Podcasts about Iraq

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 episode of The Wright Report, Bryan breaks down the White House's "Promises Made, Promises Kept" push, including a new deal bringing $20 billion in pharmaceutical manufacturing back to US soil and record-high asylum denial rates as immigration courts race to clear a massive backlog. Bryan covers a batch of "Head-Scratcher" stories from Democrat-run states, including Washington inmates convicted of child rape suing for better trans medical care, Virginia's Fairfax County releasing illegal aliens accused of child sex crimes back onto the street, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani mourning a convicted murderer's death at Rikers Island while ignoring his victims. He also breaks down House Democrats' furious reaction to a resolution condemning socialism. Plus, Bryan covers President Trump's renewed call for Iranians to rise up against the regime as Tehran fires missiles at Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Bahrain, Spain's Prime Minister blaming Russia and Israel for the Moroccan invasion of Ceuta, a German welfare scam run by Syrian migrant clans, and fresh US and Australian investment in Pacific Island nations to counter China. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32   Keywords: Wright Report, Bryan Dean Wright, Promises Made Promises Kept, pharmaceutical manufacturing, asylum, immigration, Washington State, trans care, Fairfax County, Virginia, Zohran Mamdani, Rikers Island, socialism resolution, Iran, regime change, Jordan, Kuwait, Spain, Ceuta, Germany, Syrian welfare scam, Pacific Islands, China

Today's Headlines: Iran accused the US of a war crime after strikes hit a wedding killing four civilians, the US denied targeting civilians, Iran responded by launching missiles at US bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Bahrain — so the ceasefire is going great. The USS Abraham Lincoln's 5,000-person crew finally docked in Thailand after nearly nine months at sea, were told by the military not to speak to journalists about the conditions they endured, and local authorities in Pattaya preemptively cracked down on prostitution ahead of their arrival. And to absolutely no one's surprise, Apple caved to Trump and changed Lake Ontario to Lake America on Apple Maps following his personal request, which is a remarkable display of corporate spine from a company worth $3 trillion. It's been a while but on the Epstein beat, Congressman Thomas Massie proposed the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, reading the names of 14 Epstein associates he believes need to be investigated — notably not mentioning the one person referenced in the files more than anyone else. In tech, GoPro is pivoting to AI, defense, and national security after merging with an optical company, its stock shot up 40%, and Dyson announced a $499 AI toothbrush with a built-in camera that can livestream your brushing to an app, which no one asked for. Google avoided being broken up despite being found guilty of antitrust violations, getting instead a vague requirement to make unspecified changes to its ad business. Meanwhile, a new study from San Diego State found that fewer women are creating TV shows for streamers than a decade ago, female directors of broadcast programs have declined, and the majority of speaking roles for women skew toward their 20s and 30s while men's roles don't drop off until their 50s. And finally, Milo Yiannopoulos told Piers Morgan that being detained and deported by ICE was humiliating and frightening, and that if he'd known this was possible he would never have supported Trump. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Iran fires on its Gulf neighbors, retaliating for US strikes after a wedding was hit The Guardian: USS Abraham Lincoln's crew of 5,000 arrive at notorious Thai resort after 270 days at sea | US military The Independent: Thailand issues prostitution warning as USS Abraham Lincoln docks in tourist town after 200 days at sea Axios: Apple joins Google in renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" PBS News: WATCH: Massie names 14 Epstein associates to 'shame' DOJ CNBC: GoPro joins AI bonanza with pivot into data centers as shares skyrocket 40% The Rundown: Dyson puts AI in a $499 toothbrush Yahoo: Google won't be forced to break up its ads business The Hollywood Reporter: Fewer Women Are Creating TV Shows Now Than They Were Nearly a Decade Ago, Study Finds Mediate: Milo Yiannopoulos Tells Piers Morgan He's 'Very Ashamed' of Supporting Trump Following ICE Arrest Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gary returns with Brad, a military veteran and former law enforcement officer, for a chaotic dive into conspiracy theories, military stories, government surveillance, and the mysteries hiding behind everyday reality. From JFK and 9/11 to Epstein, Roswell, simulation theory, voice-to-skull technology, and whether the moon might actually be watching us, no theory is off limits.Along the way, they get into Bigfoot, hunting in Arizona, bodybuilding, psychedelics, sleep paralysis, nicotine, and Brad's experiences serving in Iraq. It's conspiracy, paranormal mystery, dark comedy, and completely unnecessary questions about Bigfoot all rolled into one.Join the conversation at www.TerriblePerson.co.

Elisa Tamarkin, an English prof of high repute (Anglophilia and Apropos of Something: A History of Irrelevance and Relevance) at UC Berkeley, joins RTB to discuss Done in a Day: Telex from the Fall of Saigon. It is an extended reflection on the last day of the Vietnam War, set against the imminent disappearance of war coverage in the nation's city newspapers, and framed through her own stepfather's experience covering the war. Tamarkin anatomizes curious forms of self-delusion that flourished in the American Me generation and traces the subtle trajectory that stretching from the journalistic autonomy of the mid-century to the "embedded reporters" of the US war in Iraq to today's implacable governmental hostility to truthful reportage. Back in the 1960's Hannah Arendt and others warned that bubbles of non-information and delusive self-deceit got propagated within the corridors of power and out in the larger public realm. Now cloudy misinformation is the property of a near-ubiquitous social media realm whose corrosive effect (the power to unthink) is far less circumscribed. Mentioned Hannah Arendt, "Lying in Politics" (subject of an earlier RTB episode) and "Home To Roost". Frank Kermode Sense of an Ending (1967). The philosopher John Pollock published a book called Knowledge and Justification in 1975. Jamie Cohen-Cole The Open Mind Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death (1973). Ursula Le Guin The Lathe of Heaven 1971 (Elisa also mentions John's book on Le Guin). R. A. Lafferty, The Fall of Rome (1971). Thomas Harris, I'm OK, You're OK (1967). Recallable Books: Adam Phillips, On Giving Up. Graham Greene, The Quiet American (1955). Read the transcript of the episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

With the September 30 deadline approaching, the debate over the future of the resistance factions is entering a critical phase. While some factions have signalled their willingness to place their weapons and forces under state authority, others continue to resist disarmament, arguing that the conditions which gave rise to the resistance have not disappeared.This episode examines the pushback from factions including Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba and unpacks the arguments they have advanced for retaining their weapons. We also examine the incentives behind Kataib Imam Ali's decision to transition into politics and join the Coordination Framework, and ask why the same path may hold considerably less appeal for the more senior factions of the resistance axis.

Elisa Tamarkin, an English prof of high repute (Anglophilia and Apropos of Something: A History of Irrelevance and Relevance) at UC Berkeley, joins RTB to discuss Done in a Day: Telex from the Fall of Saigon. It is an extended reflection on the last day of the Vietnam War, set against the imminent disappearance of war coverage in the nation's city newspapers, and framed through her own stepfather's experience covering the war. Tamarkin anatomizes curious forms of self-delusion that flourished in the American Me generation and traces the subtle trajectory that stretching from the journalistic autonomy of the mid-century to the "embedded reporters" of the US war in Iraq to today's implacable governmental hostility to truthful reportage. Back in the 1960's Hannah Arendt and others warned that bubbles of non-information and delusive self-deceit got propagated within the corridors of power and out in the larger public realm. Now cloudy misinformation is the property of a near-ubiquitous social media realm whose corrosive effect (the power to unthink) is far less circumscribed. Mentioned Hannah Arendt, "Lying in Politics" (subject of an earlier RTB episode) and "Home To Roost". Frank Kermode Sense of an Ending (1967). The philosopher John Pollock published a book called Knowledge and Justification in 1975. Jamie Cohen-Cole The Open Mind Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death (1973). Ursula Le Guin The Lathe of Heaven 1971 (Elisa also mentions John's book on Le Guin). R. A. Lafferty, The Fall of Rome (1971). Thomas Harris, I'm OK, You're OK (1967). Recallable Books: Adam Phillips, On Giving Up. Graham Greene, The Quiet American (1955). Read the transcript of the episode here. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

Elisa Tamarkin, an English prof of high repute (Anglophilia and Apropos of Something: A History of Irrelevance and Relevance) at UC Berkeley, joins RTB to discuss Done in a Day: Telex from the Fall of Saigon. It is an extended reflection on the last day of the Vietnam War, set against the imminent disappearance of war coverage in the nation's city newspapers, and framed through her own stepfather's experience covering the war. Tamarkin anatomizes curious forms of self-delusion that flourished in the American Me generation and traces the subtle trajectory that stretching from the journalistic autonomy of the mid-century to the "embedded reporters" of the US war in Iraq to today's implacable governmental hostility to truthful reportage. Back in the 1960's Hannah Arendt and others warned that bubbles of non-information and delusive self-deceit got propagated within the corridors of power and out in the larger public realm. Now cloudy misinformation is the property of a near-ubiquitous social media realm whose corrosive effect (the power to unthink) is far less circumscribed. Mentioned Hannah Arendt, "Lying in Politics" (subject of an earlier RTB episode) and "Home To Roost". Frank Kermode Sense of an Ending (1967). The philosopher John Pollock published a book called Knowledge and Justification in 1975. Jamie Cohen-Cole The Open Mind Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death (1973). Ursula Le Guin The Lathe of Heaven 1971 (Elisa also mentions John's book on Le Guin). R. A. Lafferty, The Fall of Rome (1971). Thomas Harris, I'm OK, You're OK (1967). Recallable Books: Adam Phillips, On Giving Up. Graham Greene, The Quiet American (1955). Read the transcript of the episode here. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

Korek Telecom biryarên Desteya Ragihandin û Agahdariyê ya Iraqê wekî "ne li gorî destûrê û siyasî" dibîne û dibêje ev deste xwediyê desthilatê nîne ku bi hevkariya Serokwezîrê berê re ji bo çareserkirina kêmasiyên darayî û kêmkirina îcazeya 4G hatibû çêkirin, biqedîne. Korek bang li Serokwezîrê Iraqê dike ku destwerdanê bike û tekezî li ser parastina mafên aboneyên xwe bike.

Today on The Gist, guest host Charlie introduces two conversations centered on hostage recovery and wrongful detention abroad. First, Mike Pesca speaks with Diane Foley, founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, who reflects on her son's murder by ISIS in 2014, the institutional failures that left American families without diplomatic support, and the urgent need to overhaul outdated US hostage policies as state-sponsored wrongful detentions rise. Then, Mike is joined by Princeton PhD researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov to discuss her harrowing ordeal surviving over 900 days of captivity and torture by the Iranian-backed militia Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq, detailing how she used fictitious confessions to protect innocent locals, the psychological endurance that kept her alive, and the diplomatic efforts that ultimately secured her freedom. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

//The Wire//2100Z September 2, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: SABOTAGE ATTACK TARGETS SECOND GERMAN ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION. SHOOTING REPORTED BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN UKRAINE. IRANIAN ATTACKS CONTINUE OVERNIGHT, TARGETING AMERICAN BASES.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----  -International Events-Middle East: Last night's attacks by Iran were somewhat successful, with strikes being reported at the airport in Erbil. An Iranian Shahed-type drone also took out the Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) balloon at this location, in addition to striking the fuel point. In Bahrain, several Shahed-type drones targeted the former headquarters of 5th Fleet in Manama and Sheikh Isa Airbase to the south. Several locations were also targeted in Kuwait, with unknown success. As of this report, the United States has not yet responded to the round of Iranian targeting conducted overnight.Ukraine: Overnight a small arms skirmish was reported in Kiev, which reportedly involved two different Ukrainian governmental agencies engaging each other in the street. Allegedly, the Security Service of Ukraine (the SBU, which is like a uniformed and militarized version of the FBI) detained Stepan Kaplunov who was the deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a unit of ethnic Russians fighting on Ukraine's side during the war. Kaplunov was staying at a residential building in Kiev for Independence Day celebrations last week, when he was reportedly abducted for unknown reasons. After this kidnapping, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (the GUR, or the main military intelligence unit) launched an investigation into why the SBU took him, which resulted in a scuffle and subsequent shootout at the scene of the earlier abduction. One GUR officer is dead, and several others were wounded during the initial engagement.Analyst Comment: As one might expect, Ukrainian sources are downplaying this incident, and Russian sources are trying to amplify it, so determining the truth is challenging. However the incident did take place, and the small arms engagement in the street between these two agencies was captured on film.As it stands, video evidence from the time of the shooting indicates that tensions were high between the SBU and the GUR right before shots were fired. Both agencies were arguing with each other, with the SBU refusing to allow the GUR into the crime scene, and a standoff situation emerged. As the agencies continued arguing and fighting with each other, eventually the altercation became physical, and devolved into a shooting. After the shooting, the standoff situation continued throughout the night and the next morning. Eventually, the SBU ended up releasing Kaplunov, ending the incident. Several prominent Ukrainian leaders have called for an investigation into what happened, and for more details to be made public.Germany: Yesterday afternoon, another electrical substation was targeted by malign actors conducting sabotage operations. Locals observed an explosion and arcing at the Bergheim Power Station in western Germany, shortly before the power went out. Local authorities state that 6x rocket launch sites were located in a field near the second substation that was attacked, continuing the same attack vector as witnessed at a different power station yesterday.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: In Germany, the attacks on electrical substations over the past two days have been substantial. In short, these attacks were probably not carried out by amateurs. Locals report that upwards of twenty separate rockets were launched over the top of the substation near Berlin. These rockets were not fireworks, but specifically constructed devices built for the task. These rockets were also trailing thin copper wire, which was intended to cause electrical shorts.This is not entirely a new tactic, after all the United States pioneered this tactic of taking out enemy substations with "blackout bombs" that operate very similarly. Cruise missiles were used to deploy such devices over Baghdad during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, with thin graphite wires being trailed over the top of exposed substation transformers and electrical connectors. More recently, an unidentified malign actor also attempted to target an electrical substation in Pennsylvania back in 2020, which resulted in widespread media coverage at the time.Malign actors using almost thirty rockets to achieve the same effect in Germany is a substantial escalation that is not likely to have been undertaken by non-state actors. Germany is infamous for having some of the more serious ecoterrorists around the world, who have conducted IED attacks, train derailings, and other similar attacks on electrical infrastructure. However, since no ecoterrorist organization has claimed credit yet, right now the leading theory is that these sabotage operations could be sleeper cells conducting attacks around the German countryside.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//

Investigative journalist Zack Kopplin of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) joins AML Conversations to discuss his reporting on a Pentagon fuel subcontractor linked to individuals connected to U.S. sanctions targets. He explains how questionable contractors can remain embedded in government supply chains, why subcontractor vetting remains a persistent challenge, and what his investigation uncovered in Iraq and Lebanon. Kopplin also explores the broader fight against corruption and financial crime, including beneficial ownership transparency, anonymous shell companies, defense contracting oversight, and the growing use of "golden passports" by sanctioned actors, fraudsters, and other high-risk individuals seeking to obscure their identities. From tracing hidden ownership structures to uncovering international money laundering networks, this conversation offers a firsthand look at how investigative journalists expose corruption and why transparency remains critical to effective AML, sanctions, and compliance efforts.

Voices in my Head (the Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 631: Garden of the Lord with Justin Gambino   My guest today is Justin Gambino, an award-winning Texas-based singer-songwriter whose music is rooted in redemption, hope, and faith. After a troubled past that included an arrest at age 18, military service in the U.S. Navy, combat deployment to Iraq, and battles with PTSD and depression, Justin experienced a life-changing encounter with God that transformed his story. Today, he's known for powerful songs like “Just Like Jesus,” “Courage,” and “Fighting On My Behalf,” and was named Christian/Gospel/Inspirational Male Artist of the Year at the 2024 Josie Music Awards. His latest worship project, Garden Of The Lord, invites listeners into a deeper, more personal walk with God. Justin, welcome back to Voices In My Head.   More about Justin Here: https://turningpointpr.com/2026/06/justin-gambino-to-deliver-first-ever-worship-set-garden-of-the-lord-july-17/       Rick's Latest Single “Heaven Is Full of Criminals”     https://rickleejames.hearnow.com/heaven-is-full-of-criminals Connect with Rick Lee James Website: RickLeeJames.com Email: Rick@RickLeeJames.com Listen / Subscribe Subscribe, rate, and review Voices in My Head wherever you listen to podcasts. Music & Merch Bandcamp (music + merch): RickLeeJames.Bandcamp.com Streaming: Search “Rick Lee James” on your favorite music platform or on Spotify https://t.co/S7nCRl0xqa Audiobook Out of the Depths: A Songwriter's Journey Through the Psalms (Audible): Audiobook Link Special Offer 10% off at Bandcamp: use code 10off at checkout RickLeeJames.Bandcamp.com Hosted by Rick Lee James — Voices in My Head Podcast

Donald Trump has ordered the deadliest attacks against Iranian targets since July, striking IRGC air defense systems, radars, telecommunications - and reportedly a wedding party. On today's episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant look at the fresh round of deadly escalating violence, including Iran's retaliatory missile and drone barrage targeting US positions in Jordan, Iraq and the UAE, as well as killing sailors in the Strait of Hormuz. Plus, SOAS's China Institute director Steve Tsang breaks down Beijing's calculated gamble on the Iran war, how China is building a new world order around itself, and why Xi Jinping is kicking himself that the PLA isn't ready to invade Taiwan at this opportune moment. HighlightsUS strikes hit IRGC bases & Iran-Russia supersonic missile deal exposedWhy Xi Jinping is kicking himself that the PLA isn't ready to invade TaiwanCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyRoland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphantSteve Tsang, director SOAS China Institute WATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Iran attacks US bases after claiming American missiles hit wedding partyhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/09/02/us-strikes-iran-airport/Russia secretly helped Iran build missiles to target US warshipshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/02/russia-helps-iran-build-c340l-supersonic-cruise-missiles/Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung: China's Global Strategy under Xi Jinpinghttps://global.oup.com/academic/product/chinas-global-strategy-under-xi-jinping-9780197828816Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Peter ShevlinVideo Producer: Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh and Lucy HadlowStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey ► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, John, Les, and special guest Clayton Seigle, Managing Director of Energy Practice at Beacon Global Strategies, take stock of the most significant oil supply disruption in recorded history — and why prices haven't fully reflected it, yet.Since the outbreak of war with Iran six months ago, flows through the Strait of Hormuz have swung wildly, forcing emergency draws on the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and triggering sweeping demand cuts by Chinese refiners. The crisis has also exposed the hard limits of energy diversification: while Saudi Arabia could redirect exports through pre-built bypass pipelines, countries like Iraq and Qatar have few alternatives to Hormuz.How long can the market absorb the disruption before prices rise sharply? How low is President Trump willing to let the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fall? To what extent has President Trump's been able to shape market expectations to actually suppress the price of oil, and is that sustainable? The conversation also examines Ukrainian strikes on Russian refining capacity and the massive oil deal President Trump announced with Venezuela.Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.@lestermunson@johnclipsey@ClaySeigleLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/APb5XJZrE1M Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US Central Command said forces successfully completed a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets on September 1st.IRGC said it targeted US bases in Iraq, with missiles and drones. Iran's army also launched drone attacks on the US base in Bahrain, while Kuwaiti air defences confronted attacks by hostile drones.Crude futures continued to rally after surging by at least 5% yesterday as the US and Iran exchanged a fresh wave of strikes.NZD/USD underperformed after the RBNZ hiked the OCR by 25bps to 2.75%, which was widely expected, although the central bank refrained from any major hawkish surprises.APAC stocks were pressured as the risk-off mood persisted following a surge in oil prices and upside in yields; European equity futures indicate a lower cash market open.Looking ahead, highlights include US Factory Orders (Jul), ADP Employment Change (Aug), New Zealand Terms of Trade (Q2), BoC Announcement, Fed Beige Book. Comments from ECB's Nagel, BoC's Macklem & Roger. Earnings from Broadcom, Hewlett Packard Enterprise & Snowflake.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

US Central Command said forces successfully completed a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets on September 1st.IRGC said it targeted US bases in Iraq, with missiles and drones. Iran's army also launched drone attacks on the US base in Bahrain while the IRGC added that two tankers were blown up after striking mines in the Strait.Global equities continue to pull back, with NQ futures falling below 29k.USD firms against most peers; NZD underperforms after RBNZ fails to impress hawks, JPY outperforms after BoJ hawk Takata.USTs are flat, whilst Bunds and Gilts are pressured by elevated gas prices.Crude takes a breather following another night of US-Iran hostilities; metals feel no reprieve.Looking ahead, highlights include US Factory Orders (Jul), ADP Employment Change (Aug), New Zealand Terms of Trade (Q2), BoC Announcement, Fed Beige Book. Comments from Fed's Williams, BoC's Macklem & Rogers. Earnings from Broadcom, Hewlett Packard Enterprise & Snowflake.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we're having a conversation with Registered Nurse, Military Spouse, and Workforce Development Advocate Tracy Steele, founder of Community Cultivator, an organization dedicated to strengthening well-being, belonging, and career stability for military spouses through community connection and professional developmentEpisode Partner:Our sponsor this week is Aetna, a trusted health care company, committed to serving Veterans, military families, and caregivers through meaningful, community-centered care. Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestCommunity Cultivator was founded by Tracy Steele, SPHR, CPRW — a longtime military spouse, workforce development leader, and advocate for military spouse employment and community connection.​After more than two decades navigating military life, Tracy experienced firsthand the challenge of constantly rebuilding career momentum, professional networks, and community with every move. Through strategic volunteering, networking, and workforce development leadership, she became passionate about helping military spouses recognize their value and confidently pursue meaningful opportunities.But she realized military spouses needed more than job resources alone. They needed connection, belonging, and access to opportunities that could grow with them wherever military life led next.​So she built Community Cultivator.​What started as a vision in San Diego is growing into a nationwide movement helping military spouses build stronger careers, deeper connections, and lasting opportunities together.Links Mentioned During the EpisodeCommunity Cultivator WebsiteForeign Born Military Spouse NetworkSugar Bear Foundation WebsitePsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course 15 Reasons to Hire a Military Spouse. As an employer, you are looking for untapped talent pools. One talent pool that can be overlooked is the diverse and highly educated group of military spouses. Take this course to learn the top 15 Reasons to Hire a Military Spouse. You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/15-Reasons-to-Hire-a-Military-Spouse Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on XPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

In this episode of the Race and Rights Podcast, guest host Dr. Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah sits down with Dr. Mustafa Rfat, a faculty member at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a scholar of forced migration and disability justice, and the Refugee Congress Delegate representing the state of Missouri, for a conversation examining the intersection of refugee rights, disability, and structural inequality. Drawing from both rigorous scholarship and lived experience as a refugee with a disability, Dr. Rfat explores how immigration systems, social policies, and institutional practices shape the lives of refugees with disabilities long before and long after resettlement.Together, they examine the historical exclusion of people with disabilities from U.S. immigration and citizenship policy, the barriers refugees encounter when navigating health care, education, employment, and naturalization, and why disability must be understood through a social rather than medical lens alone. The discussion also explores the human consequences of recent refugee and deportation policies, highlighting how inaccessible systems and language exclusion can undermine both disability rights and fundamental human rights.Throughout the conversation, Dr. Rfat reflects on his own journey from Iraq to the United States, illustrating how personal experience has informed a research agenda dedicated to advancing refugee health equity, participatory research, and disability justice. The episode challenges listeners to reconsider dominant narratives about refugees by centering resilience, dignity, and belonging while emphasizing the responsibility of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to dismantle structural barriers rather than expecting individuals to overcome them alone.This episode is essential listening for scholars, practitioners, policymakers, students, and advocates committed to refugee rights, disability justice, health equity, and human rights.Links to Published WorksRfat, M. (2026). Path to Citizenship: Addressing the Needs of Refugees with Disabilities in the Naturalization Process. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work. Rfat, M., Zeng, Y., Yang, Y., Adhikari, K., & Zhu, Y. (2023). A Scoping Review of Needs and Barriers to Achieving a Livable Life among Refugees with Disabilities: Implications for Future Research, Practice, and Policy. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work. Rfat, M., Zeng, Y., & Trani, J.-F. (2023). Exploring the Intersectionality of Disability and Refugee Statuses: Reflecting on My Refugee Journey. British Journal of Social Work. Rfat, M., Cureton, A., Mirza, M., & Trani, J.-F. (2025). The Devastating Effect of Abrupt U.S. Refugee Policy Shifts. The Lancet. Rfat, M., Engelman, A., & Seaborn, S. (2026). US Forced Deportation, Language Exclusion, and Disability Justice. The Lancet. Rfat, M., Yang, Y., & Cohen, F. (2025). Benefits and Challenges of Using Participatory Research Among Refugees With Disabilities: A Scoping Review. Health Education & Behavior. #RefugeeRights #DisabilityJustice #HealthEquity #ForcedMigration #HumanRights #SocialWork #RefugeeHealth #Accessibility #MigrationJustice Support the showSupport the Center for Security, Race and Rights by following us and making a donation:Donate: https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/csrr-support/20046.html Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEbUfYcWGZapBNYvCObiCpp3qtxgH_jFy Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rucsrr Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rutgerscsrr Follow us on Threads: https://threads.com/rutgerscsrr Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/rucsrr Follow us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/rucsrr 

What do you do when your life changes forever in a single moment?On April 10, 2012, during his third deployment with the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Travis Mills set his pack down on a concealed IED. He survived, becoming one of only a few quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.In this extraordinary episode of Your Next Mission® video podcast, host 12th SMA (R) Jack L. Tilley sits down with Travis to discuss his recovery at Walter Reed, why he rejects the term "wounded warrior" in favor of "recalibrated warrior," and how he turned his hardest days into a lifelong mission to support combat-injured Veterans and their Families. From founding the Travis Mills Foundation from a hospital bed to hosting thousands of Military Families at their barrier-free retreat in Maine, Travis proves that attitude, gratitude, and purpose can overcome any obstacle.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.ryandawson.orgRyan Dawson's Anti-neocon Report is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Upgrade to paid to get the full showUS spent another $96 of interceptors of what it had left. US cut funding to Peshmerga in Iraq. That is most likely a move to cool Turkey down by defunding the Kurdis…

Nick Jones enlisted in the Marine Corps at 18 out of Olathe, Kansas. Mortarman, then scout sniper platoon, then selection and 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, where he came up through element member to element leader. Twelve years, five deployments. On March 8, 2020, his team went into the Qarachogh Mountains in northern Iraq to clear a cave complex and lost their team leader and their team chief. He was shot going back for them and kept fighting until he was pulled off the mountain. Six surgeries and eighteen months later he medically retired as a staff sergeant with a Navy Cross and a Purple Heart. He now runs the Talons Reach Foundation. In 2019 he built a mountain warfare training package for his team in Montana. It got denied. The reason given was that they wouldn't be fighting in the mountains. Ten months later they were. He proposed on top of Lone Peak and told his wife they'd build a family in Montana in ten years. They got there in one. Five years later she broke down on the drive back from Jackson and told him she had no life there. That conversation moved everybody to Wyoming. Talons Reach Foundation: https://www.talonsreachfoundation.org/   Join the Cleared Hot Newsletter: https://www.clearedhotpodcast.com Take the Operator Code Assessment: https://www.theoperatorcode.com   Today's Sponsors:  Black Rifle Coffee:  https://www.blackriflecoffee.com Hexclad:  For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off your order with our exclusive link. Just head to https://www.hexclad.com/clearedhot

How does a fellow with no attending paycheck yet, and a spouse working as a teacher, build a $600,000 net worth before finishing training? In this Milestones to Millionaire episode, Matthew, a newly minted transplant hepatology and gastroenterology physician, shares how a combination of frugality, consistency, and a few key advantages added up over more than a decade. A former Marine Corps infantryman who deployed twice, including to Iraq and off the Horn of Africa, Matthew used the GI Bill to avoid medical school debt entirely, while his wife's teaching salary supported the family throughout his training. He explains how he started contributing just $50 a month to his kids' 529 plans during medical school and residency, before he was even saving for his own retirement, and how that small, automatic habit grew into roughly $60,000 over more than a decade. Matthew also discusses their approach to budgeting, living well below their means, embracing hand-me-down furniture and garage sales, and navigating their biggest ongoing money disagreement: her love of travel versus his instinct to save and invest. Matthew's advice for anyone starting later or without every advantage: know where your money is going, live on less than you make, and recognize that everyone is building wealth with a different mix of strengths and weaknesses. This podcast is sponsored by Bob Bhayani at Protuity. He is an independent provider of disability insurance planning solutions to the medical community in every state and a long-time white coat investor sponsor. He specializes in working with residents and fellows early in their careers to set up sound financial and insurance strategies. If you need to review your disability insurance coverage or to get this critical insurance in place, contact Bob at https://whitecoatinvestor.com/protuity today by email info@protuity.com or by calling (973) 771-9100. Celebrating your stories of success along the journey to financial freedom! Tune in every Monday to the Milestones to Millionaire Podcast, where we celebrate the financial achievements of our listeners and share practical tips for reaching your own milestones. We want to celebrate your milestones—no matter how big or small—and help inspire others to follow your lead. Every week, these episodes feature one listener who has recently achieved a milestone they are proud of and want to celebrate, and they give any advice they have for those who want to follow their example. Make sure to listen every Monday to be inspired by your fellow white coat investors. Celebrate YOUR Milestone on the Milestones to Millionaire Podcast: https://whitecoatinvestor.com/milestones  Website: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com  YouTube: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/youtube  Student Loan Advice: https://studentloanadvice.com  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhitecoatinvestor  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhitecoatinvestor  Twitter: https://twitter.com/WCInvestor  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhitecoatinvestor  Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/whitecoatinvestor  Online Courses: https://whitecoatinvestor.teachable.com  Newsletter: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/free-monthly-newsletter 

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, talks about how the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have re-shaped the First Amendment and press freedom in the United States, and how this is still affecting speech today. Photo: A salesman in an electronics store in Mexico City watches the World Trade Center in New York City collapse September 11, 2001. (Susana Gonzalez/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: The Last Us Troops Leave Iraq. “Who Talks Like That?” The Four-Star General on Trump's Greenland Threats, Davos Humiliation, and ICE Moving Like It's Mosul.  General Barry McCaffrey has seen more war and more national security decision-making than almost anyone alive. A retired four-star, four combat tours, three Purple Hearts, veteran of the National Security Council under three administrations. In this replay, he sits down with Paul Rieckhoff for a no-BS conversation about a moment most Americans still haven't fully absorbed: the U.S. is no longer trusted by its closest allies, our institutions have been hollowed out, and the most trusted institution in American life — the armed forces — is being dragged into domestic politics in ways that should alarm every citizen, regardless of party. McCaffrey walks through the politicization of the military and federal law enforcement, ICE units operating like infantry in Los Angeles, the 11th Airborne on standby for Minneapolis, and what the Insurrection Act would actually mean if Trump pulls that lever. He unpacks Davos, Greenland, the humiliation of our closest allies, and why "NATO is dead" is not hyperbole. He reflects on the quiet exit of the last U.S. troops from Iraq, the political failures that defined the forever wars, and the 60,000 Americans killed and wounded in the war on terror. This is the kind of intelligence-grade analysis independents are starving for — grounded in decades of service, delivered straight. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Millions of American veterans are being locked out of primary elections in the country they served. See what we're doing to change that. -Visit Kalshi and trade on anything. Use code [INDEPENDENT] to get ten dollars when you trade ten. -Head to cozyearth.com and use the code AMERICANS for an exclusive 20% off. -Join Noble Mobile today and get a $100 bonus when you use code PAUL and stay a member for 2 months! -Join IVA and help us get independent veterans elected to office. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It's a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms Read more at Substack Support ad-free episodes at Patreon  Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook  Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media.  And now part of the BLEAV network!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Houman Z. Emami, a native of Iran (ancient Persia), has a bright academic career in Philosophy and Religion, Holism and Consciousness, with earlier careers in Computer Science, Telecommunications, and a number of educational-institute startups. He has completed undergraduate studies in the above fields, within and without standard academic training, and he continues in his graduate and Ph.D. thesis, “On Intuition, the Heart Faculty, and Theophanies”.Before reaching his eleventh year, Houman had lived through the Iranian revolution of 1979, the Iran and Iraq war of 1981, and the inner-city bombings and atrocities of war. “And that was just the beginning,” he tells us. Miraculous events began as a direct result of these earlier years of awakening and grew in proportion to his yearning. In this way, the dark side of war, and the lesser-known light side of war were made manifest from age five onwards. After several relocations and maturing in both eastern and western cultures before his thirtieth year, Houman had taken part in a relatively successful lifestyle, returned to academia and various spiritual practices thrice, finally taking early retirement in his late twenties, leaving all behind and spending a decade as an independent world-traveler, contemporary monk and spiritual pilgrim. These later awakenings in solitude and on the pilgrim's walk integrated those of his early childhood.At last, returning to worldly life in his late thirties, he continues to impact the world he left behind. Loved ones and relations lovingly refer to him as “scribe,” “pilgrim,” and “scholar.” A “scribe” is one who decodes and deciphers the teachings of the ancient scrolls, which are symbolic representations of transcendent realms made immanent within a simple framework of understanding. A “pilgrim” is one who leaves the mind behind (is a passerby), leads from the heart, “connects the dots,” is a bridge-builder, and a peacemaker. And a “scholar,” from scolere, is one who lives at ease as a student of life, truth, and wisdom. In this respect, he has written:Let the truth of love be & become the love of truth, and the love of truth be & become the truth of love. That means, the soul genuinely desires love and truth, embraced by and swaying this way and that throughout life, in order to teach us that we must love unconditionally but when finding ourselves in the snares of selfish love, we must pursue truth; and we must pursue truth unconditionally but when we find truth become empty tradition and superstition, we must pursue love.In practice, Houman's spiritual invocation consciously began in his early teens, as a result of a near-death experience (NDE)—taking him back to his early childhood visions, and to his native ancestral teachings of the East, Near East, and the Orient. After his near-death experience and remembering his life's calling more fully from age five, Houman recalled all that proceeded from that age in the divine plan, walking them out and remembering them step by step.Years later, these remembrances and awakenings culminated into visionary experiences and embodiments—involving “theophanies,” meaning divine interventions or encounters. Twelve years of practice and integration turned him into an independent spiritual pilgrim in 2003, and he has been traveling the world since. His journey has been one of the most overwhelming stories one might hear.All there is, IS Love for Love IS…

In Part 2 of our conversation with Kyle, he continues sharing his journey from Marine infantry deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to a difficult battle with alcohol, marriage strain, and identity. Brody and Kyle talk honestly about combat, loss, coming home, and what happens when you try to carry everything on your own.The conversation turns to faith and finding his way back to God through a family health scare, honest friendships, and a renewed life of prayer. Kyle shares how he learned he didn't have to “get right” before coming to God.Today, Kyle and his wife, Jennifer, are helping build a church inside a Marine barracks through Manna Church. We talk about military ministry, staying faithful through hard seasons, and watching young Marines come to faith and carry the mission forward.Part 1: Training Builds. Brotherhood Strengthens. Christ Transforms.Be Strong Men's ConferenceSend us Fan MailPlease leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help improve No Sanity Required and help others grow in their faith. Click here to get our Colossians Bible study.

In this episode, Walter tackles the absolute peak of modern absurdity. We dive into why Poland's Premier refuses to accept illegal immigration, a legendary $4,600 tequila heist at Walmart and why today's college graduates think Amsterdam is in Iraq. Plus, Walter shares how a $14 local yoga class unexpectedly led to him holding movie star Diane Lane's hips, while opinionated callers battle over washing laundry by the cycle of the moon versus spending $20,000 on "coastal chic" dorm room styling.If you want a show that has paragraph structure, penmanship, and zero filter—hit that subscribe button. You'll never have to wonder what the heck is going on here.

Hegseth's War – The Catastrophic Consequences of Maximum LethalityIn this week's solo episode, I examine a ProPublica investigation into Pete Hegseth's tenure as US Defence Secretary – and the catastrophic consequences of his "maximum lethality" doctrine. Here, I want to expand on some of the key themes we discussed.The Civilian Protection ProgrammeThe story begins with a programme called Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR). It was a relatively new initiative, adopted after years of heavy civilian tolls in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Its mission was to station personnel within major regional commands to develop a picture of life on the ground in combat zones, aiding decision-making on military strikes and helping to avoid or minimise civilian harm.Shortly after taking office, Hegseth polled the nation's top commanders about cutting the programme. He expected them to endorse his view that civilian security was "woke" and out of step with "maximum lethality." Instead, every commander rebuffed him. Nine chose to preserve the programme; two asked to expand it.Hegseth ignored them. He gutted the programme, cutting staff from nearly 200 to around two dozen, and reducing Central Command's team from 16 to one.The ConsequencesThe results were predictable. In Yemen, an air campaign killed 153 civilians and wounded 243 others. In Iran, a US strike on a school killed more than 100 children.Democratic senators and humanitarian groups questioned whether the cuts had contributed to the school tragedy. In a letter to Hegseth, 11 senators said the strike reflected the administration's "broader disregard for the strategic, legal and moral imperatives to minimise civilian harm."But this is not a regime that cares about international law. As I argue in the episode, the extreme right believes that international law has held the US back for years – that it has been fighting with one hand behind its back. The breaking of international law is not a regrettable byproduct of their policies; it is the mission.The "War Department"In a speech last year, Hegseth announced that the "Department of Defense is over" and that the "Department of War" had been restored. He spoke of "peace through strength" and "the warrior ethos." He told his enemies they would be "crushed by violence, precision and the ferocity of the war department." In other words: FAFO.But the reality is very different. The US military is under-resourced and overstretched in the Persian Gulf. It has lost its supply bases. It is facing critical shortages of everything from ammunition to toothpaste. The "maximum lethality" doctrine has produced exactly the opposite of what it promised.Hegseth's PsychologyAs I discussed in my earlier conversation with Jasper Craven, Hegseth is a deeply damaged individual – a product of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and of the far-right culture war that has consumed the Republican Party. He is living out a violent adolescent fantasy, speaking in the language of Christian fascism and the annihilation of the enemy.But he is also a symptom of a larger problem. Trump surrounds himself with incompetent ideologues because he does not want specialists and experts. He wants people who will tell him what he wants to hear, who will create chaos and distraction while he carries on looting the state. Hegseth is the perfect product of that system.If you'd like to support this work, please consider joining us on Substack. We are migrating from Patreon – details in the show notes.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shagg Makino Counting Countries has been to 169 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Shagg Makino. Shagg is a part-time resident of Bangkok, and we have met socially several times this year. Shagg will also be joining over 200 people at the Extraordinary Travel Festival. I was in Bangkok while Shagg was also in Bangkok for this recording. Please listen in and enjoy.

A church plant rarely starts with certainty, and that's what makes Chad and Magan Swearing's story so useful. We sit down with the Bold City Church leaders from Burleson, Texas to talk about what calling really looks like when you're not chasing a platform, you're trying to be obedient. Chad shares how faith began for him through a bus ministry and grew through the hard clarity of Marine Corps life after Iraq. Megan shares what it means to grow up in church, then choose Jesus for yourself when no one is making you show up anymore. Then comes the story neither of them will forget: giving $10,000 to help another church plant while their own budget felt tight, wrestling through the emotions the next day, and watching God provide in a way they didn't orchestrate. We end with leadership takeaways on honour, generosity, anchoring decisions in Scripture, and building teams early so the mission never depends on one exhausted couple. Subscribe, share this with a church planter or leader you respect, and leave a review so more people can find these stories of faith, courage, and practical leadership.Send us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL. 

Send us Fan MailWe talk with Christopher Rivers about why the American Dream feels broken for working people who do everything “right” and still can't get ahead. We connect war, wealth, media incentives, and local civic action into a grounded case for hope that requires effort, not wishful thinking.• Rivers' background from working-class Connecticut to Iraq and Afghanistan to West Point and Georgetown• Why door knocking changes political conversations more than social media• How party labels distort reality in state and local politics• Wage stagnation, rising housing costs, student debt, healthcare costs, and the affordability crisis• Why cable news functions as entertainment and how that fuels outrage• The role of billionaires, fundraising, and money in politics• What “You Shouldn't Have to Kill to Get Ahead” means and why violence is a dead end• The biggest misconception about meritocracy and why parental wealth predicts outcomes• Why local elections and primaries are where individual votes matter mostGo to ChrisRivers.com.Give a review for this podcast episode. If it's one of four stars, how can I specifically improve? If it's a five star, what should I double down or do more of? Okay, and give at least one reason.Follow Christopher Rivers ...His Websitehttps://www.chrisrivers.com/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/ReimaginingAmerica/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@ReimaginingAmericaInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reimaginingamerica/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rivers/Threadshttps://www.threads.com/@reimaginingamerica?hl=enSupport the showFollow your host atYouTube and Rumble for video contenthttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUxk1oJBVw-IAZTqChH70aghttps://rumble.com/c/c-4236474Facebook to receive updateshttps://www.facebook.com/EliasEllusion/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/eliasmarty/Some free goodiesFree website to help you and me https://thefreewebsiteguys.com/?js=15632463New Paperhttps://thenewpaper.co/refer?r=srom1o9c4glPodMatchhttps://podmatch.com/?ref=1626371560148x762843240939879000

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just predicted that the most important oil chokepoint on Earth will stop mattering within two years: the Strait of Hormuz, he said, is about to become just another body of water. Washington's top diplomat is saying the same thing. The plan sounds simple enough: build pipelines around Iran, and the strait that carries a fifth of the world's oil loses its grip on the global economy. The pipelines that exist today move a fraction of what passes through Hormuz in a single day, and the routes meant to close the gap all share one feature nobody in Washington is talking about. They have to come out somewhere. What waits at the other end is the problem. Learn to invest alongside the top minds in commodities. Join The Commodity University today. CLICK: https://join.thecommodityuniversity.com/ Sign up for my free weekly newsletter at https://2ly.link/211gx Be part of our online investment community: https://vricmedia.com https://twitter.com/JayMartinBC https://www.instagram.com/jaymartinbc https://www.facebook.com/TheJayMartinShow https://www.linkedin.com/company/cambridge-house-international Citations: https://rentry.co/jms-hormuz-irrelevant-sources 0:00 Just Another Body of Water 0:56 Washington Says It Twice 2:15 Twenty Million Barrels a Day 2:57 The Artery of the Industrial World 4:33 The Assumption 5:19 What Five Months Cost 6:00 The Pipelines That Already Exist 9:40 Iraq's Dead Lines 12:26 The Other Chokepoint 13:05 The 2030 Promise 13:42 What History Says 14:44 The Problem 21:09 Three Things to Watch Copyright © 2026 Cambridge House International Inc. All rights reserved.

Send us Fan MailA comedy career can start in the most unexpected place, and Marc Yaffee proves it. We sit down with Marc, a Native American stand-up comedian who once worked as a DMV driving examiner, then taught traffic school before ever thinking he'd end up headlining clubs, casinos, and events across the country. That strange “day job” origin story turns into a real masterclass on stage presence, writing jokes, and learning how to win over strangers one laugh at a time.We also get honest about what comedy audiences don't see: the grind of open mic nights, the value of mentors, and why we cared so much about clean comedy at Laughs Unlimited. We talk about originality, why stolen bits kill your momentum, and how professional comics treat the craft like a job. If you're searching for stand-up comedy tips, how to write a set, or how to structure a comedy show, you'll hear practical tactics like recording your sets, saving joke ideas, and placing experimental material in the middle while you open strong and close stronger.Then Marc delivers the kind of road stories you can't make up: telling jokes over an airplane PA, performing for Marines in Iraq, and using commitment and timing to lift a room. We wrap with why clean, flexible comedy is perfect for fundraisers and community events and share a stand-up set from Mark that highlights his sharp perspective and identity-driven humor.If you enjoy behind-the-scenes comedy stories, clean stand-up, and real-world advice from working comics, subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.Hosted by: R. Scott EdwardsSupport the show  www.StandupComedyPodcastNetwork.comWebsite....check it out, podcast, jokes, blogs, and More!"NEW" Video Podcast: Tag Team Talent Podcast on Spotify & YouTubeInterested in Standup Comedy? Check out my books on Amazon and the "BookBaby" Book Store for Discounted copies!"20 Questions Answered about Being a Standup Comic""Be a Standup Comic...or just look like one"

On today's Zero Limits Podcast Matt Morris chats with Shaun Preston former 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment and succesful businessman.Enlisting in the Australian Army in 2005, he completed his infantry training before being posted to Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR). He went on to deploy to Baghdad, Iraq, with SECDET X, supporting the Australian mission in a complex and dangerous environment, before later deploying to Timor-Leste following the 2008 assassination attempts on the country's leadership. After leaving the Army, he struggled with the transition back into civilian life and bounced between different jobs before finding his way into the pest-control industry. After gaining experience in the trade, he took the gamble of starting his own company, which he spent the next 12 years building into a highly successful business before eventually selling it to global pest-control company.Send us a text however note we cannot reply through these means. Please message the instagram or email if you are wanting a response. Support the showWebsite - www.zerolimitspodcast.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/zero.limits.podcast/?hl=enHost - Matty Morris www.instagram.com/matty.m.morrisFor the new Zero Limits Pre workout and creatine supplements head to link belowZero Limits Supplements - www.zerolimitssupplements.comSponsorsInstagram - @3zeroscoffee3 Zeros Coffee - www.3zeroscoffee.com.au10% Discount Code - 3ZLimitsInstagram - @getsome_auGetSome Jocko Fuel - www.getsome.com.au10% Discount Code - ZEROLIMITS

In this episode of *Qussas Podcast*, we speak with Richard Sunderland, Country Director of the British Council in Iraq, about education, arts, cultural exchange, and Iraq's creative economy.We also discuss travel, challenging stereotypes, football, identity, and his personal connection with Baghdad.نستضيف ريتشارد سندرلاند، المدير القطري للمجلس الثقافي البريطاني في العراق، في حوار عفوي عن العلاقات الثقافية بين العراق والمملكة المتحدة، ودور المجلس في مجالات التعليم، واللغة الإنكليزية، والفنون والاقتصاد الإبداعي.

Send us Fan MailSome battles don't end when the deployment does. For many veterans, coming home is only the beginning of a different fight—one that can't be seen. It's the battle of rediscovering purpose, rebuilding relationships, and finding peace after war.In this powerful episode of the Montana Outdoor Podcast, host Downrigger Dale sits down with Army Veteran Nick Gonzalas, whose journey took him from the streets of Iraq to helping fellow veterans heal through Montana's outdoors, yoga, community, and service.When you click here to watch or here to listen you will hear Nick share his deeply personal story of military service, returning home carrying invisible wounds, and the long road toward healing. Along the way he discovered something unexpected—that helping other veterans find hope became part of his own recovery.Today, through South Side Studio Yoga and his work with veterans, Nick is creating opportunities for others to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the healing power of Montana's wild places. Every veteran that joins his free Yoga Class for Vertrans program also gets the opportunity to take a free guided weeklong trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. This is an amazing trip for veterans as they pack in by horse and get float out!  This podcast isn't just for veterans. It's for military families. It's for friends trying to understand someone they love. And it's for anyone who believes the outdoors can change lives. Whether you've worn the uniform yourself or simply want to understand what many veterans face after they come home, this is a conversation that will stay with you long after it ends. If you know a veteran or a family member of a veteran who could benefit from hearing Nick's story, please share this episode with them. Sometimes hope begins with a single conversation.Links:South Side Studio Yoga (Nick's organization)Book a Yoga Class with NickVeterans, Here is Your Link For You Free Class with Nick!Let's Support Nicks Yurt Project! Click and Donate Today!South Side Studio Yoga Instagram pageNick's YouTube Channel, Come On Veterans Join in Online!Red Willow Learning CenterProject Healing WatersPatrol Base AbbateWater Master RaftsQuestions for Nick? Click here to send him an email!Questions for Downrigger Dale? Click here to send him and email!9Support the showRemember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

SPONSORS: 1) MARS MEN: Head to mengotomars.com and for a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts. Mars dot com. 2) MOOD: Get 20% off your first order at https://mood.com with code JULIAN. JOIN PATREON FOR EARLY UNCENSORED EPISODE RELEASES: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey CLIPPERS DISCORD: https://discord.gg/8QmWEKJ3BT NEWSLETTER: https://juliandoreypodcast.beehiiv.com/get-julians-top-10-books (***TIMESTAMPS in Description Below) ~ Sabbatical (Tommy Beard) is an American travel YouTuber and polyglot known for exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations and immersing himself in local cultures and languages TOMMY'S LINKS - YT: https://www.youtube.com/@UCib80j_q5o_C5XsCA9YsAFg - IG: https://www.instagram.com/sabbatical.tommy/ FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY IG: https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://x.com/juliandorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 0:00 - Russian Prison, FSB Sting & 15-Minute Trial 11:31 - Day to Day in Prison & Getting the Footage Out 22:31 - Living in China, COVID & Tanzania 33:00 - Learning Aztec Language & Filming With No Experience 46:35 - Nazi Descendants in Argentina & Colonia Dignidad 57:31 - First Viral Video, Polygamy & Safaris 01:07:50 - Nigeria, Iraq 2025 & Going Viral on National News 01:16:00 - Iraq Now, Holy Site in Samarra & Shia Militants 01:29:31 - Yazidis, Devil Worshippers & The Kurds 01:41:37 - Turkey, Iran War & Three Weeks After October 7th 01:52:30 - Palestine, West Bank & Why It Is Unsolvable 02:02:13 - Eritrea, Horn of Africa & Being Questioned as a Terrorist 02:12:10 - Detained in Wuhan & Ukraine After Russia 02:22:30 - Largest Attack of the War & Unintentional Journalism 02:32:30 - Strait of Hormuz & What He Actually Saw 02:44:03 - Lebanon, Cuba & The World Gets Small 02:52:35 - Tommy's Work CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 468 - Tommy Beard Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is a sentence here from St. Isaac that overturns almost everything we are inclined to think about asceticism: You suppose these things were ordained simply to oblige you to labor. We imagine the vigil primarily as something difficult. Sleep is surrendered. The body is constrained. Psalms are prayed while the world sleeps. Nature protests and the monk remains standing before God. Looked at from the outside, it appears to be an extraordinary act of discipline. But Isaac tells us that if this is all we see, we have not yet understood the vigil. The question is not how much a man can endure for God. The question is what begins to happen within the heart of a man who desires God enough to seek Him in the night. Something is born there. This is why Isaac speaks so fiercely about the following day. The tragedy would not simply be that we failed in some ascetical rule. The tragedy would be that we received something precious and then lived carelessly enough to lose it. Seeking the One Who Has Already Come to Us The night vigil is born from desire. The monk rises because Someone is there. This is what distinguishes Christian asceticism from mere religious exertion. We are not trying to force our way toward an absent God. We are responding to the God who has already drawn near, already called us, already awakened desire within us. The Beloved has come seeking us. And eventually the heart begins seeking Him. There comes a moment in the spiritual life when prayer is no longer adequately described as obligation. The language of duty becomes too small. A man discovers within himself a hunger for silence because silence allows him to hear more clearly. He desires solitude because solitude removes the thousand competing claims upon his attention. He rises in the night because there are hours when the world has become quiet enough for the heart to recognize what it has always desired. Isaac knows this experience. This is why he speaks of Scripture as well. Reading is not merely preparation for prayer or the acquisition of religious knowledge. Scripture “sows” something within the soul. It gathers the scattered mind. It irrigates prayer. It plants the remembrance of God. It makes the understanding subtle enough to perceive things that previously escaped it. Scripture, silence, prayer, vigil—all begin converging upon the one thing necessary. Christ Himself. And once the heart begins to taste this, the whole ordering of life must change. The Day Must Become the Guardian of the Night Here Isaac becomes extraordinarily demanding. What sense is there, he asks, in sowing throughout the night only to scatter the seed during the day? We stand before God in darkness, struggling to gather the mind. Perhaps after a long while the thoughts settle. Something softens. The Name descends more deeply. Scripture opens itself in a way that cannot easily be explained. A stillness appears that we could never manufacture. Then morning comes. And we throw ourselves back into dispersion. Conversation. Curiosity. News. Opinions. Tasks that did not need to be done. Encounters that did not need to occur. Words that did not need to be spoken. The endless grazing of the mind among things. Isaac's question is devastatingly simple: Why would you do this? Why labor through the night to gather what you willingly scatter during the day? This reveals something essential about the monastic heart. Vigil cannot be isolated from the rest of life. There cannot be one life before God and another life afterward. Isaac says that we must place “no wall of separation” between the night and the day. That phrase is astonishing. The stillness of the night is meant to flow into the day. The remembrance of God cultivated in darkness must become the hidden atmosphere in which we move beneath the light of the sun. The silence of the cell must follow us. The Name must remain near. Our encounters, our speech, our work, even the manner in which we allow ourselves to think must begin to be governed by one question: Will this help me remain with the One whom I have found? This is not narrowness. It is love. Love Makes a Man Careful When something becomes precious to us, we become careful around it. This perhaps explains Isaac's asceticism better than almost anything else. The Fathers guard the senses because something precious has been entrusted to the heart. They guard speech because words can disturb what silence has gathered. They flee unnecessary encounters because the mind can quickly become populated by images, arguments, memories, anxieties, and judgments. They restrain curiosity because the heart cannot gaze simultaneously in every direction and remain simple before God. From outside, such a life may appear severe. From within, it is tenderness. A man in love does not experience every renunciation as deprivation. Some things simply become less interesting because something infinitely more beautiful has appeared. This is why the ascetical life is so counterintuitive. We ordinarily construct our days around what must be accomplished and then attempt to fit prayer somewhere within them. Isaac reverses the order. Order the day around what must not be lost. What if the most important thing that happened today occurred while the world was sleeping? What if the deepest work was not something we accomplished but the quiet gathering of the heart before God? What if the purpose of tomorrow were, in part, simply not to lose it? Then discernment changes. We begin asking not merely whether something is sinful, permissible, useful, interesting, or productive. We begin asking whether it preserves the heart's capacity for God. This is a much more demanding question. “You Would Have Embraced Jesus' Bosom” And then Isaac says something almost unbearably beautiful. Had the monk allowed his daytime life to correspond to the meditation of the night, had he placed no division between them, Isaac says that “in a short time you would have embraced Jesus' bosom.” Here the entire meaning of vigil is unveiled. Not achievement. Not spiritual heroism. Not mastery over sleep. The bosom of Jesus. Communion. Intimacy. Rest in the Beloved. Everything else exists for this. We constrain ourselves because we desire freedom from everything that prevents love. We become silent because we desire to hear. We remain awake because we desire to see. We read because we desire the mind of Christ. We guard ourselves because we have discovered something worth guarding. Even the night itself becomes sacramental in this sense. The darkness strips things of their urgency. The machinery of the world slows. The identities we carry during the day become less important. There is less to perform and less to defend. There is simply the creature before the Creator. The beloved before the Beloved. And the Name. Lord Jesus Christ. The New Life Begins in the Night Isaac finally speaks of those who desire “knowledge of the new life.” That is what vigil opens before us. A new life. Not merely a more disciplined version of the old one. Perhaps this is why the call to stillness can become stronger rather than weaker as the spiritual life deepens. The field of vision narrows. Things once regarded as indispensable reveal themselves as secondary. Activities that once seemed important begin to feel strangely weightless. Even good works must find their proper place. Not because love has diminished. Because desire has become concentrated. One thing is necessary. The night teaches this with a clarity the day rarely permits. And so perhaps Isaac's teaching on vigil reaches far beyond the question of how many hours we sleep. He is teaching us how to construct an entire life around the remembrance of God. Receive the night as gift. Read until the mind is gathered. Call upon the Name. Stand before God when nothing seems to be happening. Remain. And when something begins to awaken within you—some tenderness, some compunction, some clarity, some quiet awareness of the One who has been waiting for you—do not rush away from it. Guard it. Carry it into the morning. Let your speech become quieter because of it. Let your choices become simpler. Let unnecessary things fall away. Let the day itself become an extension of the vigil. For the purpose of the vigil was never simply that we should remain awake. It was that we should awaken. And having awakened, that we should refuse to return to sleep. The Fathers went into the night because they had begun to glimpse the astonishing truth hidden beneath all asceticism: God is worth seeking. God is worth waiting for. God is worth arranging an entire life around. And once the heart has begun to discover Him in the silence, wisdom consists largely in learning not to lose during the day what Love has given us in the night. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:21:49 Ambrose Little: It's supposed to make your head hurt.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the impact of rising inflation on the Trump administration's budget request; CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow; NATO's moves to counter Russia's mounting provocations in the Baltic and across Europe; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby's meeting with allies as he oversees the review that will reduce US troops from Europe; Washington's new Iran sanctions to collapse the theocratic regime as Beijing vows to retaliate if its banks or businesses are targeted; the trade war with Canada; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's claim Iran tried to kill one of his son's in Florida; retired Israeli Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter new extreme right-wing party; Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's effort to bring militias under control; Washington cancels an amphibious exercise with South Korea, but will press ahead with the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise next month with Korea and Japan; Japan, Australia, and Indonesia launch defense talks; and Beijing's tightening comprehensive encirclement of Taiwan.

What happens when the mission ends—but the hardest battle is just beginning? In this powerful episode of The MisFitNation, host Jake welcomes Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Ret.) Michael Carmichael, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret with 26 years of service, including 22 years in Special Forces and 10 combat deployments across Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and the Middle East. After retiring from one of America's most elite military units, Michael faced an enemy he never expected: isolation, loss of purpose, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Instead of surrendering to that battle, he founded Check A Vet, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing veteran suicide through community, accountability, education, and meaningful human connection. Together, Jake and Michael discuss: • Life inside the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) • The difficult transition from military service to civilian life • PTSD, moral injury, and the invisible wounds of war • Why loneliness is one of the greatest threats facing veterans today • The reality behind veteran suicide statistics • Leadership lessons forged in combat and carried into everyday life • How families, friends, and civilians can recognize warning signs and help • Why simply checking on someone can save a life This episode is an honest conversation about resilience, purpose, service, and hope. Whether you're a veteran, active-duty service member, first responder, military family member, or someone who wants to better understand the challenges facing those who served, this discussion offers insight that could make a lasting impact. If this episode resonates with you, please follow The MisFitNation, leave a five-star review, and share this conversation with someone who needs to hear it. Remember: No veteran should ever fight alone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we're having a conversation with Navy Veteran Dr. Erik Won, President and Chief Medical Officer of Wave Neuroscience, an organization utilizing advanced neuroimaging and magnetic resonance therapy to help veterans recover from post-traumatic stress. DisclaimerThis podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. The views and opinions expressed by the guest are entirely his own and do not reflect the views, policies, or official positions of his employer or company. Content is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Wave supplies MeRT to licensed clinics who provide treatment to patients. Talk to your physician to see if MeRT is right for you. Episode Partner:Our sponsor this week is Aetna, a trusted health care company, committed to serving Veterans, military families, and caregivers through meaningful, community-centered care. Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestDr. Erik Won is President and Chief Medical Officer of Wave Neuroscience, Inc; a biotechnology company that has innovated breakthrough technologies called Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT) and Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS). MeRT recently received FDA Breakthrough Technology designation and FDA clearance for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders. These approaches utilize computational neuroanalytics and brain imaging to customize treatment protocols with the aim of restoring optimal neurological function.These modalities represent a form of precision-guided medicine that has been researched or is currently being used by premier institutions such as US Special Operations Command, Stanford University School of Medicine, Duke University - Human Performance Opti-Lab, University of Southern California (USC) Center for Neurorestoration, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) - David Geffen School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Texas A&M Institute for Bioscience and Technology.Erik joined Wave Neuroscience after serving as the Chief Physician and Chief Technology Officer (Health Services) for the Boeing Company. He also served as a US Navy Flight Surgeon for Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268, and received the distinction of serving as the ACE Flight Surgeon for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. Dr. Won has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, and presented in numerous academic conferences. He completed his residency at the Harvard OEM combined residency program and was appointed Chief Resident. He received a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard School of Public Health and Masters in Business Administrations (MBA) from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of BusinessLinks Mentioned During the EpisodeWave Neuroscience WebsiteBrain Treatment Center WebsitePsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Brain Health & Wellness Learning Series – PTSD. Nearly everyone goes through a traumatic event at least once during their lifetime. Military service members and Veterans are especially vulnerable to the lasting effects of post-traumatic stress due to the nature of their duties and experiences. While this can be a difficult diagnosis to navigate, it is treatable, and social support is one of the leading factors for lasting recovery. Having someone to trust and confide in while feeling heard and validated is a vital part of the healing process. This series on post-traumatic stress disorder explores the presentation and diagnosis of PTSD, its impact on both the Veterans you support and the lives of those around them, and effective treatment modalities, so you'll be better equipped to provide meaningful support. You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/WWP-BHW-PTSD Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on XPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

It's always a good time when Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips find their way back on the show. It's especially grand when they're back to chat about That Texas Blood, and it's even better when they come guns blazing with the new Hell Comes to Allison Ranch relaunch and news of an upcoming television adaptation. FOC for the new series is this upcoming Monday. Get on your Bat-phone, and get your local comic shop on the line. Here's your chance to jump on the That Texas Blood chuckwagon. That Texas Blood: Hell Comes to Allison Ranch begins in 2003. America has just invaded Iraq. Sheriff Joe Bob wants his son to witness the history on TV, but the teen just wants some alone time with his Xbox. An argument is brewing, but then the call comes in. War is on their doorstep; the Allison Ranch, a local institution, is apparently coming under heavy fire. Sheriff Joe Bob and Deputy Wilson investigate. Things get rough. It's been four years since the previous That Texas Blood storyline. While Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips have never been busier, they've been itching to return to the title that solidified their reputation. We discuss what That Texas Bloodoffers them that no other story does. We explore how this series reflects our current moment and how genre tropes guide their characters toward revelation. During our introduction, we also discuss the sudden closing of Meanwhile…Coffee in Herndon, Virginia. It's where we founded our in-person Comic Book Club, which has become a staple in our creative pursuits. We encourage others to form their own Comic Book Clubs, and we announce where the next iteration of our Comic Book Club will meet in September. That Texas Blood: Hell Comes to Allison Ranch will hit shops on September 23rd, courtesy of Image Comics. It's written by Chris Condon, illustrated by Jacob Phillips, with color assists by Pip Martin, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Follow Chris Condon on Bluesky. Follow Jacob Phillips on Blue Sky and Instagram. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Subscribe to the CBCC Newsletter Meanwhile...Coffee Announces its Closure Previously on CBCC: Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on The Peril of the Brutal Dark Previously on CBCC: Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on The Enfield Gang Massacre Previously on CBCC: Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on a Holly Jolly That Texas Blood Previously on CBCC: Matthew Rosenberg on We're Taking Everyone Down With Us Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. This Week's Sponsors Glinda and the Wicked Witch finally get their romance. Vampire Snow White and Werewolf Belle must fight the evil queen, while exes-to-lovers, Sleeping Beauty and Alice, try to escape a Nightmare version of Wonderland. Kat and Phil at Lifeline Comics have been building a Kickstarter empire with their Mature Fairy Tale Universe for years…did we also mention they are queer? Well, now they are all colliding in a special Big 2-style event. Nothing will be the same. Head to Kickstarter for Fairy Tale Wars #1, which sees the popular series The Beast and Snow, Nightmare in Wonderland, and The Witches of Oz crossover for a first-of-its-kind comics event. I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! is the wild new original graphic novel from Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard, the twisted minds behind Plastic, Vinyl, Plush, and the current hit Image book, Narco. Imagine a post-apocalyptic world where Heaven and Hell are at war, a nerd wakes up trapped in the body of a supernatural slasher, and his only allies include a roller derby angel, a possessed truck...and immortal murder chickens. Critics are already calling it wildly creative, wonderfully weird, and an absolute blast. Back the Kickstarter for an oversized deluxe hardcover, exclusive editions, art prints, and even the Murder Chickens Card Game, available only during the campaign. If you love horror, dark comedy, and comics that break every rule, head to Kickstarter and search I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! before the campaign disappears! This August, the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special is here to make it a nuclear Summer! This 48-page Summer Special features five self-contained stories featuring Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Judge Death and Stickleback – the King of Crime! Never read 2000 AD before? This is a great way to jump on board and try out The Galaxy's Greatest Comic. With a cover by Liam Sharp and stories from a galaxy of reality-warping creators, this is all-out sci-fi with an anarchic edge. And the best news is? It's available through Lunar – so you'll be able to order it through your LCS! It's the ultimate apocalyptic beach read – so make sure you pick up the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special this month!

You start pulling on one thread and then the whole thing unravels. Maybe you start with the Iraq war lies. Maybe 9/11. These days for a lot of folks it's Palestine. You keep pulling on that thread, uncovering more and more uncomfortable truths, until eventually you discover that pretty much everything you've been taught about your world was a lie. Reading by Tim Foley.

Janatyn Sayeh and Edmund Fitton-Brown examine Iranian official Ghalibaf's public appearance in Iraq, signaling defiance to the US and Israel before secondary sanctions are revealed. Sayeh explains that Iran views Iraq as its backyard, using it to evade sanctions by blending Iranian oil with Iraqi exports. Under President Trump, US economic scrutiny on Iraq has increased to block this smuggling. While maximum pressure has devalued Iran's currency and caused hyperinflation, Iran aims to overwhelm Washington by utilizing its regional proxy networks across Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq. The US must view these proxies as Iranian arms rather than local actors. (2)

CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-24-2026.OTTAWAConrad Black and co-host Edmund Fitton-Brown discuss the collapse of trade negotiations and subsequent US tariff threats that have sparked a major political crisis in Canada, leading to opposition calls to immediately reconvene Parliament. Black describes a stark contrast in national attitudes, noting that President Trump's rhetoric effectively denies Canada's sovereignty. This perceived affront has deeply united Canadians across party lines, who view the tariffs as an assault on national identity rather than a mere commercial dispute. Black highlights potential Republican electoral fallout in key US Senate races like Maine and Michigan, and suggests a bilateral phone call could resolve the dispute. (1)Janatyn Sayeh and Edmund Fitton-Brown examine Iranian official Ghalibaf's public appearance in Iraq, signaling defiance to the US and Israel before secondary sanctions are revealed. Sayeh explains that Iran views Iraq as its backyard, using it to evade sanctions by blending Iranian oil with Iraqi exports. Under President Trump, US economic scrutiny on Iraq has increased to block this smuggling. While maximum pressure has devalued Iran's currency and caused hyperinflation, Iran aims to overwhelm Washington by utilizing its regional proxy networks across Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq. The US must view these proxies as Iranian arms rather than local actors. (2)Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa, with Edmund Fitton-Brown: In Brazil, falling poll numbers have panicked President Lula, prompting him to call Donald Trump despite years of anti-American rhetoric. Araújo explains this reflects the US's central role in combating South American "narcosocialist" regimes. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, Delcyand Jorge Rodríguez are simulating cooperation with the US while delaying presidential elections to buy time. Peña Esclusa notes that Venezuelan opposition members are negotiating Supreme Court appointments rather than election dates or political prisoners. Both guests will attend Slovenia's Bled Strategic Forum to discuss Latin America's right-wing political shift and potential energy partnerships with Europe. (3)Malcolm Hoenlein and Edmund Fitton-Brown discuss rising security concerns in Israel after incendiary balloons from Gaza were discovered, potentially testing Israel's border preparedness. Concurrently, Turkey is expanding its regional footprint, occupying 5% of Syria and attempting to establish military bases, which Israel countered with airstrikes. In Gaza, Jared Kushner met with Hamas in Cairo, a move that critics argue bolsters the group's status despite declining local support. Meanwhile, the US Treasury has previewed secondary sanctions on Iranian trading partners, including China. Iran's economy is in collapse, with inflation skyrocketing and the currency reaching an all-time low. (4)David Daoud and Edmund Fitton-Brown examine UNIFIL's mandate, which restricts it to acting as an auxiliary to the Lebanese Armed Forces, preventing independent disarmament of Hezbollah. Consequently, Hezbollah operates freely near UN watchtowers and tunnel networks. Daoud argues that while new US Treasury sanctions expanding target parameters to include Iranian violations are positive, they fail to address Hezbollah's deep integration into Lebanon's socio-political fabric. To be effective, the West must treat Hezbollah as a Lebanese entity with sovereign responsibilities, rather than purely an Iranian proxy. True security requires targeting all of Hezbollah's activities, including its social and political wings. (5)Ivana Stradner and Edmund Fitton-Brown analyze Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's visit to Belgrade, which does not signal a split between Serbia and Russia. President Vučić's weapons sales to Ukraine are merely lucrative business deals. Serbia remains highly dependent on Russia, sharing deep intelligence ties and cooperating with the FSB to test crowd-control equipment. Vučić balances these relationships to survive domestic protests sparked by environmental concerns and a severe heatwave. Stradner, recently returning from Israel, reports that Israeli morale remains exceptionally high despite facing a multi-front threat from Iran's proxy network, which Russia continues to exploit through regional propaganda and strategic manipulation. (6)Edmund Fitton-Brown critiques the term "economic D-Day," explaining that Pakistan's mediation in Iran is self-interested, driven by fears of secondary US sanctions. These sanctions have suffocated Iran's economy, reducing oil exports and sparking hyperinflation. Iraq also struggles with contradictory policies, balancing its US alliance with pro-Iranian gestures, such as securing tanker passage through the Strait of Hormuz. In the Red Sea, the Houthis demand tribute from Saudi Arabia to halt attacks on tankers and pipelines. Fitton-Brown warns that paying the Houthis only delays their long-term expansionist goals against Saudi territory and Israel. (7)Samuel Ben-Ur and Edmund Fitton-Brown discuss how, following a temporary lull, Hamas has intensified attacks in Gaza, emboldened by disarmament frameworks proposed by Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators. Ben-Ur notes Hamas only accepted the deal under the pretense of disarming while intending to survive intact. However, following Jared Kushner's visit, the US aligned with Israel's stance, demanding total disarmament before military withdrawal. Fitton-Brown and Ben-Ur discuss the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (ENCAG), a secular government planned to replace Hamas. Lacking military power, ENCAG's deployment depends on an international stabilization force, though troop commitments remain severely short. (8)Michael Sobolik and Edmund Fitton-Brown examine how Chinese AI company Moonshot bypassed US export controls by "distilling" technology from Anthropic's Claude Opus model to train its own system, Kimi K3. This intellectual property theft threatens American market dominance and national security. Sobolik recommends three policy actions: imposing crushing financial sanctions on violating Chinese firms, closing export control loopholes related to remote cloud access, and banning open CCP models in the United States. He warns that American tech companies prioritizing short-term profits over security risk losing the AI race, mirroring historical patterns of Chinese piracy. (9)John Hardie and Edmund Fitton-Brown outline Russia's military assistance to Iran via the Caspian Sea, a highly secure transit route. This collaboration benefits Moscow by raising energy prices and draining US munition stockpiles like Patriot interceptors, giving Russia a freer hand in Ukraine. Russia provides Iran with tactical intelligence, drone components to resist satellite jamming, and has agreed to deliver shoulder-launched air defense missiles. While Ukraine and Israel have attempted long-range strikes against trade vessels and ports to disrupt this flow, interdiction is difficult because the Caspian Sea operates as a protected, non-transparent Russian-Iranian military lake. (10)Standing corrections applied: Janatyn Sayeh, Ernesto Araújo, Alejandro Peña Esclusa, Delcy Rodríguez (and Jorge Rodríguez), Zelenskyy, Vučić with diacritics, and Kimi K3 (source again had "Kimmy"). One anomaly in the source: segment 7 listed Fitton-Brown as both guest and co-host, so I've formatted it as his solo segment — flag it if there was a second voice in that file.

Edmund Fitton-Brown critiques the term "economic D-Day," explaining that Pakistan's mediation in Iran is self-interested, driven by fears of secondary US sanctions. These sanctions have suffocated Iran's economy, reducing oil exports and sparking hyperinflation. Iraq also struggles with contradictory policies, balancing its US alliance with pro-Iranian gestures, such as securing tanker passage through the Strait of Hormuz. In the Red Sea, the Houthis demand tribute from Saudi Arabia to halt attacks on tankers and pipelines. Fitton-Brown warns that paying the Houthis only delays their long-term expansionist goals against Saudi territory and Israel. (7)

Let's talk about a lesson from Iraq on Trump's economic war on Iran....

Okay, this week's conversation went WAY off-roading.

Gaius and Germanicus: On a rainy late summer night in 92 AD Londinium, the hosts convene in their newly expanded wine bar by the River Thames, built so retired centurions of the eighth legion—such as Strabo, who served twenty-seven years—can rest and put their feet up. Gaius apologizes for his tardiness, delayed by a commercial dispute with a Gaulishmerchant demanding extra money for a shipment of Greek wine brought across the choppy English Channel; a poor bargainer, Gaius resolves to pay whatever it takes to secure the wine for the centurions by Sunday, and shares his day planting fragrant sumacs and tall purple-flowered ironweeds as pollinators. From this first-century frame, the hosts turn to the collapse of American strategy: the Persian Empire (modern Iran) no longer fears the American "imperator," as shown by Iran inviting Iraq—a country generously supported by the United States for years—to ship at least five backed-up tankers of oil through the Strait of Hormuzuntouched, and by Pakistani army chief General Munir's travel to Tehran to meet the IRGC. Russia and China are in constant communication with Iran; Germanicus traces Russia's interest to the nineteenth century, the 1908 spheres-of-influence division, and the 1942 invasion, arguing the American "feckless war" has stitched the Eurasian continent together and frozen the US out. Where the post-9/11 US "bestrode the Middle East like a colossus" and Iran sought breathing room through the JCPOA, now Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan court Tehran, the Gulf states seek accommodations in the new order, and the US has been reduced to nothing more than Israel's direct defender. (1)

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) speaks with Joanna Coles about the ongoing war with Iran, warning that the Trump administration risks repeating the mistakes that sent him to Iraq as a young Marine—and could drag thousands more Americans into a conflict with no clear exit. Gallego takes aim at Donald Trump's handling of the military, Pete Hegseth's leadership at the Pentagon, the president's health and judgment, and the security concerns surrounding his inner circle. He also lays out why he believes Democrats could win back voters by focusing on the cost of living, corruption, and the concerns of Latino men who supported Trump but are now turning against his immigration policies. Plus, Gallego makes the case for giving parents more control over their children's social media use, reveals what he's hearing from Republicans about the Pentagon, and gives his most candid answer yet on whether a 2028 presidential run could be in his future. #ad Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to https://honeylove.com/DAILYBEAST! #honeylovepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices