Podcasts about Iraq

Sarah, Tim and JVL discuss the legality and consequences of the Venezuela operation, the emerging split between “America First” and “Trump First,” Stephen Miller's grotesque worldview, and why Greenland suddenly feels less hypothetical. They also debate the legacy of neoconservatism and Iraq, MAGA influencer drama, and GOP dysfunction in Congress.Get up to 30% off OneSkin with the code THENEXTLEVEL at https://www.oneskin.co/THENEXTLEVEL #oneskinpod #ad Go to https://GetSoul.com and use the code THENEXTLEVEL for 30% off.Go to https://greenchef.com/nextlevelgraza and use code NEXTLEVELGRAZA to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes.

A caller talks about their day to day life on a Navajo reservation while they herd sheep, I talk to a second caller about this paradoxical life of schemes, and a viewer email debates whether or not to disclose his history of writing successful gay erotica. It is time to pin the tail on John Travolta. I am a gecko. Send an email to therapygeckomail@gmail.com to maybe have it possibly read on the show potentially. Watch a video I made of me walking around Iraq as a gecko: https://youtu.be/6NOjY7CaPvQGet notified for when I come to your city to do a live gecko show: therapygeckotour.com GET BONUS EPISODES: therapygecko.supercast.com FOLLOW ME ON GECKOGRAM: instagram.com/lyle4ever GET WEIRD EMAILS FROM ME SOMETIMES BY CLICKING HERE.Follow me on Twitch to get a notification for when I’m live taking calls. Usually Mondays and Wednesdays but a lot of other times too. twitch.tv/lyleforeverSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah, Tim and JVL discuss the legality and consequences of the Venezuela operation, the emerging split between “America First” and “Trump First,” Stephen Miller's grotesque worldview, and why Greenland suddenly feels less hypothetical. They also debate the legacy of neoconservatism and Iraq, MAGA influencer drama, and GOP dysfunction in Congress.Watch, listen, and leave a comment. This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Click the learn about setting up this show, ad-free, on your podcast player of choice. You can find The Next Level wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add The Next Level to your podcast player of choice, here. And help more people find this show by leaving us a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen.

We examine the latest on President Trump's ouster of Nicolas Maduro and examine what comes next; we discuss the sea change Trump has effectuated in American foreign policy; and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has dropped out of his gubernatorial race. Ep. 2340 - - - Click here to join the member-exclusive portion of my show: https://bit.ly/3WDjgHE - - - Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings - - - Today's Sponsor: ZipRecruiter - Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE: https://ZipRecruiter.com/DAILYWIRE - - - DailyWire+: Become a Daily Wire Member and watch all of our content ad-free: https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe Friendly Fire is here! No moderator, no safe words. Now available at: https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire Get your Ben Shapiro merch here: https://bit.ly/3TAu2cw - - - Socials: Follow on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3cXUn53  Follow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3QtuibJ  Follow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/3TTirqd  Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPyBiB - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Maddow runs through the litany of excuses and justifications the Trump administration has presented to explain the military invasion of Venezuela, and points out that none of what has been floated holds up under scrutiny. Every principle the Trump administration claims to be defending comes with examples of the administration not caring at all about that principle. Even the popular idea that it was all for oil doesn't really make sense upon closer examination. But there is one reason that is consistent with Trump's behavior through the first year of his second term in office.Pete Hegseth, former cable news weekend host and Donald Trump secretary of defense, is moving to demote Senator Mark Kelly and also cut his military retirement pay because Kelly reminded members of the military of their duty to refuse to obey unlawful orders. Senator Kelly talked with Rachel Maddow about why that particular message bothered Donald Trump so much that he's still trying to punch Kelly for saying it out loud in public.Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America talks with Rachel Maddow about how Donald Trump is reshaping the role of the U.S. military to suit his interests and ego. Want more of Rachel? Check out the "Rachel Maddow Presents" feed to listen to all of her chart-topping original podcasts.To listen to all of your favorite MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nick Tran is a Vietnam War refugee who escaped the fall of Saigon as a child, served 13 years as an Army combat veteran across three theaters including the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and is now challenging incumbent Dan Crenshaw for Texas's 2nd Congressional District. Tran shares his harrowing journey from near-death experiences and wartime guilt to finding purpose in veteran advocacy and politics, offering raw insights into resilience, American exceptionalism, and his fight to preserve the nation's core values. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don't look now but the people of Iran may well be the next country's population to see a dictator deposed. Stigall welcomes Alireza Jafarzadeh of the National Council of Resistance of Iran and author of "The Iran Threat." Today is also what Julie Kelly calls "Fed-surrection" day. Jack Smith testified last week and we're not hearing a lot. Julie is all over it. There's a big primary battle in Texas for Senate and Wesley Hunt who represents the 38th District in the House wants that seat in the Senate. He and Stigall discuss the military strategy of last weekend in Venezuela and what he sees Congress accomplishing in 2026. Plus Steve Moore on why Venezuela and its economy is an entirely different structure than discussions of Iraq or Afghanistan and why so many other countries seem to be turning around their economic fortunes. - For more info visit the official website: https://chrisstigall.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisstigallshow/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisStigall Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.stigall/ Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/StigallPod Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/StigallShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part two of Red Eye Radio with Gary McNamara and Eric Harley, AG Pam Bondi says President Trump 'saved countless lives' in Venezuelan dictator Maduro's capture operation. She defends military operation as 'well within' presidential authority after Democratic criticism. Some Democrats have criticized the military operation as a violation of state sovereignty, comparing it to former President George W. Bush's actions in Iraq. Also audio from Brit Hume, Martha MacCallum and even The View supporting Maduro's overthrow. For more talk on the issues that matter to you, listen on radio stations across America Monday-Friday 12am-5am CT (1am-6am ET and 10pm-3am PT), download the RED EYE RADIO SHOW app, asking your smart speaker, or listening at RedEyeRadioShow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 America just reminded the world what consequences look like.In this no-commercial, 15-minute special edition of The Right Side, Doug Billings breaks down the capture of Nicolás Maduro and explains why this was not war, not theater, and not nation-building — but targeted law enforcement rooted in American sovereignty and self-defense.This episode explains: • Why removing Maduro benefits the United States • Why comparisons to Iraq and Iran are intellectually lazy • How narco-states, cartel pipelines, and regional instability affect American communities • Why the “everything is theater” mindset is dangerous to a republic • How the Trump Doctrine is re-emerging: consequences without quagmiresThis is not punditry. This is strategic analysis, plain truth, and America First realism.Support the show

As the United States seizes control of Venezuela, what lessons can be drawn from the movement against the US occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq? Historian Jeremy Varon reflects on how the anti-war movement grew into the millions in the face of jingoism and media complicity with the US state. Jeremy Varon, Our Grief Is Not a Cry for War: The Movement to Stop the War on Terror University of Chicago Press, 2025 The post Protesting Endless Wars appeared first on KPFA.

The new war on drugs?     To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/TheJeffWardShow

In this intense, unfiltered episode, Tara lays out a chilling timeline — from the brutal torture of Iranian protesters to cartel-backed gangs taking territory inside the United States. This isn't theory. This isn't abstraction. This is a coordinated pressure campaign spanning Iran, Venezuela, China, and the U.S. homeland. Tara connects the dots between secret cash transfers, sanctions relief, drug trafficking regimes, election interference, and why the Monroe Doctrine suddenly matters again. From Iranian street protests to Venezuelan gangs operating in American cities, this episode explains why this is not foreign meddling — it's war, and why pretending otherwise is no longer an option. ⚠️ This is not Iraq. ⚠️ This is not Afghanistan.

In this explosive episode, Tara breaks down the brutal reality of life under Iran's mullah-led regime, the horrifying treatment of protesters, and how Western money kept that regime alive for years. From secret cash pallets and broken sanctions to the return of hope under Donald Trump, Tara connects the dots between Iran, Venezuela, global terror networks, and America's own national security. With protests reigniting and dictators reportedly preparing exit plans, this episode explains why Iran is shaking again, how sanctions are biting, and why the stakes couldn't be higher — not just for the Middle East, but for the United States itself. This is history, geopolitics, and hard truth — unfiltered. ⚠️

When did we truly become Americans — and what did the Founders actually believe about defending our nation? In this powerful episode, Tara dismantles the myth that America was ever meant to be isolationist. From the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791, to the Monroe Doctrine just 30 years later, Tara walks through the history the political class hopes you've forgotten — and why it matters right now. This episode connects early American strategy to modern threats: China's control of rare earth minerals, infiltration through student visas, agricultural warfare, and the global pressure campaign unfolding across our hemisphere. This isn't Iraq. This isn't Afghanistan. This is something very different — and very real. History didn't change.

Chuck Holton is a veteran war correspondent and documentary filmmaker who has reported from some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones, including Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel. His work focuses on military realities, strategy, and what war actually looks like on the ground.PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://yishaifleisher.com/podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/YishaiFleisherTVSUPPORT & CONNECT:Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/yishaiFight4Israel: https://fight4israel.givecloud.coTwitter: https://twitter.com/YishaiFleisherLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yishaifleisherFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/YishaiFleisher  Support the show

A new poll conducted in Michigan by the Glengariff Group,commissioned by the Detroit Regional Chamber, reveals that 76% of registeredvoters in the state report they are paying more for groceries this yearcompared to last. Additionally, 68% are facing higher utility bills, and 60%are experiencing increased costs for car and home insurance. Inflation remainsa key concern for voters, with 42.8% believing the state's economy is headed inthe wrong direction. The most commonly cited reasons for this sentiment includeinflation and rising costs of goods, the lack of good jobs or highunemployment, and low wages. Meanwhile, recent polls from The MarketingResource Group indicate that approximately 37% of Michiganders feel thatAmerica is on the right track, while the majority think it is not. This is whyRachel Howard is running for U.S. Senate: to make Michigan voices matter. I'm Rachel Howard, and I am not a typical politician. I am acombat veteran with 14 years of service in our country, as well as a healthcareleader who has dedicated my career to helping others. I understand the realchallenges facing Michigan families and the urgent need for change on theirbehalf. As one of only 500 women ever to receive the Purple Heart, Ihave served in Iraq and Afghanistan, worked as an EMT in metro Detroit, and ledgroundbreaking research at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  The COVID-19 pandemic forced me to confront the sameimpossible choices many Michigan families face, such as juggling careerresponsibilities with childcare when options became unavailable. Thisexperience opened my eyes to the daily challenges families navigate. My service is not finished. I am running for U.S. Senatebecause Michigan needs a fresh perspective to drive progress. For more information, visit:https://www.rachelforussenate.org/

There are few things that could be said about Venezuela that have not been said already and there are few perspectives or opinions not rooted in echo-chambers and political contradictions and hypocrisy that could be stated. On this episode we will analyze the analysis, or lack thereof, being provided about Venezuela. From shifting narratives about drugs and oil to Maduros's multiples changes of wardrobe to years-old and AI videos showing Venezuelan celebrations; from Call of Duty game plots to the Israeli preparation for an overthrow of the country, and from alternative media pushing the economic hitman model to claims about stargazes.*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.WEBSITEFREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVE-X / TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMYOUTUBERUMBLE-BUY ME A COFFEECashApp: $rdgable PAYPAL: rdgable1991@gmail.comRyan's Books: https://thesecretteachings.info - EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / rdgable1991@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

Each of the historically successful U.S. campaigns to oust foreign leaders were either the result of U.S. and allied actions during World War II, or were the result of brief targeted campaigns to remove a rouge leader with no sustained military commitment. Each of the four failed regime changes were sustained wars the U.S. either chose to enter – in the case of civil wars in Vietnam and Libya, or the sustained “War on Terror” in Afghanistan and Iraq.  

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. John Boyd is well known to have formally written down very little of his own theories on war and conflict, making researching his concepts challenging and leading many to infer meanings based on their own interpretations—or others'—of what little easily accessible evidence of his thinking remains. In Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals, Ian Brown unpacks Boyd in his own words delivered during his lectures. Recording Date: 9 Dec 2025 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #146 Sebastian Bae on Gaming Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals: John Boyd's Vision for Thriving in Chaos by Ian T. Brown and Frans P. B. Osinga A New Conception of War by Ian T. Brown YouTube: Steve Jobs Introducing The iPhone At MacWorld 2007 Destruction and Creation by John Boyd (1976) Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Ian Brown is a retired Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter pilot with multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Pacific region. He has written dozens of articles, reviews, and short stories for a variety of defense-related publications, covering topics of military history, military theory, future war, and wargaming. His book A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare (Marine Corps University Press, 2018) was added to the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Professional Reading Program in 2019. He currently works as a wargame analyst for Group W and has designed several wargames independently. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we're featuring a conversation with Michael Bailey, Deputy Director of Leadership Programs for the George W. Bush Institute. We talk about some of the initiatives of the Bush Institute, including the Veteran Leadership Program, the Democracy is a Verb initiative and the Bush Institute's efforts to celebrate America 250.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 GuestMichael Bailey serves as Deputy Director, Leadership Programs, for the George W. Bush Institute. In this role, he manages the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, which focuses on developing the leadership skills of veterans and those who serve them and their families. Bailey also supports alumni engagement efforts for the Institute's international leadership programs.Prior to joining the George W. Bush Institute, Bailey provided operations, media, and communications support to The American Choral Directors Association, a music organization dedicated to the excellence and advancement of choral music.Bailey is a native of Arlington, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music (Voice) from The University of Oklahoma, and he holds a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in finance and real estate from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business. He has a passion for running and enjoys racing in half and full marathons.Links Mentioned During the EpisodeGeorge W. Bush InstituteStand-To Veteran Leadership ProgramAmerica 250Democracy is a Verb initiative  PsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor Resource of the Week is The PsychArmor course The Myths and Facts of Military Leaders. This course identifies four of the most popular myths about military leaders and how they don't align with the reality of working alongside Veterans and Service members. You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/The-Myths-and-Facts-of-Military-Leaders Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities 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  

Streamed live on Jan 4, 2026 The SITCH and ADAM Show! (Full Livestreams)Check out Adam's *NEW* VIDEO:    • ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER: WTF DID I JUST W...  New Movie, Anime and Game channel!    / @howtokillafranchise  

Minor celebrity Mark Thompson had a rather sedate NYE, largely due to the unseasonable torrential rain here in SoCal. Have you watched the new Chevy Chase documentary on CNN? He doesn’t seem like a pleasant person. The president of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro and his wife were extracted from that country, flown to the USA, and indicted in New York today. The US military did that very well, but history tells us — we’re talking Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya — we don’t do well when it comes to the regime change that follows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SEASON 4 EPISODE 46: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (2:30) SPECIAL COMMENT: Well, that's it in sum, isn't it? He's "El Presidente" now, isn't he? Military Dictator. Succeeding Maduro. Until he finds somebody else to “run” it. Not the elected Vice President. Not the actual winner of the last election. Not the U-N. Maybe somebody he, in his dysfunctional haze, somebody he can trust. Maybe an oil executive. Or Elon Musk. Or Catturd. The invasion was illegal there, and illegal here. The kidnapping was illegal. Declaring we would run it is illegal. Naming a proxy dictator is illegal. As was his threat yesterday to the acting president that quote “if she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro” and calling for her belief that her country shouldn’t be invaded by another country breaking its own laws is quote “defiant rejection.” THAT’S illegal. It’s all illegal. That’s a lot of illegal – even for Trump. And I say this, hating Maduro completely. So he needs to be impeached, if not now then a year from now. Rubio can be impeached now for deceiving Congress about its approval. And both of them turned over to the World Court. And the ramifications are almost uncountable, including emboldening them to consider this in Cuba, Greenland, Iran. The poll numbers are terrible, and the risk to Americans of terrorism and violence are just as terrible. And maybe worst of all the evidence of linkage between Putin's strange silence about his ally Maduro, and Trump's dithering about Ukraine, is terrible too. But at least it produced a pretty good Olivia Nuzzi joke. ALSO: WHY DID THEY CHANGE THE TRUMP HEALTH COVER-UP STORY AGAIN? Five significant changes, about his MRI/CT, his cardiovascular health, and now the total of Cognitive tests he's gotten in just the last nine months. Three? Not two? He's really needed three tests in nine months? To repeat the insightful question from his niece Mary Trump: Why do they have to keep giving him cognitive tests? B-Block (40:00) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: There's begging the new boss to let you keep your current job, then there's what CBS Legal Analyst Jan Crawford is doing for Bari Weiss to try to keep hers. Chuck Schumer comes out firing on Venezuela: with one-millionth of one barrel blazing. And just when you think Cheryl Hines can't get any dumber, Tucker Carlson tries to talk to her about vaccines. C-Block (50:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: Will Ferrell did a great comedy bit at the L.A. Kings hockey game on New Year's Day and he did it for the pure joy of it. Which reminded me of the difference between amateurs and pros, and of the days when "Anchorman" was new and Will and I ad libbed a pretty good comedy bit that he said he really loved doing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy new year! It's Fun Day Monday on the Majority Report On today's program: Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as the 112th mayor of New York City. Jose Luis Granados Ceja, journalist at Drop Site News covering Latin America, joins Sam and Emma to discuss the Trump's Venezuelan coup. In the Fun Half: Chuck Schumer warns the GOP that if they don't stand up to Trump then they will "feel the heat" from their base. Such leadership. We go through the slew of the threats waged by Trump at Greenland, Cuba, and Columbia. Marco Rubio says if you live in Havana and work in the government, you should be concerned. Lindsey Graham and Donald Trump second this notion on Air Force One. Pat Ryan releases a campaign ad that highlights the similarities between Iraq and Venezuela. Joe Rogan misleads or misunderstands overdose data attributing the decline in deaths to Trump when the data ends before he took office. All that and more. The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the US Senate or the House of Representatives. Watch/Listen to The Majority Report live Monday–Friday at 12pm EST on YouTube OR via daily podcast at http://www.Majority.fm Today's Sponsors: • WILD GRAIN: Get $30 off your first box + free Croissants in every box. Go to Wildgrain.com/MAJORITY to start your subscription. • SHOPIFY: Sign up for a $1/month trial period at shopify.com/majority • SMALLS: For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping, when you head to Smalls.com/MAJORITY. SUNSET LAKE CBD: Use coupon code "Left Is Best" (all one word) for 20% on their full lineup of CBD products to support your New Year wellness goals and Dry January aspirations at SunsetLakeCBD.com  Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com

CONFIRMING THE MADRID MEETING AND EXAMINING GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S ALLEGED ROLEColleague Craig Unger. This section focuses on verifying the specific meetings where the alleged treason occurred. Unger asserts certainty that Bill Casey met with Iranian cleric Mehdi Karrubi in Madrid in July 1980 to outline the deal: arms for Iran in exchange for delaying the hostage release until after the election. Unger notes that Israeli military intelligence (AMAN) confirmed the channel of arms sales. The segment also addresses the controversial allegation that George H.W. Bush flew to Paris in October 1980 to seal the deal. While alibis involving Secret Service details and a visit to Justice Potter Stewart were punctured by Bob Parry's reporting, Unger remains "agnostic" but leans toward the meeting having happened. The Iranians reportedly required a high-level figure like Bush to guarantee the agreement before they would release the "frozen assets" of undelivered weaponry needed for their war with Iraq. NUMBER 6

In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano breaks down the stunning takedown and arrest of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and why it may signal a major shift in U.S. power in the Western Hemisphere. Was this a smarter model than the failed regime-change disasters of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, or the beginning of a dangerous new era of presidential authority? Professor Giordano examines what happens next as President Trump says the U.S. will run Venezuela until a safe, competent transition is possible, the strategic stakes tied to oil and hemispheric control, and the constitutional and international-law arguments now colliding in real time. He also exposes the domestic political hysteria as Venezuelans celebrate while America's activist left rushes to defend Maduro, revealing how Trump Derangement Syndrome continues to warp reality.   Episode Highlights Maduro captured, Venezuela in play: why this operation was different, what comes next, and the risk of repeating past postwar transition failures Monroe Doctrine 2.0: how oil, energy leverage, and strategic denial of Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, and proxy networks reshape geopolitics in the Americas Legality and backlash: Article II authority, Congress's war-powers abdication, "international law" myths, and the left's bizarre defense of Maduro driven by anti-Trump obsession

The United States' decision to seize Nicolás Maduro and bring him to New York marks one of the most dramatic assertions of American power in the Western Hemisphere in decades. In this episode, I focused on what actually happened, why it happened now, and what it signals about how the Trump administration views regime change, legality, and leverage.The facts, as we know them, are stark. In a rapid operation lasting roughly two and a half hours, U.S. forces assisted federal authorities in arresting Maduro and removing him from Caracas. He now faces sweeping federal charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and large-scale cocaine trafficking tied to terrorist organizations and major cartels. The indictment is notable not just for its scope, but for what it omits. There is no fentanyl count. This reinforces what many analysts suspected: the recent pressure campaign against Venezuela, including interdictions at sea, was less about opioids and more about systematically strangling Maduro's remaining sources of revenue until something broke.Politics Politics Politics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.What broke appears to be internal loyalty. It is difficult to believe a head of state with military protection is removed this quickly without acquiescence from inside the regime. That reality shapes everything that comes next. Rather than immediately installing an opposition leader, the administration has left much of the existing government in place while asserting overwhelming control over money flows, shipping, and oil exports. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been careful to say the United States is not “running” Venezuela, while also making clear that the people still in charge have no meaningful freedom to act. This is not Iraq or Afghanistan. It more closely resembles Panama and the Noriega arrest: criminal charges paired with brute leverage, not nation building through occupation.The unanswered question is whether this produces reform or simply swaps one strongman arrangement for another. Venezuela remains a petrostate with enormous reserves, crumbling infrastructure, and a population exhausted by corruption and repression. Removing Maduro may be morally satisfying and strategically defensible, but history offers little comfort about what follows. This is a high-risk bet that coercion can force democratic outcomes without igniting prolonged instability. Whether that gamble pays off, or whether it opens the door to a different kind of failure, is the story that now begins.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:04:16 - Maduro's Arrest00:11:51 - Marco Rubio00:54:28 - Everyone Else01:10:08 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

Can harming a communist ever be against the NAP? :: The capturing of Maduro in Venezuela an act of war? :: Can stopping a child from running in the road be a NAP violation? :: Do individuals owe the national debt or just the government? :: Dave Ridley calls to tell us about Michael Jennings, a man working on the AI alignment problem :: The horrible job of the US cleaning up their messes after Iraq and other wars :: Sarah wants to protest for Maduro :: True communism has been tried but not true capitalism :: This war will just be bailing out oil companies :: The reasons Trump's cover story that this is about drugs is wrong :: Israel's interest in the US starting wars :: Crazy caller James Wittakind is back. Is he banned? :: 2026-01-04 Hosts: Bonnie, Mr. Penguin, Angelo

Can harming a communist ever be against the NAP? :: The capturing of Maduro in Venezuela an act of war? :: Can stopping a child from running in the road be a NAP violation? :: Do individuals owe the national debt or just the government? :: Dave Ridley calls to tell us about Michael Jennings, a man working on the AI alignment problem :: The horrible job of the US cleaning up their messes after Iraq and other wars :: Sarah wants to protest for Maduro :: True communism has been tried but not true capitalism :: This war will just be bailing out oil companies :: The reasons Trump's cover story that this is about drugs is wrong :: Israel's interest in the US starting wars :: Crazy caller James Wittakind is back. Is he banned? :: 2026-01-04 Hosts: Bonnie, Mr. Penguin, Angelo

Today on Stinchfield, we’re breaking down the lie the media is already pushing — that what the United States is doing in Venezuela is somehow “nation building” like Iraq or Afghanistan. It’s not even close.Venezuela is not a blank slate. It is not a tribal society. It is not a country invented by Western powers. Venezuela already knew freedom. It lived freedom. It is historically a Christian nation built on Western values, private property, and civil society. What destroyed Venezuela wasn’t culture — it was socialism and dictatorship imposed on a people who once lived free.That matters, because restoring freedom is not the same as trying to invent it. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States tried to impose Western systems on societies that had never embraced them, where religious and cultural structures demand submission to authority and leave little room for individual liberty. You cannot nation-build where freedom is incompatible with the underlying belief system.Venezuela is different. The people know what they lost. They remember elections that mattered, businesses that operated freely, churches that weren’t controlled by the state, and a middle class that thrived. Removing a criminal regime and returning power to a population that already understands liberty is not occupation — it’s restoration.The media doesn’t want to have this conversation because it destroys their favorite narrative: that America is always the problem. But the truth is simple. Helping a free people reclaim their country is not imperialism. Letting a socialist dictator destroy a nation while exporting chaos to our hemisphere is the real crime.We break down the historical, cultural, and moral difference today — and why this moment in Venezuela is nothing like Iraq or Afghanistan. https://TheMaverickSystem.comhttps://GrantLovesGold.comhttps://www.EnergizedHealth.com/Granthttps://www.PatriotMobile.com/Granthttps://Twc.Health/Grant (Use code Grant for 10% off)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our new series Going it Alone we are hearing from three women about their experiences of having a child without a partner. These are women who are having donor conceived children, which is different to single mums who may have split up with the child's father. Statistics show that more women than ever in the UK are choosing to become solo mums by choice. Today Lucy tells us her story. We also hear a discussion about the legal and practical implications of this with Nina Barnsley, Director of the Donor Conception Network and Clare Ettinghausen, a Director at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.Today Delcy Rodriguez will be sworn in as Venezuela's president after the capture of Nicolas Maduro, who has been in charge of the country since 2013. And she is not the only woman in the spotlight following this weekend's events. Cilia Flores, who is the wife of Maduro and a political force in her own right, was taken with her husband and is now set to appear in a New York court in the coming hours. Attention is also on Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel peace prize winner. The BBC's South America correspondent Ione Wells and Professor Rebecca Jarman from Leeds University, an expert in Venezuelan politics and history, discuss.There are over 100,000 children who have at least one parent serving in the British military. Louise Fetigan was a serving army officer when she had her first child in her early 20s. She had been posted to Germany, was looking after a newborn and her husband had been deployed to Iraq. She has set up the charity Little Troopers to provide specific support for the children of military families. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Christina and Jeff kick off the new year of Overtired sans Brett. They delve into Christina's impending cervical spine surgery, ICE raids, and neighborhood signal groups. How do you keep mental health in check when Homeland Security is in your alley? Tune in for a wild start to 2026. Sponsor Copilot Money can help you take control of your finances. Get a fresh start with your money for 2026 with 26% off when you visit try.copilot.money/overtired and use code OVERTIRED. Chapters 00:00 New Year Kickoff 00:41 Personal Updates and Health Challenges 01:49 Surgery Details and Insurance Woes 04:45 Exploring Surgery Options and Recovery 12:44 Journaling and Mental Health 15:40 The Artist’s Way and Creative Practices 24:31 Unexpected Alley Incident 38:10 Family Activism and Signal Setup 38:52 Unexpected End of Year Incident 39:35 Speculations and Concerns 40:13 Dealing with Law Enforcement 45:35 Reflections on Responsibility 54:43 Gratitude for Signal 59:31 Tech Talk: Synology and Backup Solutions 01:03:08 Mac Updater Alternatives 01:10:03 Conclusion and Well Wishes Show Links Journaling – The Artist's Way Signal Synology Updatest Join the Conversation Merch Come chat on Discord! Twitter/ovrtrd Instagram/ovrtrd Youtube Get the Newsletter Thanks! You’re downloading today’s show from CacheFly’s network BackBeat Media Podcast Network Check out more episodes at overtiredpod.com and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Transcript Promise Not to Whine [00:00:00] New Year Kickoff Christina: Well, happy New Year. You are listening to Overtired and I am Christina Warren, and I’m joined as always by Jeff Severance Zel and, uh, Brett Terpstra couldn’t be, uh, here with us in this, uh, happy early 2026 episode, but I’m, I’m super excited to be able to kick off the, uh, the first pot of the year with you, Jeff, how are you? Jeff: I am good. Happy New Year to you. Christina: Likewise, likewise. Um, oh, here, here, here’s to 2026 being significantly better than 20, 25. So Jeff: So far, not so good, but I’m, I’m really, I’m really excited about 2026. I’m Christina: I was gonna say, like, like globally, globally, so far not great, but, but, Jeff: in here. Good in here. Personal Updates and Health Challenges Christina: So, um, so how are, uh, uh, how, how, how is the, I guess a, I guess we can kind of a drill into like a, a brief kind of mental health or, or just personal update thing if we want. Um, how, um. How are things for you so far? Um, I guess the end of the year. How are things with the kids? Um, the [00:01:00] wife, everything. Jeff: the, how the year ended is, and that gets us back to almost a political level. I will save for a topic ’cause boy do I have a story. Um, but, uh, generally speaking, doing really well. Like we traveled, saw my dad and stepmom in Iowa. Saw my in-laws in Indiana, had a really nice, just like generally had a really nice time off. Um, and despite the fact that I’m under a super stressful deadline over the next few days, I feel good. How about you? You got a lot going on. Christina: I, I do, I do. So I guess just kind of a, a, an, an update on, um, the, uh, the Christina, you know, cervical spine, um, saga since we last spoke a couple of weeks ago. Um, I guess maybe two weeks ago now. Um, uh, it was maybe a week ago. Um, uh, it was two weeks ago, I think. Sorry, it was, it was right before Christmas. Surgery Details and Insurance Woes Christina: Um, I was still awaiting, um, hearing back about when I would be scheduled for, uh, surgery and I’m getting, um, uh, artificial disc replacement in, um, I guess [00:02:00] between like C six, C seven of my cervical spine. And I do finally have a surgery date. Yay. Um, the bad, yeah, the bad news is it’s not until February 2nd, so I’ve gotta wait, you know, a month, which sucks. Um, I would have been able to get in, you know, uh, three weeks ago at this point. Um, had I been able to like, I guess like book immediately, but without insurance, like approval, um, I didn’t really want to do that. Um, I think, I think people, uh, can understand why, like, you know, when the doctor’s like, well, we can book you now, but you’ll just need to sign some forms that say you’ll be responsible for the bill if insurance doesn’t pay. Jeff: Oh fine. Get Where’s my pen? Christina: right, right. And I’m like, yeah, this is, you’re gonna keep me overnight just for, you know, observation to make sure like nothing bleeds or, or, or whatever’s a problem. Um, ’cause they’re gonna go through like the, the, the front of my, of my neck to, to be able to reach, you know, um, things that way and, and, and so, [00:03:00] you know, and be under, you know, anesthesia, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s not like a huge critical procedure, but it’s still neurosurgery. Jeff: is through the front of your neck. Christina: and, and, and, and, and, and again, and it’s a neurosurgeon and it’s like, you know, they’re gonna, you know, take some stuff out and try to make sure that like, you know, very, like they’re gonna be, you know, um, screwing up against my trachea and stuff. And like, yeah. I mean, like, you know, it’s, it’s not, it’s not minor. It’s not like I can just go in in an afternoon and be like, oh, I’m, I’m, I can just like walk out. Jeff: Right. Christina: Um, um, although apparently I will feel better, uh, as soon as it happens, but yeah, I mean, this is probably gonna be a six figure, you know, operation, I’m assuming so. No, I, I, I’m sorry. In, in this climate, uh, I don’t feel comfortable. Just, I need my name to be like, oh, yeah, I’ll, I’ll be responsible for that, and then be responsible for trying to track everyone down to, to pay. So that’s the frustrating thing is that, and now of course, you know, you, you get the beginning of the year, a bunch of people have been waiting, you know, to get, you know, things scheduled, I’m sure, and [00:04:00] whatnot. So I’m grateful that I’m scheduled at all. Um, I’m also grateful that right now I’m not insignificant pain, which is a really good thing because if this had been the pain level that I was in for the first few weeks, then like, I wouldn’t, I, you know, I mean, I would wait. I mean, if, if, if you have to wait, you have to wait. But, um, I, I, I might have like pressed upon them like. Is there any way we can move this up? Um, but I’m not in that position, which is good. The only thing is just that the numbness, um, on both arms. But, but, but primarily, yeah. No, I mean, that’s not gone away and, and it’s, and it’s not going to is the thing, right? Like there are a lot of people and like, and I, I’ve started now that I’ve got, got it like actually like done and like scheduled and you know, I’m going through all like the, you know, um, checklist stuff before you, you go in and whatnot. And I have like my, you know, pre-up appointments and all that stuff scheduled. Exploring Surgery Options and Recovery Christina: Um, I am starting to, to look more into, I guess like, you know, I guess recovery videos that people have put up on YouTube and, and reading a few things on Reddit. Although I’m doing my best to, to stay off the internet with [00:05:00] this stuff as much as possible. Um, just because for me it’s, it’s not beneficial, right? Like, it, it’s, it’s one thing if you know, um, you, uh, you don’t like. If, if you can separate and not kind of go down rabbit holes and like freak yourself out or whatever, sure. Maybe it can be good information, but for me, like I, I know my own kind of, you know, limits in terms of, of how much is good for me. And so I’ve, I’ve tried to keep that in moderation, but I have watched a few, you know, videos of people, you know, kind of talking about their experiences. And then of course then that gets used sent with like videos of like doctors who of course, for their own reasons, like are trying to promote like, oh, well you should do the, the, the fusion versus the, the, the disc replacement and, or you should do this versus that. And I’m like, okay. I actually watched one interesting talk that, that some guy gave it a medical conference and neurologist gave it a medical conference and it was a neurosurgeon, I guess is, is the proper term. But that I think kind of really distinctly a, it was very similar to. Exactly what my surgeon said to me, [00:06:00] um, when he was kind of explaining the differences in the procedures. Um, and, and b but kind of went into, I guess like the, the difference in terms of outcomes and, um, and it made me feel better about like that if I’m a good candidate for this procedure, that, that this is, um, the right thing to, to do and probably will be better for me long term. Um, because the, the results are, are better and, but not by a small portion, not like by like a, a gargantuan portion. But they are, they are, there is like a sizable difference between outcomes in terms of whether like the average person who needs a revision, um. For, you know, cervical spine versus getting, you know, disc replacement versus, um, uh, fusion. Fusion has been around a lot longer, and so insurance companies are a lot more likely to approve that. But in Europe, they’ve been doing the, the disc replacement stuff for 25, 30 years. Um, and so there is a lot of data on it, but it’s been a much more recent thing in the United States because insurance companies didn’t really start to do it until about five or 10 years ago. And so, and so, you know, some people will, [00:07:00] like some doctors who very clearly have an agenda on, on YouTube and like, that’s fine, like your practices, your practice and you’re comfortable with what you’re comfortable with. But they’ll be like, oh, we don’t have enough data on, you know, the types of, um, you know, discs that we’re putting in people’s, you know, necks and, and how, how long they, you know, last and, and there might be some differences in terms of if you’re doing like a multi-step, meaning you’re doing like multiple discs at once. Or if, you know, depending on like what, what, what part of the spine you’re in. And like, I, I think at this point for, for artificial disc replacement in the US they’ll do it two steps. So they can do two at once, but they won’t typically do three, although they will do three in Europe. And so there are people who will go to Europe and get the three Jeff: They’re so liberal in Europe. We’ll do three. Christina: Well, I mean, I think it’s a difference in, in that case, just a matter of like, if they’ve been doing the surgeries there longer, you know, then, then they, you know, and, and, and you know, and, and this is not uncommon in, in various forms of, of medicine, you know, where like you have different, you know, procedures and different exploratory things in different fields, in different areas.[00:08:00] So anyway, so then I get kind of trapped into those rabbit holes. But the interesting, the night, the, the, I guess comforting thing is that like, you know, I’ve been reading, you know, around reading, but watching people who were doing vlogs, like after their surgery and like there was this guy who. I was a few years younger than me, but he, you know, posted some updates. I, I guess he got his in July and he kind of did like, you know, updates, you know, kind of like, you know, this was me right after surgery. This was me, you know, three weeks later. This was me however many months later. And that was really great to see. Um, and, and his, his scar actually healed really nicely, which was encouraging. So, um, yeah, I mean, I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m hopeful. I mean, the one thing that’s interesting that, like almost the universal thing that people say, of course you have a few people who say, this didn’t help or, or, you know, this, this was bad or whatever. And, and obviously like that’s always terrible to see that, but you know, you’d have to kind of like go by law of averages. But the, one of the central kind of things is a lot of people being like, I should have done this earlier. And, and so I’m feeling good about that because that is, I, I, I, I don’t know what this says about me, [00:09:00] but like there’s was never a moment in my mind where I’ve been like, oh, I’m not gonna get the surgery as soon as I can get the surgery. That’s never even been part of my like, thought process. And, and, and, and, and it’s funny because I think that like, that is actually odd compared to almost everybody else. Um, the general public, I guess, who goes into these sorts of things. Um, or at least the people who are vocal on the internet, right? So, so maybe like, maybe there are a lot more people like me who just don’t go to forums and comment on stuff and are just like, yeah, I’m gonna get the surgery because that’s what the doctor says. There’s the right thing to do, and that’s what makes sense to me and I wanna, you know, not be in pain and I wanna be able to feel my arm and all that stuff. Um, but there are a lot of people who, I don’t know why, um, I mean, I guess the idea of surgery is, is really scary. And, and like, I can, I can understand that obviously, but to the point where they’re like, okay, well no, I’m gonna try physical therapy and I’m gonna do everything I can to avoid surgical intervention. And I’m, I’m like, no. Like, like [00:10:00] freaking cut me up, doc. Right? Like, like, like, get me in, get me in. Like, let’s get better, right? Like, I, I’m not, I’m not here to like fuck around with like, ’cause right now, because the immediate pain is not there, I could be okay. Right? Like, I Jeff: Sure. Christina: try steroids, I could try pt, I could try to do other types of therapies and be like, well, maybe that will move the nerve around. Or maybe it can get the disc like UN you know, bolt, whatever the case may be. And maybe I won’t need surgery. Um, or I could let this go on longer and continue to be weakness, you know, and, and, and in, you know, it’s not like I’m not in, I’m, I’m not in active pain, but it’s not, not painful at certain times. Not worrying about is this just going to become like a permanent way that I feel, which would be. Awful. Um, and, you know, and, and, and like, it’s not the most debil debilitating thing, like I said. Um, if, if I was in a position where I, I couldn’t get surgery, obviously I could be okay right now, but you never know. Also, like, when is it going to, to swap again? Right? [00:11:00] Like, and, and, and, and for me, I’m also, I’m like, I, I don’t wanna have to like, live in fear of doing something, you know, to my arm or my neck or, or whatever, and, you know, making things worse. So, Jeff: right. Oh, I’m glad you’re doing it. Christina: yeah, me too. So anyway, that was a long-winded update, but Wow. Jeff: Yeah, that’s intense. So I’m really glad the pain is not what it was ’cause Holy shit. Christina: Yeah, the pain was, was really, really bad. And I, like, I look back now and it’s, you know, I, I guess ’cause it’s been a couple of weeks since it’s been really debilitating and it is, and again, I don’t know like that this is me or this is like just somebody else, but I, or this is me or this is the comment with other people. Sorry. Um, is that. Like when I’m not in pain anymore. It is such, so much like, I mean, depression is like this too. It’s so much like a vacuum. It’s like when you’re in it, that’s all you can see. But when you’re out of it, like it’s so easy to forget what it was like Jeff: Yeah, yeah, totally. Completely. Christina: totally completely right. Yeah. Jeff: Yeah. I can even imagine being in the [00:12:00] situation you’re describing, knowing I have a surgery coming up and being like, well, do I want to? Which, like, to your point now, you make that call and you’re worrying forever. Am I gonna wake up? And this thing’s there. Next time it happens, I gotta wait another God knows how long before the surgery, when I’ll know it’s time. Like, you know it’s time now. Get in there. Christina: No, totally, totally. And and that’s the thing. And I think sometimes it can be. Like I said, like when you’re not in the thick of, of it, whether it’s like, you know, feeling depressed or feeling overwhelmed or, or stressed or, or in physical pain or whatever, like it’s easy for to forget like what that can be like. And so I have to just kind of like remind myself like, no, this was really fucking bad. And yeah, you got through it and now you’re on the other side of it. And so you’re like, oh, okay, well, you know, I, I, I could, you know, do whatever, but you’re like, don’t, don’t forget what that was like. Right. Journaling and Mental Health Christina: Um, sometimes I think like, and, and I, and I’m bad at remembering to do this, but new thing for the new year, I guess is why, um, it is important I think to like write things down, right. Like however we’re feeling, whether it’s, you know, good, bad, whatever. [00:13:00] Sometimes, like for me, like it is Jeff: Just like journal you mean, right? Christina: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Be, because it can be useful just to like look back and like, if you’re in a darker spot to remember, hey, there were times when I felt this way. Right. Might not bring, bring me back to that place. But it’s a good reminder. But also I think almost just, it’s importantly, it’s, it’s, it’s the inverse where it’s like you need to remember when you’re in a good place. What it can be like to be in a worse place. Um, because, you know, I think that’s why sometimes people make decisions they make about what medicines they’re going to take or not take or what therapies they’re going to continue or not continue. And, um, and it’s, and it’s really easy to get into that, you know, cycle of, okay, well I’m fine now, um, because you’re removed enough from what it felt like to be bad, you know? And, and then, and, and, and also I think sometimes like, uh, and this is why I wish that I’ve been journaling more over the last few years. You can really get yourself into a deep depression and not realize it. Jeff: Yes, yes. Yeah. And I feel like journaling too, just like helps you internalize some of the flags and [00:14:00] warning signs, even if you’re never looking back, like, ’cause you’re gonna process them a little bit. Christina: yeah, yeah. Jeff: can’t, I, I’ve journaled over the years for stints of time. I can’t go back into them. I almost like, I almost like bounce off the page when I try. Um, but I really have come to believe that just the act of doing it is the thing. Christina: agree. Jeff: Yeah, Christina: Yeah, I agree. Yeah, I, I usually don’t re reread my old stuff either, and I haven’t journaled regularly in a really, really long time, and I actually would like to get back into that again. I think it would be better for my overall health, but similar to you, it’s one of those things I wouldn’t necessarily revisit, Jeff: But now, you know, you have a document, you have a reason to go back into it. Christina: right. Well, but, but also, I mean, I think to your point, just the act of doing it, um, you know, and this is case, we’re both writers. I think this is the, the case for a lot of, of people who, who write like it, it is one of those things that like, that’s what will almost like cement it in my mind. You know what I mean? Like, as, as, as mattering [00:15:00] like, like even if it’s something innocuous, even if I don’t remember the small details of just that, that the fact that like, I’ve done it, like, like to your point, helps you kind of process things and kind of, you know, act more as kind of a therapeutic place. Jeff: Yeah, I don’t, when I’m writing like that, or just in general, I don’t feel like I’m writing from my brain or feel like I’m writing on my brain. Christina: Yeah, yeah. Jeff: It’s like I am actually putting the information in, not drawing it out weirdly. Christina: Yeah. Yeah. No, I, I know, I, I, I, I love that actually, I’ve never thought of it before. Writing on my brain. I love that. That’s really, that, I think that’s really profound. Jeff: Yeah. So there’s, um, there’s a kind of journaling that I wish I, I, well, I don’t beat myself up at all to be clear about this ’cause that I’m too old to do that anymore. The Artist’s Way and Creative Practices Jeff: Um, but there’s this book I read back in. Oh God, 2019 99 called The Artist’s Way by this woman Julie Cameron. And I don’t remember much about this book except for, and I probably have talked about it on this podcast [00:16:00] years ago at this point, but she has this practice, she calls morning Pages. And the idea is you sit down first thing in the morning, you fill three pages, you don’t think about what you’re writing or why you just keep the pen moving. And, and I, what I have found, that’s the only kind of real regular journaling I’ve ever done. It’s a great, great hack for me. ’cause it, it, I can do that. And I fill, I’ll fill a, you know, big notebook and I have a box full of them from over the years. ’cause again, I’m old. Um, but what is, I have never, I don’t think there’s been a single day that I’ve done those morning pages when I haven’t been a little surprised and something hasn’t emerged that. I’m like, I’ll think to myself, well shit, if I hadn’t have done this, where would that have stayed and lived and, and lodged itself. Right. Like, um, so anyway, I I’m glad you are bringing this up ’cause it’s reminding me of that and New Year is a great time to be thinking about that. Christina: Totally, totally. No, I love that. And I, yeah, I, I found the book The Artist’s Way, a Spiritual Path to Higher [00:17:00] Creativity. Jeff: Yes, Christina: and it’s like this yellow gold book, but like, apparently, and then like they, they, they, they, they sell Morning pages Journal, a Jeff: they do, of course. I Christina: Yeah. Yeah, of course. Jeff: it probably took her two decades to realize she should be cashing in on that, but she did. Christina: No, honestly, so the book, it looks like it was published the first one in 92, Jeff: Yeah. Christina: then they were selling the companion volume to the Artist’s Way as December 29th, 1997. Um, so, so like Jeff: that you’re doing this history. This is delightful. Christina: I, well, I just looked at Amazon is just kind of filling this out for me, so I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m, so at least it is possible that, that the, the book pages might have been even earlier than that, but like, good for her on like, recognizing there’s also a Artist’s Way workbook, um, now that was like a decade later, like 2006. Jeff: Yeah, that’s what I, maybe that’s what I’m thinking of. That came much later. Christina: Yeah, yeah. But, but it does seem like she got into that, like a David Allen kind of, you know, like, you know, whatever steps of highly, you know what I mean? Like, like all that kind of like stuff, [00:18:00] which Jeff: You’re letting the publisher have those meetings with you. Christina: Which honestly look good for you if you’re selling that many and whatnot. And, and if you come up with this journaling way, yes, sell the freaking paper. You should be selling PDF copies so that people can have it on their iPads now, like, you know, Jeff: Yeah. Christina: or, or, or on the remarkable tablets or whatever. Jeff: she had another thing actually I haven’t thought about in a long time. It wasn’t as useful to me long term. It helped me in the moment I. In the moment I was in, she called ’em artist dates and the idea was like, ’cause as you said in the title, it’s all about creativity. She was like, you, you take yourself out, go to a, whatever it is, a museum, a art supply shop, something like that. But with intention, like, I am going out to do this thing on my own alone because I know that it has some connection to what feels good to me about art and creativity and expression, whatever it was. That seems like a silly thing. Like it’s basically her saying, go to a museum. There was something about calling it an artist date. I think I was in a relationship too at the time where I was like not, it was not easy for me to [00:19:00] just go do something on my own. It was just a weird dynamic a little bit. So anyway, that was another good thing that came out of it. I mean, I, you don’t really have to work hard to tell me to go do something on my own, but at that time in my life you did. Yeah, she was great. That’s awesome. Christina: Yeah. Yeah. Uh, yeah. No, that is funny. Yeah. So yeah, so apparently that book was published in, in 1992 and, um, you know, uh, was immediately like, well, the first printing was about 9,000 copies. In 1992, the book was published by Jeremy Tarcher. Now part of Pink Wing Group revised and millions of copies have since been sold millions. Jeff: it was total like guru status by the Christina: Oh yeah, absolutely. No, absolutely. You know, and, and in a, yeah, she, she was, uh, she’s a, she was born in 1948, and so, uh, she’s still alive. She’s still kicking it. Um, Jeff: yeah. I think she made some new book that was like kind of a take on it, but it was a different, I don’t remember. Anyway. You’re the Christina: Yeah, no, no. Her, her list of like, of like books that she’s published is, she’s the, the most recent one. So she’s still doing the, the, the [00:20:00] writer’s way thing, living the, the artist’s way. An intuitive path to greater creativity. So I guess they did a 2024 version Write for Life, a toolkit for Writers Seeking wisdom, A spiritual Path to Creative Connection. Six week artist program. Jeff: it’s kind of like David Allen, where it’s like, wouldn’t it be nice to have created something when you were, whatever, reasonably younger, like 20, 30 years ago, that not only that you can ride for a long time, but you probably don’t feel bad about riding it for a long time. Right? Like, ’cause you can create things or have a band or something like that, that like your only choice is to ride that thing, but it gets pretty ugly. I see you Vince Neil. Um, but yeah, anyway, must be Christina: No, it ha it has to be nice, right? ’cause it’s like, okay, well no, and, and then it has all these little spinoff things, so it’s not like you have to feel like, I mean, although th this actually, this would, this would be an interesting idea for like a, a, a novel or a screenplay or something, which would be to be like, okay, you know, and people have have done like riffs on these things before on, on, you know, shows or whatever. But, so this would be an interesting story, I think to kind of focus on where it’s like you have somebody who is like, just famous for like, this, this one thing that they did, [00:21:00] and now their whole life has to revolve around it. But what if it was like, something that they didn’t like actually, like, believe in? Jeff: yes, Christina: what if you have the guru? What if you have the guru who’s like, actually is like, actually I don’t really, you know, I’m, I’m, I’m David Allen, but I, but I can’t actually get anything done. I have to have like a whole, you know, cadre of assistance to actually organize my, my, my, my calendar and my life. For me, you know, I don’t Jeff: Carol and Pluribus, I don’t know if you’re watching Pluribus, but that Yes. Her, her whole like book series. Clearly she was at a point where she’s like, yes, I should still ride this, but I cannot. That’s all right. Things changed for her. Um, okay. I have to tell you about something insane that happened to me at the end of 25. Christina: Okay. Alright. Before, before we do that, let me let Ru first, um, let’s, uh, let’s, let’s go ahead and, and get our, our sponsor read Jeff: Oh, way to remember the sponsor. We remember you sponsor. Christina: We, we, we do. So, um, I, I, I, before we hear about what happened to you at the end of 2025, let’s, uh, let’s go ahead and talk, uh, forward a little bit about 2026. So, are you [00:22:00] ready to take control of your finances? Well meet copilot money, the personal finance app that makes your money feel clear and calm with the beautiful design and smart automation. Copilot money brings all your spending, saving and investment accounts into one place available on iOS, Mac, iPad, and now on the web. And so, as we are entering 2026, it is time for a fresh start. And, you know, with Mint, uh, shutting down last year and rising financial uncertainty, consumers are seeking clarity and control. And this is where copilot money comes in. So, copilot money. Basically helps you track your budgets, your savings goals, and your net worth seamlessly. And with a new web launch, you can enjoy a sending experience on any device. 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That’s try dot copilot money slash Overtired and use that coupon Overtired and you will, as I said, save 26% off your first year. So try copilot money slash Overtired. Use the coupon code Overtired. Thank you very much. Copilot money. Jeff: Bam. Can you hear my Synology? Christina: No, Jeff: Oh, that’s funny. ’cause I, I get this. Hum. I recently com I, I’ll visit this in GrAPPtitude. I, [00:24:00] uh, I completely clean, installed my Synology after like six years. ’cause when I did. Build it. Initially, I actually didn’t really understand how to use it, and I, and I made some mistakes that because of all the stuff I put on, it was hard to sort of, I was treating it like it was gonna be an external drive and I could just kind of work with, you know, which was a huge mistake. Um, but anyway, I, it’s working so hard. It’s working so hard and it’s on my desk, which it normally wouldn’t be. So I hear this humming. Didn’t know if you heard it. Christina: I, I did not, I did not, which is a good thing. So, okay, so, all right. Uh, let, let’s, let’s go back. So what, what, yeah, I’m ready. I need to hear what happened to you at the end of 2025. All right. Unexpected Alley Incident Jeff: All right, so, um, my boys are out. They’re almost never out, but they’re both out with friends, different places. My wife and I we’re home and we were eating dinner and I got an alert from my back door ring camera, and. That almost never happens. It’s only exists to, to notify me of like alley shoppers. We’re in, in the city. We have an alley behind us and, and we get a fair amount of pretty [00:25:00] harmless alley shopping. Like it’s, is the car unlocked? If it is, you got some change. If not, I’m moving on. Um, but I like to know when they’re there. Christina: yeah, Jeff: We’ve had some bikes stolen and some people go into our garage and stuff like that. It’s very rare that it goes off less than I actually thought it would. Um, and so it goes off and it goes off at around 7:00 PM very unusual. And, uh, and so I, I, I pull it up and I look and, and I, all I can see is there’s two cars parked in the alley. I have this weird view where, um, it’s kind of a fence and then our garage. So I can see between those two things to the alley basically. So there’s two cars. That’s weird actually. And when I see some of people’s like videos about folks breaking into their cars, there’s often two that come. And so I was like, oh, okay, well it’s, I should just like go out and look. So we go and we kind of look at our, at our back window to see if we can see anything. And we’re just like, yeah, it’s weird. They’re not only parked but the headlights are off. And like, I’m gonna go out and check it out. She’s like, well first, why don’t you look at the video it recorded, which I wasn’t thinking of at all. So I pull up the video, it recorded, and I see these [00:26:00] cars park, but it’s like three or four of them come through the two that I can see park. And all of a sudden there are probably seven or eight figures running down the alley from these cars. Okay? And I’m like, well, that’s crazy. And so I walk out there and I go up to the first car and it’s got Texas plates. And around here where we have a little bit of an ice invasion, Texas plates are reported a lot. I look at the next car and it’s got no plates at all. And I look at the car after that and it’s got vanity plates, specifically chosen one with a Z. Um, and, and I’m like, oh my God. It’s the thing like ice is in my alley. And, uh, and so I come back in, I I’m like, you tell my wife, like, should probably get your coat on. I think it’s the thing is what I said. And, and we go out and sure enough, like at the end of our alley where there is a family and, and they are, um, US citizens, they’re Mexican immigrants, um, that’s where I see all these officers sort of, or these agents sort of coalescing and um, I’m gonna leave some aspects of this out. They were [00:27:00] actually, they were serving, uh, uh, narcotics warrant that ended up being totally misguided. Nothing happened of it. Um, but it was super scary. But I kind of don’t wanna say more than that because I wanna be really clear that as everyone should know about policing, a search warrant is not an indictment. Um, and oftentimes search warrants are so searching and, and, and often come up with. With nothing. Right? And, and maybe even were targeted at the wrong person. And there’s didn’t even have the name of my neighbor on it. It’s this whole thing. But the point is, it was a little different from what we’ve been hearing because there was a different agency there serving a warrant. It was the airport, airport, police department, ’cause of a package. So there was that piece, there was actually a signed warrant. ’cause everyone’s trained to say, show me the warrant. Show me the warrant. So everyone, you know, my wife and I were the first ones there. Um, and then another neighbor rolled up, and then I’ll get to the rest in a second. Um, so it, it’s shocking that it’s happening in our alley. Christina: in our alley, right? Jeff: just like, Christina: you, yeah. Jeff: what? What the Christina: I, I mean, how [00:28:00] I would feel to a certain extent would be like, I’d be like, am I in Amer in an episode of the Americans? Like, like, you know, Jeff: is, did they have to write it this way? Just ’cause how else are you gonna bring it to the people? You know? It’s, you gotta bring it to the characters. Um, so anyway, we go down there and, and there’s one, so all of the, everyone decides the airport PD guy who has no mask and is kind of like presenting like a pretty normal cop basically. And he is got a badge and a name and a number. But walking in and out of the house, all around us are these guys who are in full battle fatigues. They’ve got masks on, they’ve got ars. Um, they are, they are a weird mix of people. There’s a woman in there who’s like looking like, literally like she was cast for a movie to be, uh, an, an ice person. In this case they were Homeland Security Investigations, HSI. But it’s all intertwined at this point. Um, and then there was a guy that must have been like eight feet. That was crazy. There was a single guy that was wearing a, like a straight up like helmet, uh, for, as if he were going into battle. [00:29:00] Nobody else is wearing a helmet. Um. And none of them were talking. They were just passing through. And, um, and so we tried to engage one of them, talked to them for a little bit, do the thing you do. Hey, why don’t you take that mask off? You know, I don’t wanna get docked. I was like, uh, Christina: around. Jeff: it was like, I both understand why you don’t wanna get docked. I also feel like you’ve got the power here, brother. Um, and which was the conversation we had, um, I was like, you have a mask on. You also have your finger on the trigger of a gun. And he’s like, well, that’s not, it’s not on the trigger. This is how we hold guns, dude. I was like, I understand that, but your finger is itching at the trigger of a gun. And so he put his hands on top of the butt of the gun. ’cause it was kind of, you know, mounted the way it is. Is that better? I was like, no, you’ve still got all the power. Take the mask off. Like, at least. Um, and uh, what, what was really interesting, and I I have this sort of like wrap up that occurred to me later that kind of blew my mind is, you know, in our neighborhood, um, because ice activity has been going on all around our neighborhood, like in. Neighborhoods [00:30:00] surrounding our neighborhood or a little further out, but all within a, I could get in the car and rush out there distance. Basically we have these, we have these neighborhood signal groups. The first one that popped up was actually around my son’s school, which is very close to here and has a lot of East African and Hispanic, um, immigrants and, and, um, and so that we knew that was like, you know, people were scared there. Some kids weren’t coming to school. And so, um, some neighbors organized in such a way that they could a, have a signal, uh, communication channel. But also part of that was planning at the beginning of the day and that release time for enough people to sort of be paired up in areas around the school, but not so close that it freaks the kids out. That like if something happened, there could be sort of a rapid response. So we had that signal group. There’s a broader signal group that probably covers like a four block area, and then there’s a wider one that’s our wider neighborhood basically. And that one’s like a rapid response signal group. So these have been going. Pretty, like consistently [00:31:00] ever since it was announced that we were getting ICE and Homeland Security folks here. Um, so the network was all in place. And, and so I’m out there initially and I see all the cars. I’m like, holy shit. Wife and I go to the end of the block. We start talking to first the airport PD guy who’s there, and then the the one HSI guy who comes out. Then another neighbor, another neighbor. I go back to take pictures of the plates because folks around here are keeping a registry that you can get through the signal group of all of the makes and models of cars that we know have been at these, um, kind of ICE activities or homeland security activities, and then their license plates. And so there’s like a running log, which has happened in other cities too. So I was taking pictures of all the cars. Um, but I was pretty like, I mean, I’ve been through some shit and. Having it in your alley is very different from going halfway across the world as like an activist or something. Um, and having it ha neighbors are people we know and care about. And so knowing that, not knowing what’s happening for them, which I don’t mean to bury that lead [00:32:00] ’cause I’m kind of getting to that part, but I also want to just respect their privacy. Um, so like the thing I should have mentioned at the top is like, we know these folks and it was fucking terrifying to be standing there arguing with these HSI guys knowing that at some point, or just assuming at some point these people we know are gonna be dragged outta the house in front of us. And then it was just like this constant question of what the fuck will we do? Then? It did not happen to be really clear, uh, ahead of time. So I’m taking pictures of these cars, I’m like, oh shit. I’m supposed to notify like the signal group, but I’ve got, I’ve got all the presence I need to take pictures of cars. I’ve got the presence I need to engage these guys, which my wife was doing plenty good job of, so I could just like walk away and do the license plate thing. But when I pulled up my phone. To open signal. I opened Slack three times, like I could not, I got an S into my search, my app search, and like kept clicking the wrong thing. I was shaking. It was also freezing out and so like I’m shaking and so [00:33:00] thank God it occurred to me. I have one friend I know on this signal group that I, I know would answer the phone, so I called her. I called her and I was like, I need to be quick. Here are like the fundamental details. Can you please notify? The signal group and the rapid response people. So that was great. She did initially, the first group that showed up, which was just incredible, were like all of our neighbors, we all know this family. Like it’s not, they are just neighbors. It’s not like it’s a special offset group or something. Like they’re neighbors. So all of the neighbors show up. We have a really tight block. Um, that was incredible because it’s not like it’s a neighbor of activists. It’s what’s been incredible about this stuff from the beginning, which is like how easy it seems to be for people to pop outta their house and be like, Uhuh. Like it seems like, it seems like a lot of people are not feeling inhibited about that, which I think is really cool. And I totally respect the people that feel inhibited, right? Like, ’cause it’s just, it’s a whole thing to go out there. So we had this great group of neighbors and they were all, we had a public school teacher who was just killing it with this one HSI guy. It was so, [00:34:00] so good to watch and it felt really powerful and I think she was doing a really good job of trying to sort of like. Knock some things into this guy’s head knowing that like, you know, you’re in a dynamic that kind of you, there’s not a lot of room for things to change. Right. But given that she, it was really just inspiring watching her do her thing and then the like rapid response community showed up, which is like a mix of, you know, folks who are kind of just dedicated neighbors and then people who are sort of what you might call the usual suspects, right? Like the people you would expect, especially in South Minneapolis to show up at a thing like this. And I don’t know if you’ve heard about the thing people do with whistles around these things. Christina: Yeah. Well, I, I, all I’ve heard is that, and I ha, so all I know is I think sometimes people have whistles and kind of like, like, like blow them, almost like to alert people like that, that like, like the, like the, the, the, that like ice is there. Jeff: Yes, exactly. And that yes, that’s exactly it. And that’s been going on here and, [00:35:00] and everybody’s getting whistle. You know, sometimes when you get a good, it’s, I’m not calling it a bit, ’cause I’ll tell you in a minute why it was effective, um, in ways that I hadn’t anticipated. But, uh, you know, it’s like a, it’s, I can do this, I can get a whistle, I’m gonna get a whistle, right? Like, that’s something I can do. Like, it’s something that really caught on and there’s all these whistles being passed around and people on the neighborhood group being like, got a bag of whistles if you wanna come by. So I, ima imagine at this point that when these HSI or ICE people roll up to a thing before they get out, they’re like T minus 15 minutes to whistles, right? Like, this is how long we have before everyone shows up. And, and so pretty soon it’s whistles everywhere. I had a neighbor who kept putting off her, um. Car alarm just to make more crazy noise. We had another neighbor next to this neighbor who is a very conservative like Trump guy who, when he doesn’t like the noise that’s happening in the neighborhood sets off fireworks. And for some reason he was like, I’m gonna do the thing I do, even though there’s all these guys with guns and I’m gonna set off fireworks. But in that case, ’cause he is pissed off at all of us, like it was so [00:36:00] fucking chaotic for a minute. Um, but it was, it was an incredible thing to see how quickly people can deploy basically. Um, ’cause we aren’t like Chicago where like we’ve had a lot of activity here, but it’s been pretty quiet activity. Like, it’s like what happened here? It’s like you and your neighbors know about it and maybe 20 people showed up from your neighborhood rapid response. But like, they’re not the kinds of stories that. They’re not landing on rooftops, they’re not showing up with a hundred cars and calling people away. They’re hauling one person at a time away. And you hear about it here and there, but it’s been very quiet, unlike Chicago. Um, and so to have it given that, especially to have it show up just in your alley was like really, really insane. Um, so anyway, so it all, fortunately the, the police HSI, everybody left with nothing. They did not carry our neighbors away. They did not have any, any result of this warrant that we could tell. But of course, we’re not gonna know. Another [00:37:00] theme of this is how, how hard it is for good information to be resilient in a moment like this, right? That’s a whole other theme. And that, that’s one that gets me kinda riled up when people start after the fact or during the fact really kind of shouting out almost things that are wrong. Like the, the call that went out. For people to come. Said there were six cars in my alley with Texas plates, but I was very clear, there are six cars in my alley. One of them has Texas plates, right? So it’s like, that kind of stuff is a little spooky, but here’s what happened. So at the end it was all over. Our neighbors were able to pop out, wave at everybody, thank everybody. They had been handcuffed this family, um, in their living room while HSI figured out if they were citizens. And, um, what had what the whistles meant in this case was that they knew people were all over around the house. And that was, I’m sure, a level of comfort to know that like something’s happening out there. And then we learned later that there was an immigrant family down the block in the [00:38:00] other direction, across kind of a thoroughfare that we’re on the intersection of who heard the whistles and knew like, let’s stay in the house. There’s a lot going on out there. I dunno what it is, but now I hear whistles. Let’s stay in the house. And, um, and so it was quite a, quite a thing. Family Activism and Signal Setup Jeff: And what I kind of realized afterwards. Was we started this year. My family, my in-laws, my in-laws especially, were very, they’re, they’re, they’re very, um, active. They do kind of activist work, but it’s very like, um, service oriented. But they’ll go to an anti-war protest. They’ll go, you know, they’ll do the thing. They’re, they’re lovely people. And my father-in-law, especially at the beginning of the year, I was like, I don’t know what’s coming. Um, I hear that it’s good for everyone to have signal if we wanna be able to communicate to each other. So I wanna learn how to use signal. And so I helped him, my mother-in-law set it up. I created kind of a family group for Signal and everyone was setting up signal, right? Like at that point, not knowing what was gonna come. It wasn’t even January 20th yet. Unexpected End of Year Incident Jeff: And I wrapped up my year activating a signal network for rapid response because I [00:39:00] had masked people in my alley with guns refusing to identify themselves driving cars from out of state. That is insane. And I was like, that looks pretty tight. Season wrap up. Like, what the fuck? Because I kind of had gotten to the point, I guess prior to when ICE got here in, in the first place, I’d gotten to the point where I’m like, I don’t even really think about Signal anymore. Um, but then they came here and it, and it popped up. So that’s what, that’s what happened in my alley. Um, at the end of the year. Christina: And, and, and, and, and, and I mean, and, and, and you said, you said your neighbors are okay. Speculations and Concerns Christina: I mean, do, do you know anything more about like, like what, what happened or like what the, what the situation was? Jeff: I don’t know anymore. And that’s where I’m like a little cautious because since it was like a warrant for something, it was a narcotics warrant, right? Like, I, I have no idea what happened there. I don’t know. I can, I can only speculate. Um, but I know that the, the [00:40:00] name on that warrant was not someone that lives there. Um, so I can tell you that ’cause I saw the warrant. Um, and, and that’s the most I really feel comfortable saying. Christina: Fair enough. Yeah. I, I, I, I, yeah. I’m not, I’m not trying to like, Jeff: No, I get it. I get it. That’s me actually. Dealing with Law Enforcement Jeff: I’ve been wrestling with like, how much, even on the, I kind of like was asking people to be cautious, even on the signal, because they were sharing details about the warrant. I was like, Hey, details in a warrant. Do not share those, because that sticks to people. And like the details in the warrant were just like, no, we’re not gonna do this. Even when the guy read me the warrant, I was like, are you serious about that? He’s like, oh man, for sure. Okay, sounds good. Let’s, we’ll talk in an hour when you’re all done and you don’t have anything. Like I, I’ve been down this road before. I was a reporter for a long time, like I watched The Wire. Um, Christina: exactly. I was gonna say, yeah, I was gonna say the, the sort of reporting I did, like, yeah, I watched the Wire. Um, so would be Jeff: I said that to the guy. I didn’t say I watched the, yeah, I didn’t say I watched The Wire to the guy, but I was like, he [00:41:00] kept gaslighting us and I was like, come on man. Like you and I we’re smart people, you and I, and that was me being generous. But like, we’re smart people. You and I like, we know this thing you’re saying. It’s like, it’s totally not the case. Like when I asked him. The airport PD guy. What’s up with the cars with Texas plates and no plates and vanity plates? I don’t know, I don’t coordinate with those guys. I was like, okay, that’s weird. ’cause like here you are and they’re walking all around you. Surely you coordinated with them enough to get them here. It was just like, what the fuck? Just so much gaslighting that I won’t even get into, but it was just nonstop. But I was so proud watching my neighbors when the rapid responsible showed up. It was a, there’s always like some people in those situations where I, I, I get pretty activated around lack of discipline and I understand how that happens. But having been in like really super high stakes situations where people could, and who this was one, right? Like I don’t, I don’t react well internally to people who I feel like are working out something that’s theirs. Um, [00:42:00] and at the same time, how do we know how to process this, right? Like, I don’t, we, it was something incredible to watch Mask men and one masked woman walking up and down my alley, bumping past me with guns, with masks, with no idea, with no badges, refusing to pro produce any saying, why does it matter anyhow, saying how much threat they’re under, seeing how they get followed, like just, it was, it was an incredible thing. I had my reaction, but my reaction was based on wiring, based on really intense, unusual experiences. Um, other people, this is new to them. This kind of thing is new to me too, but, so anyway, I, I just like, I saved that. I didn’t even tell you guys when it happened. I’m like, I’ll just tell them on the podcast. ’cause Christina: yeah, no, I mean, that’s, that’s wild. I mean, like, and it’s just, it’s just, well, and, and it’s, I don’t know, it’s so dystopic, right? Like, it’s such a, like a, a terrible like thing to like have to like witness part of, right? Because like, look, yeah, there are going to be circumstances when maybe like, you know, Homeland Security or somebody else, like really actually does need to be involved and, you know, [00:43:00] um, you know, at your neighbor’s house. And like, that’s unfortunate, right? But like, there, there are real circumstances where that could be a case. Like I, I, I, I, I mentioned the, the Americans earlier, that was like, based Jeff: I need to watch that. Christina: It’s a great show. But, but the, the, the, uh, a former CIA agent was one of the, the, the, the creators. But the, um, the idea came to like, uh, one of the showrunners basically, he read an article, I think in the New Yorker or something about a, a family that like seemed like, just like the perfect, like normal family next door. And like the kids came home from school one day and the parents had been picked up because it turns out that they had been Russian spies living in the United States for like 20 years. And like, they were like actual Russian spies. And, and then that kind of like went into, okay, well, well, well, what happens then? Like, what happens to that family and, and what happens to get to that point? Like, what happens? Like if your neighbors are those things, right? And so there are those like very much like stranger than fiction. Like, like things, right? But in most cases, that’s not the circumstance. And, and certainly the way that like all this has been handled and the way that they’re doing all of this treat things for, [00:44:00] you know, like whatever the warrants were for whatever the situations are where they’re like, okay, now we’re gonna bring all these other groups in. We’re not going to have any due process at all, and we’re not going to, to bother with any sort of thing of humanity at all and then freak everybody else out, like is just, you know, then, and then it puts you like, as, as the neighbor, like in this position where you’re like, okay, well how do we get the word out? How do we help, how do we, you know, make sure that if’s something, is that if this is something that you know, isn’t what we, what we think that it is or whatever, that we can make sure that they’re not going to be. ’cause we see all the reports all the time. I mean, US citizens are getting arrested for, Jeff: Yeah, totally. Christina: the wrong way, Jeff: Oh yeah, we had a, we had a woman here probably, I think she was like in her sixties, and she walked out of her house ’cause there was something happening across the street. And in moments she was in the car, she was gone. Her husband didn’t know where she was. She was released later that day. Like we’ve had a lot of stories like that. And so that was stressful too, going in, right? Like when my partner and I went, went up to talk to this guy, I, I left down the alley to take pictures, but I [00:45:00] was like looking over my shoulder constantly. ’cause she and I have talked about how, like, can you imagine if one of us was taken and we didn’t know? And I was like, oh, we are in a situation right now where no way can I say, there’s no chance one of us will be taken. Like, no way. And you know, the longer you’re there, the more you push it a little bit, you know, not push it like physically or something, but just like push it a little more people out front. Someone kicked an ice car in, in an HSI car and got like pepper sprayed or whatever. Um, Christina: and it’s, and it’s like, don’t do that. Like, don’t like, Jeff: Well, it’s funny because, it’s funny because that per I, this is, I, I know there are people listening who will think I’m such an asshole for this, but I, to I, I feel zero apologetic for it. Reflections on Responsibility Jeff: So I am, I’m not like a huge fan, like kick the car when there’s a family that we don’t know how they’re doing and these people are around, like, don’t escalate in that way with these people. Don’t set off fireworks behind the guys that have their fingers resting near triggers. Like you Christina: That’s what I’m saying. That, that, yeah. Jeff: yeah, you just don’t do that. Uh, but here’s the part that makes me sound like an asshole and, and I don’t mind at all. [00:46:00] Um, they were, they were the only person that was pepper sprayed. And, and it was this, you know, certain people that come from outside the neighborhood. It was this very dramatic thing, whatever they pepper spray, you know, whatever. And I was like, what, what happened? They kicked the car. I was like, eh, I’m going in like, I mean like, yeah, you got pepper spray because you kicked the car. I assume you were in for that. Like you signed just like the guy with the mask who’s worried about being docked. He signed up for this dude. Christina: I was gonna say, you, you, you, you signed up for this, you, you, you, you’ve signed up because you saw Christina O’s you know, like ridiculous, like, you know, like, come, come join Ice, you know, like, like, you know, freaking social media, you know, posts or whatever, like there ads you’re doing like, yeah. Like you, you know exactly what you’re doing, so fuck off. I don’t, yeah, I have zero. Jeff: I I said you signed up for this. I did not sign up for this. I said you signed up for all of it, dude. Like you Christina: Yeah, absolutely. No, I mean, honestly, well, well look, you know, it’s the same thing like the military, frankly, like, you know, like in the, in, in the seventies and stuff, and we saw, you know, more of it then, like, I’m not saying that it was like the, the right or like nice or like humane thing to spit in the, in their faces. [00:47:00] Right. But like. Especially after the draft was gone. Like, you sign up for that shit, Jeff: It’s a tough man. I, I had that, I, that experience throughout the Iraq war where. I knew. I mean, there’s the economic draft. There’s all right, there’s all these reasons people end up in war. But at the end of the day, when I am walking around a city I love, and other Americans are there in armor and Humvees and they have destroyed a city, I feel like this is what you signed up for. It’s not what you signed up for, but it is literally what you signed. Same with police. It’s a little bit Christina: that’s Jeff: I totally respect the trauma. I respect that you’re in situations where Christina: that’s real. No. Jeff: your values. Like I Christina: Absolutely. Absolutely. And, and, and that, that is real. And, and to your point, there might be like, like economic scenarios, drafts and other scenarios where like you’re like, well, I had a choice, but I didn’t have a choice. Okay, but you knew that this was a trade off. Like you knew that this was a thing that comes with, with, with the territory. If it comes with adulation, but it comes with the bad stuff too. Right. Jeff: And if you’re killing people, I don’t feel super bad about saying that. I feel super bad for you for having to live with that [00:48:00] fact. But like I don’t feel bad for saying, Hey man, Christina: well, I mean, like, and, and it’s a Jeff: have said no. Christina: and it’s a completely different like thing. I’m not even trying to categorize it the same way. ’cause it’s, it’s not. But like, just, just like in, in my life, you know, people oftentimes will like, yell at me about stuff that they don’t like, about, like the companies like that I work for. And you know, what I, I’m, I’m part of my job is to kind of be a public face for, for those things. And that means that I get yelled at and that’s okay. And like that, that I, I quite literally knew that I signed up for that. Does that mean that I always appreciate it? That is, does that mean that I don’t get annoyed sometimes? Does that mean that I like being like tarred and feathered with like mistakes or decisions that like, I had nothing to do with Absolutely not right. But like, that’s quite literally part of my job. So, you know, it, it, it is. So I can’t like turn around and be like, oh, well, you know, you can’t, you know, like. You know, say, say this to me, or whatever. Right. Um, but, and, and again, I realize it’s a completely different scale of things. I’m not in any way trying to equate the, the, the, the two [00:49:00] scenarios, Jeff: No, but it’s, I mean, it is, yeah, Christina: but all of us, but all of us, we have jobs and we do things and like in a case like this, like if you work for those agencies, right. Especially right now, and like I recognize and I can be sympathetic that you may not have signed up. Under these circumstances. Having said that, I will say that if you signed up in the last eight years, you knew that these were things that were going in a certain direction, right? Um, I, I, I, I, I will, I will further say that like I, I’m not gonna say that like every single person is involved, but I will say like in the last eight years, you’ve, you’ve seen which way the wind was going and, and, and, and, and that’s okay. You can make that decision and, and like, I’m not gonna judge you or your character as a person for that decision. I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m not. ’cause we all have to make decisions about where we work. Having said that, that just also means like what we’ve been saying, you’re gonna have to deal with some shit. You’re gonna deal with people recording your face. You’re gonna have to deal with people being angry with you. You’re gonna have to deal with, to your point, people kicking the cop car. And if that’s all that happens and like, and, and, and, and it’s not gonna lead to another escalation point, that’s fine. I, I’m with you. I

#243: Dave Berke is a retired US Marine Corps Officer, TOPGUN Instructor, and now a leadership instructor and speaker with Echelon Front, where he serves as Chief Development Officer. As a F/A-18 pilot, he deployed twice from the USS John C Stennis in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent three years as an Instructor Pilot at TOPGUN, where he served as the Training Officer and the senior staff pilot responsible for the conduct of the TOPGUN course.  He then served as an ANGLICO Forward Air Controller supporting the Army's 1st Armored Division during extensive urban combat operations on the ground in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006. Dave led his supporting arms liaison team on scores of combat missions into the most dangerous neighborhoods and accompanied SEAL Task Unit Bruiser on virtually every major operation in the Battle of Ramadi.He was the only Marine selected to fly the F-22 Raptor, having served as an exchange officer at the Air Force's 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron as the Division Commander. He became the first operational pilot ever to fly and be qualified in the F-35B, serving as the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps' first F-35 squadron from 2012-2014.Dave holds both a Master's in International Public Policy and an MBA from The John Hopkins University.Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps, Dave joined Echelon Front providing unmatched experience and a unique perspective on combat leadership, analytical decision making, risk mitigation, and creating winning teams.He serves as Echelon Front's Chief Development Officer, as well as a leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor.Book: https://www.amazon.com/Need-Lead-Instructors-Leadership-Challenge/dp/125036163X  

Hello nerds.It's been a while since I sat down and did what Nerds for Humanity was originally built for. Not shorts. Not algorithms. Not rage bait. But long-form, structural analysis of how power actually works in this country, and why things that feel shocking in the moment are often the predictable outcome of rules written decades ago.This livestream was about Trump's military operation in Venezuela. But not in the way cable news framed it.I wasn't interested in relitigating whether Trump is reckless, authoritarian, or dangerous. If you're reading this Substack, you already know where you land on that. The more important question is this.How was he able to do it?How was a single president able to order a major military operation against a sovereign country, deploy massive air and naval assets, seize the country's leader from its capital, and then inform Congress afterward?The uncomfortable truth is that Trump didn't invent some new authoritarian power. He exploited one that has been sitting in plain sight for more than fifty years.And worse, he did so largely within the mechanics of existing law.The law that was supposed to stop thisIn 1973, in the shadow of Vietnam, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution. Its purpose was simple. Presidents were not supposed to be able to drag the country into war on their own.The law created two central guardrails.First, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing US forces into hostilities.Second, unless Congress authorizes the action, those hostilities must end within 60 days, with an additional 30-day period allowed for withdrawal.At the time, this seemed reasonable. Military action moved slowly. Wars took time to prepare. You could not overthrow a government in a weekend. The assumption was that Congress would have ample opportunity to intervene before anything irreversible happened.As I said on the livestream,“At that time in 1973 the thinking was well, surely no one can invade a country and capture the head of state inside of 48 hours. They would need weeks to prepare for it.”That assumption is now dangerously obsolete.We are using 1973 traffic laws for modern warfareOne analogy I used resonated with a lot of people.Trying to govern modern warfare with the War Powers Resolution is like applying 1970s traffic rules to autonomous flying cars.The law was written for an era of B-52 bombers, carrier groups, and weeks-long mobilizations. It was not written for drones, cyber operations, special forces insertions, precision strikes, and operations capable of destabilizing or decapitating a regime in days or even hours.Today, a president can dramatically alter another country's political reality before Congress has even finished debating whether the notification email landed in the right inbox.The time-based trigger is the flaw. It assumes time equals restraint. That is no longer true.As I put it during the stream,“This time-based system is flawed. It doesn't work for a world where you can basically destabilize and replace a regime in a few hours.”Trump didn't invent this powerIt is tempting to treat Trump as a unique aberration. He isn't.Modern presidents of both parties have steadily expanded executive war-making authority.George H. W. Bush built up a massive military force in the Gulf before Congress voted, and then received authorization shortly before the 1991 Gulf War began.George W. Bush secured a separate 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force to invade Iraq, and the post-9/11 era normalized expansive readings of both congressional authorizations and Article II authority.The Obama administration conducted extensive drone campaigns and the Libya intervention without a formal declaration of war, arguing that certain operations did not meet the War Powers Resolution's definition of “hostilities.”Every modern president has pushed the envelope. Trump simply sprinted through it.As I said on the livestream,“This has been a loophole that's been used by many presidents. We just relied on them to exercise judgment and honor the office. That honor code is clearly gone.”A system that relies on voluntary restraint is not a system. It is a gamble.Language laundering: from war to “kinetic action”One of the most revealing shifts has been linguistic.Presidents learned that if you do not call something a war, you do not need a declaration of war.So we get euphemisms.“Kinetic action.”“Law enforcement operation.”“Targeted strike.”As I pointed out,“They don't want to say we are conducting warfare. If you don't call it a war, then you don't need a declaration of war.”This is how large-scale military action against a sovereign state becomes a “police-like operation.”If another country flew dozens of military aircraft into Washington, DC and seized the US president, we would call it an act of war without hesitation. Euphemisms only work when we are the ones using them.The public justifications kept shiftingThe administration's public rationale for the Venezuela operation evolved quickly.Initial statements emphasized fentanyl and drug trafficking. Analysts and critics noted that available trafficking data does not identify Venezuela as a significant fentanyl source, which raised questions about that justification.Subsequent messaging emphasized cocaine trafficking and broader security threats, but those claims were also contested.What became clearer over time was that the operation was aimed at exerting decisive pressure on the Maduro regime itself.As I said during the livestream,“What some messaging from inside Trump's orbit suggested was that this was really about regime change.”Trump later publicly discussed American oil companies entering Venezuela, reclaiming seized assets, and modernizing infrastructure as part of a post-Maduro arrangement.If that sounds familiar, it should.“That sounds a little colonial to me.”Because it does.The moral high ground is not abstractEvery time the US violates the sovereignty of another nation under contested legal theories, it weakens the norms it relies on to restrain other powers.As one viewer put it during the livestream,“I'm afraid the US just gave a license to Russia to take Ukraine and China to take Taiwan.”You cannot argue that international law matters only when it constrains other countries. Either it restrains power, or it doesn't.Trump's actions did not just affect Venezuela. They further eroded America's standing in a world already drifting toward a more unstable multipolar order.This is bigger than TrumpOne of my core arguments, and the reason this livestream mattered, is simple.Trump will not be the last president to exploit this structure.Even if Trump disappears tomorrow, the authority remains.History shows that presidents, particularly lame ducks, often become more willing to take foreign risks once electoral constraints disappear.As I said,“We can't rely on Trump or any president. Every president eventually realizes how much power this office has.”This is not about stopping one man. It is about fixing a system that assumes good faith in an era where bad faith is a governing strategy.How the law could actually be fixedThe War Powers Resolution does not need cosmetic reform. It needs modernization aligned with modern warfare.I outlined several possible approaches.First, scale-based triggers. Certain actions should automatically require prior authorization, regardless of duration, such as the use of specific aircraft types, large troop deployments, or major munitions thresholds.Second, target-based triggers. Actions aimed at heads of state, national command infrastructure, or critical civilian systems should never fall under a post-hoc notification model.Third, funding enforcement. If authorization is not granted, funding freezes. No money, no mission.As I argued,“Sometimes the US will have to use force. But introducing liabilities for the whole country should not be determined by one branch alone.”In corporate governance, CEOs cannot acquire companies without board approval. Presidents should not be able to remake countries without congressional consent.A simple test for candidatesThe good news is that this is a fixable problem.Congress can change this law.And elections create leverage.As I said on the livestream,“Now is a great time to ask every candidate one simple question. Do you support updating the War Powers Resolution?”Not a detailed proposal. Not a legal dissertation. Just whether they believe the current system is acceptable.If a candidate believes any president should have a 60-day blank check to wage war, they should say so plainly.The uncomfortable truthI said this near the end of the stream, and it bears repeating.“This is a known vulnerability in the system. It's just time to patch the bug.”We like to tell ourselves that American democracy is protected by norms, traditions, and good people.But systems that rely on virtue instead of constraints always fail eventually.Trump did not invent this power. He stress-tested it.And it failed.Support the channelIf you found this analysis useful and want Nerds for Humanity to keep doing long-form work like this, consider supporting the channel directly.You can become a YouTube channel member to help cover operating costs and get a shout-out on every livestream.Thanks for sticking with the long version.Bye nerds. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdsforhumanity.substack.com

In this conversation, Jessica Patterson and Florian Schmitzberger discuss the evolution of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) from the Department of Defense (DOD) and their application in different contexts, particularly in light of the changes from the Global War on Terror (GWOT) to new healthcare environments. They emphasize the need for data to understand how these guidelines will perform in varied systems.TakeawaysThis isn't GWOT, this isn't Iraq, this isn't Afghanistan.Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) evolved during GWOT.The performance of CPGs in different systems is uncertain.Data gathering is essential to assess guideline effectiveness.Understanding ground truth is crucial for guideline application.The DOD's CPGs were refined for specific contexts.New healthcare environments may challenge existing guidelines.The evolution of CPGs reflects changing military and healthcare needs.Questions arise about the adaptability of CPGs.Future research is needed to evaluate guideline performance.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests00:32 Data Collection and Research MethodologyFor more content, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.prolongedfieldcare.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consider supporting us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ProlongedFieldCareCollective⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lobocoffeeco.com/product-page/prolonged-field-care⁠

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  Chris cuts through the noise and walks listeners through what he calls the “Venezuelan news sewer.” From TV experts “pitching their book” to recycled talking points about drugs and fentanyl, Chris explains why much of the mainstream narrative simply doesn't add up.He breaks down why fentanyl isn't coming from Venezuela, why cocaine narratives are misleading, and why the real issue has always been oil—and the threat Venezuela poses to the petrodollar system. Drawing historical parallels from Gaddafi to Iraq, and touching on Machiavellian, transactional politics, Chris questions claims of “regime change,” warns about unintended consequences, and urges skepticism toward Washington's credibility.This is not about drugs. It's not about humanitarian outrage. It's about oil, power, and geopolitics—and Americans should be cautious about what comes next.

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A caller fears he’s becoming just like his dad, a caller spends the night in jail for weed possession + finds her long lost lover after 9 years, and a caller discusses the struggles of dating while overweight. Light a candle. I am a gecko. Watch a video I made of me walking around Iraq as a gecko: https://youtu.be/6NOjY7CaPvQGet notified for when I come to your city to do a live gecko show: therapygeckotour.com GET BONUS EPISODES: therapygecko.supercast.com FOLLOW ME ON GECKOGRAM: instagram.com/lyle4ever GET WEIRD EMAILS FROM ME SOMETIMES BY CLICKING HERE.Follow me on Twitch to get a notification for when I’m live taking calls. Usually Mondays and Wednesdays but a lot of other times too. twitch.tv/lyleforeverSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Summary:One day after the shock attack on Caracas, Nick returns with an update on the US intervention in Venezuela. With President Maduro reportedly abducted and Donald Trump promising to "run Venezuela," we delve into the grim logistics of occupying a nation larger than France.Drawing parallels with the Boer War, Vietnam, and the disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003, Nick argues that while the US may have the firepower to win a battle, it lacks the numbers, the political will, and the institutional memory to win the peace. Has the Trump administration purged the very experts who would have warned against such a folly? And will this act of imperial hubris mark the moment American hard power finally collapses under its own weight?Key Topics:The Logistical Nightmare: Why occupying Venezuela would require hundreds of thousands of troops.Trump's "Quiet Part Out Loud": The explicit goal of seizing oil resources.Asymmetric Warfare: How drones and insurgency could bleed an occupying force dry.Institutional Memory Loss: The danger of purging the State Department and Pentagon of dissenting voices.Plus: A new announcement about Patreon! Listen ad-free for just £5 a month.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.

For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir ****** "We need to stop regulating the product and start regulating those who misuse it." In this episode of H-Hour, host Hugh Keir interviews Tom Sherwood about his groundbreaking work with Sentra AI, an innovative technology aimed at providing mental health support for veterans and blue-light workers. They discuss Tom's journey from the military to tech, the challenges of tackling PTSD, and the role of AI in enhancing mental resilience and performance. The conversation also touches on data privacy, the resistance from existing charities, and the future of AI in mental health. Tune in for a deep dive into the intersection of technology, mental health, and the need for innovative support systems. https://getsentra.ai/ Tom Sherwood, a British Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sentra AI and a pioneer in trauma-informed, dual-use generative AI for mental health. Sentra AI is a 24/7 AI companion specifically engineered for acute psychological crises and long-term resilience, serving both defence and security forces and civilian populations affected by trauma.

For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir ****** In this H-Hour Icebreaker, Tom Sherwood and Hugh delve into the multifaceted world of mental health, trauma, and the role of AI. Tom shares his experiences from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, the inception of Sentra AI, and its potential impact on reducing veteran suicides. The discussion also covers mental health stigmas, the complexities of PTSD, and candid thoughts on governmental understanding and handling of AI technology. Enjoy this eye-opening conversation on resilience, innovation, and the future of mental health support. https://getsentra.ai/ Tom Sherwood, a British Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sentra AI and a pioneer in trauma-informed, dual-use generative AI for mental health. Sentra AI is a 24/7 AI companion specifically engineered for acute psychological crises and long-term resilience, serving both defence and security forces and civilian populations affected by trauma.

We've Been Here Before: Venezuela & the Iraq Playbook breaks down the story behind the headlines.No hot takes. No talking points. Just history, incentives, and consequences.In this episode, Army veteran Marcus L-Spade Johnson examines why the U.S. intervenes abroad, how “dictators” and “drugs” become cover stories, and why Venezuela follows a familiar pattern that echoes Iraq. From oil and resources to war powers and executive overreach, this podcast connects past decisions to present risks—and asks who really pays the price.If you care about foreign policy, history, and truth over propaganda, this is for you.#CommonKnowledgePodcast #WeveBeenHereBefore#Venezuela #IraqWar #ForeignPolicy #Geopolitics#USIntervention #WarPowers #RegimeChange#MilitaryIndustrialComplex #VeteranVoices#PoliticalPodcast #NewsAnalysis #HistoryRepeats#GlobalPolitics

Vào rạng sáng ngày 3/1/2026, thế giới chứng kiến một trong những can thiệp quân sự đơn phương gây tranh cãi nhất của Hoa Kỳ kể từ cuộc xâm lược Iraq năm 2003.Xem thêm.

BULLETIN: TRUMP'S ILLEGAL WAR WITH VENEZUELA Two months ago, in an interview, Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles "conceded that attacking targets on Venezuela’s mainland would force Trump to get congressional approval. Quote: "If he were to authorize some activity on land, then it’s war, then [we’d need] Congress.'" She was entirely right. Yet overnight Trump invaded Venezuela and seized its leader Nicolas Maduro. To paraphrase his own chief of staff he DID authorize some activity on land, then it’s war, then [we’d need] Congress.'" AND TRUMP BROKE THE LAW AND BREACHED THE CONSTITUTION. And this morning he and his hapless Vice President JD Vance confirmed this is as much about seizing oil - as much about increasing the profits of American corporations - as any supposed "narco-terrorism." Without any Congressional consent, Trump did this - anyway - from inside his madness, from within his monomaniacal delusional fog - without any legal right to do so - without any legal right THERE and without any legal right HERE. On his own. Without congressional approval. Without the nation's approval. Without even the flimsiest of the fig leaves of democracy. Without any international consensus. Without any concern for the consequences. Without any consideration of the precedent he provides China in Taiwan and Russia in Poland and any other tyrannical bandit nation anywhere in this world.And we, thanks to Trump, we - the United States of America - are now that tyrannical bandit nation. It is important to note that on the simple, theoretical scale of who should remain as the leader of a failed rogue state, there is no defense for Nicolas Maduro. There is overwhelming evidence that he fabricated his latest quote “re-election” after first denuding the opposition and the law within his country. Again, by those tokens Trump has just put us on that identical path. And the idea that a country is suffering under a dictator who has no moral right to continue can be said even more easily of Putin. And of Xi in China. And dozens of others, many of whom Trump considers friends, about whom he makes no distinction. Maduro has no moral right to continue as president of Venezuela, and Trump has no moral right to act upon that by himself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve, David, Hannah, Jimmy, Matthew. and Francesco give Ralph a well-deserved break and highlight some of the clips they want to revisit from another challenging, inspiring, fascinating, infuriating, and galvanizing year. Featuring interviews with Chris Hedges, Jon Merryman, Mike German, and more.Featured ClipsDouglas Brinkley — The Legacy of Jimmy Carter (January 11, 2025)Chris Hedges — A Genocide Foretold/ World BEYOND War (March 29, 2025)Peter Beinart — Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza (March 15, 2025)John Bonifaz — Impeach Trump!... Again (August 30, 2025)Mike German — Policing White Supremacy (March 8, 2025)Stephen Witt — The AI Prompt That Could End the World (November 8, 2025)Jon Merryman — Trading Life For Death (July 12, 2025)News 1/2/26* Our top story this week is of course the news that the CIA has conducted a drone strike inside the sovereign borders of Venezuela. CNN reports U.S. Special Operations Forces provided intelligence support for this strike, though spec-ops leadership denies this claim. Unsurprisingly, the CIA itself declined to comment. Earlier this month, self-styled Secretary of War Pete Hegseth compared Venezuelan “narcoterrorists,” to Al-Qaeda, indicating that the U.S. plans to use the same counterterrorism playbook that they deployed in the Middle East in Latin America. This, of course, begs the question of whether the United States is willing to reckon with creating a miniature Iraq or Afghanistan so close to home.* Giving the game away, Mike Pompeo – who served as Trump's Secretary of State from 2018 to 2021, told Fox News that the U.S. “can help rebuild…their oil sector,” and that, following a successful ouster of President Nicolás Maduro, American energy companies like Halliburton and Chevron would be able to “go down to Venezuela, [and] build out an economic capitalist model.” This from CBS Austin. President Trump has certainly not been subtle about his designs on Venezuela's oil, but this naked salivation over handing the country's fossil fuel deposits over to Halliburton is another eerie re-rerun of Iraq.* In more news from Latin America, ABC reports workers in Bolivia have declared a general strike to protest the new neoliberal government's announcement that they would scrap longstanding fuel subsidies in the impoverished nation. The fuel subsidies were first introduced under the Leftist government of Evo Morales nearly twenty years ago and have been maintained ever since; President Rodrigo Paz, who took office in November, marks the first non-leftist government elected in the country since 2006. The strike was called by Bolivia's powerful Central Union of Workers, but so far has largely been led by miners with other sectors, such as transportation workers, appearing more hesitant. When united, organized labor in Bolivia has delivered stunning victories in the past, but it remains to be seen how this strike will unfold.* In more foreign policy news, Israel has become the first country to formally recognize the East African breakaway state of Somaliland. Many question why Israel is making this decision at all and particularly why they are doing so at this moment; speculation abounds about a potential quid pro quo, with Israel extending recognition in exchange for Somaliland agreeing to accept Palestinians pushed out of Gaza. Somalia is currently a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. In a statement with other non-permanent council members Algeria, Guyana and Sierra Leone, Somalia's UN Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman said Somalia, “unequivocally reject any steps aimed at advancing this objective, including any attempt by Israel to relocate the Palestinian population from Gaza to the northwestern region of Somalia.” This from Reuters.* In more Israel-Palestine news, American Jewish activist Cameron Kasky – a survivor of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school shooting currently running in the primary to succeed Rep. Jerrold Nadler in New York's 12th congressional district – took the unprecedented step of visiting Palestine over the holidays to see the “reality on the ground.” He spent Christmas at a “peace march in Bethlehem calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza,” and issued a statement on the need to “end the settlements that violate international law and stop encouraging New Yorkers to move there,” in a social media post that garnered nearly 2 million views. Kasky is seeking to consolidate progressive support in this crowded primary, which pits him against Kennedy scion Jack Schlossberg, among many others.* Turning to domestic news, lawmakers in the House and Senate are considering their options to force Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the totality of the documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Among these are two tools often cited by Ralph Nader and Bruce Fein but rarely invoked by Congress: inherent contempt and impeachment. Per NBC, Representative Thomas Massie said “The quickest way, and…most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi,” with Congressman Ro Khanna adding that the lawmakers are “building a bipartisan coalition, and it would fine Pam Bondi for every day that she's not releasing these documents.” Meanwhile, Newsweek reports Massie polled his followers and over 35,000 responded that Bondi should be impeached. However, no articles of impeachment against Bondi have yet been filed. It remains to be seen whether Congress will actually use the immense power vested in the body by the Constitution, or if these efforts will be stymied by the obsequious leadership of the Republican caucus.* Speaking of political party cowardice, this week the DNC announced that they would block the release of their own “autopsy” of what went wrong in the disastrous 2024 presidential election campaign. Writing in the Guardian, friend of the show Norman Solomon – director of RootsAction, executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy – excoriated the party leadership for dodging hard questions such as “how much money went to insider consultants and advertising contractors as the Harris campaign managed to spend $1.5bn during the hallowed 107 days of her presidential campaign last year,” and the wisdom of “Harris continuing to toe the Biden line for huge arms shipments to Israel while its military continued to slaughter Palestinian civilians in Gaza.” More bluntly, an anonymous DNC member quoted in this piece said the decision to block the autopsy is, “about protecting people who fucked up.” RootsAction has released their own autopsy, which pulls no punches.* Our next two stories have to do with online gambling. First, in an address to mayors from across Italy this week, Pope Leo XIV denounced the “scourge of gambling,” which has “ruined many families,” and characterized the issue as a form of “loneliness.” He warned of a litany of other forms of loneliness as well, including “mental disorders, depression, cultural and spiritual poverty, and social abandonment,” according to the Catholic News Agency. Pope Leo cited a report from Caritas showing a surge in gambling across Italy, though this phenomenon is by no means constrained to the country. In the U.S., study after study shows Americans engaging in gambling at unprecedented levels. For example, a 2025 National Institutes of Health study showed 61.3% of adults in North America reported gambling within the past 12 months.* Meanwhile, USA Today reports Drake has been hit with a RICO lawsuit for “promoting an illegal online casino while using proceeds from the site to artificially inflate streams of his music.” This lawsuit, which also names streamers Adin Ross and George Nguyen, centers around Stake.us, which, the suit alleges “was created to bypass restrictions after Stake.com was banned from operating everywhere in the U.S.” As this piece explains, Stake claims that it does not allow gambling with real money in order to evade regulations, but in fact uses stand-ins like “Stake Cash” which can be exchanged for real currency. Drake and Ross were “paid to promote the platform by participating in livestreamed gambling with cash ‘surreptitiously' provided by Stake.” In turn, Drake is accused of using the illicit funds to “[deploy] automated bots and streaming farms to artificially inflate play counts of his music across major platforms, such as Spotify,” as part of his feud with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar. If nothing else, this story shows how ubiquitous online gambling has become, infecting all facets and all levels of popular culture.* Finally, for some good news, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn in at midnight on New Years Eve. Mamdani took the oath of office in the decommissioned subway station underneath City Hall, in a small ceremony, followed by a large public inauguration on New Years Day. In his Executive Order 01, Mamdani officially rescinded “All Executive Orders issued on or after September 26, 2024,” otherwise known as the date of outgoing Mayor Eric Adams' indictment on charges of corruption. These now-rescinded executive orders included officially adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism, a definition which includes antizionism, and other pro-Israel actions. That said, Mamdani explicitly stated he will retain an order establishing a Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism. Others include an order allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate on Riker's Island, and a blanket ban on the city's horse carriage industry. The New York Daily News notes “Mamdani has voiced support for banning the industry, but says he first wants to engage in dialogue with the union advocating for carriage drivers.” All in all, this marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of America's largest city. We wish the city, and the mayor, good luck.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

He Strikes Venezuela & Snatches Maduro.  Blows Past Congress and the American People. Welcome to 2026.  In this special QRP (Quick Response Pod), Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff rips into Trump's New Year's strike on Venezuela, the snatching of Maduro, and the dawn of America's Forever War 2.0. He breaks down how Trump blew past Congress, flaunted his power, and opened a new and dangerous chapter in American foreign policy—while U.S. troops once again carry the burden on the ground.​ Paul takes you inside the breaking news of Trump's surprise New Year's raid on Venezuela, the Delta Force capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and Trump's declaration that America will “run the country” and take the oil. He draws sharp parallels to Iraq—without the full-scale invasion—and explains why this is a whole new 2026-style mess with Trump unleashed, Congress sidelined, and the American people kept in the dark.​ From Somalia to Yemen to Syria to now a likely occupation of Venezuela, Paul lays out the growing map of Trump's first-year strikes and why this moment marks the launch of Forever War 2.0. He calls out the failure of imagination in Washington, the hollowing out of media like CBS, and the dangerous consolidation of power that lets Trump do whatever he wants with the most powerful military in the world.​ Speaking as a combat veteran, Paul separates pride in our troops from outrage at the politicians who deploy them, reminding listeners that they execute orders no matter who is president. He warns that Cuba or even Greenland could be next, connects the dots to China watching and waiting over Taiwan, and urges independents everywhere to stay vigilant as 2026 kicks off with “Happy New War.”​ Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It's independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve--and stay vigilant. -WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -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.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours. ‘ -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media.  And now part of the BLEAV network!  Ways to listen: Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Podcasts  Ways to watch: YouTube • Instagram  Social channels: X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hear about travel to Southeastern Turkey as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mark Michael from rambleswithmark.com about this region that is the home to people in the Bible like Paul and Abraham, ancient monasteries, and some of the oldest known megaliths. Connection to Region Read William Dalrymple's From the Holy Mountain in college, a journey through the region retracing the steps of John Moscos, a seventh-century monk It's hard to underestimate how ancient this part of the world feels. In Urfa, they have a few prized local delicacies: one is a meatball they say that Abraham invented, another is a dessert they call Noah's pudding, and there's a pancake covered in molasses that is supposed to derive from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. I have made a lot of Christian pilgrimages, almost always to sites from the New Testament or the early church; many sites on this trip are associated with Muslim traditions about Old Testament figures, which are usually similar but different from those preserved by Jews and Christians. If you are interested in the history of the Ancient Near East, Turkey is by far the easiest place to travel: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel are all barred or unsafe.  Turkey has good roads, helpful people, and relatively low costs (though inflation has climbed steeply in the past 2 years) Area is changing quickly through massive investment in GAP Project (22 hydroelectric dams on the Euphrates, 19 power plants, with initiatives to develop agriculture and tourism in region that has been Turkey's poorest), allowing for development of tourist infrastructure, but accelerating decline of traditional ways of life, if you go now, it will still seem timeless, and you will be ahead of the tourist rush You feel like a traveler here, not a tourist. I only met one other native English speaker. People are curious and enthusiastic to show you their local treasures.  ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-southeastern-turkey/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a stunning U.S. military operation carried out in the early hours of Saturday, January 3rd, American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. As of Saturday afternoon Eastern Time, the two were en route to New York, where they are expected to face criminal charges tied to a U.S. indictment issued roughly five years ago. The operation follows months of escalating confrontation between Washington and Caracas. The Trump administration had already carried out military strikes on vessels accused of drug smuggling and seized oil tankers off Venezuela's coast. Hours after Maduro's capture, President Trump declared that the United States would now "run Venezuela," offering few details—but repeatedly emphasizing that the U.S. would soon control the country's vast oil reserves. To help us understand what just happened and what may come next, I'm joined from Bogotá, Colombia by Elizabeth Dickinson, deputy director for Latin America at the International Crisis Group. We discuss what is known so far about the operation, the risks facing Venezuela in the days ahead, and why this moment bears uncomfortable similarities to the U.S. overthrow of Saddam Hussein and the occupation of Iraq more than two decades ago. Support Global Dispatches with your paid subscription! https://www.globaldispatches.org/   

Fundamentally tells the story of Nadia, an academic who's been disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover, so she decides to get away by accepting a UN job in Iraq.Meanwhile, Sara is a precocious and sweary East Londoner who joined ISIS at just fifteen, and Nadia is astounded at how similar they both are: they're feisty and opinionated, they're from a Muslim background, and they both love a Dairy Milk and rude pick-up lines...In this Book Club chat with Fearne, author Nussaibah Younis explains how she managed to write an incredibly funny book based on her own experience of creating a de-radicalisation programme... Satire and comedy, she says, is vital in examining tough topics.They also natter about how you'd react if you had to hang out with your teenage self, and why doing the job you love can sometimes mean giving up a little bit of yourself.Thank you to Weidenfeld & Nicolson for the use of the Fundamentally audiobook, narrated by Sarah Slimani.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:Book Club Meets: Elizabeth Day Book Club Meets: Elizabeth Gilbert Book Club Meets: Aisha Muharrar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

JP Dinnell sits down with his sister and General Surgeon in the US Air Force Captain Sara Parmiter, MD.   Get your free training from First In Nutrition: https://www.firstinnutrition.com/jppod More from JP Dinnell: https://www.jpdinnell.com/ Join the conversation on instagram JP Dinnell: http://instagram.com/jpdinnell/ Lucas Pinckard: https://www.instagram.com/lucaspinckard Bruiser Arms: https://www.instagram.com/bruiserarms Echelon Front: https://echelonfront.com/ Little Cattle Co: http://littlecattle.co On The Path Printing: https://www.instagram.com/onthepathprinting JP Dinnell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and now a Leadership Instructor, Speaker and Strategic Advisor with Echelon Front, where he serves as Director of Experiential Leadership Training Programs. J.P. is also a pro team athlete and spokesperson for Origin Maine and Jocko Fuel, an American clothing and supplement company. J.P. has a signature Energy Drink flavor "Sour Apple Sniper" with Jocko Fuel. Jeremiah spent nearly a decade in the SEAL Teams with three combat deployments. Sent to the violent terrorist stronghold of Ar Ramadi, Iraq in 2006 with SEAL Team Three's Task Unit Bruiser, J.P. served as point man, machine gunner, and lead sniper for Delta Platoon opposite the American Sniper, Chris Kyle, who was in Charlie Platoon. For his leadership and courage under fire, JP was awarded a Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars with Valor and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor helping Task Unit Bruiser to become the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War. He worked closely with SEAL Officers Jocko Willink, his Task Unit Commander, and Leif Babin, and was the driving force on many of the daring combat operations Jocko and Leif wrote about in Extreme Ownership. Upon his return, J.P. again worked directly for Jocko as a training instructor at Naval Special Warfare Group One Training Detachment, where he orchestrated realistic and challenging training scenarios for Special Operations Urban Combat training and Close Quarters Combat training to better prepare SEAL units for the real-world battlefield. He also served as a Combatives Instructor, Marksmanship Instructor and earned his Master Trainer Specialist qualification while helping Jocko rebuild and enhance these training programs into the highly effective platforms they are today. J.P. brings exceptional experience and frontline leadership perspective from the winning mindset and culture of Task Unit Bruiser.