what are the factors at play that changed youth sports over time?   Ed Uszynski: (5:26 - 6:17) Well, I'll say this and then Brian, maybe you jump in and throw a couple of them out there. I mean, youth sports is a $40 billion industry today, which is wild to think about. It's four times how much money gets spent on the NFL, which is just staggering.   I can't even hardly believe that that's true, but it is. And it's really just in the last 20 years that that's happened. I mean, 50 years ago, you couldn't have had the youth sport industrial complex, as we refer to it.   You couldn't have had it. There were a bunch of things that had to happen culturally, as is true with any new movement or any paradigm shift that happens in culture. You've got to have certain things be true all at the same time that make it possible.   So, Brian, what were a couple of those? Again, I'll throw it over to you. There's six of them that we talk about in the book. And I think it's really fascinating because I'm a history guy.   Brian Smith: (6:18 - 8:40) Yeah. And we can obviously double click on any of these, Laura, that you want to, but we talk about how the college admissions process became an avenue where youth sports parents saw, man, if we can get our kids involved in some extracurriculars and kind of tag on high level athlete to their resume, it actually helps with the college admissions process. And so even the idea of college scholarships became an opportunity for youth sports parents to get their kids involved.   And then, yeah, maybe sports can actually get them into college. We talk about the economic shifts that happen, the rise of safetyism and helicopter parenting. ESPN was a massive one in 1979.   This thing called ESPN starts, and we get 24-7 coverage of sports, which they started exploring even early on. What does it look like to give coverage to something like Little League World Series and saw that it didn't really matter how young the sport was, it's going to draw a national audience. And so, we've almost been discipled by ESPN really over the last 50 years with this consistent coverage.   We talk about the rise of the sports complex. This one to me is like the most fascinating out of all of them. In 1997, Disney decided to try to get more people to come to their parks.   They built a sports complex, just a massive sports complex. The idea was, are the older kids getting sick of the Buzz Lightyear ride and the Disney princesses? So, let's build a sports complex and maybe it'll be something else that will draw this older crowd too.   And what happened was, I mean, a lot of people started coming to it, but kind of the stake in the ground game changer was when 9-11 hit. In the months and years after that, they saw a lot less people go to their parks, but population actually doubled going to the sports complex, which is wild to think that people were afraid to go to theme parks for a vacation, but they were willing to travel across state lines to play sports at the Disney complex. So other cities and municipalities took notice of that.   Today, there's over 30,000 sports complexes like Disney's, which again, this is all adding to the system of the youth sports industrial complex. Did I miss any, Ed?   Ed Uszynski: (8:41 - 10:47) Well, no, and that's good. And the reason why we even put all that on the table, again, everybody kind of intuitively knows if you're involved, you know, something's not right. But I think it's important to say this is not normal what's happening.   It's a new normal that's been manufactured by a bunch of cultural trends, by a bunch of entrepreneurs that are doing what entrepreneurs do, and they're taking advantage of the moment, and they are generating lots of money around it. So, it should be encouraging. If it's not normal, that means actually there's a counter way of going about this.   There really can be reformation. But when all this money gets involved, the two biggest consequences that come out of that is our kids start getting treated like commodities, which they are, and we could talk the whole time even just about what that means. But maybe even more importantly, or what comes out of that is that beyond their physical development, most coaches and clubs are not paying any attention to their emotional development, their psychological development, their spiritual development, all the different aspects of what it means to be human that, frankly, used to be paid quite a bit more attention to in youth leagues when I was growing up.   I'm 58 now, so I was playing in the 70s and the 80s. And it used to be expected, at least at some level, even among non-Christian people, that you would take those aspects of a kid's life seriously. And now those just aren't prioritized.   And so, what do we do about that? Again, that's kind of our whole point is, well, as Christian people, we're really supposed to be our kid's first discipler anyways. And part of that role and part of taking on that identity is that we would be asking, what is God trying to do in the wholeness of their life, the entirety of their life, even in the context of sports?   So again, I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but that's why we're trying to poke into that to say, oh, we could actually make change. We may not change the whole system. In fact, we won't. Most of us won't be expected to do that, but we can make significant change in our corner of the bleachers and what happens with our kids.   Laura Dugger: (10:48 - 11:05) That's good. And just like you said, to double-click on a few places, first of all, real quick, the 30,000 number, I remember that shocking me in the book, but I'm forgetting now, is that worldwide, the amount of sports complexes or is that just in America?   Brian Smith: (11:05 - 11:06) That's domestically in the US.   Laura Dugger: (11:07 - 11:52) Yeah. That is staggering. And then one other piece, all of this history was new to me as you brought it all together, but it was also fascinated.   This is from page 32. I'll just read your quote. The American youth sports ball began rolling when a British movement fusing spiritual development with physical activity made its way across the Atlantic Ocean at the turn of the last century.   And Ed, that's kind of what you were touching on, that they were mixing, I'm sure, spiritual, psychological discipleship, physical. Can you elaborate more on what was happening and where it originated? Because we've come very far from our origins.   Ed Uszynski: (11:53 - 13:18) Yeah. And there's been a bunch of really great books written about this topic called muscular Christianity. This idea, like you just said, Laura, of wedding physical activity through sports with our spiritual development and expecting and anticipating that somebody that was taking care of their body and that was engaging in sport activity, that was the closest thing to godliness.   That opened up the door for you to also be developing spiritually. And there was an expectation that both of those are going on at the same time. A bunch of criticism about that movement, but it was taken seriously.   The YMCA is actually a huge byproduct of the muscular Christianity movement. The Young Men's Christian Association created space for sports and for athletic activity to take place under the banner of you're also going to grow spiritually as you're doing this. So again, that was a hundred years ago.   And that's not really what AAU stands for today. The different clubs and leagues that we get involved in just don't talk that way anymore. Of course, culture just in general has shifted away from sort of a Judeo-Christian ethic guiding a North Star for us.   Even if we're not Christian people, that used to be more of a North Star. That's gone now. And so, it really is not expected in sports anymore.   Brian Smith: (13:18 - 13:55) And what we're saying is we cannot expect organizations to own that process for our kids. We can't outsource the discipleship of our kids to the youth sports industrial complex or the YMCA or the AAU. It really does start with us as Christian parents to be the primary discipler of our kids.   And there is a way to take what's happening on the field or the court or the pool and turn it into really amazing discipleship opportunities. But it means, and Ed is starting to tease this out, it means we need to change our perspective as parents when we sit in the bleachers or on the sidelines of what we're looking for and even the conversations we have with our kids on the back end.   Laura Dugger: (13:57 - 15:29) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Bertschi family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago.   If you visit their dealership today though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle.   This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible. They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different.   I've known Sam and Stephen and their wives my entire life and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you and they appreciate your business.   Learn more at their website, LemanEureka.com or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them on 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.   Laura Dugger: (15:30 - 15:31) And I want to continue getting into more of those practicals. Do you want to give us just a taste or an example or story of what that might look like?   Brian Smith: (15:32 - 16:54) We keep saying, we keep talking about the importance of the car ride home that it's tempting for us and not us broadly in the U.S., tempting for us, Ed and I, as people who have done this for 50 plus years and who should know better, it's tempting for us as discipled by an ESPN over analyzing everything culture and want to talk about sports to get in the car ride home with our kids and all we want to talk about is how game went, what they did right, what they did wrong, what they could fix next time.   Maybe instead of passing to Tim, they should take the shot next time because they're wide open. They just hit three in a row. So, and what our kids need from us in those moments is less coaching, less criticizing, less critiquing, and they just need us to connect with them.   The stats on kids quitting youth sports is crazy right now. Its 70 percent are quitting before the age of 13, in large part because it's not fun, and a lot of kids are attaching this idea of it not being fun to the car ride home with their parents who, let's say this too, most of us are well-intentioned parents. We're not trying to screw our kids up.   We want what's best for our kids, but the data and the research and the lived experience continues to tell us what our kids need from us is just to take a deep breath, connect with them, less coaching. Ed keeps saying less coaching, more slurpees.   Laura Dugger: (16:55 - 17:07) I like that. And that ties in. Is it called the peak-end principle that you discovered why kids are resisting that critique on the way home?   Brian Smith: (17:07 - 18:17) Yeah, absolutely. The peak-end rule in psychology is known as this: we, just as humans in general, not just kids, we largely remember things in our lives based on the peak moment of that event, but also how the event ends. And so, the peak moment in sport can be anything from something that goes really well, like they scored a goal or made a basket or something that did not go well, just like a massive event that took place that they're going to remember.   But then it's also married to how that event ends. So, if you think for kids, how does every youth sport experience end? It ends with the car ride home.   So, if they're experiencing the car ride home as I did not live up to mom and dad's standards, or there's fear getting into the car because they don't know what their parents are going to say, how are they remembering the totality of their youth sport experience? It is, I didn't, I didn't measure up. I wasn't enough.   It felt like sports was a place that I needed to perform for my parents or my coach. And I always feel a little bit short. We want to help parents see like there's a different path forward that can be more joyful for you, but hopefully more joyful for your kid as well.   Ed Uszynski: (18:17 - 21:37) Well, and, and I'll just, let me keep going with that, Brian. I thought you really articulated all that so well. I can just imagine a parent maybe thinking, was there never a time to correct?   Is there never a time to give input? And we would say, well, of course there, there is, they need far less of it from us than we think they need when it comes to their sport. And again, we can talk about that.   They need far less of that from us. They need us to be their parents, not to be their coaches. Even if we are their coach, they need us to be more their parents.   But there is a time to do it. We're just saying the car ride home is the worst time to do it. And that's usually the time that most of us, you know, we've got two hours of stuff to download with them.   And that's just, it's not a good time. But the other thing that Brian and I keep talking about is how about, what if we had some different metrics that we were even trying to measure? So, most of the time our metrics have to do with their performance.   Like what, what are we grading them on? Again, depending on what the sport is, there's these different things that we're looking for to say, how you did today is based on whether you did this or you didn't do that and whatnot. And we're saying as parents, and again, starting with us, we needed some other metrics that were actually more concerned about what was going on in their soul.   So again, I'm sure we'll talk more about this, but the virtues, how did love show up in the way they competed today? Where that usually is tied to them noticing somebody else. Do I, am I even asking them any questions about that?   Are they experiencing peace in the midst of all this chaos and anxiety that shows up at every game? How do we teach them to experience peace? How do they become other-centered instead of just self-centered all the time in a culture, a sport culture that's teaching them to always be the center of attention and try to be?   So, we just have needed to exchange some of what we had on that performance list, like tamper that down a little bit and maybe expand the list of categories that we're looking for that actually will matter when they're 25. And we keep saying this, our goal is that they'd come home for Thanksgiving when they're 25. And so, we need to stay relationally connected to them and how we act on the car ride home day after day after day after day, year after year is doing something to our relationship.   But we also are recognizing that it's really not going to matter whether Trey finishes with his left hand at the game today when he's 25, it's not going to matter. It's not going to matter probably a year from now, but how he goes through the handshake line after the game and the way he addresses other people, and whether or not he's learning to submit to authority, whether or not he's learning to embrace other people's humanity. Yes, even in the context of sports, that's really going to matter when he's 25.   It's going to matter when he's married. Those are the things that will matter. And we say that as people who are older and have been involved in ministry and have worked with college athletes and see what happens in their lives even after they're finished, and they have no idea who they are anymore.   And this thing that's dominated their life has not actually prepared them well to do life. And that's a problem that we say, let's start changing that when they're six and not hope they're figuring it out when they're 22.   Laura Dugger: (21:38 - 22:11) I love that because that's such a theme throughout those virtues that you talked about, but discipleship and sports are a tool or a way that we can disciple our kids. I also love that you give various questions throughout the book and even quick phrases. So to close that conversation on the car ride home, if we say, okay, that's what I've been coaching the whole way home, what is a question we could ask our child afterwards and a statement we could say and leave it at that and do it a better way?   Brian Smith: (22:12 - 23:56) The question I have consistently asked my kids after learning that I've been doing this the wrong way for a long time, I tweet my question to they get in the car and I say, is there anything that happened today from the game that you want to talk about? And it's frustrating to me because 99% of the time they say, no, can we listen to the radio? And we listen to the radio, or they play a on my phone, but I'm respecting their desire that they're done with what just happened and they're ready to move on to the next thing, even though I really want to talk about what just happened.   And then the statement that I want to make sure that I'm consistently saying that they're hearing is I love you and I'm proud of you. So, game didn't go well. Yeah, you did play well today.   That's okay. Hey, I love you and I'm proud of you. Game went well today.   Awesome. Great job. Hey, I love you and I'm proud of you.   So I want that to be the consistent theme that they're hearing for me, which is hopefully going to help them better understand the gospel later in life, that as they get older and older, hopefully they'll begin to realize it seemed like the way that my mom and dad interacted with me when I was performing in sport, but their love was not attached to my performance. That seems really similar to what I'm learning more and more that Jesus does for me, that I'm trying to do all these things that are good. But from what I'm understanding about the gospel, it seems like Jesus loves me in spite of what I do.   He loves me just because He's connected to me, that God loves me because I'm a son or daughter, not because I'm performing as a son or a daughter. So, in a very real way, I really am hoping that I'm giving a good teaser for my kids now for when they fully experience the gospel as they go through the life.   Ed Uszynski: (23:56 - 24:47) Another really good connecting question. I love how you said all that, Brian, is if they don't want to talk about the game, is it okay, did you have fun today? And they can only go in one of two directions.   No. Well, tell me about that. Why not?   And it opens up the door to talk about, well, because I didn't get to play or because something bad happened. And again, tell me more about that. Tell me more about that.   Or they say, yes, great. What happened that was fun? And it creates a very different conversation in the car.   And it opens up, again, relational possibilities that go way beyond, why do you keep passing it when you should be shooting it? Wow. And just all the different ways that that comes out of us, depending on sport, depending on their age.   But those are great questions. Go ahead, Brian.   Brian Smith: (24:47 - 25:41) I just asked my son this morning. He's a freshman. His wrestling season is almost done.   And I just asked, like, what has been most fun for you in wrestling this year? And his first thing was, I feel like I'm learning a lot. And that's really fun for me, which he's on a really good team.   He's had a lot of success. He's made a lot of good friends. But even that gave me a window into his characters.   My son enjoys and I knew this is true about him. But my son enjoys learning, which means he enjoys the process of getting better and better and better, which can happen in school, it can happen doing stuff in the yard, it can it can also happen in sport. But for me to remember moving forward, yeah, he he's probably going to have a different metric for what's fun in sport than I often do for him.   Yeah, like I wanted to learn. I want him to win though, too. He's happy with learning right now.   So, I need to be happy with that for him.   Ed Uszynski: (25:41 - 26:34) If I can say this, too, again, I don't want to be vulnerable on your behalf. But then knowing this, he's lost a lot this year to really good kids. Yeah.   And so much of the learning has been in the context of losing. So, you as a dad, actually, you could be crushing him because of those losses and what he needs to do to fix that and what he needs to do so that that doesn't happen again. And it's like he's already committed to learning.   How do you just how do you celebrate the loss? Like he took the risk to try something new in this movie. He tried to survive an extra period.   That's a process when and it's we just need to get better at that. Like you genuinely can celebrate that. That's not just a that's not like a participation trophy.   It's acknowledging now, do you're taking you're taking the right steps that are actually making you a winner, even if you don't have more points at the end of the game right now.   Laura Dugger: (26:34 - 26:54) Yeah. Yeah. And that long term win that you're talking about, even with character and you've talked about fun and asking them about fun.   Is it true that that's the main reason kids are dropping out of sports at such a rapid rate before age 13 is that it's just not fun anymore?   Ed Uszynski: (26:55 - 28:58) Yeah. Yeah. And why is it not fun?   And again, this is where Brian and I are always getting in each other's business. And we know that this conversation gets in all of our business as adults. But why is it not fun?   It's not fun because of the coaches and it's not fun because of the parents. We are creating stress. We are creating again collectively because we're all in different places on the on the spectrum on this in terms of what we're actually doing when we show up at games.   But if you even just go to any soccer game and you be quiet and just listen to what's happening and everybody's shouting and screaming things and there's contradictory messages being sent and there's angst at every turn and there's an incredible celebration because this eight year old was able to get the ball to go across the line for another goal. And what that's doing inside the kids is it is creating a not fun atmosphere. Let's just say it like that.   That's a not fun atmosphere when you're eight, when you're 10, when you're trying to figure out how to make your body work. You're trying to learn the game that you're unfamiliar with and you're trying to do what this coach is telling you to do. And you're also trying to do what all the parents are telling you what to do.   And if it's a team sport, you're trying to interact and play with other kids who are all in that same state of disarray, which is very stressful and frustrating. And we're just adding to it. So instead of removing it, instead of playing a role that says, we're going to keep diffusing that stress.   And again, I'll speak for myself. Too often, I have been the one that's actually adding to it. And so, kids are just like, why would I do this?   Why would I want to get in that car again with you? It's not fun. This is a game.   And so, there's a million other things that I can do with my time where I don't have everybody yelling at me and I don't have to listen to you correct me for two hours.   Laura Dugger: (29:00 - 29:21) Well, and one other thing that surprised me, maybe why kids are dropping out, you share on page 47, a quote that research reveals a strange correlation. The more we spend, the less our kids actually enjoy their sport. So, did you have any more insight into that?   Brian Smith: (29:21 - 30:50) Yeah, this was a real study that was done at Utah State. Researchers found that the more money parents are spending, again, let's say well-intentioned parents, the more we're spending in sports, the less our kids are enjoying. And the more they have dug into it, they're finding, and intuitively it makes sense.   If you buy your kid a $600 baseball bat, what's the expectation that they're supposed to do with this really expensive bat? When they swing, they better hit the ball, and they better get on base. If we're going to buy you this expensive of a bat, you can't just have process goals with it.   You better swing and hit it. And that's causing stress for kids. If you travel across state lines and you go to Disney to play at their sports complex, you're not there for vacation.   You're there to perform. So even if parents are saying we're trying to have fun, kids know when you're traveling and you're getting all this good equipment and you're on the elite team and you're receiving the best of the best stuff, they know it comes with some sort of an expectation. College athletes can barely handle that type of pressure and expectations, but we've placed this professional on youth sports from fifth five-year-olds to 15-year-olds, and it's just crushing them.   It's crushing them. Again, college athletes and professional athletes can barely handle it. They need mental health coaches for sports, but we're expecting that our five-year-olds can handle it, and they can't.   Ed Uszynski: (30:51 - 31:19) And they may not even be able to articulate it. So that's the other thing. They may not be able to identify what's actually going on inside and put it into words.   So again, that's why we're trying to sound the alarm for ourselves and for others who are listening, because we can do it different. Again, just to even keep spinning it back in an encouraging direction, we can do this different. We can change this this week in our corner of the bleachers.   We can start over again.   Laura Dugger: (31:21 - 31:48) Absolutely and make a difference. And before we talk about even more of the pros with sports, I think it's also necessary to reflect and maybe even grieve a few things. So, what would you say are some things families are missing out on when they choose youth sports to overfill their calendar, that that's all that they make time for?   What do you think they're missing out on?   Brian Smith: (31:51 - 33:16) Yeah, I think a couple that come to mind are family dinners are a big one. That's big for us in the Smith house, is just having the ability after a long day to sit at the dinner table together, to eat food together, and to process the day and be with one another. But when my kids' practice goes late, it means we're either eating almost towards bedtime or we're eating in different shifts.   And so that's something that we grieve. I think for me, when my schedule is full, I'm tempted to adopt the mindset that what's happening on the wrestling mat or on the track matters more than it actually does. And it robs me of the ability to just take a deep breath and smile and enjoy watching my kids play sports.   That without an intervention or a pregame devotional in the car for myself, I risk sitting in the stands or being on the sidelines, being stressed out and putting pressure on myself and pressure on my kids and gossiping about why the coach didn't put this kid into the people next to me, instead of just enjoying the gift that is sports and watching my kid try and succeed and try and fail. That is a gift available to me as a dad to watch my kid do that. But the busyness often robs me of that perspective.   Ed Uszynski: (33:17 - 36:06) Well, and the busyness robs, again, if you're married, that busyness eventually wears away at your relationship. And it's not just sports. I mean, busyness, we can fill our schedule, overfill our schedules with any number of things.   We can overfill our schedules with church stuff to a point where it becomes detrimental to our relationship. If we don't set boundaries so that we're making sure we're doing what we need to do to be face-to-face and to be going to areas beneath the surface with each other in our relationship and being able to do that with our kids as well, eventually there's negative consequences to that. It may not happen right away, but I've definitely experienced that.   We've experienced that in our home where it's easy to maybe chase one kid around for a while, but what happens when you add three into the mix and you haven't really done a time budget or paid attention to the fact that when we sign up for all these things, you get a month into it and you realize, oh, we have to be in different places at the same time. So, we're not even watching stuff together anymore. We're just running.   I can endure anything for a season, but what youth sports wants now in every sport from the youngest ages is that it becomes a year-round commitment. So, you're not even signing up to play a season anymore. You're signing up for a year in most cases because after the games, then they're going to have training.   They're going to have this other thing going on. And so again, can we say, well, we'll play the actual season, but then we're not going to do the additional training over these next three months. Again, we want to give parents' permission that you can say no to that.   Well, we paid for it. Well, it's okay. If you want your kid to be on that team and you like this club or whatever, then you pay the money and you just say, we're going to sit those three months out and we're going to use those three months actually to have people over our house for dinner.   Again, whatever's on the list, Laura, that you said about being more holistic and not letting sport operate like an idol in our life where it's taken on, it's washed out everything else in our life. We can get back in control of that by just saying no a little bit. You can go to church on Sunday.   Even if there's tournament games going on on Sunday, you can go to the coach early and say, hey, we just, in our family, we just don't want to be available before 12. Are you okay with that? And most of the time coaches will be.   The kid might have to sit extra maybe for not being, whatever. Okay. That's not going to be the end of the world that they had to sit out an extra game or had to sit out a half because they weren't available on Sunday morning.   It might actually make a huge difference that they weren't at church for two and a half years in the most formative time of their life.   Laura Dugger: (36:07 - 37:36) And a lot of times the way of wisdom includes reflection, getting alone with the Lord and asking, have we overstuffed our schedule this conversation today? Let's talk specifically with youth sports. Is that trumping everything else?   Because what if we're putting it in a place it was never intended to be as an idol where we sacrifice hospitality or discipleship or community or even just a more biblical way of life? I think we have to bring wisdom into the conversation for what you've mentioned. Whether it's worth it, if they're even enjoying it, how much we're spending on it, and do we have the budget to allocate our finances that way and evaluating the time just to see and make sure that it's rightly ordered.   Did you know you could receive a free email with monthly encouragement, practical tips, and plenty of questions to ask to take your conversation a level deeper, whether that's in parenting or on date nights? Make sure you access all of this at thesavvysauce.com by clicking the button that says join our email list so that you can follow the prompts and begin receiving these emails at the beginning of each month. Enjoy!   But if we flip that to if youth sports are rightly ordered, then what are some things that we can celebrate or reasons that you would want families to give this a try?   Brian Smith: (37:37 - 40:09) The massive positive that we keep coming back to is we have a front row seat to see our kids go through every possible emotion in sport, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. And then if we have the right perspective, we are armed with awesome opportunities and awesome information that we're seeing. We get to see what our kids are really good at.   We get to see their character gaps. And then we get to be the ones who, again, who are their primary response, primary disciplers. It really goes back to like, are we trusting youth sports for too little in our kids' lives?   Like many of us are trusting that our investment is going to get them a spot on a team, or maybe they get an opportunity in high school, maybe in college. And what we're saying is, yeah, that maybe. And that's not a bad end goal.   But if that's everything that you're investing into youth sports, it's not enough. Like what you have available to you every single day is to ask your kid if they showed somebody else's dignity on the field. You don't know if your kid's going to hit a home run today.   That may not be available to them their entire life. What's available to them every single day is to ask a question to their teammate, to see somebody and show dignity to them. And that's really, it's like, it's almost the opportunity of a lifetime for us as parents who, when our kids get home from school, we really don't know what happened most of the day.   We asked them how it went and we get the one-word answer. In sports, we don't have to guess. We get to see everything that happens.   And again, if we are actually trusting youth sports for discipleship investment, that's a good ROI. That's a good return on our investment. But we need a consistent intervention almost daily to say, no, this is why they're in sports.   Yes, I want to see them get better. I want to see them have fun, but Holy Spirit, would you help me see things today that I normally don't see? Holy Spirit, would you put them in circumstances and relationships today and in the season that's going to help them look more and more like Jesus by the time the season's done?   Holy Spirit, would you convict me in the moment when I am being a little too mouthy and saying things that I shouldn't? Would you help me to repent? And God, in those moments where I'm actually doing wrong on behalf of my kid, would you help me to humble myself and apologize to them?   And God, would you repair our relationship that way? So again, all of these options are available just because our kid's shooting a ball or they're on the field with somebody else tackling other people. We're trusting youth sports for too little.   Ed Uszynski: (40:10 - 41:10) That's all big boy and big girl stuff. It just is. I don't normally naturally do any of that.   I have to be coached into that. I have to be discipled myself. I have to work through my own issues, my own baggage, my own fears about the future, my own idolatrous holding onto this imagined future that I have for my kid, irrespective of what God may or may not want.   I've got my own resentment. I've got my own regrets from the past. I wish things had gone differently for me, so I'm going to make sure they go different for you when it comes to sports.   And it's hard to look in the mirror and admit that I have anger issues. I mean, youth sports create a great opportunity for me to get up all my pent-up frustration from the day. We've given ourselves permission to do that, in most cases, to just yell and yell at refs and gripe about coaches and yell at kids.   Brian Smith: (41:10 - 41:31) Because that's what we do at the TV, right? When our favorite team is playing, we've conditioned ourselves to say, awful call, that was terrible. Then we get on social media and we complain about it.   We are discipling ourselves to this is how it's normative to respond within the context of sports. Then we carry all that baggage to our six-year-old soccer game.   Laura Dugger: (41:33 - 42:02) Well, I love how you keep pointing it back toward character and discipleship. You clearly state throughout the book, sports don't develop character, people do. But could you maybe elaborate on that a little bit more and share more now that we've listed pros and cons, you still list a completely different way that we can meaningfully participate while also pushing back?   Brian Smith: (42:04 - 43:49) I'll start with the first part, and then you can answer the second. We use the handshake line as a great example of why character needs to be taught to our kids. If you just watch a normal handshake line left without coaching, the kids are going through it, especially the ones who lose with their head down, they have limp hands, there's no eye contact, and they're mumbling good game, good game.   Sometimes they don't even say it, they'll say GG stands for good game. They don't just learn character by going through the handshake line. If anything, that's going through it like that without any sort of intervention or coaching, that's malforming their character.   That's teaching them when things don't go well, that it's okay for them not to be a big boy or a big girl and look somebody in the eye and congratulate them. What needs to happen? An adult needs to step in and say, hey, as we go through the handshake line, whether you win or lose, here's how we do it with class.   We shake somebody's hand, we look them in the eye, and we say good game. Even if in those moments we don't actually mean it, we still show them dignity and honor. And then when we're done going through the handshake line, guess what we're going to do?   We're going to run down the refs who are trying to get in their car and get out of here, and we're going to give them a high five and say, thank you so much for reffing today. That stuff needs to be taught. Our kids don't just come out of the womb knowing how to do that.   We have to teach them how to do it. Sometimes good coaches will do that, but the more and more we get sucked up into the sports industrial complex, we're getting well-intentioned coaches, but we're getting coaches who care more about the big W, the win, than the character formation stuff that happens.   Ed Uszynski: (43:49 - 45:27) They need to keep hearing it over and over again. I have a ninth grade Bible study in my house the other day with athletes and a whole bunch of my son's basketball team. Exactly what Brian just said, I actually was like, wow, I've got them here.   There was a big blow up at a game the other day, and we wound up talking about it. I said, I'm going to take this opportunity actually to say what Brian just said. When you go through a handshake line, this is how you go through it.   I watched what happened in the game a couple days later. Basically, they did the exact opposite of what I told them to do, and they lost. It was just what Brian said.   They went through limp handed. They didn't look anybody in the face, and they weren't even saying anything. I just chuckled to myself, and you know how this is as a parent.   They may or may not do it. Of course, those aren't my kids. I have more stewardship over my child, who actually, he is doing what I've asked him to do because I've re-emphasized it across time now.   It's not a failure because they didn't do what I said. Again, the pouty side of me wants to be like, forget it. I'm just not even going to try anymore.   It's like, no, they're kids. That was the first time they've heard that. They're going to do what their patterns have, the muscle memory that's been created by their patterns, just like we do as adults.   The next time I have a chance to bring that up again, I'm not going to shame them. I'm just going to go over it again with them. Here's how we do it.   It's super hard to do this, guys, when you just want to be violent with people or you want to cry. You got to pull yourself together. That's what big men do.   That's what big women do in life. They pull themselves together in those moments and do the right thing.   Brian Smith: (45:28 - 46:01) You don't know whether the fifth time you say it is going to stick or the 50th time. Your responsibility as the Christ-following parent is to do it the sixth time and the seventh time and the seventh time and trust that God is going to take those moments and do what he does. We're ultimately not responsible for our kids' behavior.   We're responsible for pointing them in the right direction, and then hopefully, yeah, the Holy Spirit steps in and transforms and changes and convicts in those moments, but it might take some time.   Ed Uszynski: (46:02 - 47:47) Tom Bilyeu So that's how you push back, Laura. You were asking that. How do we push back without being just completely involved in it or going for the same ride that everybody else is going for?   There's just little moments like that scattered throughout. Literally, every day that my kids are involved in youth sports, the car ride over, what happens on the way home, how we talk about it, what happens during the game and what we wind up talking about out of that, the side conversations that happen that just get brought up apart from games of how we interact with people and so-and-so looks like they're struggling. What do you know about that?   That's how we push back, that in our corner of the bleachers, oh, how we interact with other parents. We haven't even talked about that yet, that I can take an interest in more than just my own kid in the bleachers and spend way more energy actually in cheering for other kids and just trying to give them confidence and spend way less time trying to direct that at my own child who knows that I'm there. In fact, my side kid has said he doesn't want to hear my voice during the game.   It distracts him. He's like, I'd much rather that you cheer for other people. It's like, okay.   Having questions ready for other parents during timeouts and as you sit there for hours together, what do you talk about? Well, I could be the one that actually initiates substantive conversations over time with them and asks them about what's going on in different parts of their life. And in having done that, people want to talk.   They want a safe place actually to share what's going on in their So let me be the sports minister. Let me take on that identity and actually care about other people.   Laura Dugger: (47:49 - 49:47) I love that. Even that practical idea of just coming to each game, maybe with a different question, ready to open up those conversations. And I'll share a quick story as well.   Our two oldest daughters recently just gave cheerleading a try at a local Christian school that allows homeschool kids to participate. And this is an overt way that somebody chooses the different way. So, it's the coach of the basketball team.   His name is Cole. And at the end of every game, we saw him consistently throughout this season when it was a home game, whether their team won or lost, he would ask them, okay, shut off the scoreboard. It's all blank.   He gathers both teams. As soon as the game is over teams, cheerleaders, the stands stay filled with all the parents. And he says, this is not our identity.   The world and Satan, our enemy, who's very real. He wants us to put our identity here, but it's not here. You made us better tonight by the way that you played and you were able to shine Jesus.   And we're going to go a step further and we're going to do what we call attaways. So, he's like, all right, boys, you open it up. And his team is trained.   They say to the other team, Hey, number 23, what's your name? I loved how you pushed me so much harder tonight and says, my name's Ben. And so, their Attaway is, Hey, Ben.   And everybody goes, Hey, Ben. Yeah, Ben. Yeah, Ben Attaway.   And everybody just erupts in clapping. And the other team is always blown away and they are just grinning, whether they just lost. So, the boys go through that for a while and then they open it up to the other team and they start sharing Attaways.   And then they open it up to the crowd and the parents are able to say, I see the way you modeled Jesus by being selfless with the ball or whatever it is. So, Cole said that his college coach did that many years ago and he's passed that on. And I love that's one way to redeem the game.   Ed Uszynski: (49:47 - 51:39) Wow. Beautiful. Beautiful.   Yeah. That's amazing. And, you know, I, so Brian and I talk about this too.   And I coached at a Christian school. So, we, we think that it's really important if you're going to play sports and you're going to be a Christian coach that you actually take the game seriously. And that we actually are here to compete and we are here to try to win.   There's nothing wrong with that. And we're going to pursue excellence when we show up with our bodies, and we train for this sport and we're going to try to win. Cause I think sometimes we end up kind of going all or nothing, especially within our Christian circles.   We're uncomfortable with that. And it's like, yes, do that. And on the backside of that to do what that coach did is amazing.   It's that, that is, that is exactly what we're saying. We're also going to try to form our souls in the midst of this. We're going to try to win on the scoreboard.   Okay. The game's over, we lost, we won, whatever. There's more going on here than just that. And can we access that together? And again, that's so rare. Probably everybody listening has never even heard of anything like what you just said.   It would be amazing if a bunch of people did, but that's what we're saying. Let's do more of that. Let's find ways to have more of those conversations in our sphere of influence.   Maybe we're not the coach, but we can do that in our car. We can do that when we're at dinners with the other, with other players and other team, you know, we, we can do that. We can take that kind of initiative.   If we have those categories in our mind, instead of just being frustrated that my kid didn't get to play as much tonight. And I'm that bugs me. It's like, okay, it can bug you.   And now I gotta, I gotta be a big boy and get more out of this than just being frustrated that he or she didn't get to play as much. It's hard.   Laura Dugger: (51:40 - 52:11) Absolutely. Well, and like you guys are doing having Bible studies outside of the, the team that you can instill values in that way and share scripture that they're memorizing to go out there with excellence for the Lord. So, I love all of that.   And I've got just a few quick questions, just kind of for perspective. I want to draw out something from the book. Is it true that young athletic success predicts adult athletic success?   Brian Smith: (52:13 - 53:51) It is not true. This is, this is not a hot take. This is researched back more and more research they're doing on this.   And they're finding that there's not a direct correlation between a young elite athlete and them continuing that up into the right trajectory and being an elite athlete later in life in large part, because when puberty hits, like everything is a game changer. So, this is, I found this fascinating and this is probably going to be new to you too. This just came out today.   At the time we're doing this podcast, the winter Olympics is going on in Norway. It's just like, they're killing it. Nor Norway's youth sports system.   This is wild. They give participation trophies for all the kids. They don't keep score until 13 years old.   They don't do any national travel competitions, no posting youth sports results online. So, there's no online presence of youth sport results. And their country motto is joy of sport for all.   And they're, they're killing it right now in the Olympics. So, like, that's not to say, like you got to follow their model and then you're going to win all these gold medals, but it is, there is something to just let the kids have fun. And the longer they play sport, because it's fun, the better opportunity you're actually going to have to see them blossom and develop some of these God-given gifts that they might have.   Don't expect it to come out before they're 13. Even if it does, there's no guarantee that it's going to continue on until they're 23. Just let them have fun.   Ed Uszynski: (53:52 - 55:55) Brian, we, Brian and I got to speak at a church the other day about this topic. And there was a couple that came up afterwards and they asked the question of what, so when do you think we should let our kids play organized sports or structured sports? And so again, Brian and I are careful.   Like I, there's no, there's no one size fits all answer to that. We would suggest as late as possible, wait as long as possible. Because once you start doing structured sport where there's a coach and you have to be at practices and the games are structured and there's reps, it just cuts away all the possibility they have to just play and just to go up to the YMCA and just play for three hours at whatever it is that they like to do.   And they said, well, it's encouraging to hear that they said, because we, we actually are way more into just developing their bodies physically. And so, we do dance with them, and we do rock climbing and they were kind of outdoorsy people, and they just started listing off all these things they do because we want them to become strong in their bodies, and learn to love activity like that. And I just thought, again, that's, that probably would cause a lot of people to freak out to hear that, that they have eight, nine-year-olds that aren't on teams yet.   They're just, they're training their bodies to appreciate physicality and to become coordinated and to, you know, to get better at movement. And it's like, what sport is that not going to be super helpful in five years from now, even when they're 12, 13 years old. And now they really do want to play one sport, and they do want to be on a team.   They're going to be way ahead of the kids actually that just sat on benches or stood in the outfield, you know, day after day after day at practices. Again, that's maybe hard to hear, but maybe there's some adjustments that need to be made again; to give ourselves permission to say, we don't have to get on that train right now. You don't have to, your kid's not going to be behind.   They actually could be ahead. If you do the kinds of things we just talked about.   Laura Dugger: (55:56 - 56:11) I love that. And even that example with what it looks like played out with Norway and also, do you have any other quick tips just for instilling and cultivating a heart of gratitude and youth sports rather than entitlement?   Brian Smith: (56:13 - 57:33) I'm a high school cross country and track coach, and I have kids on my team who want to get faster at running, but instead of running, they want to lift weights and they want to do plier metrics. So, there's, yes, there's a spot for that. But the way you get better at running is to run.   You got to run more miles and more miles. And I think gratitude is similar. That gratitude, part of it is a, it's a feeling, but it's also a muscle that we can flex even if we don't feel it.   And so, I would encourage parents who are trying to instill gratitude into their kids to give them practical things like, hey, after practice, just go shake your coach's hand or give them a fist bump and tell them, thanks for practice today, coach. That that's a disciplined way to practice gratitude that will hopefully build the muscle where they're, they're using it later in life. After a game, I taught my kids this when they were young and they still do it today.   Go shake a ref's hand. I mentioned this earlier, just a really, really practical way to show thankfulness and gratitude to somebody who really doesn't get a whole lot of gratitude pointed at them during a game or after a game. If anything, they have people chasing them through the parking lot for other reasons.   I want my kids to be chasing them down to give them a fist bump or a high five. And so, gratitude is something that we can just practice practically. And hopefully the discipline practice will lead to a delight and actually doing it.   Ed Uszynski: (57:34 - 59:39) And how do we cultivate an inner posture? Cause I tend to be a cup half empty type person. I'm a, I'm a whiner by nature and a continuous improvement.   There's always something wrong. And I'm, it's easy for me to find those things just as a person. I'm not even saying that as a dad or a coach or anything.   And it's been super helpful to me in the last decade, even to just like, I can choose to shift that. There, there is, there's a list of things that are broke, but there is always a list of things that are good. There's always something good here to be found.   And even as I've tried to like, again, tip the scales more in that direction, I can keep pushing that out of my kids. So, so this, you know, my ninth-grade son tends to just like, he doesn't like a whole bunch of what's going on in basketball right now. So, I keep asking him if he's having fun.   He says, no, like, why not? Or like, who did, why did you not have fun today? So, it's just the same thing every day.   I'm like, okay, who did you enjoy even being with today? Nobody. And I'm like, dude, I don't believe that actually.   I just, I don't believe that. There was somebody that you had some moment with today that you enjoyed, or you wouldn't want to keep going back up there because, and he does. So, give me a name.   Okay. Lenny. What happened with Lenny that was fun? And I make him name it. Like I'm, I'm, I'm trying to coach him through it. And sure enough, he does have some sentences of what was fun today.   And it's like, good, let's, let's at least hold onto that in the midst of all the other stuff that's not right. Let's choose to see the thing that was good and that you enjoyed and that we could be thankful for. Not everybody got to have that today.   Again, I have to have my, I have to be the parent. I have to be the discipler. I have to be in, you know, in charge of my own soul that wants to be negative all the time and say, nope, we're going to, we're going to choose gratitude today because the Bible tells us to do that.   There's something about that posture that opens the door for the gospel to be expressed through us. So, let's practice.   Laura Dugger: (59:40 - 59:50) Well said, and there's so much we could continue learning from both of you. Where can we go after this chat to learn more from each one of you?   Brian Smith: (59:52 - 1:00:14) Yeah, we do a lot of our writing online at thechristianathlete.com. And so, if you go there, you can see articles that are specifically written for parents, for coaches, for athletes, all around this idea of what does it look like to integrate faith and sport together? So, the

The US-Israeli war on Iran is expanding into a global conflict. The European Union supports it. The UK is letting Trump use British bases. Germany and France are involved. Canada backs it. Tehran has retaliated, in self-defense, hitting US military bases in Gulf countries. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un25sqF6tnU Topics 0:00 US-Israeli war on Iran expands 0:46 Pentagon admits war is based on lies 2:54 France, Germany, UK join war 3:36 USA is using British bases 4:44 Iran retaliates in self-defense 5:48 Iran hits US bases in Middle East 6:20 US casualties 6:42 CIA coup installed Iran's shah 7:22 USA wants hegemony 8:21 Iran closes Strait of Hormuz 9:23 US & Israel target Iranian leaders 11:19 Supreme leader Ali Khamenei 12:28 US & Israel bomb a school 13:38 Germany ignores international law 15:10 Friedrich Merz, BlackRock boy 16:27 Canada PM Mark Carney 17:48 (CLIP) Carney WEF Davos speech 18:45 West's hypocrisy 20:19 Trump's war unites the West 21:33 Canada supports US-Israeli war 22:11 Netanyahu ICC arrest warrant 22:49 Nuclear weapon negotiations 24:24 US surprise attacks on Iran 26:34 Myth of "rules-based order" 27:20 Germany supports war 28:39 Turning victim into aggressor 29:29 France supports war 31:07 EU supports war 32:10 Ursula von der Leyen hypocrisy 33:16 EU works with Israel 33:40 EU backs Gulf monarchies 35:22 EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas 36:51 UN Charter on use of force 37:37 UN Charter on self-defense 38:14 Western imperialism 39:15 Outro

On Saturday Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed after Israel and the US launched a "massive" and ongoing attack against Iran's leadership and military. US President Donald Trump urged Iranian forces to lay down their arms, and for Iran's people to rise up against its government. Iran has responded by firing ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region. Whilst huge questions still remain about what will happen next in this conflict, on Woman's Hour today we ask what this moment might mean for women in Iran. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC Persian reporter Ghoncheh Habibiazad and international human rights lawyer Azadeh Zabeti, Co-President of the Committee of Anglo-Iranian Lawyers.Mary Ann Evans is better known by her pseudonym George Eliot. She's the author of many important novels including Middlemarch, Silas Marner, and Mill on the Floss, which brings the issue of women's education to the fore. A new play, Bird Grove, the name of George Eliot's home, has just opened at the Hampstead Theatre in London. When we meet Mary Ann she has not yet started writing fiction, but beginning to have her mind opened to progressive new ideas. Nuala finds out more with the play's director, Anna Ledwich, and actor Elizabeth Dulau who plays Mary Ann Evans. According to the NGO International Justice Mission, child sexual abuse that takes place on social media and other online platforms is one of the fastest‑growing yet least‑detected types of child abuse globally. Offenders pay to direct the real‑time sexual exploitation of children via any internet‑connected, camera‑enabled device. Most identified victims are in the Philippines and the UK is among the top three countries consuming this material, with the United States at number one. Nuala is joined by Molly Hudson from the International Justice Mission, and Sharon Pursey, co‑founder of SafeToNet, a British online safety technology company.Kate Pickett is Professor of Epidemiology at the University of York. Her new book is The Good Society and How We Make It and in it she looks at ideas she believes will build a better society and says we “can't afford to nibble” when it comes to solving some of the big issues we are facing. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

Trump's stunning surprise attack on Iran could be the most consequential world event since 9/11. Will the President's goal of smooth regime change work when it failed every other time, or trigger a regional conflagration? Iran's hated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead but the Islamic Republic is showing no sign of collapsing. And now Hezbollah has attacked other Arab states as well as British and US military targets. How will the war play out? How resilient is the Islamic Republic? Does Israel want regime change or regime destruction? Does Iran have any potential leaders that the US could tolerate? And has anyone planned for running a country of 90 million people which is now in chaos? Live from Beirut our guest Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, speaks to Gavin Esler.  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people? Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A special crossover edition from our geopolitics podcast This Is Not A Drill – Trump's stunning surprise attack on Iran could be the most consequential world event since 9/11. Will the President's goal of smooth regime change work when it failed every other time, or trigger a regional conflagration? Iran's hated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead but the Islamic Republic is showing no sign of collapsing. And now Hezbollah has attacked other Arab states as well as British and US military targets. How will the war play out? How resilient is the Islamic Republic? Does Israel want regime change or regime destruction? Does Iran have any potential leaders that the US could tolerate? And has anyone planned for running a country of 90 million people which is now in chaos? Live from Beirut our guest Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, speaks to Gavin Esler.  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people? Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Into the heart of the peasant and nomadic Arab world of the Middle East there came, on the backs and on the bayonets of British imperialism, a largely European colonizing people.Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/war-guilt-middle-east

In this special episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step back from the hourly news cycle to examine the deeper historical context of the unfolding crisis between the United States and Iran.As the situation in the Middle East escalates hour by hour, with consequences nobody can yet predict, it's tempting to get drawn into "hyperpunditry"—the kind of instant analysis that offers certainty where none exists. This podcast takes a different approach. Instead, we explore the historical patterns and structural forces that have brought us to this moment.From Iraq to Iran: A Trajectory of DeclineWe begin by looking back at the planning—or lack thereof—that accompanied the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The neoconservative "Project for a New American Century," drafted in the late 1990s, identified Iran, Iraq, Syria, and North Korea as existential threats requiring regime change. But by the time of the Iraq War, the intellectual and strategic capacity that had characterised post-war occupations like Japan and Germany was conspicuously absent.The contrast is stark. Post-war Japan was rebuilt under MacArthur with a genuine understanding that creating a stable, pluralistic society required workers' rights, a modern constitution, and the removal of warmongers from power. Iraq, by contrast, was handed to Republican Party loyalists in their twenties with no relevant experience. The disbandment of the Iraqi army—against explicit US Army advice—turned hundreds of thousands of trained soldiers into armed and embittered opponents of the occupation.As Donald Rumsfeld famously said when the Iraqi National Museum was looted and its ancient treasures destroyed: "Freedom is messy."The Chancer in ChiefWhat we are witnessing now is of a category order worse—and arguably stupider. But to focus solely on Donald Trump's personal incompetence would be to miss the deeper picture. Trump is best understood as a "chancer," in some ways comparable to Hitler in the 1930s: testing boundaries, seeing what he can get away with, and becoming increasingly convinced that nobody will stop him.The assassination of Qasem Soleimani appears to have been a spontaneous decision, based on the assumption that killing one man would be enough. This fundamentally misunderstands the nature of the Islamic Republic, Iranian nationalism, and the regional dynamics of the Middle East. It also ignores the inconvenient fact that the Iran nuclear deal—which Iran was broadly complying with—was torn up by Trump himself.What Comes NextThe consequences are already unfolding. Iran has abundant missiles and cheap drones. It can, if it chooses, shut down the Persian Gulf, triggering an oil crisis worse than 1973. The long-term loser will be international nuclear non-proliferation: the lesson for any "rogue state" watching is that the North Korea model—acquire a nuclear weapon—is the only reliable protection against the United States.Meanwhile, Britain finds itself dragged into a war launched on a whim, with no independent foreign policy of its own. Since the Suez Crisis in 1956, Britain has not had an independent foreign policy. Keir Starmer's government has already agreed that America can use British air bases. It remains to be seen whether the British public, with little appetite for this conflict, will accept being drawn in.Topics covered:- The neoconservative "Project for a New American Century"- Post-war planning: Japan (1945) vs. Iraq (2003)- The disastrous disbandment of the Iraqi army- Trump as "chancer": Hitler comparisons and their limits- The assassination of Soleimani and Iranian nationalism- The wreckage of the Iran nuclear deal- Regional implications: Hezbollah, Netanyahu, and Turkey- Britain's role and the legacy of Suez- The nuclear proliferation lesson for rogue states---*If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for ad-free listening and exclusive content. Take care, and if you're in that part of the world, stay safe.*Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On episode 191 of Kliq This, Big Sexy is back from the UK, and let's just say he has some thoughts on the difference between a "British" workout and a "Detroit" one. If you're looking for a dry recap, look elsewhere; this episode is about the "unfiltered" Nash experience. The Highlights The UK Roundup: Nash breaks down his recent tour across the pond. Expect stories about the grueling travel schedule, the hospitality (or lack thereof), and how he manages to maintain his physique while living on the road in a different time zone. The Je'Von Evans Firestorm: Nash addresses the backlash from his "Mr. Bojangles" and "urban" comments. He doesn't just walk it back; he digs into his philosophy on "edge" in wrestling and why he thinks the young star is being "over-pushed" in a direction that lacks grit. Wrestler Safety 101: From his terrifying 1997 descent as Sting to why "Hell in a Cell" should actually stay inside the cell, Nash gives a masterclass on the "tricks of the trade" that kept him walking (mostly) after decades in the ring. Financial Rants: He channels his inner Warren Buffett to tear into "modern-day Ponzi schemes" like Bitcoin and paper silver. If it doesn't produce something tangible, Big Kev isn't buying it. The "Mount Nashmore" of Booze: Who can actually hang with the big men after the show? Nash crowns his picks for the wrestlers who could hold their liquor, featuring the likes of The Undertaker, Stone Cold, and Scott Hall. Why It's a Must-Listen This isn't just a wrestling podcast; it's cultural commentary. Whether he's dissecting Trump's Canadian tariffs or explaining why Hulk Hogan used to hide his blade in his mouth, Nash remains the most opinionated—and arguably most entertaining—veteran in the game. 00:00 Kliq This #191: UK Roundup 00:56 Urban vs Rural 03:20 Robert Duvall 12:12 MT Nashmore Duvall 17:25 The Pay for Magic Mike 22:28 UK tour 24:41 Dropping "Snakes" 26:06 The Tour 28:53 Swerve Stickland 30:20 Tim Robinson 31:48 BREAK MUD/WTR 36:59 "Be Educating me" 39:17 "Kevin, This is how you remind me of how great the podcast is!" 41:01 Sean has no IDEA what body building is 41:56 Why kev work 48:19 "huge thing of your life" 50:20 Being gifted artwork 59:07 Justin Credible 01:00:44 KTTV 01:02:47 KEV I WATCHED RAW… 01:06:19 Jevon Evans 01:11:56 "One of the Good ones" 01:15:03 Jevon Evans' presentation 01:21:54 BREAK BLUECHEW 01:23:56 EC Predictions 01:27:32 FL vs NJ 01:29:41 VKM car crash 01:33:35 01:33:35 BREAK MANDO 01:37:58 ASKNASH 01:38:26 Swerve v Kenny 01:39:43 Why didn't Steve Austin put over Scott Hall at Wrestlemania 01:41:50 Reggie White 01:43:13 Ric Flair keeping his clothes on 01:43:55 Wrestlemania tickets looking bad 01:47:43 Running to the ring during the Royal Rumble 01:48:30 OUTRO

Comedian and actor Mike Bubbins welcomes a cult hero of Welsh rugby to his bar, Glenn Webbe. Glenn was the first British player to score a hat trick in a World Cup and now heads to Mike's bar to discuss his top 5 wingers.Warning: contains themes of racism. Help is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/

David Remnick sits down with Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the creators of a show he loves, “Industry,” which is currently airing its fourth season. The show is centered on the financial and personal dramas of junior employees at a fictional London investment bank. Down and Kay are old friends who both did unsuccessful stints in banking. “Before we could formulate our own identities, we allowed the institution to make them for us,” Down tells Remnick. But, having left finance for television, he says, “I still feel like I want to make money. . . .  I'm never content with my career. The reason our show feels like it's constantly changing and vibrating with electricity is because me and Konrad are, in terms of our careers. And, you know, we want to be successful. We were finance bros in the first instance.” New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.

Sonia Pernell explains Pamela's entry into Churchill's "Padlock" inner circle, managing a wartime pregnancy while influencing Americans like Harry Hopkins to support British survival. 2.

Hello Friends! It's the most British episode of Sail On ever!  Our own Will Crerar is joined by Frederick French-Pounce of Mixology to discuss the long awaited, recently released WE GOTTA GROOVE boxset!     Thanks for listening! Wyatt   Patreon Discord Instagram X www.sailonsounds.com sailonpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode from Highclere Castle, I sit down with Nick Hopton to talk about his book, "Marma Mia," which begins as the story of buying and restoring a holiday house in an unspoiled part of Tuscany, the Maremma and becomes a wider family and personal journey. Nick shares how reading "A Year in Provence" during COVID while he was British Ambassador to Libya helped inspire him to write a feel-good book that encourages readers to discover lesser-known regions. We discuss his Foreign Office career and his approach to languages, including learning Arabic across postings such as Morocco, Yemen, Qatar and Libya, along with French, Italian, Spanish, some German, and some Farsi ahead of becoming ambassador to Iran after the 2015 nuclear deal and the reopening of the British embassy. Nick explains how a friend's suggestion to look beyond Chianti led serendipitously to the first house they viewed and ultimately boughtalongside the realities of renovating abroad: high costs, practical challenges, and the highs and lows of making a place work for family life. We also talk about his unexpected love of landscaping and working with a skilled digger operator he calls “Michelangelo,” the region's food, wine, local olive oil and its strong Tuscan accent. Nick recounts a memorable moment when a friend arrived with an armed escort and the town's mayor turned out to greet them, and he updates me on ongoing projects, including drilling a 97-meter well to reach a fresh aquifer. Looking ahead, Nick describes writing best in the relative isolation of the Italian house and shares his interest in writing more broadly about the Mediterranean, linked to his role creating a new program at the University of Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics. We touch on the Napoleonic history of the area, including the principality of Piombino and Lucca and Napoleon's sister Elisa and end with a playful question about a dream dance guest Nick chooses Dante's Beatrice, reflecting his early love of Dante's poetry and its lifelong influence.00:00 Meet Nick Hopton & the book ‘Marma Mia' (restoring a house in Italy)00:50 Inspired by ‘A Year in Provence': writing a feel-good travel memoir during COVID01:59 Diplomatic life & learning languages: Arabic, French, Italian (and more)04:26 Why you should speak the local language (even with bad grammar)05:17 Falling for Tuscany's Maremma: the serendipitous house-buying story07:42 Renovation reality: highs, lows, and why the Maremma stays authentic08:44 Landscaping obsession: diggers, Kubotas, and ‘Michelangelo' the operator11:05 Food, wine & dialect: tomatoes, olive oil, and the Tuscan accent12:49 Small-town surprises: the ambassador friend visit and the mayor's welcome13:43 The work never ends: is the villa project ever really finished?14:01 Digging a 97m Well & the Never-Ending House Project14:27 What's Next After the Book: A Wider Mediterranean Focus14:58 Seeing the Mediterranean Holistically (Cambridge Geopolitics & Trade Routes)16:26 Duff Cooper, John Julius Norwich & Highclere's Colorful Guests17:20 Writing Habits: Tuscany, Isolation, Rhythm & Beating Procrastination18:37 Italy, Maremma & Napoleonic History: Elisa and the Principality of Piombino and Lucca20:30 Diplomatic Postings & Reopening the UK Embassy in Iran (2015)23:09 Iran Today: Regime Weakness, Protests, and a Hope to Visit the Cradle of Civilization24:21 Highclere's Library, the Book Club, and a Shared Love of Italy25:27 Finale: The Summer Dance Fantasy Guest—Dante, Beatrice & Vita NovaYou can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, an in-depth investigatory show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (2/28/26). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth is, or claiming they have the answer, is likely leading you astray, for one reason or another. Stay Vigilant. !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble");   Rumble("play", {"video":"v748wcq","div":"rumble_v748wcq"}); Video Source Links (In Chronological Order): Stephanie Seneff PhD Interview - Glyphosate & The Engineered Sick Care System Biotech and Pesticide Corporations Are "Winning" Under Trump's Second Administration New Tab (20) Monitor

In The Spider, Barry Levine portrays Ghislaine Maxwell as far more than Epstein's social companion — he frames her as the indispensable architect of his operation. According to Levine, she was the “glamorous front” who leveraged her elite British pedigree and high-society connections to normalize Epstein in circles of wealth and power. He argues Maxwell actively recruited young women, groomed them, and managed logistics that made Epstein's predation function like a system. In his telling, her role wasn't passive or peripheral; it was managerial and deliberate, making her a co-conspirator rather than a bystander.Levine also emphasizes how Maxwell operated as a bridge between Epstein and institutions of influence. He highlights how she cultivated access to royalty, billionaires, and academics, which insulated Epstein with legitimacy while expanding his reach. Levine makes the case that Maxwell was “the spider at the center of the web” just as much as Epstein himself — an enabler who understood the power structures she was exploiting and weaponized her connections to secure cover for their crimes. The book presents her not only as Epstein's partner in crime but as the key figure who transformed his abuse into a scalable empire.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comSource:https://www.newsweek.com/ghislaine-jeffery-biography-1545135

Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at targets across the Middle East, after announcing that its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed in US-Israeli attacks. At least 200 people -- most of whom were at a girls' school in the country's south -- have been reported killed in Iran. Three US service personnel have been killed in Iran's response, as well as ten people in Israel. Donald Trump has suggested that Iran's new leadership wanted to talk. Meanwhile, UK government officials are understood to be working on plans to potentially evacuate British nationals from the Middle East.

The twenty thousand strong Zulu army was camped near Nseka Mountain south of the British camp at Khambula hill — north west of modern day Vryheid. After defeating Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn Wood's Number 4 column at Hlobane, Zulu commanders Ntshingwayo and Mnyamana stopped to rest their men on the banks of the White Mfolozi. about twenty kilometers from the British camp. Wood's column had retreated to the base at Khambula Garrison — along with the cavalry led by Redverse Buller after the thrashing they'd received at the Battle of Hlobane. You heard about that in episode 262. Perhaps it made sense to wait, the British had already been reinforcing Kambula for weeks and the position that Evelyn held was strong. They had spent weeks digging elongated earthworks, a redoubt on a narrow ridge of tableland on the summit of Khambula. There were two guns here, and it was connected to the main wagon-laager which lay 20 meters below and 280 metres away by the four other guns placed at regular intervals. These were significant weapons. The wheels of the wagons were lashed together, and each wagon-pole or tied tightly to the wagon ahead, sods of earth had been thrown up under the wagons to form ramparts, and bags of provisions run along the outside of the buckrails of the wagons with firing slits every few yards. Below this defensive structure was another smaller laager of wagons, connected by a palisade — into which 2000 cattle were crammed. On the right side of both laagers lay a rocky ravine, no-one would be climbing up this access point and through which the stream of Selandlovu rushed. To the left, the ground sloped away more gently, and provided an excellent field of fire. Wood had 2 086 officers and men, including eight companies of the 90th Light Infantry — and seven companies of the 1/13th Light infantry totaling 1240 troops. The mounted squadron included 99 from the Mounted Infantry, four troops of the Frontier light horse of 165 men, two troops of Raaff's Transvaal Rangers, almost a hundred of Baker's Horse, 40 more from the Kaffrarian Rifles, bolstered by a Mounted Basotho group of 74, they'd come all the way from Basotholand, from further south, joined by 16 men of the Border Horse, along with 41 Boers from a local northern Zululand commando. 58 black support troops were also camped at Kambula, along with 11 Royal Engineers, and 110 men of the number 11 Battery, Royal Artillery and their six 7 pounders. This was a well balanced column, but still about ten percent the size of the nearby Zulu army. The British had a major advantage, they were defending a well constructed and armed with the latest weapons of war. Unlike the other battles, the British had measured out range markers and setup stone cairns painted white. The Zulu would not be able to easily charge Khambula over the open ground, nor climb quickly enough in numbers to attack over the steep eastern edge. Dawn broke on the 29th March 1879 and the Zulu commanders gathered their men. The youngsters demanded the army launch a straightforward charge up the slope to smash the English once and for all, but Chiefs Mnyamana and Ntshingwayo were smarter than that. Both had strict orders from Cetshwayo about tactics, and he'd made it clear there would be no more direct full frontal attack on well dug-in British camps. Mnyamana was more of a diplomat than soldier, if you remember it had been Ntshingwayo who led the men in their victory at Isandhlwana, but Mnyamana was technically the senior commander - so it was he who formed the amabutho into their traditional circle. As the sun lifted over the hills, mist coiled along the White Mfolozi, and thousands of Zulu warriors formed in their regiments on the riverbank. They stood shoulder to shoulder while their commanders strode before them, voices rising, calling them to courage and endurance.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Tony Hudgell wins his campaign for new UK child cruelty register Brit Awards Six things to look out for in tonights ceremony Starmer chairs Cobra meeting over US Israeli strikes on Iran Bill Clinton asked about hot tub photo and testifies he knew nothing of Epstein crimes Inside the 3.75m castle bought by Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr How Netflixs Drive to Survive triggered a new F1 celebrity age Polanksi and Farage have more in common than you might think The mystery man who links Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein What we know about the joint US Israel attack on Iran Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and the strange British phenomenon of the snatched backseat picture

1945 LAJeff Bliss reports that the FBI is investigating LAUSD's failed AI contract and Superintendent Carvalho's finances, while organized crime steals copper wire and Paramount defeats Netflix for Warner Discovery. 1.Jeff Bliss reports that Governor Newsom's national book tour faces criticism for historical inconsistencies, dismissive comments toward a diverse audience in Atlanta, and unprofessional responses from his press office. 2.Richard Epstein reports that the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling determined the president cannot unilaterally impose tariffs using emergency statutes without clear Congressional approval or an actual, profoundly disruptive emergency. 3.Richard Epstein argues that tariffs reduce national productivity and cannot replace income taxes, as modern manufacturing requires significantly fewer workers than in the 1950s era. 4.Jim McTague reports that a hotter-than-expected PPI report signals rising costs, leading "gun-shy" consumers to stretch paychecks and avoid impulse buys at supermarkets during a broad economic slowdown. 5.Lorenzo Fiori reports that Italy employs naval patrols to reduce migrant flows while debating "remigration" and promoting smaller historic towns like Arezzo to combat over-tourism in major cities. 6.Bob Zimmerman reports that Jared Isaacman restructured the Artemis program to favor private sector landers, shifting Artemis 3 to Earth-orbit testing due to the SLS rocket's slow launch cadence. 7.Bob Zimmerman reports that scientific analysis suggests the moon's ancient magnetic field was mostly weak, while new imagery reveals nitrogen seas on Pluto and "taffy terrain" formations on Mars. 8.Max Hastings reports that inexperienced British troops on Sword Beach struggled with traffic jams and the shock of combat, often halting to make tea instead of maintaining offensive momentum. 9.Max Hastings reports that conflicting orders and the absence of General Rommel paralyzed the 21st Panzer Division, delaying a decisive counterattack against Allied forces until the British armor landed. 10.Max Hastings reports that experienced desert veterans defeated a German panzer assault, but poor communications and high casualties among the infantry halted the British advance just short of Caen. 11.Max Hastings reports that historians emphasize the disorientation of landings, where survival often depended on a few heroic individuals amidst the brilliant but flawed logistics of the Allied planners. 12.Veronique de Rugy reports that Americans shoulder 90% of tariff costs, which fail to reshore production, hurt low-income families, and cannot offset interest on massive national debt. 13.Veronique de Rugy reports that the Export-Import Bank is using rare earth minerals as a pretext to expand lending authority, primarily benefiting Boeing while failing to use existing China mandates. 14.Henry Sokolski reports that the US navigates Saudi nuclear demands against Iranian restrictions, while the Pentagonpressures AI firms to allow autonomous systems for surveillance and weaponized combat operations. 15.Henry Sokolski reports that military laser tests accidentally downed a border drone, while Russia uses propaganda about NATO nuclear deployments to influence upcoming Non-Proliferation Treaty reviews at the UN. 16.

Max Hastings reports that inexperienced British troops on Sword Beach struggled with traffic jams and the shock of combat, often halting to make tea instead of maintaining offensive momentum. 9.1944 QUEEN RED SWORD BEACH

Max Hastings reports that conflicting orders and the absence of General Rommel paralyzed the 21st Panzer Division, delaying a decisive counterattack against Allied forces until the British armor landed. 10.1944 SWORD

Max Hastings reports that experienced desert veterans defeated a German panzer assault, but poor communications and high casualties among the infantry halted the British advance just short of Caen. 11.1944 SWORD

Jonathan Oldfield, Ada Player, Tom Neenan and Linnea Sage join in this month as we discover that a sizable minority of the British public has never seen a cow.  Stock media provided by Setuniman/Pond5.com and Soundrangers/Pond5.com Music credit courtesy of epidemicsound.com: It's All About Us/Jaslyn Edgar Graveyard Blues/Roy Edwin Williams

Washington Post personal finance columnist, Michelle Singletary, tells the moving story of how a visit to her grade school by the Reverend Jesse Jackson inspired her life and career as described in her column, “How the Rev. Jesse Jackson Taught Me to Keep Hope Alive." Then Ralph welcomes Professor Eric S. Fish from U.C Davis School of Law to explain how grand juries are no longer rubber-stamping frivolous cases brought to them by the Trump Administration. Plus, Ralph gives us his take on Trump's marathon State of the Union speech and the Democratic response.Michelle Singletary writes the nationally-syndicated personal finance column “The Color of Money,” which appears in the Washington Post on Wednesdays and Sundays. In 2021, she won the Gerald Loeb award for commentary. She has written four personal finance books, including, What to Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide and The 21-Day Financial Fast: Your Path to Financial Peace and Freedom.The Trump administration's destruction of diversity, equity, and inclusion—they misunderstand what that means. It doesn't mean that you're giving jobs to people who are unqualified. It means that you recognize that the playing field wasn't even, and let's even this playing field. I liken it to a football team. You can't have a football team of all quarterbacks and win. You have to have a quarterback, a running back, a linebacker, you have to have a good kicker. It's the same thing—your team has to encompass people that represent all kinds of abilities to have a winning team. So DEI isn't a giveaway. It isn't charity. It recognizes that when you have people from different backgrounds and different perspectives and different skill levels, you have a winning team.Michelle SingletaryEric S Fish is professor of law at the UC Davis School of Law. Professor Fish's primary research is in criminal law, with particular focus on the ethical duties of participants in the criminal process, the structure of immigration crimes, and the system's emphasis on administrative efficiency. He has also served as a public defender, first with the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, and later as a Federal Defender in San Diego.This has been a really remarkable series of rejections of the Trump administration's prosecutions by ordinary people serving on grand juries, and one that is largely unprecedented in modern American history. I can't think of another example of grand juries rejecting such high-profile cases (and so many of them). Nothing really comes to mind. So in a certain sense, one might say this is the grand jury's original purpose…Initially they were a democratic institution of governance. They were a local check on the colonial oppression of the British (at least in the early colonial period). They refused to indict prosecutions under the Stamp Act, under the revenue laws. They were a tool of anti-colonial resistance to British oppression, and this seems at least broadly analogous to that—local grand juries in places like Minnesota, Chicago, Washington, D.C. are rejecting the Trump administration's attempts to prosecute its political enemies and bring trumped-up charges against protesters.Eric S. FishAll in all, [the State of the Union address] was fodder for political scientists for years to come. A dictatorial serial law violator, self-enriching chronic liar, cruel, vicious to vulnerable people and people without power (which is a majority of the people) elected dictator. This speech—which went for one hour and 48 minutes, the longest State of the Union speech ever—will be analyzed for a long time with the question at the center of the analysis being: How could so many tens of millions of voters be taken in by Trump's mouth, his lies, his false statements, his fantasies, his fake promises, his lack of any kind of record, whether as a businessman where he used bankruptcies as a strategy…and his record as a politician in his first term? That's the question we have to ask ourselves. And it's too easy to say that the Trump voters couldn't stand the Democrats who abandoned them. That's not enough. They could have not voted for Trump. They could have written in a vote. They could have voted for the Green, Libertarian, or other minor parties. They can't use the Democrats as a 100% excuse for voting for Trump. And a lot of them didn't. They just liked Trump. They liked his prejudices. They liked his lies. They liked his fantasies. They liked his fake promises.Ralph NaderNews 2/27/26* Our top stories this week come to us from our southern neighbor, Mexico. First, on February 22nd, Mexican authorities announced they had successfully conducted an operation resulting in the death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, aka “El Mencho,” who headed the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). In retaliation, the cartels launched a wave of violence throughout the country. Bafflingly, given the obvious enmity between the cartels and the government of Claudia Sheinbaum, Elon Musk implied that Sheinbaum is in the pocket of the very drug cartels with whom she is practically at war. Reuters reports Musk “responded to a 2025 video of Sheinbaum discussing cartel violence and alleged that she was ‘saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say.” Reuters notes that Musk did not provide further evidence. In fact, much of the strength of the Mexican cartels would actually be more accurately attributed to the United States. As USA Today writes, Mexican officials recovered a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 10 long arm [rifles], handguns, and grenades, from El Mencho's weapons stockpile. Mexican Defense Minister, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo estimated that about 80% of the recovered weapons were purchased in the United States and smuggled into Mexico. This represents just the tip of the iceberg of the so-called “iron river” of firearms flooding Mexico's black market from the U.S. As opposed to the lax gun laws in the states, gun ownership in Mexico is “tightly restricted…[and] There is only one military-run gun store in the country.”* Meanwhile, President Sheinbaum is bucking American pressure by continuing to send humanitarian aid to the tiny, embattled island nation of Cuba. AP reports that last week, “Two Mexican Navy ships laden with humanitarian aid docked in Cuba…two weeks after…President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island.” These ships carried 800 tons worth of bundles of “Made in Mexico” goods, including rice, beans, amaranth and crackers — complemented by a bottle of oil, large cans of sardines and canned peaches. Another 1,500 tons of powdered milk and beans are expected to be sent to Cuba in the coming days. The U.S. has taken a more bellicose line with Cuba than it has in quite some time, even taking naval action in the waters surrounding the island, making Mexico's support that much more critical.* In another Cuba story, a diplomatic incident is unfolding this week regarding a Florida-registered speedboat. According to the island's government, the boat, carrying 10 passengers, entered Cuban territorial waters and opened fire on Cuban soldiers. The Cubans responded in kind, killing four people aboard the craft and wounding six others. According to the Cuban authorities, most of the passengers “have a known history of criminal and violent activity.” These include Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, both wanted by Cuban authorities based on their involvement in “the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission of…acts of terrorism.” The Cubans also claim to have arrested one Duniel Hernández Santos, who was supposedly “sent from the United States to guarantee the reception of the armed infiltration.” They claim Hernández Santos has confessed. American authorities have so far evinced confusion more than anything else, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying “We're going to figure out exactly what happened.” This from AP.* Whatever cloak and dagger games the administration may be playing in the Caribbean, they have been pointedly unsubtle about their saber rattling regarding Iran – and the reaction from Congress has been meager. While anti-war members in the House and Senate are pushing war powers resolutions, namely Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie along with Senator Tim Kaine, not even the nominal opposition party is supporting these efforts. According to Capital & Empire, Democrats are seeking to “dampen momentum” and even “prevent the Iran war powers vote from advancing.” Democrats Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz, both arch Iran hawks, have publicly stated they will not back the war powers resolution, and many others have sought to split the difference, saying Trump should only move on Iran after consulting with Congress. As the Hill notes, the Senate did pass a war powers resolution restricting the president's use of military force against Iran without congressional approval during Trump's first term, with eight Senate Republicans backing the Democrats in support of the bill. It is hard to imagine such a bipartisan show of force this time around.* In more disappointing congressional news, on Tuesday the House voted down the bipartisan ROTOR Act, which would have beefed up aviation safety standards, NPR reports. This bill was drafted in the wake of the deadly midair collision over Washington D.C. last year. This bill, principally authored by Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees transportation, would have required wider use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast – safety technology designed to transmit an aircraft's location to other aircraft. The Senate unanimously passed the bill in December, with the support of the Defense Department – now styling itself the Department of War – but the Pentagon yanked its support just before the House vote, citing “unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks.” The final House vote was 264 in favor and 133 opposed, 132 Republicans and Democrat Lizzie Fletcher of Texas. Despite the lopsided majority in favor, the bill needed a two-thirds vote to pass and was therefore defeated by the minority.* In another aviation related story, FBI Director Kash Patel is embroiled in a new scandal based on his alleged misuse of the FBI's Gulfstream jets for personal travel. CNN reports Patel's frequent jetsetting has even caused delays or issues in high-profile investigations, such as the assassination of rightwing commentator Charlie Kirk and the Brown University shooting last December. According to a letter authored by Senator Dick Durbin, Patel's incessant misuse of the official FBI planes for personal travel “has even frustrated White House and DOJ senior staff.” This story hits particularly hard at the present moment, with images of Patel chugging beer in the locker room celebration of the Olympic men's hockey team going viral. The FBI then had to spend days running cover for Patel, claiming the director was in Italy for “long-planned official business,” which just happened to coincide with the occasion.* Our next two stories concern AI. First, a new Public Citizen report documents how the AI industry is deploying a veritable army of lobbyists on Capitol Hill, absolutely dwarfing not only their opposition, but practically every other industry as well. According to this report, more than one quarter of all federal lobbyists are now lobbying on AI issues, representing a rise in lobbyist activity on AI issues of more than 265 percent over the past three years. This report finds the Chamber of Commerce hired the most AI lobbyists in 2025 at 91, followed by Microsoft at 63, Meta at 55, Intuit at 51, and Amazon at 48. This meteoric rise in AI lobbying activity is sure to give the industry massive firepower in the halls of Congress, ensuring a favorable regulatory environment for years to come. This will be particularly critical for data centers, which have faced a rash of local opposition. Per this report, that particular subset of the AI lobbying industry has expanded by a staggering 500 percent since 2023.* For all its newfound political clout however, the AI business seems to have found itself a formidable new opponent – Pope Leo XIV. This week, Pope Leo addressed priests from the Diocese of Rome and implored them to resist “the temptation to prepare homilies with Artificial Intelligence.” The pontiff argued “Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die. The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity.” He added that “to give a true homily is to share faith,” and that AI “will never be able to share faith.” This from Vatican News.* Turning to media news, this week, Paramount submitted a new offer to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount's new bid amounted to $31 per share and, following a period of consultation with the Warner board of directors, this offer was deemed “superior” to the proposed deal with rival bidder Netflix. This triggered a clause in the Netflix merger agreement giving the streamer four days to submit a new, superior offer. However, that same day Netflix issued a statement officially declining to submit a new, higher offer, with representatives writing “the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer,” means “the deal is no longer financially attractive.” With Netflix out of the way, Paramount, led by Trump-aligned billionaire scion David Ellison, will now proceed with their acquisition of Warner Bros., including their prodigious intellectual property back catalogue and the cable news titan, CNN. A friendly relationship with the Trump administration means regulators are unlikely to hold up this deal. The Ellisons have already acquired CBS News, installing Bari Weiss as “editor-in-chief.” It seems likely they will follow a similar playbook regarding CNN.* Our final stories this week concern the continuing fallout of the Epstein scandal. This week saw the arrest of former British-U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson, joining Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew) in the collection of high profile British individuals arrested in connection with the Epstein scandal. Meanwhile, at Harvard, former University President Larry Summers will resign from his academic and faculty appointments, including his University Professorship, at the Ivy League school following the conclusion of this academic year. Until then, he will remain on leave, per the Crimson. Summers regularly exchanged messages with Jeffrey Epstein about topics ranging from women, to politics, to Harvard-related matters as late as July 2019, the day before Epstein's final arrest. But the most noteworthy Epstein-related news this week came from Chappaqua, New York. On Thursday and Friday, Bill and Hillary Clinton testified about their relationships with the late financier and sexual predator. After much wrangling, these potential blockbuster hearings were held behind closed doors on the Clintons' home turf. What exactly was said remains shrouded in mystery. According to the BBC, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said he hopes to make videos of both Hillary and Bill Clinton's depositions publicly available soon. Robert Garcia, the Democratic Ranking Member on the committee, said a “new precedent” had been set by calling a former president to testify and demanded that Trump be called to testify before the committee next. We shall watch this space.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

In this episode, Sean and James review the 1999 film The Trench. The Trench follows a group of young British soldiers during the tense hours leading up to the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, focusing on their fears, friendships, and fragile hopes as they wait in the trenches. Rather than depicting large-scale combat, the film emphasizes psychological strain, class divisions, and the emotional toll of anticipation. When the long-awaited order finally comes, the human cost of industrial warfare is made starkly clear.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few people will feel sympathy for Ian Huntley, who this week was seriously attacked inside prison. The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham remain among the most abhorrent crimes in modern British history - acts so senseless they are almost impossible to comprehend.The man reported to have carried out the attack was Anthony Russell.Back in October 2024, I covered Russell's own crimes - a week of shocking violence that left three people dead and exposed just how dangerous he is.In light of this latest development, I've decided to re-release that episode today - to revisit who Anthony Russell is, what he did, and how his name has once again returned to the headlines.Buy My New True Crime Content Creators Online Coursehttps://adam-s-site-be58.thinkific.com/products/courses/true-crime-content-creation-courseWatch my YouTube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@Adam-uktruecrime/videosListen/Watch the True Crime Catch Uphttps://audioalways.lnk.to/TrueCrimeCatchUpFind Our More About Mehttps://uktruecrime.comJoin UK True Crime Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/UKTrueCrime Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Step onto the Western Front in Flanders as we explore the area near to Ypres known as The Bluff. In this episode we uncover the story of the fighting here in February-March 1916, when British and German forces struggled for control of the high ground overlooking Ypres. Using contemporary accounts and battlefield evidence, we explain why this small rise in the landscape mattered so much and how the battle unfolded.The Bluff was created from spoil dug out during the construction of the Ypres–Comines Canal, forming an artificial ridge that dominated the surrounding trenches. In early 1916 German forces seized the position, threatening the British line south of Ypres. A determined counter-attack followed, with units of the British Army fighting bitterly through shattered woods and cratered ground to retake the heights. We look at how the battle developed, the tactics used, and the human stories behind the fighting.Walking the ground today, we visit several evocative battlefield cemeteries that still mark the front line of 1916:1st Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Cemetery – closely linked to the men who fought and fell during the struggle for the Bluff.Hedge Row Trench Cemetery – a small but powerful reminder of the trench lines that once crossed this area.Woods Cemetery – surrounded by the landscape that witnessed intense fighting in WW1.We also explore the mine craters that still scar The Bluff and follow the line of the Ypres-Comines canal itself, where the battle-damaged locks remain as a rare survivor of wartime destruction here.This episode combines battlefield history, on-the-ground exploration, and the stories of the soldiers who fought here, helping us understand how a small rise in the landscape became the focus of a hard-fought battle in the Ypres Salient.Newspaper Articles About Richard Howard's Violin:Remarkable story of Leeds violin maker killed in First World War remembered at central libraryWWI soldier's violin played at his graveSign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.Send a textSupport the show

Full Text of Readings Second Sunday of Lent Lectionary: 25 The Saint of the day is Saint David of Wales Saint David of Wales' Story David is the patron saint of Wales and perhaps the most famous of British saints. Ironically, we have little reliable information about him. It is known that he became a priest, engaged in missionary work, and founded many monasteries, including his principal abbey in southwestern Wales. Many stories and legends sprang up about David and his Welsh monks. Their austerity was extreme. They worked in silence without the help of animals to till the soil. Their food was limited to bread, vegetables and water. In about the year 550, Saint David of Wales attended a synod where his eloquence impressed his fellow monks to such a degree that he was elected primate of the region. The episcopal see was moved to Mynyw, where he had his monastery, now called St. David's. He ruled his diocese until he had reached a very old age. His last words to his monks and subjects were: “Be joyful, brothers and sisters. Keep your faith, and do the little things that you have seen and heard with me.” Saint David is pictured standing on a mound with a dove on his shoulder. The legend is that once while he was preaching a dove descended to his shoulder and the earth rose to lift him high above the people so that he could be heard. Over 50 churches in South Wales were dedicated to him in pre-Reformation days. Reflection Were we restricted to hard manual labor and a diet of bread, vegetables and water, most of us would find little reason to rejoice. Yet joy is what David urged on his brothers as he lay dying. Perhaps he could say that to them—and to us—because he lived in and nurtured a constant awareness of God's nearness. For, as someone once said, “Joy is the infallible sign of God's presence.” May his intercession bless us with the same awareness!Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Latest attacks mark escalation in long-running tensions between the two South Asian neighbours. Islamabad has repeatedly blamed the Afghan Taliban for supporting militants accused of attacks in Pakistan. Also: Nine senior officers of the Chinese military have been officially removed as delegates to the country's annual parliamentary session, just days before it's due to start. US says it will ease its economic blockade on Cuba, if oil is sent to the island's private sector. Epstein files reveal the late convicted sex offender tried to buy a multimillion-dollar palace in Morocco, the day before his arrest in 2019. And the British supermarket chain, Waitrose, suspends sales of mackerel because of overfishing. 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

Pakistani military jets have hit targets inside Afghanistan, bombing parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, as open military conflict surged between the two countries. Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said Islamabad's patience had run out and declared the neighbours at "open war" following months of tit-for-tat clashes and heavy losses for both sides. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against militant groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government denies.Also: the BBC has obtained a video that shows how Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian boy and stood around as he bled to death. Netflix drops out of the bidding war for Warner Brothers Discovery, leaving Paramount as the top contender to acquire the legacy studio. As former US President Bill Clinton prepares to testify before a Congressional committee investigating the fall-out from the Epstein files, his wife Hillary, who appeared before the panel on Thursday, says her husband's connection with Epstein ended several years before anything about the sex offender's criminal activities came to light. In a landmark trial in Los Angeles, the woman at the heart of a case against social media giants says she became addicted to their platforms aged six. The British Labour government suffers a by-election defeat in key political test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. How Pokémon's 30th anniversary is being marked worldwide. And we test our spelling skills after a survey reveals the words British pupils most struggle with.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

This week, we're joined in the studio by food superstar and philanthropist Jamie Oliver. We talk about his start in food, growing up above a small-town pub, and finding himself at the iconic River Café with Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, and later becoming the TV persona behind The Naked Chef. He talks about his travels, his admiration for women cooks, and the use of his platform to champion nutrition programs and job-skills training for underserved communities. Jamie Oliver is a restaurateur, TV personality, and the author of over 30 cookbooks, including the best-selling 30-Minute Meals, 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food, and Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone. His latest book is Eat Yourself Healthy: Food to Change Your Life. He left us with his recipe for Harissa Tuna Bean Parcels.Head to our YouTube channel and watch this extended cut of our interview with Jamie Oliver. Subscribe so you don't miss anything!Broadcast dates for this episode:February 27, 2026 (originally aired)Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate todayWhen you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It's a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.