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Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester recommend some of their favorite historical mysteries! News God of the Woods by Liz Moore - our next book club read! - March 6th Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series is being adapted for TV. Adrian McKinty's The Chain is getting a series adaptation at HBO. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Books Discussed Island Witch - Amanda Jayatissa At the Water's Edge - Sara Gruen Murder at Gulls Nest - Jess Kidd Murder at the Spirit Lounge - Jess Kidd Even As We Breathe - Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle Such a Perfect Family - Nalini Singh Trad Wife - Saratoga Schaefer If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at readordead@bookriot.com. Otherwise you can: Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady Find Kendra on Instagram and BlueSky @kdwinchester and on TikTok @kendrawinchester And we will talk to you all next time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The boys break down Williams' livery launch and Vowles' response to missing testing. They also explore best- and worst-case scenarios for a handful of drivers, dig into the Horner and Alpine rumours, and finish with a special edition of a much loved game... Want more Late Braking? Support the show on Patreon and get: Ad-free listening Full-length bonus episodes Power Rankings after every race Historical race reviews & more exclusive extras! Don't forget! You can also gift a Late Braking Patreon subscription—perfect for loved ones or your own wish list. Choose anything from 1 month up to a full year of top-notch F1 content: https://www.patreon.com/latebrakingf1/gift Connect with Late Braking: You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok Come hang out with us and thousands of fellow F1 fans in our Discord server and get involved in lively everyday & race weekend chats! Get in touch any time at podcast@latebraking.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Don and Tom take on Elon Musk's claim that AI will make retirement saving obsolete, pushing back hard on the idea that technology or billionaires will somehow fund everyone's future. They examine why universal basic income is politically and mathematically unrealistic, remind listeners that past tech revolutions didn't magically create widespread wealth, and reinforce the importance of steady, diversified investing. The episode also tackles listener questions on HSAs, 529 rollovers, taxable account strategy, and tax efficiency, while weaving in commentary on work, purpose, behavior, and—once again—the ongoing menace of gas-powered leaf blowers. 0:04 Fear of AI and its supposed impact on money and jobs 1:52 Elon Musk's claim that retirement saving will become irrelevant 2:59 Why billionaires don't like sharing wealth 4:29 Historical tax rates and wealth distribution 6:21 Business Insider survey: 94% still plan to save 8:45 Why tech revolutions don't eliminate financial risk 9:59 Work, purpose, and retirement psychology 10:33 Universal basic income math and tax reality 11:54 Luddites and historical job displacement 12:55 Listener questions segment begins 13:18 HSA invested in Fidelity target-date fund 17:38 Overfunded 529 plans and Roth rollover rules 20:45 Taxable account strategy and balanced funds 23:28 Asset location and tax efficiency 24:49 Finding fund returns on Morningstar 25:46 Tom's Scottsdale meetings 26:45 War on gas-powered leaf blowers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
DC offers so many ways to celebrate Black heritage and history. Case in point: the MLK Library. Because the MLK Library is so much more than just books. It's also the People's Archive, a living, breathing collection honoring D.C.'s vibrant Black cultural, social, and political history. We're revisiting a conversation with Maya Thompson and Derek Gray, who both work there and agree that at a time when our history is under attack, preserving and celebrating Black history is more important than ever. Learn more about the sponsors of this February 3rd episode: Library of Congress South by Southwest - use code "citycast10" for a 10% discount on your Innovation Badge Don't forget to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE And we'd love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654
Super Bowl week is about the culmination of blood, sweat and tears with the best teams going at it and crowning a new NFL champion. This episode is a conversation with someone who knows a lot about what it takes to be at the top of a sport and the will to win at all costs...retiring with a perfect 42-0 boxing record, Terrance "Bud" Crawford joins The Pivot for a powerful, reflective conversation about legacy, purpose, and what comes next. Without hesitation, Bud tells Ryan that fight night between two top boxers is bigger and more pressure than the Super Bowl and explains why he sees it as such. Describing his journey in detail and how he defied the odds as a kid from the streets of Omaha to the mountaintop of boxing
The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe just held an event to commemorate 25 years since the landmark legislation outlining a historic co-stewardship agreement between the tribe and the National Park Service in Death Valley. The tribe's name is on the entrance sign to the park. At the same time, the Trump administration is calling for the removal of informational plaques in the visitor center that tells the tribe's story. The sign's removal is one of almost 20 at National Park sites around the country, including Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, the site of the allied tribes' decisive victory over George Armstrong Custer and U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment. We'll talk to tribal representatives about how the information in National Parks was developed and what message removing it sends. GUESTS Dorothy FireCloud (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), retired assistant director of Native American affairs for the National Park Service Otis Halfmoon (Nez Perce), retired National Park Service employee Mandi Campbell (Timbisha Shoshone), tribal historic preservation officer for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe Gheri Hall (Blackfeet), co-director of the Tribal Historic Preservation Office for the Blackfeet Tribe Break 1 Music: This Land (song) Keith Secola (artist) Native Americana – A Coup Stick (album) Break 2 Music: Wahzhazhe (song) Scott George (artist) Killers of the Flower Moon Soundtrack (album)
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Gaius and Germanicus turn their debate to American migration patterns, with Gaius arguing that modern elites exploit immigrants as property for cheap labor and political votes, echoing historical patterns of indentured servitude that built colonial economies. Germanicus draws comparisons to Rome, noting that the empire successfully assimilated diverse races through genuine upward mobility and citizenship pathways that created loyalty across ethnic lines. However, he warns that the Western Empire eventually collapsed when Germanic tribes entered not as individuals seeking assimilation but as unassimilated national groups maintaining separate identities and allegiances. Germanicus cautions that current policies encouraging migrants to remain culturally separate rather than integrating into the host society dangerously resemble the dynamics that fractured Rome. The pair concludes that immigration has been a neuralgic obsession throughout American history, with elites consistently exploiting immigrant labor while simultaneously fearing political insurrection from unassimilated populations.1863 DRAFT RIOTS NYC
In June 1948, 21-year-old Mary Virginia Carpenter left Texarkana for college in Denton, Texas. She was last seen after a taxi dropped her near Brackenridge Hall at Texas State College for Women. The letter she promised her mother never came, and neither did Virginia. More than 70 years later, her disappearance remains one of Denton's quiet, enduring mysteries. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Last time we spoke about the battle of Nanchang. After securing Hainan and targeting Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway corridors, Japan's 11th Army, backed by armor, air power, and riverine operations, sought a rapid, surgical seizure of Nanchang to sever eastern Chinese logistics and coerce Chongqing. China, reorganizing under Chiang Kai-shek, concentrated over 200,000 troops across 52 divisions in the Ninth and Third War Zones, with Xue Yue commanding the 9th War Zone in defense of Wuhan-Nanchang corridors. The fighting began with German-style, combined-arms river operations along the Xiushui and Gan rivers, including feints, river crossings, and heavy artillery, sometimes using poison gas. From March 20–23, Japanese forces established a beachhead and advanced into Fengxin, Shengmi, and later Nanchang, despite stiff Chinese resistance and bridges being destroyed. Chiang's strategic shift toward attrition pushed for broader offensives to disrupt railways and rear areas, though Chinese plans for a counteroffensive repeatedly stalled due to logistics and coordination issues. By early May, Japanese forces encircled and captured Nanchang, albeit at heavy cost, with Chinese casualties surpassing 43,000 dead and Japanese losses over 2,200 dead. #187 The Battle of Suixian–Zaoyang-Shatow Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Having seized Wuhan in a brutal offensive the previous year, the Japanese sought not just to hold their ground but to solidify their grip on this vital hub. Wuhan, a bustling metropolis at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han Rivers, had become a linchpin in their strategy, a base from which they could project power across central China. Yet, the city was far from secure, Chinese troops in northern Hubei and southern Henan, perched above the mighty Yangtze, posed an unrelenting threat. To relieve the mounting pressure on their newfound stronghold, the Japanese high command orchestrated a bold offensive against the towns of Suixian and Zaoyang. They aimed to annihilate the main force of the Chinese 5th War Zone, a move that would crush the Nationalist resistance in the region and secure their flanks. This theater of war, freshly designated as the 5th War Zone after the grueling Battle of Wuhan, encompassed a vast expanse west of Shashi in the upper Yangtze basin. It stretched across northern Hubei, southern Henan, and the rugged Dabie Mountains in eastern Anhui, forming a strategic bulwark that guarded the eastern approaches to Sichuan, the very heartland of the Nationalist government's central institutions. Historian Rana Mitter in Forgotten Ally described this zone as "a gateway of immense importance, a natural fortress that could either serve as a launchpad for offensives against Japanese-held territories or a defensive redoubt protecting the rear areas of Sichuan and Shaanxi". The terrain itself was a defender's dream and an attacker's nightmare: to the east rose the imposing Dabie Mountains, their peaks cloaked in mist and folklore; the Tongbai Mountains sliced across the north like a jagged spine; the Jing Mountains guarded the west; the Yangtze River snaked southward, its waters a formidable barrier; the Dahong Mountains dominated the center, offering hidden valleys for ambushes; and the Han River (also known as the Xiang River) carved a north-south path through it all. Two critical transport arteries—the Hanyi Road linking Hankou to Yichang in Hubei, and the Xianghua Road connecting Xiangyang to Huayuan near Hankou—crisscrossed this landscape, integrating the war zone into a web of mobility. From here, Chinese forces could menace the vital Pinghan Railway, that iron lifeline running from Beiping (modern Beijing) to Hankou, while also threatening the Wuhan region itself. In retreat, it provided a sanctuary to shield the Nationalist heartlands. As military strategist Sun Tzu might have appreciated, this area had long been a magnet for generals, its contours shaping the fates of empires since ancient times. Despite the 5th War Zone's intricate troop deployments, marked by units of varying combat prowess and a glaring shortage of heavy weapons, the Chinese forces made masterful use of the terrain to harass their invaders. Drawing from accounts in Li Zongren's memoirs, he noted how these defenders, often outgunned but never outmaneuvered, turned hills into fortresses and rivers into moats. In early April 1939, as spring rains turned paths to mud, Chinese troops ramped up their disruptions along the southern stretches of the Pinghan Railway, striking from both eastern and western flanks with guerrilla precision. What truly rattled the Japanese garrison in Wuhan was the arrival of reinforcements: six full divisions redeployed to Zaoyang, bolstering the Chinese capacity to launch flanking assaults that could unravel Japanese supply lines. Alarmed by this buildup, the Japanese 11th Army, ensconced in the Wuhan area under the command of General Yasuji Okamura, a figure whose tactical acumen would later earn him notoriety in the Pacific War, devised a daring plan. They intended to plunge deep into the 5th War Zone, smashing the core of the Chinese forces and rendering them impotent, thereby neutralizing the northwestern threat to Wuhan once and for all. From April onward, the Japanese mobilized with meticulous preparation, amassing troops equipped with formidable artillery, rumbling tanks, and squadrons of aircraft that darkened the skies. Historians estimate they committed roughly three and a half divisions to this endeavor, as detailed in Edward J. Drea's In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army. Employing a classic pincer movement, a two-flank encirclement coupled with a central breakthrough, they aimed for a swift, decisive strike to obliterate the main Chinese force in the narrow Suixian-Zaoyang corridor, squeezed between the Tongbai and Dahong Mountains. The offensive erupted in full fury on May 1, 1939, as Japanese columns surged forward like a tidal wave, their engines roaring and banners fluttering in the dust-choked air. General Li Zongren, the commander of the 5th War Zone, a man whose leadership had already shone in earlier campaigns like the defense of Tai'erzhuang in 1938, issued urgent orders to cease offensive actions against the Japanese and pivot to a defensive stance. Based on intelligence about the enemy's dispositions, Li orchestrated a comprehensive campaign structure, assigning precise defensive roles and battle plans to each unit. This was no haphazard scramble; it was a symphony of strategy, as Li himself recounted in his memoirs, emphasizing the need to exploit the terrain's natural advantages. While various Chinese war zones executed the "April Offensive" from late April to mid-May, actively harrying and containing Japanese forces, the 5th War Zone focused its energies on the southern segment of the Pinghan Railway, assaulting it from both sides in a bid to disrupt logistics. The main force of the 31st Army Group, under the command of Tang Enbo, a general known for his aggressive tactics and later criticized for corruption, shifted from elsewhere in Hubei to Zaoyang, fortifying the zone and posing a dire threat to the Japanese flanks and rear areas. To counter this peril and safeguard transportation along the Wuhan-Pinghan Railway, the Japanese, led by the formidable Okamura, unleashed their assault from the line stretching through Xinyang, Yingshan, and Zhongxiang. Mobilizing the 3rd, 13th, and 16th Divisions alongside the 2nd and 4th Cavalry Brigades, they charged toward the Suixian-Zaoyang region in western Hubei, intent on eradicating the Chinese main force and alleviating the siege-like pressure on Wuhan. In a masterful reorganization, Li Zongren divided his forces into two army groups, the left and right, plus a dedicated river defense army. His strategy was a blend of attrition and opportunism: harnessing the Tongbai and Dahong Mountains, clinging to key towns like lifelines, and grinding down the Japanese through prolonged warfare while biding time for a counterstroke. This approach echoed the Fabian tactics of ancient Rome, wearing the enemy thin before delivering the coup de grâce. The storm broke at dawn on May 1, when the main contingents of the Japanese 16th and 13th Divisions, bolstered by the 4th Cavalry Brigade from their bases in Zhongxiang and Jingshan, hurled themselves against the Chinese 37th and 180th Divisions of the Right Army Group. Supported by droning aircraft that strafed from above and tanks that churned the earth below, the Japanese advanced with mechanical precision. By May 4, they had shattered the defensive lines flanking Changshoudian, then surged along the east bank of the Xiang River toward Zaoyang in a massive offensive. Fierce combat raged through May 5, as described in Japanese war diaries compiled in Senshi Sōsho (the official Japanese war history series), where soldiers recounted the relentless Chinese resistance amid the smoke and clamor. The Japanese finally breached the defenses, turning their fury on the 122nd Division of the 41st Army. In a heroic stand, the 180th Division clung to Changshoudian, providing cover for the main force's retreat along the east-west Huangqi'an line. The 37th Division fell back to the Yaojiahe line, while elements of the 38th Division repositioned into Liushuigou. On May 6, the Japanese seized Changshoudian, punched through Huangqi'an, and drove northward, unleashing a devastating assault on the 122nd Division's positions near Wenjiamiao. Undeterred, Chinese defenders executed daring flanking maneuvers in the Fenglehe, Yaojiahe, Liushuihe, Shuanghe, and Zhangjiaji areas, turning the landscape into a labyrinth of ambushes. May 7 saw the Japanese pressing on, capturing Zhangjiaji and Shuanghe. By May 8, they assaulted Maozifan and Xinji, where ferocious battles erupted, soldiers clashing in hand-to-hand combat amid the ruins. By May 10, the Japanese had overrun Huyang Town and Xinye, advancing toward Tanghe and the northeastern fringes of Zaoyang. Yet, the Tanghe River front witnessed partial Chinese recoveries: remnants of the Right Army Group, alongside troops from east of the Xianghe, reclaimed Xinye. The 122nd and 180th Divisions withdrew north of Tanghe and Fancheng, while the 37th, 38th, and 132nd Divisions steadfastly held the east bank of the Xianghe River. Concurrently, the main force of the Japanese 3rd Division launched from Yingshan against the 84th and 13th Armies of the 11th Group Army in the Suixian sector. After a whirlwind of combat, the Chinese 84th Army retreated to the Taerwan position. On May 2, the 3rd Division targeted the Gaocheng position of the 13th Army within the 31st Group Army; the ensuing clashes in Taerwan and Gaocheng were a maelstrom of fire, with the Taerwan position exchanging hands multiple times like a deadly game of tug-of-war. By May 4, in a grim escalation, Japanese forces deployed poison gas, a violation of international norms that drew condemnation and is documented in Allied reports from the era, inflicting horrific casualties and compelling the Chinese to relinquish Gaocheng, which fell into enemy hands. On May 5, backed by aerial bombardments, tank charges, and artillery barrages, the Japanese renewed their onslaught along the Gaocheng River and the Lishan-Jiangjiahe line. By May 6, the beleaguered Chinese were forced back to the Tianhekou and Gaocheng line. Suixian succumbed on May 7. On May 8, the Japanese shattered the second line of the 84th Army, capturing Zaoyang and advancing on the Jiangtoudian position of the 85th Army. To evade encirclement, the defenders mounted a valiant resistance before withdrawing from Jiangtoudian; the 84th Army relocated to the Tanghe and Baihe areas, while the 39th Army embedded itself in the Dahongshan for guerrilla operations—a tactic that would bleed the Japanese through hit-and-run warfare, as noted in guerrilla warfare studies by Mao Zedong himself. By May 10, the bulk of the 31st Army Group maneuvered toward Tanghe, reaching north of Biyang by May 15. From Xinyang, Japanese forces struck at Tongbai on May 8; by May 10, elements from Zaoyang advanced to Zhangdian Town and Shangtun Town. In response, the 68th Army of the 1st War Zone dispatched the 143rd Division to defend Queshan and Minggang, and the 119th Division to hold Tongbai. After staunchly blocking the Japanese, they withdrew on May 11 to positions northwest and southwest of Tongbai, shielding the retreat of 5th War Zone units. The Japanese 4th Cavalry Brigade drove toward Tanghe, seizing Tanghe County on May 12. But the tide was turning. In a brilliant reversal, the Fifth War Zone commanded the 31st Army Group, in concert with the 2nd Army Group from the 1st War Zone, to advance from southwestern Henan. Their mission: encircle the bulk of Japanese forces on the Xiangdong Plain and deliver a crushing blow. The main force of the 33rd Army Group targeted Zaoyang, while other units pinned down Japanese rear guards in Zhongxiang. The Chinese counteroffensive erupted with swift successes, Tanghe County was recaptured on May 14, and Tongbai liberated on May 16, shattering the Japanese encirclement scheme. On May 19, after four grueling days of combat, Chinese forces mauled the retreating Japanese, reclaiming Zaoyang and leaving the fields strewn with enemy dead. The 39th Army of the Left Army Group dispersed into the mountains for guerrilla warfare, a shadowy campaign of sabotage and surprise. Forces of the Right Army Group east of the river, along with river defense units, conducted relentless raids on Japanese rears and supply lines over multiple days, sowing chaos before withdrawing to the west bank of the Xiang River on May 21. On May 22, they pressed toward Suixian, recapturing it on May 23. The Japanese, battered and depleted, retreated to their original garrisons in Zhongxiang and Yingshan, restoring the pre-war lines as the battle drew to a close. Throughout this clash, the Chinese held a marked superiority in manpower and coordination, though their deployments lacked full flexibility, briefly placing them on the defensive. After protracted, blood-soaked fighting, they restored the original equilibrium. Despite grievous losses, the Chinese thwarted the Japanese encirclement and exacted a heavy toll, reports from the time, corroborated by Japanese records in Senshi Sōsho, indicate over 13,000 Japanese killed or wounded, with more than 5,000 corpses abandoned on the battlefield. This fulfilled the strategic goal of containing and eroding Japanese strength. Chinese casualties surpassed 25,000, a testament to the ferocity of the struggle. The 5th War Zone seized the initiative in advances and retreats, deftly shifting to outer lines and maintaining positional advantages. As Japanese forces withdrew, Chinese pursuers harried and obstructed them, yielding substantial victories. The Battle of Suizao spanned less than three weeks. The Japanese main force pierced defenses on the east bank of the Han River, advancing to encircle one flank as planned. However, the other two formations met fierce opposition near Suixian and northward, stalling their progress. Adapting to the battlefield's ebb and flow, the Fifth War Zone transformed its tactics: the main force escaped encirclement, maneuvered to outer lines for offensives, and exploited terrain to hammer the Japanese. The pivotal order to flip from defense to offense doomed the encirclement; with the counterattack triumphant, the Japanese declined to hold and retreated. The Chinese pursued with unyielding vigor. By May 24, they had reclaimed Zaoyang, Tongbai, and other locales. Save for Suixian County, the Japanese had fallen back to pre-war positions, reinstating the regional status quo. Thus, the battle concluded, a chapter of resilience etched into the chronicles of China's defiance. In the sweltering heat of southern China, where the humid air clung to every breath like a persistent fog, the Japanese General Staff basked in what they called a triumphant offensive and defensive campaign in Guangdong. But victory, as history so often teaches, is a double-edged sword. By early 1939, the strain was palpable. Their secret supply line snaking from the British colony of Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland was under constant disruption, raids by shadowy guerrilla bands, opportunistic smugglers, and the sheer unpredictability of wartime logistics turning what should have been a lifeline into a leaky sieve. Blockading the entire coastline? A pipe dream, given the vast, jagged shores of Guangdong, dotted with hidden coves and fishing villages that had evaded imperial edicts for centuries. Yet, the General Staff's priorities were unyielding, laser-focused on strangling the Nationalist capital of Chongqing through a relentless blockade. This meant the 21st Army, that workhorse of the Japanese invasion force, had to stay in the fight—no rest for the weary. Drawing from historical records like the Senshi Sōsho (War History Series) compiled by Japan's National Institute for Defense Studies, we know that after the 21st Army reported severing what they dubbed the "secret transport line" at Xinhui, a gritty, hard-fought skirmish that left the local landscape scarred with craters and abandoned supply crates, the General Staff circled back to the idea of a full coastal blockade. It was a classic case of military opportunism: staff officers, poring over maps in dimly lit war rooms in Tokyo, suddenly "discovered" Shantou as a major port. Not just any port, mind you, but a bustling hub tied to the heartstrings of Guangdong's overseas Chinese communities. Shantou and nearby Chao'an weren't mere dots on a map; they were the ancestral hometowns of countless Chaoshan people who had ventured abroad to Southeast Asia, sending back remittances that flowed like lifeblood into the region. Historical economic studies, such as those in The Overseas Chinese in the People's Republic of China by Stephen Fitzgerald, highlight how these funds from the Chaoshan diaspora, often funneled through family networks in places like Singapore and Thailand, were substantial, indirectly fueling China's war effort by sustaining local economies and even purchasing arms on the black market. The Chao-Shao Highway, that dusty artery running near Shantou, was pinpointed as a critical vein connecting Hong Kong's ports to the mainland's interior. So, in early June 1939, the die was cast: Army Order No. 310 thundered from headquarters, commanding the 21st Army to seize Shantou. The Chief of the General Staff himself provided the strategic blueprint, a personal touch that underscored the operation's gravity. The Army Department christened the Chaoshan push "Operation Hua," a nod perhaps to the flowery illusions of easy conquest, while instructing the Navy Department to tag along for the ride. In naval parlance, it became "Operation J," a cryptic label that masked the sheer scale unfolding. Under the Headquarters' watchful eye, what started as a modest blockade morphed into a massive amphibious assault, conjured seemingly out of thin air like a magician's trick, but one with deadly props. The 5th Fleet's orders mobilized an impressive lineup: the 9th Squadron for heavy hitting, the 5th Mine Boat Squadron to clear watery hazards, the 12th and 21st Sweeper Squadrons sweeping for mines like diligent janitors of the sea, the 45th Destroyer Squadron adding destroyer muscle, and air power from the 3rd Combined Air Group (boasting 24 land-based attack aircraft and 9 reconnaissance planes that could spot a fishing boat from miles away). Then there was the Chiyoda Air Group with its 9 reconnaissance aircraft, the Guangdong Air Group contributing a quirky airship and one more recon plane, the 9th Special Landing Squadron from Sasebo trained for beach assaults, and a flotilla of special ships for logistics. On the ground, the 21st Army threw in the 132nd Brigade from the 104th Division, beefed up with the 76th Infantry Battalion, two mountain artillery battalions for lobbing shells over rugged terrain, two engineer battalions to bridge rivers and clear paths, a light armored vehicle platoon rumbling with mechanized menace, and a river-crossing supplies company to keep the troops fed and armed. All under the command of Brigade Commander Juro Goto, a stern officer whose tactical acumen was forged in earlier Manchurian campaigns. The convoy's size demanded rehearsals; the 132nd Brigade trained for boat transfers at Magong in the Penghu Islands, practicing the precarious dance of loading men and gear onto rocking vessels under simulated fire. Secrecy shrouded the whole affair, many officers and soldiers, boarding ships in the dead of night, whispered among themselves that they were finally heading home to Japan, a cruel ruse to maintain operational security. For extra punch, the 21st Army tacked on the 31st Air Squadron for air support, their planes droning like angry hornets ready to sting. This overkill didn't sit well with everyone. Lieutenant General Ando Rikichi, the pragmatic commander overseeing Japanese forces in the region, must have fumed in his Guangzhou headquarters. His intelligence staff, drawing from intercepted radio chatter and local spies as noted in postwar analyses like The Japanese Army in World War II by Gordon L. Rottman, reported that the Chongqing forces in Chaozhou were laughably thin: just the 9th Independent Brigade, a couple of security regiments, and ragtag "self-defense groups" of armed civilians. Why unleash such a sledgehammer on a fly? The mobilization's magnitude even forced a reshuffling of defenses around Guangzhou, pulling resources from the 12th Army's front lines and overburdening the already stretched 18th Division. It was bureaucratic overreach at its finest, a testament to the Imperial Staff's penchant for grand gestures over tactical efficiency. Meanwhile, on the Nationalist side, the winds of war carried whispers of impending doom. The National Revolutionary Army's war histories, such as those compiled in the Zhongguo Kangri Zhanzheng Shi (History of China's War of Resistance Against Japan), note that Chiang Kai-shek's Military Commission had snagged intelligence as early as February 1939 about Japan's plans for a large-scale invasion of Shantou. The efficiency of the Military Command's Second Bureau and the Military Intelligence Bureau was nothing short of astonishing, networks of agents, double agents, and radio intercepts piercing the veil of Japanese secrecy. Even as the convoy slipped out of Penghu, a detailed report outlining operational orders landed on Commander Zhang Fakui's desk, the ink still fresh. Zhang, a battle-hardened strategist whose career spanned the Northern Expedition and beyond , had four months to prepare for what would be dubbed the decisive battle of Chaoshan. Yet, in a move that baffled some contemporaries, he chose not to fortify and defend it tooth and nail. After the Fourth War Zone submitted its opinions, likely heated debates in smoke-filled command posts, Chiang Kai-shek greenlit the plan. By March, the Military Commission issued its strategic policy: when the enemy hit Chaoshan, a sliver of regular troops would team up with civilian armed forces for mobile and guerrilla warfare, grinding down the invaders like sandpaper on steel. The orders specified guerrilla zones in Chaozhou, Jiaxing, and Huizhou, unifying local militias under a banner of "extensive guerrilla warfare" to coordinate with regular army maneuvers, gradually eroding the Japanese thrust. In essence, the 4th War Zone wasn't tasked with holding Chao'an and Shantou at all costs; instead, they'd strike hard during the landing, then let guerrillas harry the occupiers post-capture. It was a doctrine of attrition in a "confined battlefield," honing skills through maneuver and ambush. Remarkably, the fall of these cities was preordained by the Military Commission three months before the Japanese even issued their orders, a strategic feint that echoed ancient Sun Tzu tactics of yielding ground to preserve strength. To execute this, the 4th War Zone birthed the Chao-Jia-Hui Guerrilla Command after meticulous preparation, with General Zou Hong, head of Guangdong's Security Bureau and a no-nonsense administrator known for his anti-smuggling campaigns, taking the helm. In just three months, Zhang Fakui scraped together the Independent 9th Brigade, the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Guangdong Provincial Security Regiments, and the Security Training Regiment. Even with the 9th Army Group lurking nearby, he handed the reins of the Chao-Shan operation to the 12th Army Group's planners. Their March guidelines sketched three lines of resistance from the coast to the mountains, a staged withdrawal that allowed frontline defenders to melt away like ghosts. This blueprint mirrored Chiang Kai-shek's post-Wuhan reassessment, where the loss of that key city in 1938 prompted a shift to protracted warfare. A Xinhua News Agency columnist later summed it up scathingly: "The Chongqing government, having lost its will to resist, colludes with the Japanese and seeks to eliminate the Communists, adopting a policy of passive resistance." This narrative, propagated by Communist sources, dogged Chiang and the National Revolutionary Army for decades, painting them as defeatists even as they bled the Japanese dry through attrition. February 1939 saw Commander Zhang kicking off a reorganization of the 12th Army Group, transforming it from a patchwork force into something resembling a modern army. He could have hunkered down, assigning troops to a desperate defense of Chaoshan, but that would have handed the initiative to the overcautious Japanese General Staff, whose activism often bordered on paranoia. Zhang, with the wisdom of a seasoned general who had navigated the treacherous politics of pre-war China, weighed the scales carefully. His vision? Forge the 12th Army Group into a nimble field army, not squander tens of thousands on a secondary port. Japan's naval and air dominance—evident in the devastation of Shanghai in 1937, meant Guangdong's forces could be pulverized in Shantou just as easily. Losing Chaozhou and Shantou? Acceptable, if it preserved core strength for the long haul. Post-Xinhui, Zhang doubled down on resistance, channeling efforts into live-fire exercises for the 12th Army, turning green recruits into battle-ready soldiers amid the Guangdong hills. The war's trajectory after 1939 would vindicate him: his forces became pivotal in later counteroffensives, proving that a living army trumped dead cities. Opting out of a static defense, Zhang pivoted to guerrilla warfare to bleed the Japanese while clutching strategic initiative. He ordered local governments to whip up coastal guerrilla forces from Chao'an to Huizhou—melding militias, national guards, police, and private armed groups into official folds. These weren't elite shock troops, but in wartime's chaos, they controlled locales effectively, disrupting supply lines and gathering intel. For surprises, he unleashed two mobile units: the 9th Independent Brigade and the 20th Independent Brigade. Formed fresh after the War of Resistance erupted, these brigades shone for their efficiency within the cumbersome Guangdong Army structure. Division-level units were too bulky for spotty communications, so Yu Hanmou's command birthed these independent outfits, staffed with crack officers. The 9th, packing direct-fire artillery for punch, and the 20th, dubbed semi-mechanized for its truck-borne speed, prowled the Chaoshan–Huizhou coast from 1939. Zhang retained their three-regiment setup, naming Hua Zhenzhong and Zhang Shou as commanders, granting them autonomy to command in the field like roving wolves. As the 9th Independent Brigade shifted to Shantou, its 627th Regiment was still reorganizing in Heyuan, a logistical hiccup amid the scramble. Hua Zhenzhong, a commander noted for his tactical flexibility in regional annals, deployed the 625th Regiment and 5th Security Regiment along the coast, with the 626th as reserve in Chao'an. Though the Fourth War Zone had written off Chaoshan, Zhang yearned to showcase Guangdong grit before the pullback. Dawn broke on June 21, 1939, at 4:30 a.m., with Japanese reconnaissance planes slicing through the fog over Shantou, Anbu, and Nanbeigang, ghostly silhouettes against the gray sky. By 5:30, the mist lifted, revealing a nightmare armada: over 40 destroyers and 70–80 landing craft churning toward the coast on multiple vectors, their hulls cutting the waves like knives. The 626th Regiment's 3rd Battalion at Donghushan met the first wave with a hail of fire from six light machine guns, repelling the initial boats in a frenzy of splashes and shouts. But the brigade's long-range guns couldn't stem the tide; Hua focused on key chokepoints, aiming to bloody the invaders rather than obliterate them. By morning, the 3rd Battalion of the 625th Regiment charged into Shantou City, joined by the local police corps digging in amid urban sprawl. Combat raged at Xinjin Port and the airport's fringes, where Nationalist troops traded shots with advancing Japanese under the absent shadow of a Chinese navy. Japanese naval guns, massed offshore, pounded the outskirts like thunder gods in fury. By 2:00 a.m. on the 22nd, Shantou crumpled as defenders' ammo ran dry, the city falling in a haze of smoke and echoes. Before the loss, Hua had positioned the 1st Battalion of the 5th Security Regiment at Anbu, guarding the road to Chao'an. Local lore, preserved in oral histories collected by the Chaozhou Historical Society, recalls Battalion Commander Du Ruo leading from the front, rifle in hand, but Japanese barrages, bolstered by superior firepower—forced a retreat. Post-capture, Tokyo's forces paused to consolidate, unleashing massacres on fleeing civilians in the outskirts. A flotilla of civilian boats, intercepted at sea, became a grim training ground for bayonet drills, a barbarity echoed in survivor testimonies compiled in The Rape of Nanking and Beyond extensions to Guangdong atrocities. With Shantou gone, Hua pivoted to flank defense, orchestrating night raids on Japanese positions around Anbu and Meixi. On June 24th, Major Du Ruo spearheaded an assault into Anbu but fell gravely wounded amid the chaos. Later, the 2nd Battalion of the 626th overran spots near Meixi. A Japanese sea-flanking maneuver targeted Anbu, but Nationalists held at Liulong, sparking nocturnal clashes, grenade volleys, bayonet charges, and hand-to-hand brawls that drained both sides like a slow bleed. June 26th saw the 132nd Brigade lumber toward Chao'an. Hua weighed options: all-out assault or guerrilla fade? He chose to dig in on the outskirts, reserving two companies of the 625th and a special ops battalion in the city. The 27th brought a day-long Japanese onslaught, culminating in Chao'an's fall after fierce rear-guard actions by the 9th Independent Brigade. Evacuations preceded the collapse, with Japanese propaganda banners fluttering falsely, claiming Nationalists had abandoned defense. Yet Hua's call preserved his brigade for future fights; the Japanese claimed an empty prize. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Japanese operations had yet again plugged up supply leaks into Nationalist China. The fall of Suixian, Zaoyang and Shantou were heavy losses for the Chinese war effort. However the Chinese were also able to exact heavy casualties on the invaders and thwarted their encirclement attempts. China was still in the fight for her life.
In this episode of Gangland Wire, host Gary Jenkins talks with author Linda Stasi about her historical novel, The Descendant, inspired by her own Italian-American family history. Stasi traces her ancestors' journey from Sicily to the Colorado mining camps, revealing the brutal realities faced by immigrant laborers in the American West. The conversation explores the violent labor struggles surrounding the Ludlow Massacre and the role of powerful figures like John D. Rockefeller, as well as the diverse immigrant communities that shaped Colorado's mining towns. Stasi challenges stereotypes about Italians in America, highlighting their roles as workers, ranchers, and community builders—not just mobsters. Jenkins and Stasi also discuss Prohibition-era bootlegging and the early roots of organized crime in places like Pueblo, weaving together documented history with deeply personal family stories of survival, violence, and resilience. Drawing on her background as a journalist, Stasi reflects on loss, perseverance, and the immigrant pursuit of the American dream, making The Descendants both a historical narrative and an emotional family legacy. Click here to find the Descendant. 0:04 Introduction to Linda Stasi 3:12 The Role of Women in History 7:05 Bootlegging and the Mafia’s Rise 9:31 Discovering Family Connections 14:59 Immigrant Struggles and Success 19:02 Childhood Stories of Resilience 24:04 Serendipity in New York 26:19 Linda’s Journey as a Journalist 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. [0:00] Well, hey, all you wiretappers out there, glad to be back here in studio, Gangland Wire. This is Gary Jenkins, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective, and I have an interview for you. This is going to be a historical fiction author. This is going to be a historical fiction book by a writer whose family lived the life of, whose family, This is going to be a real issue. This book is going to, we’re going to talk about a book. We’re going to talk with an author about the book. We’re going to talk with the author, Linda Stasi. We’re going to talk with the author, Linda Stasi, about her book, The Descendants. Now, she wrote a historical fiction, but it’s based on her actual family’s history. [0:50] From Sicily to New York to California. The wild west of colorado now get that you never heard of many italians out west in colorado but she’s going to tell us a lot more about that and how they were actually ended up being part of the pueblo colorado mafia the corvino family and then got involved in bootlegging and and then later were involved in ranching and different things like that so it’s uh it’s a little different take on the mob in the United States that we usually get, but I like to do things that are a little bit different. So welcome, Linda Stasey. Historical fiction, how much of it is true? Is it from family stories? All the stories are true. I’ll ask you that here in a little bit. Okay, all the stories are true. All right. All the stories are true. [1:41] It’s based on not only stories that were told to me by my mother and her sisters and my uncles and so forth, But it’s also based on a lot of actual events that took place while they were living in Colorado. And it’s based on the fact that, you know, people don’t know this. We watch all these movies and we think everybody who settled the West talk like John Wayne. There were 30 different languages spoken right in the minds of Colorado. So my uncles rode the range and they were, drovers and they were Italian. I mean, they were first generation. They were born in Italy and they made their way with all these other guys who were speaking Greek and Mexican and you name it. It wasn’t a lot of people talking like, hey, how are you doing, partner? How are you doing, bard? Talking like I do. Right. [2:46] But it took a long time for you you can blame the movies for that and the dominant uh uh caucasian culture for that right and you know there was that what was the movie the the martin scorsese movie killers of the flower moon oh yeah all the uh native americans spoke like they were from like movie set in color and oklahoma so he was like what. [3:13] Yeah, well, it’s the movies, I guess. [3:25] Unlike any women that I would have thought would have been around at that time. They were rebellious, and they did what they wanted, and they had a terrible, mean father. And I also wanted to tell this story. That’s what I started out telling. But I ended up telling the story of the resilience of the immigrants who came to this country. For example, with the Italians and the Sicilians, there had been earthquakes and tsunamis and droughts. So Rockefeller sent these men that he called padrones to the poorest sections of Sicily, the most drought-affected section, looking for young bucks to come and work. And he promised them, he’d say, oh, the president of America wants to give you land, he wants to give you this. Well, they found themselves taken in the most horrific of conditions and brought to Ellis Island, where they were herded onto cattle cars and taken to the mines of Colorado, where they worked 20-hour days. They were paid in company script, so they couldn’t even buy anything. Their families followed them. They were told that their families were coming for free, and they were coming for free, but they weren’t. They had to pay for their passage, which could never be paid for because it was just company script. [4:55] And then in 1914, the United Mine Workers came in, and there were all these immigrants, Greeks and mostly Italians, and they struck, and Rockefeller fired everyone who struck. So the United Mine Workers set up a tent city in Ludlow. [5:14] And at night, Rockefeller would send his goons in who were—he actually paid the National Guard and a detective agency called Baldwin Feltz to come in. And they had a turret-mounted machine gun that they called the Death Squad Special, and they’d just start spraying. So the miners, the striking miners, built trenches under their tents for their women and children to hide. when the bullets started flying. And then at some point, Rockefeller said, you’re not being effective enough. They haven’t gone back to work. Do what you have to do. So these goons went in and they poured oil on top of the tents. And they set them on fire. [6:00] And they burnt dozens of women and children to death. They went in. The government claimed it was 21 people, but there was a female reporter who counted 60-something. and they were cutting the heads and the hands off of people, the children and women, so they couldn’t be identified. It all ended very badly and none of Rockefeller’s people or Rockefeller got in trouble. They went before Congress and Rockefeller basically said they had no right to strike. And that was that. So here are all these men and women now living wild in the mountains of Colorado, not speaking the language, not. Being literate, not able to read and write. [6:44] And living in shacks on mountains in the hurricane, I mean, in the blizzards and whatnot. And then it’s so odd. In 1916, Colorado declared prohibition, which was four years before the rest of the country. [7:00] So these guys said, well, we need to make booze. We need to make wine. What do you mean you can’t have booze and wine? So that’s how bootlegging started in Colorado. And that’s how the mafia began in the West. with these guys. [7:18] It’s kind of interesting. As I was looking down through your book, I did a story on the more modern mafia. This started during bootlegging times in Pueblo, and I noticed in your book, I refer to Pueblo, this was the Corvino brothers. So did you study that? Is that some of the background that you used to make, you know, use a story? You used real stories as well as, you know, the real stories from your family, real stories from history. Well, the Carlinos are my family. Oh, you’re related to the Carlinos. Well, what happened was I didn’t know that. And my cousin Karen came across this photo of the man who was her son. [7:59] Grandfather that she never met because he was killed in the longest gunfight in Colorado history when she was 10 days old. And he was Charlie Carlino. So she came across it and we met, we ended up meeting the family. Sam Carlino is my cousin and he owns like this big barbecue joint in san jose california and uh we’ve become very friendly so i i said i look i’m looking at this and i think wait a minute vito carlino is the father he has three sons and one daughter the youngest son charlie who was the the handsome man about town cowboy, they had a rival family called the dannas in bootlegging and charlie carlino and his bodyguard were riding across the baxter street bridge driving in one direction and the dannas were coming in the other direction and the dannas got out and and killed them and it’s exactly what I’m thinking to myself, Vito Corleone, three sons, Charlie gets killed on the bridge while the two cars are… I thought, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I mean. [9:26] It can’t be that coincidental, right? No. No, it can’t be. Even the bridge. Somebody was doing their research. [9:46] And had baby Charlotte, who was only 10 days old at the time. So all these stories are true, and it started other gunfights and so forth and so on. But I thought, holy shit. That’s my family. I had no idea. I mean, I knew my aunt was married to a guy whose name was Charlie Carlino, And I should show you the picture because he looks like the missing link from the village people. He’s got big fur chaps on and a cowboy hat. I mean, he’s got his holsters on and he’s got his long gun over his shoulder. It’s like, wow. Yeah, so that story is true. And my mom was a little girl when the Pueblo flood happened. And she always recalled the story to me about watching in horror as the cows and the horses and people were floating away, dead. [10:54] So now the name of your book is A Descendant, which is you, of course. And you kind of use the situations that you just described and the real life people in this book. So then how does this book progress and what other situation do you use? Well, I used many of the acts. I used the Ludlow massacre, the flood, the bootlegging, the prohibition. I also uncovered that the governor of Colorado said. [11:30] Assigned all these guys to become prohibition agents, but they were all KKK. Yeah. So they actually had license to kill the immigrants, just saying they had a still. They had a still. And they were wholesale killing people. So there’s that story. There’s the story of the congressional hearing of Rockefeller after that. And um the the book ends up with my mother um beating my father um who was not in colorado she met him at my aunt’s wedding and avoided him and avoided him and they finally got together and it ends up the book ends up at the start of world war ii and my father was drafted into the air Force, or the Army Air Corps, as it was called that time, and his was assigned to a bomber. He was a co-pilot or a bombardier or something, I forgot. And my grandfather on my father’s side said, well, wait a minute, where are you going to do this? And he said, well, we’re going to Italy. And he said, you’re going to bomb this? Your own country? And my father said, no, no, Bob, this is my country. [12:47] So the book comes full circle. Yeah, really. You know, I, uh, uh, sometimes I start my, I’ll do a program here for different groups or for the library once in a while. And I always like to start it with, you know, first of all, folks, remember, uh. [13:03] Italians came here after, you know, really horrible conditions in southern Italy and Sicily and they came here and they’re just looking for a little slice of American pie the American that’s all they want is a some of the American dream and you know they were taking advantage of they had they were they were darker they had a different language so they didn’t fit it they couldn’t like the Irish and the Germans were already here they had all the good jobs they had the businesses and so now the Italians they’re they’re kind of uh sucking high and tit as we used to say on the farm they’re they’re uh you know picking up the scraps as they can and form businesses. And so it sounds like, you know, and they also went into the, I know they went in the lead mines down here in South Missouri, because there’s a whole immigrant population, Sicilians in a small town called Frontenac. And it also sounds like they went out to the mines in Denver, Colorado. So it’s based on that diaspora, if you will, of people from Southern Italy. And they’re strapping, trying to get their piece of the American pie. Right. And I think that I also wanted very much to change the same old, same old narrative that we’ve all come to believe, that, you know, Italians came here, they went to New York, they killed everybody, they were ignorant slobs. And my family had a ranch! They were ranchers! They had herds of cattle! It’s like, that’s just been dismissed as though none of this existed because. [14:30] Yes, they were darker, because they had curly hair. [14:34] There’s a passage in my book that’s taken actually from the New York Times, where they say that Southern Italians are. [14:43] Greasy, kinky-haired criminals whose children should never be allowed in public schools with white children. Yeah. They used to print stuff like that. I’ve done some research in old newspapers, and not only about Italians, but a lot of other minorities, they print some [14:57] horrible, horrible, horrible things. Well, every minority goes through this, I guess. Everyone. I think so. Part of it’s a language problem. You hear people say, well, why don’t they learn our language? Well, what I say is, you know, ever try to learn a foreign language? It’s hard. It is really, really hard. I’ve tried. It is really hard. I got fired by my Spanish teacher. Exactly. You know how hard it is. I said, no, wait, I’m paying you. You can’t fire me. She said, you can’t learn. You just can’t learn. My grandkids love to say she got fired by her Spanish teacher. [15:36] But it’s such a barrier any kind of success you know not having the language is such a barrier to any kind of success into the you know american business community and that kind of a thing so it’s uh it’s tough for people and you got these people young guys who are bold and, they want they want to they end up having to feel like they have to take theirs they have to take it because ain’t nobody giving it up back in those days and so that sounds like your family they had to take however they took it they they had to take what they got how did that go down for them, start out with a small piece of land or and build up from there how did that go out well from what i understand um. [16:21] They first had a small plot, and then that they didn’t own. They just took it. And then as the bootlegging business got bigger, they started buying cattle and sheep. And they just started buying more and more land. But my grandfather was wanted because he killed some federal agent in the Ludlow Massacre. So he was wanted. So it was all in my grandmother’s name anyway. So she became, in my mind and in my book, she becomes the real head of the family. And my grandfather had a drinking problem, and she made the business successful and so forth. And then I do remember a story that my mother told me that—. [17:16] Al Capone came to the ranch at some point, and all the kids were like, who’s this man in the big car? There was other big cars. And then they moved to New York shortly after that, although they were allowed to keep the ranch with some of my aunts running it. I think there was a range war between the Dana family and the Carlinos and the Barberas, and they were told, get out of town, and they got out of town. And then they made a life in Brooklyn. And then my mom went back to Colorado and then came back to Brooklyn. [17:54] You think about how these immigrants, how in the hell, even the ones who come here now, how in the hell do you survive? I don’t know. Don’t speak the language. You don’t have the money. How do you survive? I don’t know. I truly don’t know. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t either. I couldn’t either. I don’t even want to go to another country where I don’t speak the language unless I can hire somebody to do stuff for me, you know, try to scuffle around and get a job, work off the books. You know, you got to work off the books, so to speak, and take the lowest, hardest jobs that they are, that there are. I don’t know. It’s crazy. I don’t really understand. Yeah. But, uh, so this, uh, it’s really interesting this, uh, the whole thing with the ranches and, and building up the ranches out there. I know we spoke, talk about Al Capone. Well, his brother, I think it was, it was not Ralph. There was another Capone brother. Which one? Well, another Capone brother who became, came a revenuer and I’ve seen some pictures of him and he looks like a cowboy with a hat and everything. He was in Nebraska or something. [19:02] It’s so funny. And I just, when I was growing up and I would tell people that my mom rode her donkey and then her horse to school, and they’d always say to me, but aren’t you Italian? [19:19] That’s Italian. Italian. Yeah, it’s interesting. Now, of course, your mom was, I noticed something in there about being in Los Animas in that area. Yes. Was there some family connection to that? And I say that because my wife’s grandfather lived there his whole life in Los Animas. Well, Los Animas County takes in Pueblo, I believe. Oh, okay. That’s the northern, that’s the far northern edge of Pueblo. The whole big area. I didn’t realize it was that close to Pueblo. I think my mom’s birth certificate actually says Los Animas County. Uh-huh. Something like that, yeah. Okay, all right. I didn’t realize Los Andemos was that close. I think. I might be wrong. Oh, it could be. It had those big counties out west, a great big county, so it would probably do. [20:10] So let’s see. Tell us a couple other stories out of that book that you remember. Well, there’s a story of my mother and her sister, Clara. Clara was a year what do they call Irish twins you know Italian twins she was like 14 months younger than my mom and um, When my mom had to start school, she was very close to my Aunt Clara, and they refused to go to school without each other. So my grandmother lied and said they were twins. And the teacher said, I don’t think they’re twins. This one’s much littler than the other, and I’m going to send the sheriff to that guinea father of yours and make sure. Well, unfortunately, the town hall burnt down with all the records that night. So they were never able to prove that Aunt Clara was a year younger. [21:14] Interesting. And also there’s a story of how they were in school when the flood hit. And my mother did have a pet wolf who was probably part wolf, part dog, but it was her pet named Blue. They got caught in the flood because they were bad and they had detention after school. And um had they left earlier they would have um so the dog came and dragged them was screaming and barking and making them leave and the teacher got scared because of the wolf and so they left and the wolf was taking them to higher and higher ground and had they stayed in that schoolhouse they would have been killed the teacher was killed everybody was washed away Wow. Yeah, those animals, they got more of a sense of what’s going on in nature than people do, that’s for sure. But she had always told me about her dog wolf named Blue. When they went back to New York City, did they fall in with any mob people back there? They go back to Red Hook. They had connections that were told, they were told, you know, you can, like Meyer Lansky and a couple of other people who would help them, um. [22:33] But my mom—so here’s an absolutely true story, and I think I have it as an epilogue in the book. So a few years ago, several years ago, my daughter had gotten a job in the summer during college as a slave on a movie set that was being filmed in Brooklyn. And she got the job because she, A, had a car, and B, she could speak Italian. And the actress was Italian. So every night she’d work till like 12 o’clock and I’d be panicked that she’d been kidnapped or something. So she’d drive her car home. But then every night she was coming home later and later and I said, what’s going on? She said, you know, I found this little restaurant and right now we’re in Red Hook where the, and it wasn’t called Red Hook. It was called, they have another fancy name for it now. [23:32] And she said and I just got to know the owner and he’s really nice and I told him that when I graduated from college if I had enough money could I rent one of the apartments upstairs and he said yes and she said we’ve got to take grandma there we’ve got to take grandma there she’ll love the place she’ll love the place and so my mother got sick and just came home from college, and she was laying in the bed with my mother, and she said, Grandma, you’re going to get better, and then we’re going to take you to this restaurant, [24:03] and I promise you, you’re going to love it. So my mother, thank God, did get better, and we took her to the restaurant. [24:12] The man comes over, and it’s a little tiny Italian restaurant, and the man comes over, and he says, Jessica, my favorite, let me make you my favorite Pennelli’s. And my mother said, do you make Pennelli’s? And he said, yes. She said, oh, when we first came to New York, the man who owned the restaurant made us Pennelli’s every day and would give it to us before we went to school. And he said, really, what was his name? And she said, Don, whatever. And he said, well, that’s my grandfather. She said, well, what do you mean? He said, well, this is, she said, where are we? And he said. [24:53] They called it Carroll Gardens. And he said, well, it’s Carroll Gardens. She said, well, I grew up in Red Hook. He said, well, it is Red Hook. She said, well, what’s the address here? And he said, 151 Carroll Street. And she said, my mother died in this building. [25:09] My daughter would have rented the apartment where her great-grandmother died. What’s the chances of that of the 50 million apartments in New York City? No, I don’t know. And the restaurant only seats like 30 people. So… My mother went and took a picture off the wall, and she said, this is my mother’s apartment. And there were like 30 people in the restaurants, a real rough and tumble place, and truck drivers and everything. And everybody started crying. The whole place is now crying. All these big long men are crying. Isn’t that some story? Full circle, man. That’s something. Yeah, that is. Especially in the city. It’s even more amazing in a city like New York City. I know. That huge. That frigging huge. That exact apartment. Oh, that is great. So that restaurant plays a big part in the book as well, in the family. Okay. All right. All right. Guys, the book is The Descendant, Yellowstone Meets the Godfather, huh? This is Linda Stasi. Did I pronounce that right, Stasi? Stacey, actually. This is Linda Stasi. And Linda, I didn’t really ask you about yourself. [26:17] Tell the guys a little bit about yourself before we stop here. Well, I am a journalist. I’ve been a columnist for New York Newsday, the New York Daily News, and the New York Post. I’ve written 10 books, three of which are novels. [26:34] And I’ve won several awards for journalism. And I teach a class for the Newswomen’s Club of New York to journalists on how to write novels, because it’s the totally opposite thing. It’s like teaching a dancer to sing, you know? It’s totally opposite. One of my mentors was Nelson DeMille, my dear late friend Nelson DeMille, and I called him up one night after I wrote my first novel, and I said, I think I made a terrible mistake. He said, what? I said, I think I gave the wrong name of the city or something. He said, oh, for God’s sakes, it’s fiction. You can write whatever you want. [27:17] But when you’re a journalist, if you make a mistake like that, you’re ruined. Yeah, exactly. So I have. We never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Go ahead. I’m sorry. I said I have a daughter and three grandsons. My daughter is the only female CEO of a games company. She was on the cover of Forbes. And my husband just died recently, and he was quite the character. He got a full-page obit in the New York Times. He’s such a typical, wonderful New York character. So I’m in this strange place right now where I’m mourning one thing and celebrating my book. On the other hand, it’s a very odd place to be. I can imagine. I can only imagine. Life goes on, as we say, back home. It just keeps going. All right. Linda Stacey, I really appreciate you coming on the show. Oh, thank you. I appreciate you talking to me. You’re so much an interesting guy. All right. Well, thank you.
This week on the pod, Jeremiah McCall returns to talk about the publication of his book, Designing History Games for Class. We also chat about his current educational designs, and about how he assigns game design projects to his students so that they learn more about history. https://gamingthepast.net/about/Register for Kathleen Mercury's course, Deep Dive by Doing: https://cmichpress.com/product/course-registration-for-deep-dive-by-doing/Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-arts-social-sciences/centers-institutes/center-for-learning-through-games-and-simulationsCheck out CMU's game offerings here: https://cmichpress.com/shop/All episodes of my podcast are available here: https://beyondsolitaire.buzzsprout.comEnjoy my work? Consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondsolitaire or getting me a "coffee" on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/beyondsolitaireContact Me: Email: beyondsolitaire at gmail.comTwitter: @beyondsolitaireInstagram: @beyondsolitaireFacebook: www.facebook.com/beyondsolitaireWebsite: www.beyondsolitaire.net
Ben, Sam, and Harry get into the storylines they're most excited about for F1 in 2026. They also break down the shakedown and react to your hottest takes for the season ahead... Want more Late Braking? Support the show on Patreon and get: Ad-free listening Full-length bonus episodes Power Rankings after every race Historical race reviews & more exclusive extras! Connect with Late Braking: You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok Come hang out with us and thousands of fellow F1 fans in our Discord server and get involved in lively everyday & race weekend chats! Get in touch any time at podcast@latebraking.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Richard Epstein of the Hoover Institution endorses Kevin Walsh for the Fed, arguing that while independent boards challenge executive power, long-standing institutions gain legal legitimacy through historical prescription.
It's gator time, folks! It seems like we should've already covered this topic, but, nope, this is our first ever episode on the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), and we've got two ringers to help: Daniel returns (our Field Guide host who moved to Florida last year) and he's joined by his mentor in all things swamp-related, Chip Campbell. Chip spent twenty years running Okefenokee Adventures, leading interpretive tours in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and his knowledge of alligator natural history and ecology runs deep.Thanks to our Patrons, this episode is also an on-the-road joint. The guys are deep in the Florida Everglades on a multi-day paddling trip, and they take a break at camp to talk with Chip about all things alligator — with a special focus on separating gator myths from reality.And, unfortunately for those of you crushing on Steve, this one's 100% Steve-free.This episode was recorded on Dec. 31, 2025 at Watson's Place campsite in Everglades National Park.Episode Notes and LinksAlligators, metabolism, and the “dog comparison”During the episode, Chip mentioned a study suggesting that several alligators could be maintained on roughly the same caloric intake as a single dog. We were not able to locate a study that makes that specific numerical comparison. However, the underlying idea is strongly supported by research on alligator physiology: American alligators have extremely low metabolic rates compared to warm-blooded mammals because they are ectothermic and do not spend energy maintaining body temperature. Classic physiological work shows that adult alligators can have daily energy expenditures that are only a small fraction of those of similarly sized mammals, making informal comparisons like this directionally accurate even if the exact ratio is anecdotal rather than experimental. Source: Coulson, R. A. (1989). Biochemistry and physiology of alligator metabolism in vivo. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 29(3), 921–934. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/29.3.921Freshwater “sipping” — the study behind the observation The behavior Chip describes is documented in a study by Nifong and Lowers, which examined how coastal alligators use estuarine habitats. The authors note that after heavy rainfall, a thin layer of freshwater can temporarily sit on top of saltier water, and alligators will take advantage of this by drinking from the surface. This helps them manage hydration and salt balance in brackish environments, despite lacking the salt-excreting glands found in crocodiles. Source: Nifong, J. C., & Lowers, R. H. (2017). Reciprocal intraguild predation between Alligator mississippiensis and elasmobranchs in the southeastern United States. Southeastern Naturalist, 16(3), 383–396.Alligator growth vs. ageChip addressed the myth that alligators continue to grow throughout their life. Echoing what he reported, research on American alligators shows that although hatchlings and juveniles grow rapidly, their rate of growth slows substantially as they get older, and studies indicate they reach near-maximum body size well before the end of their lives. Long-term data suggest many alligators stop adding significant length by roughly 25–35 years of age, and more recent work has revised the classic idea of indefinite growth toward a pattern of determinate growth with a growth plateau in adulthood. Human harvest of alligators in LouisianaAs Chip said, Louisiana supports the largest wild harvest program for the American alligator in the United States, with more than 2,000 licensed hunters routinely harvesting an estimated 30,000–35,000 wild alligators annually under a regulated tagging system. In contrast, other states such as Florida have had regulated harvest programs with substantially lower annual take.” Sources: Joanen et al. (2021), Evaluation of Effects of Harvest on Alligator Populations in Louisiana, Journal of Wildlife Management; Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Alligator Annual Report (2019–2020); Hines (SEAFWA) status report on Florida alligators.Fatal Alligator AttacksIn this episode, Chip discusses the history of fatal alligator-human conflicts, highlighting the 1973 Sharon Holmes incident as the first "fully confirmed" fatal attack in modern records. While the Holmes incident is often cited as the definitive first case, there was an earlier death that some consider to be the first modern fatality. Historical records show why Chip's reference to the Holmes case being the first “fully confirmed” case is accurate:Sharon Holmes (1973): On August 16, 1973, 16-year-old Sharon Holmes was killed while swimming at Oscar Scherer State Park. This is widely cited as the first fully confirmed fatality because of the absolute nature of the evidence: the attack was witnessed by bystanders, and a subsequent necropsy of the 11-foot 3-inch alligator found conclusive physical remains. This event marked a turning point in how state agencies, like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), tracked and verified alligator-related deaths.Allen Rice (1957): While most official FWC lists of fatal attacks begin in 1973, the 1957 death of 9-year-old Allen Rice in Eau Gallie is often mentioned as an earlier case. However, it is technically categorized as presumed. Rice went missing while fishing, and though his body was recovered with injuries consistent with an alligator and a large gator was seen nearby, there were no direct witnesses to the strike. Sponsors and Ways to Support UsGumleaf Boots, USA (free shipping for patrons)Thank you to Always Wandering Art (Website and Etsy Shop) for providing the artwork for this and many of our episodes.Support us on Patreon.Works CitedCoulson, R. A. (1989). Biochemistry and physiology of alligator metabolism in vivo. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 29(3), 921–934. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/29.3.921James C. Nifong & Russell H. Lowers (2017). Reciprocal Intraguild Predation between American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and Elasmobranchii in the Southeastern United States. Southeastern Naturalist 16(3): 383–396.Joanen et al. (2021), Evaluation of Effects of Harvest on Alligator Populations in Louisiana, Journal of Wildlife Management; Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Alligator Annual Report (2019–2020); Hines (SEAFWA) status report on Florida alligators.McIlhenny, E.A. (1935) The Alligator's Life History. Boston: The Christopher Publishing House.Photo CreditThanks again Always Wandering Art (Website and Etsy Shop) for the amazing gator painting!
This week Rod and Steve tell the story of a gang of robbers who cast a long shadow over Ashe County, North Carolina in the unsettled years after the Civil War. One by one they fell, until only Linville Eller remained. He, too, met his fate in 1890 after a massive manhunt. This is the story of the Eller Gang, led by brothers Linville and Henry Eller, the North Carolina high country's most notorious 19th-century outlaws, another one of the Stories of Appalachia. Thanks for listening.
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Follow Last Call on SpotifyFollow Last Call on Apple PodcastsJoin Jack Forehand and Matt Zeigler for the premiere episode of Last Call, a new monthly market wrap show where we go beyond the headlines to deliver actionable investment insights — and have a little fun along the way.Instead of focusing on index performance or short-term moves, we step back and connect the dots between macro instability, narrative shifts, options market signals, private credit risk, AI capital spending, and the changing nature of the Magnificent Seven.Featuring conversations with Brent Kochuba from SpotGamma, Ben Hunt from Perscient, Kai Wu from Sparkline Capital, and clips from our recent interviews with Liz Ann Sonders and Aswath Damodaran, the episode blends market structure, behavioral finance, valuation discipline, and long-term investing context to help investors understand what is really driving today's market environment — and how to think about it going forward.Main Topics:• Why this is not a traditional market recap and how Last Call is designed to be more useful for investors• Instability versus uncertainty — and why today's market feels different• Loss of trust in institutions, policy, and global systems and its impact on markets• What options market flows reveal about hidden market risks and sudden volatility• How private credit has reached bubble-like conditions and why narrative risk matters• The debate over retail and retirement account exposure to private credit• Why valuation discipline looks different when correlations rise across asset classes• Aswath Damodaran on trimming positions, raising cash, and the difficulty of finding uncorrelated assets• How the Magnificent Seven are changing from asset-light to asset-heavy businesses• AI capital expenditure, historical spending booms, and why infrastructure builders often underperform• Whether this AI cycle is truly different from railroads, telecom, and past technology boomsTimestamps00:00 — Intro and opening clips01:10 — What Last Call is and why this format exists04:30 — Instability versus uncertainty in today's market09:58 — Loss of trust, gold, and historical parallels13:18 — Brent Kochuba on options flows and hidden market stress25:17 — How options dislocations explain sudden market drops25:40 — Ben Hunt on private credit narrative risk28:00 — Why private credit exposure is everywhere32:32 — Retail access versus restrictions in private credit36:19 — What happens if the private credit bubble breaks39:28 — Aswath Damodaran on raising cash and trimming positions47:08 — The changing nature of the Magnificent Seven47:42 — Kai Wu on AI capex and asset-heavy tech50:48 — Why high capital spending often leads to underperformance56:01 — Historical parallels from railroads to the dot-com boom
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Corrosion rarely announces itself as a "big water problem." It shows up as leaching at the tap, residual loss in the field, premature equipment replacement, and the slow, expensive erosion of decision-quality. Pat Rosenstiel (CEO) and Wolf Merker (chemist/Chief Science Officer) of Great Water Tech lay out a system-wide view of corrosion control—starting with what changed in Flint from a technical standpoint and moving into why many utilities still struggle to meet expectations when standards and risk assumptions shift. System-wide corrosion control starts with chemistry and consequences A source-water change can shift corrosivity fast. If corrosion control does not adjust proactively, the downstream effects show in metal release and public exposure. Wolf stresses the distinction between the technical problem and the political challenges, then points to corrosion control as a solvable technical matter when it is treated as a system condition—not a single asset issue. Why "phosphate-only" isn't the end of the story Trace frames what most operators recognize: many municipalities use phosphate inhibitors to form a tenacious film and reduce corrosion. Wolf argues phosphates are "a little bit of old news" in practice and explains the approach Great Water Tech discusses with their German partners—using phosphates and silicates together in the right amounts to create a tighter separation between water and metal. Barriers, biology, and the disinfection tradeoff Wolf breaks corrosion drivers into three sources: chemical, biological, and electrochemical (dissimilar metal corrosion). He also ties corrosion to cascading operational decisions—especially disinfectant strategy. If residual loss pushes a system from chlorine to chloramine, Wolf warns that corrosivity can increase dramatically, and that corrosion can amplify the formation of disinfection byproducts as chlorine reacts with what is in the water. What industrial water treaters should listen for Pat connects the same barrier logic to industrial priorities—CapEx, OpEx, and lifecycle extension in closed systems (cooling towers, closed chilled loops, boilers). Wolf clarifies that closed systems require different product "flavors," while keeping the core concept consistent: the combined silicate/phosphate approach remains the best path he is aware of. Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 02:20 - Trace sets the tone for the episode: decision-quality improves when you "rethink the way that you think you know things," especially around tests and procedures 08:20 - Words of Water with James McDonald 11:00 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals 18:22 - Interview with Pat Rosenstiel, CEO of Great Water Tech & Wolf Merker, Chief Science Officer of Great Water Tech 23:00 - Flint technical breakdown 27:30 - Corrosion control options 32:20 - Scale vs. Corrosion 43:40 – Algae Control Pivot Connect with Pat Rosenstiel Website: Great Water Tech | Water Treatment Solutions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-rosenstiel-a148952/ Great Water Tech LLC: Overview | LinkedIn Connect with Wolf Merker Website: Great Water Tech | Water Treatment Solutions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolf-merker-a1b95284/ Great Water Tech LLC: Overview | LinkedIn Guest Resources Mentioned NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 — Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals: Health Effect NSF — Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals Certification (NSF/ANSI/CAN 60) (how certification works) ANSI Webstore listing (official standard access/purchase) EPA — Lead and Copper Rule (regulation hub) EPA — Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) (final rule page) EPA fact sheet — Tap Monitoring Requirements (LCRI) (sampling protocol changes) Great Water Tech Folmar (Great Water Tech) — corrosion inhibitor (phosphate + silicate blend) Algae Armor (Great Water Tech) — nutrient-binding tool for ponds/lakes EPA Distribution System Toolbox — Pigging fact sheet (PDF) (removing biofilm/scale/sediment from mains) U.S. Bureau of Reclamation report page (chlorine vs chloramine impacts incl. corrosion/leaching discussion) AWWA Opflow article (main cleaning techniques incl. pigging): AWWA's utility-facing perspective on cleaning options Silicate corrosion inhibitors Historical context for silicate–phosphate combinations Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water Technologies) AWT Technical Training (March 2026) Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea The Rising Tide Mastermind Ep 422 Inside the Association of Water Technologies with John Caloritis Hach Water Analysis Handbook Words of Water with James McDonald Today's definition is the smallest functional unit of a cooling tower that contains its own heat exchange section, fan or air-moving system, water distribution system, and drift eliminators. 2026 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.
Who's feeling the heat the most this F1 season? The LB boys give their top picks! They also get stuck into the 'mysterious' Barcelona shakedown, Audi's new junior programme, and round off with some Order Please... Want more Late Braking? Support the show on Patreon and get: Ad-free listening Full-length bonus episodes Power Rankings after every race Historical race reviews & more exclusive extras! Connect with Late Braking: You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok Come hang out with us and thousands of fellow F1 fans in our Discord server and get involved in lively everyday & race weekend chats! Get in touch any time at podcast@latebraking.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Equal-weighted index funds sound like an elegant solution to some of today's biggest investor anxieties: high market concentration, elevated valuations, and outsized influence from a handful of mega-cap stocks. In this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, Ben Felix, Dan Bortolotti, and Ben Wilson take a deep, evidence-based look at whether equal weighting actually improves portfolios—or simply introduces new risks under a different name. The discussion breaks down how equal-weighted indices differ fundamentally from traditional market-cap-weighted indexes, why equal weighting has historically outperformed in certain periods, and what's really driving those results beneath the surface. The team explains how equal weighting tilts portfolios toward smaller, cheaper, and more volatile stocks, while also systematically trading against momentum due to frequent rebalancing. Key Points From This Episode: (0:01:10) Introduction to Episode 394 and discussion about declining enthusiasm over long podcast runs. (0:02:00) PWL Capital's growing work with institutional clients and why index-based approaches are rare in that space. (0:05:12) Episode topic introduced: equal-weighted index funds and why listeners keep asking about them. (0:06:00) Definition of market-cap-weighted vs. equal-weighted indexes using the S&P 500 as the main example. (0:07:14) Historical outperformance of equal-weighted S&P 500 indexes and why start dates matter. (0:09:00) Equal weight vs. cap weight performance over the last decade: meaningful recent underperformance. (0:10:21) Market concentration concerns and why equal weighting appears attractive during periods of high valuations. (0:12:00) Why market-cap-weighted indexes do not mechanically buy more overvalued stocks as prices rise. (0:16:14) Trading costs explained: explicit vs. implicit costs and why turnover matters more than TER. (0:19:16) Capital gains, tax efficiency, and reporting differences between Canadian and U.S. funds. (0:21:07) Market concentration historically shows little relationship with future returns. (0:24:58) Volatility comparison: equal-weighted indexes are meaningfully more volatile due to small-cap exposure. (0:25:12) Equal weighting increases exposure to small-cap, value, and high-volatility stocks. (0:28:58) Sector distortions created by equal weighting and why this represents uncompensated risk. (0:31:21) Unintended consequences: sector bets, security-level overweights, and forced rebalancing. (0:32:30) Turnover is roughly 10× higher in equal-weighted funds than cap-weighted equivalents. (0:33:15) Equal weighting behaves as a systematic anti-momentum strategy. (0:34:02) Multi-factor regression results: positive size and value exposure, negative momentum loading. (0:36:33) Rebalancing frequency trade-offs and how quarterly rebalancing amplifies momentum drag. (0:42:21) Comparison with alternative approaches that target similar factor exposures more efficiently. (0:44:47) Why backtests are seductive—and why live fund results matter more. (0:47:40) Investor behavior, uncertainty, and the constant search for strategies that "fix" the market. (0:48:41) Factor investing in disguise: most deviations from cap-weighting are just factor tilts. (0:53:06) Equal weighting as an acceptable strategy—if investors understand and accept the trade-offs. (0:57:18) Listener feedback, enthusiasm jokes, and discussion about Spotify video uploads and audio speed. Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Dan Bortolotti — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Dan Bortolotti on LinkedIn — https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dan-bortolotti-8a482310 Ben Wilson on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wilson/ Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)
Don and Tom examine the long disciplinary history of former broker James Tuberosa and his attempt to reinvent himself as a registered investment advisor through a newly formed firm, highlighting how fiduciary language can be used to mask conflicts driven by insurance commissions. They walk listeners through the importance of reading Form ADV disclosures and explain how regulatory gaps allow questionable practices to continue. The episode reinforces the principle of “buyer beware” before shifting to listener questions on saving for major expenses, evaluating high-fee annuities for elderly retirees, Roth IRA investing for young adults, and the advantages modern investors enjoy from lower costs and better diversification. The show closes with reflections on financial literacy, generational investing improvements, and a preview of RetireMeet 2026. 0:05 Opening and setup: broker misconduct story 0:10 James Tuberosa's career and long record of complaints 1:14 FINRA expulsion and failed expungement lawsuit 2:42 How complaints get quietly “settled” 3:51 Shift from broker to RIA status 4:49 Skyview Pinnacle and the “clean” front 5:48 Using fiduciary language as marketing cover 7:17 Why insurance escapes SEC oversight 8:22 Conflicts disclosed in ADV 9:19 Why disclosures matter 10:47 Warning signs: promises and product pitching 12:01 Weakness of fiduciary protection 13:08 Ethical failures at large firms 14:38 Fiduciary vs. commission contradiction 15:36 Why reading ADVs protects investors 16:17 Transition to listener questions 17:16 Sinking funds: investing vs. saving 18:40 Planning for major home repairs 19:36 Elderly couple and complex annuity 21:01 Risks of high-fee variable annuities 22:36 Best Roth IRA investment for young adults 23:24 Advantages for today's investors 24:58 Lower costs and better diversification today 26:38 Historical perspective on investing access 28:10 Listener engagement and contact info Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Welcome to Paranormal Spectrum, where we illuminate the enigmatic corners of the supernatural world. I'm your host, Barnaby Jones, and today we have a very special guest joining us:Paula Dytko is a historian, educator, and owner of P3- Paula's Paranormal Project — blending her passion for history with the mysteries of the unexplained. A Miami University history major, paranormal travel agent, and event planner, she leads ghost hunts, historical tours, and immersive experiences across the country. Paula combines storytelling, research, and science-based investigation to bring haunted history to life and connect audiences with the past in unforgettable ways.Paula's Paranormal Project P3 Websitehttps://www.p3paranormal.com/P3 Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/PaulasParaProject/New Orleans Paraconhttps://www.neworleansparacon.com/Click that play button, and let's unravel the mysteries of the UNTOLD! Remember to like, share, and subscribe to our channel to stay updated on all the latest discoveries and adventures. See you there!Join Barnaby Jones on the Paranormal Spectrum every Thursday on the Untold Radio Network Live at 12pm Central – 10am Pacific and 1pm Eastern. Come and Join the live discussion next week. Please subscribe.We have twelve different Professional Podcasts on all the things you like. New favorite shows drop each day only on the UNTOLD RADIO NETWORK.To find out more about Barnaby Jones and his team, (Cryptids, Anomalies, and the Paranormal Society) visit their website www.WisconsinCAPS.comMake sure you share and Subscribe to the CAPS YouTube Channel as wellhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs7ifB9Ur7x2C3VqTzVmjNQ
Who's feeling the heat the most this F1 season? The LB boys give their top picks! They also get stuck into the 'mysterious' Barcelona shakedown, Audi's new junior programme, and round off with some Order Please... Want more Late Braking? Support the show on Patreon and get: Ad-free listening Full-length bonus episodes Power Rankings after every race Historical race reviews & more exclusive extras! Connect with Late Braking: You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok Come hang out with us and thousands of fellow F1 fans in our Discord server and get involved in lively everyday & race weekend chats! Get in touch any time at podcast@latebraking.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As part of GHS's ongoing commemoration of the US250, Stan's guest this week is author and historian Edward J. Larson, discussing his new book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters (WW Norton, 2026). At the beginning of 1776, virtually no one in the American colonies advocated for independence: Americans based their grievances against Parliament on their ...Continue Reading »
The global economy is shifting into a "run-it-hot" inflationary growth phase driven by political incentives, energy demand, and the need to manage unsustainable debt and here is how to profit on it. The U.S. is deliberately favoring high growth and persistent inflation to inflate away debt and support asset prices ahead of midterms, even as official data and climate narratives are treated with skepticism. Today we talk about how governments historically deal with excess debt, why inflation plus growth is the most politically viable path, and how this environment favors commodities, real assets, and cyclicals over overvalued big tech. Markets are rotating, not simply "risk-on/risk-off," so you should be wary against blindly sticking with what worked in the past. Stay flexible as policy volatility, geopolitical shifts, and changing economic forces reshape the investment landscape. We discuss... Energy policy is rapidly shifting in favor of expansion as tech-driven demand makes energy security a political priority, sidelining prior climate and regulatory concerns. The "run-it-hot economy" framework argues the U.S. is intentionally pursuing high growth alongside persistent inflation to manage excessive sovereign debt and support asset prices. With midterms approaching, political incentives favor policies that keep markets strong, reduce visible costs like energy and housing, and maintain public confidence rather than fiscal austerity. Inflation and growth together are framed as the most realistic way for governments to inflate away debt without triggering default or severe political backlash. Historical economic regimes are outlined to show how different inflation and growth combinations favor different asset classes. The current environment resembles an inflationary boom, which historically benefits commodities, real assets, and stores of value. Big tech and innovation-led assets are seen as potential underperformers in an inflationary, rotational market after years of dominance. Market leadership is narrowing and rotating, with small caps, mid caps, and non-U.S. markets showing stronger early-year performance. The S&P 500's heavy concentration in a small number of tech stocks increases risk as leadership weakens. Investors are cautioned against blindly rebalancing or clinging to past winners without reassessing changing tailwinds and headwinds. Fraud reduction and spending audits may improve trust and optics but are unlikely to materially fix long-term debt problems. Energy's small weight in major indexes is highlighted as a potential mispricing given its economic importance. Seasonal market patterns suggest near-term volatility is likely even within a broader bullish rotation. Investors must adapt portfolios to evolving macro regimes rather than assume past strategies will continue to work. Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Douglas Heagren | Mergent College Advisors Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/how-to-profit-785
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Did you know that the story of William Wallace of BRAVEHEART fame is grossly inaccurate? Check out this daily dose of whatever and let the sibs know if you can think of any historical movie ladies. 818-835-0473 orwhatevermovies@gmail.com www.orwhatevermovies.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chad jumps into two topics to open the hour: we discuss MASH and the great TV comedies with Alan Alda celebrating his 90th birthday today, and historical TV moments we remember most clearly with the explosion of Challenger occurring 40 years ago today.
Segment 1 • Lots of us in the south cancelled gathering last Sunday due to inclement weather - and there are spiritual consequences to skipping church. • Church isn't something we do just to do - it's a weekly realignment of our lives. • Even when gathering is hard, faithful churches find creative ways to feed their flocks. Segment 2 • Kevin DeYoung models how to preach a one-off sermon with clarity, structure, and gospel power. • Biblical preaching must consider the genre of the text. Historical narrative, poetry, wisdom, and gospels don't all preach the exact same. • The aim in good preaching isn't just increasing knowledge, but to draw sinners to Christ as we learn more about him and are conformed to His image. Segment 3 • Disturbing church protests raise questions for parents: what if your child is trapped in the chaos? • Churches must prepare now — when agitators disrupt worship, there won't be time to get ready. • Comparing violent protests to Jesus cleansing the temple is biblical malpractice. Segment 4 • Churches are absorbing secular values — “Flamy Grant” drag shows prove it's more than a trend. • Postmodern self-expression is replacing reverence for biblical truth in pulpits and pews. • As persecution rises globally, now's the time to clarify our mission: be holy, not popular. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!
From Halloween candy that could be secretly toxic ☠️
As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from January 27, including the Chicago Bears winning Super Bowl 20Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/shaw-local-s-bears-insider-podcast--3098936/support.
Neoborn Caveman unpacks a pro-humanity critique of agency loss and non-consensual testing, exposing the 2016 21st Century Cures Act's Section 3024 allowing waiver of informed consent for minimal risk clinical investigations, ties it to MK Ultra experiments and DARPA tech like nanobots or neuralinks, warns of hidden implications in COVID vaccines and digital IDs enabling mass surveillance and control, questions government ethics in bypassing human rights for profit, and urges awareness to counteract manufactured consent through unity and truth.Music guests: pMadKey TakeawaysInformed consent waivers erode human rights.Minimal risk criteria enable unethical experiments.Government acts prioritize profit over safety.Historical abuses like MK Ultra persist today.Vaccines and tech risk non-consensual alterations.Digital IDs facilitate total control.Awareness counters manufactured narratives.Unity protects against elite agendas.Truth demands questioning authority.Humanity requires vigilance for freedom.Sound Bites"Chronical testing of investigational medical devices and drugs no longer requires the informed concern to subjects if the testing poses no more than minimal risk for the subject and includes safeguards.""In 2016, President Obama instituted the 21st Century Cures Act and it was sold for American citizens as a way of fight an opioid epidemic crisis.""It is legal to experiment on American citizens without their consent as long it does not exceed minimal risk criteria.""This provision modifies the investigational drug and device statutory authorities to allow for waver or alteration of informed concern""Prior to the Act HHS Human Subject Regulations permitted an IRB to waive or alter informed concern for certain low-risk research while a federal food drug and Cosmetic Act, FDCA did not contain a similar provision.""it is already happening so how can you stop it? Well evil only is afraid of darkness is scared scared of what?""talk about it. Think about it. Question it. Could be? Should it be? How would we?""when you feel this never ends is it your feeling or is it a generated manufactured feeling"Join the tea house at patreon.com/theneoborncavemanshow—free to enter, real talk, lives, no ads, no algorithms.keywords: 21st century cures act, section 3024, informed consent waiver, non-consensual testing, mk ultra, darpa experiments, covid vaccines, digital ids, agency loss, human rightsHumanity centered satirical takes on the world & news + music - with a marble mouthed host.Free speech marinated in comedy.Supporting Purple Rabbits.Viva los Conejos Morados. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, I talk with Daniel Bourke, author of Telepathic Tales: Precognition and Clairvoyance in Legend, Lyric, and Lore, about the deep and often overlooked thread of extrasensory perception that runs through human history. Our conversation moves across cultures, myths, and lived experience, revealing how telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance aren't fringe anomalies but recurring features of the human story. From ancient legends and Indigenous traditions to poets, mystics, and modern thinkers, we explore why these experiences are woven into the fabric of reality in an almost archetypal way..We dive into the phenomenon of crisis apparitions and how moments of shock, danger, or emotional intensity can open unexpected channels of perception. Daniel shares insight into how we may be connected as inherently telepathic beings, linked not just psychologically but through an unseen relational field that extends beyond the body. We talk about how ESP shows up in every major religion, often reframed as prophecy, revelation, divine guidance, or mystical knowing, and why these experiences were once honored rather than dismissed.Our discussion also moves into dreaming and the future-facing nature of consciousness. We explore why people so often dream events before they happen, how many cultures understood dreams as a form of guidance or intelligence, and the idea that each of us may have a companion spirit or extended version of ourselves operating in an outer field of awareness. Daniel explains how Indigenous cultures used sophisticated dream practices to make communal decisions, navigate danger, and stay aligned with the living world. We also talk about how DMT, when released during sleep, might be the catalyst for inter dimensional communication.Throughout the conversation, we return again and again to the idea that telepathic and psychic experiences are not rare at all, but quietly woven into everyday life, myth, memory, and intuition. An incredible episode! Drop In! Daniel Bourke Bio:Daniel Bourke is an author, poet, and songwriter. He has a background in the natural sciences, the arts, and the video game industry. He has previously been published in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, New Dawn Magazine, and the journal Darklore and is the author of Apparitions at the Moment of Death. He lives in Dublin, Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:01 – Cold open, weather check-in, community roll call, and show setup 05:30 – Griffin's absence, early banter, and server chatter 10:45 – Veil raid story, resource losses, and “for the kids” war humor 16:30 – Early arc framing and what tonight's wrap-up will (and won't) cover 22:00 – Snowstorm stories, real-life chaos, and delayed show context 28:30 – Official transition into arc wrap-up discussion 00:34:15 – Challenge Track overview and first impressions 00:40:10 – Critiques of Challenge Track perfection requirements 00:46:00 – Historical comparisons: Silence, Freebooters, Zindi, and Separatists 00:52:30 – Difficulty expectations vs modern player tolerance 01:00:45 – Officer performance discussion and shard value 01:10:20 – Ship utility talk, Excelsior expectations vs reality 01:20:10 – Event pacing, timers, and missed-day penalties 01:30:00 – Monetization discussion and “battle pass fatigue” debate 01:40:30 – Community feedback trends and survey planning 01:50:15 – Arc highlights: what worked and what didn't 02:00:30 – Server disparity, ops scaling, and accessibility concerns 02:10:45 – Lessons learned from the arc and Scopely design signals 02:22:30 – Forward-looking speculation and upcoming system hints 02:35:00 – Final thoughts, community appreciation, and show close-out
Don and Tom tackle fears about U.S. national debt by breaking down who actually owns it (mostly Americans), why “China owns us” is wildly overstated, and why rising interest costs matter more than sensational headlines. They explain why government debt isn't a looming foreclosure scenario, how interest payments circulate back to investors, and why politics often distorts financial decision-making. The show also covers 60/40 portfolio resilience, the real role of bonds, listener questions on AVGE and DFAW, investing simplicity, and a nostalgic detour into Spam keys and Mad Men—ending with encouragement for disciplined, long-term investing. 0:05 National debt fears and the “Mr. Potter foreclosing America” analogy 0:27 Holiday movies, Home Alone sequels, and It's a Wonderful Life 1:13 Who really owns U.S. debt and why it matters 2:50 Japan, UK, and China holdings explained 4:02 Why foreign selling wouldn't crash the economy 5:13 Most U.S. debt is owned domestically 5:31 Interest payments now exceeding military spending 6:18 What debt interest really costs households 7:19 Why investors shouldn't panic over government debt 8:15 Politics vs. rational investing decisions 9:55 Debt, taxes, and what society is willing to give up 11:28 Historical tax rates and Mad Men economics 12:37 Military spending and post-WWII budgets 13:22 60/40 portfolios and market downturn protection 14:43 Worst historical declines for balanced portfolios 16:37 Long-term resilience of diversified investing 17:51 Bonds: income vs. volatility control 19:08 Spam keys, Hormel, and changing industries 20:52 AVGE, DFAW, and Apella portfolio structure 22:29 Simplicity vs. complexity in investing 23:47 Podcast longevity and download estimates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the 1930s, the United States quietly expelled over a million people during the Great Depression - and more than half of them were American citizens. This episode explores how fear, economics, and bureaucracy combined to erase a chapter of history that sounds impossible but is tragically real. Then we chat with Natalie Keller Pariano of Natterdoodle! Did you know The Internet Says It's True is now a book? Get it here: https://amzn.to/4miqLNy Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals
The LB boys react to a jam-packed week of car launches from the Big Three: Ferrari, Mercedes… and Alpine! They also discuss why Williams are sitting out the first F1 test, before wrapping up with a classic Back and Forth. Want more Late Braking? Support the show on Patreon and get: Ad-free listening Full-length bonus episodes Power Rankings after every race Historical race reviews & more exclusive extras! Connect with Late Braking: You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok Come hang out with us and thousands of fellow F1 fans in our Discord server and get involved in lively everyday & race weekend chats! Get in touch any time at podcast@latebraking.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A fight broke out during a travel baseball tournament resulting in three arrests and two injuries, one involving a baseball umpire and his dad. We talked about if we are seeing this more lately at our kid's games. A listener calls in to share her story of an accident she was in 5 years ago that caused her a lot of grief. Lunchbox takes notes on how he can use her story to get him money in his situation. Raymundo plays us a famous quote from history and we have to name who said it!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.