Podcasts about Iraqi

September 30, 2026After more than two decades, the deaths of countless Iraqi civilians and more than 4,500 US troops, the wounding of more than 30,000 US military personnel, and a cost of more than $2.8 trillion, the US has pulled out the last of its forces from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq, A small contingent of advisors had remained after the US and Iraq agreed to a withdrawal plan in 2024, At that time, Iran seemed to be on the ropes, but Trump's war on Iran has strengthened the country's hand in the region, The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was based on the belief that Iraq's Saddam Hussein was destabilizing the Middle East, Although Saddam had not been involved in the 9/11 attack, officials from the George W Bush administration pushed the idea that the terrorists were affiliated with Iraq, The administration warned that Saddam Hussein was amassing weapons of mass destruction and when Secretary of State Colin Powell warned in a speech at the UN that Iraq had chemical WMDs and the resources to create nuclear weapons, people were convinced it was true. Later the evidence was discredited, but enough countries backed an invasion that in March 2003 American troops invaded with the intention of overthrowing the government, Saddam's forces crumbled and by May the US had set up a transitional government and Bush had declared “Mission Accomplished,” But it wasn't, Now the United States is entering the eighth month of a war on Iran that Trump apparently began with the same cowboy mentality as Bush carried into the war in Iraq, And Pete Hegseth is celebrating his transformation of the military and its “patriotic cowboys.” To read this letter, click here:Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyYou can also find Heather at:YouTubeBlueskyInstagramFacebookThreadsTikTok Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the American withdrawal from Iraq – the product of Trump's war with Iran, and a strategic defeat of historic proportions.Iraq has been enormously important to the United States since the end of the Cold War. It has served multiple strategic, foreign policy and domestic purposes. Its loss – the effective expulsion of American power from the country – is an epic disaster unfolding in slow motion. It doesn't look like the British retreat from Afghanistan in the 1840s, but it is a catastrophe nonetheless.The war against Iran has achieved the opposite of everything it intended. It has cost America its bases in the Persian Gulf. It has empowered the Houthi rebels in Yemen and threatened control of the Red Sea. It has surrendered the Straits of Hormuz. It has alienated the Gulf states and the Saudis. And now it has forced a strategic withdrawal from Iraq.We trace the long history of American involvement in Iraq – from the use of Saddam Hussein as a bulwark against revolutionary Iran and the Soviet Union, through the first Gulf War and the brutal sanctions regime that followed, to the catastrophic invasion of 2003. We examine the decision not to overthrow Saddam in 1991, the disbandment of the Iraqi army, the failure to understand Iraq's ethnic and religious divisions, and the looting of the National Museum – met with Rumsfeld's infamous remark that "freedom is messy."Drawing on John Gray's critique of liberal interventionism, we consider the argument that there are things worse than tyranny – and that what replaced Saddam's Leviathan was anarchy, a condition that elements of the American right seemed actively to welcome.The withdrawal from Iraq is not the orderly dismantling of empire. It is a rout – and what replaces American influence will almost certainly be Iranian. Trump has defeated his own country.Topics covered:The American withdrawal from IraqThe war against Iran and its strategic consequencesIraq as a Cold War client stateThe first Gulf War and the sanctions regimeThe 2003 invasion and its catastrophic aftermathThe disbandment of the Iraqi armyThe looting of the National MuseumJohn Gray on tyranny and anarchyThe rise of Iranian influence in IraqIf you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this live edition of The Adult in the Room, Victoria Taft returns to break down legal double standards, high-stakes military developments in the Persian Gulf, and the fallout from the Lindsay Clancy murder trial: Portland's Two-Tiered Justice System (TommyBoi Case): Victoria reviews the latest legal targeting of conservative livestreamer Thomas Allen ("TommyBoi"). The Multnomah County District Attorney's office swiftly filed misdemeanor assault and harassment charges against Allen for pushing back an aggressive Antifa protester who blocked him with a plastic tote lid—while seven months later, a leftist drive-by pellet gun shooter who targeted TommyBoi on camera has still never been indicted. Iran SITREP with Edmund Fitton-Brown: Former UK Ambassador to Yemen and Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Senior Fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown joins the show to assess the escalating Middle East crisis. Fitton-Brown analyzes how the U.S. naval blockade is suffocating the Iranian economy, reports on Houthi and Iraqi militia attacks on vital Saudi oil pipelines, explains why Twelver Shia eschatology makes a nuclear-armed Tehran uniquely dangerous, and previews whether kinetic strikes will wait until after the midterm elections. Lindsay Clancy Case: Defense Attorney Destroys His Own Case: Victoria dissects defense attorney Kevin Reddington's arguments before Judge William Sullivan. After conceding during the first trial that Clancy strangled her three children due to severe postpartum psychosis, Reddington reversed course in a motion hearing—arguing the state never proved she committed the killings at all. The Lone Holdout Juror Speaks Out: Audio surfaces from the lone holdout juror, Peggy Desronville, who explains his Catholic faith and why he refused to let political discussions about women's healthcare distract from delivering justice for the three slain children: Cora, Dawson, and Callan. White House Arcade Satire: A look at the White House's satirical arcade games, including "Flappy Bill" and "Rio Run," mocking policy battles and open-border rhetoric.

ictoria Taft hosts a packed edition of The Adult in the Room, taking on military readiness, political thrillers, law enforcement warfare, and West Coast gubernatorial politics: Don Bentley on Double Tap & Military Realities: Former Army Apache helicopter pilot and FBI special agent Don Bentley returns to discuss his latest novel in the Vince Flynn universe, Double Tap. Bentley details the early-1990s prequel setting, hunting missing Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, and Scott Coleman's covert Navy SEAL backstory. He also announces his upcoming short story Flesh and Blood, set in Afghanistan's deadly Korengal Valley, and breaks down the evolution of drone warfare from early Israeli handoffs to CENTCOM's new Task Force Falcon Strike. Pete Hegseth vs. Hasan Piker (Warrior Ethos vs. Woke Absurdity): Victoria contrasts Twitch streamer Hasan Piker wearing cat paws on stream with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's declaration that social engineering, drag shows, diversity quotas, and PowerPoint trainings are officially purged from the military in favor of lethality. Gavin Newsom's Anti-ICE Legislation (Michael Letts): In-Vest USA founder and 30-year law enforcement veteran Michael Letts breaks down California Governor Gavin Newsom's move to ban law enforcement and ICE from using non-lethal conductive electrical shock gloves and flashbangs. Letts explains how shock gloves offer humane, 15-minute neuromuscular de-escalation without permanent injury, warning that banning non-lethal technology forces officers into lethal firearm confrontations. California Debate Explosion (Steve Hilton vs. Xavier Becerra): Victoria reviews the fiery California gubernatorial debate where Republican Steve Hilton dismantled former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Hilton confronts Becerra on Susan Rice privately calling him an "idiot" and a "bitch ass," while holding him accountable for the 479,000 unaccompanied migrant children processed through HHS—over 100,000 of whom remain unaccounted for after being funneled into labor and sex trafficking networks. West Coast Political Shifts & Mobilizing the Pulpits: Analysis of the Oregon governor's race between Christine Drazan and Tina Kotek, Ron DeSantis's speech in Oregon, and a direct challenge to pastors to scrap Johnson Amendment fears and preach biblical truth regarding the sanctity of life and border protection

Fighting one day in the tough Iraqi city of Fallujah, a Marine sergeant decided to put himself at risk in order to get a frightened family to safety. He stepped into a courtyard and spoke quietly for a few minutes with the father. He took time to make sure the kids had water, and the toys his men gave them.Then it was back to the war.Gentleness can be misunderstood. Too often we think, for example, that a man is not masculine if he's gentle.Not true. This Fruit of the Spirit is a real strength, no matter one's gender. But for men, it can be more than that; gentleness can be an asset.Romans 15:7 says, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”No matter where we are, we are to conduct ourselves with a gentle nature. In every encounter, we are to model the love of Christ, to show a damaged world that good is stronger than evil.Let's pray.Lord, you are so gentle with our tangled spirits! In our sin, you look at us with love. Thank you so much for that. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

In Episode 207 of the Facts vs Feelings podcast, Carson Group's Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, Chief Macro Strategist, welcome back Rory Johnston, founder and CEO of Commodity Context, to make sense of an oil market that remains historically tight more than 200 days into the war with Iran. Rory explains why Brent sits near $108 with extreme backwardation, why roughly 13.5 million barrels a day are now moving through the Strait of Hormuz versus a pre-war normal of about 21 million, and why he calls himself a "Hormuz half-empty" kind of guy.From there, the conversation turns to what Rory calls the "Beijing swing," as China cut net crude imports by about 5.5 million barrels a day, and to record-high diesel prices, including what a U.S. diesel export ban would mean for prices at the pump. The episode wraps with the market signals Rory watches that may indicate when the crisis is truly over: rising OECD inventories and the front of the crude curve flipping into contango.Key TakeawaysBrent is near $108 with prompt spreads close to $8 a barrel, signaling an acute physical deficit even though Hormuz flows have recovered to about 13.5 million barrels a day, up from near zero for non-Iranian crude in March and April.Rory argues Iran is gradually losing control of the strait, but the cost is enormous: Iraqi barrels have been discounted by $30 to $50, VLCC rates have hit record highs, and the war is far from over.China cut net crude imports by roughly 5.5 million barrels a day, and Rory believes drawdowns of strategic crude and diesel stockpiles, not just weak demand, explain much of that swing, making it inherently unsustainable.Diesel remains the tightest part of the market, with roughly 2 million barrels a day lost from the Middle East and Russia, U.S. exports up about 50%, and diesel cracks running at several times normal levels.A U.S. diesel export ban would lower domestic prices but send global diesel prices soaring and eventually force refinery run cuts. Rory expects a rationing of export licenses rather than a full ban.In Rory's opinion, the clearest signal the crisis is over would be OECD inventories rising and the front of major crude curves flipping into contango, which would show the supply deficit is truly behind us.Jump to:0:00 — Welcome and a Family Update2:35 — Rory Johnston Returns and Reintroduces Himself6:40 — From $200 Oil Fear to Reality10:45 — What Tight Backwardation Is Signaling14:55 — Hormuz Transit Data and Dark Tankers25:10 — China Demand Swing and the Brent WTI Gap38:15 — Why the War Keeps Dragging On42:10 — Diesel Shortage and Export Ban Math47:55 — The Cleanest Signal the Crisis Ends50:15 — Where to Follow Rory and Final ThanksRory Johnson is not affiliated with CWM, LLC. Opinions expressed by this individual may not be representative of CWM, LLC.Connect with Ryan:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandetrick/• X: https://x.com/RyanDetrickConnect with Sonu:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonu-varghese-phd/• X: https://x.com/sonusvarghese?lang=enQuestions about the show? We'd love to hear from you! factsvsfeelings@carsongroup.com

The last American troops have left Iraq after a military presence of more than a decade in the country. The exit of the remaining forces from Irbil, in the northern Kurdistan region, follows an agreement between the US and the Iraqi government, signed two years ago, to withdraw foreign troops by the end of this month. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Elizabeth Tsurkov from the Van Leer Institute's Forum for Regional Thinking. (Photo: AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein more than two decades ago, the US has had a near-continuous military presence in Iraq... until now.The last troops have been withdrawn, ending a process started by Joe Biden and endorsed by Donald Trump. But the timing of the departure has been questioned - with the US still at war with Iran.According to Iraqi security experts, the withdrawal could give Tehran and its proxies free rein, while also risking a comeback from the Islamic State terror group.So, why have Americans decided to leave Iraq now? And what will it mean for the future of the country - and stability of the wider region?Niall Paterson is joined by Sky's military analyst Robert Clark, who served in the British military in Iraq and Afghanistan.There is more exclusive analysis and content on the conflict in the Middle East on the new Sky News Defence Insider app.Sky News Defence Insider is a subscription app designed for audiences seeking deeper insight into defence, security and global affairs.Download and subscribe here. Paid subscription required for full access. UK only. 18+. T&Cs apply.

The last remaining US troops have left Iraq, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. After years of conflict and instability, Iraq is entering a new phase without US forces on the ground. Is the Iraqi government ready? And who stands to gain from the US withdrawal? In this episode: Ahmed Rushdi, President of the House of Iraqi Expertise Foundation Kenneth Katzman, Senior Fellow at The Soufan Center Abdullah AlShayji, Professor at Kuwait University Host: Dareen Abughaida Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Amurka ta sanar da shirin janye sojojinta daga sansanoninsu na ƙarshe a Iraƙi zuwa ranar Laraba, matakin da Iran da ƙawayenta ke ɗauka a matsayin wata nasara, a ƙasar da sojojin Amurka 4,500 suka mutu cikin sama da shekaru 20 na yaƙi. Ana ganin wannan a matsayin wata nasara ga ƙasar Iraƙi da ƙawayenta, ganin yadda ficewar sojojin Amurkan ke cikin sharuddan da Iran ta gindaya kafin dakatar da yakinta da Amurka, yayin da wasu ke ganin ko dai Amurka ta fara miƙa wuya a wannan yaƙi. Game da wannan Rukayya Abba Kabara ta tattauna da Dakta Ibrahim Adamu masanin siyasar Gabas ta tsakiya, ga kuma yadda tattaunawar tasu ta kasance. Shiga alamar sauti, domin sauraron cikakkiyar tattaunawar.

Headline news for September 30, 2026: US forces complete their withdrawal from Iraq today ending more than two decades of military presence after four thousand five hundred American deaths. Iran hails it as a victory while Iraqi security officials warn of a potential security vacuum. China's factory activity returns to growth in September after two months of contraction. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. Written by: Claressa Monteiro (claremb@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities --- Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on: Channel: bt.sg/btlenson Amazon: bt.sg/lensam Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt Website: bt.sg/lenson Feedback to: btpodcasts@sph.com.sg Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlensonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. military has successfully completed its full withdrawal from Iraq, marking the end of its military operations in the nation after more than twenty years of presence. The concluding stage of this departure was accomplished on September 30, 2026, when the last contingent of forces evacuated from Erbil Air Base, their final position in northern Iraq.Coalition military forces were initially stationed in Iraq and Syria beginning in 2014 to counter the Islamic State (IS) organization, which had taken control of extensive territories across both nations and perpetrated horrific massacres and atrocities.Although IS was militarily defeated in Iraq by 2017 and in Syria by 2019, coalition personnel remained to suppress the organization's surviving elements. In 2024, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement to gradually reduce the coalition's operational footprint, leading to a phased withdrawal from military installations throughout the country, with forces concentrating their remaining activities in the self-governing Kurdistan region in the north. Their complete departure from this final location is set for Wednesday.Iraqi leadership contends that removing coalition forces eliminates the justification that Iran-aligned militant organizations have leveraged to maintain their arsenals. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has proclaimed that October 1, immediately following the coalition's exit, should be recognized as Sovereignty Day.This represents "a historic milestone celebrating Iraq's achievement of full sovereignty and reinforcing the strength of the state and its governmental structures," according to statements from the heads of Iraq's executive, legislative, and judicial authorities released on Monday.They further emphasized that “the presence of weapons outside state authority must be addressed… in line with timelines set by the government, in a manner that strengthens state sovereignty”.

Host Bill Hamblet talks with John Andreas Olsen, the author of the new book about General Horner and the 1991 air campaign that defeated the Iraqi military.

The so-called “Cockroach” protests that erupted in India this past July grew quickly, gathering around them a number of different activist groups and individuals from various walks of life. These protests were met with tremendous state repression and censorship. Today we speak with Raaz and Sarthak, two student activists and organizers from Delhi, about the broad background to the struggles for education and a decent life, and how the fight has grown to encompass broad sectors of Indian society. Despite the attempts of the State and mainstream media to disappear these protests from the global mediascape, we learn how and why the protests and organizing has continued unabated, and what some of the key goals are.  Along with Raaz and Sarthak, we are joined once more by Suchitra Vijayan, director of the Polis Project and seasoned activist and journalist, who was also there as the protests unfolded.Raaz is a writer-researcher and independent journalist, currently pursuing their LL.B. from Delhi University, India. They are curious about different experiments in anti-fascist resistance, with a special interest in stories of criminalisation, gender, and people's movements. They are currently working with a small team to build a youtube studio / production house, @Krantikhana. They enjoy lofi music, indie animations, and Junji Ito novels.Sarthak is a non-binary filmmaker and journalist from Jamshedpur India. They seek experiential storytelling that is influenced by and derived from our zeitgeist. Their debut feature and core body of work lies at the locus of resistance, art, caste and language creation from the margins. Centering people and their politics, they aspire to re-discover fluidity in meaningful storytelling. They are currently working in an independent news organisation while building their own production house, @krantikhana.Suchitra Vijayan is an author, photographer, curator, and barrister. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Midnight's Borders: A People's History of Modern India and How Long Can the Moon Be Caged? Voices of India's Political Prisoners. A 2023 New York Foundation for the Arts Nonfiction Fellow.  She is the founder and executive director of The Polis Project, a New York-based global magazine of dissent. She is the Chair of the International Human Rights Committee at the New York City Bar and teaches at New York University and Columbia University. She previously worked with the UN War Crimes Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, co-founded the Settlement Legal Aid Project for Iraqi refugees in Cairo.

HeartMedia and Oscar-nominated Filmmaker Michael Epstein Launch "Fault Line: Haditha," a Weekly Limited-Series True Crime Podcast That Re-Examines One of the Most Controversial Incidents of the Iraq WarThe 13-episode investigative series created in partnership with Crowd Network and High Road Entertainment delves into the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians by U.S. MarinesiHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher according to Podtrac, and the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Michael Epstein today announced the launch of "Fault Line: Haditha," a 13-episode investigative podcast and companion documentary series that re-examines one of the most controversial incidents of the Iraq War and the two-decade fight over what happened, who should be held accountable and whether the full truth was ever allowed to emerge.On November 19, 2005, 24 Iraqi civilians were killed by U.S. Marines in the city of Haditha. The killings would become the subject of the longest and most expensive criminal investigation in U.S. military history, drawing international scrutiny and raising questions about accountability within the military.At the center of "Fault Line: Haditha" is former NCIS Special Agent Michael Maloney, who was assigned to investigate the killings. As Maloney pursued the case, he encountered political pressure, disputed testimony and what he came to believe were efforts by senior officials to undermine the investigation. His pursuit of the case would ultimately come at a significant cost to his career Twenty years later, Epstein returns to Haditha to examine what happened and what followed. Produced in collaboration with Crowd Network and High Road Entertainment, the series draws on years of reporting, documentary footage and extensive interviews to reconstruct the killings, the NCIS investigation, the subsequent legal proceedings and the lasting impact on the Marines involved and the Iraqi families whose lives were changed that day.Each podcast episode will be accompanied by an original film on YouTube featuring extended scenes, archival material and interviews that expand upon the audio investigation. The footage includes interviews with Marines involved in the incident, NCIS investigators who worked the case and the sole surviving Iraqi eyewitness, who lost members of her family in the killings. "This is a new kind of storytelling, a serialized investigation you hear on a podcast and then watch on YouTube. This isn't just a video version of the audio. These are two distinct experiences that complement each other," said Epstein. "As a filmmaker and a journalist, the most exciting thing for me is that there is no gatekeeper. I am able to take my investigation and all the revelations I've uncovered directly to a global audience."Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

Attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia are putting Turkey's new defence pact with the kingdom to its first major test – forcing Ankara to weigh support for its ally against the risk of being drawn deeper into the conflict. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August, committing themselves to the principle that an attack on one is an attack on all. The three countries' military chiefs met in the Saudi capital on Friday, a day after the Iran-backed Houthis launched their latest barrage of missiles targeting Riyadh and Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Yanbu. In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting numerous Houthi drone and ballistic missile attacks from neighbouring Yemen. The military chiefs discussed intelligence sharing, military coordination and integrating their capabilities, Saudi and Pakistani statements said. Turkey's defence ministry did not comment on the meeting. Erdogan hints at larger nuclear partnership with Russia, unsettling Turkey's allies Saudi expectations Turkey has so far stopped short of committing itself to military action. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said this month that Ankara was looking into providing what he called “technical support”, without elaborating on what that could involve. Saudi Arabia could look to Turkey for air defence systems, counter-drone technology, radars and maritime security, given the expertise and capabilities of the Turkish military and defence industry, said Amed Khuzaie of the Washington-based think tank N7 Foundation. “The Mecca Agreement pact will prove its vitality and importance only if it's deemed to be functional,” Khuzaie told RFI. The Riyadh meeting followed talks in New York on Thursday involving the Saudi and Turkish foreign ministers and Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Turkish media citing foreign ministry sources said the meeting focused on ongoing “technical negotiations”. But providing support to Saudi Arabia could expose Turkey to retaliation from the Houthis. “By God, if Turkey and Pakistan become involved, we will strike them with an iron fist,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior member of the Houthis, said in an Iraqi television interview. Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade Risk of retaliation The warning should be taken seriously given the Houthis' military presence around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical waterway linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, explained Amed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group. “[The Houthis] targeted US and UK shipping in the Red Sea,” Nagi said. “They could do the same beyond [that] to the Gulf of Aden, because we know Turkey is very active in the Horn of Africa. "So I think these are the areas that the Houthis will think about if there is any sort of retaliation against Turkey.” In 2024, the Houthis attacked US military and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, damaging the Gibraltar Eagle bulk carrier with a cruise missile and sinking the British-linked cargo ship MV Rubymar. Saudi Arabia could also look to Israel for support if its new partners do not provide what it needs, Khuzaie said. “Who has better intelligence in the region than the Israelis today?” he said. “Diversifying resources, if one fails you, you have another side that could assist.” The risks for Ankara go beyond possible Houthi retaliation. Turkey must also manage its relationship with Iran, which backs the Yemeni group. “It is not in the interest of Turkey to have a direct confrontation with any actor in the region, and the Houthis have become a proxy of Iran; Turkey doesn't want a confrontation with Iran directly," said Bilgehan Alagoz, an international relations professor at Istanbul's Marmara University. "Turkey is trying to solve the issue from a diplomatic point of view.” In a joint statement last week, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt said that dialogue and diplomacy were the only sustainable way to resolve the region's conflicts, while affirming Saudi Arabia's right to defend itself under international law. Fidan met his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in New York on Friday. Fidan later said they discussed Iran's negotiations with the United States and conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but that diplomatic efforts had yet to produce a breakthrough. What the SDF's dissolution means for Syria's Kurds and neighbouring Turkey Iran balancing act The diplomatic efforts come as Turkey's relationship with Iran faces other strains. Turkey-based international relations analyst Soli Ozel said Ankara has for decades walked a “fine line” between rivalry and cooperation with Tehran while balancing its relationships with Iran and Western allies, particularly the United States. Turkey's banking regulator recently revoked the operating licence of Iran's Bank Mellat branch in Istanbul, although the official notice did not say the move was intended to enforce US sanctions. The US Treasury also said Ankara had agreed after talks with Washington to stop flights by Iran's Mahan Air as part of efforts to comply with US measures against Tehran. Three Turkish airlines also suspended flights to Iran. Turkish authorities have also repeatedly accused Iran of hostile operations inside the country, including assassinations and abductions of Iranian dissidents. In January, security forces arrested six people suspected of spying for Iran and gathering information about the Incirlik air base, which is used by US forces. Becoming involved in the conflict against the Houthis could upset Ankara's already delicate relationship with Tehran, Ozel told RFI. “The Iranians who actually have a lot of [intelligence] capabilities in Turkey, we've seen that before, then you find yourself in a hot or cold war,” he said.

Alex Scheel is a combat veteran, organizer, Democratic Socialist, and candidate for Congress in Washington's 10th Congressional District.Alex was a late addition to this episode, and I'm glad we had the opportunity to talk.In this conversation, Alex shares how his experiences serving in Army intelligence and deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan changed the way he understood war. He talks about one experience in particular, sitting across from a young Iraqi man and hearing how the war had affected his family and his life. Alex says those experiences eventually helped lead him from soldier to anti-war activist. We also talk about his work with the Democratic Socialists of America, organizing around housing and workers' rights, and what democratic socialism actually means to him. Alex doesn't shy away from some of the bigger issues either. We get into Medicare for All, housing affordability, U.S. military spending, Israel and Gaza, and why ending U.S. involvement in overseas wars is such a major part of his campaign. The conversation also gets personal. We talk about mental health, loss, and why politics ultimately affects real people and real families. Alex shares the loss of his sister to an overdose and his best friend to suicide, and why those experiences matter to him. I'm looking forward to learning more about Alex's journey, especially how he went from serving in the military to becoming an organizer and activist.This conversation is not an endorsement of Alex Scheel or his campaign. On The Record™ gives candidates an opportunity to share their stories, positions, and perspectives in their own words.Listen to Leaders Lead Podcast on all major podcast platforms.#OnTheRecord #AlexScheel #WA10 #WashingtonPolitics #Congress #Veterans #AntiWar #DemocraticSocialism #LeadersLeadPodcast

Skin lost a bet and has to compete in a men's soccer league game, while also performing the Iraqi national anthem. It's weird...but now there's a twist. 

Headlines:The UK has agreed to help Saudi Arabia fight the Houthis by providing aerial refueling services to Saudi planes for the next few weeks. The Trump administration is reportedly setting up a multi-billion dollar investment fund to help repair the energy infrastructure destroyed by Iran in the Persian Gulf. In an exclusive for The New York Times, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi laid out his plan to disarm Iran-backed Iraqi militias. Israeli troops conducted multiple counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samariah during the Yom Kippur holiday on Monday. --FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Every war has its battles for the cities and in 2003 as US forces, aided predominantly by the United Kingdom, invaded Saddam Hussein's Iraq, planners in Washington knew that at some point their troops would have to go into the Iraqi capital of Baghdad if they were to ever oust the middle eastern dictator and his government as was the mission objective of Operation Iraqi Freedom. No one was under any illusions that Baghdad would be a tough nut to crack and despite the technological advantage enjoyed by US forces, years of operational experience from Vietnam to Somalia told US commanders that in the end it would largely be down to the skill andfighting spirit of the infantry. This is the story of the Fall of Baghdad. Welcome to Wars of the World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day Break | The Media Shake-Up Nobody Saw Coming --- 00:00 - Monologue 19:15 – John R. Lott Jr., President of the Crime Prevention Research Center and former senior advisor for research and statistics at the U.S. Department of Justice. Lott discusses the fiscal and public-safety arguments surrounding efforts to delay the deportation of noncitizens convicted of crimes. He examines detention, incarceration, court, and other taxpayer costs involved in immigration enforcement. 28:14 – Danielle Buck, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Partnerships at Patriot Mobile. Buck discusses the Concerned Women for America and Young Women for America Summit in Washington, D.C., where hundreds of women gathered for leadership training and civic engagement. She also highlights Patriot Mobile's partnership with SoldierStrong, including donating its placement on Ty Dillon's No. 10 NASCAR car to spotlight veterans and the SoldierSuit robotic exoskeleton. Visit PatriotMobile.com and use promo code GRUBER for a free month of service. 38:24 - Monologue Featuring Ivey Gruber 47:26 – Bishop Daniel, President of GFA World. Bishop Daniel discusses the role churches and Christians can play in putting their faith into action and becoming more engaged in their communities. He also provides an update from Nepal, where local Christian missionaries are working to reach communities affected by a devastating natural disaster. 57:37 – Ken Buck, former five-term Congressman from Colorado, attorney, and author of Crushed: Big Tech's War on Free Speech. Buck discusses the growth of democratic socialist candidates and the broader debate over socialism, free markets, and individual liberty in American politics. 1:06:37 – Dennis Lennox, political commentator and Republican public affairs consultant. Lennox discusses Michigan's 2026 elections and argues that contests beyond the high-profile U.S. Senate race between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed could have major consequences for state government and policy. Michigan voters are also choosing a new governor in the November 3 election. 1:16:47 - Monologue 1:25:37 – Katie Heid, News Director for Michigan News Source. Heid delivers the Michigan Rundown, beginning with a federal lawsuit alleging that Dearborn favored Islamic observances over Christian and Jewish ones, allegations the city denies. She also discusses President Trump reaffirming his endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's response, along with the arrest in Metro Detroit of a man federal investigators allege was a high-ranking Iraqi intelligence officer during the Saddam Hussein era. 1:35:47 – Kyle Haustveit, Under Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. Haustveit discusses energy reliability as electricity demand grows, particularly from artificial intelligence and data centers. He also examines the relationship between abundant energy, grid infrastructure, and continued growth in American manufacturing. 1:44:44 – Ivey Gruber, President of the Michigan Talk Network. Gruber joins Steve to discuss the unusually quiet hurricane season before turning to technology designed to help people spend less time on their phones. They also explore research into music, cognitive health, and whether staying musically engaged could play a role in healthy aging. --- Check out our podcast, 'Forgotten America'... Episode 24 is live NOW at Steve Gruber on YouTube! Link below: https://youtu.be/UrGZQdE62jA

Would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, send us a message!Learn some basic phrases in the Iraqi dialect! Don't forget to practise the words yourself during the pause. If you'd be interested in us running an online Arabic course, let us know in the comments :)#Arabic #learnarabic #arabiclanguage #Iraq #IraqiSupport the showFor our free 6-Part series on basic Arabic to get you started, sign up to our E-mail list ⁠HERE⁠!Support the show HERE! Follow us on Instagram: arabicwithimranlum and check out my other podcast Muslim Money.#arabic #learnarabic 

Marine Staff Sergeant Tony Storey served 21 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including combat deployments to Somalia and Iraq. At just 21 years old, he led Marines into Somalia during Operation Restore Hope, survived a bullet striking the sandbag beside his head, and later endured a monsoon that flooded his fighting position with human remains.In this episode, of Urban Valor, Tony shares what it was like entering Mogadishu, serving as an 0311 Rifleman, training Iraqi security forces, and carrying the memories of combat long after coming home. 

Scott interviews writer and analyst Elfidel Ibrahim about the current state of Iraqi politics. The US-backed Iraqi government sits in a strange, awkward and concerningly unstable place between Washington and Tehran amid this ongoing war. Ibrahim breaks it all down and also provides some clarity on the recent escalation between the Houthis and Saudis. Discussed on the show: “As Baghdad tries to please Trump, Iran tells Iraqi militias not to disarm” (Responsible Statecraft) Elfadil Ibrahim is a writer and analyst covering the politics of the Middle East and Africa, with a special focus on Sudan. His work has been featured in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The New Arab, Open Democracy and other outlets. Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott's work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott's other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott's books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott's full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott's work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/ or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – The opportunity is real. Iraq could evolve into a regional hub that weakens Iran's leverage and offers a different model for the Middle East. That will require discipline from Baghdad, patience from Washington, and courage from Iraqis who still believe their country can be more than a proxy battlefield...

 Download Audio. Scott interviews writer and analyst Elfadil Ibrahim about the current state of Iraqi politics. The US-backed Iraqi government sits in a strange, awkward and concerningly unstable place between Washington and Tehran amid this ongoing war. Ibrahim breaks it all down and also provides some clarity on the recent escalation between the Houthis and Saudis. Discussed on the show: “As Baghdad tries to please Trump, Iran tells Iraqi militias not to disarm” (Responsible Statecraft) Elfadil Ibrahim is a writer and analyst covering the politics of the Middle East and Africa, with a special focus on Sudan. His work has been featured in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The New Arab, Open Democracy and other outlets. Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott's full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott's work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/ or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show!

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – The opportunity is real. Iraq could evolve into a regional hub that weakens Iran's leverage and offers a different model for the Middle East. That will require discipline from Baghdad, patience from Washington, and courage from Iraqis who still believe their country can be more than a proxy battlefield...

Iranian proxies send oil prices up again, as the Houthis threaten Red Sea shipping, while an Iraqi militia strikes Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline. Plus, a GOP congresswoman in Florida tells Trump in a TV ad that Hispanic supporters feel betrayed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today, Jess, Les, John, and Andrew dig into the Houthis' resurgent offensive and the widening regional crisis it has triggered. With Houthi strikes targeting Saudi Arabia, Iraqi militias hitting Saudi's East-West pipeline, and the Strait of Hormuz under pressure, Riyadh finds itself encircled. after Washington declined to intervene on its behalf, Riyadh has turned to China, Iran's top trading partner, for help.Will China move to exert genuine leverage over Iran? What does Saudi Arabia's outreach to Beijing signal about the durability of American partnerships in the Gulf? What options are there to break the network sustaining the Houthis?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.@NotTVJessJones@lestermunson@JohnCLipsey@AndrewBoreneLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/76qfpU7UHxA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darrell Castle gives his thoughts on the Iran War and asks the question what has 200 days of war accomplished for the United States. He reminds us that yesterday, September 17th, was the 239th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. Transcription / Notes TWO HUNDRED DAYS OF WAR Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 18th day of September in the year of our Lord 2026. My beat is war once again as the United States of America passes two milestones this week. Yesterday the 17th was Constitution Day and this week the US passed 200 days in its war against Iran. So, our subject is what has been accomplished in those 200 days. Yes, we are 200 days into the war against Iran and just on a brief inventory I will list a few of the things it has accomplished. It seems to me that war has torn the U.S. and much of the world apart in the last few days. Here's an excellent quote from the London Times via Bill Bonner. “The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq cost more than 7000 American lives, hundreds of thousands of civilian ones and trillions of dollars, turning that surplus into a debt of more than $40 trillion. Seeing the world's sole superpower flounder for a decade against roadside bombs and soviet-era rifles wrecked American self-esteem and drained Washington's international authority. But the deeper damage was to Americans' faith in their government and in themselves.” That is about as good a summation of what GWB called the war on terror as I could write myself. This reporter, Gerald Baker, is telling us that America has lost its way and we may never find the way again. The US has now spent more than two decades dealing out death and destruction across the world with very little if any to show for it. Now, we are in an even worse situation thanks to the unprovoked attack against Iran about 200 days ago. That attack has in so many ways torn the world apart. Thanks to the empowerment of Iran which was once a backwater country with its own people, especially its women, on the verge of rebellion because of the regime's harsh treatment, that backwater now controls the world's economy at least the fuel portion of it. Fuel may not be everything in the economic world but everything depends on it. When it comes to fuel the war seems to be going worse than ever and it has been a catastrophe for the world's economy. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz which it made no effort to control before it was attacked. The Houthis are gaining control of the Red Sea and the chokepoints leading to it. Iraqi militia, undoubtedly armed by Iran have devastated the Saudi oil production and shipment facilities to the point that fuel in Europe is drying up. The Saudis built a pipeline from their oil facilities across to the Red Sea to avoid Iranian attacks on shipping in the Gulf but repeated drone attacks have destroyed the pipeline so the Saudis are unable to ship oil right now. There have been so many Iranian missile attacks on US. bases and all the oil producing nations that oil is becoming critically short worldwide. Here in the US, we have developed a system where we don't stockpile anything as we used to. Instead trucks continually roll to grocery stores and if they miss one day there is no food. Diesel delivers all the stuff we consume and if you've driven anywhere lately you know the highways are full of trucks and they all run on diesel. Since the price of diesel is soaring, over $6 in my area, the price of food and everything else is soaring too. The Iranians do not have the same system. They don't have to take delivery to prevail, they just have to make sure no one else takes delivery. The fuel shortage is growing worse by the day here in America. The emergency petroleum reserve is at a critically low point and even Donald Trump is alarmed so apparently that is why he made the deal with Venezuela for their oil. Will it be too little too late, time will tell I guess. It seems that petroleum is not the only thing in short supply. The Iranians are very clever people and they seem to have figured out that they can run us short of missiles as well as petroleum. The THAAD system, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System is one of the nation's most expensive defensive systems costing about $13 million per missile. Consider that it is tasked with shooting down missiles supplied to Iran by China probably in exchange for oil which they have in abundance. If a swarm of missiles is fired at Israel THAAD will be highly effective against one, two, perhaps ten but at what cost. The system is not as effective against the hypersonic missiles the Iranians are currently using so perhaps tens of millions expended for each attack all back to US taxpayers. Military records show that 134 THAADs were fired in June of 2025 well before the current war even started. Now, apparently the supply is critically short and the maximum production capacity is about 8 missiles per month. It's easy to see the problem. Even if THAAD is completely effective US production capacity cannot keep up. If that were all it would be plenty but as usual it gets worse. According to anonymous, but trusted federal officials as reported by Tucker Carlson, the US has to replenish not only its own weapons expended but Israel's too. Reportedly the Trump administration plans to send a total of 40,000 Mark 84 and BLU-117 bombs to the Israeli government in the coming months. The records reveal that in World War ll all the allied nations combined from 1939 until 1945 dropped 3.4 million tons of bombs on their Axis enemies. The US didn't even enter the war until late 1941. The bombs I just mentioned being provided to Israel, 40,000 of them each contain 2000 pounds of explosive force or one ton. That means 40,000 tons if the transfer is approved. Some members of congress are starting to take notice however because Thomas Massie has introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and he promised to push it to a vote as one of his last acts before leaving office in November. Yes, Massie has represented Kentucky's 4th district since 2012 but he was primaried out of congress this year and will be leaving in November. He has always been critical of the Iran war and of the US relationship with Israel and I suppose that was just too much for the proponents of the war to bear. Coincidentally, yesterday, the 17th was Constitution Day which celebrates the 239th anniversary of the document that moved America from the status of a colony ruled by Britain to an independent, self-governing republic. Here are a few words from Massie's articles of impeachment. “It is appropriate on this day, the 239th anniversary of our Constitution, that Members of the House of Representatives can stand and vote to validate their constitutional oath and to impress upon the self-proclaimed Secretary of War that his days of waging preemptive, aggressive war are over. The current Secretary's practice of extrajudicial killings, of playing policeman, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner will be at an end, if the House votes to impeach. Every American should understand the gravity of the conduct of Secretary Hegseth: Unilateral initiation and continuation of war, the taking of life without due process, the abandonment of protections for civilians, the suppression of free speech, the separation of powers and the constitutional authority of Congress” The articles also include charges which I won't quote but I will attempt to summarize as I am able. The United States conducted a preemptive attack on Iran at the request of Benjamin Netanyahu. Iran's leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei and members of his family were killed. US and Israeli planes attacked a clearly marked school and killed at least 168 mostly schoolgirls. The school was attacked in three separate raids. He followed illegal orders and continued to accelerate the attacks on Iran. Oil shipments have been cut off and gas prices are soaring. He ordered the deaths of individuals traveling by boat in the Caribbean, alleging they were drug smugglers, arrogating to himself a God-like power over life and death. These are very serious charges and if proven justify impeachment but do they have to be proven. They don't have to be proven to advance the process from the initial introduction to a full house vote but at some point if they are advanced they will have to be discussed and voted on. Just the fact that Articles of Impeachment have been introduced proclaims to the world that at least one member of congress thinks the war and the way US war policy is being conducted is so objectionable it deserves impeachment. One result of this is that victory or a favorable conclusion to the war is now impossible. It is an act that any enemy would very much like to see because it says they are so divided there is no consensus and therefore they can't prevail. Finally, folks, these are some of the most embarrassing and frustrating moments that America has had to face in my lifetime. This war has revealed Israeli motives but what it has revealed about the US, its leadership makes no sense to me but I guess even the world's only super power can get into a mess it can't seem to get out of. At least that's the way I see it, Until next time folks, This is Darrell Castle, Thanks for listening.

Watch the Devotion Based on Romans 9:19; Jonah 4:11 The Merciful God  I don’t know about you but every time I read the story of Jonah in the Bible, I am amazed. It’s not so much that part where the giant fish swallows Jonah to preserve his life. . . And I apologize, if you're totally lost right now. Go and read the book of Jonah before you continue reading this devotion. It’s only four chapters long. It really won’t take you long. Ok, now. . . what amazes me about that story is that God spared the entire city of Nineveh. This was the seat of power for the Assyrian kingdom. It was also the seat of wickedness and witchcraft and all sorts of godlessness.   The LORD sent Jonah to the city of Nineveh to call them to repentance. God wanted to teach Jonah a lesson about his mercy and grace. And Jonah was actually upset about this—that God would spare the Assyrians. Not only were they godless and wicked, but they were mortal enemies of the people of Israel! The amazing part about this story is that the people listened to Jonah's call to repentance. God listened to their genuine repentance, and he spared the people.   The city of Nineveh was eventually destroyed by the Babylonians 150 years later. The region changed political hands over the years but about 500 years later St. Thomas, one of Jesus' own apostles, traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed the message of God's grace. That seed of the gospel was planted and remained there for about 2,000 years. Because of your military service and deployments some of you have been there—the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, on the eastern bank of the Tigris River.   Christianity has been there up until about 2014 when ISIS came in and either drove all the Christians away or slaughtered them. Some reports say that less than 70 Christian families reside in Mosul. Maybe it’s time to go back? That would be a little bit tricky wouldn’t it, to send a pastor as a missionary to Iraq? It wouldn’t be safe. What about you? Would you go?   The amazing thing about this story of Jonah is that God still works this way. He sends people with his radical grace and mercy to others who clearly don’t deserve it. They listen and they believe and God saves them from themselves and from destruction, from death and hell and all of it, and he gathers them into his house—people from all over the world with different skin colors and languages and cultures. Amazing!   What’s amazing about this story is that it involves you! You are one of those to whom God sent someone to pour water on your head. In your baptism he gathered you into his home. You are one to whom God sent someone to speak his words: “You are forgiven in Christ.” He caused his Word to be planted in your heart, and he caused faith to grow in your heart to trust that Word so that you know—as unworthy as you and I are, and we know that we are unworthy because of the things that we have done and the things that we have left undone—we know the amazing impossible thing is that God causes us to believe and to trust that this is for us.    The apostle Paul put it this way: “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Romans 9:16). The Father is generous with his grace and mercy. He told Jonah, “Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:11). The amazing thing about this story is that God is concerned about our cities, too.  I don’t need to go over to Iraq. There are Iraqis living right here in San Diego. You should meet my neighbors who live in my little part of San Diego. All the different nationalities and cultures they represent; it's incredible. I’m sure the same is true for you and the important city where God has placed you. What’s incredible is that he calls you and me to be dispensers of this same amazing grace.   Prayer: Lord, ‘tis not that I did choose you that I know could never be, for this heart would still refuse you had your grace not chosen me. You removed the sin that stained me, cleansing me to be your own; for this purpose you ordained me, that I live for you alone. (CW581:1) O Holy Spirit, work in the hearts of our nation’s warfighters the joy that comes from knowing your grace and mercy is for them, unworthy though they be. Then open their lips to speak your Word of grace and mercy to those in their homes, in their barracks and apartments, and then make them so bold as to share that grace and mercy with those who do not feel worthy or undeserving of your love on their ships and boats, downrange and in the field, underway and overseas, so that all nations may be gathered to you. In your name I pray it. Amen.    Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

Blaise Misztal, Vice President for Policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), joins Brian Kilmeade to break down the escalating security crisis in the Red Sea. They detail how Iranian proxies—including the Houthis and Iraqi militias—are attempting to choke off global oil shipping lanes, why re-flagging commercial tankers under the American flag could dismantle the blockade, and why military deterrence remains vital to confronting Tehran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The USA uses the dollar as a weapon to control countries, by imposing sanctions; cutting governments, banks, and companies out of the US-dominated financial system; and taking over the oil revenue of nations like Iraq and Venezuela. Ben Norton explains how US financial colonialism works. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkza5cRBuG4 Topics 0:00 US empire 1:16 CIA-backed coups 1:42 US sanctions one-third of world 2:23 Why sanctions are so destructive 4:23 US financial attacks blow back 4:49 BRICS seeks alternatives 5:56 Petrodollar system in crisis 7:02 How USA controls Iraq's oil revenue 10:26 USA threatens Iraq over Iran 12:12 Economic difficulties for Iraqis 13:34 US colonial scheme in Venezuela 14:39 China, world's biggest oil importer 15:18 Iraqi plans to sell oil in yuan 17:07 US attacks China-built schools 18:34 Trump attack on Iraq in 2020 20:08 US military occupation of Iraq 21:00 Iran attacks US military bases 21:49 Petrodollar system is breaking 25:30 US bond market problems 27:15 Iran war fuels inflation 27:50 US aggression is backfiring 29:16 Outro

In this episode of the Race and Rights Podcast, CSRR affiliate and Penn GSE faculty member, Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher, guest hosts an episode reflecting on the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11, a milestone that coincides with the two-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United States. She is joined by Alka Pradhan, Human Rights Counsel for Ammar al-Baluchi in the Guantánamo Bay Military Commissions and adjunct faculty at Penn Carey Law, and Zainab Saleh, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Haverford College. Their discussion traces the legal and military machinery of the so-called Global War on Terrorism and how it continues to shape policy and daily life in the United States and abroad.The conversation situates the response to 9/11 within longer histories of policies and interventions rather than treating it as an aberration. Alka Pradhan examines this through the mechanics of law and the absence of accountability, interrogating the "terrorist" label and its effects, while Zainab Saleh grounds it in the human and material devastation of Iraq, and discusses the role of the media in the disappearance of both Iraq and Afghanistan from public memory. The guests consider how the Global War on Terror has come home: related logics of racialized suspicion that have justified detention and surveillance abroad also shape domestic policing and immigration enforcement. These practices are now drawing wider attention as they increasingly reach people's friends and neighbors, despite long-standing warnings from civil rights groups.The conversation also weighs the benefits and costs of the term Islamophobia itself against alternatives such as racism and anti-Muslim racism. It extends into the newer term anti-Palestinian racism, and into the "Palestinian exception" to free speech, where the same post-9/11 playbook of surveillance and suppression now targets people speaking out on Palestine.Together, the conversation asks what it means to reckon with how the response to 9/11 continues to shape law, policy, and daily life twenty-five years later.#WarOnTerror #September11 #Islamophobia #Guantanamo #CostsOfWar #AntiPalestinianRacism #CivilRights #HumanRightsFurther ReadingMaduro's Trial Follows the Twisted Logic of the War on Terrorism | Alka Pradhan. Foreign Policy (2026) On Forgetting, in a Democracy | Alka Pradhan. The Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics & Art (2025) "Head-On Into Peril": Connecting 9/11 and Law Enforcement Abuses in Portland | Alka Pradhan, Just Security, (2020) Shock and Awe Revisited: Legacies of the Iraq War 20 Years Later | Zaynab Quadri, Zainab Saleh, Catherine Lutz, Osamah Khalil, Carly A. Krakow & Moustafa Bayoumi. Passport: The Newsletter of SHAFR (2023)  What Gen Z needs to Know About 9/11 and its Aftermath | Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher & Deepa Iyer. Chalkbeat (2023)Exit East? The Fight Against Anti-Muslim Racism | Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher & Thea Renda Abu El-Haj, The Assembly: A Journal for Public Scholarship on Education (2018) Guest BiographiesZainab Saleh, PhD is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the John B. Hurford '60 Center for the Arts and Humanities at Haverford College. Her research focuses on subjectivity, nostalgia, belonging, war, empire, and violence in Iraq and the Iraqi diaspora. She is the author of Return to Ruin: Iraqi Narratives of Exile and Nostalgia(Stanford University Press, 2021), winner of the Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award at the Arab American Book Awards, and Political Undesirables: Citizenship, Denaturalization, and Reclamation in Iraq (Stanford University Press, 2025). Her current work includes a forthcoming book on how US media legitimized the invasion of Iraq.Alka Pradhan is an expert on the application of human rights and humanitarian law to counterterrorism situations, and all aspects of the prohibition on torture, from prevention to litigation and accountability. She is currently Human Rights Counsel at the Guantanamo Bay Military Commissions, representing one of the defendants in the capital case of United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (the “9/11 case”); and Associate Counsel for Al-Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud at the International Criminal Court. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Penn Carey Law School.Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher, EdD is an Adv. Senior Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education where she is also Director of the International Educational Development Program. Her scholarship focuses on structural Islamophobia and the schooling experiences of migrant youth, particularly how race, religion, and mobility shape their civic engagement and academic opportunity. She is the Project Director of Teaching Beyond September 11th, an open-access curriculum that provides educators with materials for examining structural, institutional, and interpersonal responses to 9/11 and their effects on AMEMSA communities, through critical inquiry and within a larger historical narrative.Support the showSupport the Center for Security, Race and Rights by following us and making a donation:Donate: https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/csrr-support/20046.html Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEbUfYcWGZapBNYvCObiCpp3qtxgH_jFy Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rucsrr Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rutgerscsrr Follow us on Threads: https://threads.com/rutgerscsrr Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/rucsrr Follow us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/rucsrr 

CAPTION 1962 VS THE EGYPTIANSHouthis Expand Reach Across Strategic WaterwaysBridget Toomey discusses how Houthi rebels rapidly expanded control across Yemen's western coast, seizing the strategic port of Mocha and Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb choke point. Yemeni armed forces conducted counter-operations in a designated killbox around Mocha while displaying strikes on Houthi positions. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabiaclosed its critical oil pipeline following drone attacks attributed to Iran-backed Iraqi militias operating in coordination with the Houthis. The Trump administration continues offering intelligence support to Saudi Arabia while maintaining its policy of avoiding direct airstrikes under an existing mutual non-engagement agreement. (1)

CAPTION 1916 YEMEN FIGHTING.CONTENTS-JBS-9-14-2026Houthis Expand Reach Across Strategic WaterwaysBridget Toomey discusses how Houthi rebels rapidly expanded control across Yemen's western coast, seizing the strategic port of Mocha and Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb choke point. Yemeni armed forces conducted counter-operations in a designated killbox around Mocha while displaying strikes on Houthi positions. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabiaclosed its critical oil pipeline following drone attacks attributed to Iran-backed Iraqi militias operating in coordination with the Houthis. The Trump administration continues offering intelligence support to Saudi Arabia while maintaining its policy of avoiding direct airstrikes under an existing mutual non-engagement agreement. (1)Israeli Strikes Target Reconstituting Hamas LeadershipSamuel Ben-Ur analyzes recent Israel Defense Forces eliminations of key Hamas figures in Gaza, notably Khan Yuniscommander Muhammad Abdul Salam al-Yuzuri. Al-Yuzuri was actively attempting to rebuild the Qassam Brigadesand plan attacks prior to his elimination. Hamas maintains military dominance across thirty percent of the yellow line and remains heavily integrated within civilian population centers. Meanwhile, progress on the Board of Peace disarmament plan remains stalled until after Israeli elections due to political sensitivity surrounding territorial concessions. Ben-Ur notes that voluntary Hamas disarmament is improbable, highlighting alternative stabilization initiatives like pilot zones. (2)Historical Roots Shape Modern Yemeni ConflictGregory Copley details the deep historical context of Yemen, tracing its lineage from the ancient Sabaean kingdom through the Mutawakkilite Kingdom. He explains how Saudi hostility toward Northern Yemen stems partly from historical Hashemite claims to Mecca and Medina. Copley emphasizes that Northern Yemeni forces are tough professional fighters rather than simple rebel groups, driven to fight for survival against Saudi strikes. He suggests that Washington and London should engage in separate diplomatic negotiations, leveraging Oman's Sultan as a discreet mediator during upcoming visits to negotiate an accommodation and establish regional peace. (3)Latin American Leaders Engage European ForumErnesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa discuss their participation in Slovenia's Bled Strategic Forum, highlighting growing Eastern European engagement with Latin America. Araújo draws parallels between Eastern Europe's 1989 liberation and Latin America's current struggle against narco-socialism. Regarding Venezuela, Peña Esclusa emphasizes that citizens reject interim president Delcy Rodríguez despite opposition leader María Corina Machado's primary victory. Turning to Brazil's upcoming election, Araújo outlines a major judicial scandal tying Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to a fraudulent banker, severely impacting President Lula da Silva's reelection campaign against Flavio Bolsonaro. (4)Israeli Forces Detonate Strategic Hezbollah UndergroundDavid Daoud examines an Israeli detonation of Hezbollah's subterranean nerve center at Aita al-Shaab, which caused a 4.1 magnitude seismic event. The complex was originally designed for Hezbollah's planned invasion of the Galilee, a doctrine later mirrored by Hamas on October 7th. Daoud reports that Israeli forces are turning South Lebanon into a buffer zone to eliminate threats. However, he criticizes the Lebanese Armed Forces for failing to demonstrate real will to disarm Hezbollah, noting that 86% of reported LAF weapon seizures consisted merely of militarily insignificant bullets. (5)Canada Explores Strategic European Union AllianceConrad Black evaluates Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's proposal for a unique associate alliance with the European Union. Black notes Canadians would support freer trade and cultural exchanges, though full political submission to Brussels directives would be rejected. He highlights French President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming meeting with Carney in St. Pierre and Miquelon as a significant recognition of Canadian distinctiveness. Furthermore, Black criticizes U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats and trade deficit claims, pointing out that Canada sells oil at discounted rates and maintains balanced cross-border auto manufacturing integration. (6)Economic Analysis Exposes Costs Of TariffsVeronique de Rugy analyzes the economic consequences of trade wars, specifically examining cross-border tariffs between the United States and Canada. She refutes mercantilist arguments, demonstrating that domestic consumers shoulder tariff costs through higher prices and product scarcity rather than foreign producers paying the fees. De Rugy explains that protectionist tariffs harm domestic manufacturing by raising input costs on imported components. She notes that even domestic producers unexposed to foreign competition raise prices when shielded, and highlights how tariffs on Canadian lumber directly elevate American housing costs. (7)Russian Strikes Target Ukrainian Railway NetworksJohn Hardie assesses a Russian drone strike targeting a Ukrainian train near the Polish border where international VIPs and former European officials had recently passed. While French officials viewed the strike as intentional intimidation, Hardie notes precise Russian motives remain speculative. Additionally, Hardie analyzes reports surrounding President Trump's statements regarding an energy target ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. He defends Ukraine's strategy of striking Russian oil refineries, explaining that disrupting refined diesel production effectively squeezes Moscow's military budget and creates domestic public pressure. (8)United States Secures Historic Venezuelan PetroleumSamuel Ben-Ur provides updates on Venezuela's political transition and energy sector, detailing a massive 25-year oil agreement executed with interim president Delcy Rodríguez. The deal involves North American companies redeveloping 17 oil fields containing 65 billion barrels of proved reserves, redirecting petroleum exports exclusively to the United States away from China and Russia. Ben-Ur notes that major firms like Chevron will lead a hundred-billion-dollar infrastructure revitalization effort. However, he emphasizes that no firm election date has been established, leaving the political timetable for returning to democratic governance uncertain. (9)BRICS Summit Highlights Internal Geopolitical FracturesMelik Kaylan, co-host Gordon Chang: Kaylan and Chang analyze the BRICS summit in India, characterizing the bloc as an incoherent coalition marked by deep internal rivalries, particularly between China and India. Kaylan explains that while member nations grandstand against Western policies in the Middle East, they lack real unified operational strength. Turning to Turkey, Kaylan argues President Erdoğan pursues neo-Ottoman expansionism across Syria, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa to distract from severe domestic economic weakness. Chang adds that Erdoğan reversed his prior support for Uyghurs to secure Chinese financial backing. (10)

CAPTION  1926 SANA'AIranian Proxy Warfare Disrupts Regional SecurityJonathan Schanzer analyzes how Iranian proxy strategy is disrupting regional security by targeting Persian Gulfenergy infrastructure. The Houthis have seized key Yemeni Red Sea territory including Mocha, while Iraqi militias shut down Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, restricting global oil flows. Desperate for military support, Saudi Arabia has engaged with regional partners and Israel. Meanwhile in Lebanon, the Israeli military continues dismantling Hezbollah's underground infrastructure, though political dysfunction in Beirut hampers government control over liberated areas. In Gaza, permanent stabilization remains tied to the difficult task of disarming Hamas through military power. (2)

CAPTION  1914 BERLIN BANK RUNCONTENTS-JBS-9-15Federal Reserve Rate Hikes And AILiz Peek expects the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates by 25 basis points due to persistent inflation stuck between 3% and 3.5%. While U.S. economic fundamentals remain strong—with GDP growth exceeding 4% and robust consumer spending—rising diesel fuel prices over $6 per gallon are driving broader price increases across businesses. Refinery constraints and global energy pressures continue to exacerbate these cost headwinds. Regarding artificial intelligence, Peek argues that data center concerns and job loss fears are overstated, though emerging self-generating AI capabilities warrant self-regulation rather than Congressional intervention. (1)Iranian Proxy Warfare Disrupts Regional SecurityJonathan Schanzer analyzes how Iranian proxy strategy is disrupting regional security by targeting Persian Gulfenergy infrastructure. The Houthis have seized key Yemeni Red Sea territory including Mocha, while Iraqi militias shut down Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, restricting global oil flows. Desperate for military support, Saudi Arabia has engaged with regional partners and Israel. Meanwhile in Lebanon, the Israeli military continues dismantling Hezbollah's underground infrastructure, though political dysfunction in Beirut hampers government control over liberated areas. In Gaza, permanent stabilization remains tied to the difficult task of disarming Hamas through military power. (2)German Populism Politics And Monetary PolicyJoseph Sternberg examines the electoral rise of Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt, highlighting concerns over unpurged neo-Nazi elements within its leadership. While France's Marine Le Pen cleaned up her party's extremist image, the AfD retains radical elements, yet attracts frustrated voters in East Germany due to immigration and economic grievances. Sternberg also notes JD Vance's controversial alignment with European right-wing parties. Turning to economics, Sternberg discusses the Federal Reserve under Kevin Warsh considering a rate hike amid global bond selloffs, rising long-term yields, persistent inflation, and low-growth fiscal challenges in Britain. (3)European Energy Costs And German PoliticsJudy Dempsey and Thaddeus McCotter analyze European energy vulnerabilities and German political turmoil. Global diesel shortages and rising fuel prices are straining European economies and driving inflation, while U.S. aid to Ukrainehas dropped by 99%. President Trump requested Ukraine cease targeting Russian refineries, though Kyiv lacks sufficient air defenses. In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces severe pressure over long-overdue economic reforms alongside electoral gains by the far-right AfD in Saxony-Anhalt and upcoming state elections. Meanwhile, Polandexperiences growing anti-Ukrainian sentiment, and Germany's military is shifting focus toward protecting Ukrainianinfrastructure. (4)Trump Family Ties To Russian OperativesCraig Unger details a ProPublica investigation revealing that Umar Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association and associate of Vladimir Putin, funded hundreds of thousands of dollars for Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding parties. Kremlev has ties to Russian organized crime, Putin's security apparatus, and an organization linked to kidnapping Ukrainian children. Unger explains that Russian organized crime operates as an arm of state security. Reviewing historical ties dating back to 1980 KGB fronts and 2016 campaign contacts with GRU associates, Unger highlights major ethical and constitutional concerns regarding the Trump family's financial gains. (5)Nuclear Deterrence And Russian Coercive ThreatsPeter Huessy examines Vladimir Putin's routine use of nuclear threats as weapons of blackmail, coercion, and "reflexive control" to deter NATO involvement in Ukraine. Grounded in a 1999 decree authorizing low-yield tactical nuclear weapons, Putin's rhetoric treats nuclear employment as a political instrument despite the catastrophic economic and human consequences of any nuclear detonation. Huessy emphasizes that nuclear use constitutes criminality rather than strategy. To counter Russian coercion, the U.S. maintains strong extended nuclear deterrence through visible bomber deployments in allied nations and modernizing sea-launched cruise missile systems to ensure long-term stability. (6)Midterm Politics Policies And Economic RealitiesThaddeus McCotter evaluates midterm election dynamics, pointing to low presidential approval ratings and a 7% gap favoring Democrats. He criticizes President Trump's proposed $5,000 dividend tied to maintaining a Republicanmajority as an un-Republican, redistributionist scheme that undermines fiscal discipline during high inflation. McCotter notes that combining cash injections with demands for Federal Reserve rate cuts will likely guarantee interest rate hikes. High gas ($4.59) and diesel ($6.09) prices continue fueling voter discontent. Furthermore, McCotter lambasts asking Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries as prioritizing campaign optics over existential defense realities. (7)Narrative History And The Western TraditionAllen Guelzo, co-author with James Hankins of the two-volume The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, emphasizes the crucial role of narrative history. Guelzo notes a one-third decline in college history majors over fifteen years, driven by employment anxieties and hyper-professionalized academic specialization that neglects broader historical storytelling. Using historical examples like Gettysburg and Thermopylae, he illustrates how core civilizational ideas about freedom, human nature, and the pursuit of truth inspire human flourishing. Guelzo highlights the resilience of Western civilization, which routinely undergoes cultural renaissances following major historical crises. (8)

More than six months into the war with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz crisis continues to cause turmoil in the Gulf region and global energy markets with no apparent end in sight.  Tanker traffic through the strait has collapsed to a fraction of its pre-war baseline, and the fallout is spreading. Brent crude broke $100 a barrel for the first time since July, and US diesel prices have climbed above $6 a gallon for the first time in history. The US Navy blockade has all but shut down Iranian oil exports, but the conflict is no longer confined to Iran and the strait. Last week, Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline was struck and could stay offline for weeks. Iran-aligned Houthi forces seized Yemen's Red Sea coastline. And a Panama-flagged tanker carrying Iraqi fuel oil caught fire in the crossfire—a sign that oil flows well beyond Iran's borders are now at risk. Meanwhile, President Trump continues to predict the war will end shortly after the US midterms—even as his own administration reportedly warns privately that Iran can hold out longer than that.  So, with the conflict spreading, has this become a multi-front regional war? How much further could oil and diesel prices climb? And how does this conflict unwind and actually end? On today's show, Jason Bordoff speaks with three scholars at the Center on Global Energy Policy: Richard Nephew, Daniel Sternoff, and Karen Young. Together, they discuss the widening war, its impacts on global energy markets, and Middle East geopolitics.  

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia have exchanged further strikes, amid signs that Tehran is ramping up the war against Riyadh to compensate for a stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz. On today's episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks with Arabist and Yemen expert Dr. Elisabeth Kendall (mistress of Girton College) to explain why the Houthis and Iraqi militias are part of a new Iranian Axis of Resistance. They also discuss how Saudi leader Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) is facing an existential crisis following devastating pipeline attacks and escalating violence, with missile alerts sounding as far as Jeddah. Following Donald Trump's refusal to help, Saudi Arabia has called on the UK and Egypt while Iran turns to China. Who will step in?Plus, how Iran helped the Houthis to evolve into a formidable fighting force and the US pushes back against the IRGC's fake news about sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. HighlightsIran activates Yemen Houthi ‘ace card' amid Strait of Hormuz stalemateSaudi Arabia turns to UK for help after ‘shocking' Trump-Houthi callCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyElisabeth Kendall, mistress of Girton College, University of Cambridge @Dr_E_KendallWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-september-14-2026/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/14/proscribing-houthis-bring-energy-bills-down-burnham/Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Nominated Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026Audio Producer: Elliot Lampitt Video Producer: Max BowerResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey ► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iraq experienced one of the most comprehensive sanctions regimes ever imposed on a country in the 20th century. Dr. Omar Dewachi explores the concept of medical anthropology and traces the history of the Iraqi healthcare system from the British mandate to the post-2003 era. This exploration highlights how political interventions and conflicts disrupted medical infrastructure and population health. Ultimately, the conversation examines the profound breakdown of the political, medical, and social systems that led to the death of the clinic and a collapse of trust. 00:00 Introduction 01:21 The Concept of Medical Anthropology 04:52 Dual Trajectories in Health and Social Contexts 06:31 A Career Shift Rooted in Wartime Experience 10:19 The True Toll of the Comprehensive Sanctions Regime 12:56 Infrastructure and the Early Construction of the State 17:53 Systemic Vulnerabilities and the Scales of Destruction 22:25 Healthcare Expansion as an Instrument of Statecraft 28:21 The Rhetoric of Progress and the Framing of Pathologies 31:47 Moving Beyond Conventional Battlefields 37:13 Bearing Witness to Systemic Ruination and Personal Loss 43:09 Challenging Michel Foucault's Framework 49:44 Unequal Knowledge and Visibility on the Global Stage 51:57 The Erosion of Sacred Alliances and the Shift to Commerce 53:41 The Geography of Regional Wounds Omar Dewachi is an Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology and Global Health at Rutgers University. His work examines the social, medical, and environmental fallouts of decades of war and violence in Iraq and the broader Middle East. Before joining Rutgers in 2018, Dewachi co-founded the Conflict Medicine Program at the American University of Beirut, where he taught social medicine and global health. His award-winning book Ungovernable Life: Mandatory Medicine and Statecraft in Iraq (Stanford University Press, 2017) documents the untold history of the rise and fall of Iraq's healthcare system under decades of US-led interventions. His ongoing project 'When Wounds Travel' weaves almost two decades of ethnographic research with his personal experience of displacement and his medical and public health practice across Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. He holds an MD from Baghdad University, an MPH from the American University of Beirut, and a PhD in Anthropology from Harvard University. Connect with Omar Dewachi

Twenty-five years later, Paul Rieckhoff finally tells his own 9/11 story in full. Sitting at Ground Zero with Fox Business correspondent Connell McShane, Paul walks through the days he'd quit his Wall Street job, linked up with fellow New York National Guardsmen, and searched the shattered bottom of the Winter Garden while truck horns signaled another possible collapse. It is the worst thing he has ever seen. It is also, he says, the most beautiful — because of the unity, the volunteers, the fire crew from Arkansas that just got in the rig and started driving. Retired combat pilot Glenn Ignazio joins from the other side of the world he was on that day, in a wartime footing on the Iraqi border when the second plane hit. This is not a forever-wars episode. That conversation matters, and this show has it constantly. Today is about service, sacrifice, and the spirit that made a generation raise their hand. It's about Wells Crowther and the red bandana. It's about the kids at football practice tonight under the lights who weren't born yet and have no formal 9/11 curriculum to learn from. It's about what we, the keepers of the flame, are obligated to pass down before the memory goes cold. Love one another. Look for the helpers. Adapt, improvise, overcome. Independent is an attitude — and so is remembering. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -See what the 170,000 documents the government tried to hide reveal: Pt 1- The Air Was Safe •  Pt 2 - One Hundred Days -Millions of American veterans are being locked out of primary elections in the country they served. See what we're doing to change that. -Visit Kalshi and trade on anything. Use code INDEPENDENT to get $25 when you trade $25. -Head to cozyearth.com and use the code AMERICANS for an exclusive 20% off. -Join Noble Mobile today and get a $100 bonus when you use code PAUL and stay a member for 2 months! -Join IVA and help us get independent veterans elected to office. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It's a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms Read more at Substack Support ad-free episodes at Patreon  Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook  Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media.  And now part of the BLEAV network!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We can't afford to let lies go down the memory hole, like we have the other wars we were lied into. Sadly, it's clear now that neither Bush nor Cheney will be held accountable for their lies or for the American, Afghan, and Iraqi blood and treasure they cost. If the media refuses to mention the Bush/Cheney lies on this anniversary of 9/11, it's all the more important that the rest of us use this opportunity to do so. Pass it on.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From the publisher:"2026 is the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11, the most devastating attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. Within days, the United States began to declare its war on terror: “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists,” President George W. Bush proclaimed. The resulting war on terror cost trillions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of lives, a series of misguided wars, and the damaged perception of American power. And yet despite its blunders, this campaign has kept America safe from large-scale foreign attack.Based on hundreds of interviews, All the Presidents' Wars focuses on critical decisions of four successive presidents―Bush, Obama, Biden, and Trump―and their global consequences. One of the few journalists to interview Osama bin Laden and have unparalleled access to the US intelligence community, Peter Bergen covers the history that might have been avoided: the many terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda and its affiliated groups around the world; the rise of al-Qaeda in Iraq, largely responsible for the Iraqi civil war in the mid-2000s; the birth of ISIS; the resurrection of Afghanistan's Taliban; and Trump's war with Iran. From the failure to capture and the eventual killing of Osama bin Laden to the disastrous rise of sectarian violence in the Middle East, Bergen traces the profound ramifications of this epoch in American life.All the Presidents' Wars also explores the innovations and unintended consequences of each presidency's military and political decisions, including debates over military intervention and withdrawal; the tactics of special operations units, armed drones, and armies of counterterrorism partners; and whether the idea of war ever properly captured the defining conflict of recent American foreign policy. All the Presidents' Wars is essential reading to understand America's devastating war on terror and to avoid the mistakes of the past."Peter Bergen's website can be found at https://www.peterbergen.com/Information on his book can be found at https://wwnorton.com/books/all-the-presidents-warsAxelbankHistory.com is designed by https://www.ellieclairedesigns.com/Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at https://twitter.com/axelbankhistoryhttps://instagram.com/axelbankhistoryhttps://facebook.com/axelbankhistory

Why were 400 civilians allowed to fly into a war zone as Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait? What really happened to them when they were held as hostages? And why has the British government fought for so long to keep it all a secret?Stephen Davis is an investigative journalist who has been following a story, within a story, within a story for more than 30 years.It starts on 2 August, 1990 when a British Airways plane landed in Kuwait for a scheduled stopover.There were nearly 400 passengers and crew on board, mostly British, who had no idea they were flying straight into Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.Instead of refuelling and then carrying on to Madras, the people on board were taken into Iraqi custody, ferried to various hotels and strategic locations around Kuwait, and then Baghdad, deployed as human shields in an unfurling international conflict.Used like chess pieces by Saddam Hussein's men, their experiences would scar them for the rest of their lives, but eventually they would point the finger at their own government's role in their fate.Because Flight 149 should never have landed in Kuwait, and the reasons why it was allowed to fly into a war zone were covered up for more than three decades.Stephen's sources pointed him to a secret British black ops mission that embedded nine operatives on that same civilian flight.The Secret History of Flight 149 is published by Bonnier Books UK.Around 100 passengers and crew of Flight 149 are suing the UK Government and British Airways for “deliberately endangering” them, claiming they knew Iraq had invaded Kuwait before the plane landed.A preliminary hearing was held last November in the High Court in London. Both sides are still battling over procedural issues before a full trial can begin.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores the Middle East, geopolitics, President Bush, Gulf War, Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, invasion, oil, world economy, Margaret Thatcher, spies, MI6, CIA, conspiracies, cover ups, investigations, lawsuits, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Desert Sabre, Dick Cheney, Saudi Arabia, Republican Guard, modern history, modern conflicts, 9/11, terrorism, rise of terrorism.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Marine veteran Peter Caro joined the U.S. Marine Corps expecting to become a mechanic. Instead, he was sent to Iraq as a Motor Transport operator during a time when IEDs were killing drivers across the battlefield.In this Urban Valor interview, Peter shares what it was like serving in Fallujah, driving dangerous roads in Iraq, surviving IED attacks, taking enemy fire, and dealing with the PTSD and survivor's guilt that followed him home.Peter served in the Marines from 2004 to 2013 and completed multiple deployments to Iraq. During his service, he transported personnel and equipment, trained Iraqi police and military forces, and operated outside the wire in some of the most dangerous conditions of the Iraq War.He also opens up about the moments that stayed with him most — seeing Marines he knew listed as killed in action, watching a vehicle in front of him hit an IED, and struggling with the belief that other Marines deserved to come home more than he did.After leaving active duty, Peter began dealing with hypervigilance, panic attacks, isolation, drinking, and survivor's guilt. His path to understanding PTSD eventually led him back to school, where he studied psychology and social work.Today, Peter works as a therapist helping other veterans navigate trauma, PTSD, depression, and the difficult transition from military to civilian life.Chapters: 00:00 Marine Boot Camp & Surviving an IED Attack01:00 Peter Caro's Marine Corps Story01:50 Growing Up in a Mexican-American Family06:34 Why Pete Wanted to Become a Marine08:34 Watching 9/11 Change Everything11:31 Feeling Lost Before Joining the Marines13:44 Walking Into the Marine Recruiter's Office16:33 The Reality of Marine Corps Boot Camp18:32 Choosing to Push Through19:01 A Recruit Tries to Escape Boot Camp23:39 The Reality of the Boot Camp Bathroom25:13 Pete's Infamous Boot Camp Story27:00 Marine Corps Graduation & His Father's Reaction31:51 Returning Home After Boot Camp32:59 Getting in Trouble on Recruiting Duty36:00 The Marine Corps Job He Didn't Expect37:30 Joining 9th Communication Battalion40:02 When Pete's Roommate Went UA43:55 Preparing to Deploy to Iraq45:31 “Dude, You're Going to Die”47:00 Training for His First Iraq Deployment48:47 Accidentally Taking Night Vision Goggles Home51:58 Deploying to Fallujah, Iraq53:07 Training Marines & Iraqi Security Forces54:04 Carrying Iraqi Money Into a Combat Zone55:53 His First Experience Taking Enemy Fire56:41 Tracer Fire Over a Marine Convoy59:24 Becoming Desensitized to Combat1:00:50 Seeing Marines He Knew on the KIA Wall1:03:19 The Beginning of Survivor's Guilt1:04:28 Secretly Getting Married Before Deployment1:08:55 Training Iraqi Police & Army1:10:25 Ambushed During a Convoy Mission1:15:43 Coming Home From Iraq1:18:35 Pete's Second Iraq Deployment1:20:29 The “Code Brown” Convoy Story1:24:32 Incoming Fire Nearly Kills Pete1:28:12 The Mission That Changed Everything1:31:24 The Truck in Front of Him Hits an IED1:32:49 Thinking His Marines Were Dead1:35:00 Guilt After the IED Explosion1:36:45 Why Pete Decided to Leave Active Duty1:40:48 Life in the Marine Corps Reserve1:43:43 Being Reenlisted by R. Lee Ermey1:45:21 Returning to College After the Marines1:46:50 “I Hate the Fact That I Came Back Alive”1:48:46 How Combat Changed Him at Home1:50:54 Drinking, Isolation & Emotional Numbness1:51:32 Learning About PTSD in Psychology Class1:54:50 Refusing to Accept He Had PTSD1:56:11 The Panic Attack That Changed Everything1:57:44 His First Experience Seeking Help1:58:53 The Vietnam Veteran Who Changed His Life1:59:56 Finding a New Mission Through Social Work2:00:49 Becoming a Therapist for Veterans2:02:08 Why Transitioning Out Can Be So Difficult2:03:18 Why Pete Almost Didn't Tell His Story2:05:54 What He Would Tell His Younger Self2:06:43 “You Are Enough”

Ralph welcomes sportswriter Dave Zirin to talk about his new book, "The People's Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn." Then Ralph speaks to labor activist Gene Bruskin about their upcoming Labor Day event at Busboys and Poets in DC, "Galvanizing Labor Day for a Workers' Compact."Dave Zirin is the sports editor for The Nation, a columnist for the Progressive, and the author of eight books on the politics of sports, including What's My Name, Fool?: Sports and Resistance in the United States and A People's History of Sports in the United States. His new book is The People's Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn.There's a despondency that exists now, I believe, among people who are also very angry about the state of our politics. And the thing that Howard always insisted upon—he was an activist who happened to be a historian, not a historian who was an activist. And that doesn't denigrate his incredible skills as a historian, it just says where his priorities were in his time on this planet. And one of the things that Howard believed so strongly is that the movements themselves needed to have a strong sense of history. The movements needed to know that we live in a time of great ups and downs.Dave ZirinPeople did step up to create the Zinn Education Project. And every book event I'm doing, I'm showing up with copies of their materials and they usually have somebody on the ground doing the organizing at the event. And at the very least, we're helping it be a little bit sticky. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's not just a book event. It's not just celebrating Howard. But it's also something that allows us to be able to make it matter in a way that it otherwise would not—because it's not just about selling books, it really is about building a movement.Dave ZirinGene Bruskin is a veteran of the labor movement as a local union president, an organizer, and campaign coordinator for numerous local and national unions. He has done extensive international labor solidarity work, including with Iraqi workers and unions, and is a founder of US Labor Against the War.What we're breaking through here now (and partly this has been the definition of this resistance movement) it's workers versus billionaires. And I think the labor movement in general coming out of World War II has been captured by this mythology that “What's good for General Electric is good for the nation.” And the more the economy “prospers,” the more it's good for everybody. And it turns out that that's not really the case, because we don't have that kind of equality. And also what's in the national interest in terms of our foreign policy is not in the interest of the average working class person. A lot of that stuff is being challenged and reversed—not enough, but it's forcing some of the more moderate forces to the left, just as we're seeing in some of these Senate and House elections.Gene BruskinI think this is a really important moment for Labor Day because Labor Day, among other things, is generally the kickoff for whatever elections are happening in November. And it's going to be that on steroids this year. But I think the important thing is that, of course, we want to throw out a bunch of these Neanderthal Republicans in the House and Senate. But it's not just a matter of restoring a Democratic majority in the House and Senate. The question is: to what end? And what is on the agenda of a Democratic-majority Congress at this minute? What is the vision that we have for our future that we have to be fighting for? … We have to change this whole climate so that people have some kind of hope, some kind of vision for what we want and what we deserve. And the same old, same old, whether it's a Democratic Congress or not, is not acceptable anymore.Gene BruskinGalvanizing Labor Day for a Workers' Compact (Sep 7, 2026 2:00 pm ET): Busboys and Poets and Ralph Nader present Galvanizing Labor Day for a Workers' Compact, a discussion of how unions can maximize the impact of Labor Day to mobilize workers and voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and afterwards. (Event is in-person @ Busboys and Poets 14th & V + Livestreamed. Free and open to all, but registration is required.)News 9/4/26* Our top story this week is the neo-colonial oil extraction deal that has been struck between the Trump administration and the government of Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela. This government has been running the country under the barrel of a gun since Trump sent Delta Force to kidnap President Nicolás Maduro from his home in the Bolivarian Republic in January. According to the BBC, the new deal “grants a US-led company 100-year concessions over 17 oilfields in Venezuela, amounting to a staggering 65 billion barrels of crude,” or over one-fifth of the country's proven oil reserves. The White House has released a fact sheet, stating that much of the new extraction will be conducted by North American Blue Energy Partners (Nabep), and that the U.S. government will have “veto power over the appointment of any member of the board of directors, and a majority of Nabep's board of directors must be US citizens.” The announcement of this deal drew scorn from a wide variety of sources. These range from Trump's former special representative on Venezuela and Iran, Elliott Abrams who called the deal “terrible” and sees it as Rodríguez “simply complying with the demands she's getting from Washington,” to Rafael Ramírez, who served as the head of the state-run energy firm, PDVSA, and as the oil minister under former President Hugo Chávez, who is quoted saying the deal “hands over [the oil] and opens the doors to a new colonialism of the United States.”* In more outrageous foreign policy news, Reuters reports the Trump administration has designated the United Kingdom-based pro-Palestine activist group Palestine Action a ”terrorist organization,” part of the administration's “campaign to crack down on left-wing groups” using post-9/11 anti-terrorism laws. The United Nations has decried this move, with the UN's human rights office chief Volker Turk calling it a “disproportionate and unnecessary ⁠restriction on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association as well as the right ​to participate in public affairs,” adding that the “expansive use ​of the term ‘terrorism' has been documented to have a chilling effect on civic space.” The UK has sought to bring the legal hammer down on Palestine Action, though these efforts have been somewhat stymied by the courts. Sarah McLaughlin, senior scholar of global expression at free speech group Foundation for Individual Rights and Free Expression (FIRE), ​said that the US “must reject that censorship - not import it.” Reuters notes that “Israel's foreign ministry welcomed the designation.”* This is not the only case wherein the Trump administration has gone to extreme lengths to punish pro-Palestine activism. California District Judge Noel Wise highlighted this in her recent decision, excoriating the State Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for their attempts to deport noncitizens over protected speech. This ruling, stemming from a lawsuit filed by FIRE, “centred on how the second Trump administration revoked visas and detained international students studying in the US after they engaged in pro-Palestinian advocacy.” Judge Wise stated in her decision that “in the United States, freedom of speech belongs to the people..It is not the government's to take.” She added that the strength of our democracy is “diminished when members of our society — citizens and noncitizens alike — must self-censor and ‘behave' or suffer the government's retaliation.” Mahmoud Khalil, the most prominent victim of the administration's policy of seeking to deport activists they want to silence, applauded the decision, saying “No one should fear speaking up for Palestine.” This from Al Jazeera.* Our final Palestine-related story for this week takes us to Hollywood, where prominent actor and activist Mark Ruffalo's recent comments in opposition to the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. merger, related to Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison's ties to his father's software company Oracle, have been cynically branded as “antisemitic tropes.” According to the LA Times, Ruffalo shared a clip of Safra Catz, Oracle's former CEO and a current Paramount board member speaking at an Israeli-American Council National Summit conference, where she said that “she couldn't discuss Oracle's work with Israel's military, but ‘we have some profoundly scary technology at Oracle and we wanted to make sure that it was available' to Israel,” after October 7th. Paramount's lawyers quickly sought to smear Ruffalo with the charge of antisemitism, including by deploying their allies in pro-Israel groups like the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League. In response, over 150 Jewish filmmakers, academics, writers and even rabbis, signed an open letter which reads, in part, “Pointing out the crucial connections between what is happening in Gaza and what is happening in Hollywood is the exact opposite of antisemitism. It is, for us, the very essence of Jewish ethical duty.”* In other news, NBC reports the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Friday that “federal commodities-trading law does not preempt Nevada's gambling law as to the regulation of placing wagers on sports.” This piece notes that the 3-0 ruling marks the prediction markets industry's most significant legal setback yet and sets up a showdown at the Supreme Court, since the Third Circuit has already ruled that New Jersey cannot regulate Kalshi. The Trump administration has sought to keep regulation of betting markets under the jurisdiction of the federal body known as the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Notably, the commission, usually composed of five appointees, currently boasts only one single member: Michael S. Selig. Selig is extremely friendly to the prediction market industry and has sought to stave off state-level regulation by arguing for federal preemption.* Kalshi has been in the news for other reasons as well, namely for its attempts to self-regulate. For one, the Wall Street Journal reports that Kalshi issued its first ever lifetime ban this week, to none other than former Congressman and notorious grifter George Santos. This ban was precipitated by Santos' making over $17,000 by “placing bets on his attendance at President Trump's State of the Union address.” Kalshi adds that they issued a $71,356 fine to Santos. For his part, Santos tweeted “Hey @Kalshi thanks for the lifetime ban from your gambling platform…Let's see how much longer you guys are around for.” Newsweek reports that at the same time, Kalshi fined and suspended North Carolina Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout for betting on her own race. Buckhout dismissed her bet as a “dumb mistake” and joked that her “career as a Kalshi trader was short-lived.” Buckhout is running against incumbent Congressman Don Davis in a newly-redrawn district engineered to favor Republicans, but polling shows a tight race. If Buckhout narrowly loses, many will point to this “dumb mistake” as a key reason why.* Another legal battle is unfolding in New York City, where landlords are challenging Mayor Zohran Mamdani's rent freeze for rent-stabilized tenants. PIX11 reports that the suit, originally filed in Staten Island but now moved to Manhattan, centers on complaints from landlords that the decision by the rent guidelines board (RGB) to keep rents flat on one and two-year lease renewals for NYC's million rent-stabilized apartments was “predetermined and illegal.” They argue that the board “cherry-picked data and was packed with supporters of Mayor…Mamdani's campaign promise to freeze rents,” while the Mamdani administration maintains that the board is an “independent body and considers both tenant and landlord concerns.” The mayoral administration will defend the decision in court, while the Legal Aid Society and Legal Services NYC have filed a request for the court to dismiss the suit entirely. An article in POLITICO from earlier this month reports that the plaintiffs in this suit hope to bring this case all the way to the US Supreme Court.* Our final stories this week take us back to the campaign trail. First up, Alaska Public Media is out with a report about a “chain of political maneuvers in the governor's race,” kicked off by former Anchorage mayor Tom Begich's “decision to step down to give fellow Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins a better shot at winning.” Kreiss-Tomkins finished first in the August primary, followed by Begich in second place and two Republicans in third and fourth respectively. Under Alaska election law, the top four finishers advance to the general election. This piece recounts how Begich's withdrawal sent shockwaves through the Republican candidate field. With Begich out, “Republican Treg Taylor moved into the fourth spot. But on Sunday, Taylor called for [fellow Republicans Bernadette] Wilson and [Dave] Bronson to consolidate their campaigns and pledged to endorse a combined Republican ticket. In a statement, Taylor urged Republicans to unite behind a single candidate, to counter Kreiss-Tompkins.” While fascinating for political junkies, many have observed that the maneuvers on display here and in Alaska's Senate race seem to undercut many of the arguments in favor of ranked-choice voting, with more effort being put into confusing voters or seeking to induce so-called “ballot exhaustion” rather than facilitating a more enlightened civil discourse.* Our final two stories cover the Massachusetts primaries held this Tuesday. The topline, as Semafor reports, is that incumbents swept their primaries in a stark reversal of the insurgent trend in Democratic primaries this cycle. The most notable of these was the crushing victory of 80-year-old incumbent Senator Ed Markey over his 47-year-old challenger, Congressman Seth Moulton. Markey won with approximately two-thirds of the vote. This piece notes that Moulton, younger but running to Markey's right, was never able to establish the “generational change” dynamic he wanted in this race, as “progressives and LGBTQ rights groups rallied behind…[Senator Markey].” On this latter point, Moulton was roundly criticized by Democratic voters, even in his own district, for “scapegoating” transgender people in the wake of the 2024 election. Reporter Dave Weigel adds a coda to this piece: “The subtext of Markey ‘26 was that he would be a reliable progressive vote for whatever the movement wanted for six more years, and then Ayanna Pressley could come in and replace him. Pressley campaigned [with] Markey, starred in ads; [and] at rallies he gushed about how she was the ‘north star' and if you wanted to know what the right side of an issue was, it was the side she was on.”* Finally, with all of that said, the pro-incumbent wave in Massachusetts did cut both ways. Progressive challengers to moderate Democrat incumbents fell short in the state's eighth congressional district – reelecting Congressman Stephen Lynch for a 14th term over progressive voting rights advocate Patrick Roath. Meanwhile, in the first district, WAMC reports Congressman Richie Neal, a longtime scourge of progressives, fended off a primary challenge from teacher Jeromie Whalen in his bid for a 20th term in the House – though Whalen, a political newcomer, won an impressive 46% of the vote. Neal will however face the formidable independent candidate Nadia Milleron in the general election. Milleron won nearly 40% of the vote against Neal in 2024; perhaps, if she wins over enough of Whalen's primary supporters, she can pull out a victory in November.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

Andy Stumpf knows what it takes to operate when everything goes wrong. A former Navy SEAL who served with SEAL Team Six, Stumpf spent 17 years in the military, including a tour as a BUD/S instructor responsible for training hundreds of aspiring SEALs. He was also shot at close range by an Iraqi insurgent with an AK-47—and somehow came back to serve again. In this episode, Andy pulls back the curtain on the world of special operations and the psychology of becoming a SEAL. He reveals what he learned about the candidates who ring the bell, the methods he used as an instructor to get them to keep going—or make them quit—and what it really feels like when an AK-47 fragment shatters your sciatic nerve. It's a conversation about fear, pain, endurance, and the strange things that happen in your head when the stakes couldn't be higher. Andy is the host of Cleared Hot, one of the most popular podcasts devoted to military life, special operations, and the people who have lived it. Big thanks to our terrific sponsors American-Giant.com/Mike—American Giant makes clothes that last, and they make them 100% in America.Use code MIKE to get 20% off your order. American Giant—American Made. K12.com/Rowe—Find a K12-powered school near you and see what's possible for your child with K12's Career and College Prep. Digs.com/MIKE—Less rework. Less confusion. And a much smoother build experience for homeowners. Get 40% offyour first 3 months

Aaron McIntire covers President Trump's newly announced oil deal with Venezuela, giving American companies majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of reserves under interim President Delcy Rodriguez. He covers renewed fighting with Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, including new U.S. strikes and an Iranian retaliation attempt near Jordan. Aaron also covers a series of immigration enforcement stories, including the State Department revoking the visa of an Iraqi national with past ties to the FBI terror watch list, and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos's ICE detention over an expired visa. He touches on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s list of MAHA accomplishments, the killing of Nigerian pastor Hills Emmanuel and the ongoing search for missing hikers after Grand Canyon flash flooding, and closes with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's comments on crime, forgiveness, and punishment.

The US strikes Iranian missile launchers on Sunday. The State Department revokes the visa of a Biden-honored Iraqi official who landed on the US terror watchlist. President Trump goes on record supporting data centers. Hasan Piker insisted that Abdul el-Sayed asked to stump for him as el-Sayed continues to distance himself.Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…Relief Factorhttps://www.ReliefFactor.comYou could be the next person sharing a Relief Factor success story. Get started today with the 3-Week QuickStart for only $17.76 and tell them you heard about them on The Dana Show. Ghost Bedhttps://GhostBed.com/DANAFor a limited time during Ghost Bed's Labor Day Sale, they're offering my audience an extra 10% off their lowest prices of the season with promo code DANA. Chapterhttps://AskChapter.Org/danaAsk Chapter today if you could be saving money on your medicare coverage. Alliance Defending Freedomhttps://JoinADF.com/DanaAlliance Defending Freedom is on the front lines defending the freedoms and values that matter. Join the fight today. Byrnahttps://Byrna.com/DanaTrusted by law enforcement, security professionals, and everyday Americans—defend yourself and your family with Byrna.HumanNhttps://Humann.com/DanaGet the limited edition HumanN Watermelon Flavor and find out how to get a FREE 30-day supply before they sell out.Patriot Mobilehttp://PatriotMobile.com/DANAMake the switch to Patriot Mobile today. Visit online or call 972-PATRIOT and use promo code DANA for a FREE month of service.Webroothttps://Webroot.com/DanaSave 60% off Webroot. Protect your devices. Protect your family. Protect your peace of mind. Live a better digital life with Webroot. Subscribe today and stay in the loop on all things news with The Dana Show. Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramXMore InfoWebsite