Podcasts about Moscow

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up — just days into Operation Epic Fury, Israel says it now controls Iran's airspace and is operating directly over Tehran after dismantling key air defense systems and missile infrastructure. We break down what aerial supremacy means strategically — and why Iran, though wounded, remains dangerous. Later in the show — the world reacts. From the United Nations to Brussels, from Moscow to Beijing, global leaders weigh in as the conflict reshapes diplomatic alignments and raises fears of broader escalation. Plus — while the war rages abroad, the FBI shifts into a heightened defensive posture at home. Director Kash Patel orders counterterrorism teams onto high alert as intelligence officials monitor for potential asymmetric blowback inside the United States. And in today's Back of the Brief — a mass shooting in Austin leaves three dead and more than a dozen injured. We bring you the latest details as authorities investigate the motive and whether terrorism may be a factor. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com . Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Ethos Life Insurance: Protect your family's future with fast, online life insurance from Ethos—get your free quote in minutes at https://Ethos.com/PDB  American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, http://nmlsconsumeraccess.org -. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB DeleteMe: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/PDB and use promocode PDB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul returns to Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to discuss his new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder. McFaul explains why Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and today's autocratic leaders fundamentally do not think like we do—and why that misunderstanding has shaped some of America's most consequential foreign-policy mistakes. Drawing on decades of scholarship and firsthand experience inside the Kremlin, McFaul traces Russia's post–Cold War slide back into autocracy; challenges the claim that NATO expansion caused the rupture with Moscow; and argues that the true threat to authoritarian regimes is democratic example rather than Western military power. He examines the war in Ukraine, its implications for Taiwan, the limits of transactional diplomacy with ideologues like Putin, and the enduring lessons of Cold War statecraft. He also reflects on his unlikely journey from Butte, Montana, to Spaso House —the Moscow home of the U.S. ambassador to Russia— and why he remains convinced that democracy, however fragile, is still the West's greatest strategic advantage. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

Day 1,467.Today, as the world reacts to escalating conflict in the Middle East and the devastating use of attack drones against civilian areas, we examine how Donald Trump's confrontation with Iran could impact Russia's war in Ukraine and the strategic calculations in both Kyiv and Moscow. We report on the latest shadow fleet tanker boarding operation linked to sanctions enforcement against Russia, and bring you an update from Adélie in Kyiv. And later, we feature a panel recorded at the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa, with former Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chalyi, former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, and former Italian Senator and Deputy Foreign Minister Gianni Vernetti, discussing transatlantic security and the future of Ukraine.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @adeliepjz on X.With thanks to former Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chalyi, former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, and former Italian Senator and Deputy Foreign Minister Gianni Vernetti.NOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Our sister podcast ‘Battle Lines', covering events in Iran and the Middle East:https://linktr.ee/BattleLines What Khamenei's death means for Russia and China (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/01/what-khamenei-death-means-for-russia-and-china/ Oil surges to seven month high as Iran war hits supply (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/01/opec-moves-to-cash-in-on-iran-crisis-as-oil-prices-surge/ Sunak to advise Zelensky on economy (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/02/27/rishi-sunak-advise-volodymyr-zelensky-ukraine-economy/ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:Our weekly newsletter includes maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons, answers your questions, provides recommended reading, and gives exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights.. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers. Join here – http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time we spoke about General Zhukov's armor offensives at Nomohan. Following heavy Japanese losses in May and June, General Georgy Zhukov arrives in June, reorganizes the Soviet 1st Army Group, and bolsters it with tanks, artillery, and reinforcements. The July offensive sees General Komatsubara's forces cross the Halha River undetected, achieving initial surprise. However, General Yasuoka's tank assault falters due to muddy terrain, inadequate infantry support, and superior Soviet firepower, resulting in heavy losses. Japanese doctrine emphasizing spiritual superiority clashes with material realities, undermining morale as intelligence underestimates Soviet strength. Zhukov learns key lessons in armored warfare, adapting tactics despite high casualties. Reinforcements pour in via massive truck convoys. Japanese night attacks and artillery duels fail, exposing logistical weaknesses. Internal command tensions, including gekokujo defiance, hinder responses. By August, Stalin, buoyed by European diplomacy and Sorge's intel, greenlights a major offensive. Zhukov employs deception for surprise. Warnings of Soviet buildup are ignored, setting the stage for a climactic encirclement on August 20.   #191 Zhukov Steel Ring of Fire at Nomohan Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On the night of August 19–20, under cover of darkness, the bulk of the Soviet 1st Army Group crossed the Halha River into the expanded Soviet enclave on the east bank. Two weeks of nightly Soviet sound effects had paid off: Japanese perimeter troops failed to distinguish the real deployment from the frequently heard simulations. Zhukov's order of battle was as follows: "Northern force, commanded by Colonel Alekseenko—6th Mongolian Cavalry Division, 601st Infantry Regiment (82nd Division), 7th Armored Brigade, 2 battalions of the 11th Tank Brigade, 82nd Artillery Regiment, and 87th Anti-tank Brigade. Central force, where Zhukov was located, commanded by his deputy, Colonel Petrov—36th Motorized Infantry Division, 82nd Infantry Division (less one regiment), 5th Infantry Machine Gun Brigade. Southern force, commanded by Colonel Potapov—8th Mongolian Cavalry Division, 57th Infantry Division, 8th Armored Brigade, 6th Tank Brigade, 11th Tank Brigade (less two battalions), 185th Artillery Regiment, 37th Anti-tank Brigade, one independent tank company. A mobile strategic reserve built around the 212th Airborne Regiment, the 9th Mechanized Brigade, and a battalion of the 6th Tank Brigade was held west of the Halha River." The Soviet offensive was supported by massed artillery, a hallmark of Zhukov's operations in the war against Germany. In addition to nearly 300 antitank and rapid-fire guns, Zhukov deployed over 200 field and heavy artillery pieces on both sides of the Halha. Specific artillery batteries were assigned to provide supporting fire for each attacking infantry and armored unit at the battalion level and higher. In the early hours of August 20, the sky began to lighten over the semiarid plain, with the false promise of a quiet Sunday morning. The air was clear as the sun warmed the ground that had been chilled overnight. General Komatsubara's troops were in no special state of readiness when the first wave of more than 200 Soviet bombers crossed the Halha River at 5:45 a.m. and began pounding their positions. When the bombers withdrew, a thunderous artillery barrage began, continuing for 2 hours and 45 minutes. That was precisely the time needed for the bombers to refuel, rearm, and return for a second run over the Japanese positions. Finally, all the Soviet artillery unleashed an intensive 15-minute barrage at the forwardmost Japanese positions. Komatsubara's men huddled in their trenches under the heaviest bombardment to which they or any other Japanese force had ever been subjected. The devastation, both physical and psychological, was tremendous, especially in the forward positions. The shock and vibration of incoming bombs and artillery rounds also caused their radiotelegraph keys to chatter so uncontrollably that frontline troops could not communicate with the rear, compounding their confusion and helplessness. At 9:00 a.m., Soviet armor and infantry began to move out along the line while their cover fire continued. A dense morning fog near the river helped conceal their approach, bringing them in some sectors to within small-arms range before they were sighted by the enemy. The surprise and disarray on the Japanese side was so complete, and their communications so badly disrupted, that Japanese artillery did not begin firing in support of their frontline troops until about 10:15 a.m. By then, many forward positions were overrun. Japanese resistance stiffened at many points by midday, and fierce combat raged along the front, roughly 40 miles long. In the day's fighting, Colonel M. I. Potapov's southern force achieved the most striking success. The 8th MPR Cavalry Division routed the Manchukuoan cavalry holding Komatsubara's southern flank, and Potapov's armor and mechanized infantry bent the entire southern segment of the Japanese front inward by about 8 miles in a northwesterly direction. Zhukov's central force advanced only 500–1,500 yards in the face of furious resistance, but the frontal assault engaged the center of the Japanese line so heavily that Komatsubara could not reinforce his flanks. Two MPR cavalry regiments and supporting armor and mechanized infantry from Colonel Ilya Alekseenko's northern force easily overran two Manchukuoan cavalry units guarding the northern flank of the Japanese line, about 2 miles north of the Fui Heights. But the heights themselves formed a natural strong point, and Alekseenko's advance was halted at what became the northern anchor of the Japanese line. As the first phase of the Soviet offensive gathered momentum, General Ogisu, the 6th Army's new commander, assessed the situation. Still unaware of Zhukov's strength, he reassured KwAHQ that "the enemy intends to envelop us from our flanks, but his offensive effectiveness is weak… Our positions in other areas are being strengthened. Set your mind at ease." This optimistic report contributed to Kwantung Army's delay in reinforcing the 23rd Division. Some at KwAHQ suspected this might be another limited Soviet push, like Aug 7–8, that would soon end. Others worried it was a diversion prior to a larger offensive and were concerned but not alarmed about Komatsubara's position. On Aug 21–22, Potapov's southern force pierced the Japanese main defense line at several points, breaking the southern sector into segments that the attackers sealed off, encircled, and ground down. Soviet armor, mechanized infantry, and artillery moved swiftly and with deadly efficiency. Survivors described how each pocket of resistance experienced its own hellish period. After the Japanese heavy weapons in a pocket were neutralized, Soviet artillery and tanks gradually tightened the ring, firing at point-blank range over open sights. Flame-throwing tanks incinerated hastily constructed fortifications and underground shelters. Infantry mopped up with grenades, small arms, and bayonets. By the end of Aug 23, Potapov had dismembered the entire Japanese defensive position south of the Holsten River. Only one significant pocket of resistance remained. Meanwhile, Potapov's 8th Armored Brigade looped behind the Japanese, reaching southeast of Nomonhan, some 11 miles east of the river junction, on the boundary claimed by the MPR, and took up a blocking position there athwart the most likely line of retreat for Japanese units south of the Holsten. In those two days, the Japanese center yielded only a few yards, while the northern flank anchored at Fui Heights held firm. Air combat raged over the battlefield. Soviet air units provided tactical support for their armor and infantry, while Kwantung Army's 2nd Air Group strove to thwart that effort and hit the Soviet ground forces. Before Nomonhan, the Japanese air force had not faced a modern opponent. Japanese fliers had roamed largely unchallenged in Manchuria and China from 1931 to 1939. At Nomonhan, the Soviets enjoyed an advantage of roughly 2:1 in aircraft and pilots. This placed an increasingly heavy burden on Japanese air squadrons, which had to fly incessantly, often against heavy odds. Fatigue took its toll and losses mounted. Soviet and Japanese accounts give wildly different tallies of air victories and losses, but an official Japanese assessment after the battle stated, "Nomonhan brought out the bitter truths of the phenomenal rate at which war potential is sapped in the face of superior opposition." As with tank combat, the Soviet air superiority was qualitative as well as quantitative. In June–early July, the Soviet I-16 fighters did not fare well against the Japanese Type 97 fighter. However, in the lull before the August offensive, the Soviets introduced an improved I-16 with armor-plated fuselage and windshield, making it virtually impervious to the Type 97's light 7.7-mm guns. The Japanese countered by arming some planes with heavier 12.7-mm guns, which were somewhat more effective against the new I-16s. But the Soviet pilots discovered that the Type-97's unprotected fuel tank was an easy mark, and Japanese planes began to burn with horrendous regularity. On Aug 23, as Ribbentrop arrived in Moscow to seal the pact that would doom Poland and unleash war in Europe, the situation at Nomonhan was deemed serious enough by Kwantung Army to transfer the 7th Division to Hailar for support. Tsuji volunteered to fly to Nomonhan for a firsthand assessment. This move came too late, as Aug 23–24 proved the crucial phase of the battle. On Tue night, Aug 22, at Japanese 6th Army HQ, General Ogisu ordered a counterattack to push back the Soviet forces enveloping and crushing the Japanese southern flank. Komatsubara planned the counterattack in minute detail and entrusted its execution to his 71st and 72nd Regiments, led by General Kobayashi Koichi, and the 26th and 28th Regiments of the 7th Division, commanded by General Morita Norimasa. On paper this force looked like two infantry brigades. Only the 28th Regiment, however, was near full strength, though its troops were tired after marching about 25 miles to the front the day before. This regiment's peerless commander was Colonel Morita Toru (unrelated to General Morita). The chief kendo fencing master of the Imperial Army, Morita claimed to be invulnerable to bullets. The other three regiments were seriously understrength, partly due to combat attrition and partly because several of their battalions were deployed elsewhere on the front. The forces Kobayashi and Morita commanded that day totaled less than one regiment each. It was not until the night of Aug 23 that deployment and attack orders filtered down to the Japanese regiment, battalion, and company commanders. Due to insufficient truck transport and the trackless terrain, units were delayed reaching their assigned positions in the early morning of Aug 24, and some did not arrive at all. Two battalions of the 71st Regiment did not reach Kobayashi in time; his attack force that morning consisted of two battalions of the 72nd Regiment. Colonel Sumi's depleted 26th Regiment did not arrive in time, and General Morita's assault force consisted of two battalions of the 28th Regiment and a battalion-equivalent independent garrison unit newly arrived at the front. Because of these delays, the Japanese could not reconnoiter enemy positions adequately before the attack. What had been planned as a dawn assault would begin between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. in broad daylight. The light plane carrying Tsuji on the final leg of his flight from Hsinking-Hailar-Nomonhan was attacked by Soviet fighters and forced to land behind the 72nd Regiment's staging area. Tsuji managed to reach General Kobayashi's command post by truck and on foot, placing him closer to the fighting than he anticipated. Just before the counterattack began, a dense fog drifted across part of the battlefield, obscuring visibility and limiting artillery effectiveness. Using the fog to mask their movement, lead elements of the 72nd Regiment moved toward a distant stand of scrub pines. As they approached, the trees began to move away—the stand was a well-camouflaged Soviet tank force. The tanks then maneuvered to the south, jeopardizing further Japanese advance. As the fog cleared, the Japanese found themselves facing a much larger enemy force. A vastly heavier Soviet barrage answered their renewed artillery fire. Kobayashi and Morita discovered too late that their counterattack had walked into the teeth of far stronger Soviet forces. One account calls it "The Charge of Two Light Brigades."   Kobayashi's 72nd Regiment encountered the Soviet T-34, with its thick sloped armor and 76-mm gun—the most powerful tank in 1939. In addition, the improved Soviet BT-5/7 tanks, powered by diesel, were less prone to ignition. On gasoline-powered vehicles, the Soviets added wire netting over the ventilation grill and exhaust manifold, reducing the effectiveness of hand-thrown gasoline bombs. Japanese infantry regiments suffered near 50% casualties that day. Nearly every battalion and company commander was lost. Kobayashi was gravely wounded by a tank shell fragment and nearly trampled by fleeing troops. He survived the battle and the Pacific War but died in a Soviet POW camp in 1950. Morita's 28th Regiment fared little better. It was pinned down about 500 yards from the Soviet front lines by intense artillery. Unable to advance and not permitted to retreat, Morita's men dug into the loose sand and withstood the bombardment, but were cut to pieces. Shortly after sunset, the remnants were ordered to withdraw, but both regiments were shattered. Tsuji, a survivor, rejoined Komatsubara at his command post. Upon receiving combat reports from the 72nd and 28th Regiments, General Komatsubara "evinced deep anxiety." 6th Army chief of staff Major General Fujimoto Tetsukuma, at Komatsubara's command post, "appeared bewildered," and announced he was returning to headquarters, asking if Tsuji would accompany him. The major declined and later recalled that he and Komatsubara could barely conceal their astonishment at Fujimoto's abrupt departure at such a time. Meanwhile, at the northern end of the line, Colonel Alekseenko's force had been hammering at Fui Heights for 3 days without success. The position was held by about 800 defenders under Lieutenant Colonel Ioki Eiichiro, consisting of two infantry companies; one company each of cavalry, armored reconnaissance, and combat engineers; and three artillery batteries (37-mm and 75-mm guns). The defenders clung tenaciously to the strongpoint created by the heights and their bunkers, inflicting heavy losses on Alekseenko's force. The unexpectedly strong defense disrupted the timing of the entire Soviet offensive. By Aug 23, Zhukov was exasperated and losing patience with the pace in the north. Some of Zhukov's comrades recall a personable chief who played the accordion and urged singing during happier times. Under stress, his harshness and temper surfaced. Zhukov summoned Alekseenko to the telephone. When the northern commander expressed doubt about storming the heights immediately, Zhukov berated him, relieved him on the spot, and entrusted the attack to Alekseenko's chief of staff. After a few hours, Zhukov called again and, finding that the new commander was slow, fired him as well and sent a staff member to take charge. Accounts record that his tirades sometimes included the phrase "useless bag of shit," though others note harsher language was used toward generals who did not meet expectations. That night, reinforced by the 212th Airborne Regiment, heavier artillery, and a detachment of flame-throwing tanks, the northern force renewed its assault on Fui Heights. The battered Japanese defenders were thoroughly overmatched. Soviet artillery fired at two rounds per second. When the last Japanese artillery was knocked out, they no longer could defend against flame-throwing tanks. From several miles away, Colonel Sumi could see the heights shrouded in black smoke and red flames "spitting like the tongues of snakes."  After Aug 22, supply trucks could no longer reach Fui Heights. The next afternoon, Colonel Ioki's radio—the last link to the 23rd Division—was destroyed. His surviving men fought on with small arms and grenades, repelling Soviet infantry with bayonet charges that night. By the morning of Aug 24, Ioki had about 200 able-bodied men left of his original 800. Soviet tanks and infantry had penetrated defenses at several points, forcing him to constrict his perimeter. Red flags flew on the eastern edge of the heights. Ioki gathered his remaining officers to discuss last measures. With little ammunition and almost no food or water, their situation seemed hopeless. But Ioki insisted on holding Fui Heights to the last man, arguing that the defense should not be abandoned and that orders to break out should come only with reinforcements and supplies. Some subordinates urged retreat. Faced with two dire options, Ioki drew his pistol and attempted suicide, but a fellow officer restrained him. Rather than see his men blown to bits, Ioki decided to abandon Fui Heights and retreat east. Those unable to walk received hand grenades with the injunction to blow themselves up rather than be captured. On the night of Aug 24–25, after moonrise, the remaining resistance at the heights was quelled, and Soviet attention shifted south. Ioki's battered remnant slipped out and, the next morning, encountered a Manchukuoan cavalry patrol that summoned trucks to take them to Chaingchunmiao, forty miles away. Russians occupying Fui Heights on Aug 25 counted the corpses of over 600 Japanese officers and men. After securing Fui Heights, the Soviet northern force began to roll up the Japanese northern flank in a wide arc toward Nomonhan. A day after the fall of Fui Heights, elements of the northern force's 11th Tank Brigade linked up with the southern force's 8th Armored Brigade near Nomonhan. A steel ring had been forged around the Japanese 6th Army. As the Japanese northern and southern flanks dissolved under Zhukov's relentless assaults, Komatsubara's command ceased to exist as an integrated force. By Aug 25 the Japanese lines were completely cut, with resistance remaining only in three encircled pockets. The remnants of two battalions of General Morita's "brigade" attempted a renewed offensive on Aug 25, advancing about 150 yards before being hammered by Soviet artillery and tanks, suffering heavier casualties than the day before. The only hope for the surrounded Japanese troops lay in a relief force breaking through the Soviet encirclement from the outside. However, Kwantung Army was spread thin in Manchuria and, due to a truck shortage, could not transport the 7th Division from Hailar to the combat zone in time. By Aug 26 the encirclement had thickened, with three main pockets tightly invested, making a large-scale breakout nearly impossible. Potapov unleashed a two-pronged assault with his 6th Tank Brigade and 80th Infantry Regiment. Japanese artillery from the 28th Regiment temporarily checked the left wing of the armored attack, but the Soviet right wing overran elements of Sumi's 26th Regiment, forcing the Japanese to retreat into a tighter enclave. Morita, the fencing-master commander who claimed to be immune to bullets, was killed by machine-gun fire while standing atop a trench encouraging his men. The Japanese 120-mm howitzers overheated under the August sun; their breech mechanisms swelled and refused to eject spent casings. Gunners had to leap from behind shelter to ram wooden rods down the barrels, drastically reducing rate of fire and life expectancy. Komatsubara's artillery units suffered a bitter fate. Most were deployed well behind the front lines with their guns facing west toward the Halha. As the offensive developed, attackers often struck the batteries from the east, behind them. Even when crews could turn some guns to face east, they had not preregistered fields of fire there and were not very effective. Supporting infantry had already been drawn off for counterattacks and perimeter defense. One by one, Japanese batteries were smashed by Soviet artillery and tanks. Crews were expected to defend their guns to the last man; the guns themselves were treated as the unit's soul, to be destroyed if captured. In extremis, crews were to destroy sensitive parts like optics. Few survived. Among those who did was a PFC from an annihilated howitzer unit, ordered to drive one of the few surviving vehicles, a Dodge sedan loaded with seriously wounded men, eastward to safety during the night. Near a Holsten River bridge he encountered Soviet sentries. The driver hesitated, then honked his horn, and the guards saluted as the sedan sped past. With water supplies exhausted and unable to reach the Halha or Holsten Rivers, the commander of the easternmost enclave ordered his men to drain radiator water from their vehicles. Drinking the foul liquid, at the cost of immobilizing their remaining transport, signaled that the defenders believed their situation was hopeless. On Aug 27 the rest of the Japanese 7th Division, two fresh infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, and support units totaling barely 5,000 men—reached the northeastern segment of the ring around Komatsubara. One day of hard fighting revealed they lacked the strength to break the encirclement. General Ogisu ordered the 7th Division to pull back and redeploy near his own 6th Army headquarters, about 4 miles east of Nomonhan and the border claimed by the enemy. There would be no outside relief for Komatsubara's forces. Throughout Aug 27–28, Soviet aircraft, artillery, armor, and infantry pounded the three Japanese pockets, compressing them into ever-smaller pockets and grinding them down. The surrounded Japanese fought fiercely and inflicted heavy casualties, but the outcome was inevitable. After the remaining Japanese artillery batteries were silenced, Soviet tanks ruled the battlefield. One by one, major pockets were overrun. Some smaller groups managed to slip through Soviet lines and reach safety east of the border claimed by the MPR, where they were left unmolested by the Red Army. Elements of Potapov's 57th and 82nd Divisions eliminated the last remnants of resistance south of the Holsten by the evening of Aug 27. North of the Holsten, during the night of Aug 28–29, a group of about 400 Japanese tried to slip east through the Soviet lines along the riverbank. They were spotted by the 293rd Regiment (57th Division), which struck them. The fleeing Japanese refused to surrender and were wiped out attempting to recross the Holsten.   Japanese soldiers' refusal to surrender is well documented. Surrender was considered dishonorable; the Army Field Manual was silent on surrender. For officers, death was not merely preferable to surrender; it was expected, and in some cases required. The penal code (1908, not revised until 1942) stated that surrender was dereliction of duty; if a commander did his best to resist, imprisonment could follow; if not, death. Stemming from Bushido, regimental colors were treated as sacred. On the afternoon of Aug 28, with much of his 64th Regiment destroyed, Colonel Yamagata saw no alternative but to burn the regimental colors and then commit suicide. Part of the flagpole had been shattered; the chrysanthemum crest damaged. Yamagata, Colonel Ise (artillery regimental commander), an infantry captain, a medical lieutenant, and a foot soldier—the last survivors of the headquarters unit—faced east, shouted "banzai" for the emperor, drenched the pennant in gasoline, and lit it. Yamagata, Ise, and the captain then shot themselves. The flag and crest were not entirely consumed, and the unburned remnants were buried beneath Yamagata's unmarked body. The medical officer and the soldier escaped and reported these rites to 6th Army HQ, where the deaths of the two colonels were mourned, but there was concern over whether the regimental colors had been entirely destroyed. On Aug 29, Lieutenant Colonel Higashi Muneharu, who had taken command of the 71st Regiment, faced the same dilemma. The regimental standard was broken into four pieces and, with the flag and chrysanthemum crest, drenched with fuel and set on fire. The fire kept going out, and the tassels were especially hard to burn. It took 45 minutes to finish the job, all under enemy fire. Afterward, Higashi urged all able to join him in a suicide charge, and the severely wounded to "kill themselves bravely when the enemy approached." Soviet machine-gun fire and grenades felled Higashi and his followers within moments. When it became clear on Aug 29 that all hope was lost, Komatsubara resolved to share the fate of his 23rd Division. He prepared to commit suicide, entrusted his will to his aide, removed his epaulets, and burned his code books. General Ogisu ordered Komatsubara to save himself and lead as many of his men as possible out of the encirclement. Shortly before midnight on Aug 30, the bulk of the Soviet armor briefly pulled back to refuel and resupply. Some of the Soviet infantry also pulled back. Komatsubara and about 400 survivors of his command used the opportunity to slip through the Soviet lines, guiding wounded by starlight to safety at Chiangchunmiao on the morning of Aug 31. Tsuji was among the survivors. In transit, Komatsubara was so distraught he needed to be restrained from taking his own life. A fellow officer took his pistol, and two sturdy corporals helped to support him, preventing him from drawing his sword. On August 31, Zhukov declared the disputed territory between the Halha River and the boundary line through Nomonhan cleared of enemy troops. The Sixth Army had been annihilated, with between 18,000 and 23,000 men killed or wounded from May to September (not counting Manchukuoan losses). The casualty rate in Komatsubara's 23rd Division reached 76%, and Sumi's 26th Regiment (7th Division) suffered 91% casualties. Kwantung Army lost many of its tanks and heavy guns and nearly 150 aircraft. It was the worst military defeat in modern Japanese history up to that time. Soviet claims later put total Japanese casualties at over 50,000, though this figure is widely regarded as inflated. For years, Soviet-MPR authorities claimed 9,284 casualties, surely an underestimate. A detailed unit-by-unit accounting published in Moscow in 2002 put Soviet losses at 25,655 (9,703 killed, 15,952 wounded), plus 556 MPR casualties. While Soviet casualties may have exceeded Japanese losses, this reflects the fierceness of Japanese defense and questions Zhukov's expenditutre of blood. There was no denying, however, that the Red Army demonstrated substantial strength and that Kwantung Army suffered a serious defeat. Knowledgeable Japanese and Soviet sources agree that given the annihilation of Komatsubara's forces and the dominance of Soviet air power, if Zhukov had pressed beyond Nomonhan toward Hailar, local Japanese forces would have fallen into chaos, Hailar would have fallen, and western Manchuria would have been gravely threatened. But while that might have been militarily possible, Moscow did not intend it. Zhukov's First Army Group halted at the boundary line claimed by the MPR. A Japanese military historian notes that "Kwantung Army completely lost its head." KwAHQ was enraged by the battlefield developments. Beyond the mauling of the Sixth Army at Nomonhan, there was anxiety over regimental colors. It was feared that Colonel Yamagata might not have had time to destroy the imperial crest of the 64th Regiment's colors, which could have fallen into Soviet hands. Thousands of dead and wounded littered the field. To preserve "face" and regain leverage, a swift, decisive counterstroke was deemed necessary. At Hsinking, they decided on an all-out war against the USSR. They planned to throw the 7th, 2nd, 4th, and 8th Divisions into the Sixth Army, along with all heavy artillery in Manchukuo, to crush the enemy. Acknowledging shortages in armor, artillery, and air power, they drafted a plan for a series of successive night offenses beginning on September 10. This was viewed as ill-advised for several reasons: September 10 was an unrealistic target given Kwantung Army's limited logistical capacity; it was unclear what the Red Army would be doing by day, given its superiority in tanks, artillery, and air power; autumn would bring extreme cold that could immobilize forces; and Germany's alliance with the Soviet Union isolated Japan diplomatically. These factors were known at KwAHQ, yet the plan proceeded. Kwantung Army notified AGS to "utilize the winter months well," aiming to mobilize the entire Japanese Army for a decisive spring confrontation. However, the Nomonhan defeat coincided with the Hitler-Stalin pact's diplomatic fallout. The push for close military cooperation with Germany against the Soviet Union was discredited in a single week. Defeated and abandoned by Hitler, pro-German, anti-Soviet policy advocates in Tokyo were furious. Premier Hiranuma Kiichiro's government resigned on August 28. In response, more cautious voices in Tokyo asserted control. General Nakajima, deputy chief of AGS, went to Hsinking with Imperial Order 343, directing Kwantung Army to hold near the disputed frontier with "minimal strength" to enable a quick end to hostilities and a diplomatic settlement. But at KwAHQ, the staff pressed their case, and Nakajima eventually approved a general offensive to begin on September 10. The mood at KwAHQ was ebullient. Upon returning to Tokyo, Nakajima was sternly rebuked and ordered to stand down. General Ueda appealed to higher authority, requesting permission to clear the battlefield and recover the bodies of fallen soldiers. He was denied and later relieved of command on September 6. A reshuffle followed at KwAHQ, with several senior officers reassigned. The Japanese Foreign Ministry directed Ambassador Togo Shigenori to negotiate a settlement in Moscow. The Molotov-Togo agreement was reached on September 15–16, establishing a temporary frontier and a commission to redemarcate the boundary. The local cease-fire arrangements were formalized on September 18–19, and both sides agreed to exchange prisoners and corpses. In the aftermath, Kwantung Army leadership and the Red Army leadership maintained tight control over communications about the conflict. News of the defeat spread through Manchuria and Japan, but the scale of the battle was not fully suppressed. The Kwantung Army's reputation suffered further from subsequent punishments of officers deemed to have mishandled the Nomonhan engagement. Several officers were compelled to retire or commit suicide under pressure, and Ioki's fate became a particular symbol of the army's dishonor and the heavy costs of the campaign. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In August 1939, Soviet General Georgy Zhukov launched a decisive offensive against Japanese forces at Nomonhan. Under cover of darkness, Soviet troops crossed the Halha River, unleashing massive air and artillery barrages on August 20. Fierce fighting ensued, with failed Japanese counterattacks, the fall of Fui Heights, and annihilation of encircled pockets by Soviet tanks and infantry. 

On May 5th, 2019, Aeroflot Flight 1492 was scheduled to fly from Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow to Murmansk Airport, in Russia. With 73 passengers and 5 crew on board, the pilots completed their pre-flight checks and lined up on the runway. At 18:03 they took off and began their climb. It was a little bumpy, but they'd handled worse. 5 minutes later, however, a deafening boom rocked the entire plane. All of a sudden the plane jolted, the primary radio went dead, and the autopilot became inoperative. But it was ok – the pilots knew this was a minor electrical failure, nothing major. What they didn't know though, was that in less than 30 minutes, the life of every passenger on board would be on the line. Not just because of what the pilots were about to do… oh no…. because of the dangerous decisions the passengers themselves made next. Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The defense strategy in the Kouri Richins trial targets two primary vulnerabilities: witness credibility and physical evidence gaps. Their argument for reasonable doubt is methodical and substantial.Carmen Lauber's credibility faces systematic challenge. She admitted testing positive for methamphetamine during the precise time frame she claims she conducted fentanyl transactions—late January through early March 2022. She acknowledged her memory was impaired, telling investigators it was "messed up" and "foggy," and that she had "fried her brain" through decades of drug use. Her testimony evolved: initial statements referenced three pre-death drug purchases; later accounts became four. Critically, fentanyl entered her narrative only after investigators informed her of Eric Richins' cause of death.Her supplier, Robert Crozier, has submitted a sworn affidavit recanting his original statement, now claiming he provided only oxycontin—never fentanyl—and that cognitive impairment during detox affected his initial interview. If the alleged source of the murder weapon denies providing the murder weapon, the prosecution's foundational theory faces serious challenge.Interrogation methodology raises additional concerns. Video evidence showed investigators telling Lauber that avoiding prison required providing "the details that ensure Kouri gets convicted of murder." Statements like "this whole case depends on you" and instructions to "finish painting the picture" suggest potential witness coaching rather than neutral information gathering.Physical evidence deficiencies compound credibility issues. Nineteen items tested for fentanyl—all negative. The hydrocodone bottle on the victim's nightstand remains untested. The alleged delivery mechanism—Moscow mule glasses—was destroyed through dishwasher processing before collection. The toxicologist's finding of acetylfentanyl—a marker exclusive to illicit manufacture—potentially supports defense theories of self-ingestion rather than poisoning.Interview recordings are missing. The boyfriend's phones were returned and re-collected multiple times. Evidence collection occurred years post-mortem. The cumulative effect raises substantial reasonable doubt questions.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #DefenseAnalysis #ReasonableDoubt #RichinsTrial #WitnessCredibility #EvidentiaryGaps #CarmenLauber #ForensicDeficiencies #TrueCrimeLaw #TrialAnalysis

Three memes allegedly found on Kouri Richins' phone the morning her husband's body was removed. "I'm rich." Their three sons were still upstairs, unaware their father was dead.The Kouri Richins murder trial has opened with explosive allegations—and immediate credibility problems for the prosecution's key witnesses.Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth laid out the theory: $4.5 million in debt, an affair with Josh Grossman, Caribbean vacation plans for one month after Eric's death, nearly two million in life insurance allegedly taken out without his knowledge. A fifteen-minute gap before the 911 call—phone unlocked six times while Eric lay dead. Internet searches about women's prisons and lie detector tests.But the foundation is shaky. Carmen Lauber, the woman who claims she sold Kouri fentanyl, has been granted immunity—and allegedly changed her story only after police threatened prison time. Her own dealer signed an affidavit claiming he sold OxyContin, not fentanyl. The Moscow mule glasses Eric drank from were never tested. No pills were ever recovered. The house was never searched for fentanyl. The death certificate lists manner of death as unknown.Defense attorney Kathryn Nester played Kouri's 911 call for the jury—raw, sobbing, barely coherent. She painted Eric as a man struggling with Lyme disease, chronic pain, and painkiller dependence.Eighteen days before his death, Eric allegedly told friends he thought his wife tried to poison him. That testimony is still ahead.Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down where this case can be won—and lost.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #KouriRichinsTrial #EricRichins #TrueCrimeToday #CarmenLauber #FentanylPoisoning #15MinuteGap #BobMotta #UtahTrial #TrueCrime

The prosecution has their theory. The defense has their wrecking ball. And they're swinging it at everything.Carmen Lauber is the whole case—and she admitted on the stand she was high on meth during the entire time period she's describing. Late January, mid-February, early March 2022. The exact window of the alleged drug buys. She told police her memory was "messed up" and "foggy." She said she'd "fried her brain" using drugs since sixth grade. She asked investigators to just "write it all down and I'll sign it."Her story changed. Three drug buys became four. She didn't mention fentanyl until after cops told her Eric died from fentanyl. Her supplier Robert Crozier has now filed a sworn affidavit saying he never gave her fentanyl—only oxycontin. If the source says there was no fentanyl, where does that leave the prosecution?Video played in court showed detectives telling Carmen the only way she avoids prison is to give them "the details that ensure Kouri gets convicted of murder." One detective told her, "This whole case depends on you." Another said to "finish painting the picture." The defense is arguing that's not interrogation—that's coaching.The physical evidence is worse. Nineteen items tested for fentanyl—all negative. The hydrocodone bottle on Eric's nightstand was never tested. The Moscow mule glasses went through the dishwasher. No fentanyl was found anywhere in the house. No delivery method was established.The boyfriend's phones were collected, returned to him, collected again—he apparently broke them in between. Audio from key witness interviews is missing. Evidence was collected years after Eric's death. The defense says you can't convict someone of poisoning when you can't prove how the poison was delivered.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #DefenseCase #ReasonableDoubt #RichinsTrial #CarmenLauber #WitnessProblems #EvidenceGaps #HiddenKillers #InvestigationFailures #UtahMurder

"I'm rich."Three memes allegedly found on Kouri Richins' phone the morning her husband Eric's body was removed from their home. Their three sons were still upstairs, unaware their father was dead.The prosecution's opening painted a devastating picture: $4.5 million in debt, an affair with Josh Grossman, Caribbean vacation plans for one month after Eric's death, nearly two million in life insurance taken out without his knowledge. And a fifteen-minute gap—Kouri's phone allegedly unlocked six times before she dialed 911. First responders noted Eric seemed like he had been dead a while.But the defense exposed cracks in the foundation. The key fentanyl supplier has recanted. Carmen Lauber allegedly changed her story only after police threatened prison time—and has now been granted immunity. Her own dealer signed an affidavit claiming he sold OxyContin, not fentanyl. The Moscow mule glasses were never tested. No pills were ever recovered. The house was never searched for fentanyl. The death certificate lists manner of death as unknown.Defense attorney Kathryn Nester played Kouri's 911 call—raw, sobbing, barely coherent—and closed with an optical illusion showing either a young woman or a witch. The state would show them the witch, she said. She'd reveal a widow.Eric's sister testified Kouri was composed and business-focused while the family collapsed in grief. Eric's friends will testify he called them eighteen days before his death and said he thought his wife tried to poison him.Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta analyzes where the prosecution is vulnerable—and where the defense has real opportunity.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #KouriRichinsTrial #EricRichins #FentanylPoisoning #CarmenLauber #15MinuteGap #HiddenKillers #DefenseStrategy #BobMotta #TrueCrime

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. We continue to see several top MBA programs rolling out their Round 2 interview invites. A few MBA programs are also beginning their next admissions rounds, including UNC / Kenan Flagler, CMU / Tepper, SMU / Cox, Boston College / Carroll and Georgia Tech / Scheller. Graham highlighted upcoming MBA webinar events. On March 19, we are hosting a series of panel discussions focused on international students who are targeting the top MBA programs in the United States. On May 11, Clear Admit is hosting our in-person admissions event in Atlanta. Signups for these events are here: https://www.clearadmit.com/events Graham then highlighted a recently published article that focuses on Stanford's deferred enrolment program. Quotes for this article came from the recently hosted deferred enrolment webinar series. Graham then noted an admissions tip focused on background checks, undertaken post admissions. We then had a detailed discussion on London Business School's Class of 2025 career report. Finally, Graham discussed two additional podcast episodes, featuring SMU / Cox and Juno. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a 4.0 GPA but is seeking a test waiver. We encourage them to take a test, if they are targeting the top MBA programs. This week's second MBA applicant has a very non-traditional profile overall, including diplomatic work in Moscow. They are also an older candidate, targeting top full-time MBA programs. This week's final MBA candidate is deciding between Columbia and Yale. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

The defense in the Kouri Richins trial is systematically dismantling the prosecution's case. Today we're going through every crack they're hammering—and there are a lot of them.Carmen Lauber admitted she tested positive for meth during the entire time frame she claims she was buying fentanyl for Kouri. The defense asked if she was high the whole time. She said yes. She told police her memory was "fried." She asked them to write her statement and she'd sign it. Her story changed—three drug buys became four. She didn't mention fentanyl until after cops told her that's what killed Eric.Her supplier Robert Crozier has filed a sworn affidavit saying he never gave her fentanyl—only oxycontin. If the source of the alleged murder weapon says there was no murder weapon, what's left of the prosecution's theory?Video played in court showed detectives telling Carmen the only way to avoid prison is to give them "the details that ensure Kouri gets convicted of murder." They told her to "finish painting the picture." That's not investigating—that's scripting.Nineteen items tested for fentanyl. All negative. The pill bottle on Eric's nightstand—never tested. The Moscow mule glasses—washed before collection. No fentanyl found anywhere. No delivery method established.The toxicologist found acetylfentanyl in Eric's system—a marker exclusively found in street drugs. The defense argues this supports secret use, not poisoning. The boyfriend's phones were returned to him multiple times during the investigation. Audio from witness interviews is missing. Evidence was collected years after death.The defense's argument: you can't convict someone of poisoning when you can't prove there was poison. Your questions about reasonable doubt, answered live.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichinsLive #DefenseCase #ReasonableDoubt #LiveTrueCrime #RichinsTrial #CarmenLauber #EvidenceGaps #WitnessCredibility #InvestigationFailures #HiddenKillersLive

The prosecution's key fentanyl supplier has recanted. No pills were ever recovered. No pills were ever tested. And the woman who claims she sold Kouri Richins the drugs used to poison her husband has been granted immunity.We're breaking down every pressure point in this trial live.Opening statements delivered competing realities. The prosecution showed jurors memes allegedly found on Kouri's phone the morning Eric's body was removed—"I'm rich"—while their three sons were still upstairs unaware. They revealed a fifteen-minute gap before the 911 call, phone unlocked six times. Internet searches about women's prisons and lie detector tests. Nearly two million in life insurance taken out without Eric's knowledge. An affair with Josh Grossman. Caribbean vacation plans for the month after his death.The defense fired back hard. Kathryn Nester played Kouri's 911 call—raw, sobbing, barely coherent. She attacked Carmen Lauber's credibility, noting she changed her story only after police threatened prison. Lauber's own dealer signed an affidavit saying he sold OxyContin, not fentanyl. The Moscow mule glasses were never tested. The house was never searched for fentanyl. The death certificate says manner of death unknown.Then there's Eric's statement to friends eighteen days before his death: he thought his wife tried to poison him. That testimony is coming.Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta joins us to analyze where this case stands—and whether compromised witnesses and missing physical evidence can sustain a conviction.We're taking your questions live.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #KouriRichinsTrial #EricRichins #HiddenKillersLive #CarmenLauber #FentanylPoisoning #LiveTrial #BobMotta #DefenseStrategy #TrueCrime

 In this episode of Straight White American Jesus: The Sunday Interview, Brad Onishi speaks with CNN Chief Investigative Correspondent Pamela Brown about her new documentary examining Christian nationalism, the rise of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), and the growing influence of Idaho pastor Doug Wilson. Brown discusses her viral interview with Wilson, her reporting from Moscow, Idaho, and how Christian Reconstructionist theology is gaining mainstream political visibility. The conversation explores Christian nationalism's connection to classical Christian schools, patriarchal theology, and its alignment with contemporary conservative politics. The documentary also centers the voices of survivors who left CREC-aligned and other Christian nationalist communities. Women share firsthand accounts of spiritual abuse, rigid gender hierarchy, and authoritarian church structures that made leaving extraordinarily difficult. Brown and Onishi examine how movements promising certainty, biblical order, and “traditional values” have expanded in the wake of COVID-19 and cultural polarization. This interview offers critical insight into Christian nationalism, church and state debates, religious extremism, and the future of American democracy. Subscribe for $3.65: ⁠https://axismundi.supercast.com/⁠ Subscribe to our free newsletter: ⁠https://swaj.substack.com/⁠ Order American Caesar by Brad Onishi: ⁠https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/⁠ Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First, as the USA, Israel and Iran trade drone and missile strikes, how the war  may play out for Russia: my sense is that on balance it will give Moscow more opportunities than headaches. Then, from bangers to Mish: decoding Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's annual report to the State Duma. Think of a head butler in a grand house: no say in the party upstairs, every burden downstairs. The technocrats may plan to edge Russia from “gas station” to “supermarket,” but is this viable?The Sunday Times article I mention is here, Ben Aris's BNE Intellinews piece here, and the signup page for Thursday's crisis exercise here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

Two of the most-watched cases in the country are reaching critical moments.The Kouri Richins murder trial is a battle between devastating motive evidence and investigative gaps. Prosecutors say she killed her husband for $4 million and a fresh start—pointing to five times the lethal fentanyl dose, a forged insurance policy, a boyfriend, internet searches about lethal doses, and Eric's alleged statement two weeks before his death: "I think my wife is trying to poison me."The defense counters with what's missing. The Moscow mule cups were never tested. The kitchen wasn't secured. White specks on Eric's nightstand went unanalyzed. The medical examiner says manner of death remains "undetermined." After ten searches over four years, there's no physical evidence connecting Kouri to the act itself.Which argument wins?Meanwhile, Nancy Guthrie has been missing for twenty-five days. The doorbell footage shows a masked man who cased the house, came back, and didn't know about the camera until he was standing in front of it. If this was a burglary that ended in an unintended death, Arizona's felony murder statute doesn't offer mercy. Intent is irrelevant.Defense attorney Eric Faddis, a former prosecutor, explains the difference between walking into a police station now and getting caught through genetic genealogy later. The person who hid Nancy also hid the evidence that could support their own defense. That clock is running.Two cases. Two legal reckonings. The walls are closing.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #NancyGuthrie #TrueCrimeToday #KouriRichinsTrial #FelonyMurder #FentanylPoisoning #SavannahGuthrie #EricFaddis #LegalAnalysis #TrueCrime

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester came out swinging in opening statements of the Kouri Richins murder trial, systematically attacking the prosecution's evidence chain and the credibility of their key witness. The legal battle lines are now drawn for what could be a five-week trial with a woman's life hanging in the balance.Nester's strategy centers on Carmen Lauber, the woman who allegedly sold Kouri fentanyl. According to the defense, Lauber changed her story only after police threatened her with prison time. More damaging still: Lauber's own drug dealer later signed an affidavit claiming he sold her OxyContin, not fentanyl. If Lauber never had fentanyl, how could she have sold it to Kouri?The defense highlighted critical gaps in the investigation. The Moscow mule glasses Eric allegedly drank from on the night of his death were never tested for fentanyl. The Kamas home was never searched for the drug. The medical examiner's death certificate lists manner of death as unknown—not homicide.Nester painted Eric Richins as a man battling Lyme disease, chronic pain, and dependence on prescription painkillers—a profile that could explain fentanyl exposure through contaminated street drugs rather than deliberate poisoning. She played Kouri's 911 call for the jury: raw, sobbing, desperate.Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth countered with alleged memes found on Kouri's phone the morning Eric's body was removed, a fifteen-minute delay before calling 911, $4.5 million in debt, an affair with Josh Grossman, and internet searches about women's prisons and lie detector tests.Eric's sister Katie Richins-Benson testified about Kouri's allegedly cold, business-focused demeanor while the family grieved. The defense challenged her memory and noted the family invested $100,000 in a private investigator.Carmen Lauber and Josh Grossman testimony still to come.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #KouriRichinsTrial #CarmenLauber #DefenseStrategy #FentanylEvidence #EricRichins #MurderTrial #CriminalDefense #ParkCity #TrueCrimeToday

On February 27, 2026, Ghost steps back from the Iran-heavy focus of recent episodes to unpack a fast-moving geopolitical landscape that feels anything but stable. The show opens with the deadly speedboat incident off Cuba's coast, raising uncomfortable questions about exile politics, regime change narratives, and whether propaganda can push desperate men toward reckless action. From there, Ghost connects the dots between Rubio's backchannel talks, Trump's “friendly takeover” comments, and the volatile Cuban-American political machine in South Florida. The second half escalates dramatically: Ukraine's strike on a major Russian missile plant, Moscow's warnings about nuclear escalation, and explosive claims that Britain and France may be enabling nuclear capabilities for Kyiv. Add pipeline sabotage plots, rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and a surprising economic angle in U.S.–Iran negotiations, and the global chessboard looks more unstable than ever. Through it all, Ghost challenges the culture of political deception, asks who really benefits from perpetual war, and makes the case for America First over revenge geopolitics.

With more than twenty-five years in nonprofit technology, Tracy Kronzak has worked across the ecosystem: from server racks and on-premise systems to cloud architecture, enterprise partnerships, and AI strategy. They've served in leadership roles at Salesforce.org, Microsoft's Tech for Social Impact initiative, Bonterra, and multiple nonprofit tech consultancies, while advising mission-driven organizations on data governance, equity, and long-term sustainability. In this episode, we trace Tracy's journey from the strawberry fields of New Hampshire to witnessing a murder in Moscow and finally to becoming a recognized voice at the intersection of technology and justice. 

Prosecutors say Kouri Richins murdered her husband Eric with a fentanyl-laced Moscow mule. But those copper mugs were never tested for fentanyl. The nanny washed them the next morning.That's the kind of evidentiary gap that's emerging in week one of this Utah murder trial—and defense attorney Eric Faddis explains why it matters.The crime scene wasn't properly secured. The kitchen where the drinks were made wasn't searched. White specks on Eric's nightstand—visible in photos—were never analyzed. The medical examiner testified the manner of death is still "undetermined" on the death certificate. Chelsea Gipson, the crime scene tech, found no drugs on her initial visit, but investigators kept searching the home over four years, finding more evidence each time.The defense is building a case around what wasn't done, what wasn't tested, and what can't be proven. Faddis, who has worked as both prosecutor and defense attorney, breaks down why circumstantial evidence—even overwhelming circumstantial evidence—might not be enough when the physical proof is missing.Can the prosecution's motive evidence survive these investigative failures?Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #KouriRichinsTrial #EricRichins #TrueCrimeToday #FentanylPoisoning #UtahMurderTrial #EricFaddis #ReasonableDoubt #TrueCrime #ChainOfCustody

The prosecution's case against Kouri Richins isn't just about fentanyl. It's about a timeline that points to planning.Months before Eric's death: Kouri books an all-inclusive Caribbean vacation for herself and her boyfriend—checking in the month after her husband would be dead.Weeks before: She texts that boyfriend, "If he could just go away and you could just be here, life would be so perfect." She allegedly forges Eric's signature on a $100,000 life insurance policy.Valentine's Day, two weeks before his death: Eric calls a friend and says "I think my wife is trying to poison me" after eating a sandwich she left him.The night he dies: She texts the boyfriend "Love you," then makes her husband a Moscow mule.After his death: Her internet searches include "can cops uncover deleted messages iPhone" and "how long do life insurance companies take to pay."Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told the jury Eric had five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system—"intentional, not accidental." Kouri owed $4.5 million and Eric's estate was worth $4 million.Defense attorney Eric Faddis, a former prosecutor, analyzes how the state is weaving financial desperation, digital evidence, and prior bad acts into a narrative of premeditated murder.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #EricRichins #KouriRichinsTrial #FentanylMurder #Premeditation #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #UtahTrial #EricFaddis #InsuranceFraud

Defense attorney Kathy Nester told the jury something remarkable in her opening statement: after four years of investigation, prosecutors have "zero evidence" showing how fentanyl got into Eric Richins' body.This week's testimony proved her point.The Moscow mule cups at the heart of the prosecution's theory were never tested—the nanny washed them the next morning. Deputy Nguyen didn't secure the kitchen. White specks on Eric's nightstand, visible in crime scene photos, were never analyzed. Crime scene tech Chelsea Gipson found no drugs in the home on her initial visit, but evidence kept turning up in subsequent searches over four years. The medical examiner testified the manner of death remains "undetermined."Eric Faddis, a former prosecutor turned defense attorney, breaks down the defense strategy taking shape in the Kouri Richins trial. What happens when prosecutors have strong motive evidence—the texts, the searches, the debt, the boyfriend—but can't connect the defendant to the actual act?The defense is betting everything on reasonable doubt. Faddis explains why that bet might pay off.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #EricRichins #KouriRichinsTrial #FentanylPoisoning #ReasonableDoubt #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #UtahTrial #EricFaddis #DefenseStrategy

He was born in Syria in 1860, in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. In his childhood, his family took refuge in Lebanon after their parish priest, St Joseph of Damascus (July 10) was martyred; but they later returned to Damascus. In 1879 he was tonsured a monk and entered into the service of Patriarch Hierotheos of Antioch. The Balamand Seminary had been closed since 1840, but the young monk was offered a scholarship at the Constantinople Patriarchate's seminary at Halki. Returning to Syria with a theological degree, St Raphael became assistant to Gerasimos, the new Patriarch of Antioch, traveling and preaching on his behalf. After further studies in Kiev, he transferred to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow and for a time was professer of Arabic studies at the Theological Academy in Kazan. (At that time the downtrodden Orthodox of the Middle East received considerable aid and theological training from the Tsar and from the Church in Russia).   In 1895 he was sent to the United States to shepherd the Arab Orthodox Community in New York, which was without a church or a priest. He quickly consecrated a chapel and with great energy set about the work of shepherding his flock there; but he was concerned not only for them but for the Arab Christian immigrants scattered through North America, most of whom were without a pastor and in danger of falling into heterodoxy or abandoning religious life. He traveled widely throughout the continent, visiting, counseling and serving Arab Christians, preaching, celebrating marriages and baptisms, receiving confessions and celebrating the Divine Liturgy, usually in private houses. In 1898 he published the first Orthodox prayer book in Arabic to appear in the New World. In 1899, he made a seven-month journey through forty-three American cities, seeking out the "scattered sheep" of the Church in America. His services were attended not only by Arabs but by Russians and Greeks, all of whom at that time depended on the Russian mission to North America. During this entire period, he held the official rank of Archimandrite, though his work and duties exceeded those of most bishops.   In 1901, Patriarch Meletios was elected to the see of Antioch, the first Arab to occupy the patriarchal throne for 168 years. Several proposals were made to elect Archimandrite Raphael to a see in Syria; but he refused all such offers, pointing out the Orthodox people's great and little-met needs in North America. In 1904, the Moscow Patriarchate made him Bishop of Brooklyn, the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated on American soil. He redoubled his already impressive pastoral work, ordaining priests to the many new parishes that he had founded, and assisting Saint Tikhon (then Bishop of North America) in the care of his huge diocese. In 1905 he laid the foundation of the Monastery of St Tikhon in Pennsylvania.   The bishop saw the importance of integrating the faithful into the life of their new homeland, and was an early advocate of the use of English in American Church services. When Isabel Hapgood's Service Book — the first useful English translation of the Church's services — was published in 1906, he advocated its use in all his parishes.   In 1912, St Raphael was found to be suffering from heart disease, but continued his exhausting pastoral work for two more years. In 1915 he was finally unable to continue, and reposed after two months' illness.   When his relics were transported in 1998 from Brooklyn to Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA, they were found to be incorrupt, and in 2000 he became the most recently glorified Saint of North America.   In North America St Raphael is commemorated on the anniversary of his repose: February 27 on the Civil/New Calendar, February 14 on the Julian Calendar. He is also commemorated with the Synaxis of Saints of North America on the Second Sunday after Pentecost. The Patriarchate of Antioch also commemorates him, but on Saturday before the Synaxis of the Archangels (November 8).

David Satter is a journalist and historian with unique insights into how the deformation and repression of the past, is having terrible consequences for present day Russia. David has written extensively about Russia and the Soviet Union, especially the decline and fall of the USSR and rise of post-Soviet Russia. David Satter became the first American journalist to be expelled from Russia since the Cold War in December 2013. This was perhaps not a surprising move, given that his books have covered topics such as the FSB's role in the apartment bombings that brought Putin to power. From 1976 to 1982 David was the Moscow correspondent of the Financial Times, and then became a special correspondent on Soviet affairs for The Wall Street Journal. He is currently a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a fellow of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. ----------BOOKS:He is author of several books that are essential reading to help understand the origins of the current crisis, including the brilliantly named books: - It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway- Darkness at Dawn: The Rise of the Russian Criminal State- The Less You Know, The Better You Sleep----------LINKS:https://davidsatter.com/https://twitter.com/davidsatter?lang=enhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Satterhttps://www.hudson.org/experts/362-david-satterhttps://www.fpri.org/contributor/david-satter/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/authors/david-satter----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv this week, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in January 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtain?Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

In this episode, Tim Whitaker (The New Evangelicals) joins me to expose the direct theological line connecting Moscow, Idaho pastor Doug Wilson to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. We are witnessing the mainstreaming of a specific brand of Christian Nationalism—one that isn't just about "God and Country," but about implementing a strategy to capture American institutions. We break down the specific theology of the MOscow, Idaho movement, the influence of Stephen Wolfe's The Case for Christian Nationalism, and why Pete Hegseth's admiration for these ideas poses a unique threat to the U.S. military. This isn't just a political disagreement; it is a theological takeover of the most powerful military in the world.

This week, Scott was joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien, Lawfare Senior Editor Molly Roberts, and University of Virginia Professor of Law Paul Stephan to talk through the week's big news in national security, including:“Textual Healing.” On Friday, a 6-3 Supreme Court majority brought an end to at least the current iteration of President Trump's controversial tariff policies, ruling that language in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (or IEEPA) authorizing the “regulation of…importation” doesn't include the authority to impose tariffs. That said, President Trump himself has already indicated that he intends to reinstate many of the tariffs he had installed using IEEPA under other statutory authorities. How big a setback is this for the Trump administration's trade policies? And what might it mean for other aspects of its policy agenda?“Mayhem in Mexico.” Over the weekend, an elite unit of the Mexican army killed one of the country's most powerful drug kingpins, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.” His syndicate, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, immediately retaliated, through attacks on Mexican security forces, roadblocks throughout the country, and other measures intended to terrorize the public, particularly in areas frequented by American and Western tourists. The decision to move against El Mencho followed an intense pressure campaign by the Trump administration, which has pushed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to take a hard stand against the cartels. Should this be seen as a win for the Trump administration? Or Sheinbaum? And what could the long-term implications be for the U.S.-Mexico relationship?“Clap if You Believe.” On Tuesday, President Trump delivered his annual State of the Union address, the longest of its kind. Many had braced for a contentious speech, expecting Trump to ridicule the justices seated in front of him and potentially even announce strikes on Iran. But Trump appeared to pull his punches on both of those fronts—he instead saved his harshest words for congressional Democrats and focused on laying out a rose-colored picture of the state of the country. How effective was Trump's speech? And what does it tell us about the current state of his second presidency?In object lessons, Tyler just has this strange sense that you will enjoy the Otherworld podcast. Molly (and her dog) find comfort in the soft, squishy claws of Cthulhu. Scott eased his travel woes with a twist on the Vieux Carre at Birch & Bloom in Charlottesville. And Paul mixed his object lesson with three parts: Peter Suderman's Cocktails if you're into all things shaken and stirred; Mark Galeotti's podcast, In Moscow's Shadow, if you're into all things Russia-related; and Dan Wang's New York Times Best Seller book, “Breakneck,” if you're into all things China-related. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Craig Unger reports that the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow served as a platform for Trump to court Putin and oligarchs, marking a turning point as Russia transitioned into a mafia state. 15.

1900 BAKUGordon Chang and Steve Yates discuss Japan deploying missiles near Taiwan and concerns regarding a potential Chinese biological weapons facility discovered in Las Vegas. 1.Rebecca Grant and Gordon Chang detail the US Navy's massive deployment around Iran to counter Chinese-supported missile threats and prepare for possible sustained offensive strike options. 2.Charles Burton and Gordon Chang analyze Mark Carney's shift toward Beijing, seeking trade concessions like visa-free access while Canadians harbor resentment over Trump's proposed tariffs and economic policies. 3.Charles Burton and Gordon Chang debate the dangers of Canada's "strategic partnership" with China, focusing on espionage operations, the potential expulsion from Five Eyes, and theft of aerospace technology. 4.Simon Constable reports on skyrocketing copper and silver prices alongside the arrest of Lord Mandelson for allegedly passing privileged state information to Jeffrey Epstein. 5.Simon Constable reports that the UK government faces investigations for allegedly threatening media personalities and smearing critics as pro-Russian, while struggling with housing shortages and high taxes. 6.Jonathan Adler explains the Supreme Court ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not grant the president unilateral power to impose taxes or tariffs. 7.Jonathan Adler reports that following the tariff decision, the administration must now use specific statutes with procedural strings, limiting the president's ability to adjust trade penalties on a whim. 8.Andrea Stricker discusses reports that the Iranian regime used illicit chemicals and pharmaceutical-based agents to debilitate protesters during recent, highly lethal national unrest. 9.Michael Bernstam describes Europe's liberation from Russian energy, replaced by cheap American and Qatari LNG, leaving Russia with abandoned gas fields and flaring wells. 10.Bob Zimmerman details a helium flow problem that cancelled the Artemis March launch, while SpaceX continues breaking records for booster reuse and commercial efficiency. 11.Bob Zimmerman reports that astronomers are using infrared capabilities to identify a supernova's origin and detect the first heliosphere around a distant star, advancing our understanding of stellar deaths. 12.Craig Unger explores how Trump's licensing model in Panama and elsewhere allowed the Russian mob to wash hundreds of millions through luxury real estate. 13.Craig Unger reports that the Trump brand served as a status symbol for Russian oligarchs, facilitating money laundering in failed developments while FBI counterintelligence efforts reportedly failed to intervene. 14.Craig Unger reports that the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow served as a platform for Trump to court Putin and oligarchs, marking a turning point as Russia transitioned into a mafia state. 15.Craig Unger traces Trump's political ascent back to his 1987 Moscow trip, suggesting Russian connections and talking points have influenced his foreign policy for forty years. 16.

Craig Unger traces Trump's political ascent back to his 1987 Moscow trip, suggesting Russian connections and talking points have influenced his foreign policy for forty years. 16.1917 KREMLIN

This week, Scott was joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien, Lawfare Senior Editor Molly Roberts, and University of Virginia Professor of Law Paul Stephan to talk through the week's big news in national security, including:“Textual Healing.” On Friday, a 6-3 Supreme Court majority brought an end to at least the current iteration of President Trump's controversial tariff policies, ruling that language in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (or IEEPA) authorizing the “regulation of…importation” doesn't include the authority to impose tariffs. That said, President Trump himself has already indicated that he intends to reinstate many of the tariffs he had installed using IEEPA under other statutory authorities. How big a setback is this for the Trump administration's trade policies? And what might it mean for other aspects of its policy agenda?“Mayhem in Mexico.” Over the weekend, an elite unit of the Mexican army killed one of the country's most powerful drug kingpins, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.” His syndicate, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, immediately retaliated, through attacks on Mexican security forces, roadblocks throughout the country, and other measures intended to terrorize the public, particularly in areas frequented by American and Western tourists. The decision to move against El Mencho followed an intense pressure campaign by the Trump administration, which has pushed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to take a hard stand against the cartels. Should this be seen as a win for the Trump administration? Or Sheinbaum? And what could the long-term implications be for the U.S.-Mexico relationship?“Clap if You Believe.” On Tuesday, President Trump delivered his annual State of the Union address, the longest of its kind. Many had braced for a contentious speech, expecting Trump to ridicule the justices seated in front of him and potentially even announce strikes on Iran. But Trump appeared to pull his punches on both of those fronts—he instead saved his harshest words for congressional Democrats and focused on laying out a rose-colored picture of the state of the country. How effective was Trump's speech? And what does it tell us about the current state of his second presidency?In object lessons, Tyler just has this strange sense that you will enjoy the Otherworld podcast. Molly (and her dog) find comfort in the soft, squishy claws of Cthulhu. Scott eased his travel woes with a twist on the Vieux Carre at Birch & Bloom in Charlottesville. And Paul mixed his object lesson with three parts: Peter Suderman's Cocktails if you're into all things shaken and stirred; Mark Galeotti's podcast, In Moscow's Shadow, if you're into all things Russia-related; and Dan Wang's New York Times Best Seller book, “Breakneck,” if you're into all things China-related. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up — new reporting reveals how a five-minute phone call between President Trump and Nicolás Maduro may have sealed the Venezuelan strongman's fate, as misread intentions helped turn diplomacy into military action and, ultimately, a prison cell. Later in the show — amid mounting pressure on Tehran, the CIA launches a rare recruitment push aimed directly at Iranians. Plus — the United Kingdom slaps sanctions on nearly 300 Russian-linked entities after an email blunder exposed a network of illicit oil traders tied to Moscow's energy and military sectors. And in today's Back of the Brief — Russia accuses Ukraine of seeking to acquire a nuclear weapon with help from the UK and France, a claim Kyiv and Western officials dismiss as baseless disinformation.  To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB  Ultra Pouches: Don't sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code PDB at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First up — a high stakes shootout on the high seas leaves four dead after Cuban forces open fire on a U.S.-registered speedboat. Havana claims it foiled an armed terrorist infiltration, but with nearly all the details coming from the Cuban government, serious questions remain. Later in the show — Russia's asymmetric warfare campaign against Europe appears to be expanding underground. New reports allege secret tunnels are being used to funnel migrants into European territory, with specialists from the Middle East reportedly recruited to construct the routes. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB  Ultra Pouches: Don't sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code PDB at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five Eyes flags active exploitation of Cisco SD-WAN flaws. Ransomware incidents surge, but fewer victims are paying. The FTC eases its stance on COPPA to encourage age verification. Authorities in Poland and Germany charge 11 in a Facebook credential harvesting scheme. Top UK news outlets unite on AI licensing standards, as the UK touts gains in cyber resilience. Researchers say a hacker abused Anthropic's Claude to breach Mexican government networks. Gamers revolt over AI in game development. On our Industry Voices, we are joined by Linda Gray Martin, Chief of Staff and SVP, and Britta Glade, SVP of Content and Communities, from RSAC sharing what is new at RSAC 2026. In Moscow, a man is accused of impersonating an FSB officer to shake down the Conti ransomware gang.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today on our Industry Voices, we are joined by Linda Gray Martin, Chief of Staff and SVP, and Britta Glade, SVP of Content and Communities, from RSAC sharing what is new at RSAC 2026. Selected Reading Cisco SD-WAN Is Actively Exploited by UAT-8616, Five Eyes Alliance Agencies Issue Warning (TechNadu) Ransomware payments dropped in 2025 as attack numbers reached record levels: Chainalysis (The Record) FTC Softens Enforcement of Rule Protecting Children Online, Ostensibly to Protect Children Online (Gizmodo) Poland Cybercrime Unit Uncovers Scheme Stealing 100,000 Facebook Logins (The 420) UK news giants form 'NATO for news' group to control AI scraping (Press Gazette) Government cuts cyber-attack fix times by 84% and launches new profession to protect public services (GOV.UK) Hacker Used Anthropic's Claude to Steal Sensitive Mexican Data (Bloomberg) AI Mistakes Are Infuriating Gamers as Developers Seek Savings (Bloomberg) Moscow man accused of posing as FSB officer to extort Conti ransomware gang (The Record) AIs can't stop recommending nuclear strikes in war game simulations (New Scientist) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Extra! Extra! 'Davey' from "Newsies" is on the pod!David Moscow joins Jenna and Kevin to give them the scoop about his time on the set of "Newsies!" Including revealing that he and Christian Bale didn't even know the movie was a musical at first! Plus, how Mos Def helped him get the role, the valuable life lesson he learned from Robert Duvall, and the shock of going to see the movie opening weekend only to find an empty theater! And stop the presses! David also spills the tea on Season 6 of his show "From Scratch," premiering on Peacock March 2nd.For fun, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes clips, follow us on Instagram @andthatswhatyoureallymissedpod & TikTok @thatswhatyoureallymissed!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The defense came out swinging in the Kouri Richins murder trial and didn't waste a single minute. Attorney Kathy Nester used her cross-examination of crime scene technician Chelsea Gipson to expose a pattern of investigative gaps that go straight to the heart of the prosecution's case.A hydrocodone bottle from the victim's nightstand was never tested for fentanyl. The kitchen — central to the prosecution's theory that Kouri spiked a Moscow mule — was never photographed. No drug paraphernalia was found in the home. Items were moved during scene processing. And Gipson confirmed under oath that people commonly conceal illicit drugs inside prescription pill bottles, supporting the defense's argument that Eric Richins may have had his own access to fentanyl.The most explosive moment came when Gipson casually asked Nester if she was referring to "jail calls" while being questioned about recorded phone conversations. The defense moved to strike immediately. Judge Mrazik instructed the jury to disregard, but the damage was done — twelve jurors heard the word "jail" connected to the defendant from the prosecution's own witness.Court ended early due to unforeseen circumstances, cutting Nester's cross short. She returns Thursday with momentum and a growing list of evidence gaps that the prosecution hasn't addressed.This episode breaks down everything that happened, what it means for both sides, and why forty minutes of testimony may have just changed the trajectory of this trial.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #RichinsTrial #EricRichins #HiddenKillers #MoscowMuleMurder #TrueCrime #FentanylPoisoning #KathyNester #ChelseaGipson #SummitCounty

Investigators looked into the death of Kouri Richin's Mom's female partner who died of an opiate overdose in 2006. Some very compelling things were written in the search warrant concerning Lisa Darden's partner's untimely death. Let's talk about it!Show Sponsor - Shelley Levisay "Love Isn't Always the Answer" - https://a.co/d/6KtEaC3Show Notes:Fox News "Lisa Darden Search Warrant" - https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/03/document-5.pdf#:~:text=On%205%2F8%2F2023%2C%20Detectives%20served%20a,was%20recovered%20and%20identified%20asDaily Mail "EXCLUSIVE: Moscow mule victim left written INSTRUCTIONS for his family to 'check out' his now accused killer wife 'if anything happens to him' - and had suspected her of cheating but stayed in the marriage for his three children " - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12073983/Moscow-mule-victim-told-family-blame-wife-happened-him.htmlFox 13 "Did Kouri Richins Mother Help Her Daughter Commit Murder?" - https://www.fox13now.com/news/crime/investigation-shows-kouri-richins-mother-possibly-helped-kill-daughters-husbandKUTV "Kouri Richins' mother, Lisa Darden, investigated in 2006 death of 'romantic partner" - https://kutv.com/news/local/kouri-richins-mother-lisa-darden-investigated-in-2006-death-of-romantic-partner-lisa-darden-eric-richins-summit-county-sheriffs-office-murder-homicide-drug-overdose KUTV "'She's innocent': Kouri Richins brother says he talks to sister every day" - 'She's innocent': Kouri Richins brother says he talks to sister every dayCourt TV "Kouri Richins Other Fatal Overdose in the Family" - https://youtu.be/OSPTekPxIhc?si=qELH-67BiHYdIwqTGood Morning America "Family of Mom Accused of Murdering Husband & Writing Book on Grief Speaks Out " - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPG44QGdsIs48 Hours "The People Vs. Kouri Richins" - https://youtu.be/ie2DflEVCq4?si=jkf3tD5KdYRzXoLlGet access to exclusive content & support the podcast by a Patron today! https://patreon.com/robertaglasstruecrimereportThrow a tip in the tip jar! https://buymeacoffee.com/robertaglassSupport Roberta by sending a donation via Venmo. https://venmo.com/robertaglassBecome a chanel member for custom Emojis, first looks and exclusive streams here: https://youtube.com/@robertaglass/joinThank you Patrons!Beth, Shelley Safford, Carol Mumumeci, Therese Tunks, JC, Lizzy D, Elizabeth Drake, Texas Mimi, Barb, Deborah Shults, Ratliff, Stephanie Lamberson, Maryellen Sudol, Mona, Karen Pacini, Jen Buell, Marie Horton, ER, Rosie Grace, B. Rabbit, Sally Merrick, Amanda D, Mary B, Mrs Jones, Amy Gill, Eileen, Wesley Loves Octoberfest, Erin (Kitties1993), Anna Quint, Cici Guteriez, Sandra Loves Gatsby,Hannna, Christy, Jen Buell, Elle Solari, Carol Cardella, Jennifer Harmon, DoxieMama65, Carol Holderman, Joan Mahon, Marcie Denton, Rosanne Aponte, Johnny Jay, Jude Barnes, JenTheRN, Victoria Devenish, Jeri Falk, Kimberly Lovelace, Penni Miller, Jil, Janet Gardner, Jayne Wallace (JaynesWhirled), Pat Brooks, Jennifer Klearman, Judy Brown, Linda Lazzaro, Suzanne Kniffin, Susan Hicks, Jeff Meadors, D Samlam, Pat Brooks, Cythnia, Bonnie Schoeneman-Dilley, Diane Larsen, Mary, Kimberly Philipson, Cat Stewart, Cindy Pochesci, Kevin Crecy, Renee Chavez, Melba Pourteau, Julie K Thomas, Mia Wallace, Stark Stuff, Kayce Taylor, Alice, Dean, GiGi5, Jennifer Crum, Dana Natale, Bewildered Beauty, Pepper, Joan Chakonas, Blythe, Pat Dell, Lorraine Reid, T.B., Melissa, Victoria Gray Bross, Toni Woodland, Danbrit, Kenny Haines and Toni Natalie.

In this episode, Adam and Eric interview David Moscow. David played Lomez Jr. in the classic season 8 episode “The Van Buren Boys.” If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at theplacetobeseinfeld@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Facebook at The Place to Be: A Seinfeld Podcast, Twitter @tptbseinfeld, and Instagram @theplacetobe.podcast.

Send a textfind out about Cross Word Books podcasthttps://bookclues.com./A single ice axe swung in a quiet Mexico City study, but the shockwave started decades earlier, on the edges of a collapsing empire. We follow the combustible rivalry between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin—from exile and revolution to a propaganda war that turned one man's image into the regime's most useful enemy. Our guest, author Josh Ireland, brings meticulous research and narrative clarity to a story where ideology cuts into daily life, and private love becomes a public weapon.We dig into the fractures that shaped Soviet power: the Bolshevik belief in a tight revolutionary vanguard, the Menshevik alternative that lost momentum, and the way that early choices hardened into a state ethos of control. You'll hear how the NKVD evolved into a sprawling security apparatus that hunted at home and abroad, and why Stalin's paranoia wasn't just a psychological quirk—it was a method for governing through fear. Along the way, we trace Trotsky's exile from Turkey to Norway to Mexico, his brief orbit with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, and the shrinking circle of trust that defined his final years.At the center stands Ramon Mercader, a handsome Spaniard whose path to murder ran through the Spanish Civil War, a ruthless handler, and a calculated romance with Sylvia Ageloff. Their honey trap shows how Soviet intelligence manipulated intimacy to breach fortified lives. After the killing, Mercader's airtight cover story holds for years, his mother faces the cost of loyalty in Moscow, and Sylvia fades into obscurity, carrying a wound history rarely credits. Threaded through it all is a modern echo: the institutional lineage from Cheka to NKVD to KGB to today's security state, and the cultural logic that still shapes power in Russia.If you're drawn to political history, true crime, or the human drama behind world-shaping events, this conversation delivers context, character, and consequence. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show—what part of Trotsky's story surprised you most?find Josh Ireland  at    https://www.joshireland.co.uk/Dutton publishing https://www.penguin.com/dutton-overview

Grief children's book author Kouri Richins is on trial in Utah, accused of fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with a fentanyl-laced Moscow mule in 2022. Prosecutors say she killed him for financial gain, while also engaging in an extramarital affair. The defense argues his death was an accidental overdose. In a special episode, 48 Hours correspondent Natalie Morales speaks with CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman about the key evidence, the prosecution's motive theory, and what to watch as the Utah murder trial unfolds. This episode was recorded on February 24, 2026. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Western intelligence officials warn that Iran could direct proxy terror attacks across Europe if the United States launches military strikes against Tehran — tapping networks with proven operational history on the continent and raising concerns about asymmetric retaliation. Russian operatives are reportedly acquiring properties near military bases across Europe, creating what intelligence officials describe as a covert network of “Trojan horse” sites potentially positioned for sabotage and hybrid warfare. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB  American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Protests erupt across Iran for the fifth straight day as university campuses turn into flashpoints between anti-regime students and pro-government militias. Unlike January's market-driven unrest, this new wave appears ideological — directly challenging the legitimacy of the regime. The Kremlin may be preparing its biggest digital crackdown yet. Russian security services are floating terrorism allegations against the founder of Telegram, raising the prospect that Moscow could shut down one of the last independent information platforms inside the country. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief DeleteMe: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/PDB and use promocode PDB at checkout. Ultra Pouches: Don't sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code PDB at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump tells diplomats to fight digital sovereignty. DeepSeek allegedly trains on banned Nvidia chips. Google knocks out Gallium. Hackers tamper with patient records in New Zealand. Popular mental health apps leak risk. Wynn confirms a ShinyHunters breach. Telecoms dodge New York cyber rules. Russia targets Telegram's founder. And a defense insider heads to prison for selling cyber weapons to Moscow. Andrew Dunbar, CISO of Shopify, discusses how identity and trust become the new perimeter and how commerce needs both. Barking backlash brews beneath big-game broadcast. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today we are joined by Andrew Dunbar, CISO of Shopify, to discuss how identity and trust become the new perimeter and how commerce needs both to be engineered into the platform. Selected Reading Exclusive: US orders diplomats to fight data sovereignty initiatives (Reuters) Exclusive: China's DeepSeek trained AI model on Nvidia's best chip despite US ban, official says (Reuters) Google disrupts Chinese-linked hackers that attacked 53 groups globally (Reuters) Patient data changed as major NZ health app MediMap hacked (RNZ News) Android mental health apps with 14.7M installs filled with security flaws (Bleeping Computer) Wynn Resorts Confirms Cyberattack & Extortion Threat, Claims Data Deleted (Casino.org) Verizon successfully dodged data security rules from state regulators (Times Union) Russia opens probe of Telegram chief, claiming app has been used for terrorism (Washington Post)  Former Defense Contractor Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Selling Secrets to Russia: Peter Williams Trade Secrets Case Concludes (TechNadu) $10,000 bounty offered if you can hack Ring cameras to stop them sharing your data with Amazon (Bitdefender) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PROF. Mohammad Marandi joins Kyle live from Moscow. His Internet connection is a little sketchy but the audio is fine. Be sure to comment to help us with the YT algorithm. What if the real battlefield isn't a border but a bottleneck? We sit down with Professor Mohammad Marandi to examine how Iran calculates risk, leverage, and legitimacy across a map defined as much by energy corridors as by military bases. From the broken promises of the JCPOA to the aftershocks of a 12-day war, we trace why Tehran insists on a narrow negotiating lane—nuclear assurances only—while locking every other door. Marandi argues that missiles, drones, and regional alliances won't be traded for sanctions relief, pointing to lessons from Syria and recent clashes that, in Iran's view, validated conventional deterrence. He walks through why trust collapsed: inconsistent U.S. compliance, shifting goalposts, and the absence of automatic penalties when commitments are breached. The proposed fix is mechanical rather than symbolic—snap, balanced consequences for violations that make cheating too costly. Alongside this, we explore Iran's stated religious and strategic opposition to nuclear weapons, paired with an explicit caveat about existential threats that functions as deterrence without overt weaponization. The most provocative claim centers on geography and economics. Iran's core deterrent, he says, is aimed at the Persian Gulf, not Israel: dense, vulnerable infrastructure, U.S. bases within range, and shipping lanes that tie oil and gas to global stability. A major war would rupture supply chains, spike markets, and outpace neat military outcomes. That logic, combined with a domestic pivot toward BRICS and the SCO, sets the political price for any new deal. Expect discussions to focus on recognition of enrichment rights, rigorous but bounded inspections, and automatic reciprocity for noncompliance—nothing more on missiles or allies. We close by testing media narratives of Iranian fragility against mass mobilizations at home and a wider global mood swing on Israel-Palestine. Agree or challenge these assessments, the takeaway is the same: any agreement that lasts must align with how power, risk, and credibility are actually distributed on the ground and at sea. If this conversation sharpened your view, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review with the one clause you believe any durable deal must include.

What happens when a foreign correspondent watches legacy media shrink, and decides to build something more human instead? In this Season 11 opener of Design Of, Justin Ahrens sits down with Nathan Thornburgh, former Time Magazine foreign correspondent and co-founder of Roads & Kingdoms, to explore journalism, leadership, American identity, and the future of immersive storytelling. Nathan spent nearly a decade reporting from Moscow and across Europe during a period of global change. As foreign bureaus closed and media shifted toward digital scale, he saw the rise of compassion fatigue — the growing distance between audiences and the people in the story. Roads & Kingdoms became his response. Built at the intersection of food, geopolitics, and culture, the company became a creative partner to Anthony Bourdain and a home for long-form journalism rooted in shared humanity. Today, it has evolved into a print magazine, curated travel experiences, and a membership community built around real-world connection. This episode explores: • The myth of journalistic neutrality • Why humility matters in global reporting • How food unlocks difficult cultural conversations • Leadership after loss • Designing a brand around depth instead of scale • Why community and in-person experiences are a strategic advantage For founders, marketers, and cultural leaders, this conversation is a powerful case study in values-driven brand building. If you care about storytelling, media, travel, culture, or building something that lasts in an automated world — this episode is for you. Listen now and discover what it means to design human-sized stories.

Russian strikes on Ukraine have continued on the 4th anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion. But in recent days Kyiv has been recapturing territory it lost in the first weeks of the war. Also: Mexico has deployed thousands of troops to maintain order after the country's most wanted cartel leader - known as "El Mencho" - was killed by the army. Britain's former ambassador in Washington, Peter Mandelson, has been arrested over his links with the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A powerful storm is battering the northeastern US, leaving thousands without power. A study into so-called "weasel words" reveals just how misleading they can be. And could daily meditation reduce the risk of cancer spreading?The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, new signs suggest Moscow's battlefield momentum may be fading. Russian troop levels have plateaued for the first time since the war started, and Ukrainian forces are reclaiming ground in key sectors. Ukraine hits a diplomatic roadblock as Hungary blocks a major European Union loan package and new sanctions on Russia, exposing fractures inside the bloc at a critical moment in the war. Diplomatic efforts to avoid a war with Iran continue as U.S. envoys head to Geneva for high-stakes talks — even as the threat of American strikes remains firmly on the table. In today's Back of the Brief — the fallout from the killing of cartel boss El Mencho spreads across Mexico. Americans in Puerto Vallarta are urged to shelter in place as unrest, road blockades, and flight disruptions ripple through tourist hubs. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.  YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB  American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day 1,461.Today, as world leaders gather in Kyiv to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we report live from two different regions of the country, covering the latest attacks from air and land and assessing the current battlefield picture. We reflect on the resilience of Ukrainians after years of war, and bring updates on an explosion in Moscow as well as reports suggesting that Moscow is now losing more soldiers on the frontline than it can recruit to sustain Vladimir Putin's war effort.ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @adeliepjz on X.The Lord Dannatt (former head of the British Army)Orysia Lutsevych OBE (Head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House)NOW AVAILABLE IN VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbOESRLia8oCONTENT REFERENCED:The kill ratio that can sink Putin's war (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/24/the-kill-ratio-that-can-sink-putin-war/ Moscow train station explosion kills police officer (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/24/explosion-outside-moscow-train-station-kills-police-officer/ Russian soldiers being killed faster than Kremlin can recruit them (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/24/russian-soldiers-killed-faster-than-kremlin-can-recruit/ Britain on ‘collision course' with Russia, head of Army warns (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/24/britain-on-collision-course-with-russia-head-of-army-warns/WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:Our weekly newsletter includes maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons, answers your questions, provides recommended reading, and gives exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights.. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers. Join here – http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings, Comrades!Four years ago, the Russian military establishment thought they were going to hold a victory parade in Kyiv within 72 hours. Today, the Russian state is deploying OMON riot police into the snowy woods of Moscow to arrest citizens for eating pancakes in folk costumes.Welcome to the 4-year anniversary of the war. In today's episode, we look at the total decay of the Russian mafia state. We dive into the Bakshevskaya Maslenitsa crackdown, the impending Telegram blockade, and why hardcore Z-propagandists are suddenly realizing that the Kremlin views them purely as livestock in a "quiet, clean cowshed." We also break down the terrifying reality of Putin's "New Elite"—a system where military contracts act as universal indulgences for pedophiles, murderers, and corrupt officials. Finally, we look at the financial collapse of the home front: from 700-ruble chicken to the dark comedy of Russian phone scammers giving up because the population literally has no money left to steal. The empire isn't expanding; it is devouring itself.Happiness is mandatory!Donate for trucks to the Ukrainian army: https://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-the-eastern-border Become our patron: https://www.patreon.com/theeasternborder Merch store + another option for memberships: https://theeasternborder-shop.fourthwall.com/ Follow what's going on here in the very border of Eastern Europe: https://bsky.app/profile/theeasternborder.lv Download all episodes for free on our website; pictures accompanying certain episodes can be found there as well!http://theeasternborder.lv/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CXeibCRLL8YSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1 of the Kouri Richins murder trial delivered competing narratives that will define the next five weeks in a Park City courtroom.Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth opened with a gut-punch — three memes allegedly found on Kouri's phone the morning Eric Richins' body was removed from their home. One read "I'm rich." Their three boys hadn't been told. Bloodworth presented alleged evidence of $4.5 million in debt, an affair with Josh Grossman, text messages about marriage and Caribbean vacations, internet searches for luxury prisons, and a fifteen-minute delay before calling 911.Defense attorney Kathryn Nester countered with the raw 911 audio of Kouri sobbing and telling the dispatcher her husband was cold. She dismantled the prosecution's reliance on key witness Carmen Lauber, who allegedly never mentioned fentanyl in her original statement and changed her story only under threat of prison. Lauber's own dealer recanted in a sworn affidavit. No fentanyl was found in the home. The Moscow mule glasses were never analyzed. The death certificate lists manner of death as unknown. And at 10 p.m. on the night Eric died, his friend said he sounded completely normal on the phone.Katie Richins-Benson's testimony anchored the day emotionally, describing Kouri as composed in matching pajamas while the family shattered around her — allegedly pushing to close on a mansion and sell their home while her brother's body was barely out the door. The defense challenged Katie's recollections and flagged the family's $100,000 private investigator as evidence of a coordinated effort.Nester showed the jury an optical illusion and told them the prosecution would see a witch where she sees a widow. Carmen Lauber and Josh Grossman have yet to testify.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #KouriRichinsTrial #EricRichins #TrueCrimeToday #FentanylPoisoning #TrueCrime #SummitCounty #CarmenLauber #ParkCityTrial #MurderTrial

Students at several universities in Iran have staged anti-government protests - the first on this scale since January's deadly crackdown. It's not immediately clear whether any demonstrators were arrested on Saturday. Also: President Trump says he's increasing his worldwide trade tariff to fifteen per cent. As the fourth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war approaches, our reporter in Moscow looks at how the country has changed. A deadly virus has wiped out more than seventy captive tigers in Thailand, prompting anger from animal rights campaigners. There's controversy at the Berlin film festival after comments from the organisers about politics. And how boring are draws in a football match - Japan experiments with getting rid of them in favour of penalty shoot-outs.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health - we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Next week marks four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In that time, there's been an intense crackdown on freedom of speech and dissent in Russia, which has led to many western media organisations leaving the country. Today, we speak to Steve Rosenberg, the BBC's Russia editor, on the tightrope of reporting from Moscow under Vladimir Putin. The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.Producer: Sam Chantarasak Executive producer: Bridget Harney Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow. Credit: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool/Reuters.