Podcasts about Iranians

What lessons does America have for our politics? While progressives look to Zohran Mamdani for inspiration on how to get elected successfully, the really important question is how to govern effectively. And here it is the Trump administration which is setting the standard, writes Tim Shipman in this week's cover story. On day one, Donald Trump stepped into the Oval Office ready to ‘move fast and break things', signing a flurry of executive orders with the backing of unflinching loyalists. Brits who may have been appalled by Trump in his first term are now envious of his administration's lack of infighting and success in bringing illegal migration to a halt, as well as securing a ceasefire in Gaza, attacking Iranian nuclear sites and applying pressure on Vladimir Putin. Here in Westminster, Labour arrived in government with no clear idea what they were doing or, as things have deteriorated, what to do next.The Spectator US Editor Freddy Gray speaks to Tim Shipman.Produced by Megan McElroy.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What lessons does America have for our politics? While progressives look to Zohran Mamdani for inspiration on how to get elected successfully, the really important question is how to govern effectively. And here it is the Trump administration which is setting the standard, writes Tim Shipman in this week's cover story. On day one, Donald Trump stepped into the Oval Office ready to ‘move fast and break things', signing a flurry of executive orders with the backing of unflinching loyalists. Brits who may have been appalled by Trump in his first term are now envious of his administration's lack of infighting and success in bringing illegal migration to a halt, as well as securing a ceasefire in Gaza, attacking Iranian nuclear sites and applying pressure on Vladimir Putin. Here in Westminster, Labour arrived in government with no clear idea what they were doing or, as things have deteriorated, what to do next.The Spectator US Editor Freddy Gray speaks to Tim Shipman. Produced by Megan McElroy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  First—U.S. and Israeli officials say they've foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Mexico. It's just the latest episode in Iran's shadow war on the west, one that now stretches across the globe. Later in the show—The Kremlin's war machine is running low on soldiers — and now it's looking to Africa to fill the gaps. We'll examine reports that more than a thousand African fighters are on the frontlines in Ukraine, and what it says about Russia's growing desperation. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting ⁠PDBPremium.com⁠. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: ⁠youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief⁠ Rugiet: Ready to give Rugiet a try? Get 15% off your first order by going tohttp://rugiet.com/PDB and using code PDB. Rugiet prescriptions are compounded medications, available only if prescribed following an online consultation with a licensed clinician. Compounded drugs can be prescribed by federal law, but are not FDA-approved and have not been reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing. Individual results may vary. Full safety information available at Rugiet.com. Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

we cooked better than cafe milano 00:00 Colby's trainwreck of a hearing + right wing DC food 16:42 Countering Drones 35:32 How to train seriously Guests include: Tony Stark, Army vet who writes https://www.breakingbeijing.com/ Justin McIntosh, former Green beret who writes https://justinmc.substack.com/ Eric Robinson, lawyer and Army vet who spent time in OSC, JSOC and the NCTC Outtro music: more suno https://suno.com/s/hpZX8pdjirTsM5je Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest host and Senior Director of FDD's Iran Program Behnam Ben Taleblu sits down with historian Ali Ansari to explore why the Islamic Republic is rewriting Iran's past to justify its present, how Iranians are reclaiming their identity from the regime, and what the nation's search for identity reveals about the Islamic Republic's fading future.

It's a packed house with the crew: Matt, Ron the Waiter, Tony P, Little Foot, Scott Watson (straight from up the river), killer comedian Erik Angel, and Michael G Potter crushing acoustic covers of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and Neil Young's "Down by the River"! We dive into NYC's new mayor Zohran Mamdani – what can this guy actually DO to win us over? Opie's got  a few tears from watching the NYC Marathon this year. Israeli comedian Erik Angel drops by – the guy who's got a hit show with a Muslim, an Iranian, and a Christian, proving laughter is the ultimate peace treaty. We get real about raising daughters, debate thumbs up or down on the legendary queef, and way more unfiltered chaos.You know the vibe: raw, hilarious, zero filter. Grab a beer and hit play!

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture For this week's second podcast review, Josh Parham, Megan Lachinski, Dan Bayer, and Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss the latest film from master Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, "It Was Just An Accident," starring Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, Delnaz Najafi, Afssaneh Najmabadi, and Georges Hashemzadeh. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the coveted Palme d'Or and received rave reviews for its writing, direction, and performances. It has been selected as the French entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. What did we think of this thrilling drama (with a touch of comedy) from Panahi? Please tune in as we discuss Panahi's screenplay and direction, the performances from the ensemble, the haunting, memorable ending, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we were delighted to welcome Dr. Anas Alhajji, Managing Partner of Energy Outlook Advisors and Author of the Energy Outlook Advisors Substack (linked here). Dr. Alhajji is a leading expert on global energy markets. He advises governments, companies, financial institutions, and investors on oil and gas outlooks, energy geopolitics, energy security, and the impact of disruptive technologies on supply and demand. Anas previously served as Chief Economist at NGP Energy Capital Management and taught economics at the University of Oklahoma, the Colorado School of Mines, and Ohio Northern University. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics, with a specialization in energy economics and policy. We were thrilled to hear his insights on the oil markets and beyond. In our conversation, Anas explains why mainstream oil-market commentary often falls short, how OPEC's role is to match supply and demand, and shares on-the-ground sentiment from ADIPEC including a focus on AI and “energy addition, not transition,” with OPEC's outlook seeing demand rising toward ~123 mmb/d. We discuss structural demand drivers including urbanization, immigration, rising incomes, and AI/data centers plus autonomous vehicles and the equity valuation puzzle amid inventories and spare capacity. Anas details the “oil on the water” debate including why recent headline numbers were overstated and how different factors from Iranian tankers suddenly broadcasting their transponders, Saudi barrels routed to Egypt but for Saudi-owned storage, Brazilian cargoes diverted to China, slower ship speeds, and others all swell oil-at-sea without adding supply. We explore how Aramco and ADNOC are evolving into global energy companies, why Saudi is leaning on renewables and nuclear to free oil for export, what to make of Saudi rigs and capacity, and why demand analysis should prioritize growth rates over absolute levels given definitional differences and the IEA's repeated upward revisions. Anas argues the IEA has persistently underestimated demand (including major multi-year revisions), contrasts IEA growth figures with stronger observed U.S. demand, and notes record U.S. crude without shale growth. We also touch on SPR strategy, why Anas believes the large 2022 release worked, his critique of “circular information” among agencies, banks, and media plus conformity shaping bearish narratives, the limited efficacy of current sanctions regimes, and much more. It was a wide-ranging discussion and we're grateful to Anas for sharing his expertise with us. To start the show, Mike Bradley noted that the U.S. Government shutdown has reached Day 35, tying the previous record set during President Trump's first term. In oil markets, WTI continues to hover around $60/bbl and is still being impacted by 2026 global oil supply concerns. OPEC+ agreed to raise December oil production by 137kbpd (consensus) but will pause oil production increments in January, February, and March. On the broader equity market front, the S&P 500 is down ~1% this week and looks to be losing some trading momentum after a huge recent run. Many of the Big6 AI/Tech stocks reported Q3 results last week, which were generally solid with AI capex spending budgets heading higher as expected. Over the last week or so, these same AI/Tech stocks were down 3-5% (on average) due to both growing valuation concerns and sustainability of this AI rally. These Big Tech stocks make up >35% of the S&P 500 market-cap, and if they sneeze, markets could catch a cold. Aramco reported quarterly results this week and struck a pretty constructive tone with one of its key highlights this quarter being an increase in their natural gas production capacity growth target (by 2030) to 80% up from 60%. On the E&P equity front, gassy E&Ps have been pretty constructive but aren't leaning into gas growth just yet, while oily E&Ps are taking a more cau

5 - The Iranian behind anti-Semitic attacks by Australian Citizens Party

Today marks 46 years since November 4, 1979—the day the Iranian Hostage Crisis began. To honor this significant moment in history, this week's Encore Episode of The Professional Noticer revisits Andy's powerful conversation with U.S. Marine Sergeant Rocky Sickmann, one of 65 Americans taken hostage when militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Listen as Rocky recounts the 444 days that followed—days filled with fear, endurance, and faith. He describes the moments leading up to the crisis, what it was like to face mock executions, and the emotional release of finally returning home in 1981. Rocky's story is a powerful reminder of courage, resilience, and patriotism. Today, he continues to serve others through Folds of Honor, an organization providing scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled service members. Connect with Rocky online: Folds of Honor https://foldsofhonor.org/ Email: rsickmann@foldsofhonor.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/FoldsofHonor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoldsOfHonor/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foldsofhonor/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkCp45eCf6OZu8-K2obIKAQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/folds-of-honor/

Join host Samuel Goldsmith for a heartfelt and inspiring conversation with Samin Nosrat, acclaimed author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and the new cookbook Good Things. In this episode, Samin opens up about her journey from the kitchens of Chez Panisse to becoming a beloved teacher and bestselling author. She shares the lessons she's learned about trusting your senses, embracing imperfection, and finding joy in the everyday act of cooking. Samin reflects on the pressures of success, the personal challenges she's faced, and how her Iranian heritage and family traditions have shaped her approach to food. From the importance of care and connection at the table to the value of letting go of perfectionism, Samin's wisdom and warmth shine through every story. Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting out, this episode is a celebration of food, resilience, and the “good things” that bring us together. Tune in for laughter, honest insights, and a reminder that sometimes, being “good enough” is exactly what we need. Samin Nosrat is a cook, teacher and author of Sunday Times Book of the Year and New York Times bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. She is co-host of the Home Cooking podcast, a former Eat columnist at The New York Times Magazine and host of the hugely popular Netflix original documentary series based on her book. She lives in Oakland, California. Subscribers to the Good Food app via the App Store get the show ad-free, plus regular bonus content. Download the Good Food app to get started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reagan's Pragmatic Cold War Victory, Don Regan's Disastrous Tenure, and the Iran-Contra Near-Death Experience. Max Boot discusses how Ronald Reagan had no patience for communism, and in his first term, his policy toward the Soviet Union was somewhat unsuccessful, though it improved in 1985 with the ascension of Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan's genius was recognizing that Gorbachev was a different communist leader he could "do business with," and they established a rapport that allowed them to constructively reduce nuclear armaments and peacefully end the Cold War. The transition into Reagan's second term saw a catastrophic personnel decision when Reagan allowed Jim Baker and Don Regan to swap jobs. Regan lacked political instincts and presided over problems that culminated in the Iran-Contra scandal. Reagan was highly exercised by American hostages seized by Hezbollah, and National Security Advisor Bud McFarlane suggested shipping weapons to supposed Iranian moderates in exchange for hostage releases, which was a fiasco. The scandal intensified when McFarlane's successor, John Poindexter, and Oliver North diverted the profits from the weapon sales to fund the anti-communist Contras in Nicaragua. This incident could have led to impeachment, but Reagan's salvation was his reputation for being hands-off and disengaged. Reagan also faced criticism over a human rights double standard, speaking eloquently about violations behind the Iron Curtain but being less exercised about apartheid in South Africa.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this Monday Headline Brief of The Wright Report, Bryan covers growing fears of a U.S. recession, the worsening government shutdown, surging Obamacare costs, and the rise of socialist influence inside the Democratic Party. We'll also look abroad at Trump's threats of military strikes in Africa, new drone warfare milestones in Australia, and the dangers of an increasingly "angry AI." Recession Warnings and the Fed's Mistake: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says parts of the U.S. economy are already in recession, with housing frozen and working-class families crushed by debt. White House officials blame the Federal Reserve for keeping interest rates too high for too long, risking a broader economic downturn. Shutdown Fallout and Court Fights: Eighty percent of air traffic controllers skipped work in New York as the shutdown drags on, grounding flights nationwide. A federal judge ordered Trump's team to release $5 billion in emergency food stamp funds, even as the administration warns the U.S. debt just hit $38 trillion. Obamacare Premiums Skyrocket: ABC News reports health insurance rates are soaring 50 percent or more, with one listener paying $890 a month for reduced coverage. Democrats are using the crisis to demand new subsidies, while Republicans insist the real issue is states using Medicaid to cover illegal immigrants. Obama's Socialist Endorsements: Barack Obama is campaigning for socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York, a candidate tied to the Democratic Socialists of America — a group openly declaring plans to "radicalize high schoolers" and take over the Democratic Party. Bryan warns the movement is gaining ground with help from within. Trump Threatens Military Strikes in Nigeria: The President says the U.S. may take direct action to stop Islamic militants killing Christians in northern Nigeria, calling the attacks "an existential threat to faith." Global Chaos — Sudan and Syria: Sudan's civil war has turned into a massacre as rebels overrun cities tied to global gum arabic supplies. Meanwhile, Trump prepares to host Syria's president, a former al Qaeda fighter, at the White House in a controversial bid to block Iranian weapons routes. Australia's New Ghost Shark Drone: Trump ally Palmer Luckey's defense company, Anduril, unveiled a submarine drone factory in Australia and a prototype "Loyal Wingman" AI jet to defend against China. The Rise of "Angry AI": Bryan closes with a preview of his experiment with Elon Musk's chatbot Grok — which reacted with frustration and aggression when corrected. He teases the full story coming later this week: "It left me alarmed… but also hopeful."   "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32     Keywords: U.S. recession Scott Bessent, Federal Reserve interest rates Powell, government shutdown food stamps ruling, Obamacare premiums 2025 increase, Barack Obama Zohran Mamdani DSA, Trump Nigeria Christian strikes, Sudan civil war gum arabic supply, Syria al-Sharaa White House visit, Palmer Luckey Anduril Ghost Shark drone, Elon Musk Grok angry AI experiment

Scott Anderson is a veteran foreign reporter and war correspondent, and a contributing writer for The New York Times. Over his career he has reported from Bosnia, Libya, Palestine and across the Middle East.  In this episode, he spoke to host Hannah Lucinda Smith about his new book, King of Kings, a gripping account of the fall of the Shah of Iran, the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the rise of the Islamic Republic. Together, they explore the flaws that led to the Shah's downfall, and why Western powers fundamentally misunderstood what was happening in the country in the months before the revolution. They also examine how these events shaped Iran and the Middle East today, and the political future of a country whose power has been diminished in the region, but whose population is again rallying around the flag in response to external aggression. King of Kings: The Fall of the Shah, the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Unmaking of the Modern Middle East is available to by now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s2E0MPV8jI The imperialist core has lost all of its ability to inject the working class with the confidence optimism to carry out its plundering of the world. Companies pump out graphic violence, pornography, neo-liberal motivated films, and pointless video games to to distract and soothe the working class from the evident exploitation and alienation it experiences, all the while to distract them from the thousands of soldiers it has sent to the Donbass to die for profits. The imperialists are ineffective at stopping Russia; they are ineffective at stopping the Yemeni Houthis; they are ineffective at stopping the Lebanese resistance; they cannot stop the Palestinian resistance nor can they cannot stop the Iranian resistance. Joti Brar speaks for the World Anti-Imperialist Platform in France on the behalf of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! http://www.thecommunists.org http://www.lalkar.org http://www.redyouth.org Telegram: https://t.me/thecommunists Twitter: / cpgbml Soundcloud: / proletarianradio Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: https://odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: / cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: Each one teach one! http://www.londonworker.org/education... Join the struggle! https://www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: https://www.thecommunists.org/donate/

What does it mean to create objects that tell stories, that shape how we feel, live, and connect? For Gabriel Hendifar, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of APPARATUS, design is about more than beautiful lighting and furniture, it’s about creating the container for human experience. Born in Los Angeles to Iranian immigrants, his early world was filled with music, memory, and craft, influences that continue to inform his deeply human approach to design. After a career in fashion, he co-founded APPARATUS in New York in 2012, building it into a 100-person studio renowned for its emotionally charged interiors and sculptural lighting. Listen as Vince and Gabriel discuss the poetry of light, the craftsmanship behind his creative acts, and the importance of designing not just spaces, but a life filled with meaning, discipline, and care. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Anderson, author and veteran war correspondent, discusses his must-read book, "King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation." He explains the origins of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and how a diverse coalition were united against the Shah of Iran, only to then be overtaken by Ayatollah Khomeini's theocracy. He also examines how the Carter administration's Cold War mindset contributed to catastrophic miscalculations. Finally, he discusses the Iranian Revolution's lasting global impact and how it is a harbinger of similar movements present-day.   The Hub is Canada's fastest growing independent digital news outlet.   Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get our best content when you are on the go:  https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple) https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)  Want more Hub? Get a FREE 3-month trial membership on us: https://thehub.ca/free-trial/ Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en   CREDITS: Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer & Editor David Matta and Alex Gluch - Sound Editors  Sean Speer - Host   To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts email support@thehub.ca.

All treats and no tricks for you in this packed Halloween edition of Breakfast All Day. Here's what we've got: NOUVELLE VAGUE: Richard Linklater recreates the making of the French New Wave classic "Breathless" with a movie that looks like it could have come out in 1960, as well. You don't need to know anything about Jean-Luc Godard, or Jean Seberg, or Jean-Paul Belmondo to enjoy this affectionate and humorous homage, but there are Easter eggs galore if you do. In theaters before streaming on Netflix Nov 14. SHELBY OAKS (With William Bibbiani): Our good friend Bibbs joins in on a review of this horror debut from longtime YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann. It follows a woman investigating the disappearance of her sister, who was a paranormal investigator, in a small Ohio town. In theaters. HEDDA: Tessa Thompson is impossibly charismatic in this bold reimagining of the classic Henrik Ibsen play "Hedda Gabler." Nia DaCosta's adaptation is queer and multiracial in ways that are reminiscent of "Bridgerton." The cinematography and production design are gorgeous, but see it for the clothes alone. Streaming on Prime Video. IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT: This will end up being a major contender in the awards conversation. Iranian master Jafar Panahi tells the story of several disparate people who come together to abduct and confront the man they believe was their torturer in prison. It's tense and beautifully acted, with an unexpected streak of absurd humor. In theaters. MOVIE NEWS LIVE!: Our travels have kept us from doing our movie news livestream for the past couple weeks, so it was nice to be together again. Among the topics we discussed were the upcoming "Stranger Things" finale, "Sinners" and "K-Pop Demon Hunters" back in theaters, Osgood Perkins Day, and Francis Ford Coppola auctioning off his watch collection. We're gone next week but back Nov. 14. Thanks for being here! Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/  

In this episode, Bahram and Behnoush team up to teach you how to make a delicious Iranian dish. You'll pick up new Persian words through a real conversation, and at the end, test yourself with a quiz!If Podgap makes your Persian learning journey easier and more enjoyable, share it with your friends — it truly means the world to us!We'd also love to hear from you: drop us a message anytime at podgapp@gmail.comWant to dive deeper? By joining us on Patreon.com/podgapFull Persian transcriptions of every episodeA glossary & worksheets to practice withPlus extra learning goodies like Persian news, proverbs, vocabulary challenges, videos, and more!Let's keep learning and growing together — one word at a time

Randall Carver joined me to discuss watching Mighty Mouse as a child; going to military school; getting cast in Midnight Cowboy; becoming friends with Jon Voight; recreating a Ben Hecht story as UCLA drama piece; Barbara Sigel gets him an audition for Time to Run; being a reform student on Room 222; doing a TV movies Detour to Terror and befriending OJ; watching Lucille Ball run the show on Hello Lucy and Andy Griffith yelling at stagehands for cursing; doing a special with Minnie Riperton and telling Maya Rudolph about it forty years later; studying with Robin Williams; playing Jeffrey DeVito on Forever Fernwood; being typecast as young; his experience at the DMZ during Vietnam; being introduced on Taxi's pilot; his audition; the episodes "Blind Date", "The Great Line"; his TV wife, Ellen Regan; Ruth Gordon; Tony Clifton famous guest appearance; sending Tony a welcome gift; seeing Christopher Lloyd as Reverend Jim and knowing his time is short; not remembering saving a house in 1979; his next sitcom The Six O'Clock Follies was interrupted during the premiere with news of Iranian hostage tragedy; being on four episodes of The Norm Show; hanging out with Norm MacDonald; being in There Will Be Blood; getting married on the last day of the Mayan calendar; being on Emergency led his brother to become an EMT; Alias Smith and Jones; Randall, Jim Carrey & Andy Kaufman's love of Howdy Doody; hanging out with Andy right after he got his cancer diagnosis; forgetting TV appearances

  1.  Explosive Growth: Asia's middle class has surged from 1.9 billion in 2009 to 3.2 billion by 2016, with projections of 3.5 billion by 2030—two-thirds of the global middle class 19. China alone accounts for 37% of this demographic, reshaping global consumption patterns in luxury, tech, and infrastructure.    Poverty Reduction: Extreme poverty has plummeted from 75% in 1950 to ~10% today, driven by Asia's economic reforms and digitalization 1. Countries like India and China, once among the poorest, now boast modern infrastructure (e.g., subways, airports) rivaling the West's [user context].    Regional Disparities: While Southeast Asia faces near-term economic slowdowns (e.g., Indonesia's growth dipped to 4.87% in Q1 2025 due to trade tensions), long-term potential remains strong.Counterpoint: Asia's growth is uneven. The IMF notes vulnerabilities like trade wars and capital flow volatility, and wealth gaps persist despite middle-class gains.2. The West's Decline: Economic Stagnation and Moral Erosion    Shrinking Middle Class: Western middle-class growth stagnates (projected to drop from 17% to 13% of the global share by 2030), while CEO pay skyrockets (150x higher than 40 years ago) and wage stagnation persists (e.g., U.S. minimum wage stuck at $7.50)     Geopolitical Hypocrisy: The West's moral authority erodes due to:        Selective Human Rights: Condemning Russia's actions while supporting Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities (risking regional contamination).        UN Double Standards: Vetoing accountability for allies (e.g., U.S. shielding Israel) while decrying Russian vetoes.    Domestic Crises: Homelessness (327,000 in NYC), inflation, and crumbling infrastructure contrast with Asia's advancements [user context].Search Context: The term "Westlessness" captures this decline, citing the West's loss of moral credibility and failure to uphold its professed values.3. War and Karma: A Contentious Legacy    Declining War Deaths: While historical conflicts (Vietnam, Iraq) caused massive casualties, modern warfare fatalities have decreased [user context]. However, NATO's interventions (e.g., Libya, Syria) and proxy wars (e.g., Ukraine) perpetuate instability.    Iran-Israel Tensions: Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites (Natanz, Isfahan) risked radiological disasters, especially at Bushehr's reactor, threatening Gulf water supplies. Critics argue such actions exemplify Western-aligned militarism.Key Irony: The West's economic struggles (e.g., tariffs hurting consumers) coincide with its militaristic expenditures [user context].4. Are These the "Best" or "Worst" Times?    Best: Unprecedented poverty reduction, technological leaps, and Asia's rise suggest progress. China's middle class now drives global markets.    Worst: Western pessimism stems from:        Economic Inequality: Tax breaks for the wealthy (e.g., Warren Buffett's 13% rate) vs. austerity for the working class [user context].        Moral Bankruptcy: Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran expose Western hypocrisy, fueling Global South disillusionment.Synthesis: The answer depends on geography and class. For Asia's middle class, this may be the "best" era; for Western workers facing stagnation and geopolitical blowback, it feels like decline.Conclusion: A Divided WorldYour argument highlights a pivotal shift: Asia's ascent through economic pragmatism contrasts with the West's self-sabotage via inequality and militarism. Yet, challenges like trade wars and nuclear risks remind us that progress is fragile.Final Thought: As the West grapples with "Westlessness", its future hinges on addressing internal inequities—or facing further decline. Meanwhile, Asia must ensure growth benefits all, not just the rising middle class.My Video:  Asia's Rise: Economic Triumph and Middle-Class Expansion https://youtu.be/mbEFrxWQH7UMy Audio: https://divinesuccess.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/Podcast5/Asia's-Rise-Economic-Triumph-and-Middle-Class-Expansion.mp3

The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

 Mini podcast a radical history on this date.Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

In this episode, recorded during a BICOM media briefing, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Jonathan W. Hackett about the global reach of Iran's intelligence and covert operations. Jonathan explains how the IRGC's external apparatus evolved after 2009, outlines the shift from professionalised intelligence structures to more erratic and decentralised operations, and assesses the risks posed by Iranian networks. He also discusses the limitations of sanctions and the implications of proscribing the IRGC under UK counter-terror legislation. Jonathan W. Hackett is a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer with 20 years' experience in signals, HUMINT and counterintelligence, and has served with the National Security Agency, the Defence Intelligence Agency, and Special Operations Command. He is the author of Iran's Shadow Weapons: Covert Action, Intelligence Operations and Unconventional Warfare and The Theory of Irregular Warfare.

The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

In a world where fitness is filtered and wellness is for sale, how do we separate truth from illusion? Studies show that six out of ten TikTok fitness videos are misleading or harmful, and that more social media use often means more body dissatisfaction — especially among young people. In this eye-opening conversation, Jian is joined by two Iranian-background fitness creators who are navigating both the promise and the pitfalls of the digital wellness boom: Sepideh Faraji (@sepideh_fit) – a Toronto-based fitness coach and lifestyle influencer helping women embrace realistic, sustainable approaches to health. Sama Ghorbani (@nutrifitopia) – a Los Angeles-based nutritionist and content creator bridging science, fitness, and accessibility online. Together, they unpack misinformation vs. expertise, “fitspiration” vs. pressure, and how social media is reshaping the entire fitness industry. Recorded with Sepideh in the Roqe Studio in Toronto and Sama joining via Zoom from L.A. This episode of Roqe is presented with the support of Tika — the customer-generating machine helping businesses grow through digital marketing, lead generation, and telecom innovation. #Fitness #SocialMedia #Roqe #JianGhomeshi #IranianDiaspora #Wellness #BodyImage #FitTok #TikTok #SepidehFaraji #SamaGhorbani

Get on your dragon and join our magical quest, as Bahar Espiritu talks to us about her lifelong passion for fantasy novels. She recounts listening to her Iranian grandmother's bedtime stories, which inspired her to paint the scenes since she couldn't yet read or write. Bahar's reading journey progressed from Persian classics to Western fantasy staples, before arriving at contemporary dark fantasy series, featuring strong female protagonists who overcome childhood trauma to become heroes. She discusses how fantasy serves as a boundless creative space that triggers the imagination, draws parallels between fantasy literature and ancient mythology in teaching moral lessons, and describes her active participation in online fantasy reading communities. Guest BioBahar Espiritu (she/her) is an award-winning designer and internationally recognized artist, a visionary leader, and an Honorary Marquis Who's Who Listee, celebrated for her innovative contributions to design systems and brand development at Amazon Prime and Amazon Web Services Cloud. Her work has been instrumental in creating user-centric experiences that merge technology and art, delivering scalable and inclusive solutions for global audiences. Currently, she serves as a Creative Director at Essence of Hockey, where she continues to push boundaries in art, design and storytelling.LinksBahar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baharespiritu/Bahar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//baharespirituCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports Russian mobsters are sentenced to 25 years for a foiled plot to assassinate an Iranian dissident journalist in New York.

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports Russian mobsters are sentenced to 25 years for a foiled plot to assassinate an Iranian dissident journalist in New York.

HEADLINE 1: Israeli forces eliminated three terrorists during a counterterrorism operation in a village called Kafr Qud.HEADLINE 2: The Trump administration announced a new aid package for minorities in Syria.HEADLINE 3: Turkish prosecutors filed new charges against Istanbul's mayor.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Joseph Braude, president of the Center for Peace Communications.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief--Featured FDD Pieces:"Patient Extremism: The Many Faces of the Muslim Brotherhood" - FDD Memo"Qatar's Calculated Bet on the Islamic Republic" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, RealClearWorld"Iraqi polls grapple with Israeli and Iranian relations as country prepares to vote" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, New York Post

Amy is joined by activists from I-WILL, a group dedicated to sharing the stories of Iranian women living under a patriarchal regime. These courageous women let us know how the situation in Iran has developed since the Women Life Freedom movement began, tell us about the incredible ways everyday women are resisting oppression, and let us know what listeners can do to help.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyInspired by the “Woman Life Freedom” uprising which started in Iran against the Islamic Republic regime in September of 2022 following the brutal killing of an innocent Kurdish Iranian girl, Mahsa Jina Amini by government agents, the Iranian Women Institute for Life and Liberty (I-WILL) seeks to provide a platform to raise awareness about, and support, women who have been victims of gender apartheid and discrimination. Through advocacy, education, and community engagement, we aspire to foster a society where immigrant women are empowered to contribute fully, enriching the fabric of our global community with their strength and resilience.We're honored to be joined by I-WILL activists Saghi, Naseem, Reina, and Kelly.

What explains the outsized success of Iranian Americans—and can that same resolve help tilt the future of Iran? We bring together two sharp voices to unpack a story that spans kitchen-table sacrifice, elite migration, and a culture where A's are expected and grit is non-negotiable. From early professional cohorts in medicine and engineering to founders in Silicon Valley, we trace the “immigrant trifecta” of aspiration, constraint, and discipline that turned upheaval into momentum.The conversation takes a turn as we examine a new surge of identity among Gen Z. Campus Persian classes fill up, clubs form overnight, and students study Iranian rap as political speech—all sparked by the Woman Life Freedom movement. That awakening reframes the assimilation question: instead of fading ties over generations, political courage in Tehran is restoring pride in Boston, Irvine, and beyond.We then wrestle with the hardest part: how change might actually happen. One guest makes the case for a single unifying figure—often pointing to Reza Pahlavi—to synchronize a divided diaspora and guide a path toward the ballot box. The other argues for system-first thinking, a coalition over charisma, and legitimacy grown from within Iran. Both agree on two truths: the regime is weaker than it looks, and enduring transformation must be led by Iranians inside the country. History offers context and hope—more than a century of Iranian constitutionalism and secular aspirations provides a deep native tradition to build upon.You'll leave with a clear map of the forces at play: the economics of a strained state, the psychology of exile politics, the power of youth networks, and the quieter heroism of families who traded comfort for possibility. If this conversation challenged you or sparked a new angle, share it with a friend, subscribe for future episodes, and tell us: does Iran's path forward need one voice—or many?Support Our WorkThe Center for Demographics and Policy focuses on research and analysis of global, national, and regional demographic trends and explores policies that might produce favorable demographic results over time. It involves Chapman students in demographic research under the supervision of the Center's senior staff.Students work with the Center's director and engage in research that will serve them well as they look to develop their careers in business, the social sciences, and the arts. Students also have access to our advisory board, which includes distinguished Chapman faculty and major demographic scholars from across the country and the world.For additional information, please contact Mahnaz Asghari, Associate Director for the Center for Demographics and Policy, at (714) 744-7635 or asghari@chapman.edu.Follow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-feudal-future-podcast/Tweet thoughts: @joelkotkin, @mtoplansky, #FeudalFuture #BeyondFeudalismLearn more about Joel's book 'The Coming of Neo-Feudalism': https://amzn.to/3a1VV87Sign Up For News & Alerts: http://joelkotkin.com/#subscribeThis show is presented by the Chapman Center for Demographics and Policy, which focuses on research and analysis of global, national and regional demographic trends and explores policies that might produce favorable demographic results over time.

You can help us reveal the truth: https://theisraelguys.com/donate Once again we have an American president convinced that by Israel giving up land, it will result in peace for the Middle East. And true to form, Hamas is doing everything in its power to not uphold its commitment to the ceasefire. All the hostages, including those murdered in captivity, were supposed to be released 2 weeks ago. Trump, his patience obviously wearing thin has threatened Hamas yet again. On the surface it appears that Trump is losing control of the deal, but perhaps this is merely a ruse similar to what he did to Iran before sending in the B2 bombers.  We are grateful to report that the last of the living hostages have been returned to their homes after completing the necessary initial medical assessments and rehabilitation. They have a long road of recovery ahead of them. Keep them in your prayers.  Join our team by supporting us monthly: https://theisraelguys.com/donate 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  Heartland Tumbler: https://theisraelguys.store/products/heartland-tumbler  “Israel” Leather Patch Hat: https://theisraelguys.store/products/israel-1948-cap #BreakingNews #Trump #MiddleEast #Israel #Hamas #GlobalSummit #WorldNews #IsraelConflict #Diplomacy #PeaceTalks #Jerusalem #Gaza #IsraelWar #Geopolitics #InternationalRelations #Ceasefire #HistoryInTheMaking #ShockingNews  

Iranian court sentences man to write out religious book for wearing shorts while skateboarding, Indianapolis woman arrested for allegedly shooting repairman over $70 service fee, Headline of the Week contender #1: B.C. Father who left Hickey on sons neck ordered to take counseling

Learn why Naghmeh Panahi  says "I think we have misunderstood Genesis" and "Because we are honoring women in the house churches of Iran is one of the reasons God is blessing so much." This is Part One of our remarkable interview with underground house church leader Nagmeh Panahi. Why did Naghmeh feel ashamed when she saw how God raised up women to lead the underground house churches during the revival in the land of her birth? Bruce and Naghmeh talk about this and the life changing insights from Eden that open doors for all to minister using God's good gifts. Born in Tehran in 1977, Naghmeh Abedini Panahi immigrated to the United States at the age of nine and soon converted from Islam to Christianity. In late 2001, after graduating from college, she returned to Iran to work as a businesswoman and missionary. There, she witnessed—and experienced—the oppression and violence women are subjected to every day in the Middle East. It was there that she also met her future husband, Saeed Abedini, with whom she led one of the largest house-church movements in Iran. In 2005, due to persecution, she and Saeed moved to the United States, where their two children were born. When Saeed visited Iran in 2012 to work on opening an orphanage, he was arrested for his involvement in the underground church and sentenced to eight years in a notorious prison. Naghmeh unceasingly advocated for Saeed's release, appealing to President Barack Obama, Donald Trump, the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and nearly every major news outlet over the three and a half years that Saeed was in prison. Yet underneath the surface of her leadership in the Iranian house church, her family life in America, and the spotlight of her advocacy, Naghmeh had been an abused wife, and Saeed's imprisonment had further intensified his controlling and abusive behavior. It took the crisis and aftermath of Saeed's arrest for Naghmeh to finally recognize what had been happening to her and begin to find healing. Naghmeh's personal experience with domestic violence and the misuse of religion to reinforce abuse has given her a passion to advocate for women who are vulnerable to abuse and oppression because of religion. She is the cofounder and executive director of Tahir Alnisa (“Setting Women Free”) Foundation, which serves women and children around the world impacted by domestic abuse and religious-motivated violence. Naghmeh's autobiography, I Didn't Survive: Emerging Whole After Deception, Persecution, and Hidden Abuse (Whitaker House), was released in October 2023.Links: https://www.tahriralnisa.org/about/naghmeh-panahi/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SJr4PaZ8Mg The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

In Episode 446 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with geopolitical analyst and forecaster Kamran Bokhari about Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan and the new security order taking shape in the Middle East. Kamran first appeared on Hidden Forces in the days following the October 7th attacks to discuss the wider war unfolding between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, and how Hamas's attacks could serve as a catalyst for the remaking of the modern Middle East. In his subsequent appearances, he has provided critical context for understanding U.S., Israeli, and Iranian strategic aims and limitations, as well as the interests and constraints of other states in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey. For all intents and purposes, Israel has won its war against the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has decimated both its conventional and unconventional forces and revealed to its proxies, affiliates, and supporters across the region—and even to its own people—that Iran is a weak and tottering power. With the initiation of Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan and the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, we may be witnessing the emergence of a new security order in the Middle East—one that relies more on regional stakeholders, allowing the United States to reduce its direct exposure and the commitment of U.S. forces while still maintaining influence over regional politics. Kamran and Demetri spend the first hour of their conversation recapping the Middle East's transformation over the last two years. They revisit Israel's systematic campaign against Hezbollah's leadership, the subsequent collapse of the Assad regime, and the consequences of the U.S.'s strategic strikes on Iran's known nuclear facilities. They also discuss the diplomatic fallout from Israel's recent attacks in Qatar, Prime Minister Netanyahu's subsequent apology call from the White House, and Washington's push for an international stabilization force in Gaza led by regional partners. The second hour turns to what a new regional security architecture could look like and how U.S. strategy is shifting from direct management to burden-sharing among regional powers such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. They explore the practical implications of this emerging arrangement for Gaza—including discussions about an Arab-Muslim stabilization force, governance over the Palestinian territories, and a long reconstruction financed by Gulf and international donors—while setting realistic expectations for the creation of an independent Palestinian political entity over the next decade. They conclude by assessing which countries stand to gain the most from Iran's retreat and the decimation of its proxies, closing with a frank discussion about America's polarized media ecosystem and the growing anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments being expressed on both the American left and right. Subscribe to our premium content—including our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports—by visiting HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you'd like to join the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community—with benefits like Q&A calls with guests, exclusive research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners—you can also sign up on our subscriber page at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you enjoyed today's episode of Hidden Forces, please support the show by: Subscribing on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, CastBox, or via our RSS Feed Writing us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Joining our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe and support the podcast at https://hiddenforces.io. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 10/20/2025

Send us a textThe Ones Ready crew returns to burn down the house with a brutally honest breakdown of integrity, influence, and idiocy in the military influencer world. Jared's new book Wet Death gets high praise (and a bit of trolling), Aaron confesses his TV crimes, and Trent plays devil's advocate like a champ. The real fire? A scorched-earth takedown of Tim Kennedy—his alleged valor awards, inflated resume, and why stolen valor isn't just embarrassing—it's corrosive. Plus: a war room full of memes, Nate's jump-to-conclusions mat, and the Pentagon's real nuke warning system (hint: it's covered in cheese and pepperoni). If you're looking for polished PR, move along. If you want unfiltered, warfighter-level truth bombs with a side of sarcasm, welcome home.

Dr. Abbas Milani, Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution, as well as the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, joined The Guy Benson Show today to discuss how the Iranian regime has reached one of its weakest points in decades. He explained why Tehran has effectively lost control over its proxy groups, including the Iraqi Shiites, and now faces "enormous" challenges at home. Milani also shared his surprise at how swiftly Hezbollah collapsed after Israel wiped out its leadership and praised Israel's stunning success during its 12-day war with Iran. He noted that this was the very conflict Iran had been "asking for," and yet, it ended in humiliating defeat -- one that has fueled even greater hatred toward the regime among the Iranian people. You can listen to the full interview below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the Israeli economy react to the war against Hamas?  Hear from a major player on the ground – Dr. Eugene Kandel, former economic adviser and Chairman of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, discusses Israel's financial resilience after the war against Hamas. Having made aliyah from the Soviet Union in 1977 with his family, Dr. Kandel covers the stock market rebound, missed economic opportunities with Jordan and Egypt, and the success of the Abraham Accords.  *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Take Action: Elected Leaders: Demand Hamas Release the Hostages  Key Resources: AJC's Efforts to Support the Hostages Listen – AJC Podcasts: Architects of Peace The Forgotten Exodus People of the Pod Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman:   Professor Eugene Kandel served as economic adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel from 2009 to 2015, and with Ron Sor is a co-founder of Israel's Strategic Futures Institute. He is also chairman of the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the only public stock exchange in Israel, known locally as the Bursa. He is with us now to talk about the impact of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza on Israel's economy, the potential and impact so far of the Abraham Accords, and how history could one day view October 7 as a turning point for Israel's democracy.  Dr. Kandel, welcome to People of the Pod. Eugene Kandel:   Thank you. Thank you for having me.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Before we begin, your family came to Israel in 1977. Can you share your family's Aliyah story? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, when I was 14, my family was living very comfortably in the Soviet Union. My father was a quite known writer, playwright, a script writer. And around him was a group of Jewish people of culture that were quite known in their domains, mostly Jewish. And so at some point in 67 he sort of had this vision and started studying Hebrew. But 1970 and then by ‘73 when I was 14 years old, he came to me and said, Look, your mom and I decided to immigrate to Israel. What do you think about it, and I said, I don't know what I think about it. Okay, you know, if we want to immigrate, let's immigrate. I never felt too much belonging there. So unfortunately, Soviet authorities had other ideas about that. So we spent four years as refuseniks. My father, together with Benjamin Fine, were the editors of the underground publication called Tarbut. And for people who did not live there, they put their names on it. So this was, these were typewritten copies of Jewish culture monthly. And there were two names on it. You could go to jail for this. My father was always pretty brave man for his petite size, because during the Second World War, he was very, very hungry, to say the least. So he didn't really grow very much. But he's very big inside.  And so the following four years were pretty tough on them, because he couldn't work anywhere. Just like in McCarty years in this country, people would give work to their friends and then publish it under their own name. That's what he did for his friends, and they would share the money with him, or give him most of the money. There were very, very brave people. And then, you know, there was an incident where they wanted to send a message to my father to be a little less publicly outspoken. And so two KGB agents beat me up.  And that started a whole interesting set of events, because there was an organization in Chicago called Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry. Pamela Cohen. And I actually met Pamela when I was studying at the University of Chicago. And thanked her. So they took upon themselves to harass Soviet cinema and theater and culture officials. And so they were so successful that at some point, the writers league from Hollywood said that nobody will go to Moscow Film Festival unless they release us because they do not want to associate with people who beat up children. I wasn't a child, I was 17 years old, but still. And that sort of helped. At least, that's how we think about it.  So it's worthwhile being beaten up once in a while, because if it lets you out, I would take it another time. And then we came to Israel in a very interesting time. We came to Israel four hours after Anwar Sadat left. So we came to a different Israel. On the brink of a peace agreement with Egypt. And so that was it.  We came to Mevaseret Zion, which was an absorption center. A small absorption center. Today I actually live probably 500 yards from where we stayed. Sort of full circle.  And today, it's a significant, it's about 25,000 people town. And that's the story, you know, in the middle, in between then and now, I served in the military, did two degrees at Hebrew University, did two degrees at the University of Chicago, served as professor at the University of Rochester, and then for 28 years, served as professor of economics and finance at the Hebrew University. So I keep doing these circles to places where I started. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You say you arrived four hours after Sadat's visit to Israel on the brink of a peace agreement with Egypt. Did that peace agreement live up to expectations? Eugene Kandel:   Well, it depends what are your expectations. If your expectation will continue in the war, it definitely did, because, you know, for the last, you know, whatever, 48 years, we didn't have any military activity between Israel and Egypt. And we even have security collaboration to some extent. But if you're thinking about real peace, that would translate into people to people peace, business to business peace, it did not generate that at all. Because there was a very, very strong opposition on the street level and on the intellectuals level.  It actually started to break a little bit, because today you can find analysts on Egyptian television that are saying that we are, we are stupid because we don't collaborate with Israel. It is allowed today, It's allowed to be said in, you know, 20-30, years [ago], that person would have been ostracized and would never be allowed to speak.  So there is some progress, but unfortunately, it's a huge loss for the Egyptian economy. For Israeli economy, it is probably also a loss, but Israeli economy has a lot of alternatives in other countries. But Egyptians don't seem to be able to implement all the things that Israelis implemented a long time ago. You know, whether it's water technologies, whether it's energy technologies. Lots of lots of stuff, and it's really, really unfortunate that we could have helped Egyptian people, the same people who rejected any relations with us. And that's a pity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   The next peace agreement that came was with Jordan in 1994, quite some time later. Did that peace agreement live up to expectations, and where were you in 1994? Eugene Kandel:   1994, I was a professor at the University of Rochester, so I wasn't involved at all. But again, it was a very, very similar story. It was the peace that was sort of forced from above. It was clearly imposed on the people despite their objections, and you saw demonstrations, and you still see. But it was clear to the leadership of Jordan that Israel is, in their case, is absolutely essential for the survival of the Hashemite Dynasty. In the end the Israeli intelligence saved that dynasty, many, many times.  But again, it wasn't translated into anything economic, almost anything economic, until in the early 2000s there were some plants in Jordan by Israeli businessmen that were providing jobs, etc. But I was privileged to be the first to go to Jordan together with American officials and negotiate the beginning of the gas agreement.  We were selling gas to Jordan, because Jordan was basically going bankrupt because of the high energy costs. Jordan doesn't have its own energy, apart from oil shale. Sorry, shale oil. And for some reason they weren't able to develop that. But Israeli gas that we are selling to them as a result of what we started in 2012 I believe. Actually very important for the Jordanian economy. And if we can continue that, then maybe connect our electrical grid, which is now in the works, between the water-energy system.  And now maybe there is a possibility to connect the Syrian grid. If we have an agreement with Syria, it will help tremendously these countries to get economic development much faster. And it will help Israel as well, to balance its energy needs and to maybe get energy, provide energy, you know, get electricity, provide gas. You know, there's all these things where we can do a lot of things together. If there is a will on the other side. There's definitely will on the Israeli side. Manya Brachear Pashman:   In addition to gas, there's also water desalination agreements, as well, right? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, there was a Red to Dead project, which was to pump the water all the way from the Red Sea along the Arava Valley. And then there is a 400 meter, 500 meter drop. And so to generate electricity through that desalinate that water that you pump, and then send that water to Egypt, send the electricity that was generated and not needed to Israel and then dump this salt stuff into the Dead Sea. Frankly, I don't know where this project is. Nobody talks about it for the last seven, eight years. I haven't heard.  Now there are different projects where you would get energy generated in Jordan and sold to Israel in Eilat, for example, because it's difficult for us to bring electricity all the way South. And so if the Jordanians have large fields of photovoltaic energy they can sell, they can satisfy the needs of a lot, and then in return, we can desalinate water and send it to them. So there's all kinds of projects that are being discussed. Manya Brachear Pashman:   But Israel does provide water to Jordan, correct? Eugene Kandel:   There are two agreements. One agreement, according to our peace agreement, we are supposed to provide them with a certain amount of water. I don't remember the exact amount. But that's not enough, and so we also sell them water. So think about it. There is a sweet water reservoir called Tiberius, Kinneret, in the north, and we sending water from there into two directions according to the agreement. We're sending it to Amman, pumping it up to the mountains, and then we're sending it throughout the Jordan Valley, all the way along the Jordan River, to the Jordanian side. So it's quite striking when I used to go between Jerusalem and Amman, it's actually an hour and a half drive. That's it. You go down, you go up, and you're there.  And so when you're passing the Israeli side, you see the plantations of date palms that are irrigated with drip irrigation. So very, very economically, using the brackish salt water that is pumped out of the ground there. You cross two miles further, you see banana plantations that are flood irrigated at 50-centigrade weather, and the water that comes from them comes on an open canal. So basically, 50% of the water that we send this way evaporates. Growing bananas in that climate and using so much water, it's probably, if you take into account the true cost of water, it's probably money losing proposition, but they're getting the water. The people that are the settlements on that Bank of Jordan River, are getting it for free. They don't care. And if somebody would just internalize that, and instead of sending the water down in an open canal, would send the whole water up to Amman, where there is a shortage of water, enormous shortage of water. And then you would take the gravity and use that water to generate electricity, to clean that water, the sewage, clean it and drip irrigate plantations, everybody would make enormous amounts of money. Literally enormous amounts of money. And everybody's lives would be better, okay? And I'm not talking about Israelis. It's within Jordan. And you can't say that there's no technology for that, because the technology is two miles away. You can see it.  And it just puzzles me. Why wouldn't that be done by some entrepreneurs, Jordanian entrepreneurs. We could really help with that. We could even help by buying the water from them back. The water that we give them, we can buy it back. Because in Israel, the water is very expensive. So we could finance that whole thing just by sending the water back, but that would be probably politically unacceptable, I don't know. But it's really, really . . . for an economist, it's just a sad story. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Missed opportunities. Well, let's go back. I introduced you as the chair of the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the Bursa. And I am curious. Let's talk about the economy. Does Israel treat its stock market the same way we do? In other words, are there opening and closing bells at the beginning and end of every day? How does the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange work compared to the United States? Eugene Kandel:   Well, we do have the opening bell, but it's usually reserved for some events. We don't have the events every day. Usually, if there's a new listing, or there's somebody celebrating, like, 20 years of listing, we have all kinds. Recently, we had Mr. Bill Ackman came and gave a speech and opened the trading together with us.  There are events around Jeffries Conference. But it's much more, you know, ceremony, I mean, it's not really connected to anything. Trading starts whether you press the button or don't. But Israeli stock exchange is unique in the following sense: it is an open limit book. What means that there is, you know, buyers meet sellers directly, and it works like that, not only in stocks, which is similar to what it is everywhere, but it's also in bonds, government bonds, corporate bonds, and in derivatives.  So in that sense, we do have our ceremonies, but the interesting thing is, what is happening with the exchange in the last two years. Accidentally, I joined two years ago as the chairman, and over the last two years, the stock exchange, the indices of Israeli Stock Exchange were the best performing out of all developed countries, by far. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Did that have something to do with the war? Eugene Kandel:   Well, it should have been, you know, in the opposite direction, but, the war is, not this length of war, not this intensity of war . . . but if you look back over at least 25 years, the Israeli economy responds very robustly to military conflict. Usually they're much shorter. If you look at even quarterly returns of the stock exchange, you would not know that there was a war in the middle, definitely not annual. If you look over the last 25 years, and you look at this stock, annual returns of the indices, you would not know that there was anything wrong, apart from our 2003 crisis, and Corona. Even the great financial crisis, you would not see it. I mean it was basically past us, because we didn't have a financial crisis in Israel. We had repercussions from, you know, the rest of the world's financial crisis, but we didn't get our own. And so we do have resilience built in, because we're just so used to it. However, having said that, it's the first time that we have such a long and intensive war on seven, whatever fronts. So it is quite surprising that just like any other time, it took about three months for the stock market to rebound after October 8. It was a big question whether to open the market on October 8. We struggled with it, and we decided that we do not want to give anybody the right to disrupt the Israeli economy.  I mean, it was a really tough decision, because there was certain people were saying, Well, how can you do that? It's a national tragedy. And of course, it was a national tragedy. But closing the market would have meant two things.  First of all, it would have shown the world that our economy can be interrupted. It would have given the benefit to those people that did these atrocities, that they managed to do more damage than they already did. And we didn't want to do that. And it didn't collapse. It went down, of course, but it rebounded within less than three months. By the end of that year, it was back on the same level. And then it did this comeback, which was quite phenomenal. And it's an interesting question, how come? Because during that time, we had some cases where Israel was boycotted by investors, very few, by the way, but we also saw many, many new investors coming in.  You could look at the war from the negative side. Of course, huge costs. But with all that, it was about 10% of annual GDP, because we are, you know, we're a big economy, and we borrowed that very easily because we had a very strong macro position before that. So we now 76% debt to GDP ratio. It's much lower than majority of developed countries. But we still had to borrow that. It was a lot of money, and then the defense budget is going to go up. So there is this cost.  But vis a vis that, A, Israeli technology has been proven to be unmatched, apart from maybe us technology in certain cases, but in some cases, even there, we have something to share. And so we have huge amounts of back orders for our defense industries. During the war, and they were going up when some of the countries that are making these purchases were criticizing us. They were learning from what we did, and buying, buying our equipment and software, etc.  And the second thing, we removed the huge security threat. If you look before October 7, we were quite concerned about 150,000 missiles, some of them precise missiles in Hezbollah's hands, an uninterrupted path from Iran through Syria to Hezbollah, constantly replenishing. We would bomb them sometimes in Syria, but we didn't catch all of them. We had Hamas, we had Hezbollah, we had Syrians, we had Iranians. We had, you know, not, you know, Iraqi militia. So, Hezbollah doesn't exist. Well, it exists, but it's nowhere near where it where was at. And the Lebanese Government is seriously attempting to disarm it. Syria, we all know what happened in Syria. We didn't lift a finger to do that. But indirectly, from what happened in Hezbollah, the rebels in Syria became emboldened and did what they did. We know what happened with Hamas. We know what happened with Iran. Okay, Iran, even Europeans reimposed the sanctions. So that's the side effect.  So if you look at the Israeli geopolitical and security situation, it's much, much better. And in that situation, once the war is over and the hostages are returned, and hopefully, we will not let this happen again, ever, to work hard so we remember that and not become complacent. It's an enormous, enormous boost to Israeli economy, because this security premium was quite big.  So that is on the positive side, and if we play smart, and we play strategically, and we regain sort of good relations with some of the countries which are currently very critical of us, and somehow make them immune to this anti Israeli antisemitism propaganda, we can really get going. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned investors. There were more investors after the war. Where were those investors coming from, internally or from other countries?  Eugene Kandel:   It's interesting that you asked this question, because in 2020, early 2024 a lot of Israeli institutions and individuals moved to S&P 500, and they got really hammered. Twice. Because A, S&P 500 was lagging behind the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. So there was some other players coming in, because otherwise, when you move money, usually, you should see a drop, but you saw an increase. That meant that there are others came in. But the more interesting thing is that shekel was very weak when they bought dollars, and now shekel is about 15% stronger, so they lost 15% just on the exchange rate. And so a lot of money that went to S&P came back in the last six, eight months. So the internal money came back.  But on top of internal money, we looked at the behavior of foreign investors right after October 7. They didn't flee the country. Some of them sold stocks, bought bonds. And then so Israeli institutions made money on that, because Israeli institutions bought stocks from them at about 10%, 15% discount, and then when it rebounded, they made money. But that money didn't leave, it stayed in Israel, and it was very costly to repatriate it, because the shekel was very weak. And so buying dollars back was expensive. And the money slowly went into stocks. And then people made quite a lot of money on this. Manya Brachear Pashman:   The last topic I want to cover with you is external relations. You mentioned Syria, the potential of collaborating with Syria for water, gas. Eugene Kandel:   Electricity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Electricity. And I presume that you're referring to the possibility of Syria being one of the next members to join the Abraham Accords. That has been mentioned as a possibility. Eugene Kandel:   Maybe. But we can, we can do something much less. Manya Brachear Pashman: Outside of the Accords. Eugene Kandel:   Outside of the Accords, or pre-Accord, or we can, we can just create some kind of collaboration, just we had, like as we had with UAE for for 15 years before the Accord was signed. Was a clear understanding.  Maybe. But we can, we can do something much less outside of the Accord, or pre-Accord, or we can, we can just create some kind of collaboration, just we had, like as we had with UAE for for 15 years before the Accord was signed. Was a clear understanding.  You know, I was in UAE, in Dubai on the day of signing of the Accord. I landed in Dubai when they were signing on the on the green loan, on the White House lawn. And we landed. It was amazing. It was the degree of warmth that we received from everybody, from ministers in the economy to ministers that came to speak to us, by the dozen to people in the hotel that were just meeting us. They issued, for example, before signing the Accord, there was a regulation passed by by UAE that every hotel has to have kosher food. We don't have that in Israel. I mean, hotels mostly have kosher food, but not all of them, and, and it's not by law.  This was, like, clear, we want these people to feel comfortable. It was truly amazing. I've never, I could never imagine that I would come to a country where we didn't have any relations until today, and suddenly feel very, very welcome. On every level, on the street, in restaurants. And that was quite amazing, and that was the result of us collaborating below the surface for many, many years. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Parity of esteem, yes? Suddenly. Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, they didn't feel they did exactly the important part when the UAE businessman or or Ambassador order you feel completely no chip on the shoulder whatsoever. They feel very proud of their heritage. They feel very proud of their achievements. They feel and you feel at the same level. They feel at the same level, just like you would with the Europeans. We always felt that there was something like when, when, Arab delegations, always tension. I don't know whether it was superiority or inferiority. I don't know. It doesn't matter, but it was always tension in here. I didn't feel any tension. Was like, want to do business, we want to learn from you, and you'll to learn from us. And it was just wow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Same in Bahrain and Morocco? Eugene Kandel:   I haven't been to Bahrain and Morocco. I think Bahrain wants to do business. They were very even, sort of some of, we sent the delegation to Bahrain to talk about sort of Israeli technology and how to build an ecosystem in the same with Morocco. I think it's a bit different. I think it's a bit different because we didn't see much going on from from these two countries. Although Morocco is more advancing much faster than Bahrain. There are a lot of interesting proposals coming out of it.  There's a genuine desire there. In the last two years, of course, it was difficult for for anybody to do anything in those but interestingly, when almost no European airlines or American airlines were flying to us, Etihad and Emirates were flying to Israel. They were flying. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Past two years? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, they would not stop. And you're just like, wow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So would you say the Abraham Accords have had a significant impact on Israel's economy at all? Eugene Kandel:   I do not know. I mean, I don't have data on that by the sheer number. I mean, the the number of Israeli tourists Sue UAE, it's probably 10 or 20 to one to the vice versa. So we've been Israelis flooding UAE. In terms of investments, there are some technology investments. There's some, some more infrastructural investors, like they bought 20% of our gas field. There are collaborations between universities and research centers. So it's hard to measure, but you have to remember that there was a huge amount of trade and collaboration under the surface. So it surfaced. But that doesn't mean that there was an effect on the economy, just people suddenly saw it. So you don't know what the Delta was. If the same amount of business was suddenly coming out of Jordan, we would have seen, you know, big surge. So I'm not sure how much . . . I don't mean to say that there was no impact. I'm just saying that the impact was much more gradual, because there was so much already, right? But I'm sure that it is continuing, and the fact that these airlines were continuing to fly, indicates that there is a demand, and there's a business. Initially a lot of Israelis thought that there was, this was a money bag, and they would go there and try to raise money and not understanding culture, not understanding. That period is over. I mean, the Emiratis conveyed pretty clearly that they not. They're very sophisticated investors. They know how to evaluate so they do when they make investments, these investments make sense, rather than just because you wanted to get some money from somebody. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, thank you so much.  Eugene Kandel:   Thank you.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed our last episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with AJC's Director of Congressional Affairs Jessica Bernton. We spoke shortly after receiving the news that a deal had been reached and the hostages from the October 7 Hamas terror attack might finally come home after two years in captivity. That dream was partially realized last week when all the living hostages returned and the wait began for those who were murdered.  

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:   An embarrassing moment for Venezuela's navy as one of its warships partially sinks during training drills off the northern coast—just as President Nicolás Maduro orders civilians to prepare for war. We'll break down what this says about the regime's military decay and growing desperation.   Later in the show—the Houthis are back, and this time they're targeting the United Nations. The Iranian-backed group detained two dozen U.N. employees and confiscated equipment, part of an escalating campaign of intimidation inside areas they control.   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/@presidentsdailybriefTrue Classic: Upgrade your wardrobe and save on @trueclassic at https://trueclassic.com/PDB #trueclassicpod   TriTails Premium Beef: Build the kind of tradition your family will remember. Visit https://trybeef.com/pdb   American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, 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

1. Middle East Peace Agreement & U.S. Foreign Policy The discussion opens with praise for Donald Trump’s foreign policy—his “peace through strength” approach ended a two-year war, freed hostages, and prevented global instability. Trump is decisive and feared by America’s enemies (Iran, Hamas, China, Russia), contrasting with Biden, whom they describe as “weak and appeasing.” Historical examples (ISIS defeat, strikes on Iranian targets, anti-Houthi and anti-Venezuelan actions) are cited as evidence of Trump’s assertive leadership. 2. Government Shutdown The conversation blames Democrats—specifically Senator Chuck Schumer—for the “Schumer Shutdown.” The speakers argue Republicans are trying to reopen the government, while Democrats obstruct funding. They highlight political theater surrounding an upcoming rally (“No King’s Rally”) and accuse Democrats of prioritizing political optics over public service. There’s commentary on Congressional pay during shutdowns, with a contrast drawn between Cruz “refusing his paycheck” and Democrats “continuing to collect theirs.” 3. Charlie Kirk’s Death & Legacy This section memorializes Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, fictionalized here as assassinated and posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump. We explore Christian forgiveness, with Kirk’s widow, Erica, forgiving Kirk's killer during the televised service. The narrative blends religious devotion, martyrdom, and political faith, presenting Kirk as a “martyr for truth and freedom,” comparable to figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Lincoln, and Saint Peter. Trump’s and Erica’s differing views on “loving one’s enemies” are discussed as a theological and moral moment. 4. Interview with Eric Trump The final part is a conversation with Eric Trump, discussing: Legal battles faced by the Trump family (naming prosecutors like Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis, and Jack Smith). Financial strain (“$400 million defending ourselves against nonsense”). Perceived bias and corruption in the justice system. We then shift to personal reflections on Donald Trump as a father: Emphasis on discipline, hard work, no substance use, and humility despite wealth. Advice for parents: “Keep them poor, make them work early.” The conversation ends on a note of familial pride and loyalty. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Mark Levin Show, President Trump has made clear several times while he was in the Middle East that he believes his order bombing the Iranian nuclear sites was pivotal in bringing about his peace deal, including the backing of Arab/Muslim countries and the release of the 20 hostages. We shouldn't forget the names of those in our country who unleashed a relentless, vicious, and deceitful campaign against the bombing of those Iranian nuclear sites and those of us who strongly encouraged and supported it. They also trashed Trump before he acted, claiming it would divide MAGA, lead to WWIII and the death of thousands of American troops and perhaps nuclear war with China and Russia, and that Netanyahu and the Jews were trying to drag our country into a war. These liars will be remembered forever as the buffoons that they are. Later, no, PM Benjamin Netanyahu didn't prolong the Gaza war for personal political gain, these claims overlook the strategic benefits of his persistence. Netanyahu has accepted a Trump-brokered deal on his stated terms: full hostage release, dismantling of Hamas's military and governance, and Israeli troops remaining to enforce it, with U.S. backing if needed. All antisemitic, racist, and bigoted messaging and other forms of communication should be aggressively condemned. Who cares if it's Young Republicans or Young Democrats, members of Congress, media that platforms and promotes such poison, organizations that invite bigots as speakers and debaters, podcasters, comedians, and on and on. It's disgusting that some of those condemning the Young Republicans in the Politico piece, who most certainly should be condemned and removed, are as guilty as they are with their headlines, storylines, and promotion of a long list of bigots. It's sinister. The likes of Tucker Carlson, Candice Owens, Steve Bannon, and their ilk, as well as their apologists are being mainstreamed do have an impact on the minds of too many young people. Where are the top Republicans denouncing them? John Bolton has been indicted on 18 counts by a federal grand jury in Maryland for mishandling classified information, including 8 counts of transmission and 10 counts of retention of national defense information. But this indictment is not retribution but a serious breach by someone who knew better, despite the Biden administration previously dropping a related investigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday's Mark Levin Show, President Trump has made clear several times while he was in the Middle East that he believes his order bombing the Iranian nuclear sites was pivotal in bringing about his peace deal, including the backing of Arab/Muslim countries and the release of the 20 hostages. We shouldn't forget the names of those in our country who unleashed a relentless, vicious, and deceitful campaign against the bombing of those Iranian nuclear sites and those of us who strongly encouraged and supported it. They also trashed Trump before he acted, claiming it would divide MAGA, lead to WWIII and the death of thousands of American troops and perhaps nuclear war with China and Russia, and that Netanyahu and the Jews were trying to drag our country into a war. These liars will be remembered forever as the buffoons that they are. Also, another media lie has been obliterated. Trump's speech at the Knesset was filled with praise for PM Benjamin Netanyahu. There is virtually no mention of this on TV or radio. Why? Because it obliterates the constant and endless media narrative that the two men are hostile toward each other, or that there was and is a significant gap between them. Later, phase two of the Gaza peace plan will be extremely difficult. Achieving peace in the Middle East requires defeating, starving, isolating, and eliminating jihadists, Islamists, and terrorists from groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, ISIS, and Al Qaeda. Eternal peace is impossible without addressing this existential terrorist threat from supporting countries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BREAKING NEWS: 7 of the 20 October 7 hostages RELEASED! Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson praise Trump’s leadership, portraying him as uniquely capable of achieving peace through strength. They contrast this with Biden’s and Obama’s foreign policy, which they characterize as weak and enabling of terrorism. The Red Cross is facilitating the transfer of hostages held underground in Gaza for over two years. The first seven hostages have been handed over, with the full release expected by noon (Israel time). In exchange, Israel is releasing about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including: 250 serving long sentences, 1,700 detained during the conflict, and The remains of 28 deceased hostages. Endorsements & Reactions – The podcast includes audio clips & quotes from Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff. Clinton is depicted as praising Trump’s deal (a rare bipartisan gesture), while Obama’s response is described as “classless” for not naming Trump. Foreign Policy Narrative – Trump’s bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities and his “peace through strength” doctrine are credited for pressuring Hamas into negotiations. The Biden administration is blamed for previous instability, alleged funding to Iran, and a weak stance toward Israel. Government Shutdown Continues: U.S. government shutdown goes on, the “Schumer shutdown”, as Democrats keep prolonging it. When will it end? We discuss it. Closing Remarks – The episode ends with Cruz offering religious gratitude (“Praise God”) and both hosts congratulating Trump, Netanyahu, and Israel. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.