Podcasts about Indonesia

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. The US and Iran are set to hold indirect talks in Geneva today, with little indication of potential compromise as the United States continues its economic sanctions and ramps up its military presence in the Middle East while Iran holds large-scale maritime exercises. We hear what may be on the table as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner hold negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Israel plans to afford Hamas a 60-day period to disarm, and if it does not, the Israeli military will go back to war in the Gaza Strip, according to Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs on Monday. How does this align with the inaugural session of US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which is set for this Thursday? We learn which countries may be joining and what is hoped to be accomplished. And finally, last Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that President Isaac Herzog “should be ashamed of himself” for not granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is standing trial for alleged fraud, bribery and breach of trust. Why were these remarks made out of the blue -- and do they actually help the Prime Minister? Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Trump ally to ToI: Ayatollah staying in power would be ‘strategic victory for Iran’ Top Netanyahu aide: Hamas will have 60 days to disarm or IDF will ‘complete’ mission Indonesia says 8,000 troops ready to deploy to Gaza by June as Trump touts progress Sa’ar to represent Israel at inaugural Board of Peace meeting, after PM declines to attend Trump says Herzog should be ‘ashamed of himself’ for not pardoning Netanyahu Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves and Ari Schlacht. IMAGE: A huge banner showing hands firmly holding Iranian national flags as a sign of patriotism, in Tehran, Iran, January 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Description: What would you do if your neighborhood offered Disneyland tickets for reporting illegal activity?

Episode Description: What would you do if you came face-to-face with a 23-foot, 600-pound python?

From remote surf camps in Indonesia to some of the most isolated islands in the South Atlantic, Gemma van Huyssteen has built a career shaped by curiosity, adaptability, and medicine far beyond hospital walls.In this episode, Gemma shares her journey as a GP with extensive experience in remote, wilderness, and marine environments. She talks candidly about working in settings where evacuation can take days, resources are limited, and clinical decision-making relies as much on preparation and judgement as formal protocols.You'll hear about:• Providing medical care in remote Indonesian surf communities• Managing hazardous marine and wilderness injuries in austere environments• Life and clinical responsibility aboard highly isolated research vessels• Teaching and working around dive and marine-related injuries in challenging settings• Why stepping outside conventional medical career pathways can open unexpected doorsThis conversation explores what real-world remote medicine looks like, the nuance between training and lived experience, and how surfing, science, and medicine intersect in places where help is never close by.Follow more of Gemma's work:Surfing Doctors Association: https://surfingdoctors.com/Instagram: @gemstargazer – https://www.instagram.com/gemstargazerConnect with Marcus:https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-stevensA thoughtful, grounded discussion about building a meaningful medical career off the beaten path, and being honest about what experience really looks like in extreme environments.

Dalam lawatannya ke Amerika Serikat, Presiden Prabowo Subianto dijadwalkan menghadiri rapat perdana Board of Peace, Dewan Perdamaian yang dibentuk Presiden AS Donald Trump.Keputusan Indonesia bergabung dalam forum ini memicu beragam reaksi di dalam negeri, dari dukungan hingga kritik.Lantas, peran apa yang bisa dan seharusnya dimainkan Indonesia dalam pertemuan perdana Dewan Perdamaian tersebut?Simak pembahasannya bersama Anggota Komisi I DPR RI, Oleh Soleh, hanya di Elshinta.

The Indonesian government is grappling with mounting financial strain from its much-touted high-speed railway project led by China.

'When I met my midwife for the first time she was surprised "wow this is a miracle". Christine Leonardi recently immigrated to New Zealand from Indonesia and shares of finding God in her first pregnancy when it seemed unlikely that she would ever be able to get pregnant. Christine talks of the joys and concerns of becoming a mother for the first time and recognizing that she needs God every step of the way. Support Sanctuary Radio: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=sanctuarySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kabupaten Kutai Timur (Kutim) menyambut arahan Presiden Republik Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, terkait penguatan sektor kelapa sawit sebagai salah satu pilar utama pembangunan nasional. Bupati Kutim Ardiansyah Sulaiman menilai kebijakan tersebut sangat relevan dengan potensi daerah yang memiliki perkebunan sawit cukup besar dan terus berkembang. Hal itu disampaikan Ardiansyah saat ditemui usai kegiatan di Ruang Akasia Gedung Serbaguna (GSG) Bukit Pelangi, Sabtu (14/2/2026). Ia menjelaskan, dalam pertemuan beberapa minggu lalu di Jakarta, Presiden menekankan pentingnya memandang kelapa sawit sebagai komoditas strategis yang memiliki nilai tambah besar bagi Indonesia, baik dari sisi ekonomi maupun kemandirian nasional.

Episode Description         Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you:                       https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16297 Dear Friend,             The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go.

This program is the third part in a series that started with the April 2025 broadcast to spotlight the genocide of Rohingya people of Myanmar. In 2017, a violent military offensive forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee across the border to refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. More than 1.1 million people – 75% of them women and children – live there as of June 2025. There are also tens of thousands in refugee camps in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. This past week, on January 22, 2026, International Court of Justice began hearings on the genocide case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar, Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar). I will interview feminist advocates and activists Noor Azizah and human rights attorney Nuraisha Mohd Hanif to gather updates for listeners about the court case and the current conditions in the refugee camps where thousands of people continue to suffer beyond most people's imaginations. This was first broadcast on January 26, 2026 edition of Women's Magazine The post The Gambia vs Myanmar: Feminist Analysis of Rohingya Genocide Case at the ICJ appeared first on KPFA.

Only around 800 Tapanuli orangutans still live in Sumatra's mountain forests. A flood disaster in November 2025 has further decimated its already fragile population and is forcing Indonesia to change policy. However, experts worldwide are concerned. - Nur rund 800 Tapanuli-Orang-Utans leben noch in den Bergwäldern Sumatras. Eine Flutkatastrophe im November 2025 hat ihre ohnehin fragile Population weiter dezimiert und zwingt Indonesien zu einem politischen Kurswechsel. Experten weltweit sind jedoch besorgt.

Nongkrong Festival brought Pasar Senja to Fed Square, drawing together Melbourne's Indonesian diaspora and the wider community for an evening of music, food, and connection on Valentine's Day. - Nongkrong Festival menghadirkan Pasar Senja di Fed Square Melbourne, menyatukan diaspora Indonesia dan warga Melbourne untuk menikmati musik, makanan, dan kehangatan komunitas di sore Valentine's Day.

A message from Pastor Tony Corbridge, Paradise campus pastor https://www.futures.church ▶ To support the ministry of Futures Church and help us continue to reach people around the world click here: www.bit.ly/futuresausgiving ▶ If you need prayer or want to share a good report click here: https://futures.family ▶ Did you make a decision to follow Jesus or want to learn more about Him click here: https://futures.family

Brasil, Guinea e Indonesia Brazil, Guinea and Indonesia Viajamos entre tres continentes, tres países, dos hemisferios, varios océanos, diversas épocas y mil culturas sonoras. Comenzamos en Brasil, con artistas radicados en su país y también con conexiones europeas. Continuamos en Guinea, viajando también en el tiempo, a la época de la independencia y las revoluciones contra el colonialismo, y terminamos en Indonesia, con nuevos aires que nos llegan desde Bali y una experiencia panindonesia. We travel across three continents, three countries, two hemispheres, several oceans, different eras and a thousand sound cultures. We begin in Brazil, with artists based in their own country and also with European connections. We continue in Guinea, travelling back in time to the era of independence and the revolutions against colonialism, and we end in Indonesia, with new sounds reaching us from Bali and a pan-Indonesian experience. - Rodrigo Campos & Clima - Questão de educação - Questão de educação - Leo Middea - Notícias de Puglia [+ Coletivo Gira] - Notícias de Puglia - Gabriele Leite - Não se impressione (forróbodó) - Gunûncho - Nilza Costa - Logunedé - Cantigas - Balla et ses Balladins - Nyo - Music for a revolution vol. 2: Guinea's Syliphone recording label (1968-1980) [V.A.] - Horoya Band - Zoumana - Music for a revolution vol. 2: Guinea's Syliphone recording label (1968-1980) [V.A.] - Putu Eman Sabudi Subandi et al. - Angkat-angkatan [compos.: Putu Eman Sabudi Subandi] - Insitu sessions volume 7 [V.A.] - [Semar pegulingan] - Cecek megelut [compos.: I Made Subandi] - Insitu sessions volume 7 [V.A.] - Indonesian National Orchestra (INO) - Nusantara - Live at Bimhuis 📸 Gabriele Leite (Diego Bresani)

Bismillah,Saudaraku, Di negeri tercinta ini, kita mempunyai PR besar bersama, yaitu berzakat. Baznas Republik Indonesia menyampaikan potensi zakat secara nasional mencapai Rp 327 triliun, namun total zakat yang dikumpulkan Baznas dari seluruh wilayah baru mencapai Rp 41 triliun.Terindikasi banyak dari kaum muslimin di Indonesia belum mengeluarkan zakatnya, walaupun sudah masuk dalam golongan yang mampu membayar zakat. Salah satu yang menjadi penyebabnya adalah karena belum memahami zakat secara komprehensif. Wallahu a'lam bishshowab.Alangkah baiknya, seorang yang beriman mendambakan untuk bisa terus beribadah di jalan Allah Ta'ala termasuk melalui berzakat yang hukumnya wajib. Dengan berzakat, kita menunaikan hak Allah Ta'ala juga membantu pemerintah dalam mengentaskan kemiskinan, insya Allah.Ingin tahu lebih dalam tentang zakat dan bagaimana zakat dapat membersihkan harta dan jiwa kita serta menebarkan kebaikan?InsyaAllah, bisa menghubungi LAZ Muhajir melalui 081288388501.Nikmati juga kemudahan berzakat melalui Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) nomor rekening 1111091036 atas nama LAZ Muhajir.Zakat bersihkan jiwa, tebarkan kebaikan.

Kapolri Jenderal Listyo Sigit Prabowo menekankan pentingnya sinergitas antara Polri dan Muhammadiyah untuk menjaga persatuan, kesatuan, serta stabilitas keamanan dan ketertiban masyarakat. Stabilitas kamtibmas dan persatuan seluruh elemen bangsa menjadi modal utama dalam mewujudkan visi Presiden Prabowo Subianto untuk Indonesia yang berdaulat, sejahtera, dan berdaya saing.

kali ini akan mengajak kamu untuk menapakai perjalanan panjang sosok legendaris yang telah mengukir sejarah musik dangdut Indonesia. Wanita yang dijuluki sebagai Ratu Dangdut tersebut akan membuka kembali lembaran awal kariernya dari panggung-panggung sederhana. Tak hanya itu, ia juga akan blak-blakan soal realita musik dangdut tanah air dan siapa sosok penerus yang menurutnya pantas menerima tongkat estafet 'Ratu Dangdut' di masa depan.

Presiden Prabowo Subianto bertolak ke AS, untuk sejumlah agenda diantarnaya, membahas tarif dagang dengan Presiden Trump, hingga menghadiri rapat perdana Board of Peace (BoP).Sebelumnya keanggotaan Indonesia di BOP menuai pro kontra, namun sebagian menilai, masuknya Indonesia justru menjadi kekuatan penyeimbang, agar Israel dan sekutu dekatnya tidak mendominasi setiap keputusan di lapangan. Munculnya sikap skeptis yang berlebihan di dalam negeri justru berisiko memberikan "Kemenangan Gratis" bagi faksi sayap kanan Israel. Talk bersama Pengamat sekaligus Co-Founder Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS), Khairul Fahmi.

With Indonesia becoming the first nation to commit soldiers to Trump's "Board of Peace", Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue put the spotlight on some of our closest neighbours; from President Prabowo Subianto's motivations in Gaza; to the conservative election wins in Thailand and Japan.Joining the conversation is Amanda Hodge, The Australian's Asia-Pacific correspondent, to talk about whether Sanae Takaichi's will rewrite Japan's pacifist constitution, and the surprise win of "Cannabis King" Anutin Charnvirakul in Thailand. And as our region grapples with the impacts of climate change, why has the environment fallen off the global agenda? Guest: Amanda Hodge, Asia-Pacific correspondent for The AustralianGet in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.auFind all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Japan has been beefing up its fishery-related aid to Indonesia's remote Natuna Islands in the southern part of the South China Sea, likely in hopes of curbing China's influence in the area.

Today on Around the School Table (xuno.com.au/podcasts), host Steve Davis is joined by James Thomas, Managing Director of Digital Education Partnerships Indonesia (DEPI) (depi.co.id). DEPI helps international edtech companies build trust and traction across Indonesia’s vast school landscape. It’s a market shaped by scale, complexity, and relationships. Early in the conversation, James breaks down what makes Indonesia unique. There are tens of millions of students and hundreds of thousands of schools. However, size is only one factor. Just as important is how schools communicate, buy, and implement systems. Next, the episode digs into a common assumption about “international schools”. Many people expect mature operations. Yet the reality can be mixed. James shares research across SPK schools (SPK stands for Satuan Pendidikan Kerja Sama, which translates to “Cooperative Education Unit.” These are Indonesian private schools officially licensed to deliver an international curriculum). While many use an LMS for learning, fewer rely on a dedicated school management system. As a result, critical workflows can remain manual. Importantly, James clarifies the difference between an LMS, an SMS, and an SIS layer. An LMS supports teaching and learning workflows. Meanwhile, an SMS runs operations like attendance, wellbeing, parent communication, events, and payments. Then, an SIS layer can connect systems without forcing a full replacement. Consequently, schools can reduce fragmentation and improve workflow reliability. Finance and payments emerge as a major pressure point. Schools often manage complex fee logic in spreadsheets. Unfortunately, one small change can trigger errors. In addition, many schools still depend on WhatsApp for parent communication. Because messages arrive constantly, teacher wellbeing can be impacted. The episode also explores safeguarding and reporting. James explains Indonesia’s TPPK mandate (TPPK stands for Tim Pencegahan dan Penanganan Kekerasan, which translates to Team for the Prevention and Handling of Violence) and why structured incident recording matters. Moreover, he shares why many rollouts fail. They’re treated as IT installs, not organisational change. Instead, James recommends phased implementation, clear ownership, and realistic priorities. If you’re a school leader reviewing systems, this episode offers a practical playbook. You’ll hear how to identify operational headaches, reduce risk, and build resilient school operations. Powered by: xuno.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Beyond the Bio, I'm joined by Sophie Foote, entrepreneur, property investor and mentor with one of the boldest origin stories you'll hear. We chat about how she bought a beach in Indonesia and built a thriving scuba diving resort from scratch, before selling the business and pivoting back to the UK to focus on property investment and helping families build financial freedom. Sophie also shares honest reflections on personal branding, facing criticism in a noisy industry, establishing authority through media and visibility and why another pivot may already be on the horizon. Let's get stuck in. Connect with Sophie Foote: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_coachbythebeach LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-foote Connect with Sophie Milliken:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sophie-milliken  Instagram: @moja_sophie  …    Want to be a guest on Beyond the Bio?             Do you have interesting ideas to share about how to raise your profile? We want to hear from you!              Fill out the submission form here: https://www.sophiemilliken.co.uk/btb          ...             This podcast is brought to you by Moja.            Moja is an award-winning modern PR agency working with entrepreneurs and senior executives to get you known in your industry.               See how your profile is currently performing: https://mym-btb.scoreapp.com/        

Send a textA married Michigan teacher couple uses each summer to scratch their travel itch. Last summer, they spent over 50 days in Europe. Before that, they spent much of summer in Indonesia. This summer, they are headed to Belgium! With a combined teacher income of around 135k, they own a home, have 500k invested in the stock market, and save for their summer vacations. Starting with Dave Ramsey and the Minimalists helped lead frugal lives with intense desire to be debt free, they are now working on accumulation. This teacher duo is FIT approved! Be a guest on the show:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/contact-8Check out our website:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/Sign up for FIT coaching:https://www.financiallyindependentteachers.com/services-4

Episode Description         Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you:                       https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16332 Dear Friend,             The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go.

This is Episode 2 of our sub-series "Environmental Issues along the Belt and Road."The series considers the complexities of Chinese actors' impacts on the environment, extractive activities, and role in driving sustainability solutions from the sands of the Mekong River to lithium mines in Argentina. Since 2012, China has invested roughly US$4 billion in 12 nickel projects across Southeast Asia, with a major focus on Indonesia, which supplies 16% of global nickel production. In South America, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina— known as the Lithium Triangle—together hold over 54% of the world's lithium reserves beneath their salt flats as of 2024, and China is the only country to have signed agreements with all three. In this episode, we explore what makes minerals “critical” to the energy transition, how China's long-term industrial strategy and geopolitical struggles has (re)shaped global critical mineral supply chains, and, through cases of Indonesian nickel and lithium in Argentina, how stakeholders in producer countries navigate trade-offs between economic development, sovereignty, & environmental and social impacts.We interview 4 experts: Dr. Jing Li is a professor at Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business and holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Investment Strategy. She also serves as the Co-Director of the Jack Austin Center for Asia Pacific Business Studies. Her research explores international investment strategies, joint ventures, emerging market firms, innovation in emerging economies, & the behavior and performance of state-owned enterprises. Related reading here, here & here.Dr. Anastasia Ufimtseva is the Senior Program Manager for International Trade and Investment at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. She holds a Ph.D. in Global Governance from the Balsillie School of International Affairs at Wilfrid Laurier University, with a specialization in international political economy. Her research explores global energy governance, trade & investment, the political economy of natural resources, & international development, with a focus on Asia. Related reading here & here. Muhammad Habib Abiyan Dzakwan (Zahwan) is a researcher at the Department of International Relations, CSIS Indonesia. He holds an MA in International Economics and General International Relations from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University. His research areas cover sustainable development, critical minerals, & emerging technologies. Related reading here, here & here. Thanks for listening! Follow us on BlueSky @beltandroadpod.blsk.social

国際協力機構が支援する魚市場の整備予定地、２０２５年１１月、インドネシア・大ナトゥナ島南シナ海南部に位置するインドネシアのナトゥナ諸島で、日本政府が漁業関連の支援を強化している。 Japan has been beefing up its fishery-related aid to Indonesia's remote Natuna Islands in the southern part of the South China Sea, likely in hopes of curbing China's influence in the area.

Episode Description         Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you:                       https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12601/BT Dear Friend,             The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go.

Le point sur la découverte du plus long serpent sauvage du monde. An update on the discovery of the world's longest wild snake.Il s'agit d'un python réticulé femelle qui vient de battre un record incroyable en Indonésie, celui du plus long serpent jamais mesuré dans la nature. It is a female reticulated python that has just broken an incredible record in Indonesia, that of the longest snake ever measured in the wild.Et vous allez voir cette découverte dépasse de loin les simples chiffres. And as you will see, this discovery goes far beyond mere numbers.Ce serpent c'est une femelle, baptisée Ibu Barone, trouvée sur l'île de Sulawesi. This snake is a female, named Ibu Barone, found on the island of Sulawesi.Sa taille, et bien le Guinness World Records vient de l'officialiser. Her size, well, the Guinness World Records has just made it official.7 mètres 22 pour 96 kilos, c'est juste énorme. 7.22 meters for 96 kilos, it's just enormous.Et le plus fou, c'est que la mesure a été faite sans anesthésie pour ne pas mettre l'animal en danger. And the craziest part is that the measurement was taken without anesthesia so as not to put the animal in danger.Attention on parle d'un spécimen sauvage, le record précédent il datait quand même de 1999. Keep in mind we're talking about a wild specimen; the previous record actually dated back to 1999.Pour vous donner une idée, le record absolu c'est Medusa, un python en captivité aux États-Unis, mais dans la nature, la nouvelle reine c'est Ibu Barone. To give you an idea, the absolute record is Medusa, a python in captivity in the United States, but in the wild, the new queen is Ibu Barone.Enfin et c'est peut-être le plus important, l'enjeu de la conservation. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the issue of conservation.Là-bas, les grands pythons comme elle sont souvent tués. Over there, large pythons like her are often killed.Pourquoi ? Parce qu'ils s'approchent des habitations, menaçant le bétail, et ce conflit s'aggrave avec la réduction de leur habitat. Why? Because they approach homes, threatening livestock, and this conflict is worsening with the reduction of their habitat.Ce record met donc un coup de projecteur sur un vrai défi : comment mieux protéger ces géants ? This record thus puts the spotlight on a real challenge: how to better protect these giants? Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

In late 2023, stones began falling on homes across Thailand, India, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Eswatini - flying through windows with impossible accuracy, striking family members, evading every form of surveillance deployed to catch whoever was responsible. The phenomena continued through 2024 and into 2025. The earliest recorded case dates to 530 CE, which means whatever this is, it's been happening for a very long time.IN THIS EPISODE: From India to Zimbabwe to the Philippines, stones are falling from nowhere, fires are igniting without sources, and investigators remain baffled. *** Psychiatrists are scrambling to understand why AI chatbots are fueling delusions, hospitalizations, and even deaths in vulnerable users who trusted them as confidants.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Stones From Nowhere00:02:23.135 = Show Open00:03:39.455 = Invisible Stone Throwers, Part One: It Knew When They Gathered00:12:51.515 = Invisible Stone Throwers, Part Two: Smoke Rose From Sealed Suitcases ***00:34:25.800 = Invisible Stone Throwers, Part Three: Lithobolia, The Stone Throwing Devil ***00:45:38.994 = The Chatbot That Convinced People It Was Alive, Part One: You Didn't Hallucinate This ***01:04:51.182 = The Chatbot That Convinced People It Was Alive, Part Two: No Intervention Came ***01:22:19.313 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break PRINT VERSION to READ or SHARE:Invisible Stone Throwers: The Global Outbreak Of Poltergeist Attacks In 2024:https://weirddarkness.com/2024poltergeists/The Chatbot That Convinced People It Was Alive — Then Drove Them Mad: https://weirddarkness.com/aipsychosis/=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: February 12, 2026EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/InvisibleStoneThrowersABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness #Poltergeist #Paranormal #ChatGPT #AIpsychosis #Supernatural #TrueStories #UnexplainedMysteries #OpenAI #Haunted

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our content. Danny and Derek feel that their ice dance routine was strong, but ultimately respect the IOC judges. In this week's news: the first round of indirect U.S.-Iran talks begin in Oman (0:31); new Israeli security cabinet measures move forward de facto annexation in the West Bank (4:26); Indonesia is prepared to send troops for a proposed Gaza stabilization force (7:23); Israel uses its 2023 law to revoke the citizenship of Palestinian Israelis for the first time (9:07); RSF forces launch drone strikes in Sudan's Kordofan region and open a new offensive in Blue Nile state (11:08); fighting resumes around Uvira in the eastern DRC (14:43); elections are held in Bangladesh (17:57), Thailand (19:58), Japan (22:08), and Portugal (23:26); the new START deal with Russia expires (25:24); the Trump administration sets a June deadline to end the Ukraine war (27:47); Keir Starmer faces political fallout over his connection to Jeffrey Epstein (29:43); Haiti's transitional council dissolves without organizing elections (31:52); Cuba approaches collapse as fuel shortages worsen (33:54); organizers prepare for the inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting (37:40); Trump orders the Pentagon to purchase coal-based electricity (39:17); and the FAA briefly shuts down airspace over El Paso after a misidentified party balloon (41:08). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NEW EPISODE OUT ON PATREON TODAY! Free feed friends, catch us for a brand new episode next Friday or join our Patreon for early, ad-free access and much more!Ash and former co-host Michelle Mosher are joined by hilarious historian, host of HILF: History I'd Like To Fck, Dawn Brody! For Valentine's Day 2023 the gals brought you your own tales of dating, romance and love gone wrong.We got a toooon of submissions from Colorado, Denver in particular... ladies of Denver, STAY STRONG! We are so sorry, and thank you for sharing your horror stories with us! Be safe out there everyone, love hurts.Find Dawn from HILF: History I'd Like To Fck here:https://www.dawnbrodey.com/Follow HILF: History I'd Like To Fck on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HILFpodcast/Dawn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawn_brodey/If you'd like to support my escape to Indonesia, check out the GOFUNDME :)We'd love to see you in our Discord, come hang out!Audio engineering by Audio editing by Emma Bowen.Intro background music courtesy of: https://www.youtube.com/@HapterMusic

Danny and Derek feel that their ice dance routine was strong, but ultimately respect the IOC judges. In this week's news: the first round of indirect U.S.-Iran talks begin in Oman (0:31); new Israeli security cabinet measures move forward de facto annexation in the West Bank (4:26); Indonesia is prepared to send troops for a proposed Gaza stabilization force (7:23); Israel uses its 2023 law to revoke the citizenship of Palestinian Israelis for the first time (9:07); RSF forces launch drone strikes in Sudan's Kordofan region and open a new offensive in Blue Nile state (11:08); fighting resumes around Uvira in the eastern DRC (14:43); elections are held in Bangladesh (17:57), Thailand (19:58), Japan (22:08), and Portugal (23:26); the new START deal with Russia expires (25:24); the Trump administration sets a June deadline to end the Ukraine war (27:47); Keir Starmer faces political fallout over his connection to Jeffrey Epstein (29:43); Haiti's transitional council dissolves without organizing elections (31:52); Cuba approaches collapse as fuel shortages worsen (33:54); organizers prepare for the inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting (37:40); Trump orders the Pentagon to purchase coal-based electricity (39:17); and the FAA briefly shuts down airspace over El Paso after a misidentified party balloon (41:08).Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode Description         Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you:                       https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/14921 Dear Friend,             The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go.

Send in your music story!A famed musician vanishes, a car is left by a notorious bridge, and the clues refuse to agree. We dig into the disappearance of Richey Edwards, the intensely creative guitarist and lyricist of Manic Street Preachers, and follow the breadcrumb trail from London hotel checkouts and steady ATM withdrawals to a vehicle found near the Severn Bridge with empty bottles but no note, no body, and no closure. What begins as a straightforward timeline spirals into a maze of possibilities—suicide, foul play, or a meticulous plan to start again far from the pressures of fame.We walk through what we know for sure, what can be reasonably inferred, and where speculation starts to run ahead of facts. Richey's political writing and personal struggles form a stark backdrop: depression, alcoholism, and anorexia intersected with lyrics that stared down geopolitical tension and the rot at the edges of culture. Then there are the sightings—London, Europe, India, Indonesia, South Africa—each one a spark that either lights a path forward or throws us off the scent. Without surveillance footage or digital breadcrumbs, the mid-90s setting becomes its own character: a time when slipping the grid was hard but not impossible.Along the way, we explore how the band carried on as a three-piece without replacing him, preserving Richey's credit and royalties while evolving their sound and audience. The result is a story about identity, loyalty, and the cost of chasing meaning inside the machine of music. Was the cash a travel fund or a red herring? Does a bridge signal tragedy or theatre? We don't promise answers. We offer the most coherent map through uncertainty—and the empathy to sit with it.If mysteries at the edge of music, mental health, and culture fascinate you, hit play. Then send us your theory: did Richey choose a different life, or did the river keep its secret? Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Manic Street Preachers or true crime, and leave a review to help others find the show.Check out our Website! Become a member!Support the showPlease give us a quick rate and review. If you enjoyed the audio version head over to our Youtube for video content! Follow the Instagram for special content and weekly updates. Check out our website and leave us a voice message to be heard on the show or find out more about the guests!Ever wanted to start your own podcast? Here is a link to get started!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1964696https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCONMXkuIfpVizopNb_CoIGghttps://www.instagram.com/hook_and_bridge_podcast/https://www.thehookandbridgepodcast.com/

Guest: Charles Ortel. Ortel highlights strong private sector growth in Malaysia and Indonesia, contrasting it with China's economic struggles and the state's "national team" intervening to prop up markets.1889 BOUGAINVILLE

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-11-2026NEVSKY PROSPECT Guest: Mark Clifford. Clifford details the sentencing of British citizen Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, arguing China is using the case to signal it will crush any dissent regardless of international prestige. Guest: Mark Clifford. Clifford condemns UK PM Starmer for failing to demand Jimmy Lai's release during his China visit, accusing the leader of prioritizing trade over the safety of British citizens. Guest: Ivana Stradner. Russia employs "TV BRICS" and information warfare to control narratives in the Global South, aiming to undermine Western influence and establish a multipolar world order without using kinetic force. Guest: Simon Constable. As Storm Nills approaches France, Constable reports on rising copper prices and volatile gold, while noting UK PM Starmer faces severe political pressure from opposition parties. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Persistent hydrogen leaks delay the Artemis 2 mission; Zimmerman questions Administrator Isaacman's move to reduce reliance on private contractors, fearing it may stifle efficiency and innovation. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Musk announces SpaceX will prioritize the Moon before Mars; regulatory approvals for Starship launches are pending, while Voyager Space secures a management contract for ISS operations. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Starfish Space wins Pentagon contracts for satellite servicing; a new constellation, Logos, enters the market, while India plans an ambitious lunar sample return mission. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Scientists link Enceladus to Saturn's aurora; radar data suggests a lava tube exists on Venus, and archives reveal Pluto retains an atmosphere despite its distance from the sun. Guest: Captain James Fanell (Ret.). With carrier groups near Iran and Venezuela, Fanell discusses the threat of anti-ship missiles in choke points and the necessity of naval power to deter adversaries. Guest: Charles Ortel. Ortel highlights strong private sector growth in Malaysia and Indonesia, contrasting it with China's economic struggles and the state's "national team" intervening to prop up markets. Guest: Charles Burton. A mass shooting shocks British Columbia; tensions rise over the Gordie Howe Bridgeownership as Canada seeks to diversify trade away from the U.S. amid protectionist threats. Guest: Charles Burton. Canada lowers tariffs on Chinese EVs to court Beijing; Burton warns this "strategic partnership" ignores security risks regarding data collection and Chinese influence operations. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger explains how Trump's 1980 Commodore Hotel deal involved purchasing TVs from a KGB front. This transaction reportedly initiated contact with Russian intelligence, who identified Trump's vanity and greed as ideal traits for recruitment. Guest: Craig Unger. Trump's 1987 Moscow trip, arranged by the KGB, was followed by newspaper ads criticizing U.S. alliances. Unger claims these ads, echoing Soviet talking points, combined with real estate dangles to seal the recruitment deal. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger highlights two women with Russian intelligence ties who worked for Jeffrey Epstein. He suggests Epstein's operation gathered "kompromat" on elites and questions why the FBI failed to investigate these foreign intelligence connections. Guest: Craig Unger. An interview by a Russian diplomat's daughter released post-election served as a reminder of Trump's recruitment. Unger discusses missing Epstein tapes, potential disinformation, and Putin's continued influence over Trump's foreign policy decisions.

Paris Marx is joined by Thea Riofrancos to discuss the global struggle to move away from fossil fuels and the future of the green transition, including the limitations of existing supply chains, geopolitical tensions, and the tech industry's role in the growth of extractive industries. Thea Riofrancos is the author of Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism. She is also Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College and Strategic Co-Director of the Climate and Community Institute. Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: Thea has written about Trump's resource nationalism and the resources needed for a green transition. The Climate and Community Institute has done a lot of research on mining and transportation. Indonesia has been building out a ton of coal plants to power its nickel industry.

Purchase the Strength & Shield tumbler: https://israelguys.link/tumbler-86ewc1znj Join The Israel Guys member program: https://israelguys.link/member-86ewc1y9m In today's episode, we break down explosive developments that are rocking the Middle East. Hamas has quietly admitted it will pay stipends to 50,000 widows of fighters killed in Gaza — a stunning revelation that reveals the majority of those killed in Gaza were terrorists…. not civilians. Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General congratulated Iran on the anniversary of their Islamic Revolution, even as the regime kills its own people and continues funding terror across the entire Middle East.  At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Trump at the White House this week for a three-hour discussion focused on Iran's military buildup, ballistic missiles, and ongoing negotiations that could spell disaster for Israel. We also examined growing concerns over a potential U.S.–Iran deal, reports that Hamas may not be forced to disarm, Indonesia preparing to send thousands of troops to Gaza, and escalating security incidents along the Israel-Egypt border.  Join The Land of Israel Fellowship: https://thelandofisrael.com/membership-tiers/ Join an Israel Guys trip to Israel: https://serveisrael.com/volunteer/   Follow us on Telegram: https://t.me/theisraelguys  Follow Us On X: https://x.com/theisraelguys    Follow Us On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theisraelguys  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theisraelguys     

Episode Description         Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you:                       https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16826/IN Dear Friend,             The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go.  

A principal is dead after a school shooting in Thailand, Indonesia plans to send 8000 troops to Gaza, the Philippines Supreme Court rules same-sex coupes can co-own property together, China and Lithuanian relationship hits a bumpy patch over Taiwan, and a Tokyo bar that provides free drinks and counsels people who want to quit their jobs.

Today's episode we recorded in Bali, Indonesia, where I live with my good friend, Virginia Campo, who like many of the listeners comes from a pretty traditional corporate background but ultimately networked her way into an amazing digital nomad opportunity with Selena Hostels. She coins the word “intreprenuer” where she moved in and out of “Intrepreneurship” to “Soloprenuership” and now runs an agency. We also dive into how she has toyed back and forth from being nomadic to living a traditional life in the US to now living out her freedom filled life in Bali. Today we cover:What you are getting wrong abour starting your own business What is blocking you from starting a life in entrepreneurship and how to unblock your resistance to "do it scared"   How Virgina toggled between "traditional life and careers" and a "nomadic entrepreneur life" What the digital nomad lifestyle really looks being able to live a freedom filled life. Why being a digital nomad doesn't mean you have to live a nomdic lifestyleTo connect with Virginia Campo: Instagram: @virgicampo12If this episode sparked something for you and you're curious about remote work, working online, or creating a digital nomad lifestyle that actually fits you, here's what to do next:

Episode SummaryIn this bonus episode, helicopter pilot Adele returns to share deeper reflections on kindness, fear, emotional intelligence, and crisis management in aviation and life. She talks about why her ideal billboard would simply say “Be kind to each other,” opens up about her fear of public speaking despite a high‑risk job, and describes a pivotal in‑flight engine incident that she calls the day she “actually became a pilot.” The conversation explores expectations placed on pilots, the importance of crew resource management, and how self‑kindness and knowing your own reactions under pressure can transform both work and life.Key TakeawaysKindness matters more than we thinkAdele's billboard message would be “Be kind to each other”, highlighting how many problems come from a lack of empathy and taking time to understand others.Kindness isn't just outward-facing—being kind to yourself is crucial for growth and confidence.Public speaking can be scarier than extreme physical riskDespite being a helicopter pilot, Adele finds public speaking and situations where she might embarrass herself more terrifying than skydiving.Confidence in speaking is a muscle that needs practice, even for people who seem naturally comfortable on stage or on mic.Travel, beauty, and environmental realityAdele loves Indonesia for its culture, people, and nature, calling it a turning point in her life.She also notes the shocking plastic pollution, with “confetti beaches” where sand is largely plastic.Canada still pulls at her heart, especially the mountains—but brutal winters make her unsure about moving back full-time.Helicopter flying: range, routes, and fearsMost helicopters can fly 2–2.5 hours on one tank, continuing as long as there are fuel stops.Ocean crossings are possible via staged routes (e.g., via Iceland), but Adele is not a fan of flying over open water.Wildfire flying as a future goalAdele is interested in moving into wildfire fighting operations, including vertical reference and longline work, to help communities affected by fires.Misconceptions and expectations of pilotsPeople often don't expect Adele to be the pilot, and treat her differently once they find out what she does.There's a strong image of what a pilot “should” look and act like, which she doesn't fit, and she's always balancing authenticity with professional expectations.Emotional intelligence and crew dynamics save livesAdele explains crew resource management (CRM) and why “soft skills” like communication, feedback, and trust are actually critical safety skills.She discusses the danger of authority gradients where co‑pilots are too afraid to challenge captains, sometimes with fatal consequences.Good crews balance clear leadership with genuine openness, so everyone feels able to speak up.The day she “actually became a pilot”Adele shares a detailed story of an engine malfunction in a Sikorsky 76, flying single-pilot from remote fishing lodges.She had to manage power, monitor for fire, navigate terrain, communicate with ATC, and land safely on one engine, all while alone and out of radio range for part of the flight.That incident proved to her she could rely on her training under pressure and shaped her identity as a pilot.How helicopters land if the engine failsAdele breaks down autorotation: using rotor inertia and airflow so the helicopter can still be controlled and landed without power.With training, pilots can pick a spot, flare, and land with control, rather than “falling like a rock.”Crisis responses and self-awarenessBoth discuss how people react in crises—fight, flight, or freeze—and the importance of knowing your own default.Michelle reflects that she's often very effective in real crises, even if she feels chaotic day to day.Self-kindness as a dareFor her personal “dare,” Adele commits to being kinder to herself, acknowledging she is her own worst critic.With constant negativity in the world, she wants to focus on positive actions and impact. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Indonesia's army chief of staff said this week that his country is preparing to send up to 8,000 troops to Gaza as part of the international stabilization force there spearheaded by the US. Also, the US is planning to deploy 200 soldiers to Nigeria after warning that Christianity is facing what it's called an "existential threat.” And, the Dutch brewing giant Heineken announces it will cut up to 6,000 jobs in the coming years as the wider industry confronts weakening consumer demand. Plus, a look at how communities are balancing the impact of light pollution on ecosystems and a concern for public safety. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

NEW EPISODE COMING TO PATREON THIS FRIDAY! Free feed friends, catch us for a brand new episode next week or join our Patreon for early, ad-free access and much more!This week we take another trip down TSFU memory lane to V-Day 2022 when Ash and Cam read stories from Kristine, who met a potential cult leader on a dating app; an anonymous listener who was stalked by a terrifying Todd in college; and another anonymous listener whose co-worker was murdered by his step-son. Love kills y'all!If you'd like to support my escape to Indonesia, check out the GOFUNDME :)Audio engineering by Evette Darensbourg and Lexi Jackson.Intro background music courtesy of: https://www.youtube.com/@HapterMusic

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he planned to convey Israel’s position on US nuclear talks with Tehran during his meeting with US President Donald Trump today. Horovitz weighs in on what that position may be. Even as Hamas continues to refuse to lay down its arms, Indonesia is preparing for the potential deployment of 5,000 to 8,000 troops to Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, according to the country’s army chief of staff, Maruli Simanjuntak. We hear why the largest Muslim nation in the world is ready to step into the Strip. After Israel's security cabinet announced unprecedented steps to regulate the settlement of the West Bank, the Trump administration reiterated its opposition to Israel annexing the territory. What are among the series of measures aimed at expanding Jerusalem’s grip in the areas Palestinians hope will make up their future state? On Monday night, Netanyahu shared a post on social media accusing former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of falsifying the intelligence agency’s probe into the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault and positioning himself as “de facto prime minister” after the attack. Why lies behind this most recent social media storm? President Isaac Herzog continues his solidarity tour of Australia this week and is greeted with pro-Palestinian protesters at every stop. Horovitz expresses his shock and dismay. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Trump: Netanyahu ‘wants a good deal’ with Iran, nuclear talks this time ‘are different’ Jetting to DC, Netanyahu says he’ll present Trump with ‘our approach’ to Iran talks Trump stresses opposition to annexation after Israel takes steps to expand West Bank grip Security cabinet okays deepened Israeli control of West Bank; Hamas urges ‘escalation’ Netanyahu shares post accusing ex-Shin Bet chief of appointing himself ‘de facto PM’ Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: An Israeli soldier stands guard during the inauguration ceremony for the newly legalized Jewish settlement of Yatziv, near the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, January 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Description         Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you:                       https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/14382/LA Dear Friend,             The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go.

Hi everybody! Please check out my NEW podcast, Every Church Flourishing at www.EveryChurchFlourishing.com or podfollow.com/ecf. Don't miss the earlier BeachCast.tv episode in THIS feed about Kid Rock Vs. Bad Bunny and Progressive vs. Conservative Christians.  On this inaugural episode, hosts Dr. Chase Thompson and GCA Assistant Director Pastor Chris Cole discuss the importance of ministry TOGETHER, and interview the directors of the Great Commission Association of churches located in North/Central California.   Rational Ministry Topics covered:  Interview with the senior directors of the Great Commission Association, including Dr. Mike Stewart, Dr. Se J. Won, Pastor Christopher Cole and School Superintendent Ms. Lanette Lazano.  A move of God at a local church in Salinas, California that took the pastor by surprise.  Free ProPresenter program called FreeShow: https://freeshow.app/features  Review of FreeShow, a free alternative app to ProPresenter  Living in Indonesia and visiting Singapore for medical care as a missionary.  Great prayer resources Crazy, Beyond The Pale. Topics covered:  Chupa Chups Bubble Gum Soda Tasted and Reviewed on a scale of 1 Spurgeon (gross!) to 5 Spurgeons (The Prince of Sodas!)  Medical Halitosis.  Keywords church, ministry, community, Great Commission Association, COVID-19, church support, church leadership, podcast, church flourishing, relationships, Building Community in Ministry, Navigating Church Leadership Changes Summary In this episode of the Every Church Flourishing podcast, hosts Pastor Chris Cole and Dr. Chase Thompson discuss the importance of community in ministry, share personal experiences from recent church services, and explore the impact of COVID-19 on churches. They interview the senior directors of the Great Commission Association (GCA), highlighting the organization's role in supporting churches and fostering relationships among church leaders. The conversation emphasizes the value of collaboration and the need for churches to work together to flourish in their mission. takeaways Community is essential in ministry, as Jesus sent disciples two by two. The Great Commission Association is a diverse network of churches. Healthy churches adapted more quickly to COVID-19 challenges. Relationships in ministry foster support and collaboration. GCA provides resources and care for churches in need. Personal experiences in ministry can be deeply impactful. Humor can play a role in connecting with church members. Church attendance has significantly changed post-COVID. The importance of being on mission together cannot be overstated. Every church has the potential to flourish with the right support. titles Building Community in Ministry The Role of the Great Commission Association Sound Bites "We are a phone call away." "We are a family of churches." "We are a mission agency."  

This week we talk about OpenAI, nudify apps, and CSAM.We also discuss Elon Musk, SpaceX, and humanistic technology.Recommended Book: Who's Afraid of Gender? by Judith ButlerTranscriptxAI is an American corporation that was founded in mid-2023 by Elon Musk, ostensibly in response to several things happening in the world and in the technology industry in particular.According to Musk, a “politically correct” artificial intelligence, especially a truly powerful, even generally intelligent one, which would be human or super-human-scale capable, would be dangerous, leading to systems like HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. He intended, in contrast, to create what he called a “maximally truth-seeking” AI that would be better at everything, including math and reasoning, than existing, competing models from the likes of OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.The development of xAI was also seemingly a response to the direction of OpenAI in particular, as OpenAI was originally founded in 2015 as a non-profit by many of the people who now run OpenAI and competing models by competing companies, and current OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk were the co-chairs of the non-profit.Back then, Musk and Altman both said that their AI priorities revolved around the many safety issues associated with artificial general intelligence, including potentially existential ones. They wanted the development of AI to take a humanistic trajectory, and were keen to ensure that these systems aren't hoarded by just a few elites and don't make the continued development and existence of human civilization impossible.Many of those highfalutin ambitions seemed to either be backburnered or removed from OpenAI's guiding tenets wholesale when the company experienced surprising success from its first publicly deployed ChatGPT model back in late-2022.That was the moment that most people first experienced large-language model-based AI tools, and it completely upended the tech industry in relatively short order. OpenAI had already started the process of shifting from a vanilla non-profit into a capped for-profit company in 2019, which limited profits to 100-times any investments it received, partly in order to attract more talent that would otherwise be unlikely to leave their comparably cushy jobs at the likes of Google and Facebook for the compensation a non-profit would be able to offer.OpenAI began partnering with Microsoft that same year, 2019, and that seemed to set them up for the staggering growth they experienced post-ChatGPT release.Part of Musk's stated rationale for investing so heavily in xAI is that he provided tens of millions of dollars in seed funding to the still non-profit OpenAI between 2015 and 2018. He filed a lawsuits against the company after its transition, and when it started to become successful, post-ChatGPT, especially between 2024 and 2026, and has demanded more than $100 billion in compensation for that early investment. He also attempted to take over OpenAI in early 2025, launching a hostile bid with other investors to nab OpenAI for just under $100 billion. xAI, in other words, is meant to counter OpenAI and what it's become.All of which could be seen as a genuine desire to keep OpenAI functioning as a non-profit arbiter of AGI development, serving as a lab and thinktank that would develop the guardrails necessary to keep these increasingly powerful and ubiquitous tools under control and working for the benefit of humanity, rather than against it.What's happened since, within Musk's own companies, would seem to call that assertion into question, though. And that's what I'd like to talk about today: xAI, its chatbot Grok, and a tidal wave of abusive content it has created that's led to lawsuits and bans from government entities around the world.—In November of 2023, an LLM-based chatbot called Grok, which is comparable in many ways to OpenAI's LLM-based chabot, ChatGPT, was launched by Musk's company xAI.Similar to ChatGPT, Grok is accessible by apps on Apple and Android devices, and can also be accessed on the web. Part of what makes its distinct, though, is that it's also built into X, the social network formerly called Twitter which Musk purchased in late-2022. On X, Grok operates similar to a normal account, but one that other users can interact with, asking Grok about the legitimacy of things posted on the service, asking it normal chat-botty questions, and asking it to produce AI-generated media.Grok's specific stances and biases have varied quite a lot since it was released, and in many cases it has defaulted to the data- and fact-based leanings of other chatbots: it will generally tell you what the Mayo clinic and other authorities say about vaccines and diseases, for instance, and will generally reference well-regarded news entities like the Associated Press when asked about international military conflicts.Musk's increasingly strong political stances, which have trended more and more far right over the past decade, have come to influence many of Grok's responses, however, at times causing it to go full Nazi, calling itself Mechahitler and saying all the horrible and offensive things you would expect a proud Nazi to say. At other times it has clearly been programmed to celebrate Elon Musk whenever possible, and in still others it has become immensely conspiratorial or anti-liberal or anti-other group of people.The conflicting personality types of this bot seems to be the result of Musk wanting to have a maximally truth-seeking AI, but then not liking the data- and fact-based truths that were provided, as they often conflicted with his own opinions and biases. He would then tell the programmers to force Grok to not care about antisemitism or skin color or whatever else, and it would overcorrect in the opposite direction, leading to several news cycles worth of scandal.This changes week by week and sometimes day by day, but Grok often calls out Musk as being authoritarian, a conspiracy theorist, and even a pedophile, and that has placed the Grok chatbot in an usual space amongst other, similar chatbots—sometimes serving as a useful check on misinformation and disinformation on the X social network, but sometimes becoming the most prominent producer of the same.Musk has also pushed for xAI to produce countervailing sources of truth from which Grok can find seeming data, the most prominent of which is Grokipedia, which Musk intended to be a less-woke version of Wikipedia, and which, perhaps expectedly, means that it's a far-right rip off of Wikipedia that copies most articles verbatim, but then changes anything Musk doesn't like, including anything that might support liberal political arguments, or anything that supports vaccines or trans people. In contrast, pseudoscience and scientific racism get a lot of positive coverage, as does the white genocide conspiracy theory, all of which are backed by either highly biased or completely made up sources—in both cases sources that Wikipedia editors would not accept.Given all that, what's happened over the past few months maybe isn't that surprising.In late 2025 and early 2026, it was announced that Grok had some new image-related features, including the ability for users to request that it modify images. Among other issues, this new tool allowed users to instruct Grok to place people, which for this audience especially meant women and children, in bikinis and in sexually explicit positions and scenarios.Grok isn't the first LLM-based app to provide this sort of functionality: so called “nudify” apps have existed for ages, even before AI tools made that functionality simpler and cheaper to apply, and there have been a wave of new entrants in this field since the dawn of the ChatGPT era a few years ago.Grok is easily the biggest and most public example of this type of app, however, and despite the torrent of criticism and concern that rolled in following this feature's deployment, Musk immediately came out in favor of said features, saying that his chatbot is edgier and better than others because it doesn't have all the woke, pearl-clutching safeguards of other chatbots.After several governments weighed in on the matter, however, Grok started responding to requests to do these sorts of image edits with a message saying: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.”Which means users could still access these tools, but they would have to pay $8 per month and become a premium user in order to do so. That said, the AP was able to confirm that as of mid-January, free X users could still accomplish the same by using an Edit Image button that appears on all images posted to the site, instead of asking Grok directly.When asked about this issue by the press, xAI has auto-responded with the message “Legacy Media Lies.” The company has previously said it will remove illegal content and permanently suspend users who post and ask for such content, but these efforts have apparently not been fast or complete, and more governments have said they plan to take action on the matter, themselves, since this tool became widespread.Again, this sort of nonconsensual image manipulation has been a problem for a long, long time, made easier by the availability of digital tools like Photoshop, but not uncommon even before the personal computer and digital graphics revolution. These tools have made the production of such images a lot simpler and faster, though, and that's put said tools in more hands, including those of teenagers, who have in worryingly large numbers taken to creating photorealistic naked and sexually explicit images of their mostly female classmates.Allowing all X users, or even just the subset that pays for the service to do the same at the click of a button or by asking a Chatbot to do it for them has increased the number manyfold, and allowed even more people to created explicit images of neighbors, celebrities, and yes, even children. An early estimate indicates that over the course of just nine days, Grok created and posted 4.4 million images, at least 41% of which, about 1.8 million, were sexualized images of women. Another estimated using a broader analysis says that 65% of those images, or just over 3 million, contained sexualized images of men, women, and children.CSAM is an acronym that means ‘child sexual abuse material,' sometimes just called child porn, and the specific definition varies depending on where you are, but almost every legal jurisdiction frowns, or worse, on its production and distribution.Multiple governments have announced that they'll be taking legal action against the company since January of 2026, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Britain, France, India, Brazil, and the central governance of the European Union.The French investigation into xAI and Grok led to a raid on the company's local office as part of a preliminary investigation into allegations that the company is knowingly spreading child sexual abuse materials and other illegal deepfake content. Musk has been summoned for questioning in that investigation.Some of the governments looking into xAI for these issues conditionally lifted their bans in late-January, but this issues has percolated back into the news with the release of 16 emails between Musk and the notorious sex traffic and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, with Musk seemingly angling for an invite to one of Epstein's island parties, which were often populated with underage girls who were offered as, let's say companions, for attendees.And this is all happening at a moment in which xAI, which already merged with social network X, is meant to be itself merged with another Musk-owned company, SpaceX, which is best known for its inexpensive rocket launches.Musk says the merger is intended to allow for the creation of space-based data centers that can be used to power AI systems like Grok, but many analysts are seeing this as a means of pumping more money into an expensive, unprofitable portion of his portfolio: SpaceX, which is profitable, is likely going to have an IPO this year and will probably have a valuation of more than a trillion dollars. By folding very unprofitable xAI into profitable SpaceX, these AI-related efforts could be funded well into the future, till a moment when, possibly, many of today's AI companies will have gone under, leaving just a few competitors for xAI's Grok and associated offerings.Show Noteshttps://www.wired.com/story/deepfake-nudify-technology-is-getting-darker-and-more-dangerous/https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/867874/stripe-visa-mastercard-amex-csam-grokhttps://www.ft.com/content/f5ed0160-7098-4e63-88e5-8b3f70499b02https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/29/millions-creating-deepfake-nudes-telegram-ai-digital-abusehttps://apnews.com/article/france-x-investigation-seach-elon-musk-1116be84d84201011219086ecfd4e0bchttps://apnews.com/article/grok-x-musk-ai-nudification-abuse-2021bbdb508d080d46e3ae7b8f297d36https://apnews.com/article/grok-elon-musk-deepfake-x-social-media-2bfa06805b323b1d7e5ea7bb01c9da77https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/technology/elon-musk-spacex-xai.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3ex92557johttps://techcrunch.com/2026/02/01/indonesia-conditionally-lifts-ban-on-grok/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr58dlnne5ohttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/technology/grok-x-ai-elon-musk-deepfakes.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XAI_(company)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAIhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChatGPThttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok_(chatbot)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grokipediahttps://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/10/musk-and-investors-offering-97point4-billion-for-control-of-openai-wsj.html This is a public episode. 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Join Ashley and Fallon as they reconnect after a break, catching us up on life's latest ups and downs—housing insecurity, mental health struggles, and some serious community love. Fallon shares news about stepping back from co-hosting, and the gals dive headfirst into the spine-chilling tale of the Amityville Horror.From the tragic DeFeo murders to the Lutz family's eerie encounters, they cover paranormal scares, family drama, and the infamous investigations by Ed and Lorraine Warren. It's a mix of personal updates, ghostly thrills, and supernatural skepticism! To hear all 25 episodes of Ash Learns the Bible, plus early access to regular content, and ad-free versions of all 600 episodes in our catalog, visit our Patreon!If you'd like to support my escape to Indonesia, check out the GOFUNDME :)Edited by Ryan Truby.