Podcasts about IDF

By the spring of 1948, three armed Jewish militias had been fighting and working towards the birth of modern Israel. There was the Haganah, under David Ben-Gurion, which would become the core of the new Israel Defense Forces. There was the Irgun, led by Menachem Begin, and a smaller group, the Lehi. Begin agreed to dissolve the Irgun units operating in Israel into the new army, a decision he made in the name of national unity and cohesion even though tensions between the Irgun and the Haganah were deep, and Haganah operatives had previously informed on their counterparts in the Irgun to British officials. Even so, the Irgun had pledged to become a part of the IDF in the newly formed state of Israel. A month after Ben-Gurion declared independence, a ship named the Altalena set sail from France under the auspices of the Irgun, carrying rifles and some 900 immigrants, many of them survivors of the Shoah. The ship left port the same day a United Nations cease-fire took effect, a truce that barred the importation of any new arms or combatants into the country. When it reached the coast at Kfar Vitkin just north of Tel Aviv, a dispute broke out over how the weapons would be distributed, and in particular over Begin's insistence that a share go to an Irgun battalion in Jerusalem, which he argued stood outside the truce's terms since Jerusalem's status remained unsettled under the UN partition plan. The standoff turned violent onshore, and Begin ordered the ship to sail south, to Tel Aviv, in full view of the city and the international press. Near what is today Frishman Beach, Ben-Gurion gave the order to open fire on the ship, and by this time, with Begin aboard, on his main political rival. Two officers refused before a third accepted the command. Sixteen Irgun men and three IDF soldiers were killed. And Begin, standing on the burning deck with comrades dying around him, ordered his own men not to fire back. He would repeat that order over the radio that night: never, he said, could he condone a war between brothers. The specter of the Altalena has haunted Israeli politics ever since. It plays a potent and mythological role in the imagination of the political right as one of the earliest examples of a centralized government dominated by the political left that uses the power of the state against its domestic opponents. Now, six weeks before an Israeli election, the wreckage of the Altalena has been discovered. To discuss the ship's sinking and the significance of its recovery, Jonathan Silver, the host of the Tikvah podcast and the editor of Mosaic, is joined by the historian, educator, and writer Avi Shilon. Shilon is the author of, among other works of scholarship, the definitive biography of Menachem Begin, published in 2012 by Yale University Press.

Become an Israel Guys member → https://israelguys.link/member-T4C  When Knesset Member Zvi Sukkot entered a local village to personally demolish a monument glorifying a notorious terrorist commander responsible for the murder of innocent Israelis, it set off a firestorm across the Israeli government.  Why was a shrine honoring a suicide bomber standing in the first place? And why is the IDF stopping Israeli leaders from tearing down these terror monuments? Joshua Waller breaks it all down for you on today's video.   #IsraelWar #HamasAttack #IsraelFire #PalestinianState #Settlers #Israelnews #Trump #Bibi #Netanyahu #Gaza    Source Links: Smotrich calls for terrorist monuments destroyed https://x.com/bezalelsm/status/2092188754119176624 Sukkot spokesman explains monument demolition https://x.com/yossi_rainer/status/2092145861216072037 Netanyahu reaffirms IDF security authority https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/2092199153493254464 Israeli MK Destroys Terrorist Memorial https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-906496 Netanyahu Condemns MK Sukkot's Actions https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/netanyahu-condemns-mk-sukkots-unauthorized-demo-of-terror-monument  

An IDF social media video appeared to advise ultra-Orthodox Israelis facing military draft enforcement on how to avoid arrest at Ben Gurion Airport — and it was quickly deleted. In this episode of Israel Daily News, Shanna Fuld breaks down the controversy surrounding the now-deleted IDF video ahead of the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman, Ukraine. The video reportedly used an AI character called “Dudy the Explainer” to explain how draft evaders could avoid being detained at the airport. The controversy comes as Israel's long-running battle over Haredi military service intensifies and new legislation has left some pilgrimage-bound Israelis facing draft-evader status. Shanna also examines the growing security tensions in Judea and Samaria, including the strategic significance of the proposed E1 settlement expansion, British pressure over Israeli settlements, and warnings about settler violence. Meanwhile, election season is heating up. Gadi Eisenkot is calling a two-state solution “delusional” following October 7th while simultaneously criticizing the E1 expansion as a strategic mistake. He also takes aim at Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir over settler violence. The episode also looks back at the 2014 Gaza war, including reports of secret direct back-channel contacts between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas through intermediary Shlomi Fogel — contacts that Netanyahu's office and Fogel have denied. Plus, Shanna speaks about Tal Goldstein-Almog, a young survivor of Hamas captivity, and highlights his interview with Australian journalist Erin Molan. And in a cultural tribute, Shanna remembers Dolly Parton and the extraordinary impact of her Imagination Library, including its connection to PJ Library and Israel's Sifriyat Pijama program. The episode also remembers Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, including her acclaimed 2021 exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Finally, Rabbi Yossi Madvig explores this week's Torah portion, Ki Tavo, discussing light and darkness, the Messianic era, and the difference between the afterlife and the “world to come.” In this episode: • The controversial IDF video for draft evaders • Why the IDF deleted the video • The Haredi military draft crisis • The Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman • Airport enforcement and draft evaders • Rising tensions in Judea and Samaria • The E1 settlement expansion plan • British pressure over Israeli settlements • Gadi Eisenkot's election campaign • Israel's upcoming elections • IDF operations against October 7th attackers • Tal Goldstein-Almog and his experience in captivity • Reports of secret Netanyahu-Hamas contacts in 2014 • Israel Daily News' independent journalism • Rosh Hashanah gifts from Israeli artists • Dolly Parton's global legacy and PJ Library • Yayoi Kusama's legacy in Israel • Torah thought with Rabbi Yossi Madvig Support independent journalism: Israel Daily News is independently produced and does not work for the Israeli government. Your support helps us continue reporting on Israel and the region. Visit israeldailynews.org to make a one-time or monthly donation. Subscribe to Israel Daily News on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and sign up for the Israel Weekly News newsletter for the top stories from Israel each week. Israel Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.org YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@israeldailynews Israel Daily News Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuld Support our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-war Links to all things IDN: https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews Timestamps 00:00 IDF Video Advises Draft Evaders Ahead of Uman Pilgrimage01:00 The Deleted “Dudy the Explainer” Video02:00 Why the IDF Post Was Removed03:00 How Draft Evaders Are Caught at the Airport04:00 Rising Tensions in Judea & Samaria05:00 The E1 Settlement Expansion Plan06:00 Israel Responds to British Sanctions07:00 Gadi Eisenkot Rejects Two-State Solution08:00 Eisenkot Takes Aim at Smotrich & Ben-Gvir09:00 IDF Kills October 7th Attackers in Gaza10:00 Tal Goldstein-Almog's Story of Captivity11:00 Secret Netanyahu-Hamas Talks?12:00 What Happened During the 2014 Back Channel13:00 Supporting Independent Journalism14:00 Rosh Hashanah Gifts From Israeli Artists15:00 Remembering Dolly Parton16:00 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library & PJ Library17:00 Sifriyat Pijama & Dolly's Global Impact18:00 Remembering Yayoi Kusama19:00 Kusama's Legacy in Israel20:00 Her 2021 Tel Aviv Exhibition21:00 Torah Thought: Ki Tavo22:00 Rising Above the Darkness23:00 The Afterlife vs. the World to Come24:00 The Messianic Paradox25:00 Sign-Off & Shabbat Shalom #Israel #IsraelNews #IDF #IsraeliPolitics #IsraelPolitics #HarediDraft #DraftCrisis #Uman #RoshHashanah #JudeaAndSamaria #WestBank #E1 #Gaza #Hamas #Netanyahu #GadiEisenkot #October7 #IsraelDefenseForces #MiddleEast #DollyParton #YayoiKusama #IsraelDailyNews #IsraelDailyNewsPodcast #BreakingNews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. 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In this episode: • Trump says the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place • Tehran denies reports of extending a 60-day ceasefire • 32 countries condemn Iran over executions of protesters • Israeli families return to Ganim in northern Samaria • The history of Ganim and the 2005 disengagement • Rising tensions in Kusra and clashes involving Israeli settlers • IDF disciplinary action involving soldiers and settlers • U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee's comments about Israeli settlers • Israel and Venezuela restore consular relations after 17 years • Venezuela's shrinking Jewish community • The story of Sergeant William Zev Shaken, a lone soldier from New York • Will's service in the Golani Brigade and his experience fighting in Gaza • His struggle with PTSD after returning to civilian life • His dream of becoming a social worker and helping others • Will's funeral at Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery • The debate over recognition of non-operational military deaths • Israel's growing need for psychological support for veterans • A Torah thought from Rabbi Yosi Madvig on faith, justice and redemption Will's story is a reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers long after they leave the battlefield. We send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and brothers-in-arms. If you or someone you know is struggling with trauma or a mental health crisis, please seek immediate help through your local emergency or crisis-support services.  Support Israel Daily News: Your support helps us continue producing independent journalism and reporting from Israel and the region. Sign up for the Israel Weekly News: israeldailynews.org Subscribe to the Israel Daily News Podcast for daily coverage of Israel, the Middle East, politics, security and the stories that matter.  Israel Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.org  YOUTUBE:     / @israeldailynews    Israel Daily News Patreon:   / shannafuld    Support our Wartime News Coverage:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/independen...  Links to all things IDN:  https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews Timestamps  00:00 Trump Keeps Iran Blockade in Place  01:00 Iran Denies Ceasefire Extension  02:00 Israeli Families Return to Ganim  03:00 Rising Tensions in Kusra  04:00 IDF Soldiers & Settler Confrontations  05:00 Huckabee Calls Some Settlers “Israeli Terrorists”  06:00 Gaza Strikes & Regional Tensions  07:00 Israel & Venezuela Restore Consular Relations  08:00 Venezuela's Jewish Community Shrinks  09:00 The Story of Lone Soldier William Zev Shaken  10:00 Will's Service After October 7th  11:00 His Dream to Help Others  12:00 Will's Funeral in Jerusalem  13:00 Shanna's Personal Connection With Will  14:00 Will's Leadership Project  15:00 A Friend Remembers Will  16:00 Will Buried at Mt. Herzl  17:00 His Parents' Heartbreaking Eulogy  18:00 Questions About Military Recognition  19:00 How the Defense Ministry Reviews These Cases  20:00 PTSD & Psychological Trauma Among Soldiers  21:00 The Growing Mental Health Crisis  22:00 Support for Veterans & Trauma Survivors  23:00 Remembering Will Shaken + Torah Thought Begins  24:00 Abraham's Argument With God  25:00 God's Promise of Consolation  26:00 Moses, Action & Divine Protection  27:00 Faith, Confidence & Redemption  28:00 Shabbat Shalom & Sign-Off    #Israel #IsraelNews #IsraelDailyNews #Trump #Iran  #IsraelIran #MiddleEast #IDF #IsraeliSoldiers #IsraelDefenseForces #JudeaAndSamaria #Gaza #IsraelPolitics #GolaniBrigade #LoneSoldier #PTSD #Veterans #Venezuela #JewishCommunity  #IsraelPodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Iran's 60-day window with the United States has expired — and there is still no diplomatic breakthrough. In today's Israel Daily News, Shana Fuld breaks down the latest developments across Israel, Iran, and the region, including reports that Tehran used the 60-day period to expand missile and drone production and strengthen coordination with its proxy forces in Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon. The Trump administration is now pushing what it calls an “economic D-Day” against Iran, targeting the country's oil exports, banking system, and foreign trade networks. Iran's currency has fallen to a record low, while tensions continue to rise across the region. Meanwhile, Israel's domestic political battle is intensifying ahead of the October 27 election. Ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked Highway 4 near Bnei Brak following the arrest of a yeshiva student who failed to report for his IDF draft summons. The Haredi draft exemption debate has become one of the defining political issues in Israel, with coalition parties pushing new legislation while critics argue that all Israelis should share the burden of military service. Shana also breaks down Netanyahu's warning to right-wing voters about smaller parties potentially failing to cross the electoral threshold — and why reaching 61 seats is so important for forming a government. Plus, a major historical discovery: Divers have located the wreck of the Altalena, the ship at the center of one of the most painful episodes in Israel's early history. The ship, carrying weapons, fighters, and immigrants, arrived in Israel in 1948 and became the center of a confrontation between David Ben-Gurion's government and Menachem Begin's Irgun. When the IDF opened fire on the ship, Begin ordered his fighters not to retaliate in order to prevent a civil war. Now, decades later, the wreck has been located intact roughly 500 meters underwater off the coast of Tel Aviv. In this episode: • Iran's 60-day U.S. memorandum expires • Trump's new “economic D-Day” sanctions campaign • Iran's collapsing currency • Rising tensions near Saudi Arabia • Israel's Haredi military draft crisis • The fight over new draft exemption legislation • Netanyahu's warning to right-wing voters • Shin Bet chief David Zini and Gadi Eisenkot • Settler violence in the West Bank • International stabilization plans for Gaza • Mansour Abbas and Palestinian statehood • The discovery of the Altalena wreck • Ben-Gurion vs. Menachem Begin • How the Altalena nearly triggered civil war • Israel Daily News updates and how to support independent journalism • The Maccabiah Games and the “Jewish Olympics” Support Israel Daily News: Your support helps us continue producing independent journalism about Israel and the Middle East. Visit israeldailynews.org to make a one-time or monthly contribution. Don't forget to subscribe to Israel Daily News on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and sign up for the Israel Weekly News newsletter for the top stories from Israel each week. Timestamps 00:00 Iran's 60-Day Window Ends With No Deal01:00 Trump's “Economic D-Day” Against Iran02:00 Israel's Haredi Draft Crisis Explodes03:00 The Battle Over Haredi Draft Exemptions04:00 Why the Draft Is a Major Election Issue05:00 Shin Bet Chief Defends Eisenkot Decision06:00 Netanyahu Warns Right-Wing Voters07:00 Settler Violence & Gaza Stabilization Plans08:00 Mansour Abbas & the Gaza Debate09:00 The Altalena Wreck Has Been Found10:00 How the Altalena Clash Began11:00 Menachem Begin's Decision That Changed Israel12:00 Israel Daily News Updates13:00 Rosh Hashanah Gift Recommendations14:00 Upcoming Israel Travel & Holiday Content15:00 The Maccabiah Games: The Jewish Olympics16:00 Sign-Off & Israel Weekly News17:00 Thanks to Our Sponsors & Production Team #Israel #IsraelNews #Iran #IranIsrael #Trump #Netanyahu #IsraelPolitics #IsraeliPolitics #IDF #HarediDraft #DraftCrisis #Knesset #IsraeliElections #MiddleEast #Gaza #Altalena #MenachemBegin #BenGurion #WestBank #IsraelDailyNews #IsraelDailyNewsPodcast #BreakingNews #JewishHistory #Maccabiah Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ralph welcomes Dr. Mimi Syed to discuss the recent report from Brown University's Costs of War Project: “Lethal Precision Without Accountability: Israeli Government ‘Quadcopter' Use in Gaza.” Then, Ralph speaks to Joel McCleary (former Deputy Assistant to President Jimmy Carter and international consultant) about his “Dancing in the Dark” essay series on the strategies that Trump is using to hold onto power at almost any cost.Dr. Mimi Syed is an emergency medicine physician and assistant clinical professor at University of Washington and Washington State University, and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Syed served in Gaza at both al-Aqsa Hospital and Nasser Hospital, where she documented severe injuries from drone strikes and she has firsthand experience treating civilians targeted by the IDF. She is co-author of the Costs of War Project's new report: Lethal Precision Without Accountability: Israeli Government “Quadcopter” Use in Gaza.A lot of the attention has essentially fallen off from Gaza because of this so-called ceasefire…And the media (Western media) unfortunately is complicit in this—has no interest in covering Gaza, has no interest in covering the ongoing slaughter that's happening in Gaza.Dr. Mimi SyedThe irony of all of this is that the drones and the capabilities that these drones have to shoot and to distinguish between a civilian and a combatant—the whole purpose of this is to mitigate civilian harm. And instead, perversely, they're being used for the opposite. They're being used to target civilians and children. And in the U.N. report, they specifically talk about a soldier describing the experience, saying that it's like a video game. He can be sitting somewhere far away, away from the dangers of a military zone, away from the dangers of combatants, and essentially target whoever he wants, and shoot. And these drones have the capability of distinguishing between a child, an adult, a combatant. And most of these cases that I documented, the child was by themselves. There was no other adult harmed.Dr. Mimi SyedJoel McCleary served as Deputy Assistant to the President during the Carter Administration. As president of the Sawyer-Miller Group he oversaw international strategic advisory work for fourteen prime ministers and presidents. Currently, he is Managing Partner of Four Seasons Ventures, which has conducted in-depth studies for the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security on biodefense. These studies reviewed the emergency powers of the President in the event of a pandemic or major biological weapons attack. He is co-founder of the nonpartisan nonprofit Keep Our Republic.November 3rd is just the prelude to January 3rd—the game (so to speak) is who controls the Speakership. And that is determined by the certified members who are certified by the current House—they will determine who meets on January 3rd. So obviously what Trump does not want (or any President does not want) is there to be an opposing party's Speaker.Joel McClearyWe're not saying that anything is inevitable. We're just saying what is possible if you look at what they're saying and if you look at where they might go if they feel compelled to do so. So NSPM-7 is probably the most frightening aspect of this whole thing. And what's most frightening is how few people have focused on it. All of us need to read these documents at the ACLU (the Brennan Center has done fantastic work). And Mark Medish and I just are appalled that still, in Democratic circles or other circles, we are not yet comprehending the meaning of NSPM-7 and how it threatens each one of us in reality.Joel McClearyNews 8/21/26* This week, another round of primaries were held, most notably in Florida. For progressives, the biggest victory is that of Angie Nixon, a DSA-backed member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing Jacksonville. Nixon trounced her opponent – Alex Vindman, who testified against Trump during the 2019 impeachment effort – winning 56% of the vote to his 44% despite being outspent by a margin of 16 to 1. Forbes reports that in her victory speech, Nixon said “We have proved that everyday people are more powerful than corporations and billionaires…We went up against the political establishment, against millions of dollars of outside spending…and we won. This win was for the little guys and girls…We, the hardworking everyday people of Florida, sent a shock wave to the Washington, D.C., establishment.” Unfortunately, Nixon's candidacy, like that of any statewide Democratic campaign in the Sunshine State, remains a long shot. The last Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat in Florida was former astronaut Bill Nelson in 2012.* More disappointing were the down-ballot results in these primaries. In the 20th congressional district, a majority-minority district centered on Broward County, Debbie Wasserman Schultz won with 45% of the vote, according to NBC. She defeated four Black candidates, including young progressive Elijah Manley. Wasserman Schultz previously represented the 25th district, but following the Republican-led mid-decade redistricting program carried out in Florida, she opted to seek reelection in this heavily Democratic seat. The Black candidates had tried and failed to consolidate behind a single choice.* And in Florida's 25th congressional district, ultra-zionist incumbent Congressman Jared Moskowitz “warded off” a challenge from his left in the form of Oliver Larkin, a DSA-backed union organizer. Larkin drew substantial media attention, first when he appeared on Fox and, asked about immigration and crime, he demanded accountability for “this pedophile president Donald Trump” and others implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and again during an interview with WPLG Local 10 when Larkin was “faced with genocide denial.” According to the Middle East Eye, Larkin “raised the topic of Israel's genocide in Gaza, pointing to statements and findings from institutions such as the United Nations, Amnesty International and Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem,” which the interviewer, Glenna Milberg incorrectly dismissed as “factually incorrect.” Larkin “outlined Israel's deliberate targeting of civilians, restrictions on humanitarian aid and attacks on churches, schools and other places of worship,” and Milberg again “interrupted and said his account was ‘factually not correct.'” The Middle East Eye writes that the exchange was then “cut short when Milberg said she was being told they had to wrap up the interview.”* Turning to Texas, NOTUS reports Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico – capitalizing on the acrimonious primary battle between sitting Republican Senator John Cornyn and his victorious primary opponent Texas AG Ken Paxton – has taken the extraordinary step of bringing a Cornyn aide onto his campaign. According to this piece, “Jacob Smith, who worked for Cornyn for five years as a deputy legislative director and policy adviser, is taking on the role of deputy policy director for Talarico's campaign.” In a statement, Smith said that he is “proud” to join Talarico's campaign and that “Instead of playing partisan politics, Talarico speaks to the needs of everyday people who day in and day out work too hard for too little.” Smith also laid into Paxton, calling him “the most corrupt, self-dealing politician in Texas who would sell their futures to the highest contributor just to hold onto power,” and urging “fellow Republicans who know Ken Paxton is unfit to serve in the Senate to finally hold him accountable at the ballot box.” This piece quotes an anonymous “Republican operative” who characterized this kind of “cross-party hire” as “unheard of.” He added that Talarico has a “better chance than any Democrat has had in the state in a very long time.”* In more primary news, last week we discussed the victory of former Hartford, Connecticut Mayor Luke Bronin over 14-term incumbent Congressman John Larson. That same day, the Lever published an exposé of Stephen Mandel, a Connecticut-based billionaire hedge fund manager and Democratic mega-donor who is the “largest bankroller of a nascent political machine promising to ‘redefine' the Democratic Party.” Via two organizations – Majority Democrats and the Bench – Mandel and his wife have funneled tens of millions of dollars to candidates of their choosing in an attempt to form a “new [political] center.” According to this report, Bronin amassed a “sizable war chest,” during his primary challenge against Larson, much of which traces back to Mandel. Not only that, apparently, Bronin “used to be on the payroll of a nonprofit funded by the billionaire,” and his campaign's policy stances reflect the network's preferences and priorities. The Lever notes that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Mandels did not return their requests for comment.* In more Connecticut news, in the wake of Larson's defeat, local media is beginning to question whether Senator Richard Blumenthal should run for another term in 2028, with WTNH noting that he will be 82 at the end of his current term. While Blumenthal has not formally announced that he will run for a fourth senate term, he did confirm that he has a campaign committee and it is raising money. This piece notes that Blumenthal is the second oldest member of Connecticut's congressional delegation, behind only Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, 83, who represents the state's third congressional district. With the increased scrutiny on aging Democrats, and donors like Stephen Mandel bankrolling primary challenges by younger candidates, Blumenthal's decision of whether or not to run or anoint a successor could prove critical. For his part, Blumenthal is quoted saying “Age is a state of mind…and I am very, very happy doing my job right now, as energetically as I feel is appropriate.”* Senator Blumenthal features prominently in another story this week from a different part of Washington. NOTUS reports that on K Street, lobbyists for the defense industry – literally the military industrial complex – are “girding for aggressive investigations of President Donald Trump's Pentagon and the companies that do business with it,” if the Democrats retake one or both houses of Congress in the midterm elections. This piece emphasizes that Democrats have “spent two years seething that the Trump administration shut Congress out of decisions about the Pentagon, from the Iran war to politically connected contractors and a defense budget that's ballooned to $1.5 trillion.” Lobbyists are reported to be particularly wary of their clients being caught between outraged congressional Democrats and an uncooperative White House for the next two years. Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Investigations Subcommittee, is already zeroing in on 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. is an investor, and American Ventures, where Eric Trump is an investor, both of which received billions of dollars in government awards. He is quoted saying “We need to look into whether Trump's sons are profiting from investments in defense contractors that involve insider information or contracts awarded in ways that compromise defense interests.” Other investigations he signaled they might pursue include a probe of “the administration's growing reliance on single-source contracts and whether the administration has given preferential treatment to companies with political ties, particularly those that donated to Trump's White House ballroom project.” In the House, Democrats on the Armed Services Committee will likely focus on “military strategy, acquisition decisions and the Pentagon's rapidly growing budget,” while the Oversight Committee, is more focused on “corruption, conflicts of interest, companies connected to Trump allies such as SpaceX and other ethics issues.” When Republicans won control of the House, Senate, and presidency in 2024, many lobbying firms axed their Democratic staff. It seems they are beginning to regret that decision.* Our next two stories have to do with the AI boom. First, in Wisconsin, the politics of AI data centers have come to in large part define the ongoing race to succeed Democrat Tony Evers as Governor. DSA-backed candidate Francesca Hong rode her vow of a moratorium on new data center construction to front-runner status in the primary, only to lose by a hair to Evers' last minute chosen successor, David Crowley. Since becoming the nominee, Crowley has refused to adopt Hong's signature issue and his opponent, Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany is taking full advantage. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, Tiffany's campaign has released a new TV ad labeling his opponent “data center David Crowley.” In the ad, Crowley is “seen saying Wisconsin has the opportunity to be ‘an AI and a data hub not only for the entire country, but for the entire globe.'” Ironically, Tiffany himself has cast “pro-data center votes in Congress” and Crowley's campaign argues that Tiffany “wouldn't be as hard on developers as his campaign claims,” though he is now campaigning on “ending state subsidies for data centers and creating additional protections for ratepayers and the state's farmland and water.”* Next, a stunning feat of reporting by 404 Media exposed how “Amazon is buying massive quantities of books, scanning them for AI training data, and destroying them in the process.“ To investigate this, the outlet placed a tracking device in a rare book that they suspected would be acquired by an AI company for training data. Then, when indeed it was, they followed the book around the country to its final destination – an Amazon warehouse in Las Vegas, Nevada – where employees say that “all [they] do is scan books..Some are assigned to cut books, and others go to receive where they get books and scan the bar codes.” The printed book is destroyed in the process. The logo of the Amazon team that works at this warehouse, called VGT3, is a dinosaur, brandishing its teeth and with a book in its hands. The piece notes that the AI company Anthropic has previously been sued for engaging in the practice of destroying rare books in order to feed them into their large language models, or LLMs, on copyright grounds, but the “judge in the lawsuit ruled it was fair use and not a copyright violation for Anthropic to scan a book for training data in part because it destroyed the original, printed copy.” The author of this piece notes that these rare books are not necessarily monetarily valuable – they could be rare because “not many copies of them were ever printed,” or “they are in a foreign language not many people speak.” Still, as one bookseller said “There are different types of value…[besides monetary value] There's historical value, intellectual value, sentimental value. All sorts of things, and all of those the AI companies don't care about. They just want the content as a bunch of words strung together.”* Finally, we turn to the Vatican, where, Drop Site reports, Pope Leo XIV is using his pulpit to call for the opening of humanitarian corridors for civilians in Sudan. In his weekly Angelus address, the first American Pope highlighted “the plight of civilians in the besieged city of el-Obeid.” In addition to his call for humanitarian corridors, the pontiff called for both sides to “cease attacks on civilian targets.” Drop Site explains that El-Obeid, the largest city in Kordofan – the region comprising central Sudan – has faced intense drone attacks as the rebels of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battle the Sudanese army for supremacy in the region. An RSF siege has “left over 500,000 people in famine conditions for months and without supplies.” The United Nations warns that if El-Obeid falls, it could follow in the mold of el-Fasher, which fell to the RSF last year and resulted in “mass ethnic cleansing massacres by the RSF that killed an estimated 60,000 people.” We can only hope that the world will heed the Pope's plea for peace and humanitarian assistance to the civilian population of Sudan.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

It's Casual Friday on The Majority Report On today's program: Scott Bessent is hoping that Europe can bail the U.S. out of their mountain of debt. Darline Graham continues to flail in her role as Lindsey Graham's replacement in Senate. Aisha Wahab wins the special election for Eric Swallwell's seat in the House. A Palestinian-American films the IDF protecting settlers as they steal his home in Qusra in the West Bank. Kristen Welker interrupts Angie Nixon in the middle of a great point of healthcare to ask her about the DSA in what was an infuriating line of questioning. Megyn Kelly says Nixon is "drunk off the wine of the trans'ing of the babies". In the Fun Half: Michael Wolf leaks very disturbing letters from Trump's special aide, Natalie Harp. Seems like someone within the Trump administration wants her out. Tomi Lahren is deeply offended by Zohran Mamdani posting a video about wearing a bike helmet, saying the mayor is laughing in the face of Jewish New Yorkers who fear for their lives. all that and more. To connect and organize with your local ICE rapid response team visit ICERRT.com The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AM Quickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: WILDGRAIN: Get $30 off your first box + free Croissants in every box. Go to Wildgrain.com/MAJORITY to start your subscription. SUNSET LAKE CBD: Use coupon code "Left Is Best" (all one word) for 20% off of your entire order at SunsetLakeCBD.com. Please fill out this form to request Bryan to come to your town to do stand-up comedy @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's YouTube channel: https://ww.youtube.com/Th3Discourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here: https:/www.youtube.com/@avaraiza

What would it take to reopen a 2,000-year-old water system that's sat behind a line since Oslo?That's the question behind the final episode of our Border series.Fifteen minutes south of Jerusalem, in the town of Efrat, a group gathers that doesn't come together often: a Member of Knesset, IDF officers, a rabbi, the mayor, a filmmaker - pulled together in under 48 hours to walk into Solomon's Pools.Together, we trace the pools back to the Book of Ruth, stand where an Iranian missile struck just over a mile away, and hear how a mapping decision during Oslo quietly put a biblical landmark out of reach. The conversation moves from Bethlehem's disappearing Christian community to a restoration vision that could open this site back up - and to a Member of Knesset's case for why it matters now.Beyond the border in Syria. Along the border in Gaza. Within the border, here in Efrat. This is the one that goes inside.Key TakeawaysWhy Solomon's Pools have sat inaccessible since the Oslo Accords.How the pools connect to the Book of Ruth and Solomon's own vision for the Temple.What happened a mile from this site during the April 2024 Iranian missile attack.The mapping decision that put a biblical landmark on the wrong side of a line.Why Bethlehem's Christian community is disappearing under PA rule.What a real restoration of the site would take - and what it would cost.A sitting Member of Knesset's case for sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.Chapter Markers 00:00 – The group gathers in Efrat 04:26 – Walking in: the Book of Ruth and Solomon's vision 10:56 – Inside Ohad Tal's home, the Iranian missile strike 14:58 – The Oslo mapping mistake 17:43 – Bethlehem's vanishing Christians 22:54 – Meet Lt. Col. Maurice Hirst 25:06 – Why the site is neglected - and dangerous 32:00 – The restoration vision and the budget 38:40 – MK Ohad Tal's case for sovereignty 42:32 – Closing reflection: "God Shall Be One"Visit thejewishroad.com to watch the rest of the Borderlines series and more episodes filmed throughout Israel that uncover the Jewish context of Scripture and the land.If you've ever wanted to walk this ground yourself, learn more about upcoming Jewish Road tours to Israel and experience these places firsthand with teaching that connects the geography, history, and message of God's Word.

I dunno man maybe it was all the wars based on lies or the corporate ecocide or the live-streamed genocide or the people sleeping on sidewalks while billionaires become trillionaires or the plundering of the global south or the mass surveillance or the police drones or the Israeli torture prisons or the IDF rape dogs or the starvation sanctions or the proxy wars or the acts of nuclear brinkmanship or the encircling of our planet with hundreds of US military bases or the CIA black sites or the Epstein files or the government secrecy or the increasing persecution of journalists and whistleblowers or the fact that the US just openly assassinates and kidnaps the leaders of sovereign nations or the internet censorship or the way all western media and all Silicon Valley tech platforms operate as propaganda services for the US empire or the aggressive push to outlaw pro-Palestine demonstrations or the legalized corruption of western governments or the way AI is being shoved down our throats while data centers choke our ecosystem or the thinly disguised rush to develop militarized robots for domestic use or the glaring plot holes in the official 9/11 story or the glaring plot holes in the official October 7 story or the complete impotence of electoral politics in an oligarchy where the rich get everything they want or the vanishing ice caps or the vanishing rainforests or the vanishing wildlife or the plummeting insect population or the ocean desertification or the giant continent of plastic in the North Atlantic or the microplastics in our brains and in our blood or the fact that we live under a globe-spanning empire that cannot exist without mass-scale violence and exploitation or the fact that younger generations are economically far worse off than their parents and grandparents or the fact that ordinary people are having to work harder and harder as everything gets more and more expensive while the capitalist class reaps record profits? Reading by Tim Foley.

Israel's military has confirmed for the first time that its troops opened fire on a car carrying Hind Rajab, the five-year old Palestinian child who was killed alongside six of her relatives in Gaza in 2024. The IDF is opening a criminal investigation into the deaths, as well as those of two paramedics sent to rescue her. A separate inquiry will examine the killing of fifteen emergency and aid workers in Rafah last year. Also: after six years in the US state of California, Prince Harry and his family are moving back to the UK, but will not be undertaking royal duties. At least five people have been killed by Russian missile attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday morning. The US pharmaceutical giants, Moderna and Merck, say trials of an experimental treatment for melanoma have shown signs of success. US public debt has soared to a record 40 trillion dollars. A former Meta employee, turned whistleblower, tells a court in California that Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, put growth in Facebook and Instagram before child safety. We have a special report about the gold rush in Kenya that's causing security and safety concerns. Scientists say giant whales are taking advantage of the ice disappearing from East Greenland, and shares in the Chinese robot maker, Unitree, soar as it launches its new humanoid robots.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.ukPhoto: Five-year-old Hind Rajab who was killed in Gaza, January 29th 2004, by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the Gaza war. Credit: Family

Send us your questions at: https://www.speakpipe.com/Unholy Visit our website to learn more about Unholy and become a friend of the pod: www.unholy-podcast.com   Sixty-eight days from the election, the hardest problems on Benjamin Netanyahu's desk are arriving from Washington. Jared Kushner is meeting Hamas directly, and the Gaza withdrawal deadlines he is carrying — thirty, sixty and ninety days — all land inside the Israeli campaign. Yonit and Jonathan read the timing as an unfriendly act rather than an accident, and ask what Donald Trump wants in return for the endorsement he keeps withholding. Also this week: the anti-Netanyahu bloc still cannot say who leads it, the IDF publishes its decisions in five Gaza cases, and the prime minister calls Britain an Islamic Republic on a podcast. Plus a Chutzpah award for an American broadcaster who has found proof of Israeli hostility to Christians in a mathematical symbol, and a Mensch of the Week who proves that sometimes even the most heartbreaking stories can have a happy ending.   00:00 Intro 04:04 68 days out: blocs, mergers and the electoral threshold 10:03 Eisenkot, Bennett and who leads the anti-Netanyahu bloc 14:32 Kushner meets Hamas and Washington's Gaza deadlines 19:59 The IDF's decisions in five Gaza cases 22:24 Huckabee on settler violence, Iran, and Trump on Oman 27:47 Coming up: Simon Sebag Montefiore on the Middle East 28:33 Netanyahu calls Britain an Islamic Republic 33:33 Central Synagogue and the cost to the diaspora 35:35 Chutzpah of the Week 38:56 Mensch of the Week

U.S. government debt tops $40 trillion for the first time, adding to fears of a brewing fiscal crisis. The IDF investigates its own troops over five incidents involving the deaths of Palestinians, including the 2024 killing of 5-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza. A cancer vaccine for melanoma sparks hope of treatment for a variety of tumors. And humanoid robots show off their every day skills at the World Robot Conference.

Friday Headlines: Police commissioner apologises for miscommunication after family told missing bushwalker was alive Alleged Swans victim speaks out Zomi Frankcom's family slams IDF for clearing soldiers over her death Erin Patterson appeal wraps Harry and Meghan's UK return Deep Dive: A murder trial in the US is making global headlines and has sparked a passionate conversation about the mental health of mums. Lindsay Clancy is accused of murdering her three children, and while she’s admitted to the killings, her lawyers say she can’t be held responsible because she was suffering at the time from postpartum psychosis. In this episode of The Briefing, we speak with psychologist, author and someone who has experienced the condition, Ariarne Beeston from COPE, to unpack the case and how a lack of support for mothers can lead to the most tragic consequences. This episode discusses crimes against children as well as serious mental health conditions including suicide. PANDA’s National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline: 1300 726 306 Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE): https://www.cope.org.au/ Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As officials hammer out a trade deal, Trump is trumpeting a revival of cross-border pipeline plans — and an Alberta energy exec who worked on the Keystone XL project says it might be just the bargaining chip Canada needs.Ukraine's former defence minister says it's time for an election — war or no war — but an opposition MP argues a vote would be illegal and open to Russian manipulation. The IDF launches an investigation into the high-profile, 2024 killing of 5-year-old Hind Rajab. We hear from an emergency dispatcher who spoke to her in the moments before she died. A professor tells us why he's challenging the Quebec law that made swearing an oath of allegiance to the King optional for provincial lawmakers. The last thing a marathon runner needs is extra distance tacked onto the end of the race, but that's exactly what happened in Edmonton. We hear from a runner who says that mistake may have robbed him of his chance to qualify for the Boston Marathon. As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that hopes it all works out... in the long run.

In this episode of “IDF: Mission Brief” and in honor of International Humanitarian Day, LTC Dr. M. talks about the IDF's humanitarian efforts abroad when major disaster strikes, and his experience on those missions.He shares what it means to mobilize field hospitals within hours and reflects on adapting on the ground during catastrophic events like in Equatorial Guinea and Turkey. From coordinating global relief efforts to building trust with locals under extreme pressure, Dr. M. shares it all.

In this episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Captain (Res.) Bar Reuven for an inside look at Unit 669, the Israeli Air Force's elite combat search and rescue unit. Bar reveals what it takes to earn a place in one of the IDF's most selective units, where thousands compete for only a handful of spots and training prepares soldiers for everything from battlefield evacuations to underwater, cliff, and aerial rescues. Bar reflects on the unprecedented demands placed on Unit 669 following October 7, its role in evacuating wounded soldiers and assisting rescued hostages, and the split-second, life-or-death decisions its members carry with them long after a mission ends.

An IDF soldier answers the genocide charge with what he saw in Gaza.In this episode, Pastor Nathan Brown talks with Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and his son, IDF reserve Sergeant First Class Meir Wolicki, who served three years in Gaza and Lebanon. The rabbi opens Psalm 83 as the Bible's theology of war, and the IDF soldier walks through evacuating civilians, the famine claims, and the first Gazan family he ever saw. Perfect for the commute or the drive home.You'll Learn:✅ Why Psalm 83 names Philistia and Tyre, and where those places are today✅ How an IDF soldier answers the genocide and starvation charges✅ What Exodus 19 says about God's purpose for Israel and the nations✅ Why one rabbi says Christians are ignoring the persecuted Church

David Daoud details the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, noting that Hezbollah's refusal to disarm has prompted the IDF to prepare for a major operation. Israel is currently conducting "clearing operations" to destroy Hezbollah installations near the Al-Aishiyeh Ridge. Daoud highlights the recent deaths of senior commanders from the elite Radwan and Badr units, which indicates that Hezbollah's operational security remains compromised. Despite these losses, Hezbollah is working with Iran to rebuild its command structure and has attempted to smuggle advanced weaponry, including cruise missiles, into Lebanon. (7)

TABLE OF CONTENTS, THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-17-2026.Bill Roggio reflects on the five-year anniversary of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, highlighting the accuracy of the maps he built that predicted the Taliban's takeover. He describes the withdrawal as disorganized, noting there was zero plan for the Afghan government or military equipment. Roggio specifically criticizes the abandonment of Bagram Air Base, which he believes was the superior evacuation site. He also addresses current Middle East policy, dismissing proposed land blockades against Iran as "fanciful" and impractical. He warns that current strategic failures mirror the indifference seen in Afghanistan. (1)Bridget Toomey analyzes the reawakening of the Yemeni Civil War, noting that the Houthis are launching fresh offensives to seize the Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb choke point. While the Houthis claim to target Saudiinterests, their primary focus has shifted to defeating government-backed ground troops. Toomey highlights the extensive use of drone technology by both sides, with the Houthis demonstrating sophisticated capabilities while the Yemeni government adopts modified Chinese systems. She notes that Saudi Arabia remains hesitant to fully re-initiate a large-scale military intervention despite continued Houthi aggression. (2)Janatyn Sayeh explores the "secret plan" of Iranian hardliners to escalate regional conflict and raise costs for the United States. He notes that while the Iranian economy is an existential vulnerability, the regime is willing to ride out sanctions to maintain its Islamist agenda. Sayeh critiques the viability of a U.S. land blockade, citing the difficulty of gaining cooperation from neighbors like Afghanistan and Pakistan. He argues that power is concentrated within the IRGCsecurity establishment rather than just the Supreme Leader, and that internal rifts are secondary to the elite's collective survival. (3)Malcolm Hoenlein provides an overview of the October 27th Israeli election, explaining the complex "list" voting system and Netanyahu's challenges. He discusses the "Board of Peace" negotiations, stressing that the central hurdle remains Hamas's refusal to disarm before Israeli withdrawal. Hoenlein also touches on regional tensions, including Hezbollah's rearming and internal unrest in Iran fueled by economic desperation. Finally, he notes Turkey's significant lobbying efforts in Washington through a new headquarters and a "glorious new front" of diplomatic normalization between Israel and several South American nations including Colombia. (4)Edmund Fitton-Brown argues that the U.S. is "running out of ideas" regarding economic pressure on Iran, labeling a land blockade as far-fetched due to uncooperative neighbors. He suggests that secondary sanctions on Chinese "teapot" refineries are a more practical tool. Regarding Yemen, Fitton-Brown observes that the Houthis have become emboldened by U.S. irresolution and are pushing south to capture the Bab el-Mandeb. He expresses cautious optimism regarding Jared Kushner's diplomatic delegation, noting that experienced figures like Tony Blair are unlikely to be "dupes" for Hamas during negotiations. (5)John Hardie reports on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, specifically Russia's rejection of a Black Sea ceasefire in favor of striking Ukrainian food supplies. He notes that while Russia maintains a maritime blockade advantage, Ukraine is retaliating with high-precision long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries and defense plants. Hardie suggests that the Kremlin may be receptive to a moratorium on deep-strike operations because their own infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable. He concludes that Ukraine currently holds a tactical edge in drone technology, aided by Western intelligence to bypass Russian air defenses. (6)David Daoud details the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, noting that Hezbollah's refusal to disarm has prompted the IDF to prepare for a major operation. Israel is currently conducting "clearing operations" to destroy Hezbollah installations near the Al-Aishiyeh Ridge. Daoud highlights the recent deaths of senior commanders from the elite Radwan and Badr units, which indicates that Hezbollah's operational security remains compromised. Despite these losses, Hezbollah is working with Iran to rebuild its command structure and has attempted to smuggle advanced weaponry, including cruise missiles, into Lebanon. (7)Kamran Bokhari examines the evolution of the Iranian regime, arguing that the Supreme Leader has become a figurehead for the IRGC and security establishment. He suggests that the war has accelerated a process of internal fragmentation, though the elite remains united by a shared fear of collapse. While public uprisings have gone "underground," the regime continues to conduct mass arrests to prevent a critical mass of resistance. Bokhari describes a "post-clergy" era where the military dominates political life, noting that the regime has evolved into a different entity than it was decades ago. (8)Alan Tonelson exposes a massive Chinese tariff evasion scheme, where goods are rerouted through countries like Cambodia and Mexico to bypass U.S. duties. This "scam" is estimated to cost the U.S. up to $26 billion in annual revenue. While the White House is developing AI-based systems to strengthen customs enforcement, there is criticism regarding the lack of direct penalties against Beijing. Tonelson notes that 40 countries are currently complicit in these practices, harming the U.S. manufacturing base. He predicts only modest changes to these trade dynamics through the remainder of the current administration. (9)Samuel Ben-Ur discusses the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, focusing on Jared Kushner's meeting with Hamas leadership to discuss a 15-point peace plan. Ben-Ur explains that Israel rejected the plan because it lacked a verifiable mechanism for Hamas's disarmament before Israeli withdrawal. He dismisses reports of famine in Gaza as propaganda, noting that international bodies currently view aid levels as acceptable. The conversation emphasizes that Hamas remains committed to the destruction of Israel, making voluntary disarmament a "fiction," while Israeli politics remain divided over the war's prosecution. (10)Richard Epstein critiques Senator Bernie Sanders' characterization of Israeli politicians as "extremists," viewing it as a provocative attempt to shift American Democratic policy. Epstein argues that a two-state solution is fundamentally unstable because an autonomous Palestinian region cannot be prevented from remilitarizing. He contends that proponents of this solution often act in bad faith, ignoring Hamas's history of violated ceasefires. Furthermore, Epstein describes the Democratic Socialists of America as isolationists who focus disproportionately on Israel while ignoring other global aggressors like Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. (11)Jeremy Zakis reports on the looming weather crisis in Australia, where meteorologists predict a "super El Niño" combined with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole. This rare combination is expected to cause extreme drought and record-breaking temperatures in New South Wales and Victoria. Zakis warns that a wet winter has fueled rampant eucalyptus growth, creating a massive volume of flammable oils. These conditions have "primed" the landscape for catastrophic wildfires. Residents are being urged to clear undergrowth immediately, as the upcoming fire season could surpass the severity of the devastating 2020–2021 bushfires. (12)One small fix beyond the log: Badr unit (source had "Bader," segment 7) — the standard rendering of Hezbollah's Badr unit. Janatyn Sayeh applied per your confirmed spelling.

Today's Headlines: Trump threatened to "bomb the shit out of" Oman — a longtime US ally and the country currently facilitating Iran negotiations — because Iran and Oman are having side talks about the Strait of Hormuz that don't include him, and when asked why, he said "I don't think they behave very well," which confused even Fox News. Jared Kushner and Netanyahu spent several hours reaching the conclusion that Hamas should hand over weapons to an American general before any Gaza reconstruction begins, Netanyahu won't redeploy the IDF, and two working groups will be formed — all of which Netanyahu is navigating with one eye on his October reelection, so temper expectations accordingly. On the public health beat, the FDA upgraded the 20 million egg recall to its highest-risk classification, meaning the salmonella could cause death, with additional recalls hitting jalapeños, potato chips, frozen pizza, dog food, and lactation granola — check fda.gov for the full list. Kindergarten vaccination rates declined for every tracked vaccine this year, with exemption rates rising in 41 states from 3.6% to 4.2%, and 24 states now above 5% — which sounds small until you remember that's all it takes to collapse herd immunity. Meanwhile, Google bought 100 million Spirit Airlines emails and 500 million Microsoft Teams chats for $10 million at bankruptcy auction to train its AI. In court updates, the Supreme Court again denied Trump's attempt to escape paying E. Jean Carroll $5 million, without elaborating, while he still owes her another $83 million on a separate verdict they haven't weighed in on yet. Luigi Mangione's state murder trial is postponed indefinitely while his lawyers pursue double jeopardy arguments and Jill Stein has an arrest warrant after skipping a hearing for allegedly kicking a cop at a Gaza protest. One last thing, polls are open today for the Florida and Alaska primaries, so go vote! Resources/Articles mentioned: Axios: Dems plan Oman war powers push after Trump threatens bombing NBC News: Kushner and Netanyahu agree U.S. general should oversee Hamas ‘demilitarization,' source says NYT: FDA Classifies Egg Recall as Class I for Highest Health Risk  Gizmodo: Granola Is the Latest Recall in America's Salmonella-Drenched Food System Axios: Kindergarten vaccine exemptions rose in 2025-2026: CDC Axios: Google wins bankruptcy auction for Spirit Airlines emails, chats, documents WaPo: Supreme Court rebuffs Trump's bid to overturn $5 million verdict in Carroll case AP News: Luigi Mangione's state murder trial postponed indefinitely amid double jeopardy fight STL MagazineL: St. Louis judge issues warrant for Jill Stein's arrest  AP News: AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida's state primary Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

────────────────────────────────────────[00:00:50]Trump Is Draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for Israel's Farcical War — SPR at Historic LowsReleasing reserves for a war with no objective and no timeline that his CIA director called farcical; Trump calls the resulting fuel prices a very small tax.────────────────────────────────────────[00:02:09]Trump Threatened to Bomb Oman — a Long-Term US Ally Brokering a Hormuz Deal to Clean Up His MessOman was negotiating a toll system with Iran to reopen the Strait; Trump threatened to bomb them; his CIA chief called the war farcical.────────────────────────────────────────[00:04:37]Trump's War Has No Objectives, No Timeline, No Coherent Goal — Just Whatever Netanyahu SaysOne day the mission is stopping Iran's bomb; the next it's lower gas prices; Vance says fuel costs is goal one; Trump says Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.────────────────────────────────────────[00:14:53]Kushner Met With Netanyahu to "Finish the Job" in Gaza — Lebanon Hit With Deadliest Escalation of 2026Seven civilians killed in their homes; Hezbollah wounded three IDF soldiers — Israel's response was to bomb houses across multiple towns.────────────────────────────────────────[00:20:56]Iran Is Shifting From Defensive to Fully Offensive — Asymmetric Warfare Inside America Is the Likely ThreatUkraine is hitting Russian Amazon-equivalent warehouses; America is more vulnerable to that attack type; truckers expect diesel over $6 a gallon very soon.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:43]Oracle's Executive Chair Boasts About Running Illegal AI Operations With People in UniformSarah Katz: we're doing very scary things I can't tell you about — because they're illegal; Ellison controls Oracle, has Trump's ear, and is a hardcore Zionist.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:43]Trump's Anti-Semitism Chief Wants to Gut the First Amendment — Criticism of Israel Is Anti-SemitismLeo Terrell: anti-Semitism is everywhere; we've got to deal with it at the local level; same playbook as LGBT — speech is violence; control speech everywhere.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:43]Catholic Bishops Installed a Jewish Woman Who Rejects Christ to Remove Antisemitic Interpretations From the BibleTwo days to issue the statement; Huckabee and Cruz are Christ deniers; Judeo-Christianity is the biggest oxymoron Knight has ever heard.────────────────────────────────────────[00:01:47]Trump's Failures Paving the Way for a Smart Dangerous Socialist — John Birch Freedom Index: Five Out of 100He just entered the race; clever, articulate, and dangerous; statism and corruption create the vacuum these people fill.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:43]Flock Is a Federally Orchestrated Program — Trump Promises Subsidies to Cities That Buy InHow did Flock know every county would buy? Federal government wants them to; Massey's defund-cities-that-use-Flock approach is the right answer. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code “KNIGHT” For high quality made in America products go to HomeSteadProducts.shop and use promo code “Knight” for 10% off your purchases Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

────────────────────────────────────────[00:00:50]Trump Is Draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for Israel's Farcical War — SPR at Historic LowsReleasing reserves for a war with no objective and no timeline that his CIA director called farcical; Trump calls the resulting fuel prices a very small tax.────────────────────────────────────────[00:02:09]Trump Threatened to Bomb Oman — a Long-Term US Ally Brokering a Hormuz Deal to Clean Up His MessOman was negotiating a toll system with Iran to reopen the Strait; Trump threatened to bomb them; his CIA chief called the war farcical.────────────────────────────────────────[00:04:37]Trump's War Has No Objectives, No Timeline, No Coherent Goal — Just Whatever Netanyahu SaysOne day the mission is stopping Iran's bomb; the next it's lower gas prices; Vance says fuel costs is goal one; Trump says Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.────────────────────────────────────────[00:14:53]Kushner Met With Netanyahu to "Finish the Job" in Gaza — Lebanon Hit With Deadliest Escalation of 2026Seven civilians killed in their homes; Hezbollah wounded three IDF soldiers — Israel's response was to bomb houses across multiple towns.────────────────────────────────────────[00:20:56]Iran Is Shifting From Defensive to Fully Offensive — Asymmetric Warfare Inside America Is the Likely ThreatUkraine is hitting Russian Amazon-equivalent warehouses; America is more vulnerable to that attack type; truckers expect diesel over $6 a gallon very soon.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:43]Oracle's Executive Chair Boasts About Running Illegal AI Operations With People in UniformSarah Katz: we're doing very scary things I can't tell you about — because they're illegal; Ellison controls Oracle, has Trump's ear, and is a hardcore Zionist.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:43]Trump's Anti-Semitism Chief Wants to Gut the First Amendment — Criticism of Israel Is Anti-SemitismLeo Terrell: anti-Semitism is everywhere; we've got to deal with it at the local level; same playbook as LGBT — speech is violence; control speech everywhere.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:43]Catholic Bishops Installed a Jewish Woman Who Rejects Christ to Remove Antisemitic Interpretations From the BibleTwo days to issue the statement; Huckabee and Cruz are Christ deniers; Judeo-Christianity is the biggest oxymoron Knight has ever heard.────────────────────────────────────────[00:01:47]Trump's Failures Paving the Way for a Smart Dangerous Socialist — John Birch Freedom Index: Five Out of 100He just entered the race; clever, articulate, and dangerous; statism and corruption create the vacuum these people fill.────────────────────────────────────────[01:54:43]Flock Is a Federally Orchestrated Program — Trump Promises Subsidies to Cities That Buy InHow did Flock know every county would buy? Federal government wants them to; Massey's defund-cities-that-use-Flock approach is the right answer. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code “KNIGHT” For high quality made in America products go to HomeSteadProducts.shop and use promo code “Knight” for 10% off your purchases Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top aide Jared Kushner met with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in the Egyptian coastal city of El-Alamein on Sunday before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem yesterday. We discuss the normalization of the US conducting direct talks with Hamas and a potential new way forward being floated by the Board of Peace. As the 60-day memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has run out, in a wide-ranging phone interview with Fox News, US President Donald Trump said he had “no time schedule” for the conflict. Magid also delves into the visible mixed messaging between the president and Vice President J.D. Vance over the war's goals. And finally, we turn to the ongoing saga taking place at the Palestinian village of Qusra, near Nablus. International media attention has been spotlighting the location for over a week after settlers began surrounding several new houses built on its outskirts, trapping residents inside in an apparent effort to force them out. The IDF’s actions — and inactions — have generated condemnation around the world. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Kushner meets Hamas chief in Egypt in push for Gaza disarmament; IDF continues strikes Meeting with Kushner, PM doubles down on IDF remaining in Gaza until Hamas disarmed Amid Israeli pushback, source reveals Board of Peace weighing new disarmament framework Trump threatens to bomb Oman over its deal with Iran on Hormuz, as 60-day MOU expires Palestinian-American raises US flag upon return to Qusra home besieged by settlers Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laughed off Woke 1.0, she attempted to distance herself from a movement she not only helped build but also led. Because the DSA is ascendant, they're hoping to pivot to kitchen table issues just long enough to trick otherwise sane people into voting for them.Hasan Piker started wearing suits. Abdul El-Sayed is attempting to draw in Trump supporters by showcasing his white grandparents.And out in Texas, James Talarico is making ads with his Paw Paw. They're just regular folks, like you and me. Well, except that they want to tear America down to the studs and rebuild it as a woked-up socialist paradise. But shsh. Nothing to see here, move along, move along.Woke 1.0 wasn't just some silly thing that happened to them one time. It is a deeply held belief system that has been passed on through the generations and mandates conformity across all institutions and culture. It is not an ideology so much as the biggest cult in American history.As we've watched their power weaken after Trump's second win, we see them now more clearly than ever trying to cling to it. Calling white people racist gets louder. Ordering women to obey the rules of language, like the refusal to use the word “cis” or whether or not dating bisexual men, makes you homophobic. Cults must always control the women, separate them from their children. True for Charles Manson, Jim Jones, or Scientology. It's so bad on the Left now that the only right women fight for now is the right to kill their own babies.From White Fragility to protecting women in sports or locker rooms, not to mention children, the once and former feminists are MIA. Many of them are so desperate to be led and dominated by men that they are becoming Muslim reverts:Back in the 1970s, women were also vulnerable and impressionable because the Counter Culture revolution was all about leaving traditional values, like family and religion, behind to “find yourself.” Women were suddenly free, yet all they seemed to want was to find someone to follow. All of those white college girls of privilege were either sucked into cults, moving into vans, or shooting up banks.Meanwhile, the black community was vulnerable, too, and that is how cult leaders like Jim Jones took advantage of them. He was selling things not that different from today's Left. The Origins of Woke 1.0I'll never forget May 25th of 2016. I decided to splurge for my daughter's 18th birthday by taking her to see Hamilton on Broadway, with nearly the entire original cast. The tickets, flight, and hotel were too expensive, but we'd never get this moment back, so why not? It was the same year my daughter would visit the NYU campus, have her prom, and I would be doing everything I could to elect Hillary Clinton as the first female President of the United States, with the doomed hashtag #imwithher.I was part of a generation of parents who wanted to not just be better but to perfect ourselves, our children, and our world. I can't pinpoint exactly when we transformed from anti-establishment Gen-Xers to helicopter parents. But I know it had to do with the therapy culture of the 1990s, capped off by Columbine in 1999, 9/11, and the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that followed. Something was wrong, not just with all of us, but with our country too.The person elected to heal us from all of this collective, multi-generational trauma was Barack Obama, who became our spiritual leader and our male role model. 2012 was the moment Obama and the millennial do-gooder establishment that surrounded him sought to make our country better through indoctrination in public schools and universities.Hillary Clinton was chosen as the torchbearer, but she lacked Obama's charisma and had nothing to sell the public that they wanted except one thing: identity politics. It wasn't enough. Our cult over-reacted to Trump's win, as though it was the FBI showing up outside the Koresh compound. It was Doomsday and that dark cloud would cover everything we controlled, from Hollywood to the legacy media to book publishing to fashion to influencer culture. We drew a line, and if you wanted in, you could not cross it. If you wanted out, all you had to do was question authority.But it was what we weren't watching that would be our biggest problem later. We weren't watching the kids. Teenage WastelandWhat happened to the nation's young people, having been indoctrinated in the oppressor/oppressed mindset, where they saw racism, homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia everywhere they looked, even before Trump won, kicked into motion an apocalyptic fantasy that would justify everything they did, from protests to violence to assassinations. The internet was their fantasy world, which gave many of them absolute power. This was true whether it was social justice warriors who ultimately led the transgender contagion among young girls, or the boys who gravitated to 4-chan and would eventually lead to the rise of the mass shooter influencer, like Tyler Robinson, Matthew David Crooks, or Luigi Mangione. The first real sign of trouble happened nine years ago at Evergreen College. When I first saw this story, I was already pulling away from the cult, but even then, I was afraid to put it on social media because I knew it would be seen as “racist.” And yet, by burying this story, the Left set itself up for much worse down the road.Violence showed up as early as 2015 during Woke 1.0, when Trump supporters were often beaten, kicked, and spat on. The protests at Trump's inauguration seemed to be a natural extension of the mass hysteria that consumed the Left in 2016. It would only get worse.The violence we're seeing on the Left only escalated, culminating in a full-blown revolution on the streets in 2020, a mob demanding diners raise their fist for Black Lives Matter, and authoritarianism rising from a generation raised to believe they have the right to tear down what they didn't build and make the whole country pay because of it.That put power briefly back in the hands of Joe Biden, who pandered to the mob. They believed the false narratives around January 6th, decided MAGA was the cult, and walked away from this story. They barely even talk about it now.The entire Democratic Party became the administrators at Evergreen, too crippled by white guilt to provide the necessary leadership and discipline these kids needed before they graduated and joined the workforce. But even still, the most dangerous legacy Woke 1.0 leaves behind isn't what it's done to kids or to culture, to our sense of history or to our unity as a country. No, in dividing us into the oppressed and the oppressor, it opened the door to America's enemies to exploit the sitting ducks on the Left and name Islam as the most oppressed and thus hand it the most power.Then the enemy walked through the door we left open.Woke 2.0My daughter was three when the planes hit the towers. I remember waking up to the news. Imagine the days before we all had cell phones, or even social media. I had to call my friend and tell her to turn on the news. This was the first time America had been attacked on this level since Pearl Harbor.But terrorism accomplished very little for Islam. It turned the US and the world against them. They were feared and even hated. Our country would transform into a surveillance state, and there's an argument to be made that everything we're living through now is not because of COVID but because of 9/11.Changing hearts and minds would be the way the Islamic world would rise from the ashes. Before long, there was a new word that controlled our thought and speech: Islamophobia.I didn't realize how deep it all went until 2017, the same year as Evergreen. Wonder Woman had come out. My daughter really loved it, but she was afraid to say so online. Why? Because Gal Gadot was an Israeli who trained with the IDF.I was as shocked by this development as I was when she told me her friend was becoming a “he” and wanted “top surgery.” What on earth were they teaching our kids? Idiot liberals like me had no idea. And by the time many of us figured it out, it was too late.Palestine joined the wheel of oppression and took its place in the hierarchy long before October 7th. Hamas attacked Israel, and Putin invaded Ukraine with Joe Biden in power. They clearly saw him as a weak and addled president who would not be able to manage these wars, so what better time to test the hearts and minds campaigns and the way our enemies had begun to destroy us from within.October 7th wasn't a random attack. It was an act of such extreme violence that Israel would have no choice but to go to war, and in so doing, a worldwide campaign to defend the oppressed in Palestine could turn the entire world against Israel. But it wasn't until the rise of Zohran Mamdani, Hasan Piker, and now Abdul El-Sayed and the entire DSA that we could see how fruitful the decades-long hearts-and-minds campaign really was. The Holocaust, to these young people, barely matters. They have no idea what Stalin did, what Mao did, or even really what Hitler did. And they know better than to criticize Islam because that would make them a racist. There was only one place left to go.Just like the leap from World War I to World War II, so too would the jump from Woke 1.0 to Woke 2.0 land on the eternal scapegoat: the Jews. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. Islam and Socialism. Islam and Black Lives Matter. Islam and Medicare for all. These two movements have so much in common, from controlling thought and speech to controlling women and children. But really, it's all about their shared enemies, Israel and the US.Woke 2.0 isn't just the Left, however. It's also a large portion of the Right who have named Israel as the ultimate evil as well, so much so that they are following Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson down the rabbit hole to deflate any offense against the rising radicalism — terrorism - on the Left.Both Nick Fuentes and Hasan Piker have chimed in to declare Candace is helping to defeat the Right and absolve the Left. They can't believe their luck. What unites all of them is their conclusion that Israel and the Jews are the problem.China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea know us better than we know ourselves. Who needs bombs when you have white fragility? Who needs censorship when you have cancel culture? But Islam that wants more. They seek to overtake and convert the United States the way we once feared the Communists might. With the oppressor/oppressed ideology and the rise of Islamo-Marxism, there is no stopping them now. A TikTok user quoting Sharifa Alkhateeb and an Iranian.They just needed the right script, and they found it with helpless resistance libs who have run out of options and Gen-Z, raised on convenience culture who are lured in by the promise of free stuff. Who needs suicide vests and box cutters when you have TikTok?We would start two failed wars after 9/11 called the “War on Terror.” People like me were convinced we were wrong. Now, just as with Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare, considering how it all turned out, I have to wonder. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe

The IDF warns that Hamas and Hezbollah are rebuilding a regional “axis of terror” with Iranian assistance, pressuring Israel on two fronts at once; tensions boil over in the West Bank village of Qusra after a contentious IDF evacuation operation”; and Israeli families move back into the former settlement of Ganim, twenty-one years after the 2005 Disengagement. Israel Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.orgYOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@israeldailynewsIsrael Daily News Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuldSupport our Wartime News Coverage:https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-warLinks to all things IDN: https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews

Top headlines for Monday, August 17, 2026Adults now make up the majority of Southern Baptist baptisms, marking a generational shift. Missionary pilot Kevin Rideout is free after nine months of captivity in West Africa. Israeli forces seal off Taybeh, the West Bank's only all-Christian village. Plus, Mel Gibson reveals new details on The Resurrection of the Christ.0:11 Adults accounted for more than half of SBC baptisms last year1:00 Trump, mission org. confirm release of kidnapped missionary1:45 Christian village in West Bank closed off by IDF to protect it2:36 Eric Metaxas: The US is 'living on fumes' after abandoning Bible3:26 Authorities probe decades-old deaths of pastor's wives4:16 Decades-long marriage fraud ring dismantled, 11 charged: report5:06 Mel Gibson reveals 'Passion of the Christ' sequels are in EnglishSubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsAdults accounted for more than half of SBC baptisms last year | Church & MinistriesTrump, mission org. confirm release of kidnapped missionary | Church & MinistriesChristian village in West Bank closed off by IDF to protect it | WorldEric Metaxas: The US is ‘living on fumes' after abandoning BibleAuthorities probe decades-old deaths of pastor's wives | U.S.Decades-long marriage fraud ring dismantled, 11 charged: report | U.S.Mel Gibson reveals 'Passion of the Christ' sequels are in English | Entertainment

This one is Claude Sonnet 5 - did a decent job. Got Gemini to do it at the same time and it was SHIT. --------------------------Jack the Insider and Hong Kong Jack open with an air-conditioner instalation story that would give any WHS officer a heart attack, before diving into the immigration debate consuming the Western world, Albo's cringeworthy podcast melon gag and the diplomatic fallout with Japan, Angus Taylor's Twitter misfire, a grim Newspoll for Labor, the conviction of former Bishop Christopher Saunders, the unravelling Mahmoud Fazal/Four Corners scandal, an AI Royal Commission, Israel's rejection of the Gaza peace plan, Ukraine's drone edge, a spot of Marxism 101, and a bumper sports wrap covering the Ashes build-up, Geelong's concussion waiver scandal and the NRL's new PNG and Perth franchises.00:00:26 — Cold open: Hong Kong air-con drama. Hong Kong Jack recounts tradesmen scaling the building exterior, tying off to a sewer pipe and rigging a platform in under an hour — a workplace safety non-starter back home.00:01:20 — Immigration policy in limbo. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke pulls his National Press Club address after Cabinet gets cold feet on migration numbers; One Nation capitalises on the vacuum.00:02:17 — Paul Kelly on the West's immigration reckoning. The hosts unpack Kelly's column on multiculturalism's failures in Europe versus its comparative success in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US, and why a clear pathway to national identity matters.00:04:23 — The politician/public disconnect. A Financial Times study (John Burn-Murdoch) showing big gaps between public and political opinion on migrant assimilation across Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.00:06:10 — Is the far right the cause or the symptom? A robust back-and-forth on whether One Nation, AfD, Reform UK and Le Pen's party are driving the backlash or simply capitalising on governments that lost control of migration systems.00:08:50 — Albo's podcast melon gag fallout. The PM's crass "melons" line about the Japanese Prime Minister on a comedy podcast draws a diplomatic complaint from Tokyo and calls for an apology he still hasn't given.00:10:39 — Why politicians chase the "youth" podcast circuit. Discussion of Albo's ties to Sandilands-style FM radio and whether the audience numbers justify the reputational risk.00:12:32 — Latika Bourke's double standard question. Would a corporate CEO survive the same scrutiny as a Prime Minister? The Jacks disagree on how novel the standard really is.00:14:14 — Angus Taylor's Twitter misfire. A dissected, over-written tweet accusing the "socialist" Albanese government lands badly — "people might think they're bumbling fools, but they don't think they're socialist."00:15:53 — Angus Taylor and the ICAC donation question. A circular exchange over an unresolved email regarding a potential donation tied to a group under ICAC scrutiny.00:17:52 — Coalition social media strategy. Jane Hume's five-a-day Instagram habit and whether the Coalition's messaging is landing with anyone at this point in the electoral cycle.00:18:52 — Productivity and work-from-home. Westpac CEO Anthony Miller warns rates could stay elevated into 2028 without a productivity fix; Victoria shelves its work-from-home legislation ahead of the planned 1 September start.00:21:36 — Red tape and the housing/business regulation debate. Building approval bottlenecks, the Coalition's building-standards rollback proposal, and why company/tax reporting (not ABN registration) is the real handicap for small business.00:24:14 — Newspoll: Labor's primary vote "plunges." Labor down to 29 percent (from 31), described by the Jacks as more "meandering" than plunging — with a look at how far off Labor is from its 34.5 percent election benchmark.00:25:31 — Kos Samaras/RedBridge on the new voter blocs. A breakdown of Labor's inner-city, under-45, migrant-heavy base; One Nation's mortgage-stressed, outer-suburban trades vote; and the Coalition's shrinking, wealthy, over-55 remnant — plus where the Jacks think the analysis oversimplifies.00:28:42 — How the Coalition lost its heartland. Reflections on 19 years of Coalition government since Howard, the failure to read demographic warning signs, and the loss of both the "asset rich" and "asset poor" ends of its old coalition.00:31:49 — Content warning: child sexual abuse. Former Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders, 76, found guilty of one count of sexual penetration and multiple indecent assault charges against a young Indigenous man; sentencing yet to be scheduled.00:32:50 — Saunders' pattern of behaviour. Allegations of financial mismanagement, smuggling alcohol into dry Indigenous communities, a 2019 police raid uncovering exploitation material, and a Vatican finding he likely abused Indigenous youth.00:34:59 — The Bishop Ronald Mulkearns parallel. The Ballarat bishop's Royal Commission appearance and mysterious final holiday hosted by Saunders in Broome shortly before his death.00:37:06 — The Four Corners/Mahmoud Fazal scandal. Fazal's background as a self-described former Mongols bike gang sergeant-at-arms turned journalist; his Cocaine Nation and Meth Highway reports pulled from air, along with a Background Briefing program.00:38:33 — Media Watch's verdict. Linton Besser's assessment that Fazal was "embellishing his journalism," and how ABC's editorial oversight failed across two flagship programs.00:39:39 — The Jordan Shanks (Friendly Jordies) threat allegations. Fazal's alleged role relaying threats from the Alameddine crime family after Shanks' house was firebombed twice; Fazal disputes the death-threat characterisation.00:41:36 — Where journalism crosses into participation. Jack the Insider's personal rule against interviewing active criminals, and a wider discussion of when reporters become "players" rather than observers — including a detour to the "Poison Dwarf," Clayton Milne.00:46:20 — A 2006 ice epidemic documentary as the gold standard. A comparison piece where public health officials and police saw the crystal meth wave coming years before government — done properly, without masked, unverifiable sources.00:48:21 — South Australia's $3 million AI Royal Commission. Premier Peter Malinauskas announces the inquiry; the Jacks are sceptical it will produce much, suspecting it's more about attracting AI investment.00:49:27 — The AI investment bubble risk. Massive capital flowing into Anthropic, Meta and Google versus cheaper, competitive Chinese models — and what that imbalance could mean for the S&P 500's AI-heavy weighting.00:51:00 — Israel rejects Trump's 15-point Gaza plan. Distrust that Hamas will disarm, and why the stakes feel existential rather than abstract for Israelis.00:52:32 — Israel's 27 October election. Netanyahu's fragile coalition, Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Smotrich's collapsing poll numbers, and the growing backlash over ultra-Orthodox exemptions from IDF service.00:57:09 — Ukraine: Starlink access and drone warfare. Elon Musk restricting Ukrainian Starlink use against Russia, a declined meeting with Trump, and Ukraine's drone successes — including a joint exercise with US forces in Germany.01:00:29 — Reports of distress aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Unconfirmed accounts of sailors going overboard after roughly ten months of continuous deployment.01:01:52 — Stephen Kotkin on Marxism's enduring appeal. Why intellectuals keep returning to Marxist ideas despite the historical body count — and a tangent on campus recruitment, ASIO and the "special role" intellectuals imagine for themselves.01:05:15 — Iran, Cambodia and the fate of the intellectual class. Historical examples of revolutions turning on the intelligentsia that helped bring them about.01:06:06 — Sport check: the Ashes build-up begins. Australia's shaky start against Bangladesh, Steve Smith's lucky reprieve, and questions over Alex Carey's batting position and the middle order.01:08:24 — Selection headaches: Labuschagne and Nathan Lyon. Marnus Labuschagne's technical struggles and whether Lyon plays out the year, with the World Test Championship and next year's Ashes on the horizon.01:11:03 — Geelong's concussion contract waiver scandal. A player reportedly signing away his right to sue over concussion management; questions over why the club didn't submit the waiver to the AFL or AFLPA, and calls for points deductions rather than fines.01:16:04 — Jake Kelly's likely retirement and player consent. Whether it matters who initiated the waiver, and why players will "sign anything" to keep playing despite long-term brain injury risks.01:18:30 — NRL expansion: PNG Chiefs and Perth Bears. Tax-free salaries giving PNG Chiefs an effective cap advantage, players relocating to a purpose-built village in Port Moresby, and Perth's 2027 entry into the competition.01:22:36 — Poaching rugby fans, AFL's expansion and wildcard finals. The Perth Bears' leadership, Tasmania Devils' draft concessions, Nigel Lappin's coaching move, and early impressions of the AFL's new wildcard finals round.

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode. After three IDF soldiers were struck and severely wounded by a Hezbollah drone in Lebanon on Friday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the unusual move of announcing the incident in English during Shabbat, Schneider says, to ensure the US administration understood the seriousness of the ceasefire violation. Schneider looks ahead to Monday’s Likud feverishly contested primary, in which members of Netanyahu’s party will choose some, but not all, of Likud's Knesset slate. The latest Zman Yisrael poll showed Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party opening a four-seat lead over Likud ahead of the October 27 general election, but the anti-Netanyahu Zionist bloc still not quite able to muster a Knesset majority. Eisenkot, she notes, might nonetheless aim to form a minority government. Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Eisenkot opens up a lead on Netanyahu in new ToI poll, but both blocs shy of majority Eisenkot vows ‘no compromise’ on IDF draft law, including for Haredim, if elected PM MK Elazar Stern announces Yesh Atid exit ahead of likely run with Eisenkot Report: Barkat co-led Likud effort to oust and replace Netanyahu after Oct. 7 Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht. Political correspondent Tal Schneider appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this show, Tamar Yonah speaks with Rabbi Josh Wander who served as an IDF commander in Lebanon, has a Master's degree in Public and International Affairs & politically he served as an adviser in the Israeli parliament. He joins Tamar to speak about all that's happening regarding Israel's 'situation', including these topics: Gaza — Lebanon — Hilltop Youth — The Upcoming Israeli Elections — The Abraham Accords —  Aliyah — The Third Temple — The Redemption Process — Follow Josh at: GeulaMovement.substack.com The Tamar Yonah Show 17AUG2026 - PODCAST

Report: Possible Trump envoy Kushner meeting with Hamas representatives, mediator countries on Gaza agreement. IDF strikes Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon after 3 soldiers wounded by explosive drone. Police say motive still unclear for planned disappearance of Israeli mother, daughter, tracked down in ArgentinaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, an in-depth investigatory show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (8/14/26). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth is, or claiming they have the answer, is likely leading you astray, for one reason or another. Stay Vigilant. !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble");   Rumble("play", {"video":"v7c0884","div":"rumble_v7c0884"});   Source Links (In Chronological Order): (10) The Last American Vagabond on X: "Derrick and I recently recorded our first episode of our new broadcast for Unlimited Hangout, Open Source, and they will be releasing it in the near future. More to come. https://t.co/BKr0wqEWLQ" / X Announcing the Independent Media Alliance The Independent Media Alliance Announces AI Transparency Pledge - The Last American Vagabond TLAV Artificial Intelligence Policy The ‘AI Detector' as Defamation Machine - WSJ New Tab FDA Approves mRNA Flu Shot, Fauci Contempt Political Theater & The "Bacteriophage System" GoF (10) American Red Cross on X: "@LClaw85 We don't label blood products as containing vaccinated or unvaccinated blood as the COVID-19 vaccine does not enter the bloodstream & poses no safety risks to the recipient. If you have safety concerns about potential blood transfusions, please speak with your medical care team." / X (10) R.i.c.k. on X: "@LClaw85 @RedCross @CommunityNotes 2 years later......." / X (10) Robert F. Kennedy Jr on X: "Finally, a President who stands for medical freedom, informed consent, and gold-standard science. https://t.co/FmWPL4aLNP" / X (10) Tom Fitton on X: "Why did the FDA approve ANOTHER mRNA jab?" / X (10) Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD on X: "The same mRNA flu vaccine that caused 15 times more serious adverse events than the number of hospitalizations it prevented? Doctors, read the paper, not just the abstract! https://t.co/hFSHqzf8ng”" / X (10) Toby Rogers on X: "Darkest day in the history of the @FDA. A regulatory decision PURCHASED by a wealthy donor to the Republican Party (Stephen Schwarzman). Even Moderna's own rigged data show more harms than benefits and an astonishing rate of fatalities. Senicide is the official policy of the FDA." / X (10) Mary Talley Bowden MD on X: "Old flu shot: $269.50 for a box of 10. New (mRNA) flu shot: $1407.50 for a box of 10." / X Moderna Injects First Participant With Experimental mRNA-4200 Cancer Shot That Forces the Body to Produce Seven Undisclosed Tumor Proteins Moderna Announces First Participant Dosed in Phase 1 Clinical Trial Evaluating Investigational Tumor-Targeted Cancer Antigen Therapy in Solid Tumors New Tab Palantir Partners w/ Major News Orgs To Use Your Data As "Actionable Intelligence" Army embeds active-duty PSYOPS soldiers at local TV stations - Yahoo Sports Trump Deputizes Private Companies for Offensive Cyber Strikes Against Foreign Criminals The Israeli Election Interference and Psychological Operation Industrial Complex Revealed: the hacking and disinformation team meddling in elections | Technology | The Guardian (10) Lukasz Olejnik on X: "USA is building a state-controlled private cyber force. It lets vetted US companies conduct covert access, surveillance and cyberattacks against foreign criminal networks. US companies will be authorised to target industrial control systems and manipulate, disrupt, degrade or https://t.co/VkaGmPBkf8" / X Expanding Capabilities to Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime – The White House (10) The Last American Vagabond on X: "Oracle and the Rise of the AI Surveillance State Under Trump https://t.co/Mw4mS0NdKn https://t.co/FjSKlDdgFN" / X Oracle and the Rise of the AI Surveillance State Under Trump Stargate: Trump Partners with Technocrats to Promote mRNA Injections, AI, and Transhumanism Google & Oracle to Monitor Americans Who Get Warp Speed's Covid-19 Vaccine for up to Two Years Meet Toka, the Most Dangerous Israeli Spyware Firm You've Never Heard Of (10) Whitney Webb on X: "Literally tried to warn people about this company five years ago https://t.co/TgmpoPqCGG" / X Israeli Spyware Firm Paragon Sold to U.S., as Trump's Digital Arsenal Grows - National Security & Cyber - Haaretz.com RED Lattice acquires Israeli spyware company Paragon for $500m About | REDLattice Trump administration reinstates contract with Israeli-founded spyware maker Paragon | The Times of Israel Former Israeli spies now overseeing US government cybersecurity - The Grayzone (10) The Last American Vagabond on X: "Well this is Shlomi Lior, Algorithm & Systems Engineer for Flock, and he spent 7 years with Israeli Military Intelligence before ending up with Flock. https://t.co/JY2Es2eDLn https://t.co/4Bvyo4u1Eg" / X The Unit That Ate Cybersecurity: From Stuxnet to a $32 Billion Exit, How Israel's 8200 Became the Backbone of Global Cyber Defense — and a 'Critical' Threat | Breached.Company State Dept Revealed To Be Using Israeli Intelligence-Linked Chat App Involved In Trump Admin Hack Trump Releases White House App With Dangerous Spyware & Israeli Spyware's Quiet Comeback Under Trump Smartphones Worldwide Silently Infected With Israeli Spyware & The "Peace President" War State Meet the Spyware Companies Preparing to Unleash Their Tech During Trump's 2nd Term New Tab (10) Glenn Greenwald on X: "So if I have this right: the CIA itself understands and is saying that Israel manufactures false intelligence to make Trump fear non-existent threats from Iran so that he will continue to use American resources and sacrifice service members to fight their wars for them? Huh." / X Trump gives green light for $2m ICE deal with notorious Israeli spyware company | The Independent (10) Daniel McAdams on X: "This is hilarious. Devastating for Trump. This is the moment where everything is in a row - all the lies and the dumb social media posts and the fake bravado - toward total humiliation of Trump. He made his bed...now he is going to be forced to lie in it." / X (10) Chay Bowes on X: "ICE is buying shock gloves Up to $20 million on “G.L.O.V.E.” devices that deliver painful electric shocks on skin contact to force compliance. Another non-lethal tool for the toolkit. https://t.co/NoVC7UcSHy" / X Flock Pitched a Plan To Turn Uber and Lyft Drivers Into Roaming Surveillance Vehicles Report: Israeli Soldiers Serving in ICE During U.S. Immigration Crackdown ICE and the IDF: The Transnational Nexus of State Control – Scalawag (10) 7SEES on X: "ICE is infiltrated, trained, and equipped by the IDF. Their National Counter Terrorism Seminars take place in Israel. Many of these trips are organized and funded by non-governmental organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee, and the" / X (10) Shadow of Ezra on X: "Former Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino drops a massive bombshell and confirms the IDF has been training Border Patrol, ICE agents, and law enforcement as far back as before 9/11. "They sent me to a VIP security school, and it was run by the Israelis. That school was for all https://t.co/HqMgbSyMfd" / X New Tab Iran Rules Out Talks With Trump, Says Will Wait Until His Term Ends In 2029 | World News - News18 (10) ZeeeMediaOfficial on X: "If the Strait remains closed until 2029 it will be levels of catastrophic the world cannot even begin to imagine. Perhaps this was the plan all along?" / X (10) The Iranian Letter on X: "BREAKING: President Trump says Iran is “begging for a deal,” claiming Washington holds “all the cards” in negotiations with Tehran. Trump also declared that the United States has “100%” control of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway remains open apart from “a few" / X Pres. Trump Says Iran "Begging" for Deal To End War | Video | C-SPAN.org Trump says Iran deal 'imminent'; planned strike would've been largest since World War II | Live Updates from Fox News Digital Iran reports no progress in restoring June interim deal with US US must return to interim deal, no ceasefire extension talks, senior Iranian source says | Reuters (10) Al Jazeera Breaking News on X: "BREAKING: Iran has not decided whether to resume talks with the US, FM Abbas Araqchi says, according to Iranian media, adding that Qatar and Pakistan are exchanging messages with Iran as mediators, but this does not amount to negotiations.

Today On The Eric Metaxas Show, John Zmirak joins Eric to examine the rise of post-liberalism and Catholic integralism on the American right. They discuss Patrick Deneen, Adrian Vermeule, JD Vance, religious liberty, natural rights, and whether a growing faction of conservatives has turned against the principles of the American founding. Later, Israeli journalist and IDF reservist Yair Pinto joins Eric to discuss his new book Boots on the Ground, his experience serving after October 7, the accusations against Israel's conduct in Gaza, and what he says Americans misunderstand about Hamas and the war.⭐ ORDER NOW:Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with CEO of Community Security Service Richard Priem. While guarding his Dutch synagogue as a 17-year-old, Priem knew there were two places where Jews wouldn't experience antisemitism: Israel and the United States. Whereas in Europe, where Jews regularly must go through security checks and metal detectors before entering community events, he was sure the Jewish State and the Goldene Medina were different. That "age of security" for US Jewry changed around the time of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting, he said. This is where his NGO steps in: Founded in 2007, the not-for-profit aims to empower Jewish volunteers and strengthen their communal security toolboxes to prevent attacks and de-escalate situations as they arise. As Priem, a former paratrooper in the IDF puts it, who better to preemptively ascertain something is amiss than the community regulars themselves? In this episode, we hear real-life examples of how CSS volunteers saved lives. Later, Priem lays out a hypothetical plan to secure Borschel-Dan's upcoming speaking gig in Chicago. We learn about the need for "digital hygiene" and how a force of thousands of volunteers -- and growing -- are allowing Jews to be loud and proud again. And so this week, we ask Richard Priem, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Become an Israel Guys member → https://israelguys.link/member-HK4  Israeli settlers are besieging an Arab home in the West Bank, and Netanyahu's IDF are doing nothing to stop it. This according to dozens of headlines plastering the media over the past few days.  This is a crazy story, and every day it seems like the reporting just gets more and more intense. We have been reaching out to all of our sources, pulling together as much first hand information as possible so we can bring you the truth, and the truth is kind of wild.    There is a lot more going on here with both the Arabs, and the Israelis involved in the incident than what is getting reported. Ben Hilton brings you the truth here on today's video.   

Nearly three years since Israel’s war in Gaza began, and despite a lengthy case brought before the High Court of Israel, journalists remain unable to enter the Strip to report independently on the widespread destruction, the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the IDF’s occupation of more than half of the Strip. Histadrut national union official Peter Lerner, who served as the IDF’s Spokesperson to International Media until 2024, says the IDF’s reluctance to allow journalists in is a symptom of the war being drawn out and Israel’s increasing isolation from the global community. “The time passed two years ago,” to let journalists enter Gaza, Lerner said. “I recommended it to my superiors, that holding out this long is not beneficial to Israel; it just superimposes the fact that people will say that you're hiding something. …The fact is that there will be negative stories about the negative consequences of war.” Lerner and host Amir Tibon also discussed the reasons why Israeli soldiers passively watch – or even partake – in settler-led attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, and the ways in which the government fuels the total lack of accountability. “When I watch the attacks of these families in their homes, and they’re so helpless – as someone who experienced October 7 very, very close, it’s traumatic to watch," shared Tibon, a longtime resident of Kibbutz Nahal Oz. State-backed settler violence has also accelerated against journalists in the West Bank, where Haaretz correspondent Matan Golan and photographer Itai Ron were attacked this week by settlers that have besieged homes in Qusra, near Nablus, as IDF soldiers looked on. Abby Seitz, a features editor at Haaretz, joins the podcast to recount the threats, illegal orders from soldiers and right-out lies that she and reporter Nagham Zbeedat encountered in a single day in the southern West Bank last month. Zbeedat and Seitz reported from Umm al-Khair as the community marked one year since Awdah Hathaleen recorded his own death at the hands of internationally sanctioned settler leader Yinon Levi. When asked for comment on why Border Police, with the army, dispersed the village’s memorial ceremony, a police spokesperson told Haaretz that it was an “unlawful gathering, which was intended to serve as a demonstration of support for a terrorist who was neutralized” – a statement that contradicts the state’s own stance, as prosecutors filed reckless manslaughter charges against Levi last week. “This is not uncommon, and it’s increasingly happening against international and Israeli journalists, but it's also been happening against Palestinian journalists for a long time. There are Palestinian journalists right now in administrative detention, held for months and months and months without charges, simply for filming what's been going on” in the West Bank, Seitz said. Read more: Taghreed El-Khodary: International Media Is Failing Palestinian Journalists in Gaza West Bank correspondent Matan Golan: I Was Attacked by Settlers as a Journalist. What the IDF Lets Them Do Will Get Palestinians Killed IDF Removes Palestinian Families in Qusra as Israeli Settlers Resist Army Operation to End Siege 'Lords of the Land': Israeli Soldiers Describe How Settlers Manage Military Reality in the West Bank One Year Later: Israel Issues Rare Indictment Against Settler Who Killed Palestinian Activist A Year After a Settler Shot Awdah Hathaleen, His Village Still Can't Mourn in PeaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headlines:A tense situation is playing out in the West Bank village of Qusra. Israeli settlers, or perhaps not settlers but anarchists, depending upon who you talk to,have been besieging two Palestinian homes since Sunday, cutting their water and electricity. The IDF killed Hamas commander Jamal Mahmoud Abu Kamil in a targeted strike in Gaza City on Thursday. The Navy's swapping out its Middle East carrier — the USS George Washington will replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports and has now been at sea over 250 days, and without a port call in 200. The Qatari propaganda outlet Al Jazeera quietly ended contracts for at least 24 of its Gaza-based staff. --FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with President Daniel Chamovitz of Israel Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Benjamin Netanyahu has said no to Donald Trump's 15-point Gaza plan, and the refusal is flat rather than fudged. In the West Bank, extremist settlers have besieged two Palestinian families in the village of Qusra, apparently hoping to take their homes. The IDF went in but came away with mission very much unaccomplished. With Yonit away, Jonathan is joined by Hadley Freeman, columnist for London's Sunday Times and author of the acclaimed memoir, House of Glass, for what is an Unholy first: two voices from the Jewish diaspora and no Israeli in the room. They talk through the week's news and reflect on what three years since October 7 has done to Jewish life outside Israel, why Israel-Palestine has become the litmus test of the American left and whether anybody speaks for the diaspora.   Plus: a Chutzpah nominee that reached a Belfast stage via Sweden, and a Mensch that arrives from Australia by way of Yiddish.   The Bashevis Singers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G531cgjplcM

AlabamaAL along with 2 other states will be conducting an execution today of a death row inmateFormer SPLC employee who dated Neo-Nazi  indicted by DOJ for wire fraud2 men use their social media platform to highlight property fight between Alabama Power and retired Shelby County manBlount County sheriff says he will submit letter of resignation to the governor as soon as he finds alternative jobWater testing in Baldwin County results in a swimming advisory at Wolf BayNationalUS State Dept. pushes back at Israel's announcement that IDF will maintain its presence in Southern LebanonDOJ issues 11 indictments against New Yorkers for conducting a marriage scam to get US green cards for Chinese nationalsWH Transparency Task Force shows the FBI engaged in covering for Joe Biden and family corruptionSCOTUS to hear a case in November re: Catholic preschool and the LGBTQ ideologyThe Muslim controlled city council in Hammtramck MI approves bylaw for backyard animal sacrifices

IDF forces dismantle two illegal outposts on outskirts of Palestinian village. Bank of Jerusalem stock drop amid rumors surrounding disappearance of Israeli woman and daughter in Austria. Veteran Israeli journalist and broadcaster Oren Nahari dies at the age of 70 after battle with ALSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. If Israel truly implements the 15-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza -- ostensibly aimed at the disarmament of the Hamas terror group that staged the October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel -- then Israel is required to pull back to the "Yellow Line" that divides the Strip between IDF and Hamas control. On today's episode, Magid asks: Which Yellow Line — the original one that left Israel in control of 53% of the Strip, or the newer one that gave Israel control of 60% to 70% of the territory? He's received several answers in a recent reporting trip to Washington, DC. In a Hollywood-esque moment, during a recent flight from Turkey to the United Kingdom following the G7 summit, US President Donald Trump was taken off Air Force One and transferred in a catering truck to a military plane. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that this ploy was triggered after Israel told the United States about the Iranian assassination threat. Magid gives the play-by-play and describes who was left on the original, decoy flight. The Israeli military on Tuesday denounced the “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable” establishment of settler outposts inside Palestinian villages in the West Bank in recent days, but did not explain why it had not dismantled them or why, in a recent example, troops prayed with civilians rather than removing them from the area. Magid rolls out the situation at Qusra, south of Nablus, which is still playing out on Wednesday as senior military officials, including Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, are meeting with the Palestinian family under siege. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Board of Peace blurs Yellow Line as it wages uphill battle to advance Gaza plan Israeli intel on Iranian plot said to have spurred decision to sneak Trump off Air Force One IDF slams ‘reprehensible’ settler outposts in Palestinian villages, but doesn’t demolish them Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Spencer is a retired Army officer, Urban Warfare expert, Chair of War Studies at the Madison Policy Forum and Executive Director at the Urban Warfare Institute. He's been in some funky situations (including seven visits to Gaza), and encountered everything from terrorists to killer bees. He captures it all in his new book, Twenty Times I Almost Died: Life Lessons from the Edge of Survival. It's a great book, funny and insightful, and you should absolutely buy it for yourself and the people in your life.We talk about the badass bond between the IDF and the US Armed Forces, the privilege of being a pacifist, and why John might prefer his kids go to Columbia over the Naval Academy (shudder)* Chaya Leah was also in the army… Hashem's army* The NY Times wants to know if John got his $7,000 from us.* Pushing back against Jon Stewart* No man steps into the same river twice* John can't decide what's worse, sending his kids to Columbia, or the Naval Academy.* Oh you don't believe in war? How nice.* We ask John about his life, he answers about subterranean warfare.* A brief detour to Ukraine* Can you teach resilience?* Total victory? It's possible.* The bond between the US military and the IDF is pretty badass.* Lies of omission are everywhere.* Soft times create weak men.* Children on flights are worse than some wars. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Is President Trump's strategy slowly breaking Iran's regime, or giving Tehran time to recover? Ruthie Blum and Mark Regev examine the growing debate over Trump's approach to Iran, including economic pressure, the blockade of Iranian ports, the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear ambitions, rising oil prices, and the possibility of renewed military action. Could a prolonged war of attrition weaken the Islamic Republic, or was stopping short of decisive victory a dangerous mistake? Then, the conversation turns to Gaza: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a proposed 15-point plan, reports of restraint by the IDF, Hamas's refusal to disarm, and the possibility of private understandings between Trump and Netanyahu. Is Trump playing the long game, or allowing a dangerous regime to survive? Let us know what you think in the comments!

In recent decades, the burgeoning ultra-orthodox demographic in Israel has become increasingly autonomous and aggressively entitled. They have leveraged their political power skilfully - as the “Kingmakers” in successive elections. And their support has been very richly rewarded - particularly by PM Benjamin Netanyahu. He has diverted significant state funds to haredi institutions and programs in return for their coalition support. Four years ago, when negotiating the present coalition government, Netanyahu promised the haredi parties that the government would pass a law granting exempting ultra-orthodox men who studied religion full-time from IDF service. Additionally, the ultra-orthodox were allocated significant increases in financial support for families with a full-time religious student. In fact, haredi families are fully supported financially by the state. And in the last three years of near-constant war - when so many Israelis have given so much - state largesse to the ultra-orthodox has exceeded that allocated to veterans and their families. Day care is just one of many examples. Haredi families receive very generous stipends for day care costs, far more than what is provided to non-haredim. But their refusal to serve in the IDF and share the security burden that is so critical to Israel's survival, well, that is too much. In this episode, we speak with Uri Keidar, who heads Free Israel, an NGO focused on policy that addresses religion and state matters. We discuss a recent hearing at the Supreme Court of Israel in which a non-judge panel heard arguments as to why haredi men who dodge their draft call-ups should be subject to arrest and criminal charges. This issue is tearing at the heart and soul of the country, perhaps more than any other. It is not the external enemies that will destroy Israel. It is the domestic madness.Show your support for STLV at buymeacoffee.com/stateoftelavivPodcast NotesI mention this recent STLV article in the podcast that chronicles the last-minute efforts by the ultra-orthodox political parties to ram a law through the Knesset exempting haredi men from serving in the IDF. There are some great clips from committee discussions (with English subtitles) that show you the reality of this issue. It's kind of surreal:Uri Keidar is the Executive Director of Israel Hofsheet, the largest advocacy organization in Israel in the field of religious freedom and Jewish pluralism. Israel Hofsheet works with members of the Knesset, ministers, and government officials to promote liberal policies regarding Religion and State, and it also fosters change through municipal politics and change-maker training. The organization also creates national campaigns that move the needle around public opinion on these ideas. It also promotes Bottom-Up change as it conducts hundreds of Jewish weddings a year without the Chief Rabbinate's involvement, making it the most prominent organization in Israel to do so. Before this role, Uri spent over seven years in leading positions in civil society organizations and politics, both in elected and professional positions. Uri grew up in Kibbutz Givat Brenner, where he now lives with his wife, Ayelet, and their children, Imri, Adam, and Eytan. He also serves as the elected Chair of the Kibbutz's Municipal Committee. Uri earned his BA in political science and communications from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, where he served as the elected Chairperson of the Student Union, and also holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Tel Aviv University. He completed his military service as a tank commander in the IDF's armored corps, where he still serves in active reserve duty.Find Uri Keidar on Social Media:facebook.com/bfreeisraelinstagram.com/israel_hofsheetState of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with CEO of Community Security Service Richard Priem. While guarding his Dutch synagogue as a 17-year-old, Priem knew there were two places where Jews wouldn't experience antisemitism: Israel and the United States. Whereas in Europe, where Jews regularly must go through security checks and metal detectors before entering community events, he was sure the Jewish State and the Goldene Medina were different. That "age of security" for US Jewry changed around the time of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting, he said. This is where his NGO steps in: Founded in 2007, the not-for-profit aims to empower Jewish volunteers and strengthen their communal security toolboxes to prevent attacks and de-escalate situations as they arise. As Priem, a former paratrooper in the IDF puts it, who better to preemptively ascertain something is amiss than the community regulars themselves? In this episode, we hear real-life examples of how CSS volunteers saved lives. Later, Priem lays out a hypothetical plan to secure Borschel-Dan's upcoming speaking gig in Chicago. We learn about the need for "digital hygiene" and how a force of thousands of volunteers -- and growing -- are allowing Jews to be loud and proud again. And so this week, we ask Richard Priem, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Reports circulated on Hebrew-language media last night that Israel suspects that two Arab states are plotting to attack Israel by lulling it into a false sense of security through fake diplomatic agreements. According to two separate reports published by the Kan public broadcaster and Channel 12, the two countries — neither of which is identified by name due to an Israeli censor-dictated blackout — would sign diplomatic agreements with Israel to “anesthetize” the Jewish state and remove any unwanted scrutiny while building up forces. In light of these reports, we take a tour of Israel's borders and discuss IDF operations on each front at this time, from illegal civilian crossings into Syria and Lebanon to efforts to combat smuggling on the border with Egypt. With a recent Board of Peace push to disarm Hamas, has the IDF stepped away from utilizing the "Nili" intelligence unit targeting Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel? In Lebanon, we hear about how the first pilot IDF pullout is proceeding and whether the military is already planning similar steps. And finally, we learn about a new push to fortify the border with Jordan. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Hebrew reports claim two Arab states plotting to sign diplomatic deals with Israel to trick it as they plan for war Three settlement activists illegally enter Syria overnight, are detained by IDF Israel said to tell US it will keep targeting Oct. 7 terrorists as Gaza disarmament stalls Israeli pause on strikes in Gaza suspends deadly hunt for October 7 terrorists Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did disagreements between Mossad and the IDF help lead to systematic failure to deploy Kurdish fighters and to topple the regime in Iran? Dan is joined by Nadav Eyal who provides an in-depth analysis of Israel's covert plans to destabilize Iran, the role of Kurdish forces, and the internal decision-making failures that may have impacted the outcome of the war and regional security. This episode unpacks the complexities behind secret operations, disagreements between Mossad and the IDF, and the geopolitical implications for Israel and Iran.  —- Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going. Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back This episode is sponsored by The Shalom Hartman Institute. Register for The Road to the Israeli Elections webinar with the Shalom Hartman Institute's Tani Frank and Masua Sagiv.  This episode is also sponsored by Hayarkon 70.  Stay in the heart of Tel Aviv at Hayarkon 70, a restored 1934 landmark just steps from the beach. Its eight guest residences combine the building's character and history with full kitchens, spacious living areas, and 24/7 guest service. Call Me Back listeners receive 10% off their stay at Hayarkon70.com/callmeback.

Did disagreements between Mossad and the IDF help lead to systematic failure to deploy Kurdish fighters and to topple the regime in Iran? Dan is joined by Nadav Eyal who provides an in-depth analysis of Israel's covert plans to destabilize Iran, the role of Kurdish forces, and the internal decision-making failures that may have impacted […]

David Daoud: A recent drone attack on an IDF vehicle near the Ali Taher Ridge highlights the fragility of the current ceasefire in Lebanon. The IDF maintains control over the ridge's surface, yet Hezbollah continues to operate within a vast underground tunnel network. Despite diplomatic efforts, Iran has boasted that ceasefires are used primarily to rearm and redeploy its proxies. Hezbollah's regeneration efforts, including weapons shipments through Syria and recruitment via the IRGC's Imam Hussein division, reportedly outpace Israeli interdiction. While the Lebanese government denies these activities, evidence suggests Hezbollah remains a significant fighting force south of the Litani River. (6)1868 NAZARETH

Malcolm Hoenlein: Recent reports reveal the existence of Iranian-backed assassination cells such as the Foxtrot group, which recruits European criminals to target Jewish and Israeli figures. In the Levant, the IDF continues to discover unprecedented tunnel complexes in Lebanon and Gaza, some so vast they require dedicated cement factories to seal. These reinforced, air-conditioned structures demonstrate a massive diversion of humanitarian funds toward military infrastructure. While a pilot zone plan aims to restore Lebanese sovereign authority, Hezbollah's refusal to disarm remains the primary obstacle. Similarly, in Gaza, Hamas is reportedly distributing rifles to operatives to circumvent disarmament agreements while demanding an Israeli withdrawal. (3)1585

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 8-3-20261705Husain Haqqani: Iran is openly boasting that it uses diplomatic pauses to reconstitute its military arsenal for future attacks on energy infrastructure. Ambassador Haqqani critiques the current US approach as a haphazard war lacking a clear end-state or ground strategy, which causes deep anxiety among Gulf allies. While GCC states such as the UAE have successfully fended off missile barrages, they feel Washington has not provided the military commitment necessary for long-term protection. Consequently, China is emerging as a winner in the conflict, gaining respect through silence while the US appears as a helpless giant unable to achieve an honorable peace. (1)Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa: The inauguration of Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella marks a pivotal shift toward the "Shield of the Americas" initiative to combat drug trafficking and organized crime. Unlike his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, the new administration seeks close cooperation with the US to dismantle narco-socialist structures. Meanwhile, Venezuela remains in crisis seven months after the detention of Nicolás Maduro, with the Rodríguez family still wielding significant power. The US is attempting to facilitate negotiations with the opposition, yet critics argue the current transition model fails the population. Regionally, Brazilian President Lula da Silva faces increasing isolation as his neighbors shift toward conservative, security-focused governance. (2)Malcolm Hoenlein: Recent reports reveal the existence of Iranian-backed assassination cells such as the Foxtrot group, which recruits European criminals to target Jewish and Israeli figures. In the Levant, the IDF continues to discover unprecedented tunnel complexes in Lebanon and Gaza, some so vast they require dedicated cement factories to seal. These reinforced, air-conditioned structures demonstrate a massive diversion of humanitarian funds toward military infrastructure. While a pilot zone plan aims to restore Lebanese sovereign authority, Hezbollah's refusal to disarm remains the primary obstacle. Similarly, in Gaza, Hamas is reportedly distributing rifles to operatives to circumvent disarmament agreements while demanding an Israeli withdrawal. (3)General Blaine Holt and Gordon Chang: Concerns are rising regarding the flow of Chinese and Russian aid to Iran, which includes potential shipments of anti-aircraft missiles. While some interpret President Trump's reserved stance as weakness, General Holt suggests it may be a strategic gambit to exploit internal CCP factional infighting. Within the Party, a reformer named Hu Chunhua is reportedly rising as a potential rival to Xi Jinping. However, experts warn that provocative Chinese actions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait require a steel-with-steel confrontation. Critics argue that the US must eventually humiliate the Chinese leadership through economic and espionage crackdowns to project true force. (4)Andrew Collier and Gordon Chang: China's banking system faces a time bomb with an estimated $7.7 trillion in unreported bad loans, largely due to government-backed entities rolling over debt to mask insolvency. The property market remains a crater, and while manufacturing and tech sectors such as EVs are growing, they represent only a fraction of the GDP once provided by real estate. Xi Jinping resists bazooka stimulus programs, preferring state-led investment in high tech over consumer-driven growth. This has resulted in a K-shaped economy in which wealthy urbanites thrive while rural citizens face declining property values and job insecurity. Ultimately, China risks a multi-decade slump similar to Japan's lost decades. (5)David Daoud: A recent drone attack on an IDF vehicle near the Ali Taher Ridge highlights the fragility of the current ceasefire in Lebanon. The IDF maintains control over the ridge's surface, yet Hezbollah continues to operate within a vast underground tunnel network. Despite diplomatic efforts, Iran has boasted that ceasefires are used primarily to rearm and redeploy its proxies. Hezbollah's regeneration efforts, including weapons shipments through Syria and recruitment via the IRGC's Imam Hussein division, reportedly outpace Israeli interdiction. While the Lebanese government denies these activities, evidence suggests Hezbollah remains a significant fighting force south of the Litani River. (6)Edmund Fitton-Brown: The Houthis have launched a blockade against Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, targeting energy routes critical to global markets. In response, Saudi Arabia has formed a fourteen-nation defense coalition to protect the Bab el-Mandeb, notably excluding the UAE and Oman. While the Houthis maintain some autonomy, they are heavily dependent on Iranian technical assistance and resupply. Iran has used regional pauses to restock its arsenal and now threatens Saudi infrastructure, including desalination plants and pipelines. Experts believe the US remains the elephant in the room, but a lack of consistent policy from Washington emboldens the Houthis to continue their aggressive psychological warfare. (7)Samuel Ben-Ur: President Trump has announced a tentative Hamas deal involving a phased disarmament and the transition of governance to a National Committee. However, the plan faces significant hurdles, as Israel demands the complete destruction of terror infrastructure before any withdrawal. Hamas seeks to retain small arms, potentially leading to a Hezbollah-style shadow governance. This diplomatic friction coincides with a tight Israeli election between Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot. Netanyahu faces criticism for allowing US interests to dictate Israeli policy, particularly regarding Iran's ballistic missile threat. Voters are increasingly focused on national security autonomy and the domestic cost of living ahead of the October polls. (8)Janatan Sayeh: The Iranian regime has dramatically escalated its internal reign of terror, with executions increasing by over 100 percent in some regions. Revolutionary courts, led by brutal judges such as Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, use public hangings and floggings to desensitize and intimidate the population. These courts specifically target young dissidents, journalists, and even musicians for offending the supreme leader or waging war against God. Washington is criticized for failing to invoke human rights sanctions since January, even as other Western nations act. The surge in executions often coincides with diplomatic negotiations, serving as the regime's deliberate internal priority to liquidate all political dissent. (9)John Hardie: President Zelenskyy has proposed a plan to use Elon Musk's Starlink network to bypass the need for scarce Patriot interceptors, enabling deep strikes against Russian missile launchers. Starlink provides the low latency required for controlling drones beyond the radio horizon, though SpaceX currently restricts its use in certain territories. Simultaneously, Russia has implemented a crippling blockade of Odessa, targeting port infrastructure and civilian vessels with new Banderol cruise missiles. This offensive has brought agricultural and metal exports to a near standstill, threatening global food security and Ukraine's hard currency earnings. Without a maritime corridor, Ukraine faces its toughest winter challenge of the war. (10)Two names to confirm: the CCP reformer rendered in the raw as "Huchen Hua" — I set it as Hu Chunhua; and the revolutionary court judge given as "Muhammad Raza Takav Tavakoli" — I set it as Mohammad Reza Tavakoli. Also still open from earlier batches: Lorenzo Fiato or Fiori.