Podcasts about Holiday Inn Express

Thanks for finding our podcast! We are a family of 5 who does most of our travel using credit card points and miles and we share how we leverage credit card offers to earn a ton of points/miles so we can afford travel as a larger family.Follow us on Instagram @TravelPartyof5The towering sequoias of Mariposa Grove, the refreshing mist from Bridal Veil Falls, and the unexpected joy of watching our typically reserved 11-year-old exclaim "This is amazing!" – our family adventure to Yosemite National Park delivered all this and more.Our road trip strategy began with renting a hybrid minivan for the 2,000-mile journey, earning American Airlines miles while saving our personal vehicle from mountain roads and inevitable snack debris. After an overnight at the Holiday Inn Express in Oakhurst (booked with an IHG free night certificate), we kicked off our Yosemite exploration with the Valley Floor Tour – a perfect introduction that provided fascinating insights into the park's history and ecology, including how indigenous fire management practices were disrupted by European settlers.For families considering Yosemite with young children, we discovered some perfect trails: Lower Yosemite Falls offers an easy walk with spectacular views, while Bridal Veil Falls rewards visitors with cooling mist after a short hike. The more ambitious Mariposa Grove trail showcased magnificent giant sequoias but required multiple breaks to manage the heat and terrain with our little ones. One unexpected highlight? Encountering a rattlesnake – though we had hoped for bears and deer during our visit!Accommodation was a crucial part of our experience. Rush Creek Lodge, located just minutes from the west entrance (though still a 45-minute drive to the valley floor), proved worth every penny of its $538 nightly rate. The resort offered heated pools, zip lines, game rooms, nightly s'mores, and endless activities that kept our kids entertained from sunrise to sunset. Even without televisions in the rooms, we connected as a family through board games and outdoor adventures.Our biggest tips? Map your route carefully to minimize backtracking on winding mountain roads, prepare for motion sickness with Dramamine (administered a full hour before departure), and check multiple weather sources before packing – we brought cold-weather gear for forecasted 60-degree days but encountered 90-degree heat instead!Looking to create your own Yosemite memories? Follow us on Instagram @TravelParty5 for photos, videos, and more insights from our adventure. And tune in next week when we continue our journey with our Lake Tahoe experiences!

Dylan Bringuel remembers the exact moment they got hired by the Holiday Inn Express in Jamestown, New York. It was late August 2022, and Bringuel—who uses they/them pronouns—had recently moved across the country and was struggling to find work. Bringuel is transgender and was upfront about their gender identity during the job interview. “ I was like, ‘Just so you're aware, I am transitioning from female to male,'” they remember saying. “And they said, ‘Okay, we respect that. We'll do our best to make sure you fit and you're comfortable here.'”That wasn't the case. Bringuel said that the first day on the job, the housekeeping manager called them an “it” and a “transformer” and said people like Bringuel are “what is wrong with society.”Bringuel reported the harassment to hotel management. Within a day, they were fired. In 2024, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stepped in to help Bringuel sue the hotel for workplace discrimination.But earlier this year, something unusual happened. The EEOC dropped Bringuel's case, not because their allegations lacked merit, but because of President Donald Trump's executive order on “radical gender ideology.” This week on Reveal, Mother Jones national politics reporter Abby Vesoulis walks through how the anti-DEI movement evolved from a niche legal fight to an all-out culture war—and what that means for the EEOC and the marginalized people it has historically protected. Support Reveal's journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/weekly Connect with us onBluesky, Facebook and Instagram Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On today's episode of Have Kids They Said, hosts Rich and Nicole serve up a whirlwind of parenting chaos, personal confessions, and hilarious hot takes. From deep dives into the mental health of both moms and dads, to Nicole dropping a juicy secret, the duo covers everything from animal appendages to elite continental breakfasts at Holiday Inn Express. Rich vents about the bureaucratic madness of 5U All Stars while Nicole shares the mental overload that comes with raising kids in the heart of NYC. And yes, there's even a battle over Parker's clothes brewing between Nicole and Matt.The conversation spirals delightfully through gullible childhood moments, why teens today don't care about driver's licenses, Gen X grievances, and how getting a specialist doctor appointment feels harder than winning the lottery. Plus, Emmy gets one of Rich's classic pep talks, Nicole revisits her OBGYN adventures, and they both remind us why a follow-up message can make or break your hang. Tune in, laugh with (and at) them, and don't forget to subscribe for more real talk, relatable chaos, and parenting truths. Follow Have Kids They Said now for your weekly dose of laughs, rants, and real-life parenting drama. #ParentingPodcast #MentalHealthMatters #NYCParentLife #GenXParenting #MomLife #DadLife #FunnyPodcast #ParentingUnfiltered Have Kids, They Said... is a SiriusXM Network Podcast made by Nicole Ryan and Rich Davis.If you'd like to send us a message or ask a question email us at HKTSpod@gmail.comFollow on social media:Instagram @havekidstheysaidpodNicole @mashupnicoleRich @richdavisand @siriusxm

This week's episode is a little different—and a lot of fun. Jess, Pam, and Alex are joined by Traci for a special game of Would You Rather!? – Points Talk Edition. Traci challenges the squad with a lineup of delightfully diabolical travel questions designed to reveal where they really stand when it comes to their points and airline preferences, personal travel quirks, and loyalty trade-offs. From Business Class Woes to Economy Wins The episode kicks off with a tough one: would you rather have a lie-flat seat in business class next to an annoying stranger, or an entire economy row to yourself? At least one of the squad's answers will probably surprise you! Individual Perks vs. Points Value: Globalist or the Award Chart? Next, Traci challenges the group with Hyatt's ultimate tradeoff: would you rather have lifetime Globalist status or a guaranteed fixed award chart for 20 years? Is there dissent or do Alex, Jess, and Pam all come down on the same side on this one? Real-Life Dilemmas and Points Preferences From there, the questions get personal: Learn about Alex's secret grocery-store card confession. Would Jess rather stay at a Park Hyatt in a city she doesn't like (Venice) or a Holiday Inn Express in a city she loves (Tokyo)?  Would Alex rather have her beloved Southwest® Companion Pass or 600,000 Hyatt points?  Would Pam choose only domestic luxury travel or international budget travel if she could only choose one?  Tough Transfers & Redemption Realities The squad also weighs in on (and disagrees about) transferring highly valued points with or without bonuses. Nice Problems to Have They also daydream about future loyalty-program changes they'd love to see, like new Citi cards, United partnering with a second bank, and Capital One adding Alaska as a partner. (A girl can dream!)   The Great Collectibles Debate: Ducks or Houses? The episode ends on a light note, with the squad picking which flight souvenirs they'd rather have (rubber ducks or Delft houses) and which ones they'd be more likely to try to get permission to pinch.  This episode is full of laughs, strong opinions, and lots of travel daydreaming. Hit play now and see which “would you rather” choices you agree with—and which ones you totally wouldn't!

This week on Myopia Movies we learn why I only take bubble baths, we start our Alfred Hitchcock Month with Psycho! The reason I only stay at Holiday Inn Express. How will Psycho hold up? Host: Nic Panel: Alex, Matthew, Keiko   Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, and Janet Leigh

This week on Myopia Movies we learn why I only take bubble baths, we start our Alfred Hitchcock Month with Psycho! The reason I only stay at Holiday Inn Express. How will Psycho hold up? Host: Nic Panel: Alex, Matthew, Keiko   Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, and Janet Leigh

We're talking holistic health and healing on this week's Sustainability Now! Your host, Justin Mog, is excited to reconnect with a dear old friend, Emily Kicklighter, who will share her story of radical remission - healing from stage 4 breast cancer without chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery! Her life-changing experience of healing led Emily to become a Health Coach, Speaker, and Writer, founding The Whole Elephant Coaching. Learn more at https://emilykicklighter.org or connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570497657706 Emily is offering numerous opportunities this year to learn more and build community through Radical Remissions Workshops in the Louisville area: Free Intro to Radical Remission Workshops @ the Louisville public libraries (no registration needed) 6-7PM @ The Louisville Free Public Library, includes 1 hr multimodal presentation of Radical Remission Content * Iroquois Branch, 601 West Woodlawn Ave, Feb 4th * Western Branch, 604 South Tenth St, Feb 6th * Main Branch, 301 York St, Feb 12th * Jeffersontown Branch, 10635 Watterson Trail, Feb 18th * Northeast Branch, 15 Bellevoir Circle, Feb 20th 5-Week, Weekly Series Radical Remission Workshop Intensive @ Valaterra  Includes: * 10 hours of the Radical Remission Multimodal Content presented by Emily (devised by Dr. Kelly Turner, author of Radical Remission and Radical Hope)  * 5 hour-long wellness offerings such as accessible yoga, meditation, sound bath, qi gong * 5 Farm-to-table dinners with both plant-based and keto options Thursdays, 4-8pm, March 6-April 3rd Wednesdays, 4-8pm, May 7-June 4th Thursdays, 4-8pm, Sept 4-Oct 2nd Mondays, 4-8pm, December 1-29th Radical Remission Weekend Workshop Intensive @ Valaterra Includes: * 10 hours of the Radical Remission MultimodalContent presented by Emily (devised by Dr. Kelly Turner, author of Radical Remission and Radical Hope)  * 3 hour-long wellness offerings such as accessible yoga, meditation, sound bath, qi gong * 6 Farm-to-table meals with both plant-based and keto options (dinner Fri & Sat, breakfast and lunch Sat & Sun) * Special Presentations from thought-leaders and healers in the cancer community * Discounted accommodations under Group Reservation Code: EG4 @ the Holiday Inn Express, La Grange * Shuttle from Holiday Inn Express, La Grange to/from Valaterra Friday @ 4pm-Sunday @ 3pm April 25-27th June 13-15th August 29-31st November 7-9th Learn more and register at https://www.emilykicklighter.org/radical-remission-workshops.html As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com

C'est une petite révolution qui va toucher le soir de nombreux professionnels qui couchent à l'hôtel et ne rêvent que d'une chose : une série ou un film sur leur service de streaming préféré.Les nouveaux téléviseurs LG destinés aux hôtels vont en effet prendre en charge à la fois les systèmes AirPlay et Google Cast.C'est une première dans ce domaine, et surtout, une vraie révolution pour les voyageurs qui veulent retrouver leurs contenus préférés sans galérer avec la télécommande de leur chambre d'hôtel.Sans passer par une clé HDMIJusqu'ici, certains téléviseurs d'hôtel permettaient d'utiliser AirPlay ou Google Cast. Mais rarement les deux sans devoir passer par une clé HDMI.LG change donc la donne en intégrant nativement ces deux technologies.Concrètement, cela signifie que que vous ayez un iPhone, un iPad ou un appareil Android, vous pourrez diffuser vos vidéos, votre musique ou même partager des photos directement sur l'écran du téléviseur de votre chambre.Où trouver ces téléviseurs ?LG ne donne pas encore de liste détaillée des hôtels équipés de cette nouvelle technologie.Mais on sait qu'environ 60 établissements du groupe InterContinental Hotel, dont certains Holiday Inn et Holiday Inn Express, proposent déjà AirPlay.Il y a donc de fortes chances que ces mêmes hôtels soient aussi compatibles avec Google Cast.Tout est automatiquement effacé lors du check out de la chambrePour utiliser Google Cast, il suffira de scanner un QR code affiché sur le téléviseur. Chaque code est unique et ne fonctionne que pour la chambre où vous séjournez.Une fois connecté, plus besoin de saisir vos identifiants pour Netflix ou YouTube, tout passe directement depuis votre smartphone.Et bonne nouvelle : à la fin de votre séjour, tout est automatiquement effacé lors du check out de la chambre, garantissant votre confidentialité.Le ZD Tech est sur toutes les plateformes de podcast ! Abonnez-vous !Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

The Best of Plans Went Awry for Saturday's Travel and Cruise Industry Podcast, January 18, 2025. We encountered several obstacles today on our travels from Southampton, UK to Winchester, UK. We are checked in to an accessible room in the "old" Holiday Inn Express in Winchester. We planned to spend one day in Winchester and the Cathedral, one day at Stonehenge, and one day in Salisbury with another cathedral. Let's see how the recovery from today goes, and my almost 3 hours in the bitter cold. CLICK here for video feed #saturdaytravelandcruiseindustrypodcast #travelandcruiseindustrynews #podcast #cruisenews #travelnews #cruise #travel #chilliescruises #chilliefalls #whill_us Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dexter White returns for another weekly chat about all things Elon Musk, Immigration, and why culture matters more than efficiency.  Show Notes: Musk's New Year's Day Tweet about Keir Starmer

Topics discussed on today's show: Rodney at the Holiday Inn Express, TB Chicken Nugs, National Film Registry, Bluey Movie, Pig Kidney, Cannibals, Nissonda, Junk Fees, Walmart Cameras, Starbucks Workers, White House Guests, Birthdays, History Quiz, Christmas Traditions To Get Rid Of, New Traditions, 20 in 24, Holiday Office Parties, Good Deed Backfired, Are you on the Naughty List?, Deep Cut Face Off, and Apologies.

Scott Quigley is a hospitality professional with 20+ years experience in hotel operations, sales, revenue and specializes in brand management, strategy and design. He has been part of the transformation of iconic brands including the re-launch of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental Hotels, and lead guest experience and innovation for Choice Hotels' upscale brands.

Kelli and Sarah discuss Season 5, Episode 6 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht. Topics include: Gary's regret, a hot tub question, charter ‘o dentists, Daisy scolding Gary, hungover Cloyce, caesar salad, Emma's alternate reality, a secret spilled, hot mics and an airport hotel breakfast. In Hot Tub Convo we discuss Danni and Glenn's WWHL appearance and Sarah's dock walk with Culver. Time to start coming out on the genoa - a new episode of Above Deck is out now!  Follow us on Instagram: @abovedeckpod  Get in touch: abovedeckpod@gmail.com  Get ya some Above Deck merch! https://shop.hurrdatmedia.com/collections/above-deck  Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you- all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/AboveDeck and enjoy a special discount on your first month. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureGermany is entering a depression, orders are down, it's starting to look like 2009. Berkshire Hathaway is piling into cash, why, the market is going up. Trump is going to turn the economy upside down, the [CB] is panicking because they know what is coming. The [DS] is now preparing their counter attack against the patriots. They needed to reset the election after 2020. They needed to show the public that the election system works and we have no problems. The [DS] is now making their first move to try to stop Trump, this will not work. Trump is creating an elite force for DC. They will bring the corrupt to their knees, checkmate.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1855904340021571729 https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1855685090400972965   faster pace than in the mid-2000's. Back then, this percentage reached 24.5% in Q2 2005 and remained elevated until 2008. Berkshire Hathaway also decided to HALT stock buybacks for the first time since 2018. Does Warren Buffett believe the market is too expensive? https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1855719797612253198   shrunk by ~$500 and ~$100 billion, respectively. Overall, total foreign holdings as a share of outstanding federal debt have dropped from 35% to 24%, near the lowest level in 18 years. This is the consequence of rapidly rising public debt with the supply of Treasuries rising ~$15 trillion over the last decade. Foreign demand for Treasuries cannot keep up with skyrocketing US debt. https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1855976535947137439   time you swipe Common sense is back Let's get people out of debt, eliminate hidden taxes, and make america wealthy again https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1855834930447626453   Political/Rights https://twitter.com/kevinnbass/status/1855827870637019223 https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1855710820220674337 https://twitter.com/Craptocracy/status/1855716513745190914 Annual Net Cost: The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has estimated that illegal immigration costs American taxpayers approximately $150.7 billion annually. This figure was cited for 2022, suggesting that if this level of spending continued, the cost over the three years from 2022 to 2024 would be around over $450 billion.   https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/1855819457761063083   migrants staying in Albany's Ramada and Holiday Inn Express to leave” “New York City is saying they'll be closing 10 sites outside of New York City” “City officials say they've housed more than 220 migrant families from upstate hotels since 2023. Now these individuals may soon need to navigate new policies too as president-elect Donald Trump has put mass deportation on his agenda.” Hotels will start opening back up to the American Public and no longer be used for illegals Immigration Lawyers Prepare to Battle Trump in Court Again Nearly eight years after the first challenges to his immigration policies, Donald Trump is returning to the White House promising a more aggressive crackdown. It was just days into his first term when President Trump issued an order banning the entry of people from several predominantly Muslim countries. An SOS went out to immigration lawyers across New York to head to Kennedy Airport, where arriving passengers were already being detained. By noon, hundreds of lawyers were interviewing relatives and friends of travelers who were being held, challenging their detention and drafting petitions f...

In this explosive episode of "Connecting the Dots," I sit down with Professor Dan Kovalik to expose the harsh reality of free speech under attack in America. Dan shares his chilling story of being detained for hours at Miami Airport, interrogated simply for telling the truth on RT and other alternative news outlets. He's part of a disturbing trend—journalists in the U.S. being raided, arrested, and harassed for daring to speak out. Is free speech in America on life support? We dive into Noam Chomsky's theory of controlled debate, where public opinion is tightly managed, and how today's media manipulates what we're allowed to hear. From the prosecution of dissent to the silencing of pro-Palestine voices on college campuses, this conversation reveals the frightening erosion of our First Amendment rights. Don't miss this urgent wake-up call—are we witnessing the death of free speech in the land of the free?     Find me and the show on social media. Click the following links or search @DrWilmerLeon on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Patreon and YouTube!   Hey everyone, Dr. Wilmer here! If you've been enjoying my deep dives into the real stories behind the headlines and appreciate the balanced perspective I bring, I'd love your support on my Patreon channel. Your contribution helps me keep "Connecting the Dots" alive, revealing the truth behind the news. Join our community, and together, let's keep uncovering the hidden truths and making sense of the world. Thank you for being a part of this journey!   Wilmer Leon (00:00): The linguist, Noam Chomsky tells us the smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum. Even encourage the more critical and dissident views that gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on. While all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of debate. That's Noam Chomsky. Let's talk about it. Stay tuned. Announcer (00:43): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Wilmer Leon (00:51): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon, and I am Wilmer Leon is this what American mainstream media and those in Western established press are engaging in actually the violation of the First Amendment? Let's discuss this. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they occur in a vacuum, failing to understand the broader historic context in which these events occur. During each episode of this podcast, my guests and I, we have probing, provocative, and in-depth discussions that connect the dots between these events and the broader historic context in which they occur. This enables you to better understand and analyze the events that impact the global village in which we live. On today's episode, the issue of force is very simple. The first amendment, freedom of speech, and the US government's attack on this inalienable right, and my guest is a US labor and human rights lawyer, writer, author, and activist. His latest book is entitled The Case for Palestine, why It Matters and Why You Should Care. He has been a peace activist throughout his life. He has been deeply involved in the movement for peace and social justice in Columbia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and other countries in the global south. He's also taught international human rights law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law since 2012. He is Professor Dan lik. Dan, welcome. Dan Kovalik (02:26): Thank you. Thanks for having me. Always a pleasure. Wilmer. Wilmer Leon (02:30): So there are a number of events. We're going to connect a number of dots here, but let's start with the First Amendment and it reads as follows, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of people to peaceably, to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Dan, we take this as Americans, we take this for granted, but as the first amendment of the first 10, this one was very important and made number one for a reason why? Dan Kovalik (03:18): Well, because the founding fathers having come from England, where there was a king who was able to prescribe speech arbitrarily, wanted to protect the right of free spree speech, the right of religion. Of course, England had a state religion, the Anglican Church, and they wanted to make sure that Americans had the right to such things as speech and religion and freedom of the press. In England. Those things were not protected even to this day. By the way, great Britain does not have a written constitution and does not protect those types of rights in the way that the United States does. Wilmer Leon (04:05): And again, we've taken this right for granted for so many years, but we have found history shows us, particularly during times of war, when the United States feels that it is being threatened, the screws tighten on free speech, hence people get charged with sedition and other types of violations. When the government feels it's being threatened, when there is a perceived threat from outside the country, then the government will tend to tighten the screws restrict speech, and then once that threat is vanquished, then the prohibitions relax. Have you found history to prove that to be true? Dan Kovalik (04:57): Yes. I mean, one of the most famous examples, of course is during World War I, people like Eugene v Debs, great socialist from Terre Haute, Indiana. He was put in jail for publicly opposing World War I and famously his persecution and those of others like him was approved by the Supreme Court in a famous case by Oliver Wendell Holmes is one of the most celebrated jurors, and he created the clear and present danger rule. And what that says is that the First Amendment is not, as they often say, the US Constitution is not a suicide pact. He said that in cases of a clear and present danger, Congress in fact could (05:59): Limit speech. He gave the example famous example of you're not allowed to yell fire in a crowded theater, for example. And he compared incredibly advocating for peace during a time of war as tantamount to claiming there's a fire in a crowded theater. And that remains the law of the day. And so that law or that decision, which is now almost a hundred years old, I think sets the precedent that advocating for peace in the United States is somehow a clear and present danger. And so when we look to how speech is being regulated and limited today, what we often see it being regulated when people are clamoring for peace. Wilmer Leon (06:58): There's an interesting piece in consortium news entitled Free Speech in the Department of Political Justice, and it's written by former judge Andrew Napolitano, who was a superior court judge in New Jersey. And he writes in this piece, I don't want to spend a lot of time getting into the weeds of the First Amendment, but I think this is very germane to what we find ourselves dealing with. He writes, the framers of the Constitution, were debating this idea of free speech, and they concluded that expressive rights are natural to all persons no matter where they are born. And natural rights are, as Jefferson had written in the Declaration of Independence inalienable. That's why I refer to them as inalienable rights in the open stated differently. He writes, Madison and his colleagues gave us a constitution and a bill of rights that on their face recognized the prepo political existence of the freedom of speech and of the press in all persons and guaranteed that in Congress, by which they meant the government could not and would not abridge them until now. And he, in his piece, he's referencing some charges that the United States government has imposed against some Americans and some Russians, and it's not even a matter of challenging war as much as it is challenging the established government narrative. Your thoughts? Dan Kovalik (08:35): Yes. So again, this is very similar to laws and regulations that have come down before during World War I and also around the same time you had the pomades against socialists and union leaders. Of course you had the McCarthy period, which also really represented an abridgement of peace of speech and of course very, I think relevant to today because of course the McCarthy period, at least ostensibly involved the persecution of communists. Though of course a lot of people persecuted were not communists, though a lot of the people who were persecuted were communists. Most notably in my mind, the great Paul Robeson who went, he and I went to the same law school. By the way, it's a big reason I went to Columbia Law School is because Paul Robeson went there, one of my heroes. Wilmer Leon (09:31): He was a few years ahead of you though. Dan Kovalik (09:33): A few years, yeah, yeah. I know I look old, but I'm not quite old enough to cross paths with Mr. Robeson. But why is that important? Because of course that involved claims that the communists were somehow how stooges of the Soviet Union. And now of course you have people making allegations that those opposing US foreign policy are pawns of Russia and Vladimir Putin. Right. So it's the same old trope that we've been hearing for years and years, and we see this manifested in the last two weeks with the Justice Department announcing indictments against people associated with rt, formerly known as Russia Today News based in Moscow. You had Anthony Blinken statements over the weekend that RT should be considered an espionage organization that means a spy organization. And of course the implication being that those Americans that work with it are spies. And then you had Hillary Clinton chiming in, I believe yesterday, saying that people spreading propaganda, Russian propaganda should be civilly if not criminally prosecuted. And so again, welcome to McCarthyism 2.0. It's a very scary time for people who, I'll just say like me, I'll only speak for myself who want to advocate for peace, but also specifically advocate for peace with Russia who say Russia's not our enemy who go to Russia. I've been to Russia five times in the last two years. (11:26): I've been to the Donbas three times to Crimea once to the Kherson region of what was Ukraine once. And I have worked with RT proudly so, but I and others like me are now in the crosshairs of the US government. And they're not even hiding it. They're being very clear that we are enemy number one at this point. Wilmer Leon (11:51): And this is important for people to understand because as you just mentioned, they've indicted two Americans living in Russia who are Russian citizens. They work for rt. The Feds are accusing them of spreading propaganda. And what they are basically doing is they're challenging the narrative of the Biden administration. And unlike what transpired during World War I, as you talked about Eugene Debs, and also what happened during World War ii, right now, last I checked, the United States has not declared war on Russia. So we are not in a war footing or on a war footing right now. These are individuals that, and I am one who is challenging the narrative of the Biden administration as it relates to what's going on in Ukraine as it relates to what's going on with China over Taiwan, what's going on in Venezuela, what's going on in the Middle East. There are a number of areas where I believe, and I think I have historic and current evidence to support the position that the established stated narrative of the administration is flat out wrong. Dan Kovalik (13:18): Yes, absolutely. And again, Anthony Blinken was very specific about that. He said that rt, that its alleged propaganda has undermined the cause of the war in Ukraine. But as you say, while the US is defacto at war with Russia, it is not officially at war with Russia. It is not declared war on Russia. And as you know, the US rarely declares war anymore. Only Congress can declare war. And rarely does it do that. We usually go to war again, not officially unofficially with countries without declaring war. So we are not officially at war with Russia, which means that those who work with Russia or Russia related entities are not engaged in sedition of any kind. (14:12): But that is what is being claimed. Now, I mean, that is being specifically claimed that we are in fact involved in sedition. And by the way, I know people, Wilmer friends of mine that are fleeing the country. Oh, really? Oh yeah. A number of people and some to Russia, but some to other places, Canada, other places for fear, they're going to be prosecuted because of their work with rt. And no, it's very serious. I know several people, I won't name them. I think I can name one because he's already done it. So he is safe there. And that's Jackson Henkel. Wilmer Leon (14:55): Oh, okay. Dan Kovalik (14:57): But there's others in the process of doing that. Some people have urged me to do that. So we have a very serious situation, and I understand why people would make that choice, because really the government is signaling that they may go after us. So it makes some sense, Wilmer Leon (15:21): And we're going to get to that with you in just a few moments because there, there's another, there are a number of facets of this that if you look at these things individually, people may have a tendency to think, oh, well, this is just a one-off here, or a one-off there. But when you start connecting these dots, what you find out is the government is engaged in incredibly fascist behavior, and they are establishing policies. When Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, former First Lady comes on television and starts talking about people who are spewing propaganda need to be considered for facing criminal charges. What's the difference between her saying that here in the United States and some of the incredibly repressive policies that have been and are in place by some people that she and other members of the current administration label as dictators label as strong men label as fascists? Dan Kovalik (16:37): No, I mean, of course there's no difference. I mean, and think about it. The US has voice of America, which again, openly broadcast US viewpoints around the world and in particular in countries that the US is hostile towards. Radio Liberty is a similar one in Europe, but frankly, you don't even have to point to those because now frankly, most of the US media operates like those. They're nothing but mouthpieces For the US government, I would put NPR in that category, C-N-N, M-S-N-B-C, and of course the iron. And if those stations or those broadcasting systems are jammed in other countries or people associated with those entities are arrested or persecuted, of course the US is the first one to claim foul. Right? But of course, the other irony here is that M-S-NBC, which is the station that Hillary Clinton made her statements on, and Rachel Maddow, they have been propagandists themselves in terms of pushing these lies about Russian interference. They've been pushing these lies for eight years now. And Hillary Clinton herself was one of the main origins of that lie, which has been debunked, (18:02): Almost entirely and right. So they are pushing propaganda and they're pushing war propaganda again, specifically against Russia. They themselves are guilty of war propaganda, which is by the way, a war crime under international law. But so talk about calling the kettle black, or in fact, they're calling the China, the China plates black when they're the ones that are engaged in propaganda. Wilmer Leon (18:32): In fact, there's a, I'm trying to pull it up right now. There's an NBC story from a while ago from 2022 where they admitted to using propaganda to fool American people. And in fact, the author of the story is a journalist, Ken Delan, who by the way I believe had been dismissed from the LA Times because he was clearing stories through the CIA before the stories were being submitted to his editors at the LA Times. That's history. But there was a story back from 2022 where NBC admitted that they're involved in his propaganda war with Russia and that they will lie to the American people in order to get out in front of a story before the Russians can tell the story or to mislead the Russians. And so the United States government em, it does it to the American people itself Dan Kovalik (19:41): All the time. We know this happens all the time. Another classic case was Judith Miller at the New York Times, who was doing nothing but writing CIA propaganda at the behest of the CIA, which led it helped lead us to the war in Iraq. And in fact, the CIA credited her reporting for helping pave the way to the war with Iraq. And of course one of the big lies of the war, the weapons of mass destruction was a lie that she promoted and incredibly, she's landed on her feet. She was let go or forced to resign for the New York Times because that came out. But now she works for CNN. I mean these folks, it's really not a negative mark on their career if they do this sort of thing. John Stockwell just mentioned John Stockwell, I don't know if you remember him well, I do. But he was a CIA Bureau chief at Angola. He talked about how the CIA would write stories that they would've published in the press, and he gave one example. He said, we once wrote a story about Cuban troops who were fighting US backed forces in Angola, and who by the way helped liberate Southern Africa and South Africa, as you know, Wilmer. (21:06): He said they would claim Cuban troops had raped these women in Angola. Then they'd write a story saying the Cuban troops were killed. And then he said, incredibly, they'd write another story about the same Cuban troop unit somehow revived from the dead doing something else. And yet the press printed it without question. And this happens, and Hollywood's the same way. Hollywood is very much under the sway of the ca. If I can just give one example of that famous interesting example, if you've ever seen the movie, which I like quite a bit, meet the Parents, pretty funny movie. There's a scene in which Ben Stiller, the main character, goes into Robert De Niro's layer for the first time and discovers he's with the ccia. Originally, the script had it that he found he was with the CIA because there was a CIA torture manual de Niro's desk. Well, the CIA who reviewed the script and reviews many scripts in Hollywood, you can't do that. So they ended up just having photos of De Niro with Bin Laden and Clinton and different things. So a lot of what we watch on TV in the movies and reading the newspaper, a lot of that is clear through the ccia, if not utterly based on CIA misinformation that they feed to the press. Wilmer Leon (22:42): And let me connect these dots. I found the story and here's the headline. This is from NBC News in a Break with the Past. Now that's a lie. Us is using intel to fight an info war with Russia, even when the intel isn't rock solid. It doesn't have to be solid intelligence. One US official said it's more important to get out ahead of them, the Russians Putin specifically before they do something. So this is NBC admitting that they're using less than accurate intel in stories that they're telling to the American public. They're basically lying in order to further a narrative. And we can take this back to the Iraq War with the Office of Special Plans, which was set up in the Pentagon to take intel that hadn't been vetted and spin it into stories that would support the US narrative about why the United States needed the whole idea of weapons of mass destruction. And Dick Cheney's letter about yellow cake uranium coming from Niger, okay, why are we getting into these weeds? Because the United States government is attacking American citizens, independent journalists for telling the truth about stories that are challenging the standard narrative when the United States government admits itself, it's lying to you. And this is in violation of the First Amendment, professor Dan Kalik. Is that a good summation of the issue? Dan Kovalik (24:38): It's a very good summation. You often hear, for example, someone like myself will say, oh, there's neo-Nazis in Ukraine. Which by the way, before 2022, even a lot of the mainstream press reported on that, right? Wilmer Leon (24:55): I won't say even Barack Obama said, one of the reasons we don't want to send weapons to Ukraine is because we don't want to give weapons to the Nazis. Dan Kovalik (25:01): Yeah. Not only did Barack Obama talk about it, there was a law passed by Congress that I think Obama signed saying that the US could not fund neo-Nazis in Ukraine. Well, I don't think they passed the law just because theoretically there might be because they knew there were Nazis in Ukraine, and then in fact, that law was repealed because they later decided, oh, well, we need to support Nazis in Ukraine. Okay, so everyone admitted there's Nazis in Ukraine. Then once the special military operations of Russia began in February of 2022, all of the press all of a sudden pretended, oh, there's no Nazis there. Okay? So now after that, if someone like me who's actually been to the Don Bass, which was part of Ukraine, says, oh yeah, there's neo-Nazis in Ukraine. They're like, well, that's a Putin talking point. Well, the fact it's a Putin talking point doesn't mean it's untrue. If Putin says the world is round, it doesn't mean the world is flat. (26:00): But that's what's happening. That is really the claim leveled against people who are trying to give a more balanced picture of what's happening in Ukraine as they're being portrayed as somehow being controlled by the Kremlin, when in fact they're just saying what the truth is. Even though, yeah, it may happen to correspond with what the Kremlin is saying, which I will say, I find the Kremlin a lot more credible on many of these issues than the White House, but other people have to judge that. But again, the fact that my views may overlap with those of the Kremlin at times doesn't mean I'm under their sway. Wilmer Leon (26:47): And let me give the reference those who want to look this up for themselves. Again, the headline of the story is in a Break with the Past US, is using intel to fight an in full war with Russia, even when the intel isn't rock solid. And the story is from April 6th and 2022 written by Ken Delan and others. And again, it's important to remember that again, Ken Delan was dismissed from the LA Times for writing stories, for sending stories to the CIA, having the CIA edit the stories, not telling the editors at the LA times that this was being done. So again, this shows you the kind of work and the kind of propaganda that is being sold to you as news. Now, there's another element to this because as we talked about before, there are a number of facets of this, and that is, again, in Consortium News, pro-Palestine students and faculty Sue UC, Santa Cruz, the lawsuit seeks to vindicate the fundamental democratic and constitutional rights to free speech, free assembly and due process against overreach by university authorities. So basically what has happened, and this story came was last week, September 11th, 2024. So if you all remember back in the spring, there were a number of protests across college campuses all over this country in support of the Palestinian efforts, and they were protesting against the genocidal action of Israel against Palestinians at the United States is supporting. And a number of students were arrested, and some students that were arrested at UC, what did I say, UC, Santa Barbara or UC, Santa Cruz (28:52): In the spring have now still been put off campus in violation of campus regulation. So they are suing the University of Santa Cruz to have that overturned. And just Tuesday, the University of Maryland now finds that care, the Council of American Islamic Relations, Palestine Legal, they are suing University of Maryland for canceling. And this is who would ever think to do something this horrific Jewish and Palestinian student groups holding an interfaith vigil? Dan Valick, the country is going to hell in a hand basket. Dan Kovalik (29:44): Yeah, absolutely. It's outrageous. I mean, what we see is violations of the First Amendment in many different ways. Not only the violation of free speech, of freedom of assembly, but of course freedom of religion because of course, the interfaith vigil would be an expression of religion. I don't see how these actions by Santa Cruz, which by the way, is part of the University of California system, that's a public school system. It means they are subject to the First Amendment. I don't see how those actions can stand if they do stand, if the courts allow them to stand, then we have entered a brave new world, my friend. I mean a very dangerous world by any precedent of the court, at least recent precedent, they should be permitted to have these types of protest in vigils. And I hope they win in the courts. They should win. Wilmer Leon (30:42): In fact, I remember saying after September 11th, as we looked at the crackdown that the United States government was imposing upon American citizens, that when a country violates its own constitution in reaction to action taken by terrorists, the terrorists have won. Dan Kovalik (31:06): Yeah, well, that's absolutely true. And of course, what we saw after nine 11 was an abomination in terms of the rights, not just of US citizens, but of others that were curtailed. The people put in Guantanamo Bay without charge. It turned out most of them had done nothing. Some died in jail, some died of torture. (31:34): It was a huge mark on American democracy. I believe there's still people there. It has not been there. I think there's a couple survivors still hanging on. It's an amazing thing. And of course then you had Barack Obama who decided he could murder American citizens with drones abroad on his own authority. And he killed one man who was claimed to have been a terrorist again, that had never been proven, that he had not been, that had not proven in a court of law. And then incredibly, they murdered his son, his 16-year-old son. And in defense, one of the White House spokespeople said, well, he chose the wrong father. Wilmer Leon (32:25): Eric Holder came out and said when he was the Attorney General, that an American president can execute American citizens anywhere in the world without judicial review. Dan Kovalik (32:37): Yeah, incredible. An incredible thing. And it's bad enough, frankly, Wilmer, that the government has done these sorts of things. But the sad part also is there's been so little resistance to this, so little criticism. And that's what allows these things to continue and not only continue, but to escalate Wilmer Leon (32:59): Quickly going back to the campus issue. So we're told that there has to be this prohibition against protesting in support of the Palestinians because we have to be mindful of the sensitivities of Jewish students, and we can't have these Jewish American students feeling threatened and feeling unsafe on the college campuses amidst these peaceful protests, ignoring the fact that a lot of the protestors are the very Jewish students who the authorities claim their rights are being protected. I believe I submit to you attorney Kovalik, that that is merely a cover or a pretext for the protection of these interests of these students is a pretext, is a cover that is being used by the government to violate our First Amendment rights the same way the Israeli government claims it has to engage in genocide of Palestinians as it attacks Hamas. Dan Kovalik (34:22): No, exactly right. Because the other issue, I mean, of course you're right that many Jews are protesting for Palestinians, but also what about the Palestinians rights? There's Palestinian students on campus, there's Arab students. What about their rights? Right? Wilmer Leon (34:37): What about my rights? I'm neither Palestinian nor Jewish, and I have this problem, and I know I'm nuts, Dan. I got a problem with genocide. I admit it. I admit America. I admit it to the world. I got a problem with genocide. Dan Kovalik (34:52): It's an incredible thing. Wilmer, what we've all been taught since World War II is that the worst crime in the world is genocide, right? It is the high crime. It is the most abominable crime. And even one of the worst things you could say about someone is they're a genocide denier, right? Wilmer Leon (35:15): Oh, yeah. Heaven forbid. Dan Kovalik (35:16): And now all of a sudden when people are protesting against genocide, they're the bad guys. And yet it's an incredible thing that is happening. It's an amazing Rubicon we've crossed, and no one can really defend it. That's the problem. And that is why there's repression. The universities, including some of the best in the world like Columbia University, which may be the main offender on this, they can't defend their actions. They can't defend the genocide. They can't defend against those saying it's a genocide. So they've decided we just have to shut the speech down because we as an institution, we have no argument. We can't ideologically defend this. We can't ideologically defend the United States. And so we're just going to say, students, you can't talk, which goes against every notion that anyone has about what the university is supposed to be, a space of free speech and free debate. And Zionists should have a right to their views. They should have a right to peacefully protest. And those are against Zionism. And the genocide should also have that right. And that is so obvious and so clear, and the fact that the universities have decided to go the other way and only repress one kind of speech, and that is pro-Palestinian and not pro-Israel. It's abominable. It just shows the corruption of our institutions from the universities all the way to the White House. Wilmer Leon (36:55): And it also, I believe, shows the power of the military industrial complex, or what Ray McGovern called the Mickey Mat, in that once you start challenging the narrative via free speech, you now threaten the defense budget. You now start threatening the billions of dollars in weapons that are being wasted in Ukraine, that are being wasted in Gaza, that are being wasted as the United States is trying to foment a Middle East war. And heaven forbid those billion dollar contracts that are going to Lockheed Martin, that are going to Boeing, that are going to ge, Raytheon, heaven forbid, people start asking questions about why is so much money being wasted on genocide? Dan Kovalik (37:53): Yeah, no, exactly. That's correct. When we look around our cities, we look around this country, we see so many problems that need fixing, and people are saying, Hey, why aren't you fixing our problems instead of sending money abroad to these wars in Ukraine and Gaza? Those are very inconvenient people to the powers that be, and not just to the military industrial complex, but apparently we know that in the case of Columbia University, that they responded to calls by millionaires in New York City who asked them to repress the protest. So we know the ruling class is very much in the tank for Israel, very much in the tank for the genocide in Gaza, and that they are influencing these universities and how they respond to this. Wilmer Leon (38:45): And let's connect another dot. And that is the trial in Tampa, Florida that just wrapped up last week in the Uru, the African People Socialist Party, also known as the Uhuru movement or the Uhuru three. There was an incredibly confusing verdict that came down in that trial. It was alleged that the defendants were doing the bidding of the Russian government by sowing discord in America's political process by promoting political views that were contrary to those of the United States government and favorable to those of the Russian government. Now, I got to reiterate, they're not talking about overthrowing the government. They're not talking about attacking the government sowing discord, their own words in America's political process by promoting political views, not military political views that are contrary to those of the United States government. So well, go ahead, Dan. You want to say something? Dan Kovalik (40:00): Yeah. Well, that's exactly what the First Amendment is supposed to protect, are controversial views that go against the government. I mean, right? You don't need the First Amendment to protect speech that is pro-government, right? I mean, that's kind of obvious. If the First Amendment only protected pro-government speech, it wouldn't be much of a protection at all. As people say, you have to protect inconvenience speech and dissident speech. And so it's amazing that this prosecution went forward. Apparently, I guess they were convicted of conspiracy, but not some of the other charges. And by the way, let's say a couple things about it. First of all, I'm not sure they influenced anyone. I never heard of this organization to be totally honest, until this, right, until this indictment came down. And so number one, so they don't have much influence at all. Number two, I think this was over like 500 bucks in a donation they got for some Russian 500 bucks. Meanwhile, APAC is giving over a hundred million dollars in this election cycle to people's election campaigns. APAC owned Wilmer Leon (41:15): And Corey Bush Co Bush lost because of those efforts. And Jamal Bowman in New York lost because of those efforts. So not only is APAC donating and it's a hundred million by their admission in the New York Times, they were successful in their efforts. Dan Kovalik (41:36): They claim they were successful in every effort, every person, they backed one. And this has been true for years, of course, this type of influence. In fact, John F. Kennedy tried to make APAC liable under the Foreign Agent Registration Act, which is the act that the Arru group was prosecuted. And of course, Kennedy was not able to do so, and he was actually killed shortly after. You can draw your own conclusions. APAC has been this huge elephant in the living room, a huge influencer of American politics for many, many years. And yet, who's getting prosecuted for that? No one. No one. They go after these small fish Wilmer Leon (42:28): To make a big point. Dan Kovalik (42:29): Yeah, Wilmer Leon (42:30): Small fish to make a big point. And so this was an incredibly bizarre verdict because they weren't, as you mentioned, they weren't found guilty of failing to register as agents of the Russian government. They were convicted of conspiring to fail to register as agents of the government. Dan Kovalik (42:54): Incredible. It's absolutely incredible. Wilmer Leon (42:57): So the jury said that Chairman Omali Yeshitela and the other two defendants agreed to become unregistered agents of the Russian government, but didn't actually become agents of the Russian government. Dan Kovalik (43:15): They wanted to be agents, but Russian didn't care. They didn't want them to be agents, whatever. It's absolutely bizarre. And that we could talk about this all day. I mean, again, I'm a lawyer. I study criminal law, and that sort of, to get someone on that, that becomes just a thought crime. They literally did nothing they made, Wilmer Leon (43:35): Which by the way, isn't a crime, Dan Kovalik (43:36): Right? No, you're right. I mean, again, because that would be a First Amendment violation. We were not supposed to prosecute thoughts. And the idea is, oh, I wanted to do something. Well, that's not enough to convict someone. I mean, it's completely outrageous. And I think their case is on appeal, if I'm not mistaken. If it is, I really hope they win. I mean, God bless 'em. They really are the test case here for the rest of us. I mean, I think the government went after this small group that no one heard of because they figured no one would support them. They go after them first, make some bad precedent for the rest of us, then start going after the rest of us, which means it's a very important case. Wilmer Leon (44:22): And the prosecution, the government was unable to present hardly any witnesses. They had hardly any evidence because this was 95% fiction. It was just flat fiction. And I think what also the government didn't expect was the attention that this was going to bring. The courtroom was full of supporters for the Uhuru. They've been around since about 1972, and they've done incredible work in the communities that they work in. And so now final data point, as I understand it, you Dan Kalik we're coming back into this country last week. Dan Kovalik (45:14): Yeah, Friday. Last Friday, yeah. Wilmer Leon (45:16): I'll let you tell the story. Dan Kovalik (45:19): Yeah. So I was coming back from the anti-fascist Congress in Venezuela. Wilmer Leon (45:26): Yeah, Dan Kovalik (45:27): I believe, Wilmer Leon (45:28): Oh, wait a minute. See, I knew when I saw that white jacket, when I saw that white jacket Dan Kovalik (45:32): Knew something was bad. Yeah, they used to say they were premature. I guess that's what I'm, but anyway, I came back through Bolivia. And to be, make a long story short, I was held for four hours. I was interrogated where, what airport in Miami, which is not the airport, you really do want to come back through. But I was asked about my travels, about who I meet with, about my connections, my political beliefs. They Wilmer Leon (46:07): Asked you about your political beliefs. Dan Kovalik (46:09): Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, it was all about what countries do you like? What countries do you not like and do you feel most comfortable? What countries are you most afraid of? I said, honestly, the one I'm in right now because I get treated like this. And then Wilmer Leon (46:27): What was their reaction to that answer? Dan Kovalik (46:29): Well, they were a little defensive, but tried to continue with the conversation and then, well, even before, so before they got deeply into the questioning, they searched all my bags and took my cell phone and my computer. By the end of the evening, I did get my computer back, but my phone, I did not get back. And I just got it back this morning. So that would've been about three or four days they had it. And we know, I mean, you can Google this. There's a lot of stories about it. They have the right outside New York City. We can get into the exception outside of JFK and LaGuardia. They have the right everywhere else to take your phone and copy the whole thing, copy your computer, which I imagine they've done, which is an incredible privacy violation. As you can imagine. Most people have a heart attack if that happened to 'em. And it was clear, it was motivated by my trips to Russia, Venezuela, other countries. And in fact, I've been subject to secondary interrogation, which is what it's called at the border in the airports a number of times since I first started going to Russia about two years ago, I've been stopped. That was probably my fourth or fifth time being stopped. (48:02): I was told in Chicago when I was stopped some months ago, that I have a case number with the State Department that marked me for this type of interrogation. And other people like Danny Shaw, who's a friend of mine, a colleague of mine, he also was stopped Wilmer Leon (48:21): Friend of ours. Yeah, Dan Kovalik (48:23): Stopped for three hours. His phone was taken. I mean, he's Scott Ritter. Wilmer Leon (48:27): That was in Chicago. Dan Kovalik (48:28): Danny was stopped Wilmer Leon (48:29): In Chicago. Dan Kovalik (48:29): Chicago. Scott Ritter's house in New York was raided by the FBI. They took his phone and computer. So look, the hunt is on. There's no question about that. I do want to give one caveat, I mentioned this exception in New York City. There is a judge in New York, the federal court in New York who held in her court district, in her court jurisdiction, which covers JFK and LaGuardia. They cannot take your computer and phone without a search warrant. So people out there, Wilmer, if you're doing international travel, try to come back through JFK because Wilmer Leon (49:13): Thank you. I was just going to ask you about the warrant because this seems to be another violation. You're supposed to be secure in your person and your papers. Last I checked, and I'm not a lawyer. I did go to law school and I did stay at Holiday Inn Express. So there seemed to be a number of violations beyond the First Amendment when they start to detain you and they start to seize your property without warrants. Dan Kovalik (49:50): Yes. Well, the problem we have, Wilmer is outside the jurisdiction in New York, the courts have held that customs has the right to hold you even up to 72 hours, Wilmer without a lawyer interrogate you and to take your phone computer and copy it. They have held that until you get through the customs and immigration, Wilmer Leon (50:20): You're not officially in the country. Dan Kovalik (50:22): You're not in the United States of America. The Constitution does not apply to you. That's an incredible, incredible thing. Most Americans have no idea of it, and most Americans won't experience the repercussions of that. (50:36): But what that means, until you go through passport control and get your bag and go through those double doors and push on those double doors and go into the main terminal, they really have the power of God over you. And again, most people have no idea about that. And so what the government's decided to do is, okay, we're not going to even worry about getting a warrant. We won't even send the FBI to Dan Aleks home. We don't have to do that. We wait until he leaves the country. He comes back because he travels all the time, and we'll do things to him and take things from him. We could never do without a warrant and without an attorney being present if he's interrogated, et cetera. It's an incredible violation of our rights, as you say, Wilmer. But it is totally sanctioned, at least at this moment by the courts, except for that court in New York City. Wilmer Leon (51:33): So and where did they approach you? You're coming through the jet way. You're coming off, you're deplaning, you're coming through the jet way. So when you come out of the jet way to the terminal, what happened? Dan Kovalik (51:51): Well, so just as almost every time, so only one time this happened to me in Chicago recently. They were waiting for me off the plane. Right outside the plane. In theJet. (52:05): Yeah. The only time that happened, in fact, as we were descending, they announced in the plane is we were descending. Please have your passports ready when you exit the plane. They checked everyone's passports. When they got to me, they stopped checking because they had their guy and they took me to be interrogated. Now, there was only time that happened every other time, including this time in Miami. I get off the plane, I walk all that way. Usually it's a long walk all the way to passport control. I get in the line, I get up to the passport agent, she checks my passport, had a few questions, and I'm thinking maybe I'm going to be okay this time. And then she said, please stand over there. And I knew what that meant. Wilmer Leon (53:00): Did you say, go stand in the corner Dan Kovalik (53:02): And face the wall, basically. And she put a little orange slip over my passport and another guy comes out, he takes my passport and says, come with me. And I'm brought into another room with a bunch of other people, and I sat there for probably an hour. Other people were getting processed very quickly. After an hour, a customs officer came and said, please come with me with your baggage. And she said, now she begins, I'm sorry, Wilmer. She lied. Okay. She begins to make up this story. She says, you're subject to a random drug search from Bolivia because a lot of people are bringing in drugs. So we're going to check your bags and then I'm going to ask you a few questions. We'll let you go. And this is just a random, but she checks all my bags that she does, but she doesn't have a sniffer dog and she doesn't check my prescription pill bottles, which could have drugs in them. She didn't check my coffee I brought in, which could have drugs in them. Clearly this is theater. (54:08): And she says, as part of our search, we can take your phone and your computer. We're going to do that, but we're only going to search for issues related to drugs. Whether you told someone you have drugs or you swallow drugs. But then when she takes me to another room for interrogation, there's no questions about drugs. It's all about what countries do you visit? Do you meet with government officials? Do you know government officials? Do you know presidents of other countries? Again, what countries you feel comfortable in? What countries do you not feel comfortable in? (54:45): That sort of thing, which indicates that was the real reason for me being pulled over was my travels and political beliefs, not the drug stuff. That was just a lie, I think, to get me feeling comfortable enough to talk to them. So there you go. That's what happened. Again, it took me days to get my phone back again. You can read about it. The customs now copies thousands of phones a year. They put 'em on a database. All of that information is on the database for 15 years, and all 3000 customs officials have access to it. So some guy in whatever Oklahoma's board during his lunch can go eat his sandwich and look at my data. I mean, it's an amazing thing. Wilmer again, most Americans have no idea this is happening. Wilmer Leon (55:48): Wow. The land of the free and the home of the brave. So it's also important for people to understand this is happening during a democratic administration. Dan Kovalik (56:00): Yes. And especially because it's democratic. We know from the New York Times, an article about three weeks ago, talked about the FBI, investigating people for connections with Russia and rt, and they said specifically that this was ordered by President Joe Biden. So this is not an accident. This isn't just the bureaucracy doing what they do or the deep state. This has been ordered by a democratic president to happen. Wilmer Leon (56:30): And we also know that more whistleblowers were prosecuted during the Obama administration than any other administration in history. Dan Kovalik (56:40): Indeed, indeed. Wilmer Leon (56:44): Dan Kovalik, professor Dan Kovalik. Man, thank you so much for your time. I truly, truly appreciate. First of all, I'm very sorry that you as an American went through this. I'm even more aggrieved that you as a friend went through this. Thank you. But thank you for joining me today, Dan Kovalik (57:04): Wilmer. It's always a pleasure and you are a friend, and I admire you a lot, and I look forward to the next time we talk. Wilmer Leon (57:11): Well, man, appreciate it. And folks, thank you all so much for listening to the Connecting to Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wiler Leon. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please follow and subscribe. Leave a review, share the show, follow us on social media. You can see all the links below in the show description. And remember, this is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge, talk without analysis is just chatter. And we don't chatter here on connecting the dots. See you again next time. Until then, I'm Dr. Wilmer Leon. Have a great one. Peace. I'm out Announcer (57:51): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge.    

Thanks for finding our podcast! We are a family of 5 who does most of our travel using points and miles and we share how we leverage credit card welcome offers to earn a ton of points/miles so we can afford travel as a larger familyFollow us on Instagram @TravelPartyof5Click here to apply for the Chase Sapphire Cards  - we use these points to book all our Hyatt hotels. And if you've already got one of the Chase Sapphire cards, you'll want to apply for these business cards, linked here. _____________________This episode is the first episode in a series all around visiting the great state of Arizona!!! First up - we explore everything you need to know when you visit Arizona, with a focus on where to stay in Scottsdale and where to stay in Phoenix and Tempe. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, we'll help you find the perfect place to stay while sharing tips on how to make the most of your trip using points and miles.We start by discussing why Arizona is a top travel destination, especially for those interested in experiencing the beauty of the desert landscape. From the best time of year to visit Arizona to how to handle the summer heat and cooler winter months, we break down the key points to consider before booking your trip. Whether you want to explore the outdoors or just relax by the pool, this episode will give you all the essential details for planning your visit to Arizona.Next, we dive into where to stay in Scottsdale, covering a range of hotels and resorts that cater to different travel styles. If you're using points, we highlight some excellent options for Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, and IHG members. For those wondering where to stay in Scottsdale, we recommend the Hyatt House and Hyatt Place in Old Town for convenient access to shopping, dining, and nightlife. For a more luxurious experience, we suggest the Andaz Scottsdale and the Royal Palms, which offer unique, upscale settings perfect for couples or special occasions. If you're traveling with family, we also explore the soon-to-be Grand Hyatt Scottsdale, a fantastic choice for family-friendly accommodations.For Marriott points users, we discuss where to stay in Scottsdale, such as the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa and the Phoenician. Both properties offer luxury and comfort with beautiful views and top-notch service, making them ideal for romantic getaways or family vacations. If you're looking for where to stay in Scottsdale using IHG or Hilton points, we mention options like the Holiday Inn Express and the Hilton Garden Inn, both centrally located in Old Town Scottsdale. For a more extravagant stay, the Fairmont Princess is a top pick, especially during the holiday season when the property transforms into a winter wonderland perfect for families.Beyond Scottsdale, we also guide you through where to stay in Phoenix if your trip includes events, concerts, or sports games. We suggest properties like the Hyatt Regency Downtown Phoenix and the Kimpton Palomar, both of which are great choices if you're looking for where to stay in Phoenix and want to be close to Chase Field or Talking Stick Resort Arena. These hotels offer convenience for those wanting to stay near the heart of the action while enjoying top-tier amenities.So, if you're planning to visit Arizona, tune in to this episode for the full rundown on where to stay in Scottsdale, where to stay in Phoenix, and how to make your trip unforgettable. Whether you're traveling for relaxation, adventure, or a special event, we've got you covered with all the tips and tricks you need to make your Arizona trip a success!

I don't require luxury accommodations. I'm fine with economy hotels. I prefer not to be put up in the home of a family with small children. A Holiday Inn Express is fine; they serve a nice scrambled-egg breakfast buffet. A coffeemaker in the room would be nice and I'd prefer a shower whose Hot and Cold knobs are not directly under the showerhead so that one must stand naked while figuring out which knob is which, dreading the possibility of being scalded and having to call 911 and moaning in pain as EMTs haul me to their van, and I know that I will now become their anecdote (“You won't believe the call we got this morning …”) and they will google me and find out that I hosted “Pie Aroma in Microphone” and am in the Academy of Arts and Letters and yet I didn't know to Stand Outside The Shower While Turning On Water. I don't want to become a joke, okay? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garrisonkeillor.substack.com/subscribe

H is for home. Since last year, for the first time in our lives, we have split our time between two homes, both starting with "H." Hurst, Texas, and Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. But last night we spent a night in another "H" home - Holiday Inn Express in Hurst, Texas. Yes, we had a good reason. When you're having knee surgery and your bedroom is upstairs...you improvise. That meant finding a local hotel for at least one night to avoid the staircase. Enter Holiday Inn Express at 820 Thousand Oaks Drive, Hurst, Texas - mere miles away. It all began when I was told I'd be on crutches at least for the first day following having my knee scoped. I hopped on one of those online find-a-hotel websites. How often do you search for a hotel in the city where you live? Me? Never. I was looking for location, reviews, and pricing. There were several hotels in the area where I was looking. All of them were close to the highway, which would be necessary because I had work the next day and wanted to be able to jump on the highway quickly. My wife chauffering me. I read a few reviews and settled on the Holiday Inn Express in Hurst, Texas. My surgery was in another DFW suburb, Southlake. But I wanted to be back in the Hurst area #TexasHome. Besides, it was mere seconds from the highway I needed for the following morning. The accommodations were ideal: king bed, mini frig, microwave, desk, sofa and coffee table, walk in shower (one of those kind without any door), and breakfast starting at 6:30 am. I booked it for one night, paying a few bucks extra for the right to cancel it and get a full refund - just in case my surgeon had to change my schedule (he didn't). Check in was 4 pm. Ok, no problem maybe I can check in early if necessary. I get all those usual pre-surgery calls you get. You answer a million questions and they confirm a schedule. Then days later they may change the schedule, pushing the surgery up or back. Mine was pushed up slightly. "Check in by 7:15 am," they said. Okay. I'm thinking check-in at the hotel is 4 pm. That's gonna be a problem because I'm likely going to be awake and checked out of the surgical center by 11 am. So I call the hotel directly. Let me introduce you to Susan Watts-Martinez, General Manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Hurst, Texas. She answered the phone patiently listening to my dilemma. She looked up my reservation, noticing I booked it through an online website. She confirmed I had booked a king room. "I'm happy to pay a little extra to check in early," I said. "No problem, I can take care of you, Mr. Cantrell," she assured me. This was a couple of weeks in advance of my surgery so she made notes in their system that I'd need a room ready to go before noon. Yes, I told her I was coming there following surgery in Southlake. "We'll take good care of you," said Susan. "Just call us that morning. I'll be here by 7:30 am. That way we'll make sure your room is ready." I thanked her and thought no more about it. Until we checked in. As I crutched my way into the lobby Susan came outside and said, "Randy?" "Yes, ma'am." "Enjoy your stay and we hope you have a speedy recovery," she said. I thanked her and went inside making my way to the first room on the first floor, just past the front desk and workout room. Convenient and a short amble down the hall. We enter the room and straight away I notice on the coffee table a bundle of homemade chocolate chip cookies and two bottles of water with the above note sitting nearby. Handwritten Note From Holiday Inn Express, Hurst, Texas "Look at this, "I said to my wife. We remarked how nice that was, then I noticed a large white gift bag with a black ribbon tying the handles together. "What's this?" I asked. I opened it and found a new 50" x 70" gray chenille throw. 50" x 70" gray chenille throw I immediately unpacked it and laid down on the bed on top of the covers noting how hard it would be to maneuver under t...

583. Part 1 of our most recent conversation with Ed Branley, also known as the NOLA History Guy. "The clanging of a streetcar's bell conjures images of a time when street railways were a normal part of life in the city. Historic Canal Street represents the common ground between old and new with buses driving alongside steel rails and electric wires that once guided streetcars. New Orleans was one of the first cities to embrace street railways, and the city's love affair with streetcars has never ceased. New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line showcases photographs, diagrams, and maps that detail the rail line from its origin and golden years, its decline and disappearance for almost 40 years, and its return to operation. From the French Quarter to the cemeteries, the Canal Line ran through the heart of the city and linked the Creole Faubourgs with the new neighborhoods that stretched to Lake Pontchartrain" (Hickory Stick Bookshop).     "A former High School History teacher turned computer consultant and trainer, Branley was born just north of Boston, MA, in 1958. His family moved to New Orleans when he was two, and he's called metro NOLA home ever since. Educated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart at Brother Martin High School in Gentilly (Class of 1976), he also holds a B.A. in Secondary Education from the University of New Orleans (Class of 1980). Branley taught at Redeemer High School before opening his own computer consulting business. He continues to teach, primarily in the computer specialty of Storage Area Networking." An avid fan of streetcar and public bus transportation, Branley's first book New Orleans, the Canal Streetcar Line, won critical acclaim across the city (Amazon). Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 220 years. Order your copy today! This week in Louisiana history. July 20 1661 Piere LeMoyne Iberville born This week in New Orleans history. July 21, 1967. The Green Bridge (the unofficial local name of the Paris Road Bridge) carrying Louisiana Highway 47 across the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet between St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans opened on July 21, 1967. The bridge replaced the Paris Road pontoon bridge. The name "the Green Bridge" came from it originally being painted green. About 1980 it was repainted brown, and more recently grey, but locals continued referring to it as "the green bridge". (Wiki) This week in Louisiana. 13th Annual Bayou BBQ Bash Event Dates: July 26th-27th, 2024 Presented by the Morgan City Marine Corps League The annual Bayou BBQ Bash is a BCA Sanctioned State Championship BBQ Competition held rain or shine in Morgan City, LA each July. Thursday, July 25, 2024 Meet the cooks and enjoy the unveiling of LA Shrimp & petroleum Festival Poster  Holiday Inn Express   5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Friday, July 26, 2024 BBQ Bash will be under the U.S. 90 Bridge in Morgan City.  There will be food vendors, arts, and crafts from 4 p.m. -9:30 p.m., and live music by Cliff Hillebran from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, July 27, 2024 There will be arts & crafts and food vendors at 10 a.m., DJ from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., and live music by South 70 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Come join and enjoy some food anytime. For more information, please contact Bill at (985) 384-3446 (985) 372-8880 email at wgoessl@hotmail.com. Postcards from Louisiana. Cajun Band on Royal Street. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Listen on audible. Listen on Spotify. Listen on TuneIn. Listen on iHeartRadio. The Louisiana Anthology Home Page. Like us on Facebook. 

Welcome to our new series, Icons & Experts. This exciting twice a month series is brought you by the Extended Stay Lodging Association and support from Dellisart Hospitality.  Please visit https://www.dellisart.com/ Every other week we'll highlight either a person who's had unmistakable impact on the hotel industry, or we'll learn from extended stay experts how to maximize opportunity and find success in the extended stay hotel category.  Our first episode features the incredible Mike Leven, an icon amongst icons in the hotel business. Leven has had significant impact on the hospitality industry from his early days  Dedicated business leader & visionary philanthropist with a rich 50-year career in the hospitality industry, notably including the successful launch of Holiday Inn Express, serving as President of Days Inn of America, leading the company through a reorganization that resulted in growth from a 225-unit regional chain to one of the largest brands in the world.  He also founded US Franchise Systems, Inc. (USFS), which franchises the Microtel Inns & Suites, Hawthorn Suites, and Best Inns and Best Suites hotel brands. Plus, he was instrumental in creating the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), served as President of Las Vegas Sands Corp. and has been involved in countless charitable efforts.  We hope you enjoy this series!

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Recent finds include:Business Class to Paris for 40KPremium Economy to Taipei for $1,994 R/TBusiness class to Seoul on Korean (Rare find) for 75KYou can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/PremiumPost of the weekAndrew “Bacon” Goodman - Disney for $375 INCLUDING PARK TICKETS!?NewsHilton/Small Luxury Hotels (Updates)Choice Sweet Spots New Citi AAdvantage Business offerTrip updatesJoeGirl's night & Boy's night without spending $675!What bonuses did we get?AngieTwo Free Hilton NightsJoe20K Referral14X spend Amex Business GoldAlmost done with wife's Citi AAdvantage CardHighlight Feature: 20 Largest Hotel Chains & the Six We're Focusing OnWe came across an interesting diagram ranking the top 20 hotel programs throughout the world.  Do you know which is largest?Some are less familiar, so we ranked the six we most frequently discuss in the Award Travel 101 Facebook community:#2 Wyndham - 9,280 Properties from Days Inn all the way up to Wyndham Grand. #3 Marriott- One of the largest footprints with 8,484 properties a wide range of price points from Springhill Suites up to Ritz Carlton and St. Regis luxury hotels. #6 Choice - with 7,500 properties domestically, Choice is not known for being great. They start with low level properties like Comfort Inn's and Quality Inn's but  their Ascend and Cambria properties look great.#7 Hilton - counting 7,165 properties in their portfolio, Hilton is similar to Marriott with a fairly sizable footprint with a wide range of price points from Hampton Inn to Waldorf Astoria.#8 IHG - With 1,000 less (6,164) properties, another one that families on a budget may opt for is Holiday Inn Express and their tasty cinnamon rolls. IHG starts with Holiday Inn's and has upper level Kimptons.#16 Hyatt - With 1,200 properties (Hyatt says 1,300+ today), World of Hyatt is markedly smaller. They start at Hyatt Place and their flagship properties fall under Park Hyatt. TIP OF THE WEEK:Have a good backup plan for using your credit cards. Tune in to hear Angie's fail.Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. For more intermediate and advanced strategies, join Award Travel 201 community To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1. You can also email us at contactawardtravel@gmail.com. Our next meetup is located in San Antonio, TX on April 26–28, 2024. If you want a waitlisted ticket, see this post in AT101. Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Find me and the show on social media @DrWilmerLeon on X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube Facebook page is www.facebook.com/Drwilmerleonctd   FULL TRANSCRIPT: Announcer (00:06): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Wilmer Leon (00:14): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon. And I'm Dr. Wilmer Leon. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they happen in a vacuum, failing to understand the historical context, the broader historic context in which these events occur. During each episode, my guests and I have probing, provocative, and in-depth discussions that connect the dots between current events and the broader historic context in which they occur. This enables you to better understand and analyze events that impact the global village in which we live on today's episode. The issues before us are, what are the anticipated results of the most recent China Russia meetings is the US pivoting from Ukraine and Russia to China, and is the US independent is the US as an independent actor in Haiti as it claims, and we'll also discuss some other issues. My guest for this iteration of Connecting the Dots is a man who I am very proud to call a friend. His analysis is always spot on, and he's really just cool people. He's an author, two time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Knight Fellowship recipient with more than 20 years of journalistic experience. He's a former Washington Post Bureau chief and award-winning foreign correspondent on two continents. John Jeter. John, my brother. Welcome to the show. Jon Jeter (01:51): My pleasure, brother. Thank you. That's an outstanding introduction. I really appreciate Wilmer Leon (01:56): It. Well, I know my check is on its way, so I'll sit by the mailbox. So, hey, so earlier this week, the Global Times reported Chinese President Xi meets Russian foreign Secretary Lavrov and reaffirms China's emphasis on partnership with Russia and Chinese analysts said the meeting sends a strong signal that China will firmly develop its strategic partnership with Russia despite pressure from the West, and that the China Russias partnership continues to be key for the global strategic balance and the hope of promoting a multipolar world in which countries in the global south will have greater roles to play. John, your thoughts? Jon Jeter (02:49): Yeah, no, this is a tectonic shift and we've been talking about this for quite a while on your show, and it's like a tanker. And of course it takes a while for that tanker to move, but it is moving. It is in motion. We see that geopolitical shift from the west as the United States, as France, as the UK gets increasingly desperate as they grow increasingly out of favor with what they're doing in Gaza and backing Israel's genocide. And we see this is a victory lap for Russia, what they've done in Ukraine. It is all over. But the shouting, if I can use a phrase from my southern cousins, and this is, from what I understand, it's very rare for the president of China or any other country to entertain the foreign secretary. Usually it's foreign secretary or foreign secretary. (03:48) Yeah, exactly. So this is a big deal. Again, it's like a tanker movement. It takes a while. And if I can sort of mix metaphors, like Lenon said, history moves and spiral. So this thing is not just sort of a linear thing, but it's just kind of moving in a certain direction. And we see Russia and China starting to sort of take charge, starting to ascend very much like the United States did almost exactly a century ago. After World War I we're seeing China and Russia start to make their rise as this geopolitical force, the geopolitical almost like a ruling party for the global elite. And it's almost inevitable. It's almost inexorable at this point. The only real question is how will the United States respond? It can sort of go kicking and screaming or it can negotiate sort of its dissension into second place. So we'll see what happens. I think history says, of course it will go kicking and screaming, but hopefully cooler heads will prevail at some point and we'll see what happens. But this thing is going in a very definite direction. I don't think it's at this point, I don't think you can put the genie back in the bottle. And I think China and Russia see the future and it's theirs. Wilmer Leon (05:13): I think people really need to pay attention to the next statement that I'm going to read because the western narrative of this is militarism. The focus of the West as it relates to this rising partnership is militarism. But Lee Ong, a professor at the Chinese Foreign Affairs University, said China and Russia will not target any third, but if hegemonic forces threaten China and Russia or threaten world peace, China and Russia will stand together and fight to protect their own interests and safeguard world peace together. And I want to reiterate, they will not target any third party. So I take this as they're saying, don't start, nothing Jon Jeter (06:17): Won't be, won't be none. Wilmer Leon (06:20): We're going to handle our business. Jon Jeter (06:22): Yeah, yeah, (06:26) I think so. I don't know if you've ever seen Oliver Stone's history of the world was the history world or history of the United States, I can't remember. But he talks at length about the relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States and the Soviet Union, despite the depictions by Reagan and other presidents of the Soviet Union as this sort of aggressively hostile evil empire that want to take control of the world. The Soviet Union was really just terrified of the United States. They thought that the United States was insane that it was run by mad men. I think that still very much holds true. I think Putin understands that his error, if he made any his error, was entrusting the United States to some extent and hoping I think that he could sort of find some common ground within United States. I think he sees now that that is not possible. Although he said, interestingly enough, he said, apparently in a speech sometime ago, I heard someone else say this. I think it was Ray McGovern, former CIA operative who said that Putin said, Wilmer Leon (07:30): Analyst. Jon Jeter (07:31): Yes, analyst. I'm sorry. Yeah. He said in a speech recently that Putin had once said, or very recently said that the United States and Russia at some point will find common ground, but the EU in Russia will never find common ground. I think very interesting, but I think don't think the Putin, I don't think he's ever read Maya Angelou when she wrote, when someone tells you who they are, believe them, believe them. But I think he believes them now. I think he believes in the United States. And so we see this alignment where China and Russia, and this is our shock in all moment really. Right? We are not looking for the smoke, but we here for it. If you've got some, for us, I think this is a very direct message at Washington. At France, this thing in Ukraine is over. I mean, it's all over, but the shouting again, there's some loose ends to wrap up, including this terrorist attack that was very likely staged by Ukraine and Russia a few weeks ago. So there's some loose ends to wrap up, but this thing is all over, and I think the Russia and China are now turning to the next phase, which is this inevitable rise to the top of the geopolitical order. Again, it's not a linear thing. Take some time. We see them sort of orchestrating bricks and bricks has not really been the dynamo that we expected, but what we see is that other, Wilmer Leon (08:56): It's coming. Jon Jeter (08:57): It's coming though. And we also see that there are other countries, particularly in Africa, particularly in Latin America with Mexico and Venezuela has been there for a while, but we see countries sort of mimicking bricks, parroting bricks in terms of Zimbabwe is talking about a gold back currency. And we see, of course, what South Africa is doing, which is sort of defining itself outside the US orbit, the Western orbit. So we see some things that are in motion, and Russia and China are at the center and the United States and the West, the collective West is increasingly being pushed to the outer margins. Wilmer Leon (09:38): Well, and I'm going to stay with that pushed, let me just say, because people, I'm glad you brought up bricks because people have to understand that this isn't just China and Russia. This is China and Russia, and the Bricks is an acronym for Brazil, India, China, I'm sorry, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. And then you have the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. So there are a number of countries that, Venezuela, Iran, there are a number of countries that are looking to join this group as well. And I'm glad you used the point that the United States is going to be pushed to the margins because what a lot of people really, particularly in the West really have to pay attention to is the fact that it's the sanctions regime of the United States. It's the threat of militarism by the United States. It's the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipeline by the United States that has really forced this relationship to develop and to grow, and now to become to the part where you've got G and Lavrov meeting for what will eventually be a meeting and a signing of documents between G and Putin. It's the United States fault that they have come to the point that they have John G. Yes. Jon Jeter (11:16): No, that's exactly right. And a couple of things I think it would be important to note. One is that Janet Yellen was just in China and compare her meeting with, I don't know if she met with G or not, but she met with, I know she met with her finance people. Wilmer Leon (11:35): She met with the finance people, and I think she met with Wang Lee, the foreign minister. Jon Jeter (11:39): Yes. And so her message was, you're overproducing and it's hurting us, which is foolish. And I'm being generous by saying that it's fool. That's a foolish message. It's almost like Rip Van Winkle waking up after 50 years saying, you're over producing too much. It's hurting us. What did you think was going to happen? Do you not understand how this capital system works? So you compare Wilmer Leon (12:05): That minute. And also I thought that the United States was all about free markets. Jon Jeter (12:12): Right, exactly. Wilmer Leon (12:16): I thought the market was supposed to determine what succeeds and what fails. The invisible hand and all Jon Jeter (12:25): This. Yeah. Jack Young's a socialist who knew, right? I think that's amazing though that we see this desperation. Wilmer Leon (12:35): She was begging Jon Jeter (12:37): Yes and no. I said this before, but I keep returning to it. It's amazing how this self adoration and self worship by the United States doesn't lead to self-awareness, right. This idea how this looks like to the rest of the world. The other thing too, I think this is a perfect segue. It is what the rest of the world is starting to see. And you might argue that it's late even for that to happen for them to see what's happening, but at least they are starting now to see that this world that was defined by the United States with neoliberalism, beginning with Ronald Reagan, really pushed by Bill Clinton, this whole neoliberal idea has failed, has failed. The idea was that if you do these things to open up your markets to us, you'll look like the United States one day. You will be as rich and prosperous as we are. (13:36) That hasn't happened anywhere, not even in the United States. It has not happened anywhere. No one looks like the United States in some ways. That's very good. And so the world is seeing that this was a snake oil, right, being sold by the snake oil salesman. And so we're at this pivotal point, and this is very much like what did Mike Tyson used to say? Everybody has a plan. You get smack in the nose, you get punched. Yeah. The United States has been smacking nose in Ukraine, and let me end with this. And the other thing in terms of it not working, and everyone else sees this, everyone else in the world, especially China and Russia, the United States, we have stolen money. We've stolen oil from in Syria. We are in Iraq, and they have problem, I think is at least two times, told the United States, one of the United States to leave Iraq. (14:33) And we're still there, like the guests from Hurricane Katrina who never want to leave. That's what the United States is there in Iraq. And now we've stolen money from Afghanistan, stolen money, we've stolen money from Venezuela, and now we're about to steal money. The international reserves from Russia. And so this is going to destroy the United States as a reliable or trusted partner in any kind of commercial transaction. If they're just going to steal money, no one's going to trust them. So they're really in a very difficult spot. The rest of the world sees what's happening. The United States has no idea, or at least the American people don't. I think our leadership knows, but they have no way out. Wilmer Leon (15:20): To your point about stealing money, for those that may not understand what you're referring to, many people remember the United States froze Iranian assets and was slowly returning some of those assets to Iran. Then the United States, when Juan Waid do became, was forced on the Venezuelan people in the world. Then the United States froze Venezuelan assets that I think were held in British banks, and now the United States is talking about freezing some of the Russian sovereign wealth fund that is being held in banks around the world. But the interesting thing is, a lot of those banks are telling the United States, that's not a good idea. Don't drag us into this because we don't want to have to deal with the repercussions of what Russia will do to us if we steal their money. And I think some of that perspective is coming from the reality that the United States is not the only game in town anymore. That's right. And Debo, if we go back to the movie Fridays, Deebo got hit with a brick, Jon Jeter (16:46): Right? That's right. He got knocked the F out, Wilmer Leon (16:51): Laying out on Craig's front lawns. So this is, man, this thing is unraveling. It is unraveling quickly, and folks really need to pay attention. President Xi said, he said, China and Russia have embarked upon a new path of harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between major countries and neighbors, which has benefited the two countries and their peoples and contributed wisdom and strength to international fairness and justice. A couple of things in that statement. One, win-win cooperation. A lot of people need to understand that win-win is not just some euphemism that is thrown around carelessly win-win is an actual international cooperation strategy that Russia tries to reach with the countries it does business with. They don't go in and overthrow your government. They don't come in and tell you how to run your country. You have resources, they have money. They want to buy your resources at relatively fair market value, and they want you to be happy and they'll be happy. And that's how they do business. And they contribute wisdom and strength to international fairness and justice. That's not just rhetoric that they hide behind as some kind of excuse for overthrowing your government. That's right. (18:48) People need to listen to Xi. People need to listen to Putin because you listen to what they say, and then you look at what they do. And those things seem to be simpatico, John. Jon Jeter (19:01): Yeah, there's no doubt. I just think as someone who considers himself a Pan-Africanist, I think this is a very exciting time. It's not written in stone yet, but there's a very real opportunity, I think for, we see things happening in Africa now, some bad things with the militarization of Africa by Africa in the United States, but we also see in some ways that has backfired. So we see this militarization as a result of, in these cos by soldiers who have been trained by the United States, but who are representative of their people, particularly in Burkina Faso with this young man. And these, we see Africa turning more towards Russia, which is actually where it was during the Cold War. But we see it turning back towards Russia finding these Wilmer Leon (19:52): Ties. Where is Patrice Lumumba University? Jon Jeter (19:56): It's Wilmer Leon (19:56): In Moscow. That's Jon Jeter (19:58): Right. That's right. And the Chinese, I don't think it's a thing where African countries can sort of just lay back and be passive and say, oh, China's going to save us. And I think they know this. I think China has cut a better deal than the United States, but one that's so far has not necessarily been favorable and has led to economic development, which is what Africa most needs is economic development. Their own industrial sector at this point, one that is more environmentally sustainable, but they need their own industrial sector. They, they grow coffee, but they don't actually roast the coffee. Things like this. This is what they need. But I do think this, Wilmer Leon (20:36): They need to wait a minute to that point, because that's a brilliant point. People need to understand that we all know that the continent of Africa is the repository of minerals, but in most instances, they don't process the minerals from raw form, raw ore, for example, into a marketable commodity Jon Jeter (21:10): Value added. Wilmer Leon (21:11): In fact, I think it was either Ghana or Guyana that makes cocoa, cocoa Jon Jeter (21:19): Beans, Ghana, I believe it's Ghana. Wilmer Leon (21:20): Okay. So Ghana had been selling the unprocessed cocoa beans to Switzerland, and Ghana decided we're going to start processing our own cocoa bean into cocoa powder domestically. Switzerland said, well, then we won't buy your product. China said, we'll buy it. You processed it, buy it. Jon Jeter (21:51): That's what I'm talking about. Yes, yes. That's a very different relationship. That's one where there's an opportunity to grow to, because these value added industries are where the money is, right? Correct. They raise wages for people. I'll tell a very quick story about my time in South Africa about 25 years ago when I was a young man, and I had a girlfriend at the time, and I was famously cheap. I'm still famously cheap, although I'm also broke, but I thought, I'm going to South Africa, so I'll buy some gold. And they have diamonds here, so I'll buy her a nice tennis bracelet. I thought thinking it would be cheaper there actually turned out it costs more there because while they mine the gold and the diamonds in South Africa, they have to send it all the way to Antwerp to get it cut, then send it back to South Africa. (22:33) That's where the money is. So this is what I think can happen if Africa, they have to be strategic, they have to cut better deals with China. But China, there's some daylight with China that did not exist with the United States or the West, where China is a better grade of capitalism, and they get very much like what China did with the United States, beginning with the Nixon administration, where China basically cut these deals. They knew what they were doing, and I don't think they knew that they were playing into the United States racism. And I'm not saying that China is racist like the United States, but they cut this deal knowing that eventually it would lead to this industrialized economy, right? Africa can do the same thing with China's investments. If they're strategic, I don't think that China's going to offer it just off the top of their head, but they can negotiate these things. I think China is willing a willing partner in this enterprise. So we're on the cusp of something I think that is transformative, not just for the United States, but for the world. And so it's exciting at the same time, of course, it's sort of traumatizing to see what's going on in the world, but it's just, what did KY say? This is the interregnum, the oldest dying and the new Wilmer Leon (23:46): Cannot be born, has yet been born or cannot be born. Cannot Jon Jeter (23:51): Be born, right? Yet Wilmer Leon (23:54): Two things, and we'll move on to talking about what's happening in Haiti. And that is, I was listening to Lloyd Austin, secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, and his testimony before the Senate, and I don't remember the senator, but one of them asked him, can you tell us that you'll support our move to break the ties, the supply chain with China? Because the Department of Defense, all of this rhetoric about China is our enemy, and we hate China. The Department of Defense buys critical components from China for defense equipment, for drones. And it's not just as easy anymore as saying, we're not going to get this stuff from China because some of these things, China is the only place you can get them. That's right. So on the one hand, we're standing here beating our chests about screaming at China, and at the same time, we're getting key military components from them. And by the way, Janet Yellen is there meeting with them about trade and finance. Why? Because they hold so much of our debt. That's right. That's right. And so those are elements, that's why I say, folks, you've got to connect these dots and things don't happen in a vacuum. There's a much broader historical context in which these things are operating, but CNN and M-S-N-B-C-I-A and the Washington Post, they won't give you the context. That's one of the things that is so invaluable, I believe about this show. And guests like my good brother John Jeter. (25:59) Oh, before we get to Haiti, one final point on this too, and that is there was a piece in the South China Morning post, the United States leaves a mess in Ukraine and moves on to China as the State Department, I'm sorry, at the State Department, the Ukraine girl is out, and the China guy is in. From Washington's perspective, it was a right assessment, whether that's good for Asia and world peace is a different matter. So basically what they're talking about is the United States has decided that Ukraine basically is lost, and they're now trying to pivot, going back to Barack Obama and the pivot towards Asia. They're trying to pivot away from Ukraine the same way they did in Afghanistan. 25 years of getting your hin parts whooped in Afghanistan, then you cut and run. And was it ironic that you then start the fight of Ukraine? And in fact, in listening to Lloyd Austin, they said since 2014, the United States has spent 300 billion in Ukraine. And I know that's a low estimate, but it's the number they quoted during the hearings, 300 billion. Jon Jeter (27:33): What did Tupac say? You got money for wars, but can't feed the poor. There you Wilmer Leon (27:37): Go. And what did Dr. King say? War is the enemy of the poor. Jon Jeter (27:43): That's right. John Jeter. Yeah, no, that's exactly right. I was listening to Jeffrey Sacks the other day. I spent half my time just listening to these podcasts with people like Jeffrey Sacks. But he was saying he was answering, he was on that show Rising, I think, and he was answering a question about his critics who said that he was a Putin apologist. And the anchor asked him, what do you say to your critics? He said, I told you so. (28:08) That's how I answered. I told you so. Right. Ukraine is wrecked, and the money they're trying to send over there now, it's not going to make any difference on the battlefield. This is war profit change. This is how the United States makes its money now. And this is all, it's very seamless too. You won't hear it in the press, but it's very seamless. We began to ship our manufacturing sector overseas, beginning with China in the seventies under Richard Nixon, in part to punish the radical black political movement that was kryptonite to capital, very much like Kryptonite. What kryptonite is the Superman, the radical black political movement was to our oligarchs. And so we started sending this. Wilmer Leon (28:56): How so explain that for the audience, Jon Jeter (28:58): Because what you'll see, and you'll see this actually cyclically going back to even radical reconstruction, where this radical black political tradition, what it's allowed to express itself freely as a way of galvanizing the people, or if you are Marxist or Marxist friendly, the working class, that's just what it is. And so I've interviewed people like Bernadine Dorn who was with the Weather Underground. She says she spent her first year as the head of students for a Democratic society going around to these white college campuses telling them the first thing you need to do is get in touch with the black college, the historically black college down the street. You need to get in touch with them, see what they're talking about. So this is, that's Wilmer Leon (29:48): Part of what Bois was writing about in reconstruction in America. Jon Jeter (29:53): That's exactly right. That's exactly, it goes back to that reconstruction. If you look at that era, right? A lot of things happened, but there was Confederacy in the former Confederate states. There was a interracial political party of some type in every Confederate state in the union after the Civil War. And they all had varying degrees of success, but they all redistributed wealth from the top to the working class. They have some success in doing that. And so it is that black political voice that really has shaped and modernized this country, especially when you look at the New Deal. We look at the blacks who are allowed finally to join the labor unions. And together we fought. And of course, I mean, honestly, whites just went back to being white after that battle was won or after we were winning the battle, they started going back to being white in the seventies. That's what Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan were about. Really fast, Wilmer Leon (30:46): But minute, minute. Wait a minute. Just take a step back there, because I think it's important for people to realize that post the abolition of enslavement, you had newly freed Africans that were actually joining forces with poor whites. Oh, no question. And the industrialists realized that's a force that we cannot allow to grow in this country. And they then started injecting the whole construct of race into that relationship to draw a wedge between the two. So when you say that in the seventies, whites went back to being white, I wanted to be sure that people understood where that mentality came from. Jon Jeter (31:36): And just to be clear, if you understand, people who are of a certain age will remember in the seventies when we started to see these movies, I love Paul Newman, but he was in that movie, what was it? Ford, Apache, the Bronx, these movies and these television shows, which starts to show basically, blacks is unfit for public office or blacks is unfit for public to participate in public affairs. That's what it was, right? So we're criminals, we're drug dealers, we're unpatriotic. Just as one example, if you remember the movie Alien from 1980, the most dangerous thing, that movie, other than the monster that had crept on board was Koda, who didn't want, who was just concerned about his pay, right? So this image is what has shaped modern politics. The black as unpatriotic, as unfit to lead is unfit to participate. And so this is what we're really dealing with at bottom. This is why there's never been a socialist movement or working class movement in the United States the way there's been, even in Europe. Wilmer Leon (32:38): And Point could take us into a eugenics conversation. Yes, Dr. Chantel Sherman, I'm going to give you your props here and now, in fact, I got to get Dr. Chantel Sherman on, because you're talking about the way that we were misrepresented in the films. That's also been a history of eugenics supporting the whole argument that scientifically, that biologically, we are incapable of managing and blah, blah, blah, because our brains are too small, our heads are too big and all that. So anyway, again, connecting the dots, folks, this is why you watch this show. I'm sorry, go ahead, John, you. Jon Jeter (33:28): No, no. Yeah. So I was just saying, I think the understanding these connections are what really helps us find a way forward. I don't know, honestly, if black and white can unite and fight the United States at this point, but I do believe that as Fred Hampton said, we can achieve black power for black people, white power for white people, yellow power for yellow people, and X power for all the people we left out. I do think that's possible if we can start to eradicate this tribalism, or at least put it aside long enough to work together and understand that we're at war Ukraine, not because Putin is trying to Wilmer Leon (34:07): Take Jon Jeter (34:07): Over Europe. Yeah, he's not trying to. There's no history of that, right? Either the Soviet Union or for Putin, this is about the Wall Street profiteering. They don't have any way to make money. They shipped all the jobs overseas. They killed the goose, delayed the golden egg, and now they're trying to make money. That's what I'm just looking at at a television ad. I was watching the NBA game. They had an ad about gambling, and the gambling is illegal everywhere. Now why is that? Where Cuba is, like Cuba was in 1958, right? It's because they can't make money any other way or through gambling through these Uber, which is basically just rent seeking what the French call rent seeking, looking to profit off something that already exists. This is how they make money, and war is part of that. So you really do have to connect the dots. Your show is aptly named. You really do have to connect the dots historically and contemporaneously to understand what's going on, because that's the only way you can actually work your way out of this. As my father would say, my late father would've said this trick bag that we find ourselves in, Wilmer Leon (35:09): And the new Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, to your point about profiteering quote, I would argue that working closely with other nations, not just diplomatically, but in defense avenues, has the consequence of strengthening peace and stability more generally. So what he's saying is dumping more military hardware into already very tense situations and making them more volatile somehow is going to strengthen peace and stability. Or as Orwell said, in terms of doublespeak war is peace. Jon Jeter (35:54): Right? I think Obama said the same thing. Did he not? Wilmer Leon (35:57): Yes, he did, Jon Jeter (35:59): Basically, which tells you a lot about Obama and why he was put in that place, why he was installed. It says a lot about Obama and this country. Wilmer Leon (36:08): So let's quickly move to Haiti because there's been a lot happening over the last, a lot of negative things happening for Haitians in Haiti. The Washington Post of all places had a piece. When Haiti's gangs shop for guns, the United States is their store. Now, there's a lot of crap and a lot of garbage in this piece because again, it is the Washington Post. But Jon Jeter (36:38): My former employer, I should, I should. Wilmer Leon (36:40): There you go. So am I wrong? Jon Jeter (36:43): Not at all. Wilmer Leon (36:44): Okay. Not Jon Jeter (36:44): At all. Wilmer Leon (36:46): So heavily. This is the Washington Post. Heavily armed gangs controlled 80% of Port-au-Prince, according to a un estimate where they rape, kidnap, and kill with impunity. Haiti doesn't manufacture firearms, and the un prohibits importing them. But that's no problem for the criminals when they go shopping, the US is their gun store. And what there is so much context and so much reality that is omitted from this piece. For example, Haiti doesn't manufacture weapons, but that's no problem for the criminals because the elite in Haiti that control the ports A, allow the weapons into the country. John Jeter. Jon Jeter (37:34): Yeah. And I even take issue with that phrasing, the criminals who exactly are the criminals. Wilmer Leon (37:38): That's my point. That's why I mentioned the elite. Jon Jeter (37:41): Yeah, yeah, exactly. I mean, the problem with Haiti, people think it's just these sort of animalistic Haitians who are always fighting. And this guy named Barbecue was just this crazy maniacal cannibal Haitian. Yeah, cannibal. Right, right, right. They Wilmer Leon (38:03): Were talking about him eating people last week. Jon Jeter (38:06): Yeah. Well, but if you ask the Haitian people, right? I mean, really the Haitian people, right? Not the elites, but they'll tell you if you really, everybody of course knows what happened with Haiti and Napoleon and then the debts and the United States going in in 1915. But they'll tell you, people in Haiti will tell you, well, you can trace this back to when they got rid of John Tron Air, Steve Credit elected president, who is I think still Wilmer Leon (38:34): You said they, who was the they? Jon Jeter (38:36): Oh, the United States. Thank you. Who at gunpoint. At gunpoint went in. They Wilmer Leon (38:41): Kidnapped him, Jon Jeter (38:43): Kidnapped him, and then would not, Obama did this first black president, my president is black, would that allow him back in the country to run for president? But when let baby doc back in to run for president? And then part of the reason was, and they've got all these arrangements sweatshops there. They're taking land that can be used for agriculture. Your Wilmer Leon (39:05): Levi jeans are probably made in Jon Jeter (39:07): Haiti, baseballs are made, Wilmer Leon (39:09): Baseball are made in Haiti. Jon Jeter (39:11): And this is a company apparently that Hillary Clinton fought to keep the wages low to make these baseball. I can't even watch baseball anymore knowing that. Right. And so we always, Wilmer Leon (39:22): Hang on a second, because you talk about the wages. So let me make this point so I don't forget it. So they talk about the arms that are trafficked, however you say it to Haiti, are purchased by straw purchasers in states such as Florida, a 50 caliber sniper rifle that sells for $10,000 in the US can get as much as $80,000. In Haiti, a 50 caliber sniper rifle that sells for $10,000 in the US can fetch $80,000 in Haiti. What is the average annual gross income per capita income for a Haitian, Jon Jeter (40:21): I don't think it's $8,000. I don't think it's one 10th of that. It's Wilmer Leon (40:25): 1000 as of 2022, which is the last time the data was collected, $1,247 and 89 cents, which averages $3 and 42 cents per day. So how is somebody who makes on average $3 and 42 cents per day going to buy an $80,000 50 caliber sniper rifle? Jon Jeter (41:07): Right? Right. Who's buying these weapons? Wilmer Leon (41:09): Thank you, John G. Who's Jon Jeter (41:11): Buying these weapons? The job of the media today is to, and it's always been this way, but now it's worse than ever. The job is to decontextualize the news is to disconnect it from the history. And that's why you get this sort of constant barrage of, well, the economy's doing great. I don't know why people are so upset because they're broke, fool. That's why people saying Wilmer Leon (41:34): To the position of decontextualization. So you see these pictures, or you see this footage of these Haitian young men roaming the streets with AR fifteens, AK 40 sevens. 40 caliber Berettas, which will run you close to a 40 caliber Beretta, depending on a model will run, you say between $700 and a grand. And nobody asks the question, where'd that kid get their pistol from? That's Jon Jeter (42:10): Right. That's right. That's right. Wilmer Leon (42:12): He's making $3 and 42 cents a day, $1,200 a year, and he's walking around with, and we aren't even talking about putting bullets in the thing. Nobody's asking that question. Jon Jeter (42:29): Right? Right, right. Jon Jeter (42:31): Yeah. Well, we are right. But the media doesn't want to ask because the answer is very uncomfortable. The answer is very discomforting. It's the Wilmer Leon (42:38): Core group. They're called the core Jon Jeter (42:40): Group. That's right. That's right. They're Wilmer Leon (42:42): Called Montana Group. Jon Jeter (42:44): Was it six families that run Haiti basically? Right. None of them black, by the way. None of them black. I think they're Lebanese and something Wilmer Leon (42:52): Else like that, that I'm not sure of. I think, Jon Jeter (42:55): But they're not black. Maybe some of them are, but most of them are not. Wilmer Leon (43:01): Most of 'em are not. Okay. So folks, you've got to understand the context here. And now, I can't remember the guy's name, but the United States has just appointed a new ambassador to Haiti. But here's the trick bag. If I can quote the late Mr. Jeter, in order for an ambassador to be recognized, he or she has to present his or her credentials to the president of the country that he's going to. Jon Jeter (43:43): There's Wilmer Leon (43:44): No Jon Jeter (43:44): President. There's no president. How does that work? So Wilmer Leon (43:48): How does an American ambassador land on the ground in Port-au-Prince? Who does he turn to? Jimmy Rizzi. Jon Jeter (43:59): Right? Barbecue. Right. Who Wilmer Leon (44:01): Does he turn to? There's nobody home. But again, I didn't hear Rachel Maddow asking that question. I didn't hear Joy Reed asking that question. And folks, look, you can look in the US Constitution article under Article two where they described the responsibilities of the president, one of the responsibilities of American president is to what? Recognize ambassadors from other countries. That's how the international diplomatic game is played. The American Ambassador to China presents his or her credentials to Xi Jinping and Xi Jinping goes, okay. Or Get out of my country. Jon Jeter (44:55): I don't think so. Right, right, right. Wilmer Leon (44:57): Don't play that. Jon Jeter (44:58): Right. And on another note, I related, but not quite at the point, but I just think this is so interesting. I was reading a recent piece, I cannot remember where, but they were talking about the origins of Hades gangs, and if you read it, they didn't mention this, but I know the history. It's the same as the gangs in Chicago, Los Angeles. They were formed to protect the community from the police, right? From harassment. The Black Wilmer Leon (45:23): Panthers. Jon Jeter (45:24): Exactly. Wilmer Leon (45:25): The Black Panther party for self-defense, for Jon Jeter (45:28): Self-defense. That's exactly right. And Huey Newton and Bobby Seale got their start getting a traffic signal on a particularly dangerous stop in Oakland. So this was, now, I'm not saying that they're still necessarily representing the people, but that's how they got their start. They filled this void that was left by the state because the state was just serving the interest of rich people and the United States and the West Canada and France and all that. So I just wish people was such a dumb down nation. I don't mean that to be judgmental, but it's just the case. Wilmer Leon (46:00): What was one of the major actions that the Panthers in Oakland performed every day on the street? They were policing the police. Jon Jeter (46:12): That's right. That's right. That's Wilmer Leon (46:13): Right. So when they came across cops in a traffic stop, they would pull over, locked and loaded. Right? Right. No, you couldn't have a round in the chamber, but they were armed, and they would stop and be sure that the traffic stop was proper and that the person being pulled over, usually the African-American driver of the car was not going to be. In fact, folks need to understand what was the Mulford Act in California? The Mulford Act was the law that was passed in California, I want to say 71, 72, when the Panthers went into the California State House, state House armed, legally armed, so long as you didn't have one in the chamber, legally armed. And the folks in California said, oh, no, we can't have this anymore. Jon Jeter (47:20): Gun control. Wilmer Leon (47:21): Gun control. That's why I've been saying for years, if you want gun control in the United States, let the government see law abiding black people legally buying and legally training with firearms. You'll find gun control, as they would say, liquidity split. Jon Jeter (47:45): It is gun control in the United States is very similar to our edict that Iran can't possess nuclear weapons. Why can't they? They're a sovereign country, right? Because we know we don't want them to defend themselves. That's why, just like we don't want black people to defend themselves. We've got this plague of black people being shot by the police, and we don't want black people to be able to shoot back. Wilmer Leon (48:06): And quite as it kept, Ron is a signatory to the nuclear nonproliferation Jon Jeter (48:11): Degree, read the Israel Is Right, Israel, and they got, I think something like 300, 400 nuclear warheads. Iran don't even want nuclear weapons. They want nuclear energy. They've said that they banned, they had a fat wall that banned or needed from the, I told it banned nuclear. But on the news here, including one of my former colleagues of the Washington Post Gene, I can't remember his name now, but he says, well, of course I ran once nuclear weapons. Really? So you know something that the intelligence agencies of the United States don't know because they say that there's no such nuclear weapons programmed by Iran. Wilmer Leon (48:48): There isn't, and they don't need one because of the missile technology, the hypersonic missile technology that they have developed. And also they don't want a nuclear weapon because they understand the attention that brings to them, and it's negative. They don't want none of that smoke because also their military perspective is defensive, not offensive. Right, Jon Jeter (49:23): Right, right. Very protect the Soviet Union. Very protect the Soviet Union. Wilmer Leon (49:28): That's why Ukraine is being turned into rubble. Jon Jeter (49:30): Right? That's exactly Wilmer Leon (49:31): Right. Is because Russia has been planning for 25 years for this very type of ground ballistic missile ground or artillery driven ground war, war of attrition. I will just send missiles into your bathroom all day, every day for the next 10 years, and eventually you'll call and ask me, will you please stop sending missiles into my bathroom? I do Jon Jeter (50:03): Appreciate it. I don't know much about militarism and war strategy and things like that, but I've been reading up a little bit on Russia, and what I've concluded is you don't want nothing to do with Russia. You don't want no smoke for Russia. Look, Wilmer Leon (50:20): When the United States sent, I think it was the Eisenhower, I think it was USS Eisenhower into the Mediterranean about three or four months ago. No, it was in October in response to October 7th. Oh, right, Jon Jeter (50:37): Right. That's right. I Wilmer Leon (50:38): Remember that. The Biden sent, I think it was the Eisenhower Aircraft carrier group into the Mediterranean, and Putin called Biden and said, Joe, why did you send that aircraft carrier group into the Mediterranean? He says, you're not scaring anybody. Because he said, these people don't scare. And oh, by the way, I can sink your aircraft carrier from here with our SU 35 fighter jets with hypersonic Ken Jaw missiles. I can sink the thing before you even know the missile has been fired, Jon Jeter (51:24): Joe. Whatcha doing? Wilmer Leon (51:25): Yeah. Jon Jeter (51:26): We started by talking about Mike Tyson's theory about everybody's got a plan. I think it's appropriate to mention, just like Mike Tyson, he beat all these people, all these other boxes because they were afraid of him until he met Buster Douglas. Wilmer Leon (51:40): Buster Douglas. Jon Jeter (51:41): Buster Douglas was not afraid. He did not back up. He kept coming. And I don't want no smoke from Mike Tyson, but Buster Douglas was ready for him. And so yeah, this is the United States. Now we're Mike Tyson, but we're in the ring now with Buster Douglas. Putin is not afraid. Right. Wilmer Leon (51:57): And to your Mike Tyson analogy, the thing that Mike Tyson was always susceptible to was a jab. The problem was he didn't come across an opponent that was big enough in stature that had the jab until he fought Buster Douglas. That's Jon Jeter (52:20): Right. Wilmer Leon (52:21): What's his name from Easton, Pennsylvania, the heavyweight he was in. Jon Jeter (52:31): Larry Holmes. Wilmer Leon (52:32): Larry Holmes. Larry Holmes. Larry Holmes would've wiped the floor. Oh, is that right? Hands down. Yeah. Man, Larry Holmes had a jab. Jon Jeter (52:44): Oh, I remember Larry Holmes. Yeah, I know. He was a bad man. Wilmer Leon (52:50): I didn't mean to turn this into a boxing conversation, but just for the point. Larry Holmes' problem was he came in the shadow of Ali. Of Ali. Right. But you go back and look at footage of Larry Holmes in his day, man, that brother, he would've wiped the floor because that's, and I go through all of that here. I'm going to connect the dots, is you have to understand the weakness of your opponent and exploit that weakness. And that's what Russia does. That's what Iran does. That's why President Raisi of Iran, in response to the Syrian bombing of the embassy in Syria, he said, we will respond when we are ready. The United States Intelligence Services told us last week, expect a response within 48 hours from Iran. I said, no, we'll get to it when we're ready. And what has Israel already done? Closed 30 embassies around the world. So in Iran's mind, we've already won. You've closed 30 embassies. We didn't have to strike one of them. We skewed you into action. Jon Jeter (54:20): And from what I understand, again, I'm new to this sort of military strategy, but from what I've understood that the weakness of the United States is this overconfidence, it's arrogance that beginning, I think with, what was it? North Korea and China, when they lured them into the United States, lured them in and basically just, they just trapped. They knew they would come because they're so arrogant. They knew they would take the bait. And that's the Achilles tea of the United States is their overconfidence. Wilmer Leon (54:49): Look, that's what Iran isn't doing. They're not taking the bait. Russia did not take the bait as they went into Ukraine, but they went into Ukraine, not in the manner in which the United States thought they would. They didn't take the bait. China as it relates to Taiwan. They're not taking the bait. They hence the adage, you have the watches, but we have the time. Jon Jeter (55:20): We got the time. That's right. Wilmer Leon (55:22): We'll handle this our way when we are ready. Look at what's going on right now in Gaza. You've got Hamas, right? Hezbollah hasn't really jumped in like everybody thought they would. Right? You've got the Houthis or Ansar, Allah in Yemen. They're handling the Red Sea, but they aren't really in it. Not everybody's in the pool yet. And see, this is something that folks really need to understand is they are biding their time. All of those entities are sitting back watching the show, and there's a reason that Hezbollah hasn't jumped in because Hamas is winning. Jon Jeter (56:08): Yeah. I'm a big fan of all the podcasts. The one that I watched the most is Ali Abu Ma with the electronic ada. And from everything I'm getting from there, and they seem to really know what they're talking about. Hamas is handling this business. Wilmer Leon (56:21): And when I say Hamas winning, folks could look at this and scratch their head and say, Wilmer, have you seen Gaza lately? Yeah. Here's the thing. Hamas wins by not losing. When they live to fight another day, they win. Israel comes into Gaza. What is Israel saying? Now? We're getting out of Gaza. They come in, they get thumped, they get out. When the dust settles, Hamas will still be in existence. And by being in existence, they will have one. Jon Jeter (56:58): That's right. And I think this was all very calculated by Hamas. I'm not sure if they even understood this kind of blowback, but again, they were trying to pull Israel under this war because they realized they Wilmer Leon (57:08): Knew what Israel would do. I'm glad you brought this up because when you talk about that, I was trying to get that together in my head, and that was a point that I was trying to make, was that Hamas lured the IDF into strategy. They knew what their response would be because of their arrogance, and they are thumping them, Jon Jeter (57:36): And there's no way out. I can't repeat the lyric. I want to, I think it was Ice Cube said, I don't want to hear that. I ain't mean it. Right. That's what Hama is saying to Israel right now. I don't hear none of that. I ain't mean it. Right. I don't. Don't gloat for anyone's death. And what's happening there is horrific, and I'm not sure if it's worth the cause. It's a period victory if it is one for Hamas, but this is the way it's going to end. Israel is not going to exist as we have long known it. If I can quite a phrase from Bill Clinton, Wilmer Leon (58:13): Let's wrap up with this. The Nation magazine reports more than half a million Democratic voters have told Biden Save Gaza, the campaign to use uncommitted primary votes to send a message to Biden has won two dozen delegates. More than 500,000 Americans in states across this country have cast Democratic primary votes for either uncommitted, unconstructed or no preference. Jon Jeter (58:48): That's right. That's Wilmer Leon (58:48): Right. I think the Democrats are shaking in their diapers. Jon Jeter (58:55): It's a wrap for the Democrats, certainly for the Biden administration. And of those 500,000 votes, I believe a hundred thousand are in Michigan. Joe Biden can't win Michigan. Joe Biden does not win reelection. Wilmer Leon (59:07): And Joe Biden only won Michigan by about 130,000 votes. Jon Jeter (59:11): That's right. Yeah. If the vote was today, he would not win Michigan. Not because everybody would vote for Trump, but because a whole Wilmer Leon (59:18): Lot of people, a lot people stay home Jon Jeter (59:20): And Michigan, lemme just say this very quickly, Michigan and the Arab community and the board, I lived in Detroit for a couple of years in the early nineties. They are really impressed in terms of their organization, and they're showing us a roadmap for how we can fight back as a people. Wilmer Leon (59:34): Exactly. Jon Jeter (59:36): Organized, Wilmer Leon (59:37): Organized. And I've listened to a number of interviews from Arab Americans in Michigan, and the reporters will say, well, don't you realize that your uncommitted movement could wind up resulting in the election, the reelection of Donald Trump? And they look in the camera and say, we know. And we don't care about that. We have a bigger point than Donald Trump that we are conveying. And plus they realize, is it a blue car or a green car? It's still a car. You're going to wind up basically. And for the most part, in the same circumstance, because to a great degree, and you are much more adept at this than I am to a great degree. It's not Trump policy. It's not Biden policy. It's American foreign policy. Jon Jeter (01:00:37): That's right. That's right. Wilmer Leon (01:00:38): Irrespective of who the president is, John G. Yeah. Jon Jeter (01:00:42): No, and I just don't think they understand. What part of genocide. Don't you understand? I'm not voting for a genocide. Wilmer Leon (01:00:48): Well, if you ask Lloyd Austin, he doesn't understand it at all. He said during the Senate hearings, there's no genocide in Gaza. Jon Jeter (01:00:56): If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck Wilmer Leon (01:01:00): And it dies like a duck, it's genocide. Jon Jeter (01:01:03): Right. That's the genocide, man. It just is. You're a lawyer. So what is it low? Wilmer Leon (01:01:09): I went, I went to law school. I went to law school. I'm not Jon Jeter (01:01:11): A lawyer. Okay, okay. I mean, I didn't mean to defame you like that, Wilmer Leon (01:01:16): But I did stay at Holiday Inn Express last night. So what you got, Jon Jeter (01:01:20): So what is it, low ipso Ur, is it? The B is as it appears? It is as it looks. No, Wilmer Leon (01:01:29): You just combine two phrases, rest ips, aquir. Jon Jeter (01:01:33): Okay. Thank you. Sorry, I didn't even go to law school and I didn't understand the Holiday Inn Express Wilmer Leon (01:01:39): Rest ips. Aquir, I think is what is the Latin you were going for? Jon Jeter (01:01:42): Yes. The thing is, as it appears, right, it is as it looks, yeah, that's the genocide. But it's most horrific thing I've seen in my lifetime, and it's just nothing else to say. I don't know how anyone's going to pull the lever for Joe Biden seeing the horror that's happening in Gaza. It's traumatized. It's traumatized. So I don't think there's a path victory. I didn't think there was a path of victory to victory for Joe Biden before October 7th. I certainly don't think there's one now. And I still think people laugh at this. I know Joe Rogan said, and I don't know that I believe very much in Joe Rogan's political acumen, but he said that he thinks that Democrats are going to replace Biden in May. I don't know if they're going to do it. I don't know if they're going to do it in May, but I still, Wilmer Leon (01:02:24): I've been saying that for a year and a half. Jon Jeter (01:02:26): Yeah, I think they might. I think they're looking to, I'll say that I think there's a fact of the Democratic party that's looking to, I think a year and a half ago, they were actively looking at Michelle Obama. I know that, as a matter of fact, I don't think she's going to do it. I'm not sure if that's still a movement, but I think because they know he can't win and it's too important, it's money that they will lose if he's not president. Because Trump, for all his flaws, is not the war profiteer that Obama was. And the Bidens, Wilmer Leon (01:02:55): I've been saying for almost a year and a half that I don't think that when you come out of the Democratic convention in August, I think right now it's the 19th, but we just found out that Ohio has told the Democratic Party that if it's held on the 19th, Joe Biden can't be on the Ohio. Oh, Jon Jeter (01:03:18): I heard that. Wilmer Leon (01:03:19): Yeah, because it has, you have to be the nominee 90 days before the election to be on the ticket in Ohio. And so Ohio has told them. But anyway, no, I've been saying that, I said almost a year and a half ago that when you come out of the convention, it's not going to be Biden. It's most likely going to be Gavin Newsom and what's her name from Michigan, Gretchen. And I said, the top of that ticket could go either way. Jon Jeter (01:04:01): That would be the best foot they could put forward. If they can't get Michelle Obama, that would be, and I don't think they can beat Trump, I'll be honest. But Wilmer Leon (01:04:07): No, I'm not saying that's going to win. I'm not saying that's going to win. But when you look at the numbers, and since I said this, Biden's numbers have only gotten worse. And Gretchen Whitmer most likely brings the Democrats, Michigan, the governor of Michigan. And because they're also, when you get rid of Biden, you got to get rid of Kamala Harris as well. Oh, yeah. So then you're going to wind up with a bunch of angry women, and you're going to wind up with a bunch of angrily black women. Jon Jeter (01:04:40): Oh, that's good. Yeah, that's good. So Wilmer Leon (01:04:42): Gretchen Whitmer brings the women back into the game. And I think, and I'll probably get bricks thrown at me for saying this, but I think a majority of black women will fall in line with the Democratic party. I seriously doubt that they would get so angry that they would abandon the party. I think they would be convinced to fall, because Kamala will be convinced to go away quietly and be a team. They'll offer her, Jon Jeter (01:05:20): Oh yeah, like they did with Al Gore. They'll offer her a bunch of money Wilmer Leon (01:05:24): Or something, or tell her, this is not your time, Jon Jeter (01:05:28): Dean of some university where she can go and Oh, Wilmer Leon (01:05:32): They might make her secretary of, I mean, ambassador to, I don't know, Botswana or, Jon Jeter (01:05:38): Right, yeah. I can play the Botswana might run her outfit into the seat though. Wilmer Leon (01:05:44): That's why they'll send her there. So anyway, so Gavin Newsom, young white cat, governor of California looks good in a suit, is articulate, can raise money, can raise his own money. And so I'm not advocating this. I'm looking at the landscape and saying they have no arms in the bullpen. I Jon Jeter (01:06:07): Wouldn't bet against that. I would not be. Wilmer Leon (01:06:08): This is baseball season. They have no arms in the bullpen, but Biden is behind in seven of the nine battleground states. Jon Jeter (01:06:20): Yeah. He can't, I think Pennsylvania's tied, but even that is trending Wilmer Leon (01:06:24): And trending in the wrong direction Jon Jeter (01:06:28): Because Wilmer Leon (01:06:29): In a lot of these states, in a lot of these states, Donald Trump is now ahead outside the margin of error of the Jon Jeter (01:06:39): Polling Wilmer Leon (01:06:40): And growing. So no, I've been saying that Joe Rogan, and I agree on that, and I've been, I'm on record for a year and a half saying Joe Biden is, and I don't think they can do it in May because the voters will cry foul at then. Why did we have primaries? You haven't had any debates. So I think they have to make the switch at the convention. I think the vote has to go down to the floor and it'll be the way it used to be when we were kids watching the conventions on television where there was all of this tension and all of this anxiety over how were the votes going to go as they did the roll call for the states from the floor. I think it's got to go that way. I don't know how they make the switch now before the convention. Jon Jeter (01:07:39): Yeah, I don't either. I don't know this though. What they don't want, their worst nightmare is for Joe Biden to appear on a debate stage with Donald Trump. They not, can't have that. They don't want that. That's just Wilmer Leon (01:07:53): No. Yeah, Jon Jeter (01:07:55): That can't happen. No, can't happen. Wilmer Leon (01:07:58): You don't even want to see, and I mean this very seriously. You don't even want to see Joe Biden, walk to the podium versus Donald Trump. Just the appearance of that. Stiff. Jon Jeter (01:08:13): Yeah. Oh, I, Wilmer Leon (01:08:15): No, no. You think Jon Jeter (01:08:16): About that. Yeah. Donald Trump is a dinosaur, but he still looks better than, he still is. More commanding than Joe Biden. Mr. That's, Wilmer Leon (01:08:28): Do you want pterodactyl or do you want, anyway, so I want to thank my guests and my dear brother John Jeter for joining me today. And John, when I say that you say, Jon Jeter (01:08:40): Thank you, brother. It was wonderful to be here. Wonderful. Wilmer Leon (01:08:44): And folks, thank you all so much for listening to the Connecting the Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wimer Leon. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please follow and subscribe. Leave a review, share, share, share, share, share the show, subscribe. Doing this every week is not cheap, trust me. We need your help. Also follow us on social media. You can find all the links below in the show description. Go to Patreon. Please contribute to the Patreon account. And remember, folks, that this is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Because talk without analysis is just chatter, and we do not chatter on connecting the dots. See you again next time. Until then, I'm Dr. Wilmer Leon. Have a great one. Peace. I'm out Announcer (01:09:41): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge.

It's a weird one this week. Why? The Holiday Inn Express baby! It's a Detroit version of The Loftus Party Podcast with Michael Loftus! We'll begin with this: Happy green beer day, you sexy heathens! Did anyone have Mike Tyson recreating the plot of Rocky Balboa on their 2024 Bingo Card? Why is Congress so keen to ban TikTok and MORE? So, much comedy and news! And yeah, pretty stoked for the Talking Heads cover tune parody thing, too. My power grows!Want to show your support and get more, more, more? We've got you covered on Locals and Patreon! Join up! Start living!Support us on Locals https://locals.com/feed/21414/theloftuspartySupport us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theloftusparty/postsCome visit & sign up for our Newsletter theloftusparty.comAnd for all your sweet TLP merch, hit up the shop at https://the-loftus-party-store-2.creator-spring.com/Order the book Neither Stunning Nor Brave by Michael LoftusSubscribe to https://www.youtube.com/TheLoftusParty Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theloftuspartyFollow us on X https://twitter.com/theloftusparty Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theloftusparty/ Follow us on Rumble https://rumble.com/user/TheLoftusPartyFollow us on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@theloftuspartySubscribe to https://thatshowtonight.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark 8:31-38Then [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day, be raised. He said all of this quite openly. And Peter pulled him aside and began to rebuke him. But Jesus, turning and looking at the disciples rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind me Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things, but on human things.”Then he called the crowds, together with the disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world and forfeit their life. Indeed, what would anyone give in return for their life. If anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and of my words, so will the Son of Man be ashamed of them when he comes again in the glory of his father with the holy angels.” I've been curious about and captivated by the death – and presumed murder – of Alexei Navalny, the Russian activist, lawyer, and political prisoner, who dropped dead in captivity just a week or so ago. If what so many believe to be true, is true, the bold, brazen way his death came to pass, is another terrifying example of who Vladimir Putin is and how his Russian regime operates. I don't know enough to comment on the politics of it all with any wisdom or detail, so I won't. But Navalny's dedication to his cause in standing up for justice and in the face of an oppressive, power-hungry, president, is admirable.And I've read some things from Navalny that indicate much of his work as an activist for justice and against corruption is rooted in his Christian faith. I've read that he was once quite a militant atheist, but that now he's a believer, and that his faith has been the source of constant ridicule from many of his friends and colleagues in the Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation. His faith was also, apparently, a comfort and an encouragement for his life and work in the world. And, in light of that kind of stubborn faith, it's meaningful to know that Navalny once said, “The world is made up not only of good and evil, but also of those who do nothing.” And he has also said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. So don't be inactive.”And it seems like Navalny's words – and the life they inspired in him – got him killed, in the end.Which reminds me of something Martin Luther King, Jr., said once: “There are some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for. And if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.”It may be too much – or too soon – to suggest that Alexei Navalny and Martin Luther King, Jr., belong in the same hall of martyrs. But their passion for justice, their willingness to stand up to the powers around them, the fearlessness with which they seemed to live – and their shared faith in Jesus – can't be separated from the words we hear from Jesus this morning, when he teaches the disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, rejection, and murder, and that if you really want to follow him you should take up a cross and do the same.Well, I'm no Alexei Navalny, no Martin Luther King, Jr., and I'm no Messiah, either. But I did see the Indigo Girls, in Dayton, on Friday night. (I mean that to sound like those Holiday Inn Express commercials, where they act like staying at a Holiday Inn makes you smarter. I think that may actually be true where the Indigo Girls are concerned, but I digress.)Anyway, one of their lyrics came to mind in light of this gospel and King's words and Navalny's death. The lyric is, “There must be a thousand things you would die for. I can hardly think of two.” It's a love song. And it's about one person's awe and admiration for another, so it's not supposed to be about Jesus at all. But, it made me wonder about what he's up to today.“There must be a thousand things you would die for. I can hardly think of two.”I think today's Gospel means to make us wonder just what it is we might be willing to die for.See, Jesus has just come out to his disciples as the Messiah. And he's talking about what that means – the idea that the likely result of his faithfulness to God's call on his life will lead to his own rejection, his own suffering and, of course, his own crucifixion and death. He's not saying that you have to die to follow Jesus, necessarily. He's just saying that if you're doing it right – “if you want to become MY followers” – you better be ready for the struggle and the suffering and the death that could very well come along with it.And Jesus knew that people – especially comfortable, privileged, powerful people – would be suddenly unsettled and afraid and threatened and angry because of all he was up to. He was about to upset the apple cart of the status quo in every way.The cross about to be foisted upon Jesus comes to him because he's about to come for the rich and the powerful. And because he's about to raise his voice for the least and the last, for the outcast and the outsider.Jesus is healing people who shouldn't be healed. He's loving people who shouldn't be loved. He's welcoming people who some would just as soon keep out. He's forgiving sins believed to be unforgiveable. Jesus is about to pull no punches, give zero you-know-whats, lay it all on the line and let the chips fall where they may.And the biggest chip to fall is himself – and he wants others to know what they're in for if they really choose to follow him… if they mean it… and if they do it right. “There must be a thousand things you would die for, [Jesus]. I can hardly think of two.”And I wonder if that's what was going through Peter's mind when he tries to stop him – when he tries to quiet him down after saying the quiet part out loud. Sometimes I think Peter was just worried people would leave the fold if they knew what the risks were. Sometimes I think Peter was just trying to protect Jesus from all of that suffering. Sometimes I think Peter just can't believe that this is the kind of Messiah God would be – one that suffers, one that gets crucified, one that gets killed. What kind of God is that?But I also wonder if Peter doesn't want Jesus talking this way – promising so much struggle and sacrifice and death – because Peter wasn't up for all of that, himself.“There must be a thousand things you would die for. I can hardly think of two.”And I wonder if we – like Peter – fool ourselves into pretending that following Jesus means giving up chocolate or beer or Facebook for Lent; or that discipleship means praying more, or reading our Bibles, or showing up for worship. And those things are good and righteous and faithful and nothing to sneeze at, don't get me wrong. But they are nothing more and nothing less than tools and faith practices meant to prepare and to move us toward something much greater.All of our worshiping, learning, and serving… All of our fasting and praying and giving… are about preparing our hearts and our minds and our lives to be able to recognize and to facilitate the Kingdom of God in our midst – for our sake and for the sake of the world – even if it's hard sometimes – and expecting it to be.All we do in the safety of our homes and with our families and through our congregation is meant to reveal the way things are (unequal, unfair, unjust for too many, too much of the time) while knowing about how God would rather have things be (equitable, fair, merciful, just, loving) so that we will do something in the name of Jesus to bring the latter – the stuff of the Kingdom – to pass. And, again, that can be risky business if and when we do it right.People with money – maybe that's you and me – don't like to be told they should give it away.People with power – maybe that's you and me – don't like to be told they should share, or even relinquish, it.People on top – maybe that's you and me – don't like to make room for others or to imagine their own place at the bottom.Preaching that could get you run out of town, which happened to Jesus. Protesting in the name of that could get you hauled into court, which happened to Jesus. Teaching that could lose you some friends and get you betrayed, which happened to Jesus. Embodying that, could get you crucified, killed, and buried, all of which happened to Jesus, just like he promised it would. “There must be a thousand things you would die for. I can hardly think of two.” And Jesus did – he died – so that we might come close to giving more, to loving more, to sacrificing more, to suffering more for the sake of others, and for the good of the cause. Because even when we fall short – as Jesus knew we would, and as God knows we do – the cross never gets the last word.“The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, yes … and be killed, yes ... and on the third day be raised.” YES. And “…on the third day be raised.”And that's where we find our hope to do what God calls us to. Not many of us are as bold, or as brave, or as faithful as the likes of Alexei Navalny, or Martin Luther King, Jr., or Jesus. We don't all have the courage or the calling or the love within us to sacrifice and suffer and die for the sake of bringing God's kingdom to pass on this side of heaven, no matter how badly the world needs it.So we look to that cross, even if we'd never climb up there ourselves. And we look for the empty tomb, too, because we will find ourselves there one day. And we give thanks that even when we don't, God does… even when we won't, God will... even when we haven't, God already has.And we keep following Jesus as nearly as we're able – testing our own boundaries, pushing our own limits, risking our own comfort, safety and security, maybe – to see, as Dr. King put it, “the eternal truth” of God's grace for which Christ died – and lives – so that we, and the world around us, will too.Amen

Liz Crisafi took an unexpected route through the worlds of broadcasting, marketing, and advertising before she landed in hospitality as the Global Vice President of Integrated Marketing at InterContinental Hotels Group. But her passion for storytelling and people has been a constant driving force. After initially pursuing broadcast journalism in college and losing her Southern accent along the way, Liz realized the competitive field wasn't for her. So when a friend suggested she try marketing, mentioning the better pay and hours, she decided to pivot. As she says with a laugh, “Compared to broadcast, anything probably looked better at that point!” Her first marketing gig may not have been glamorous, selling agricultural chemicals. But Liz embraced the challenge to “make herbicides and pesticides interesting” with an ad campaign set in an OR trying to revive a giant dying potato. As Liz says, “It doesn't have to be boring, even if it's some random chem company or a B2B market.” Over the years, Liz learned to love marketing and honed her skills on iconic brands like Kodak. But it was the field of hospitality marketing that ultimately captured her heart when she joined IHG. As she puts it, “It's hospitality. I love travel. It was a great role for me and it's a great company. It checked all the boxes.” Now as IHG's Global VP of Integrated Marketing, she leads marketing efforts for the company's 19 brands and 6000 destinations worldwide. But she's quick to note, “Our best product is our people that walk in and out of those hotel doors every day.” Of course, marketing such a diverse portfolio of hotel brands poses unique challenges. As Liz explains, “You have to be relevant in the moment and make sure you're co-creating experiences, not just relying on past data.” From road warriors staying at a Holiday Inn Express to couples celebrating at a glamorous InterContinental, IHG aims to deliver personalized and meaningful stays. And while Liz loves the creativity of marketing, she's learned over the years not to take things too seriously either. “Take your work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously,” she advises. “We're not curing cancer here, we're marketing.”

We've got one of our most popular guests, Kelly Kyle from the firm of Kyle Wynn, on to discuss our most popular topic – wills and estate planning. He's firm has some upcoming estate planning seminars: https://www.kyle-wynn.com/seminars-blog#SeminarsPearl - Tuesday, February 20, 2:30 p.m. • Fairfield Inn, 407 Riverwind DrivePearl - Tuesday, February 20, 6:00 p.m. • Fairfield Inn, 407 Riverwind DriveRidgeland - Wednesday, February 21, 10:00 a.m. • Hyatt Place, 1016 Highland Colony Pkwy. (at Renaissance)Ridgeland - Wednesday, February 21 at 2:30 p.m. • Hyatt Place, 1016 Highland Colony Pkwy. (at Renaissance)Vicksburg - Thursday, February 22 at 10:00 a.m. • Courtyard by Marriott, 1 Underwood Drive (off Clay Street)Clinton - Thursday, February 22 at 2:30 p.m. • Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 495 Springridge RoadMadison - Saturday, February 24 at 10:00 a.m. • Courtyard by Marriott, 601 Baptist DriveYour rights are being determined right now. Find out what's going on. The next season of the MPB News program @Issue will be starting Friday, February 9th at 6:30pm on MPB Think Radio. There will be additional content on our YouTube channel. Michael Guidrey from MPB News will be joined by Republican Austin Barbour and Democrat Brandon Jones for weekly recaps and roundtable discussions about current issues. Will Stribling is at the state capitol as MPB News' Legislative reporter.February 12th is the Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline: Applicants who register in-person in the Circuit Clerk's office on that day and those who mail registration applications postmarked no later than February 12th are eligible to vote in the March 12, 2024 Primary Elections. If you want to have a say in who is nominated by ONE party or THE OTHER for president, or the 4 House of Representatives seats or Senator Rodger Wicker's Senate seat you have less than a week to get registered. https://www.sos.ms.gov/index.php/elections-voting/voter-registration-informationOn Thursday, February 8, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Trump vs. Anderson. Former President Trump and his attorneys are challenging a Colorado Supreme Court ruling that prevents his name from appearing on the ballot in that state.The arguments themselves are expected to be one-hour in length. Attorneys for each side receive 30 minutes to make their case and answer questions from the Justices. We do not how exactly how long the Special Coverage will last - it depends on the precise start and end time of the court session itself, followed by analysis.Podcasts discussed:http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-flowers-v-mississippihttp://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-hippa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you want to earn airline elite status from the comfort of your couch or switch alliances without starting from scratch, this week we talk about how you can score shortcuts to get the status you want. 00:00 Intro 02:28 Giant Mailbag 02:51 Greg-a-culpa 04:43 Nick-a-culpa: Air France actually does have an award chart https://viewfromthewing.com/air-france-introduces-new-award-chart-free-stopovers/ 07:09 T-Tip 11:53 Card Talk: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard https://frequentmiler.com/f9/ 22:00 Mattress Running the Numbers: SimplyMiles stack for Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express https://frequentmiler.com/simplymiles-spend-100-at-holiday-inn-or-holiday-inn-express-earn-930-aadvantage-miles-loyalty-points/ 29:04 Award Talk: AA enhancements 29:50 Apply systemwide upgrades online 30:24 Earn miles when paying for upgrades 31:20 Cancel basic economy and get something back for $99 32:13 Loyalty Point choice benefit 34:58 Main Events: Shortcuts to airline elite status 35:00 What is airline elite status? 38:36 Lots of shortcuts exist 39:36 Having credit cards to get perks 41:56 Earning elite status through credit card spend 47:11 Shopping for status 49:56 Status matches 50:47 American Airlines status match 54:44 Delta status match 56:05 United status match 58:18 Alaska status match 58:38 Turkish status match 01:05:58 Southwest A-list status match 01:08:47 Buying status 01:13:27 Other ways to get elite status 01:17:00 Air France: earn XPs without flying 01:18:29 Question of the Week: Is it safe to complete spending for stuff on 12/31? Music credit: Annie Yoder

Destiny Lenai Johnson, a 25-year-old woman from Miami, is facing serious felony charges, including attempted murder, after an incident involving her Tinder date. The shocking incident occurred outside a hotel in Kendall, Florida, leading to Johnson's arrest.    According to Miami-Dade County records reviewed by PEOPLE, Johnson was arrested on November 25 and charged with attempted murder, first-degree arson, and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. Johnson pleaded not guilty to these charges, and she is currently being held without bail at the Miami-Dade County's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.    The arrest report, as reported by local sources, including The Miami-Herald, local NBC6, and WSVN, provides a disturbing account of the incident. Johnson and her alleged victim had arranged to meet at a Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel. However, things took a terrifying turn when Johnson, seemingly irate, approached her date's car carrying a one-gallon jug of liquid.    According to the arrest report, Johnson asked her date for money to repair her car but then began yelling, claiming that someone was after her. She allegedly proceeded to pour gasoline into the passenger side of her date's SUV and ignited it with a lighter. As a result, both Johnson and the victim caught fire.    Johnson reportedly fled the scene, while the victim sought help at the hotel's front desk. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital to receive treatment for burns, as detailed in the arrest report.    Following the incident, police reportedly found Johnson in a state of undress, discussing having blown up a car. She, too, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her burns.    Miami-Dade court records indicate that Johnson's next court appearance is scheduled for December 18. At this time, a Miami-Dade public information officer has not responded to requests for comment on the case.    This disturbing case highlights the dangers of online dating and serves as a reminder to exercise caution when meeting individuals from dating apps. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further details may emerge as the legal proceedings continue. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Destiny Lenai Johnson, a 25-year-old woman from Miami, is facing serious felony charges, including attempted murder, after an incident involving her Tinder date. The shocking incident occurred outside a hotel in Kendall, Florida, leading to Johnson's arrest.    According to Miami-Dade County records reviewed by PEOPLE, Johnson was arrested on November 25 and charged with attempted murder, first-degree arson, and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. Johnson pleaded not guilty to these charges, and she is currently being held without bail at the Miami-Dade County's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.    The arrest report, as reported by local sources, including The Miami-Herald, local NBC6, and WSVN, provides a disturbing account of the incident. Johnson and her alleged victim had arranged to meet at a Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel. However, things took a terrifying turn when Johnson, seemingly irate, approached her date's car carrying a one-gallon jug of liquid.    According to the arrest report, Johnson asked her date for money to repair her car but then began yelling, claiming that someone was after her. She allegedly proceeded to pour gasoline into the passenger side of her date's SUV and ignited it with a lighter. As a result, both Johnson and the victim caught fire.    Johnson reportedly fled the scene, while the victim sought help at the hotel's front desk. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital to receive treatment for burns, as detailed in the arrest report.    Following the incident, police reportedly found Johnson in a state of undress, discussing having blown up a car. She, too, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her burns.    Miami-Dade court records indicate that Johnson's next court appearance is scheduled for December 18. At this time, a Miami-Dade public information officer has not responded to requests for comment on the case.    This disturbing case highlights the dangers of online dating and serves as a reminder to exercise caution when meeting individuals from dating apps. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further details may emerge as the legal proceedings continue. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Destiny Lenai Johnson, a 25-year-old woman from Miami, is facing serious felony charges, including attempted murder, after an incident involving her Tinder date. The shocking incident occurred outside a hotel in Kendall, Florida, leading to Johnson's arrest.    According to Miami-Dade County records reviewed by PEOPLE, Johnson was arrested on November 25 and charged with attempted murder, first-degree arson, and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. Johnson pleaded not guilty to these charges, and she is currently being held without bail at the Miami-Dade County's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.    The arrest report, as reported by local sources, including The Miami-Herald, local NBC6, and WSVN, provides a disturbing account of the incident. Johnson and her alleged victim had arranged to meet at a Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel. However, things took a terrifying turn when Johnson, seemingly irate, approached her date's car carrying a one-gallon jug of liquid.    According to the arrest report, Johnson asked her date for money to repair her car but then began yelling, claiming that someone was after her. She allegedly proceeded to pour gasoline into the passenger side of her date's SUV and ignited it with a lighter. As a result, both Johnson and the victim caught fire.    Johnson reportedly fled the scene, while the victim sought help at the hotel's front desk. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital to receive treatment for burns, as detailed in the arrest report.    Following the incident, police reportedly found Johnson in a state of undress, discussing having blown up a car. She, too, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her burns.    Miami-Dade court records indicate that Johnson's next court appearance is scheduled for December 18. At this time, a Miami-Dade public information officer has not responded to requests for comment on the case.    This disturbing case highlights the dangers of online dating and serves as a reminder to exercise caution when meeting individuals from dating apps. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further details may emerge as the legal proceedings continue. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Ep #643 Of The Clay Edwards Show On103.9 WYAB (11/24/23) 1. Egg Bowl recap 2. Chris calls in we get to talking about the potential of a Jackson casino to save jxn 3. Pro-Palestine & hamas supporters hi-jack the New York, Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and people are getting fed TF up with this nonsense 4. We give out a brand new F'D AROUND & FOUND OUT grand championship here in Brandon, Ms. 5. New York City Mayor Eric Adams just got "Me Too'd" with a 20+ year old sexual assault lawsuit. The state of New York created a law called the "Adult Survivors Act" in an attempt to allow women to sue Trump into bankruptcy but of course women being women they are also using it to sue rich men of all political affiliations. Make no mistake this is also political revenge from the White House over Adams calling them out on their border debacle. 6. Connor McGregor goes scorched earth on the liberal Irish media for calling everyone who disagrees with mass migration a racist in the midst of a terror attack where a migrant broke into a school and stabbed 3 children and 2 adults. This has lead to a massive uprising and real men have had enough, they are looting & burning Ireland to the ground, including the Holiday Inn Express where a bunch of the migrants are staying. 7. Is Black Friday racist? Of course some idiots think so. Check out my website at Www.ClayEdwardsShow.Com for all things Clay

Clip From Ep #643 Of The Clay Edwards Show On103.9 WYAB (11/24/23)  Conor McGregor goes scorched earth on the liberal Irish media for calling everyone who disagrees with mass migration a racist in the midst of a terror attack where a migrant broke into a school and stabbed 3 children and 2 adults. This has lead to a massive uprising and real men have had enough, they are looting & burning Ireland to the ground, including the Holiday Inn Express where a bunch of the migrants are staying. Check out my website at Www.ClayEdwardsShow.Com for all things Clay

Our subject for this episode has no place on a poster adorning a kid's wall. But we have fun imagining the poster...and the kid.Hit us up at junkconisr@gmail.com or Jonk Connoisseurs on Facebook.

We're hungover live from the hotel bed at the finest Holiday Inn Express money can buy snuggled up with Jason Alme and Joe B recovering from a night celebrating Adam and Lauren. Congrats you love birds thanks for inviting us to your big day we're now even on driving through weather storms for an event for each other

Episode 157 - But I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night - In this episode of Kinky Frame of Mind, Don and Syn talk about their happenings. Don talks about his rope class in Kansas City and then about moving their kid. This weeks topic is about understanding you kink and kink education. Kink education goes beyond just the basics of doing the act but goes into understand all the other little things going on or in the big picture. We need to teach the little details more and more.All our links My Lifestyle US | LinktreeCheck out  Kinky Frame of Mind - Kinky Frame of Mind Get all your merchandise at  Shop Alternative Lifestyle Podcasters - FullSwapShop.com Then Check us out at  Instagram  @kinkyframeofmind • Instagram photos and videos Twitter  (1) kinkyframeofmind (@kinkyfom) / TwitterFullswap Radio Full Swap Radio – Its Not a Mood Its a LifestyleEmail  kinkyfom@gmail.com   

Effy is in the Copenhagen Smoking Section.  Peter is in Halloween Town.  Get early episodes, bonus minisodes, merch discounts, Effy video blogs, puppy content and astrology readings in the Pleasure Zone: patreon.com/weekendateffys Sponsor the podcast: weekendateffys@gmail.com SEND EFFY 650 Ponce De Leon Ave Ste. 300 #2936 Atlanta, GA 30308 Book EFFY: effylives.com Wear EFFY: wrestlingis.gay Live your mid 2000's fantasy: http://tiny.cc/effytumblr - Peter and the aliens: @lowskydance etsy.com/shop/LOWSKYDANCE --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/effylives/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/effylives/support

Filmmaker Miranda Cross and her crew have a secret long since forgotten at the Holiday Inn Express, but clearly it still weighs heavily on her mind. But with a no good Sigmund Fraud of a therapist like Ian Herrin on her case, Miranda seems like she's going to lean into some bad behaviors at Ian's behest. There are certain sins that are worth breaching therapist-patient confidentiality over and this most certainly should qualify! Ah, now you must be a professional who can appreciate a good dolly shot, because you've found yourself on a smooth track to the best part of the episode description! The part where I get to tell you all about the wonderful actor, improviser, filmmaker, and professor Alexandra Spieth! Be sure you follow Alexandra @mynameisalexandraspieth and go to https://alexandraspieth.com/ for more information on how you can catch her hit horror film STAG --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sigmund-fraud/support

In addition to the weekly show, we are also uploading the first 28 episodes of The AnglerPhish Podcast--The Brett Johnson Story. Brett sits down with family, friends, and professional associates to discuss his criminal career and turning his life around. Part 11: Black Cats, Bullsh*t Booksellers, and Busted Members $40,000 a day from ATMs, Hacking Paris Hilton, intercepting Secret Service text messages, Albert Gonzalez gets busted wearing a wig, and my second in charge--MacGyver? Turns out he wasn't a fraudster, but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express one night.

Nightfood CEO Sean Folkson provides updates on hotel distribution, recently initiated hotel and airline tests of Nightfood cookies as amenities, and answer investor questions. Nightfood is pioneering the category of sleep-friendly nighttime snacks. Over 80% of Americans snack regularly at night, resulting in an estimated 700 million nighttime snack occasions weekly, and an annual spend on night snacks of over $50 billion. The most popular choices are ice cream, cookies, chips, and candy. Recent research confirms such snacks, in addition to being generally unhealthy, can impair sleep, partly due to excess fat, sugar, and calories consumed before bed. Nightfood's sleep-friendly snacks are formulated by sleep and nutrition experts to contain less of those sleep-disruptive ingredients, along with a focus on ingredients and nutrients that research suggests can support nighttime relaxation and better sleep quality. The brand is focused on establishing widespread national distribution of Nightfood ice cream, cookies, and other snack formats in the high-margin hotel vertical. In March, 2023, Nightfood announced Sonesta International Hotels Corporation, the 8th largest hotel company in the United States, launched Nightfood ice cream into multiple Sonesta chains. Also in March, the Company announced its status as a Qualified Vendor of Choice Hotels, one of the world's largest lodging franchisors. Nightfood ice cream pints can be found in select locations of chains such as Sonesta, Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, Springhill Suites, Hyatt Place, Fairfield Inn & Suites and many more. Hotels are increasingly focused on supporting guest wellness, and one way to do that is by offering healthier and sleep-friendly snacks in their grab-and-go lobby shops. With an estimated 56,000 hotels across the United States, expanding distribution into a significant number of those hotels is expected to lead to profitability, consumer adoption of the nighttime snack category, and a strategically defensible position from which category leadership can be maintained. Questions can be directed to investors@Nightfood.com By signing up at ir.nightfood.com, investors can receive updates of filings and news releases in their inbox.

(Lander, WY)- Another episode of the Lander Biz Show is on now. Krista, the General Manager with the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Lander joins the show as they get ready for another busy summer in Fremont County. Krista gives us some details on renovations coming up, some awesome amenities they offer and the best way to book a room with them. Make sure to subscribe to the County 10 Podcasts, there are a number of interesting and engaging community podcasts on there.

Episode 88! Venture capitalist Eyad Albayouk returns to The 966 to talk about the latest developments in the VC sector in Saudi Arabia as well as the closing of his new startup seed fund with Flat6Labs in Saudi Arabia. The hosts discuss with Eyad the rocky start for new funding rounds in the Kingdom after a red hot 2022. Before that conversation, the host discuss Richard's one big thing - a new report from the Saudi consultancy Mukatafa and Kearney on e-commerce in Saudi Arabia. Then the hosts talk about Lucien's one big thing - the recent space mission that saw two Saudis, including the first female Saudi, and two Americans head to the International Space Station. Lucien noted that the new US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Michael Ratney, released a well-produced and meaningful congratulatory video to coincide with the launch, a refreshing move by a veteran communicator. The hosts conclude as they always do with Yallah! 6 top storylines to keep you updated headed into the weekend. 7:19 - A new report by Saudi Arabia-based consultancy Mukatafa and Kearney found that 74% of online shoppers in Saudi Arabia expect to increase their purchases from the kingdom's ecommerce platforms compared to their purchases from China, GCC, Europe and US. However, further support will be needed to ensure a level playing field for all ecommerce players, thereby protecting consumer interests, and promoting local investments, the report said. 20:51 - SpaceX delivered another quartet of astronauts to the International Space Station on Monday - two Americans and two Saudis as part of the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch to the International Space Station at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. To coincide with the launch, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney released a positive video congratulating the astronauts and the people of both the US and KSA.  34:47 - Venture capitalist Eyad Albayouk returns to The 966 to talk about the latest developments in the VC sector in Saudi Arabia as well as the closing of his new startup seed fund with Flat6Labs in Saudi Arabia. Eyad joins The 966 from Riyadh. The hosts discuss with Eyad the rocky start for new funding rounds in the Kingdom after a red hot 2022.1:12:51 - Yallah! 6 top storylines to get you up to date headed into the weekend. Saudi Arabia's Neom Green Hydrogen Company has signed deals worth $8.4 billion with financial institutions for the plant it is building at Oxagon in the kingdom's $500 billion futuristic city Neom.The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has recently introduced a new work visa, known as the "Temporary Work Visa", which replaces the previous "Work Visit Visa".A goalless draw against Leicester City on Monday secured Newcastle United's spot in next season's Champions League for the first time in 20 years, a sensational rise for a team on course to be relegated from the English Premier League 18 months ago. A major entertainment calendar is due to kick off this week in Saudi Arabia, covering 16 cities across the kingdom where the entertainment industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom.IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hotel companies with more than 6,000 hotels, across 18 distinct brands, has signed a Master Development Agreement (MDA) with Tashyid for Hotel Operations, which will see the development of 12 hotels and 2,500 keys under the Holiday Inn Express brand across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The Saudi science and engineering team arrived back in the Kingdom on Sunday after winning 27 awards, including 23 major and four special prizes, at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. 

If Tiger Woods sent his girlfriend to a Four Season instead of a Holiday Inn Express, she probably wouldn't be suing him for $30 million dollars. Aaron Rodgers is the equivalent of Adam Sandler: only doing movies with the same actors in each one.JVWaterboys review the start of the 2023 NFL Free Agency periodPatrick Peterson has another thing coming if he thinks he's wearing number 7 in Pittsburgh.Support the show

Fresh off the plane from New Zealand, Greg shares highlights from his trip and we discuss the best ways to fly to and stay in New Zealand using points and miles. Subscribe to our email list: https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ 1:06 Giant Mailbag 3:06 What crazy thing . . . did Chase and Aeroplan do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/unlimited-pay-yourself-back-for-travel-at-1-25c-for-aeroplan-cardholders/ 9:47 Mattress running the numbers https://frequentmiler.com/40k-choice-points-100-amex-gift-card-w-bluegreen-vacations-timeshare-offer/ 15:56 Awards we booked this week 21:35 Main Event: Doing New Zealand with points 23:36 United Polaris mini-review 30:48 Qantas business class mini-review 37:23 Ways to book to NZ on points https://frequentmiler.com/best-ways-to-get-to-australia-new-zealand-south-pacific-using-miles/ 42:53 Cheapest way to NZ on points in business class 47:24 How to book impossible awards https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-piece-together-an-impossible-award/ 49:48 The best program for impossible awards 54:27 What are your options for staying in New Zealand? 54:48 Park Hyatt Auckland 1:03:27 The George (SLH via Hyatt) 1:17:14 Eichardt's Private Hotel (SLH via Hyatt) https://frequentmiler.com/eichardts-private-hotel-a-gem-in-queenstown-new-zealand-bookable-with-hyatt-points/ 1:21:24 The Carlin (SLH via Hyatt) 1:24:36 Other options on points in Queenstown 1:24:57 Holiday Inn Express 1:33:55 Question of the Week: Can you do a free stopover in Honolulu on an Alaska award? Music credit: Annie Yoder

Sean and Terry take on the HHS-OIG Report on Insights on Telehealth Use and Program Integrity Risks Across Selected Health Care Programs During the Pandemic... The report makes you questions who's on these committees and why we spend so much of the taxpayer money that we do on reports that can be written by an 8-year-old! Since he stayed in a Holiday Inn Express recently, Sean shares with you his clinical insights on a couple of conditions that reading this report will help with! Don't miss this one! Here is a link to the report... Insights on Telehealth Use and Program Integrity Risks Across Selected Health Care Programs During the Pandemic OEI-02-22-00150 11-30-2022 (hhs.gov) Don't forget to check us out at www.thecomplianceguy.com or visit Terry at www.terryfletcher.net

We talk Q schools and all the UPOTs playing them with Tommy Sharp and Randy Dodson. Brandon Kida on advancing in the Asian Tour Q. We learn about Dryvebox and Holiday Inn Express in Washington City. And send love to David Lichtie for his win in the Southern Utah Open. 

In this exclusive Chrisley Crossover episode of "Unlocked," Savannah sits down with her estranged sister, Lindsie Chrisley publicly for the first time since 2017. The two discuss their differences, varying perceptions about the way they were raised, struggles for childhood attention, and their fear of fully throwing their hearts back into a sisterhood that has caused them pain in the past. Savannah also reminds Lindsie that she was not the only one who has had falling outs with Todd. Plus, they talk about what kinds of guys they CANNOT date. During the second half of the episode, the girls invite Todd and Julie Chrisley to sit down and join the podcast. It goes from a light-hearted conversation about the girls' "shadiness," both now and during their younger years, before going into a deep discussion about the pains of estrangement and their hopes for the future. By the way, Savannah is lowkey proud of her sketchiness. Also, Sassy outs herself to Todd for the secret trip she took in high school to a Holiday Inn Express in South Georgia. Todd also reveals that he didn't realize the secret motivations behind a request for Savannah to star in a popular country music video, and he tries to reveal her future daughter's first name.

The End of FITposium and What Comes Next Hosted by: James Patrick   I'm sitting in my office the morning after our 8th annual FITposium conference looking at photos going back to our 1st FITposium conference back in 2015, and thinking about this idea that I had. “What would happen if I gathered together different professionals in the health and fitness space to come together as a community to share ideas, different best practices, and real sources? If we were to do that, how far could we all go as a community?   The response was there is no limit. We rented a tiny room at a Holiday Inn Express in Mesa, Arizona and filled the entire room with 50 professionals. Today, we are talking about how it's evolved and where it's headed. “The time has come to retire the FITposium brand.” IN THIS EPISODE The beginning years of FITposium. How FITposium has done since 2020. How many media features FITposium has helped secure for professionals. Gratitude and community. The retirement of FITposium and why. What we've learned in the past few years. Our new brand launching in 2023. Get Published Live on May 18-21, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona and more details.   Go to FITpoisum.com to get super early bird access for one week only. Connect with James  Website: jamespatrick.com Instagram: @jpatrickphoto Text me marketing questions @: 480-605-3254  Share this podcast with a friend and remember to leave a 5-star review!  For more, visit jamespatrick.com

Peter and I let our inner curmudgeons fly on this one! We complain about our in-laws, our selves and audacity of families to have healthy emotional dynamics. And as for our KickAssKoreans and ASSAs - LISTEN TO FIND OUT! They're worth the listen!

Show #1472 Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily, you trusted source of EV information. It's Thursday 19th May, it's Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.  HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP PLANS TO INVEST $16.5 BILLION IN S.KOREA EV BUSINESS - Hyundai Motor Group said on Wednesday it plans to invest a total of 21 trillion won ($16.54 billion) through 2030 for the expansion of its electric vehicle (EV) business in South Korea. The South Korean auto group, which houses Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Corp, plans to annually build 1.44 million units of EVs in South Korea by 2030. The 1.44 million units of EV production volume in South Korea would account for about 45% of a combined global EV production capacity of 3.23 million EV units in 2030, the auto group said in a statement. Original Source : https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/05/18/hyundai-motor-electric-southkorea TESLA MODEL Y STANDARD RANGE WITH 4680 CELLS OFFERED TO CUSTOMERS NEAR GIGA TEXAS - Tesla sent out emails to reservation holders near Giga Texas, giving them the option to change their order to the new Model Y All Wheel Drive. The Model Y AWD variant is the first to feature Tesla's structural battery pack and 4680 cells. - Tesla customer @mmsganesh shared a sample of the email reservation holders are receiving from the company. Tesla shared that deliveries for the latest Model Y configuration are weeks away in the email. - The new Model Y AWD configuration with Tesla's 4680 battery cells can go up to 279 on a single charge and accelerate 0-60 in 5.0 seconds. Original Source : https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-y-standard-range-4680-cells-giga-texas-delivery/ TESLA CHARGING HUB IN BARSTOW TO HAVE 100 STATIONS, MOST IN US - Electric car manufacturer Tesla Inc. is building the United States' largest electric car charging hub in Barstow, a remote Mojave Desert town at the midpoint between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. - Mayor Paul Courtney revealed the world's most valuable carmaker is already months into construction of Superchargers - during a Barstow City Council meeting Monday while praising the city staff's dealmaking skills. - It will be the largest charging station in the United States, the mayor said. The current largest U.S. charging station is a 70-space location - A fence currently obscures the early-stage Supercharger site confirmed by Courtney. It sits on roughly four acres of desert, which connects to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Barstow, spanning the area between the western end of the hotel's parking lot and the eastern barrier of I-15. - The Daily Press couldn't identify references to the new Supercharger project in any news releases or financial disclosures from Tesla or from Edison, nor in any past public agendas of the Barstow City Council or of the Southern California Association of Governments, or SCAG, a broader entity Courtney cited as having behind-the-scenes involvement on the public-official side of the project. Original Source : https://eu.vvdailypress.com/story/news/2022/05/17/tesla-building-united-states-largest-car-charge-hub-in-barstow-midway-between-los-angeles-las-vegas/9803455002/ BYD SECURES $593 MILLION WORTH OF LITHIUM SUPPLIES FROM LOCAL PRODUCER Original Source : https://cnevpost.com/2022/05/18/byd-secures-593-million-worth-of-lithium-supplies-from-local-producer/ JOLT TO ROLL OUT FREE EV CHARGING IN NEW ZEALAND, STARTING AT MITRE 10 Original Source : https://thedriven.io/2022/05/18/jolt-ev-charging-new-zealand/ VOLVO TRUCKS IS OPENING ITS VERY FIRST BATTERY ASSEMBLY PLANT IN BELGIUM Original Source : https://www.volvotrucks.com/en-en/news-stories/press-releases/2022/may/volvo-trucks-opens-battery-plant-in-belgium.html PRODUCTION IN GRÜNHEIDE STILL BEHIND SCHEDULE - RAMP-UP EXPECTED IN JULY Original Source : https://www.electrive.com/2022/05/17/production-in-grunheide-still-behind-schedule-ramp-up-expected-in-july/ TOYOTA, NISSAN, HONDA ARE LEAST PREPARED FOR ZERO-EMISSION SHIFT, STUDY SHOWS Original Source : https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/toyota-nissan-honda-are-least-prepared-zero-emission-shift-study-shows EXCLUSIVE CHINA IN TALKS WITH AUTOMAKERS ON EV SUBSIDY EXTENSION Original Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/exclusive-china-talks-with-automakers-ev-subsidy-extension-sources-2022-05-18/ QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM What's the best way to help educate your friends, family or colleagues about electric cars? Email me any feedback to: hello@evnewsdaily.com It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast. PREMIUM PARTNERS PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE BRAD CROSBY PORSCHE OF THE VILLAGE CINCINNATI AUDI CINCINNATI EAST VOLVO CARS CINCINNATI EAST NATIONAL CAR CHARGING ON THE US MAINLAND AND ALOHA CHARGE IN HAWAII DEREK REILLY FROM THE EV REVIEW IRELAND YOUTUBE CHANNEL RICHARD AT RSEV.CO.UK – FOR BUYING AND SELLING EVS IN THE UK EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM/ OCTOPUS ELECTRIC JUICE - MAKING PUBLIC CHARGING SIMPLE WITH ONE CARD, ONE MAP AND ONE APP MILLBROOKCOTTAGES.CO.UK – 5* LUXURY COTTAGES IN DEVON, JUMP IN THE HOT TUB WHILST YOUR EV CHARGES 

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