Podcasts about Washington

We're seeing the same far-right media consolidation in America as during Putin's rise to power. Bari Weiss is the new Roger Ailes, hired to destroy CBS News. The far-right Ellisons are aggressively going after Warner Bros. to build a media monopoly to dumb down more Americans so that we're easier to control.  That's why Andrea spoke at Courier News' Courage & Cowardice event in Washington, DC on December 11. Courier, the team that built the searchable Epstein files database released by Congress, brought together independent journalists and creators who still believe journalism is a public good. The main focus of the conversation, which you can listen to here on Gaslit Nation, was how to build and sustain independent media. Andrea was joined by progressive YouTuber Jack Cocchiarella, Brian Beutler, formerly of Crooked Media and The New Republic who now runs  Off Message; TikTok comedian Meredith Lynch; and in a discussion moderated by veteran editor Mark Jacob, formerly of the Chicago Tribune, to talk about media capitulation and how to fight back. Here's some info on the event.  Luckily, the Media and Democracy Project (MAD) exists and provided us with the following actions you can take:  Make videos highlighting moments of real accountability like celebrating the ABC reporter Mary Bruce who pressed MBS and Trump with tough, substantive questions. Credit your sources clearly and encourage your audience to click through and read the original reporting. Introduce your audience to journalism and media-education initiatives such as States Newsroom, the News Literacy Project, and Rebuild Local News. Synthesize and share this essential explainer from Democracy Forward on the link between local news and democracy: https://democracyfund.org/idea/new-research-explores-connection-between-democracy-and-local-news/ If you're a journalist, whether independent or in a newsroom, regularly lift up the work of your colleagues.  Everyone should keep the conversation of journalism being the bedrock of a democracy front and center. Use your time online wisely: repost, share stories, and boost public-interest journalism whenever you can.  Most importantly, stay connected with MAD. 

It’s the first holiday season since President Trump’s tariffs came into effect. NBC’s Kayla Steinberg explains why some shoppers received a big surprise on their online orders. Congress left Washington for the holidays after one of the least productive years in modern history. NPR’s Barbara Sprunt breaks down the factors that have caused the stagnation. Former ICE officials say families are being detained for prolonged periods of time to speed up deportations. Anna Flagg of the Marshall Project joins to discuss how Trump administration policies have swept thousands of children into custody. Plus, the State Department recalled more than two dozen diplomats from around the world, tricky weather will complicate travel during the holidays, and how to avoid being singled out by the TSA. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

9. The Professional: Von Steuben's Transformation of the Continental Army. Richard Bell introduces Baron von Steuben as a desperate, unemployed Prussian officer who professionalized the ragtag Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington's hiring of foreign experts like Steuben demonstrated a strategic willingness to utilize global talent to ensure the revolution's survival. 1921 WASHNGTON HQ VALLEY FORGE

SHOW 12-22-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT FUTURE NAVY. 1941 HICKAM FIELD 1. Restoring Naval Autonomy: Arguments for Separating the Navy from DoD. Tom Modly argues the Navy is an "underperforming asset" within the Defense Department's corporate structure, similar to how Fiat Chrysler successfully spun off Ferrari. He suggests the Navy needs independence to address critical shipbuilding deficits and better protect global commerce and vulnerable undersea cables from adversaries. 2. Future Fleets: Decentralizing Firepower to Counter Chinese Growth. Tom Modly warns that China's shipbuilding capacity vastly outpaces the US, requiring a shift toward distributed forces rather than expensive, concentrated platforms. He advocates for a reinvigorated, independent Department of the Navy to foster the creativity needed to address asymmetric threats like Houthi attacks on high-value assets. 3. British Weakness: The Failure to Challenge Beijing Over Jimmy Lai. Mark Simon predicts Prime Minister Starmer will fail to secure Jimmy Lai's release because the UK mistakenly views China as an economic savior. He notes the UK's diminished military and economic leverage leads to a submissive diplomatic stance, despite China'sdeclining ability to offer investment. 4. Enforcing Sanctions: Interdicting the Shadow Fleet to Squeeze China. Victoria Coates details the Trump administration's enforcement of a "Monroe Doctrine" corollary, using naval power to seize tankers carrying Venezuelan oil to China. This strategy exposes China's lack of maritime projection and energy vulnerability, as Beijingcannot legally contest the seizures of illicit shadow fleet vessels. 5. Symbolic Strikes: US and Jordan Target Resurgent ISIS in Syria. Following an attack on US personnel, the US and Jordan conducted airstrikes against ISIS strongholds, likely with Syrian regime consultation. Ahmed Sharawi questions the efficacy of striking desert warehouses when ISIS cells have moved into urban areas, suggesting the strikes were primarily symbolic domestic messaging. 6. Failure to Disarm: Hezbollah's Persistence and UNIFIL's Inefficacy. David Daoud reports that the Lebanesegovernment is failing to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, merely evicting them from abandoned sites. He argues UNIFIL is an ineffective tripwire, as Hezbollah continues to rebuild infrastructure and receive funding right under international observers' noses. 7. Global Jihad: The Distinct Threats of the Brotherhood and ISIS. Edmund Fitton-Brown contrasts the Muslim Brotherhood's long-term infiltration of Western institutions with ISIS's violent, reckless approach. He warns that ISISremains viable, with recent facilitated attacks in Australia indicating a resurgence in capability beyond simple "inspired" violence. 8. The Forever War: Jihadist Patience vs. American Cycles. Bill Roggio argues the US has failed to defeat jihadist ideology or funding, allowing groups like Al-Qaeda to persist in Afghanistan and Africa. He warns that adversaries view American withdrawals as proof of untrustworthiness, exploiting the US tendency to fight short-term wars against enemies planning for decades. 9. The Professional: Von Steuben's Transformation of the Continental Army. Richard Bell introduces Baron von Steuben as a desperate, unemployed Prussian officer who professionalized the ragtag Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington's hiring of foreign experts like Steuben demonstrated a strategic willingness to utilize global talent to ensure the revolution's survival. 10. Privateers and Prison Ships: The Unsung Cost of Maritime Independence. Richard Bell highlights the crucial role of privateers like William Russell, who raided British shipping when the Continental Navy was weak. Captured privateers faced horrific conditions in British "black hole" facilities like Mill Prison and the deadly prison ship Jersey in New York Harbor, where mortality rates reached 50%. 11. Caught in the Crossfire: Indigenous Struggles in the Revolutionary War. Molly Brant, a Mohawk leader, allied with the British to stop settler encroachment but became a refugee when the British failed to protect Indigenous lands. Post-war, white Americans constructed myths portraying themselves as blameless victims while ignoring their own Indigenous allies and British betrayals regarding land rights. 12. The Irish Dimension: Revolutionary Hopes and Brutal Repression. The Irish viewed the American Revolutionas a signal that the British Empire was vulnerable, sparking the failed 1798 Irish rebellion. While the British suppressed Irish independence brutally under Cornwallis, Irish immigrants and Scots-Irish settlers like Andrew Jackson fervently supported the Continental Army against the Crown. 13. Assessing Battlefield Realities: Russian Deceit and Ukrainian Counterattacks. John Hardie analyzes the "culture of deceit" within the Russian military, exemplified by false claims of capturing Kupyansk while Ukraine actually counterattacked. This systemic lying leads to overconfidence in Putin's strategy, though Ukraine also faces challenges with commanders hesitating to report lost positions to avoid forced counterattacks. 14. Shifts in Latin America: Brazilian Elections and Venezuelan Hope. Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusapredict a 2026 battle between socialist accommodation and freedom-oriented transformation in Brazil, highlighted by Flavio Bolsonaro's candidacy against Lula. Meanwhile, Peña Esclusa anticipates Venezuela's liberation and a broader regional shift toward the right following leftist defeats in Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile. 15. Trump's Security Strategy: Homeland Defense Lacks Global Clarity. John Yoo praises the strategy's focus on homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere, reviving a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. However, he criticizes the failure to explicitly name China as an adversary or define clear goals for defending allies in Asia and Europe against great power rivals. 16. Alienating Allies: The Strategic Cost of Attacking European Partners. John Yoo argues that imposing tariffs and attacking democratic European allies undermines the coalition needed to counter China and Russia. He asserts that democracies are the most reliable partners for protecting American security and values, making cooperation essential despite resource constraints and political disagreements.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Day two of the Wright Report holiday series continues with unscripted answers to listener-submitted questions, beginning with a stark warning about America's greatest threats. Bryan responds to ODNI Director Tulsi Gabbard's assessment of Islamist ideology by laying out his own top three dangers to the United States: China as the foremost existential threat, followed by the Radical Left's push to "re-imagine" the Constitution, and then radical Islam, which he argues was empowered by failed immigration and assimilation policies. The episode then turns to hope and resilience. Responding to listener concerns about losing faith in the American experiment, Bryan points to the broad, multi-ethnic coalition that rejected open borders, rising crime, and economic fragility. He argues that while political battles are far from over, Americans have reclaimed their ability to speak freely, organize, and push back against forces that seek to dismantle the country's founding principles. The second half of the episode pulls back the curtain on the podcast itself. Bryan explains what differentiates The Wright Report from other shows, why he limits advertising, how foreign influence operations can target podcasters, and what drives his long-term vision. He closes with personal reflections on purpose, legacy, family, faith, and why he has no intention of returning to Washington, choosing instead to keep building something independent and mission-driven.    "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32     Keywords: Wright Report holiday series, listener submitted questions, Tulsi Gabbard national security, China threat USA, radical left ideology, radical Islam threat, American identity debate, immigration assimilation, free speech podcasting, foreign influence operations, independent media, faith and legacy

From 12/23 Hour 2: Spencer Carbery joins The Sports Junkies to discuss the latest Washington Capitals news.

On January 13, 1888, a group of thirty-three prominent citizens, including geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers, and financiers, gathered at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC, to establish "a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge." At first, the organization was more of a scholarly endeavor, but over time, it became one of the most popular brands dedicated to science, exploration, and discovery.  Through its publications, it has allowed millions of people a glimpse of what life is like elsewhere in the world. Learn more about National Geographic and its humble beginnings on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Chubbies Get 20% off your purchase at Chubbies with the promo code DAILY at checkout! Aura Frames Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/DAILY. Promo Code DAILY DripDrop Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code EVERYTHING for 20% off your first order. Uncommon Goods Go to uncommongoods.com/DAILY for 15% off! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stijn Schmitz welcomes Ross Beaty to the show. Ross Beaty is a Renowned Geologist, Serial Mine Builder & Conservation Advocate. Beaty provides a comprehensive overview of the current gold market and mining industry landscape. He suggests that while gold is currently at record highs around $4,300, the market still has potential for growth, driven by strong macro and supply-demand fundamentals. Beaty anticipates a wave of new gold mine production in 2025-2027 that might eventually dampen prices, but remains optimistic about the sector’s near-term prospects. Drawing from his extensive experience building successful mining companies like Pan American Silver and Equinox Gold, Beaty emphasizes the importance of understanding specific commodity dynamics and investing in projects with significant scale and potential. He highlights the critical factors for successful mining investments, including geological potential, project location, commodity demand-supply fundamentals, and management quality. Beaty candidly discusses the mining industry’s inherent risks, noting that even well-planned projects can face unexpected challenges from geological complexities, political instability, community tensions, and volatile metal prices. He advocates for diversification and strategic portfolio management, as demonstrated by Equinox Gold’s recent divestment of Brazilian assets to focus on tier-one projects and manage debt. Beyond his mining endeavors, Beaty is deeply committed to environmental conservation through his philanthropic work. Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:58 – Gold Bull Market Phase 00:03:04 – Exploration Under-Investment 00:05:09 – Lessons from Past Cycles 00:06:40 – Investment vs Mining Differences 00:09:49 – Ross’s Company Categories 00:11:40 – Spotting Special Projects 00:13:20 – Project Evaluation Criteria 00:16:28 – Commodity Fundamentals Analysis 00:21:30 – Common Mining Pitfalls 00:23:00 – Growth and Debt Risks 00:24:05 – Industry Dilution Problems 00:26:30 – Equinox Brazil Divestments 00:29:10 – Future Plans Philanthropy 00:30:23 – Concluding Thoughts Guest Links: Website: https://www.equinoxgold.com Foundation: https://sitkafoundation.org Ross Beaty is a renowned Canadian geologist, mining entrepreneur, and philanthropist with over 50 years of experience in the international minerals and renewable energy sectors. Born in Vancouver in 1951 to a forestry entrepreneur father and a teacher mother, Beaty earned degrees in geology and law from the University of British Columbia, followed by an MSc in geology from Imperial College London. His career began in the 1970s, blending scientific expertise with business acumen to build a legacy of resource innovation. Beaty founded Pan American Silver Corp in 1994, where he serves as Chair Emeritus, growing it into a global leader in silver production. He is currently Chair of Equinox Gold Corp’s Board of Directors, a position he has held since its inception in 2017. Over four decades, he has founded and divested more than a dozen public companies, including Equinox Resources (sold in the 1990s) and Alterra Power Corp, a clean energy firm, generating an estimated $6 billion in shareholder value. A former President of the Silver Institute in Washington, DC, Beaty is a Fellow of the Geological Association of Canada, Society of Economic Geologists, and Canadian Institute of Mining. Beyond business, Beaty is a passionate environmental advocate. He co-founded and presides over the Sitka Foundation, focusing on biodiversity conservation in British Columbia through strategic grants and impact investing. He chairs the BC Parks Foundation, serves as a director for Panthera and the Pacific Salmon Foundation, and is Patron of the Beaty Biodiversity Centre at UBC. His accolades include induction into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame (2018), the Order of Canada (2017), and an honorary Doctor of Laws from UBC (2018). An optimist at heart, Beaty champions a shift from consumerism to conservation. Married to physician Trisha Beaty, he enjoys beekeeping, cider production, and sea kayaking in Howe Sound. His journey from mining magnate to green evangelist exemplifies resilient entrepreneurship.

Renowned Pan-African educator Dr. Kmt Shockley returns to our classroom, ready to ignite minds and inspire action. Professor Shockley will reveal the transformative benefits of a Pan-African education for both students and teachers, empowering our community to embrace our shared heritage and future. He'll also share insights from his compelling new documentary, "Cultural War: Focus on Black Youth," sparking crucial conversations about our young people's future. Before Dr. Shockley, you'll hear from Sister Phile of the Million Woman March, a movement that continues to galvanize women for change. Baltimore activist and pastor Dr. Robert Richard Allen Turner will update us on his courageous marches from Baltimore to Washington, DC, and will shine a spotlight on the urgent need for reparations and justice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gretchen McGowan joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the grit and glam of the 90s in New York, her career producing independent films, the thrill of creating something from nothing, honoring our own process, willing to be self-deprecating, negotiating manuscript revisions in digestible ways, keeping writing momentum in mind, getting character-you into trouble, when everyone around you seems to have it figured out, loving the hustle of NY, scrappiness, her role as the head of Goldcrest films, and her memoir Flying In: My Adventures in Filmmaking. Info/Registration for Ronit's 10-Week Memoir Class Memoir Writing: Finding Your Story https://www.pce.uw.edu/courses/memoir-writing-finding-your-story  This episode is brought to you by Prose Playground. If you've been writing for years but haven't published, have tons of ideas but can't get them on the page, if you have a book coming out, or you're simply curious about writing, join Prose Playground—an active, supportive writing community for writers at every level. Visit www.ProsePlayground.com to sign up free.   Also in this episode: -doing what works -transcendental mediation -women's career memoirs   Books mentioned in this episode: -Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb -An Unfinished Woman by Lillian Hellman -The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith -Fast Draft Your Memoir by Rachael Herron   Gretchen McGowan is an award-winning producer and the head of production for Goldcrest Films in New York City where she has overseen titles such as Cat Person, Carol and Restrepo. Gretchen independently produced Jim Jarmusch's The Limits of Control, helped to make his iconic film Coffee and Cigarettes and has made over sixty films across the globe. Her new memoir is Flying In: My Adventures in Filmmaking.   Connect with Gretchen: Website: www.gretchenmcgowan.com Links: https://linktr.ee/gretchenmcgowan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretmcgowan Info/Registration for Ronit's 10-Week Memoir Class Memoir Writing: Finding Your Story https://www.pce.uw.edu/courses/memoir-writing-finding-your-story   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book.   More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social

Markets are sending mixed signals heading into 2026 and crypto is caught right in the middle. In today's livestream we break down the “major crisis ahead” narrative: why the Fed could be risking recession without more rate cuts, what Sen. Cynthia Lummis' retirement means for crypto's biggest allies in Washington, how Arizona is advancing a bill that could exempt Bitcoin and crypto from property taxes, and why Charles Hoskinson says the TRUMP token controversy helped fuel a “Bitcoin-only” shift while weakening bipartisan momentum for broader market-structure legislation. Nothing here is financial advice do your own research.

Bakko gets invited to a party. LC reverts to the mean. Shirley Manson takes on beach balls. The Fyre Fest guy isn't done yet. Tommy Lee doesn't know the meaning of words. MegaDave issues some discouraging news. Gene Simmons spends a week in Washington talking shit and for some reason shark attacks come into the conversation. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pantheon Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Reach out to us! Rate, review, and subscribe at Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire: Comedy / Rock Talk Show on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our fanpage on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(2) Cobras ON Fire: Private Group | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click like and follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(2) Cobras & Fire: Rock Podcast | Chicago IL | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cobrasandfirepodcast • Threads, Say more⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire Rock Podcast - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire Podcast (@cobrasfirepodcast.bsky.social) — Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email us: Buy a shirt!:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"Cobras and Fire Podcast" T-shirt for Sale by CobrasandFire | Redbubble | cobras and fire t-shirts - cobras fire t-shirts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Rock Candy! Freeze-Dried Candy pairs perfectly with the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cobras & Fire podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Specifically, candy from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Esquilo Candies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Youth-Run business founded and managed by LC's son. Crunch while rocking out! Stitcher: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire: Comedy / Rock Talk Show on Stitcher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spreaker: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire: Comedy / Rock Talk Show | Listen to Podcasts On Demand Free | TuneIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find it all here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras and Fire Podcast - Comedy Rock Talk Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: Jesus Chrysler - Rock N Roll Revival Audrey Horne - Wolf In My Heart Big Wreck - You Don't Even Know Stephen Pearcey - Ten Miles Wide Metal Church - By The Numbers Diemonds - Over It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

52:03- Hogan Gidley, Former National Press Secretary for the Trump campaign and former White House Deputy Press Secretary Topic: White House teasing affordability plan; Other White House news 1:01:09- Matthew "Whiz" Buckley, decorated former U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet pilot, TOP GUN graduate, and now the founder of the No Fallen Heroes Foundation Topic: Trump announces "Golden Fleet" of battle ships 1:12:05- K.T. McFarland, Former Trump Deputy National Security Advisor and the author of "Revolution: Trump, Washington and 'We The People'.” Topic: America First foreign policy accomplishments in 2025 1:24:15- Gordon Chang, Asia expert, columnist, and author of "China is Going to War." Topic: China loading over 100 ICBMs into missile silos near Mongolia 1:55:30- George Pataki, former three-time Governor of New York State and the author of "Beyond the Great Divide: How A Nation Became A Neighborhood." Topic: Elise Stefanik suspending her gubernatorial bid 2:01:33- Christina Farrell, NYC Office of Emergency Management First Deputy Commissioner Topic: City preparations for the winter season 2:08:06- Marc Morano, Former Senior Staff Member of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, publisher of ClimateDepot.com, and the author of "The Great Reset: Global Elites and the Permanent Lockdown" Topic: Trump halting 5 wind farms off the East Coast; Children freezing on New York electric school busesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best reactions to the Eagles' Week 16 win over Washington from, DeCamara & Ritchie, Hugh Douglas & Joe Giglio, and Ike, Spike & Fritz.

Steve sits down with Don Brown, North Carolina Republican U.S. Senate candidate, former Navy JAG officer, and federal prosecutor, to unpack troubling developments at the Pentagon and beyond. Brown weighs in on reports that the Pentagon is elevating its review involving Senator Mark Kelly, and explains why Americans should be concerned when politics and national defense collide. They also dig into how national Democrat money is reshaping state-level races, drowning out local voices and tilting elections in favor of Washington insiders. 

Steve sits down with Ron Eller, Mississippi State Chair for U.S. Term Limits, a retired U.S. Army Captain, and a congressional candidate challenging a 32-year incumbent, to tackle a question many Americans are asking: why is Congress so broken, and how do we fix it? Eller argues that career politicians have lost touch with the people they represent and explains why term limits, accountability, and citizen leadership are essential to restoring trust in Washington. It's a straight-talk conversation about putting service over self and returning Congress to the people it was meant to serve.

Kon Knueppel became the fastest player in NBA history to make 100 3-pointers, achieving the feat in just 29 games, 12 fewer than the previous best. But the Hornets couldn't pick up the win in Cleveland, falling 139-132. Rob Longo and Sam Perley break it down and select their silver-lining performances, and also preview Charlotte's game against Washington as the Hornets are on the second night of a back-to-back.

Bakko gets invited to a party. LC reverts to the mean. Shirley Manson takes on beach balls. The Fyre Fest guy isn't done yet. Tommy Lee doesn't know the meaning of words. MegaDave issues some discouraging news. Gene Simmons spends a week in Washington talking shit and for some reason shark attacks come into the conversation. ⁠⁠⁠Pantheon Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Reach out to us! Rate, review, and subscribe at Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire: Comedy / Rock Talk Show on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our fanpage on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(2) Cobras ON Fire: Private Group | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click like and follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(2) Cobras & Fire: Rock Podcast | Chicago IL | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cobrasandfirepodcast • Threads, Say more⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire Rock Podcast - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire Podcast (@cobrasfirepodcast.bsky.social) — Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email us: Buy a shirt!:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"Cobras and Fire Podcast" T-shirt for Sale by CobrasandFire | Redbubble | cobras and fire t-shirts - cobras fire t-shirts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Rock Candy! Freeze-Dried Candy pairs perfectly with the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cobras & Fire podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Specifically, candy from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Esquilo Candies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Youth-Run business founded and managed by LC's son. Crunch while rocking out! Stitcher: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire: Comedy / Rock Talk Show on Stitcher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spreaker: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras & Fire: Comedy / Rock Talk Show | Listen to Podcasts On Demand Free | TuneIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find it all here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobras and Fire Podcast - Comedy Rock Talk Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: Jesus Chrysler - Rock N Roll Revival Audrey Horne - Wolf In My Heart Big Wreck - You Don't Even Know Stephen Pearcey - Ten Miles Wide Metal Church - By The Numbers Diemonds - Over It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The primary focus of today's brief centers on the significant impacts of a powerful Pacific storm train, which is anticipated to bring excessive rainfall and heavy snow across various regions, particularly California, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest. We begin by addressing the heightened risk of flooding in California, where coastal downpours are likely to raise river levels and exacerbate travel difficulties due to road closures and chain controls in mountainous areas. As the storm progresses, we will see its effects extend into Nevada and other states, with advisories for high winds and winter weather being issued.Takeaways:* A powerful Pacific storm train is currently affecting multiple regions across the United States.* California faces a slight risk of excessive rainfall, impacting coastal areas and Sierra Nevada mountains.* Travelers should anticipate road closures and chain control requirements due to severe weather conditions.* Nevada has winter storm warnings in place, with significant snow expected in various counties.* Wind and rain are expected to increase in Washington, accompanied by flood warnings in certain areas.* Arizona will experience moisture from the Pacific storm, leading to potential flooding and winter weather advisories.Sources[USGS M4.5+ Past Day | https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/summary/4.5_day.geojson][NWS Bay Area | https://www.weather.gov/mtr/][NWS Hanford (San Joaquin Valley/Sierra) | https://www.weather.gov/hnx/][NWS LOX Gale Warning | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=lox&wwa=gale+warning][WPC — Excessive Rainfall (CA Slight Risk today) | https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/ero.php?day=1&opt=curr][SFGATE — Bay Area flood watch & storm timing | https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/flood-watch-bay-area-through-christmas-21256885.php][NWS Reno — Warnings/Travel briefing | https://www.weather.gov/rev/][NWS Las Vegas — Flood Watch & wind messaging | https://www.weather.gov/vef/][NWS Reno — Flood Watch text (issued 1:45 AM PST) | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=flood+watch][NWS Portland — hazards | https://www.weather.gov/pqr/][WPC — CA-to-OR heavy rain corridor (Slight/Marginal) | https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/ero.php?day=1&opt=curr][NWS Seattle — hazards & hydrology | https://www.weather.gov/sew/][NWS Phoenix — Flood Watch & event timeline | https://www.weather.gov/psr/][NWS Flagstaff — winter headlines | https://www.weather.gov/fgz/][NWS Buffalo — Hazardous Weather Outlook (Lake Ontario counties) | https://www.weather.gov/buf/BUFHWOBUF][NWS Buffalo — hazards | https://www.weather.gov/buf/] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

On today's episode, we discuss how rapidly advancing home robotics could lead to “robot crime,” from hacked cleaning bots to liability questions when autonomous machines injure people or pets. The hosts dive into drone and cyber vulnerabilities, including Chinese-made DJI drones, surveillance cameras sending data back to China, and why Washington is pushing to rebuild secure, domestic supply chains for both drones and naval shipbuilding. They explore the economic shock of a Tyson meatpacking plant closure in rural Nebraska, using examples from Louisiana to show how one-factory towns can hollow out and whether education, tax policy, and new industries can save them. Finally, the conversation ranges from Sonic vs. McDonald's competition strategy and the great “pickle placement” debate, to SpaceX bulk-buying Cybertrucks, China's AI chip race, Trump's new “Golden Fleet” of warships, and drone-heavy future warfare after recent U.S. strikes on 71 ISIS-linked targets in Syria. Don't miss it!

Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" talks to Sen. Marsha Blackburn about end-of-year battles in Washington and her push to pass the National Defense Authorization Act; how Democrats have used Biden-era Obamacare subsidies to lie to the public about the actual cost of Obamacare how Obamacare subsidies primarily help health insurance company profits; how the Kids' Online Safety Act could truly protect children from Big Tech and social media platforms; why she's running for Tennessee governor; and much more. Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/  --------- Today's Sponsors: Recharge - The Wellness Company has a way to stay focused, energized, and mentally resilient. This doctor-formulated nutraceutical is the first to combine methylene blue with Urolithin A, creating a unique formula designed to optimize mitochondrial function, improve energy, and elevate cognitive performance. Rubin Report viewers get 15% off plus FREE shipping at checkout when they use code: RUBIN. Go to: https://TWC.health/RUBIN and use CODE: RUBIN

The Department of Justice released a trove of heavily redacted documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel explains why they left many people unsatisfied. The U.S. military pursued a third oil tanker near Venezuela after taking previous action against two other ships. Benoit Faucon of the Wall Street Journal breaks down the latest escalation in the region. Some conservatives say they will support a run by Vice President JD Vance in the 2028 presidential election if he enters the race. Jonathan Cooper with the Associated Press joins to discuss how one organization is already laying the groundwork for a potential Vance campaign. Plus, why flood-infrastructure grants were held up as Washington state dealt with record rainfall, how a power outage left robotaxis stranded, and the blue pit viper that supercharged the box office. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

BEWILDERMENT, THE OHIO COMPANY, AND COLONIAL EXPANSION Colleague Robert G. Parkinson. Parkinson explains that "bewilderment" is the central theme of his book, drawing a thematic parallel to Joseph Conrad'sHeart of Darkness to describe the confusion and violence of the early American frontier. The conversation shifts to the Ohio Company, a massive land speculation venture involving George Washington and the Lee family, with the Cresapfamily serving as their essential partners and scouts. Washington frequently visited the Cresaps in Oldtown, Maryland, utilizing them as the "spear point" for English colonial expansion into the Ohio Valley, a move that agitated the Frenchand Indigenous tribes. NUMBER 2

From 12/22 Hour 3: The Sports Junkies debate who Washington's biggest rival is.

(3:30) – Pat and Denny note the fervor of Jaguars fans and examine the approach Liam Coen is taking with the team(10:25) – Top Headlines: Lamar Jackson injured as Ravens fall to Patriots, Quinshon Judkins dislocates ankle, TreVeyon Henderson suffers concussion(23:00) – Cowboys at Commanders: Javonte Williams' recent slump, impact of Ryan Flournoy's knee injury, Josh Johnson in line to start for Washington, Chris Rodriguez's role(36:00) – Lions at Vikings: Max Brosmer expectations, “trust level” with Vikings skill players, Jordan Mason dealing with ankle injury(48:05) – Broncos at Chiefs: Learning more about Chris Oladokun, start-worthy Chiefs outside of Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco vs Kareem Hunt, ranking Broncos pass catchers, RJ Harvey stock report**Audio Courtesy of Sports Radio USA Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins visited Washington a few weeks ago and was kind enough to invite Ryan to the British Embassy for a nice chat about the U.S.-U.K. alliance, the threat landscape, his vision for delivering seapower, learning from Ukraine, acquisition reform, the future of the Royal Navy — which currently faces serious challenges but also key opportunities, and so much more. 

The internet is full of opinions, and not all of them are kind. This week, Ben and Nathan dig into a reddit thread, reacting to some of the tougher criticisms aimed at the Demon and our co-hosts.Also in this episode:- Ben and Nathan react to Washington's decision to retroactively lower its bar passage score- A listener asks whether applying Early Decision makes sense for top law schools- Whether a law school increasing its class size improves your odds of admissionStudy with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠Watch Episode 538 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What's the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library0:00 Making a Last Push on Next LSAT7:18 Should I Take the LSAT Again?23:48 Washington Lowering Bar Passage Requirements42:03 We Read Our Mean Comments1:03:10 Law Schools Increasing Class Sizes1:11:22 Can Early Decision Be Beneficial?1:22:55 Personal Statement Gong Show1:39:40 Word of the Week — penumbra

12.22.25, Kevin Sheehan discusses whether he believes the Eagles were trying to run up the score vs the Commanders when the game was out of reach which led to the on field brawl.

Because it's the end of the year, I figured we needed this one: Yasmine Cheyenne helps us walk some of our most challenging paths: self-forgiveness, people-pleasing, unhealthy relationships, and comparison.In this revisited episode, we explore:How perfectionism leads to self-abandonmentSetting boundaries as protection from burnoutHow early relational dynamics shape the way we show up in the worldIdentifying red flags in relationshipsBreaking free of what keeps us stuck in painful cyclesHow we lose ourselves when we make choices out of fearWhat is really happening when we compare ourselves to othersUsing our past as information — not a life sentenceYasmine Cheyenne is a self-healing educator, mental wellness advocate, author, and motivational speaker who helps people cultivate daily practices to build healthy, joyful lives. Yasmine's app, The Sugar Jar Community®, provides meditations and healing workshops to support our mental wellness. She's been featured on the Today show, InStyle, Forbes, and more. An Air Force veteran and native New Yorker, she now lives in Washington, DC with her family.Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe Apply for Abbie's Group Membership:Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group Social media:Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroyPodcast Editing by Brian WaltersThis podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

In this gripping episode of Gangland Wire, host Gary Jenkins sits down with Robert “Bob” Cooley, the Chicago lawyer whose extraordinary journey took him from deep inside the Outfit's criminal operations to becoming one of the federal government's most valuable witnesses against organized crime. Cooley pulls back the curtain on the hidden machinery of Chicago's underworld, describing how corruption, bribery, and violence shaped the Chicago Outfit's power in the 1970s and beyond. As a lawyer, gambler, and trusted insider, Cooley saw firsthand how mob influence tilted the scales of justice—often in open daylight. Inside the “Chicago Method” of Courtroom Corruption Cooley explains the notorious system of judicial bribery he once helped facilitate—what he calls the “Chicago Method.” He walks listeners through: How defense attorneys worked directly with Outfit associates to buy favorable rulings. The process of approaching and bribing judges. Why weak forensic standards of the era made witness discrediting the key mob strategy. His personal involvement in the infamous Harry Aleman murder case, where clear guilt was erased by corruption. Life in the Outfit: Gambling, Debt, and Mob Justice Cooley recounts his early days gambling with Chicago Outfit associates, including Marco D'Amico, Jackie Cerrone, and John DeFranzo. Notable stories include: The violent implications of unpaid gambling debts in mob circles. Tense interactions with bookmaker Hal Smith and the chaotic fallout of a bounced check involving mobster Eddie Corrado. How D'Amico often stepped in—sometimes with intimidation—to shield Cooley from harm. These stories reflect the daily volatility of life inside the Outfit, where money, fear, and loyalty intersect constantly. Bob Cooley has a great book titled When Corruption Was King where he goes into even greater detail and has many more stories from his life inside the Chicago Mob. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. 0:06 Introduction to Bob Cooley 1:32 Life as an Outfit Gambler 2:00 My Relationship with Marco D’Amico 10:40 The Story of Hal Smith 11:05 A Dangerous Encounter 20:21 Meeting Sally D 22:23 A Contract on My Life 22:37 The Harry Alleman Case 34:47 Inside the Courtroom 51:08 The Verdict 52:26 Warning the Judge 53:49 The Case Against the Policewoman 58:36 Navigating the Legal Maze 1:08:14 The Outcome and Its Consequences 1:11:39 The Decision to Flip 1:24:38 A Father’s Influence 1:33:57 The Corruption Revealed 1:50:12 Political Connections 2:02:07 The Setup for Robbery 2:20:29 Consequences of Loyalty transcript [0:00] Hey, guys, my guest today is a former Chicago outfit associate named Robert Bob Cooley. He has a book out there titled When Corruption Was King. I highly recommend you get it if you want to look inside the Chicago outfit of the 1970s. Now, Bob’s going to tell us about his life as an outfit gambler, lawyer, and I use payoff to judges to get many, many not guilty verdicts. Now, I always call this the Chicago method. This happened for, I know, for Harry Ailman, a case we’re going to talk about, Tony Spolatro got one of these not-guilties. Now, the outfit member associate who is blessed to get this fix put in for him may be charged with a crime, even up to murder. And he gets a lawyer, a connected lawyer, and they’ll demand a bench trial. That means that only a judge makes the decision. A lawyer, like my guest, who worked with a political fixer named Pat Marcy. [0:53] They’ll work together and they’ll get a friendly judge assigned to that case and then they’ll bribe the judge. And all that judge needs is some kind of alibi witnesses and any kind of information to discredit any prosecution witnesses. Now, this is back in the olden days before you had all this DNA and all that kind of thing. So physical evidence was not really a part of it. Mainly, it was from witnesses. And they just have to discredit any prosecution witness. Then the judge can say, well, state hadn’t really proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt and issue a not guilty verdict and walk away. Now, our guest, Bob Cooley, is going to take us inside this world. [1:29] And it’s a world of beatings, murders, bribes, and other kinds of plots. He was a member of the Elmwood Park crew. He was a big gambler. He was a big loan shark. And he worked for a guy named Marco D’Amico, who was their gambling boss and loan shark in that crew. Among other bosses in this powerful crew were Jackie Cerrone, who will go on and become the underboss and eventually the boss for a short [1:55] period of time. and John no-nose DeFranzo, who will also go on to become the boss eventually. What was your relationship with Marco D’Amico? I talked about when I first came into the 18th district, when I came into work there, and they put me back in uniform, the first person I met was Rick Borelli. Rick Borelli, he was Marco’s cousin. [2:23] When I started gambling right away with Rick, within a couple of days, I’m being his face, and I’m calling and making bets. There was a restaurant across the street where every Wednesday and sometimes a couple days a week, I would meet with Ricky. And one of the first people he brought in there was Marco. Was Marco. And Marco would usually be with a person or two. And I thought they were just bookmakers. [2:55] And I started being friendly with him, meeting him there. Then I started having card games Up in my apartment And, Because now I’m making, in the very beginning, I’m making first $100 extra a week. And within a couple of weeks, I’m making $500, $600 extra a week. And within about a month, I’m making $1,000, sometimes more than that. So now I’m having card games, relatively big card games, because I’ve got a bankroll. I’ve got probably about $5,000, $6,000, which seemed like a lot of money to me. Initially uh and after a while that was a daily that was a daily deal but uh so we we started having card games up there and then we started socializing we started now he’d be at these nightclubs all the time when when i’d go to make my payoffs he was part of the main group there he was one of the call he was right he was right under jack right under at that time originally Jackie Cerrone, and then he was right under Johnny DeFranco. [4:07] But he was… And we became real good friends. We would double date and we spent a lot of time together. And we had these big card games. And that’s when I realized how powerful these people were. Because after one of the card games, there was somebody that was brought in, a guy named Corrado. I’m pretty sure his name was I can’t think of his first name, but Corrado was this person that somebody brought into the game. And after we finished playing cards, and I won all the time. I mean, I was a real good card player, and I wouldn’t drink. I’d supply liquor and food and everything, but I wouldn’t drink. And as the others drank, they were the same as at my office. After we finish up, this guy says, you want to play some? We can play maybe some gin. just human being. And he was there with another friend of his who just sat there and watched. So we played, not gin, but blackjack. We played and passed cards back and forth when you win. Then you’re the dealer and back and forth. And I lost, I think I lost about $4,000 or $13,000 to him. [5:26] I lost the cash that I had. I had cash about $5,000 or $6,000. And I gave him a check for the rest. You know, but everything I was doing was wrong, you know. Yeah, one of those nights. It’s in there. And it’s funny because you asked about Marco. [5:47] And I thought, you know, oh, well, and whatever. And I gave him a check. I said, no, it’s a good check. And it was. It was for my office. It was an office check that I gave him. And that next morning, I’m meeting with Ricky and with Marco at this restaurant across from the station before I go in and to work. And I said, son of a B. I said, you know, they had a bad night first ever. Marco wasn’t at that game, at that particular game. And what happened? I said, I blew about 12,000. Okay, but you? Wow. And I said, yeah, I said, one of the guys at the game played some, I played some blackjack with somebody. What was his name? Eddie, Eddie Corrado. Eddie Corrado. He said, that mother, he said, stop payment on the check. He said, stop payment on the check. He said, because it wasn’t nine o’clock. It was only like, you know, seven, you know, seven 30 or whatever. He said, and when he gets ahold of you, arrange to have him come to your house. Tell him you’ll have the money for him at your house. So that’s what I, that’s what I do. So I stopped payment on it probably about five after nine. I get a call from, from Mr. Corrado. You mother fucker. [7:17] I said, no, no. I said, there wasn’t enough money in the account. I said, I’m sorry. I said, all right, then I’ll be over. I said, no, no, no. I said, I’m in court right now. I said, I’m in court. I said, I’m going to be tied up all day. I’ll meet you at my place. I’ll meet you back there. Well, I’ll be there. You better have that. I want cash and you better have it. Okay. Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m at home. Marco comes in. And he was there with Tony and Tony was there and Ricky was there. And Ricky was there. And they come over a little ahead of time and he comes in. I live on the 27th floor. The doorbell rings. Up he comes with some big mustache. [8:00] I open the door. You better have the fucking money and whatever. And I try to look nervous. I try to look real nervous. and when you walk into my apartment you walk in and you see the kitchen right in front of you and to the left to the left you’ve got an area away and you’ve got the the kitchen wall blocking what’s behind it over there and these three guys are standing marco and you are standing right there alongside of it and and when he walks in behind me, He sees Marco and all but shit in his pants. When he sees Marco, he goes, and Marco, you motherfucker. And, you know, oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was with you. He says, how much money you got me right now? And, you know, he says, pull your pockets out. He had about, he had about three or 4,000 with him. [9:02] And he says, you give him that. He says, you, he says, you, and he says, you give him that right now. And you apologize to him. Oh, and he says, he says, and I may give you a number. I want you to call. He says, we can put you to work. Apparently this guy had done the same thing to them a few years before and got the beating of his life somebody brought him into one of their card games, did he have a technique a cheating technique or had some marked cards no it was a card mechanic he could play games with cards they call him a mechanic and, in fact the guy was great at it because he had his own plane and everything else. But again, he had moved from Chicago and had just come back in the area. And they mounted. And so anyhow, he leaves. And he leaves then, and Marco took the money. Marco took the money. Marco took the money. Typical Bob guy, man. [10:19] And I says, what about the cash I lost to him? He says, well, you lost that. He says, you lost that. That’s when I realized how powerful. That’s when I realized how powerful that [10:35] he was part of the mob, not only a part of it, but one of the operational. Yeah, important part of it. That brings to mind another unbelievable situation that occurred. [10:49] The, uh, this is probably the, we’ll know the year by when it happened. There was a bookmaker named Hal Smith. Oh yeah. I remember that name. He got, tell us about Hal Smith. [11:05] Well, Hal Smith was a, he was a big guy too. A real, a real big guy. I met him on Rush street. He knew I was a gambler. He knew that I was a big gambler and I started gambling with him. Thank you. And I was with him probably for about maybe five or six months. And I’d win with him. I’d lose with him. And he would take big places. He would take $5,000 a game for me. And as they say, so the numbers were big. At the end of the week, we were sometimes $60,000, $70,000. [11:42] They were big numbers back and forth. And he was always good for the money. I was always good for the money. And one particular week, it was about $30,000. And I was waiting for money. Somebody else was supposed to give me even more than that. And the person put me off. And it was a good friend of mine. And I knew the money would be there. But a lot of times, these guys are going to collect it at a certain time. And then they’re expecting to give it to somebody else. Well, he was short. So I said, look, I don’t have it right now, but I’ll have it tomorrow, I said, because I’m meeting somebody. Well, okay, it better be there. [12:31] And look, it’ll be there, okay? Not a problem. So the next day, the person I’m supposed to get it from says, I’ll have it in a couple of hours. I don’t have it right now, but I’ll have it by late this afternoon. And I’m in my office when Hale Smith calls me and I said, I’ll have it a little bit later. And he slams the phone bell. I’m downstairs in Counselor’s Row. In fact, I’m meeting with Butchie and Harry. We’re in a booth talking about something. They had just sent me some business or whatever, but I’m talking about something. And George, the owner of the restaurant, comes over and he says, somebody is asking who you are and they want to talk to you. And they point out this guy. It was a guy I had seen before, because a lot of times at two in the morning, I would go down on West Street, and they had entertainment upstairs. And there was this big English guy. He was an English guy, as you could tell by his accent, a real loud guy. And when I walk up to talk to him, and he’s talking loud enough so people can hear him, and he says, you better have that. I’m here for it. You better have that. You better have that money. [13:51] Bob Hellsmith sent me, you get the money and you better have that money or there’s going to be a problem or whatever. And I said, well, the money will be there, but people can hear what this guy, this guy talking that shit. And he leaves. And he leaves. He’s going to call me back. And he leaves. I said, I’m busy right now. I says, give me a call back when I’m in the office and I’ll meet with you. So Butch, he goes, what was that all about? And I said, you know, it’s somebody I owe some money to. Well, who is he? Who is he with? I said, Harold Smith. And he said, who’s Harold Smith? You don’t pay him anything. He said, you don’t pay him anything. And he calls, when he calls back, he says, you will arrange to meet him. And I said, you know, I said, well, where? [14:44] And they knew where I lived. They’d been to my place at that time. I’m living in Newberry Plaza and they said, there’s a, there’s a Walgreens drugstore in Chicago Avenue. Tell him you’ll meet him there at Walgreens, and we’ll take it. And he says, and we’ll take it from there. When he does call me, I said, look, I said, I’ll meet you tomorrow morning for sure at Walgreens. I’ll have the cash. I said, I’ll have the cash, and I’ll have all of it. I said, but, you know, I’m tied up on some things. I said, I’ll go to my own bank when I’m finished here and whatever, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning for sure at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning. Okay. I sit down with them and they just said, I said, they said, go there and go meet them. And we’ll take care of it. The Walgreens is a store right in the corner of Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue, south side of the street. And it’s all windows. Huge windows here. Huge windows here. And a bus stop, a bus stop over here. When I get there, I park in the bus stop and I’m looking to my right and here he is sitting in a booth by himself, right by the window. And I look around and I don’t see anybody. I mean, with a lot of people, I don’t see Butchie. [16:06] Uh or red or anybody around but i i go in there anyhow and uh sit down and i uh sit down in the booth across from him and he’s eating breakfast he’s got some food in front of him and uh the girl comes by right away the girl comes by and i says you know just get me a coke and and he says have you got the money and i said yes and why i got i got a lot i got a lot of money in my pocket but not the, whatever it was he wanted, not the 27 or 28,000. There’s nobody there. And, uh, so we’re talking for no more than about two or three minutes. They had a telephone on the counter. I hear the phone ring and the waitress, the waitress is on the phone. And then she comes walking over and she says, it’s a call for you. And, and when I go get in the phone, I woke up and there’s a phone booth there. And here’s Butchie in the phone booth. And he’s there with a couple of other people. I hang the phone up. I walk over and I had my appointment booked. And I walk over and I just pick up the book. And as I’m walking out there, walking in, we pass each other. And so now when I get in my car and he’s looking at me in my car and right next to him is Butchie. And across from him was a red old male and Fat Herbie. [17:34] Herbie Blitzstein? Herbie Blitzstein? No, it wasn’t Herbie. This is another one. That’s one thing of Herbie. We called Herbie Fat. It was Fat Herbie. And the third guy is like sitting facing him. This is like, that weighs about 300 pounds. Oh, Sarno. Make Mike Sarno. Mike Sarno. That was it. And that’s, that’s, that’s who it was. You know, and I, I drive off, go to my office and go about my business. I get a call later that day from, uh, Hale Smith. Where’s my money? Where’s my money? I said, I gave it to your guy. You what? I gave it to him. I met him at nine o’clock this morning and I gave him the money. You did. And I said, yeah. Um, okay. And he hangs, and he hangs up. I don’t hear anything for a while. I never saw him again. I saw Hale a couple of times because he was always in one of the other restaurants. I lived in Newberry right across from there, but he never talked to me. I never talked to him, never said anything. It was about maybe it had to be a good couple of months later, When I read about Hale, Hale’s no longer with us. [18:52] That’s obviously how they found out about him. I never saw the other guy again. I’m hoping they didn’t kill him, but I’m assuming that’s what probably happened to him. In a public place like that, they probably just scared him off. He probably said, you know, I’m way over my head. I’m out of here. [19:15] They didn’t kill him in the public place he wouldn’t have been in the newspapers my little thought is like with the three guys they took him for a ride, I don’t know they just told him to leave town and he realized what it was and he did Hal didn’t get a chance to leave town Hal had other problems if I remember right I’d have to look it back up but he had other problems with the outfit what I found out later what they had done, was they had gotten one of their guys connected with him to find out who his customers were. In other words, one of the other people that he didn’t realize, that Hale didn’t realize was with them, they got him connected with them where he’s the one who’s doing his collecting and finding out who the customers were because they wanted to get all his customers as well as his money. It turns out he was He was a huge bookmaker for years. That’s what happened to him. And they just took his book. Yeah, I remember something about that story because I killed him in his house, I believe. Yeah, Sally D. [20:22] Sally D, yeah. Sally D was one. When I first met Sally D, he was with Marco’s Fruit, too. [20:30] He owned a pizza place up on the north side, north shore, and I broke him. I was betting with him and beating him week after week. And one of the last times I played with him, he couldn’t come up with the money. It took him an extra couple of weeks to get the cash to pay me. But we were real close friends with him. He’s a bizarre character because he was a totally low level at that time. Yeah. When he then connected up with the Cicero crew, with Rocky and Felice, with Rocky and those people, he became a boss with them. It turns out it was after they killed Al Smith. He was part of all that. That’s Salih De Laurentiis. He’s supposed to be a boss. He moved on up after the Family Secrets trial. He didn’t go down with that, I believe, and he kind of moved on up after that. I don’t know what happened to him. What was so funny about that, when he would come into the club, Marco’s club, Bobby Abinati. [21:42] Who was strictly a very low-level player, although we indicted him with the Gambia star. He’s the one who set up the robbery. Would that have been great if that would have gone through? He’s the one who set up that robbery in Wisconsin. He’d be making fun of Salihide all the time. [22:03] When Salihide would come in, he would make fun of him and joke about him and talk about what a loser he was. This is when he’s a boss of that crew. I mean, just a strange, I mean, nobody talked to bosses like that, especially when, when you’re, when you’re what they call Bobby, you know, what was Marco’s nickname for Bobby Knucklehead? [22:23] That was his nickname, Knucklehead. Pat Marcy, uh, contacted me about, you know, handling me in the only own case. [22:32] I couldn’t have been happier because that was a short time after they put a contract on me. So now i realized if they’re going to be making money you know they finally stopped because for good six seven months when i when i came back to chicago uh i was checking under my car every day in case there was a bomb i moved i moved from uh from a place that i own in the suburbs into an apartment complex so i wouldn’t be living on the first floor yeah it’d be impossible to somebody to break into my, you know, took them thrashing into my place. I changed my whole life around in that sense. [23:10] And when I drove everywhere I went, you know, I would go on the highway and then jump over. I would do all, I wanted to make absolutes. Even though nobody came around, I wasn’t taking any chances for a long period of time. And that was too when it cost me a fortune because that’s when I stopped dealing with the bookmakers because I wasn’t going to be in a position where I had to go meet somebody at any time to collect my money and whatever. [23:39] So what had happened, though, was somebody came to see me. And when I was practicing, there’s a lot of things I wouldn’t do. I set my own rules. I would not get involved. After the Harry Alleman case, I never got involved anymore myself fixing certain cases. But even prior to that, I wouldn’t fix certain cases. I wouldn’t get involved in certain cases, especially involving the police, because my father was such a terrific policeman, and I felt I was too in a lot of sentences. I loved the police. I disliked some of the crooked cops that I knew, but on the surface, I’d be friendly with them, etc. Harry Ailman was a prolific hitman for the Elmwood Park crew. He killed a teamster who wouldn’t help set up trucks for the outfit, a guy named Billy Logan. He was just a regular guy. He’s going to take us right into the meeting with the judge. He’ll take us into a counselor’s row restaurant where these cases were fixed. Now, Bob will give us a seat right at Pat Marcy’s table. Now, Pat Marcy was the first ward fixture, and he’s going to take us into the hallway with Pat Marcy where they made the payoffs. [24:57] Now, Bob, can you take us inside the famous Harry Aileman murder case? I know you fixed it. And tell us, you know, and I know there was a human toll that this took on that corrupt judge, Frank Wilson. Okay. The Harry Aileman case was, it was not long after I became partners with Johnny DeArco. I get a call from, I’m in Counselor’s Row at the restaurant. Whenever I was in there now, my spot was the first ward table. Nobody was allowed to sit there day or night. That was reserved for first ward connected people and only the top group of people. [25:40] I’m sitting there at the table and Johnny DeArco Sr. Tells me, you know, Pat wants to talk to you. About something. And I said, you know, sure. Not long afterwards, Pat comes downstairs. We go out. We go out in the hall because we never talk at the table. And he tells me, have you got somebody that can handle the Harry Alleman case? I had seen in the news, he was front page news. He was one of the main mob hitmen. He was partners with Butchie Petrucelli. But it was common knowledge that he was a hitman. He looked like one. He dressed like one. He acted like one. And whatever. And he was one. In fact, he was the one that used to go to New York. And I know he also went to Arizona to do some hits and whatever. He traveled around the country. I said to Pat, they thought the case was a mob hit on a team street. a teamster. I assumed that it was just that. It was people doing what they do. But I said to Pat, I said, well, get me the file. Get me the file. Let me see what the case looks like. Because I would never put a judge in a bad spot. That was my nature. [27:06] When I had cases, a lot of these judges were personal friends of mine. What I would do, if I wanted to have a case, if I wanted to fix a case to save all the time of having to go to a damn long trial, I would make sure that it was a case that was winnable, easily winnable. When I got the file, when I got the file from Pat, he got me the file the next day. The next morning, when he came in, he gave me the file. I looked at the file. It was a throw-out case. When I say throw-out case, absolutely a nothing case. [27:46] The records in the file showed that a car drove up down the street. Suddenly somebody with a shotgun blasted a guy named Billy Logan in front of his house and drove away. They were contacted by a neighbor, this guy, Bobby Lowe. Was it Bobby Lowe? Yeah, I’m pretty sure Bobby Lowe. Who indicated that he opened the door and let his dog run out. And when he looked, he saw somebody. He saw a car, and he gave a description of the car. And he saw somebody pull up, and he saw him shoot with a shotgun. And then he saw the person get out of the car and shoot him with a .45, and shoot him with a .45. And then the car sped away. That was pretty much the case. Some other people heard some noise, looked out, and saw a car driving away. A period of time after that, it had to be about a year or so after that, somebody was arrested driving to Pennsylvania to kill somebody. There was a guy who stopped. [29:16] Louie Almeida was his name. Louie Almeida was stopped in his car. He was on the way to Pennsylvania. And in front of his car, he had shotguns. And he winds up, when he gets arrested, he winds up telling the authorities that he can tell them about a mob murder back in Chicago and winds up cooperating with them. He indicates what happened. He indicated that, you know, he was asked to, you know, or he got involved in it. He got the car and whatever. They did this. They did that. And he pulled up alongside Billy and wound up shooting the victim as he came out of the house. [30:09] Now, I look at some other reports in there, some reports that were made out, new reports. They talk about the Louis Almeida. They talk about the witness that gave the first statement. and they said that they found, or he’s giving us a new statement now where he says he’s walking his dog. He hears a shotgun. His dog runs towards the car where the shooting was coming from. He saw Harry get out of the car and walk over and shoot him, walk over and shoot the victim, and he was looking at him, And then he jumped in the bushes and the car drove away. A complete new story. Yeah. A complete new story. And. I looked at the reports, and this is an easy winner. And so I told Pat, you know, I’ll take it. You know, I’m sure I can handle it. I said, I’m sure I can handle it, but, you know, I’ll let you know. [31:21] That’s when I contacted, I met my restaurant, Greco’s, and I had Frank Wilson there a lot. Well, I called Frank Wilson, invited him and his wife to come to the restaurant. I had done that many times before. When he gets there, I tell him, I have the case. You know, I told him I was contacted on this case, I said. And I said, it’s an easy winner, I said. And I explained to him what it was. I told him, you know, it’s the driver of the car who’s doing this to help himself. And this other guy, Bobby Lowe, that gave a complete new story from the original story that he gave. And I indicated, you know, can you handle the case? And he tells me, I can’t handle the case, he said, because I was SOJ’d. In Chicago, Illinois, they have a rule that makes it easy for people to fool around because for no reason at all you can ask to have a judge moved off the case. And you can name a second judge that you don’t want to handle the case. [32:34] Frank Wilson’s reputation was as such that the lawyer that turned out to be a judge later on, Tom Maloney, who had the case, named him in the SOJ. It was assigned to somebody else, and he indicated he wanted any other judge except Frank Wilson. Frank Wilson on the case. And this was Harry Aileman’s lawyer. Yeah. Okay. And who Tom Maloney, who then ends up being the judge years later. But yeah. Well, because we knew he was going to be a judge. Yeah. We knew ahead of time. I knew at that time. That’s what makes the story so unbelievably interesting. Yeah. Anyhow, he says, I can’t do it because… In Chicago, in Chicago, it’s supposed to keep it honest. I love this. To keep it honest. Yeah. To keep it honest, each judge is supposed to be picked by computer. [33:33] Same thing they’re doing to this day. Trump wondered why the same judge kept getting all his cases. Because they’re doing the same thing we did, some of us could do in Chicago. He was the chief judge in the area. he said to me, I don’t think I can get the case. I don’t think I can’t get the case. I said, I’ll get the case to you. I said, I’ll get, because I already, I, in fact, through Pat Marcy, anytime I wanted a case to go anywhere, I would contact Pat and I’d give him a thousand dollars and he would get me any judge I wanted. Uh, I said, well, I think I can. I said, I said, And I gave him $1,000. [34:16] I said, here, this is yours. And if I can’t get the case to you, you keep it. If I can’t get, I never said to him, will you fix it? Will you this or that? I mean, he understood what it was. I didn’t know how he would react to it. When I asked him, would you handle it? Were the words I used. I had never fixed anything with him before. [34:43] In case he was, you know, he would want to report it to somebody. I wasn’t worried because Frank had a reputation as being a big drinker. After I got the Harry Elliman file, Pat tells me, I’m going to have somebody come and talk to you. Who comes? And we meet in the first ward office, and then we go downstairs into the special room they had for conversations. It’s Mike Ficarro. He’s the head of the organized crime section. He’s the one who prosecutes all the criminals. He’s one of the many prosecutors in Chicago. That’s why there were over 1,000 mob murders and never a conviction from the time of Al Capone. Not a single conviction with over 1,000 mob murders because they controlled absolutely everything. He’s the boss. [35:35] I knew him. I didn’t like him. He had an attitude about him. You know, when I would see him at parties and when I’d see him at other places, and I’d walk by and say, hi, he just seemed coldish. [35:47] I found out later why. He was jealous of the relationship I had with all these people. [35:54] He says, I’ll help you any way I can, anything you need, whatever. So the prosecutors on the Harry Olliman case were our people. That’s who’s prosecuting the case anyhow. But they couldn’t get one of their judges apparently who would handle the case. So, but anyhow, uh, so, uh, when we, um, when we go, when we, when we go to trial, um. [36:25] Before to help me out, I told Pat, I’ll get somebody else to handle the case. I’ll have somebody else. I said, I won’t go in there. I won’t go in there because everybody knows I’m close to Frank, very close to Frank. I said, so I won’t go in there. I’ll get somebody. He says, no, no. He said, I’ll get somebody. And so he gets a guy named Frank Whalen, who I didn’t know at the time. He was a retired lawyer from Chicago. He was one of the mob lawyers. [37:00] He was one of the mob lawyers. And he lived in Florida. He lived in Miami. I think it was, no, Lauderdale. He lived in the Lauderdale area. He was practicing there. So I fly out. I fly out to meet him. I i do all the investigating in the case the i’m using an investigator that harry alleman got from me in fact he was the same investigator that got in trouble in in uh in in hollywood for what for a lot of stuff i can’t think of his name right now but he’s the one who got indicted in hollywood eventually for you know wiretapping people and whatever it was the same one. And he got me information on Bobby on this Bobby Lowe. He found out Bobby Lowe, Bobby Lowe was a drug addict. [37:59] When the FBI got a hold of him, Bobby Lowe was living out in the street because he had been fired from his first job. He had a job in some kind of an ice cream company where they made ice cream, and he got fired there for stealing. And then he had a job after that in a gas station, and he faked a robbery there. Apparently, what he did was he called the police and said he had been robbed. This is before they had cameras and all the rest of that stuff. He said he had been robbed. And somebody happened to have been in the gas station getting gas. It was a big place, apparently. [38:45] And when the police talked to him, he said, I didn’t see anything strange. He said, I saw the attendant walk out to the back about 10, 15 minutes ago. I saw him walk out to the back of the place and then come back in. And so they go out, and he had his car parked behind it, and they found the money that was supposed to have been stolen in the car. So not the best witness, in other words. Well, that’s an understatement, because that was why… That was why now he suddenly shows up, and they know all this. The FBI agents that obviously know all this, that’s their witness. That’s their case. To me, it’s an airtight, you know. Yeah. Anyhow, I developed the defense. I went back to see Frank a second time. I flew out to Florida a second time, gave him all this information. [39:48] I had talked to some other people to a number of people that were going to indicate that Harry played golf with them that day see how they remembered not golf but he was at a driving range with them with about five people they remember what they were three or four years three or four years before that what I also found out now, and I didn’t know and it changed my whole attitude on that this wasn’t a mob killing you, This guy that he killed was married to his, I think it was his cousin or some relation was married. I’m pretty sure it was to his cousin. She had told Harry, I got this from Butchie, Butchie Petrosselli, who had become a close friend of mine after I got involved with Harry’s case, his partner. And that was why he killed them, because apparently the sister, his sister-in-law, whatever she was, had told him, you know, when he was beating her up, she had said, well, my Harry Alameda won’t be happy about this. And he said, supposedly, he said, fuck that, Kenny. [41:02] And that’s why the shooting took place. Wow. This changed me. You know, I’m in the middle of it. There’s no getting out of it now. Yeah, they’ll turn it back. And by now, I’m running around all the time with Butch and Mary at night. I’m meeting them at dinner. They’re coming to one of my places where I have dinners all the time. You know, I’m becoming like close friends, close friends with both of them. Yeah. So anyhow, but anyhow, the lawyer that he got, Frank Whalen, who was supposed to be sharp, turned out like he was not in his, let’s just say he was not in his prime. [41:46] Charitable. And when he went in, you know, while the trial was going on, you know, while the trial was going on, I get a call from Frank. From Frank Wilson, because I told him, you don’t come back into the restaurant now. You don’t come back into the restaurant. I used his office as my office all the time, along with a bunch of other judges. I had a phone, but it cost about a dollar a minute to talk on my phone. I had to talk on my phone. So when I’d be at 26th Street in the courthouse, even though no lawyers are allowed back there in the chamber, so I’m back there sitting at his desk using the phone taking care of my own other business. I stopped going in there while the trial was going on. [42:35] So, anyhow, he calls me, and he wants to meet me at a restaurant over on Western Avenue. And, okay, he called me from one of the pay phones out there in front of the courthouse, and I go to meet him. What did he want? Was he complaining about the lawyer, Waylon? What was he complaining about, Waylon? and I was screwing it up. [42:59] When I meet him, I said, you know, he’s like, you know, he said, you know, we go into the bathroom and he and he said he’s all shooken up. He says, this is going to cost me my job. He said, he said, you know, they’re burying him. You’re burying him. You know, because I had given this information on the two witnesses. And he says, Frank Whalen, he said, isn’t doing a thing and cross-examining these people and whatever. [43:32] And he says, and he’s all upset. And I said, Frank, no, I’m shook up one of the few times in my life where it’s something I can’t handle. He had never told me, you know, I’ll fix the case, never. And I said to him, and I said, Frank, I said, if something goes wrong, I said, I’m sure they’re going to kill me, is what I said to him. Yeah. I said, if something goes wrong, I’m sure they’re going to kill me. And I left. I left the bathroom. Now, I have no idea what’s going on in his mind and whatever. Yeah. I see Pat the next day. And by something goes wrong in this case, you mean if he gets found guilty, that’d be what would go wrong and you would get killed. Is that that’s what you mean? Well, no question, because when I met, I didn’t go into that. I met with Harry Alleman. I get a call after I got involved in the case. A couple days later, I get a call from Markle. Meet me at one of the nightclubs where I was all the time at night with these people. [44:47] Above it, you’ve got a motel, a bunch of hotel rooms. I get a call from Markle. The reason everybody loved me and the mob, I never discussed what I was doing with anybody or any of the other dozens of mobsters I run with that I was involved in Harry’s case. Never said a word to anybody about any of this. That was my nature, and that’s why all these people love me. I never talked about one thing with anybody else or whatever. He says, I want to meet you. When I get over there, he says, let’s go upstairs. Somebody wants to talk to you. And we go upstairs, and there’s Harry Alleman. And Harry, how you doing? How are you? [45:27] And he says, listen, you’re sure about this? And I said, yeah. I said, I’m sure. And he said, well, if something goes wrong, you’re going to have a problem. Those were his words to me. You’re going to have a problem. And I said, you know, he says, because this judge, he says, this judge is a straight judge. And he said, Tom, you mean Tom Maloney. He says, and Tom wants to handle my case. And he tells me he’s going to be named a judge by the Supreme Court real soon. And he wants to handle and he wants to handle my case before he… Uh, you know, before he becomes a Supreme court, before he becomes a judge, I knew the moment he told me that I knew for sure that was the case because we control everything, including the Supreme court. I said, you know, I said, don’t, you know, don’t worry about it. I lied to him. And I said, uh, I said, yeah, the judge is going to, I said, yeah, he’s going to throw it out. He knows, I said, he knows what’ll happen if he doesn’t. That’s what I told Harry. I want to keep him happy. [46:34] I’m going to keep him happy probably for a few hours I’m a little nervous and then that’s all behind me like so many other problems I got in the middle of oh my god talking about walking a tightrope so now the lawyer came into Chicago he was in Chicago I met him when he came in he was staying at the Bismarck was at the Bismarck Hotel right around the corner from you know where Counselor’s Row was that’s where he was staying in the in the hotel right there by the first board office and there was a way to go in there without being seen and there was a, You go through another restaurant and you go through the alley and go up there. And I wouldn’t, I didn’t want to be seen walking into there because I know the FBI are probably, are probably watching and whatever. When he comes into town, they handle the case. So I go upstairs to see him. You know, I said, what the hell’s going on in court? He says, I’m going, it’s going great. It’s going great. I said, it’s going great. I just, you know, I just got a call last night. I had to go meet the judge. And he said, you’re not doing any cross-examining. Oh, I’m doing a great job. You know, I’m doing a great job. So after a few minutes of, I leave. Yeah. [47:52] That’s when I saw Pat Marcy, too. And I said, Pat, I said, the judge is upset about whatever’s going on. I said, maybe we should give him some more because I agreed to give him $10,000. And he said, you know, what a piece of work he is. You know, he said $10,000, and that’s all he’s going to get, not a nickel more or whatever. So now to say I’m nervous again is an ultra statement. The case, I walked over, and I wouldn’t go in the room, but I wanted to just be around that room for some reason. FBI agents all over the place. [48:30] FBI agents all over the place. And so now I’m at home and I’m packed. I’ve got my bags packed because if he finds it, I don’t know what he’s going to do. I’m worried he might find him guilty because of all that had happened. He, when the trial ended a given night, and the next day he was going to give the result. In fact, I didn’t go out and play that night. I was a little nervous, and I stayed home, and I packed up my bags. I packed up my bags, and about 9 o’clock, I got in the car, and I started driving. And by the time he gave the ruling, I was probably about 100, maybe 150 miles away. And I hear on the radio, you know, found him not guilty, found him not guilty. So I turn around. Hit the next exit, turn around and come back. I turn around. Northbound on I-55. [49:27] Probably a couple hours later, here I am parked in my parking spot. My parking spot was in front of my office, right across from City Hall. And I parked in the mayor’s spot when she wasn’t there. And drove probably to drive her crazy. But that was where I parked. That was my parking spot. We’d see my big car with the RJC license plates parked in the bus stop. And so here I am. I parked the car and I go in. I go in. [50:01] And I’m sure Pat told some people, probably not, but I’m sure they told all the mobsters, all the top mobsters, because these guys all wanted to meet me afterwards and get the restaurant. I go in to see them. We walked into the janitor’s closet. You walk out of Counselor’s Row. You go to the left. It goes into the 100 North Building. Now, you’ve got the elevators to the right. And behind that, you’ve got a closet where the janitors keep all their stuff. And you’ve got some stairs leading up to the, there was a, what do you call it? There was an office there where the commodities, big commodity exchange was right there. that there was a stairway leading up to where the offices were with some doors with bars and everything on it. And Pat is standing on those stairs, about two or three stairs. You know, I said, wow. I said, you know, everybody’s going nuts. And he goes, well, you know, you did a good job. And he gives me an envelope. He gives me an envelope. And, you know, I put the money in my pocket. [51:09] We said we had some more. We said a couple other words about, you know, this and that. And then I just go in there. I go back in the counselor’s. [51:21] Now, after the feds started getting indictments, did you try and warn the Aleman case judge, Frank Wilson? Why did you do that? And when I went to see Frank Wilson, I went to help him. I said, Frank, I said, look, I said, I was contacted by, I said, I was contacted by the, by the, by the FBI. They were investigating the Harry Aleman case. I said to him, I said, they, they feel the case was fixed. I said, when they come to see me, I said, you know, I said, I’m not going to talk to them. I said, I’m not going to talk to them. I’m going to take the fifth. And in your case, you can do the same thing. When they, if they come to talk to you, you just take the fifth amendment. If they give you immunity, I said, you know, then you, then you testify, but you tell them the truth. I said, don’t worry about me. Tell them the truth. This is how I talk to him. When I’m talking to him like that, it’s almost like he’s trying to run away from me. [52:27] We’re at a restaurant in a big complex. It was in one of those resorts in Arizona. He’s all but running away from me. I was trying to help him. What I said to him was, Frank, I said, the statute of limitations ran on all this. It’s been more than five years. There’s nothing they can do to you or to me, I said, because the statute ran. I said, so don’t lie to them. What the feds were concerned about, and I don’t know why, that he would deny ever fixing the case when it went through. I don’t know why they’re worried about that, but they were, and I didn’t want to see him get in trouble. [53:13] That’s why I went there to protect him. Hey, Bob, you were asked to represent an outfit associate or an outfit associate’s son who was accused of breaking the jaw of a Chicago policewoman. And you know, when a cop is injured in a fight with somebody, the cops follow that case. And I do not want to see any shenanigans going on. So, so tell us about how you walked that line. And I bet those cops were, were not happy with you in the end. Some people think this is a reason you flipped. Take us inside that case, will you? [53:45] And the reason I mentioned that it had a lot to do with what I eventually did. Now we’ll get back to what made me do what I was going to do. When I was practicing law now, and now I have been away from all this for years, I was out of town a lot because I’m representing the Chinese all around the country. I’m their main lawyer right now. [54:10] And I get a call from Lenny Colella. And he says, my son, he said, my son is in trouble. I want to come in and I want to talk to you about handling his case. This was a heater case, too. This was a front page case because he was charged with aggravated battery and attempted murder. Supposedly, he had beat up a policewoman and it was all over the place. He was a drug addict and whatever, supposedly he did all this. And when he came into the office with his dad, he was high. When I talked to him, he’s got his kid with him. And the kid is a smart aleck. As we’re talking, the kid, and I asked the kid, well, whatever. The kid was a smart aleck. And I just said to him, I said, Len, I can’t help you. I said, get him out of here. I want nothing to do with him. I said, I can’t help you. You didn’t take cases that were involved with cops anyhow, for the most part. No. I didn’t know what had happened in this case. I know what I saw in the paper. I didn’t know what the facts or anything were or whatever. I mean, if it turned out that if I felt when I talked to him that he had done it, whatever, I would not have taken the case anyhow. [55:26] I mean, I would not have. That’s why I say, too, that may be, too, why I was as quick and as rude as I was when he came in there and was acting and was a little bit high. I just wanted nothing to do with him, period. I said to his dad, his father said, you know, if I get him cleaned up, you know, I said, well, if you get him cleaned up, then we’ll talk again. I said, but I can’t help him, and I can’t help him. [55:54] And off he goes. the father re-contacted me about a week later. And he said, I had him in rehab and he straightened out and whatever. And he brought him back in and it was a new person. And when he told me the facts of the case, when he told me what happened, because he was a big, tough kid. He was a big, you know, he was a weightlifter, but he was a big, tough looking kid. [56:19] And it’s a little police woman. When he told me what happened, I believed him. Because I’ve been out in the street and whatever. And he says, you know, he told me what happened, that he had gotten stopped. He was out there talking to her. And when she said, you’re under arrest for DUI, he just walked. He says, I walked. I was going to get in my car and drive away. And she grabbed me and was pulling me or whatever. And I hear all these sirens coming. And within a few minutes, there’s all kinds of police. There’s about half a dozen police there. He says, and then they started jumping on me. He said, she was under me. He was all beaten up. He was all bloody and whatever. And she apparently had her jaw broken. And there’s no doubt in my mind when he’s telling me that, you know, when they were hit with his clubs or with this thing that they claimed he had without his fingerprints, it was a metal bar. Right, a slapper. A chunk of lead covered by leather. Everybody used to carry a slapper. How about you carry a slapper? They claimed, but there was no cloth on this. It was just the metal itself. Yeah, oh really? [57:45] Anyhow, that makes it interesting during the trial when they flat out lied. No, he had no blood. I got the hospital reports. They wouldn’t take him in the station because he was too badly beaten up. But anyhow, he also had two other charges. He had been involved in a fight in a bar. And he had been involved in another situation with the police. And he was charged with resisting arrest and battery on a policeman out in Cicero. So he had these three cases. So I gave the father a fee on handling, you know, the one, I was going to, I gave him a fee one case at a time. I said, you know, first thing we’ll do, I want to get rid of those other two cases. I’ll take them to juries, I said. [58:36] I’ll take them to juries because I wasn’t going to put them. I knew both the judges on those cases, but I wasn’t going to put them in a position on a case like that. I take the first case to trial. And I get him a not guilty. That was the fight in the bar. [58:54] That was out in one of the suburbs. That was out in, I’m not sure which suburb, in the northwest side. After we get that case over with, before that case, I get a call from Pat Marcy. Pat Marcy, I hadn’t seen him probably even for a couple months, but I hadn’t talked to him for quite a long period of time. And he says to me, you got a case that just came in. He said, we’re going to handle it. And I said, there’s no need, Pat. I said, I can win these cases. I said, there’s no need. I can win these cases. And he said, we’re going to handle this. The case is going to go to Judge Passarella, he said, and we’ll take care of it. I said, Pat, there’s no need to. I said, I can win these cases. I said, they’re all jury trials, but I know I can win them all. And he says, you do as you’re told. Pat had never talked to me like that before. [59:54] Powerful as he was and crazy as I am, And he never, you know, you never demand that I do anything or whatever. We had a different type relationship. And although I hadn’t broken away from them by now, it’s been years. I had broken away from them for about, you know, two, three years. And he says, you know, take the case to trial. I said, well, he’s got some other cases, too, and I’m going to take the one. And she says, I’ll take it to a jury, and I’ll win it. You’ll see how I win it. I take her to trial, and I get her not guilty. The second case was set for trial about a month after that. Not even, yeah, about a month or so after that. And during that time, a couple of times I’m in counselors, and Pat says, when are you going to take the case to trial? I said, well, Pat, you know, I won the one case. I got the other case on trial, and it was before Judge Stillo. He was a judge that we eventually indicted. [1:00:51] Stillo was very, very well connected to the first ward. He’s one of the old-time judges out in Maywood. And I told him, you know, when I came in there, he assumed I’d take it to trial and he’d throw it out. And I said, no, no, no, there’s no need to. I says, I’m going to take the jury on this one. Number one, I had stopped fixing things long before this. And, but he was, to make money, he was willing that he would have thrown the case out. It was a battery with a Cicero policeman. And I says, no, no, I’ll take it. I’ll take it to, you know, I’ll take the jury. I said, I don’t want to put you in that pursuit. Oh, don’t worry about me. I take that one to trial and I win that one too. Now Pat calls me, when the hell are you going to take the case to trial? And that’s the original case with the police woman. That’s the main one. The main one. Okay, go ahead. [1:01:44] When are you going to take it to trial? And I don’t want to take it to trial. In fact. I had talked to the prosecutor, and I said, look, I said, because he was charged with, he was charged with, you know, attempted murder and arrest. I said, if you’ll reduce it, the prosecutor was an idiot. He knew me, should have realized that, you know, that I never lose cases. Yeah. You know, but I want to work out something. He was a special prosecutor on it. He said, we’re not going to reduce it. We said, you know, if you want to work out a plea, we went five years, we went five to ten or whatever in the penitentiary. And I said, well, that’s not going to happen. I said, well, then we’ll just have to go to trial. So now, while I’m at Counselor’s Row, on one of my many occasions, because I was still having some card games over there at somebody else’s other lawyer’s office, because I had had big card games going on there for years. I’m sitting at the counselor’s row table, and Judge Passarella comes in. There’s just him and me there, and when he comes in, I say, Oh, you’re here to see Pat? [1:02:56] And he goes, Pat, who? No more conversation. Who the fuck? No more. The guy’s treating me like I’m some kind of a fool or whatever. And I developed an instant disliking to him. I had never seen him around that much or whatever before that. So now, after the second case, you’re going to go to, you know. So I talked to Lenny. When Lenny came in, Lenny came in with him when we were starting to get prepared for the case. And, oh, this is before this is before I talked to the prosecutor. And I said, Lenny, I said, I says, if I can get it reduced to a misdemeanor, to a misdemeanor. I said, you know, can we work with, you know, and work out a plea, let’s say, for maybe a month or two, you know, a month or two. Is that OK with you? Oh, sure. He says, oh, sure. [1:03:57] Now, this Lenny, this was the kid’s dad, your client’s dad. This is his dad. Now, explain who he was, who Lenny was. His dad was. What’s his last name? Yeah, Karela. Karela, okay. Lenny Karela, I’m pretty sure was his name. He owned a big bakery out there in Elmwood Park area. Okay. And he was friendly with all the mobsters. Okay, all right. I got you. For all I knew, he may have been a mobster himself, but I mean, he may have been because we had thousands of people that were connected. He was a connected guy. All right, go ahead. I’m sorry. And he said, oh, yeah, sure, no, not a problem because the papers are meant, they’re still, after a year, they’re still mentioning that case will be going to trial soon and every so often. [1:04:43] What I had also done, I tried to make contact with the policewoman, not with her, but I put the word out and I knew a lot of police and I got a hold of somebody that did know her. And I said, look, I said, no, the case is fixed if I want it. Yeah. But I don’t want it. Even though I know that, you know, that it’s all BS, you know, I said, look, I said, get a hold of her and get a hold of her lawyer and tell them if they want to file a lawsuit, you know, you know, we can, they can get themselves some money on it. Uh, you know, he’ll indicate, you know, he’ll, he’ll, he’ll indicate that, you know, he, he was guilty or whatever, but I wanted to get her some money. The word I get back is tell him that piece of shit, meaning me to drop dead, to drop dead. You know, we’re going to put this guy in prison and that’s where he should be too. When the case now, now when the case goes to trial. [1:05:48] The coppers lied like hell and talk about stupid. I’ve got the police reports there. When they took him into the police station, they wouldn’t take him. The station said take him to a hospital. He goes to the hospital and the reports, you know, bleeding here, bleeding there, and, you know, marks here, marks there. They beat the hell out of him. [1:06:10] You know, nobody touched him. You know, nobody touched him. Nobody touched him. Was he bleeding? No, no, he wasn’t. He wasn’t bleeding. Didn’t have any, you know, along with, you know, along with everything else. Flat out lied. How many policemen were there? There were two or three. There were about 10 by the time it’s over. But it’s an absolute throwout. Any fingerprints on that metal? Well, we had some fingerprints, but not his. And on and on it went. It’s a throwout case to start with. The courtroom now where the case was, was very interesting. You walk in there, and when you walk in there, there’s about 20 people that can sit. And then there’s, it’s the only courtroom in the building where you have a wall, a glass wall, all the way up, all the way up. Covering in the door, opens up and goes in there. You go in there. It’s a big courtroom. A bunch of benches now in there. You go to the left, and here’s the judge’s chambers. You come out of the chambers, and you walk up about four steps. And here the desk is on like a podium. And it’s not where all the others are, you know, where you look straight forward. It’s over on the side. It’s over, you know, to the left as you walk out of his chambers. [1:07:40] When the judge listens to the case he goes in there I’ll come up back with my ruling he comes out about 10 minutes later he walks up the steps, And now he turns off the microphone. Somebody turns off the microphone so the people in the back can’t hear anything. The ones inside there can, you know, can hear. The one back there can’t hear anything because it’s all enclosed. [1:08:11] That’s why they got the microphone back there. Somebody shut it off. He says, basically, I’m not guilty in a real strange voice. And all but runs off the all but run and don’t ask me why this is what he did all but runs off all but runs off into the into his chambers, you know he’s afraid all those cops out in the audience were going to come and charge the stand I guess and put a whack on him. [1:08:43] But think about it this is Chicago he’s with the bad guys but I’m just saying I don’t know why he did all that, but that’s what he did. And so now, as I come walking out with Mike, and they’re all in uniform, and most of them are in uniform, and then you’ve got the press and all kinds of cameras and whatever there. And as I come walking out along with him, some of these guys I know, and these jerk-offs are like calling me names and whatever. I go, I go see Pat. [1:09:23] And when I go back into Counselor’s Row now, he’s there at the table. And when I come in, it’s a repeat of the Harry Allerman thing. He walks out. He walks directly. And I’m following him, and he walks in. He goes back into the same janitor’s closet and stands on the same steps just above me, you know, talking to me. And I said to him I said this judge is going to have a problem, I said, he’s going to have a problem. I said, what if he says something? And he said to me, nobody would dare. He said, nobody would dare cooperate against us. They know what would happen. Or words to that effect. And don’t ask me why. So many other things had happened before this. But now I’m looking at him and I’m thinking, you know, somebody’s got to stop this craziness. All this stuff. I’m thinking that at the moment, but then I’m worried for some reason, I think he can read my mind. [1:10:34] Stupid as all of this seems, I’m afraid to think that anymore. I’m almost, you know, cause Pat’s such a powerful person and every sense I know, I know his power, but anyhow, so I leave. And like I say, 10, 15 minutes later, that’s all forgotten about. He paid me the rest of the money I was supposed to get from them. [1:10:56] Obviously, he wanted to do it because he was probably charging a lot of money. That’s why he didn’t want me to take things. He wanted to collect the money because while the case was going on too, he puts me in touch with the head of the probation department because he was able to help in some way. He knew some of the, you know, some of the, some of the policemen involved in the thing had been contacted too. Yeah. But they were contacted and they messed up by, you know, they messed up by lying about all that. Yeah. When there’s police reports saying, oh, no, but anyhow, that was that particular case. Tell us why you decided to flip. [1:11:38] These had been your friends. You knew you had explosive information. You knew as a lawyer, you knew what you had to say would send these people to prison for many, many years. if not life. It had to be hard. As other things happened, why did I commit the, Probably two or three other times things happened. But the most important thing was to think when my dad was dying, and I was very close to my dad. When my dad was dyi

What do the grapes of Walla Walla, director David Lynch and the keyboardist from The Doors all have in common? Well, he's our guest for this episode—the incredibly talented film and TV star, and face of the Nordstrom 2025 holiday gifting campaign, Kyle MacLachlan. Pete and Kyle actually share a few similar life experiences—both born and raised in Washington, their families crossing paths at the University of Washington—and more recently Kyle has even started his own podcast, titled "What Are We Even Doing?" And to answer that question…Kyle is doing a lot! Pete talks with Kyle about the unexpected start, trajectory and longevity of his career in acting, the origins and journey of his 20-year-old wine company Pursued by Bear, and the entrepreneurial spirit that's kept Kyle curious in his craft and endearingly relevant to new audiences to this day. Also, after Pete's conversation with Kyle, stay tuned and cozy up by the fire for a few heartwarming Nordstrom service stories from a handful of employees and customers during the holidays. Thanks for tuning in to episode 102. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Santana Moss joins the show to talk Washington's rough season and Miami's big win in the College Football Playoff.

What's scarier than a mimic in the woods…family drama! Our fan favorite is Charlie and everyone struggling in Washington right now due to the recent flooding. If you would like to donate, go to the Community Foundation of Snohomish County at cfsc.fcsuite.com   Please remember to Rate, Review, and Subscribe on Apple Podcast and Spotify.  If you would like to write in, find us on Patreon, buy MERCH, or find our social handles, go to our website,⁠ www.myskepticalsister.com You can also support us with a one time donation at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/myskepticaz

Munaf Manji and Mackenzie Rivers talk weekend football action and much more. Munaf Manji and Mackenzie Rivers recap NFL Week 16 Sunday action, beginning with Sunday Night Football, where the Patriots erased a double-digit deficit to defeat the Ravens 28-24. Lamar Jackson exited at halftime with a back injury, forcing Tyler Huntley into action, while Derrick Henry dominated early but surprisingly stopped receiving touches late. A missed pass interference call on New England did not derail Drake May, who threw for over 380 yards, including a highlight touchdown to Kyle Williams, as the Patriots scored 15 unanswered points capped by a Rhamondre Stevenson rushing score and a game-sealing Zay Flowers fumble. The loss likely ends Baltimore's playoff hopes and sparks discussion about John Harbaugh's future, Lamar Jackson's durability, and the Steelers' path to clinching the division, with praise given to Mike Tomlin's sustained success. The conversation then shifts to awards, with Matthew Stafford emerging as the MVP favorite over Drake May and Mike Vrabel leading the Coach of the Year market. Circa Survivor updates follow before a deep dive into Week 17 market movers, including massive downgrades to the Chiefs without Mahomes, Dallas favored over Washington, Lions and Vikings line movement, Bengals upgrades after an offensive surge, Chargers moving to a pick'em versus the Texans, Raiders versus Giants shaping up as a potential tank bowl, and the growing impact of injuries and motivation late in the season. Eagles versus Bills is debated, with Buffalo trusted more long term than Philadelphia. Attention turns to Monday Night Football, where both hosts like the 49ers on the road against the Colts and lean under the total due to Indianapolis' limited offense with Philip Rivers and a slower game script. Jonathan Taylor usage and George Kittle props are discussed, with Kittle's receiving yards favored due to matchup trends. The show closes with promotions for Pregame bulk dollars, the free College Football Bowl Bash contest, and a preview of upcoming NBA Christmas coverage, emphasizing scheduling value, betting opportunities, and appreciation for listeners during the holiday season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ponderosa pine trees dominate parts of Eastern Oregon and Washington and have long been an icon of the American West, but in the past decade more than two hundred million ponderosa have died. Particularly in the Southwest, scientists estimate that by mid-century less than 5% of the ponderosa trees may remain. Portland author Gary Ferguson explores the history and the future of the ponderosa forests of the Southwest in his newest book, “The Twilight Forest.”

Bitcoin enters the week on edge as global markets flash warning signs: Hong Kong unveils new crypto infrastructure rules that could unlock $82B in institutional insurance investment, while MicroStrategy's trading volume suddenly surpasses Wells Fargo—cementing its status as a leveraged Bitcoin proxy. Cardano's Charles Hoskinson warns that crypto is becoming a “puppet of Washington” just as U.S. banks gain regulatory approval to act as crypto intermediaries. Meanwhile, James Lavish highlights a troubling macro signal: the Fed is cutting rates, yet long-term Treasury yields are still rising—hinting at deeper structural stress as debt spirals. With regulatory crackdowns, geopolitical tension, and massive liquidity distortions all converging, the crypto market faces one of its most pivotal moments of the year.

Are the Eagles really playing their best football of the season? That was their head coach's claim following the team's solid performance against Washington last weekend. But despite the Eagles outscoring the opposition by a combined 60-18 margin in back-to-back wins, trends are emerging with both promising and cautionary implications. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane and Jeff Neiburg highlight these developments, and address whether they agree with Nick Sirianni's current assessment of the defending Super Bowl champs. 00:00 Nick Sirianni says the Eagles are playing their best football. Is he right? 10:20 Shades of 2024 - Saquon Barkley and the run game are looking great 18:40 Handing out three defensive stars 27:17 Should the Eagles start looking for another kicker? unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.

Encore Presentation. Some of you have been writing, asking "where is Keith Boag?" Today the answer, as the former Washington correspondent brings us up to date on his latest thinking about Donald Trump. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Steve sits down with State Representative Parker Fairbairn, who serves Michigan's 107th House District, to discuss the growing push to declassify wolves and why federal control over wildlife management has become a major issue for rural communities. Fairbairn explains how Washington mandates often ignore local realities, impact farmers, hunters, and families, and why Michigan should have a stronger voice in managing its own wildlife populations. It's a common-sense conversation about local control, conservation, and protecting both people and property, not politics driven from afar.

Jeff and Django have cozied up by the fireplace to read last week's comic books, bringing joy and warmth into our hearts in this cold season. A new Joker, the return of a favorite series, a delayed voicemail from Will, and maybe a few more special surprises. You'll just have to hit play!0:08:36 - Absolute Batman #150:17:29 - Assorted Crisis Events #70:22:58 - Voicemail from Will!0:29:12 - Ordained #10:37:53 - Our Soot Stained Heart #10:41:10 - The Terminator: Metal #30:44:55 - DC K.O.: Wonder Woman vs Lobo #10:51:02 - Ultimate Spider-Man #230:58:59 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13SPOILERS! Tread carefully dear listener, because we're going to talk about what happened in these books. So definitely pause this, read your comics, and come back. We'll still be here!And an enormous thank you, as always, to Andrew Carlson for editing this mess into something listenable.Subscribe to us on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to get your podcasts.Email us at jeff@thecomicsplace.com! We love hearing from you and there's a good chance we will read it on air!Cover art by Stipan MorianVisit us at The Comics Place next time you're in Bellingham, Washington!

The best reactions to the Eagles' Week 16 win over Washington from, DeCamara & Ritchie, Hugh Douglas & Joe Giglio, and Ike, Spike & Fritz.

By virtue of the Eagles' win in Washington on Saturday night, the Cowboys found themselves playing the role of lame ducks in their home finale Sunday. The Cowboys went scoreless in the second half in a 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium. In other news, Texas A&M won its first NCAA volleyball championship, sweeping Kentucky 3-0 on Sunday. The Aggies accomplished the rare feat of defeating three No. 1 seeds en route to their national title. They defeated Nebraska and Pittsburgh earlier in the tournament and they did not drop a set in the Final Four; a 72-year-old woman was critically injured Sunday morning after her husband allegedly shot her in their Rockwall home; Pilot Point police are investigating the deaths of two bicyclists who were fatally struck by a vehicle Saturday morning. and are you feeling lucky? The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.6 billion, making it one of the largest lottery prizes in U.S. history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is episode 72 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast. To get your free pdf of "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," reach out to Fred Diamond on social media. [NOTE: This podcast does not replace medical treatment. If you struggle with Lyme care, please see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.] Historic Moment for Lyme Advocacy. RFK Jr. Roundtable Reactions & What Comes Next In this special episode of the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast, host Fred Diamond, author of Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know, convenes a powerful panel of Lyme advocates, researchers, and survivors to reflect on a pivotal week for the Lyme community. Just days after the RFK Jr. Lyme Disease Roundtables in Washington, D.C., this episode captures real-time reactions to what many are calling a historic turning point when federal leadership publicly acknowledged chronic Lyme disease, condemned medical gaslighting, and outlined tangible steps toward research, funding, and accountability.

In this episode of Infamously Speaking, hosts Matt and Quan discuss various themes including the recent flooding in Washington state, resilience in sports, the balance between experience and talent, the impact of injuries on mental health, and the importance of leadership in sports. They reflect on the Knicks' recent championship win and the coaching decisions that led to their success, emphasizing the need for self-awareness and positive influences in overcoming adversity. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of leadership, emphasizing the importance of analyzing situations, making adjustments, and celebrating wins. They discuss how success can lead to complacency if not managed properly and highlight the need for empathy in communication. The conversation also touches on personal growth through experiences, particularly in the context of parenting and understanding past relationships.---------------------------------------------------------------Checkout us out on all our platforms!Instagram: https://instagram.com/infamouslyspeaking TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@infamouslyspeaking?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6m6nOdwArSQkogO2LK6BBa Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/infamously-speaking/id1454086263Checkout the Growth & Development Podcast: https://youtube.com/@GrowthAndDevelopmentPodcast?si=P7mJXYPEgp1CvodtCheckout the episode with Chris from the Growth & Development Podcast: https://youtu.be/HkVc03RvUCo

Desert Storm veteran Ron Brown joins us with breaking news straight out of Washington, D.C. After his recent visit to the nation's capital, Ron shares important updates that could directly impact Desert Storm veterans.Gulf War Illness Study : https://ucsd.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8kroz7Jamr365hQGet access to past and bonus content with exclusive guest. Please help support the podcast and veterans so we can keep making the show - patreon.com/GulfWarSideEffects▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬Life Wave Patches: https://lifewave.com/kevinsimon/store/products*Here is my recommendations on what patches to get and what has helped me.Ice Wave - this helps with my neuropathy.x39 - this helps me with brain fog and my shakesx49 - helps with bone strengthGludifion - helps get rid of toxinsMerch: https://gulfwar-side-effects.myspreadshop.com/Contact me with your questions, comments, or concerns at kevinsimon@gulfwarsideeffects.com

Shalom Baranes is one of Washington's most prolific architects and the designer behind a lot of the most prominent modern buildings of the past few decades. So how did he wind up as the new architect of Donald Trump's White House ballroom? After all, Trump has promised classical beauty and old-school design. Douglas Fruehling from the Washington Business Journal has covered Baranes for years and explains what this all means — about the ballroom, and, more generally, about the work of erecting buildings in the nation's capital.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 22nd episode: Simply Eloped Black Cat Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson combined for 40 points on 7-12 3PT as the undermanned Wizards fell to the Spurs, 124-113. Greg recaps the contest and shares his thoughts on Washington's young backcourt, the team's injuries and more. Enjoy!

The episode articulates the significant impact of a potent Pacific storm train, which continues to target the western region of the United States, particularly California and Washington. We delve into the widespread flood watches issued by the National Weather Service, affecting vast areas along the California coast and valleys, alongside heavy snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, which complicates mountainous travel. Additionally, we address the winter storm warning currently in effect for the Washington Cascades, where hazardous conditions prevail due to blowing snow. Our discussion further encompasses the emergency declaration approved by FEMA for Montana, aimed at providing federal support in response to recent flooding incidents. We conclude by emphasizing the need for vigilance and safety amidst these challenging weather conditions, while we continue to monitor ongoing developments across various states. A comprehensive examination of the ongoing meteorological conditions reveals a formidable Pacific storm train currently imposing significant weather events across the western regions of the United States. The National Weather Service has issued widespread flood watches encompassing much of California's coastal and valley areas, while simultaneously, heavy snowfall is complicating travel through the Sierra Nevada mountains. This duality of weather phenomena underscores the potential for both flooding and treacherous travel conditions, particularly in the context of the Sierra, where snow accumulation is exacerbating the risks associated with winter travel. Further north, the Washington Cascades are under a winter storm warning, highlighting hazardous conditions including blowing snow and limited visibility, which pose serious risks to both residents and travelers alike. As we navigate through these intense weather patterns, it is imperative to remain vigilant and informed, as river flood warnings persist in various basins, reflecting the substantial impact these storms are having on local ecosystems and communities alike.Takeaways:* The National Weather Service has issued widespread flood watches across California's coastal regions and valleys.* A potent Pacific storm is currently affecting the West, leading to hazardous weather conditions.* FEMA has approved an emergency declaration for Montana in light of recent flooding incidents.* Winter storm warnings are in effect for the Washington Cascades, indicating severe weather challenges ahead.* Flood warnings persist on several rivers, including the Skokomish, indicating ongoing minor flooding issues.* Minnesota is experiencing icy road conditions due to overnight freezing rain, affecting travel safety.Sources[FEMA | https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20251220/president-donald-j-trump-approves-emergency-declaration-montana][NWS San Diego | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=flood+watch][NWS Bay Area | https://www.weather.gov/mtr/][NWS Sacramento | https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?product1=Flood+Watch&warnzone=CAZ066][NWS Eureka (Eel River) | https://www.weather.gov/eka/][NWS Seattle | https://www.weather.gov/sew/][NWS Warning Text | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sew&wwa=winter+storm+warning][NWS River Warning | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=flood+warning][NWS Medford | https://www.weather.gov/mfr/][NWS Advisory Timing | https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=43.1787&lon=-122.1389][NWS Spokane | https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?firewxzone=IDZ101&product1=Winter+Weather+Advisory][Montana Governor | https://gov.mt.gov/Documents/GovernorsOffice/executiveorders/View?doc=EO112025DisasterDeclarationStatewideSevereWindEvent002.pdf][NWS Missoula | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=winter+weather+advisory][NWS Fairbanks | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=winter+weather+advisory][MnDOT 511 | https://511mn.org/list/events][MPR News | https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/22/road-conditions-icy-schools-delayed-in-southern-minnesota] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

https://www.worldmusiccollective.org/InstagramFacebook BioThe World Music Collective is a mixed-instrumentation chamber ensemble featuring internationally recognized performers, composers, and improvisers from Washington, D.C.'s vibrant music scene. Rooted in community and driven by adventurous composition, the group blends jazz, classical, Indian classical, and global traditions through dynamic improvisation. Their latest single, “Caravan,” reimagines Duke Ellington's jazz standard through a rich, multi-instrumental lens where textures shift fluidly and cultures intersect. Led by saxophonist and clarinetist Noah Getz, the six-member ensemble treats improvisation as musical conversation—embracing spontaneity, collaboration, and deep listening. More than a genre, “world music” for the collective reflects a living, communal sound shaped by diverse backgrounds and shared creative exploration.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.