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Silicon Bites Ep352 | 2026-06-16 | This is the doctrine. The doctrine is the Empire of Savages. Savagery in this analytical frame is not the absence of values. Savagery is the active deployment of an alternative value system that treats the protections of international humanitarian law, the heritage of pluralistic civilisation, the existence of the autonomous nation, and the sanctity of religious and cultural sites as enemy property to be destroyed. The Russian state has not failed to understand the laws of war. The Russian state has rejected them — actively, doctrinally, and operationally — in favour of an alternative imperial framework that celebrates the destruction of pluralistic heritage as the restoration of properly-Russian civilisational primacy. It is still a crime. The vertical mindset— the vertikal, the Russian-imperial framework of centralised authoritarian rule under a single sovereign — is the political-structural correlate of this doctrinal framework. In the vertical mindset, values do not exist as independent constraints on power. Values exist only insofar as they serve the sovereign's project. Ukrainian democracy, Ukrainian pluralism, Ukrainian European-civilisational orientation are, in this framework, not alternative legitimate value systems. They are contempt-worthy errors that the sovereign's project is justified in correcting through violence. The Russian state's contempt for Ukraine — visible in every speech, every targeting decision, every cultural-heritage strike — is operationally informed by the perceived inferiority of pluralistic-democratic values of the West and Ukraine compared to the vertical-imperial framework.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Kyiv's historic Pechersk Lavra burns as large-scale Russian strikes kill 5, injure 29 in capital" (15 June 2026) Türkiye Today — "Russian attack sets fire to Ukraine's holiest UNESCO-listed site, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra" (15 June 2026) NPR / Associated Press — "Russian attack sets fire to religious site in Kyiv, kills 5 in Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) NBC News — "Russian attacks fuel blaze at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine monastery" (15 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Massive Russian Strike on Kyiv At Least Kills Five, Injures Dozens, Ignites Fire at Historic Pechersk Lavra Monastery" (15 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Five Ukrainian First Responders Killed in Russian Double-Tap Strike on Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) CNN — "Ukraine's historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery set on fire following major Russian attack" (15 June 2026) Al Jazeera — "Russian attacks in Ukraine kill nine, damage historic Kyiv cathedral" (15 June 2026)AP via WSB Radio — "Russian attack sets fire to centuries-old religious site in Kyiv and kills rescuers in Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) Ukrainska Pravda English — "Large fire at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra extinguished, Mystetskyi Arsenal still burning" (15 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda English — "Fire breaks out at Mystetskyi Arsenal art museum following Russian attack" (15 June 2026) NV / The New Voice of Ukraine — "Mass Russian drone strike damages ----------

Rich Frankel, former Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in New York, joins Michael Calhoun with a look at how security is prepared for large-scale events like the World Cup. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Last time we spoke about the Hubei-Henan Campaign of 1940-1941. In November 1940, a Central Hubei operation using multiple task forces aimed to exploit Chinese dispersal, achieving only local successes and no lasting territorial gains. The Japanese then tried again in late January 1941 with a major offensive into southern Henan. Despite concentrating a large force, the campaign failed strategically. After the Henan failure, Japan attempted to regain momentum in spring 1941 by attacking western Hubei around Yichang on the Yangtze. Despite an initial barrage and rapid early gains, Japanese forces became exposed in a narrow salient. The Chinese reorganized their river defenses and launched a converging counteroffensive, driving the invaders back and ending the engagement where it began, with the Japanese suffering heavy casualties and their westward push thwarted.   #206 The Battle of Shanggao Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. The year 1940 had brought a particular humiliation. In August of that year, Communist General Peng Dehuai had launched the Hundred Regiments Offensive — a massive, coordinated assault across North China that shattered Japanese rail and supply lines, embarrassed Imperial General Headquarters, and demonstrated that the Chinese were far from finished. Japan's response had been brutal, the infamous "Three Alls" campaign of reprisals across the countryside. But the damage had been done, and the attention of Imperial General Headquarters shifted northward. The autumn of 1940 had also seen the First Battle of Changsha, where the Japanese 11th Army under General Sonobe Yahachirō pushed south into Hunan Province expecting to overwhelm the Chinese defenders and finally deal a decisive blow to Chiang Kai-shek's armies. Instead, General Xue Yue — the "Tiger of Changsha" — had allowed the Japanese to advance deep into his prepared killing ground before counterattacking from multiple directions. The Japanese had been forced to retreat in disorder, and the front in Hunan and Jiangxi settled once again into sullen stalemate. It was in this atmosphere of frustrated ambition and strategic inertia that the seeds of Shanggao were sown. By February 1941, Imperial General Headquarters had decided to redeploy the 33rd Division — then garrisoned in the town of Anyi, in northwestern Jiangxi — to North China. The transfer was scheduled to begin in early April, and it made strategic sense: the north required reinforcement, and the front in Jiangxi had been quiet enough that one division could be spared. The problem was that the 33rd Division's departure would leave a gap in Japanese dispositions, and no significant offensive operation had yet been conducted to weaken the Chinese forces that would be left facing a thinned-out Japanese line. Lieutenant General Ōga Shigeru, the energetic commander of the Japanese 34th Division, saw opportunity in the window that existed before the 33rd departed. His division was concentrated around Xishan and Wanshou Palace, astride the Xiang–Gan Highway — the main road running westward through Jiangxi — and across that highway lay the town of Shanggao and the Chinese forces defending it. Ōga proposed exploiting the presence of both divisions for a coordinated strike: a sharp, limited offensive to crush Chinese field forces around Nanchang and the Jiangxi interior before the 33rd Division's train north. The 11th Army headquarters, now commanded by General Marube, endorsed a cautious concept — a "quick strike" with limited objectives. But the 34th Division's staff, energized by Ōga's ambition, had already run well ahead of this guidance. Large-scale requisitioning of coolies for logistics was underway; training exercises aimed at the specific terrain around Shanggao had been conducted; planning had progressed in far more detail than a "limited" operation warranted. This eagerness would prove to be the Japanese undoing before the first shot was fired. Chinese intelligence networks, always attentive to the movement of porters and the telltale preparations that preceded a Japanese offensive, quickly detected the scale of these preparations and reported them to General Luo Zhuoying, commander of the Chinese 19th Army Group. By the time the Japanese columns were forming up to march, Luo had already hardened his defenses and laid the groundwork for a trap. General Luo Zhuoying was not a passive commander. He served simultaneously as commander of the 19th Army Group and as Deputy Commander of the 9th War Zone — the latter post placing him directly under General Xue Yue, the victor of Changsha. Luo had spent the lull after Changsha doing what Chinese commanders across the theater had learned was essential: reorganizing, retraining, and above all improving the defensive architecture of his sector. The plan Luo devised for meeting the anticipated Japanese offensive was elegant in its simplicity and demanding in its execution. Rather than contesting the Japanese advance at the frontier, he would allow the enemy to push westward, yielding ground through three successive defensive lines while bleeding the attackers at every step. The first and second lines would slow the Japanese, exact casualties, and stretch their logistics. The third line — anchored at Shanggao itself — would be the killing ground. There, the Chinese forces would hold fast while other formations swung around the Japanese flanks and rear to close the encirclement. The Japanese, having marched deep into Chinese-held territory with their supply lines thinning and their flanks exposed, would find themselves surrounded rather than victorious. For this plan to work, each Chinese formation had to perform its role with discipline. The 70th Corps, deployed in the north along the arc from Shitou Street through Fengxin to Jing'an, would have to conduct a controlled fighting retreat — yielding ground but making the Japanese pay for it, never breaking and running. The 49th Corps would hold the southern flank and create conditions for flanking action. And the 74th Corps — General Wang Yaowu's elite formation, comprising the 51st, 57th, and 58th Divisions — would hold the final line at Shanggao and serve as the anvil upon which the Japanese advance would shatter. The 74th Corps was by 1941 one of the most battle-hardened formations in the Nationalist Army. It had fought at Shanghai in 1937, at Wuhan in 1938, and in the hills and valleys of Jiangxi through the years since. Its men knew the terrain around Shanggao. They had prepared positions in depth, studied the approaches, and rehearsed the defensive plan Luo had designed. When the Japanese came, they would be ready. Against the Chinese 70,000 — distributed across eleven divisions in four corps, with additional provincial security forces for local coverage — the Japanese would throw roughly 20,000 men: three major formations advancing in coordinated columns. The disparity in numbers was stark, but the Japanese had the advantages of offensive initiative, air superiority, and the formidable fighting quality that the Imperial Army had demonstrated throughout the war in China. The question was whether those advantages would be enough to overcome a prepared defense wielded by a commander who had invited the attack. The operational plan devised by the Japanese 11th Army called for three columns to converge simultaneously on Shanggao from north, center, and south — a classic encirclement concept that, if executed with precision, would catch the Chinese defenders in a tightening vice. In the north, the main force of the 33rd Division under Lieutenant General Sakurai Shōzō would drive westward from its bases around Anyi and Ganzhoujie, descending the Liao River valley to threaten the Chinese right flank and prevent the 70th Corps from interfering with operations in the center.In the center, Ōga's 34th Division would advance along the Xiang–Gan Highway — the direct route from Nanchang toward Shanggao — capturing the town of Gao'an along the way and pressing relentlessly westward until it reached the main defensive positions. This was the principal striking force, the column designed to crack open the Chinese defenses and seize the objective.In the south, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade under Major General Ikeda would cross the Jin River and advance along its south bank, eventually swinging north to link up with the 34th Division and complete the encirclement of whatever Chinese forces remained in the Shanggao area. The plan was coherent on paper. But it contained a structural flaw so serious that, in retrospect, it is difficult to understand how the 11th Army's staff allowed it to proceed uncorrected. The success of any converging operation depends on synchronization — on each column hitting its objectives on schedule and maintaining communication with the others so that each can react to developments on the other prongs. Yet the 11th Army headquarters made no recorded effort to coordinate the 33rd and 34th Divisions before the battle began. There was no forward command post established to oversee the operation. General Marube remained at Hankou, hundreds of miles to the north, throughout the battle — as remote from the fighting as a Tokyo bureaucrat. Operational decisions were left entirely to the individual divisions, with no mechanism to coordinate their actions if something went wrong. Something was going to go wrong. Luo Zhuoying had seen to that. On the morning of March 15, 1941, all three Japanese columns stepped off simultaneously, advancing into the misty hills and rice paddies of northwestern Jiangxi. In the north, Sakurai's 33rd Division moved briskly from Anyi toward Fengxin. The town fell by noon, and the division pressed westward in good order. The Japanese infantry moved confidently along the Liao River valley, experienced soldiers who had fought across China and had no particular reason to expect what was coming. The Chinese 70th Corps gave ground — as it had been ordered to — but did so on its own terms, occupying and then abandoning successive pieces of high ground along both banks of the river, making the Japanese advance uncomfortable and costly. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the 33rd Division was being drawn forward into terrain that favored the defender. By March 18 and 19, the 33rd Division had pushed all the way to Guzhu'ao and Huamenlo — a considerable advance, but one that had taken the division far from its base at Anyi. And it was here, far from support and with flanks increasingly exposed, that the Chinese blocking forces closed in. Chinese infantry, who had been waiting in prepared positions in the high ground overlooking the river valley, launched coordinated counter-attacks that struck the 33rd Division from multiple directions. The fighting was fierce and costly. In two days of close combat, the division suffered more than 2,500 casualties — a grievous toll that represented a significant fraction of its effective strength. The northern column had been stopped dead. On March 19, Sakurai ordered the 33rd Division to reverse course. By March 23, after four days of painful withdrawal under pressure, it had pulled back to Anyi — the same place it had started. The northern prong of the Japanese offensive had accomplished nothing except the loss of thousands of men. In the south, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade had a rougher start. Its initial attempt to cross the Gan-Jin river junction at noon on March 15 was repulsed by Chinese defenders, and it was only under cover of darkness that the brigade managed to force a crossing. Once across, it moved westward along the south bank of the Jin River, but progress was slow and contested. A detachment — the Gan River Detachment — ran into fierce resistance from the 26th Division of the Chinese 49th Corps on March 19. The brigade's main body meanwhile fought its way through the 51st Division of the 74th Corps, but the 107th Division and elements of the 51st managed to contain the advance at the Laichunling–Zhutoushan line. On the night of March 20, the main body of the 20th Brigade crossed the Jin River at Huifu to link up with the 34th Division — but a portion of its troops, cut off on the south bank, was destroyed by Chinese forces. The southern column was across the Jin River, but it had taken losses and was already engaged in ways its planners had not anticipated. In the center, the 34th Division fared best in the early going. Ōga's division moved westward from Xishan along the Xiang–Gan Highway on March 16, and by the 17th had captured Gao'an — a meaningful early success. The Chinese 74th Corps, executing Luo's plan faithfully, dispatched only screening forces east of the Tangpu River to slow the Japanese advance rather than contesting it decisively. The main body of the 74th Corps fell back to the third-line positions at Sixi, Guanqiao, and Tangpu, preparing the killing ground that Luo had designated. Simultaneously, the 26th Division and most of the 105th Division from the 49th Corps were shifted across the Gan River to operate south of the Jin River on the Japanese left flank, and the 72nd Corps was ordered to maneuver on a wide envelopment around Daxia and south of Ganfang. By March 20–21, the 34th Division had pressed forward to attack the Chinese positions at Sixi and Guanqiao. Ōga's men were confident — they had taken Gao'an, they were moving, and the objective of Shanggao lay within reach. But as the division pushed toward Shangjijia, it ran squarely into the 57th and 58th Divisions of the 74th Corps, fighting with a tenacity that told the Japanese plainly enough: this was where the Chinese intended to stand. The week of March 21–24 brought the battle to its crisis. The 34th Division hammered at the Chinese positions defending Shanggao itself, while on the flanks, the fighting took on a character that neither side had entirely anticipated. On March 21, General Wang Yaowu — commanding the 74th Corps from his headquarters in Shanggao — decided it was time to do more than absorb Japanese blows. He ordered General Li Tianxia to clear Japanese forces from the south bank of the Jin River and advance on Gao'an, with the aim of cutting the 34th Division's supply line and threatening its rear. It was an aggressive move, and if it had worked, it might have produced a decisive result earlier than history would record. It did not work — at least not immediately. That very evening, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade, which had been reorganizing after the chaos of the river crossing, launched a powerful offensive at dawn on the 22nd. Li Tianxia's lead elements had barely set out from Shitou Street when they collided head-on with the main force of the 20th Brigade, which had crossed back from the north bank of the Jin River. The Japanese thrust was coordinated and aggressive: one column circled wide to attack Lazhu Mountain; another swung south of Hu Family west of Shitou Street to strike Li's division in the flank and rear; and nine aircraft with four artillery pieces bombarded the Chinese positions from north to south. Li's division could not hold against this convergent assault and fell back to the high ground southwest of Shitou Street. Wang Yaowu reacted quickly. He ordered Li's main body to wheel left to face the new threat and simultaneously dispatched the Army's Field Supplementary Regiment — held in reserve near Yintang — on a forced march to Huayang to block the Japanese westward drive. This regiment, racing down roads strafed by nine enemy aircraft, covered 15 li per hour and seized Huayang and the high ground to its northeast by around seven in the morning. By nine, the 20th Brigade arrived in strength and — supported by more than ten aircraft — launched a fierce assault on the regiment's positions. The regiment's officers and men held firm, taking heavy casualties but refusing to break. Frustrated at Huayang, the 20th Brigade shifted its effort to the Kuang Family area, linking up with over a thousand men who had crossed from Baichetou to the south bank and pushing along the river toward Xiongfang in an attempt to outflank the Chinese left wing. The Supplementary Regiment sent its 1st Battalion with a mortar company to meet this threat, and the two forces met in a fierce engagement. When the Japanese reinforced their assault and deployed incendiary bombs and poison gas, Xiongfang fell by early afternoon — but Li Tianxia immediately sent two regiments from his right flank to take it back, and by midnight the position was in Chinese hands again. Shitou Street and Jigong Ridge were simultaneously recaptured. The Independent Mixed 20th Brigade now found itself in an increasingly uncomfortable position, fighting with the Jin River at its back and the initiative slipping away. Meanwhile, the main event was being fought in the rubble and ridgelines around Shanggao itself. From March 22 to 25, the 34th Division and whatever remnants of the 20th Brigade could contribute threw themselves repeatedly at the defensive line anchored on Stone Arch Bridge, Xia Po Bridge, Xu Lou, Pan Family Bridge, Cloud Head Mountain, and Lei Family Mountain. This was not the fluid, mobile warfare that the Japanese had envisioned but brutal, grinding attritional combat for individual strongpoints and ridgelines, with positions changing hands multiple times in a single day. The Japanese air arm was deeply involved. Ōga's division had close air support that could operate even in poor weather, and Group 3 of the Japanese Air Force hammered the Chinese positions with sustained effort. On the morning of March 24, after the 34th Division fed in more than 3,000 additional troops transferred across the Jin River, the Air Force dispatched over seventy aircraft that dropped more than 1,700 bombs, largely destroying the defensive positions of Liao Lingqi's division. The Japanese exploited the resulting chaos and twice broke through gaps in the line — but were driven out each time by Chinese counterattacks. At noon, enemy aircraft bombarded in relays and Japanese infantry broke through at Xia Po Bridge. It was at this moment that Li Hanqing, commanding the Chinese infantry defense in that sector, did what officers throughout history have done when systems fail and only personal example can stem the tide: he personally led his officer cadre in repeated counter-attacks, hand-to-hand fighting in the rubble until the Japanese were finally expelled. By this point, the 34th Division's offensive capacity was nearly spent. At the same time — and this was the critical shift that would determine the battle's outcome — General Luo Zhuoying recognized that the moment to spring the trap had arrived. The northern column had already been broken and sent reeling back toward Anyi. The southern column was pinned against the Jin River with its back to the water. The central column was bled white against the defenses of Shanggao. Luo now ordered all his armies to close in from multiple directions. On the morning of March 22, he had already begun revising his orders; by noon on the 23rd, the forces of Liu Duoquan and Li Jue had occupied Shitou Street, Guanqiao Street, and Yanggong Market, pressing on Huifu and Gaoyao. The encirclement of the 34th Division was not yet complete, but its shape was unmistakably forming. By March 25, the 34th Division knew it was in mortal danger. Surrounded on three sides, its ammunition running low and its casualty lists growing by the hour, the division urgently appealed to the 11th Army for rescue. The message that arrived in Hankou was a shock. General Marube and his staff, who had remained at their distant headquarters throughout the battle without establishing a forward command post, had not properly grasped the scale of the disaster unfolding in Jiangxi. The lack of coordination between the 33rd and 34th Divisions — the structural flaw that had been built into the operation from its conception — had allowed Luo Zhuoying to defeat each column separately, and now the central column faced annihilation. The 11th Army responded in a scramble. Chief of Staff Kinoshita was dispatched by aircraft to Nanchang with Operations Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Yamaguchi and Captain Ōne to organize a relief operation. The 33rd Division — barely recovered from its own battering in the north — was ordered to sortie immediately and fight its way to the 34th Division's relief. Sakurai organized his battered 33rd Division into three rescue columns. Infantry Brigade Commander Araki Shōji took the right column, leading Infantry Regiment 215 with one mountain artillery battalion. Infantry Regiment 214 formed the left column. The divisional commander himself led the central column with the main divisional force. On March 24 and 25, all three columns sortied from strongpoints at Niuxing, Fengxin, and other positions, attacking across the Wuqiao River and through Cunqian Street toward Tangpu and Guanqiao. The relief operation brought the battle to its most complicated moment. On the morning of March 25, the 33rd Division launched a fierce assault on the forces that Luo Zhuoying had positioned to tighten the encirclement from the north — striking Zhang Yanchuan's division at Kengkou Leng, Jiezipo, and Nancha Luo. Zhang's division, struck simultaneously from the front and rear, withdrew at dusk to near Tu Di Wang Temple, where it linked up with Tang Boyin's division. What happened next became one of the most controversial decisions of the entire battle. Zhang Yanchuan was serving as deputy army commander in the absence of Li Jue from the front. Surveying the situation — his own division under heavy pressure, the 33rd Division's relief columns pushing aggressively — Zhang concluded that the position was untenable. On his own authority, without authorization from Luo Zhuoying or any superior commander, he withdrew both his own and Tang Boyin's divisions to Fenghuang Market and Zhuangfang. The consequence was immediate and severe. The withdrawal opened a corridor through which the 33rd Division entered Guanqiao and linked up with the encircled 34th Division. An encirclement that had taken days of blood and sacrifice to construct was torn open by a single unauthorized decision. Luo Zhuoying, when he received word of Zhang's withdrawal the following morning, was furious — but he could not change what had already happened. He could only adapt. The breakout itself was an ordeal. A portion of the 34th Division that attempted to escape to the east was intercepted near Huifu by a division of the 49th Corps and lost roughly half its strength before being compelled to turn back. The main body ultimately broke out on March 27, withdrawing in march order that told its own story of disaster: headquarters, baggage, artillery, casualties, field hospital, rear guard — all moving in what the records describe as "a wretched state." On the night of March 27, Japanese troops escorting the 34th Division's field hospital — a field artillery company of the 8th Battery — were completely annihilated in a Chinese night attack. When the division reached Longtuan Xu on March 28, the stretcher-bearer column carrying the wounded stretched some seven to eight kilometers along the road. That same day, the 33rd Division's Infantry Regiment 214 finally made contact with the 34th Division's headquarters, completing what amounted to a rescue of men who had already endured their defeat. The 33rd Division's mountain artillery batteries exhausted their entire ammunition supply covering the retreat and required emergency aerial resupply drops to continue. The 34th Division limped back to its original garrison on April 2. Despite the setback caused by Zhang Yanchuan's unauthorized withdrawal, Luo Zhuoying did not abandon his design. Assessing his situation on the morning of March 26, he found reason for cautious optimism: Wang Yaowu's army was still making progress at Shanggao; the Japanese south of the Jin River had largely been cleared; and Sichuan Army and Northeastern Army units that had been moving to reinforce the battle had now reached the field, meaning Chinese forces retained significant numerical superiority. He resolved to execute a second encirclement. At nine in the morning of March 26, Luo issued strict orders: Zhang Yanchuan's and Tang Boyin's divisions were to immediately comply with their original orders and block the enemy near Guanqiao; Yu Chengwan's division was to attack northward via Pan Family Bridge; Liao Lingqi's and Song Yingzhong's divisions were to press toward Guanqiao with full force; Wang Kejun's division was to strike the enemy's flank and rear east of Guanqiao; Fu Yi's division was to advance south of Jiang Family Isle; and Chen Liangji's division was to swing southeast via Changpu to complete the enemy's destruction. The second ring was being drawn. On March 28, as the 34th Division's battered column trudged eastward toward survival, Wang Kejun's division advancing from Yanggong Market moved to intercept it. The Chinese occupied high ground north and south of Yanggong Market and along Mozi Ridge, and what followed was a grinding all-day battle that fixed the Japanese column at the Xiama Bei–Huxing Ridge line. Part of the 20th Brigade, moving up from Gao'an to assist the withdrawing 34th Division, was blocked near Long Tu Market. Liao Lingqi's division pursued the enemy rear guard to the Changling–Manmei high ground, where the fighting erupted with renewed intensity. At noon, part of Li Tianxia's division arrived and deployed along the Shangluoxiang–Shanyuan–Fangtounao line to harass the Japanese right flank; part of Yu Chengwan's division reached Longxing Mountain and outflanked Guanqiao Street from the south. The surviving Japanese defenders in Guanqiao withdrew into the town for a last stand, and after Liao's division pressed the assault, street fighting raged until five in the afternoon, when over 600 defenders were annihilated. Over 2,000 troops of the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade conducted a fighting withdrawal from Long Tu Market and Yanggong Market, covered by Japanese aircraft bombing to shield the 34th Division's retreat. By noon on March 30, the Japanese had abandoned both strongpoints and scattered northeastward. One group of over 600 men fled directly into the main positions of Zhang Yanchuan's division — an ironic fate, given Zhang's earlier withdrawal — and were largely annihilated. The encircling forces had been essentially dispersed, and the two pursuit columns now pressed forward under the overall direction of General Xue Yue, who had assumed personal coordination of the chase. On March 27, Luo Zhuoying — confident that victory was secured — issued a general order for a final offensive and announced substantial cash rewards to his troops: prizes offered for the capture of Japanese officers, artillery pieces, regimental colors, and other materiel. The rewards were both a practical incentive and a mark of how far the battle had tipped. By midnight on March 31, Chen Hongshi's advance column had recovered Gao'an; Wang Tiehan's division had recovered Xiangfu Guan. On April 2, the divisions of Zhang Yanchuan and Song Yingzhong recovered Fengxin; that afternoon Wang Tiehan's division took back Xishan and Wanshou Palace — the very base from which the 34th Division had launched its offensive. By April 3, the pursuing armies had reached the vicinity of Dacheng and Ganzhoujie. On April 8 and 9, the 70th Corps recovered the outpost strongpoints around Anyi before halting operations. The Japanese had retreated into their original positions and were defending from prepared terrain. The pursuit was over. The Battle of Shanggao had lasted nineteen days and nights. No battle of the Second Sino-Japanese War was ever free of the fog of competing claims, and Shanggao was no exception. On March 29, before the pursuit had even concluded, Luo Zhuoying telegraphed Chiang Kai-shek with his accounting of the victory. His numbers were dramatic: Major General Iwanaga, the Japanese infantry commander, killed; regimental commander Colonel Hamada, killed; over 15,000 Japanese killed or wounded in total. Chinese losses, Luo reported, exceeded 20,000. Ten guns, over a thousand rifles, and numerous machine guns had been captured. His superior, General Xue Yue, was skeptical. In a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek on April 5, Xue reduced Luo's numbers by twenty percent, reporting 12,520 Japanese killed or wounded and 14 prisoners captured. The discrepancy between two Chinese commanders reporting on the same battle speaks to the difficulty of battlefield accounting in any era, and suggests something of the competitive pressures that shaped how Chinese commanders reported their victories to Chongqing. The official Chinese histories, compiled after the war in the History of the War of Resistance, reported approximately 15,000 Japanese killed or wounded, 17 prisoners taken, and significant quantities of captured materiel: 6 mountain guns, 1 mortar, 24 light machine guns, 408 rifles, 24 grenade launchers, and over 111,717 rounds of various ammunition. Chinese casualties, by the same records, were 17,119 killed or wounded and 2,814 missing. Japanese records for the battle do not survive — a consequence of the wholesale destruction of Imperial Army documentation at the war's end. Contemporary scholars, working from other sources, estimate actual Japanese combat losses at approximately 5,500 killed and wounded. This is substantially lower than the Chinese claims, as was nearly always the case in the war, but represents a significant defeat by any measure: roughly a quarter of the force committed, many of them veterans impossible to replace. Chiang Kai-shek subsequently awarded the victorious Chinese units a commendation prize of 150,000 yuan — a substantial sum that marked the battle's significance in Nationalist eyes. The outcome at Shanggao was not accidental. Several interlocking factors combined to produce a Chinese victory, and each deserves consideration. The most fundamental was Luo Zhuoying's defensive plan. The decision to trade space for time — to absorb the Japanese advance through three successive defensive lines rather than contest the frontier — required both tactical confidence and a willingness to accept initial setbacks that could easily be misread as defeat. Chinese forces had to give ground, and they did. They had to suffer through the early days of Japanese advance without breaking and running, drawing the enemy forward and allowing the encirclement to take shape. That they largely succeeded in executing this plan reflects the improving quality of the Nationalist Army by 1941: better trained, better led at the operational level, and — critically — equipped with a strategic design that matched the actual balance of forces. The defeat in detail of the Japanese columns was equally important. By neutralizing the 33rd Division in the north before it could contribute to the central effort, and by pinning the 20th Brigade against the Jin River with its back to the water, Luo's forces ensured that the 34th Division faced the third-line defenses essentially alone — outnumbered, overextended, and unsupported. The Japanese operational concept had been a three-pronged convergence; what actually materialized was a single exhausted division hammering at a prepared defense while two other columns were rendered ineffective. The absence of coordination within the Japanese 11th Army was a gift that kept giving throughout the battle. No forward command post. No mechanism for the divisions to adjust their operations in response to each other's situations. No ability to recognize, in real time, that the northern column was being destroyed and redirect resources accordingly. General Marube's decision to remain at Hankou while his men died in Jiangxi was not merely an administrative failure; it was an operational catastrophe. Japanese commanders acknowledged this failing explicitly after the battle, but the acknowledgment changed nothing for the dead. Zhang Yanchuan's unauthorized withdrawal — the single most consequential individual decision of the battle — ultimately prevented a complete annihilation of the 34th Division rather than affecting the battle's outcome. The 34th Division escaped; but it did so in a "wretched state," having lost enormous numbers of men and equipment. It broke out, not triumphed. The encirclement Luo had constructed was torn open, but the Japanese paid dearly for the breach. The consequences of Shanggao rippled outward in ways that shaped the subsequent course of the war in central China. The transfer of the 33rd Division to North China — the original logistical rationale for the entire operation — was delayed by the division's involvement and subsequent losses at Shanggao. When it finally arrived at the Battle of Central Plains  the following month, it did so on the eve of battle with no time for preparation or orientation, entering combat under severely disadvantaged conditions. The operation that was supposed to facilitate a smooth redeployment had instead damaged one of the two units involved and delayed the other. For the Chinese 74th Corps, Shanggao had an ironic consequence. The Japanese 11th Army, following the battle, formally designated the 74th Corps as a priority target — a "standing enemy" and directed its forces to seek out and destroy it in future operations. At the First Battle of Changsha that September, the 11th Army specifically oriented its forces against the 74th Corps, a testament to the lasting impression that corps's fierce resistance at Shanggao had made on its adversaries. The compliment of being specifically targeted by the enemy was one the 74th Corps had earned in blood at Shanggao's ridgelines and shattered bridges. More broadly, the battle was widely regarded at the time, and has been regarded since, as one of the most significant Chinese tactical victories of the first four years of the War of Resistance. Its significance lay not only in the casualties inflicted — those were contested and probably inflated in the Chinese records — but in what it demonstrated. The improving tactical and operational competence of the Nationalist Army was on display. The deliberate defense, the layered withdrawal, the coordinated encirclement — these were not the operations of an army that had been fighting desperately for survival since 1937 and had learned nothing. They were the operations of an army that had studied its defeats and adapted. Shanggao did not change the strategic situation in China. The front in Jiangxi remained where it had been; the Japanese still occupied Nanchang and the major cities; Chiang Kai-shek was still in Chongqing and the war was still far from over. But it demonstrated something important: that the Chinese Army, given capable commanders, a sound plan, and the discipline to execute it, could do more than survive Japanese offensives. It could reverse them, encircle them, and pursue them back to where they came from. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In March–April 1940, Japanese forces attacked Shanggao with a limited, multi-pronged plan. Chinese troops used elastic defense and coordinated counter-moves, turning initial advantages into a trap. After intense fighting and air strikes, a coordinated encirclement and timely breakout routed the Japanese, forcing retreat despite their numbers in a costly battle.

On this week's show, we sit down with Paul Clarke, Editor-in-Chief of Imbibe Magazine, to celebrate the publication's 20th anniversary. Paul explains how Imbibe has thrived for two decades by rejecting rapid expansion in favor of independent, intentional growth. Together, they trace the evolution of the craft cocktail movement—from hazy IPAs to mezcal Negronis—and unpack industry challenges like brewery bankruptcies and wine tariffs. Paul also offers a peek behind Imbibe's editorial curtain, revealing how human judgment guides their coverage of everything from coffee to cocktails. The conversation closes with a look ahead as Imbibe enters its third decade, balancing education with cultural storytelling. Get your free Perfect Purée Samples Here: https://perfectpuree.com/bal

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, hosts Lee Salisbury, Shane Sneddon, and Nick discuss one of the most challenging and often frustrating aspects of pool service: leak detection. From simple dye tests and bucket tests to advanced acoustic listening devices, pressure testing, and underground leak locating equipment, the team shares real-world experiences, troubleshooting techniques, and lessons learned from years in the field. Topics CoveredWhy Leak Detection Is a Specialized SkillLeak detection often goes far beyond finding a wet spot in the yard. The hosts discuss how locating leaks requires patience, methodical troubleshooting, experience, and sometimes specialized equipment that represents a significant investment for a service company. Common Leak Sources Every Technician Should Check FirstBefore investing in advanced equipment, technicians can often identify many leaks through basic inspection and process-of-elimination techniques, including: Multiport valve waste lines  Hydrostatic relief valves  Skimmer box cracks  Skimmer faceplates and gaskets  Return fittings  Suction-side plumbing  Equipment pad leaks  Pump lid cracks and air leaks The hosts explain why many leaks can be found without expensive equipment when a systematic approach is used. Dye Testing: Every Technician's Best FriendOne of the most effective and affordable leak detection tools remains simple dye testing. The discussion covers: How dye reveals water movement  Why water table levels can affect results  Choosing the right dye color for different pool finishes  Common mistakes when performing dye tests  Creative field solutions using syringes, plasticine, and simple tools The team also discusses fluorescent dyes and situations where standard dye colors become difficult to see. When the Water Table Changes EverythingHeavy rainfall and high groundwater can completely change leak detection results. Shane shares examples where visible holes in vinyl liners showed no water loss because surrounding groundwater pressure equalized the leak. Understanding groundwater conditions is critical when diagnosing suspected leaks. Vinyl Pool Leak ChallengesThe hosts discuss: Large vinyl liner tears  Aging liner failures  Temporary patching methods  When repairs are no longer practical  Recognizing when liner replacement is the only realistic solution Real-world examples illustrate why some repairs become recurring service calls if underlying liner deterioration is ignored. Fiberglass Pool Failures and Structural IssuesSeveral unusual fiberglass pool failures are discussed, including: Pool walls collapsing due to improper backfill  Hydrostatic valve failures  Pools lifting out of the ground despite being full of water  Drainage design failures around pool shells These stories highlight why understanding soil conditions and groundwater management is just as important as understanding plumbing. Advanced Leak Detection EquipmentShane explains the equipment used by professional leak detection companies, including: Acoustic microphones  Pipe microphones  Pressure testing systems  Underground listening devices  Sonar and sound-based locating systems The discussion includes how these systems work, their limitations, and why training is essential before offering leak detection as a professional service. Is Leak Detection Worth Adding to Your Business?For service companies considering expanding into leak detection, the hosts discuss: Equipment costs  Training requirements  Insurance considerations  Break-even analysis  Market demand  Scheduling and labor requirements They emphasize the importance of understanding profitability before investing heavily in specialized services. Knowing When to Call a SpecialistNot every pool company needs to perform advanced leak detection. The hosts discuss the value of building relationships with trusted specialists and recognizing when a problem exceeds your equipment, experience, or risk tolerance. Real-World Leak StoriesThe episode features several memorable leak investigations, including: A pool that only leaked intermittently  A cracked pump lid causing major system issues  Underground plumbing surprises  Faulty underground repairs  Hidden plumbing modifications discovered during excavation These stories demonstrate why leak detection often feels more like detective work than pool service. Field Tips and TricksThe hosts share practical technician tips, including: Bucket testing procedures  Using plasticine and Blu Tack for temporary line isolation  Why proper expansion plugs matter  Temporary repair products that actually work  The dangers of underground rubber couplers  Repair materials for emergency situations These small tricks can save technicians hours of frustration in the field. Key TakeawaySuccessful leak detection is built on a systematic process of elimination. Start with the obvious, verify assumptions, test methodically, and know your limitations. Whether you're using a simple dye syringe or advanced acoustic equipment, the goal remains the same: gather evidence, eliminate possibilities, and follow the facts until the leak reveals itself. Connect With Talking PoolsHave a topic suggestion or a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Support the showThank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Larry Swanson, creator of the Knowledge Graph Insights Podcast, for their second conversation together. The two cover a wide range of interconnected topics, starting with a correction Larry makes about the true origin of the term "artificial intelligence," tracing it back to the 1956 Dartmouth Conference and its distinction from Norbert Wiener's cybernetics. From there, the conversation moves through the history and structure of knowledge graphs, ontologies, RDF (Resource Description Framework), and the W3C standards process, touching on concepts like the T-box, A-box, and C-box, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Semantic Web paper. Stewart and Larry also dig into the limitations of large language models — particularly around reasoning, confabulation, and what Larry describes as "cognitive surrender" — and why symbolic AI and knowledge engineering may hold answers that the neural network world hasn't fully embraced. The episode also ventures into consciousness, panpsychism, Michael Pollan's ideas, and Stewart's own hands-on experience vibe coding a personal chatbot to replace functionality he feels he's lost with recent changes to Claude. Larry's podcast can be found at kgi.fm.Timestamps00:00 - Stewart introduces Larry Swanson; Larry corrects the record on AI's origin, distinguishing it from Norbert Wiener's cybernetics at the 1956 Dartmouth conference.05:00 - Larry discusses interviewing semantic web paper coauthors on its 25th anniversary; RDF's hidden ubiquity compared to SIM cards powering everything invisibly.10:00 - Knowledge graphs explained through t-box terms, a-box assertions, and Dave McComb's c-box; IKEA's three-layer knowledge graph as a practical example.15:00 - Stewart connects metadata complexity to AI needs; faceted search explained as c-box attributes driving product filtering experiences.20:00 - RDF 1.2 reification standards discussed; W3C's rigorous recommendation process powering governments and enterprises worldwide through collaborative standards.25:00 - Cyc project examined as influential "successful failure"; Pat Hayes bringing description logic into semantic web; LLMs lacking true reasoning capability.30:00 - Epistemological fault lines between human and computer intelligence; cognitive surrender paper reveals no intelligence threshold protects against AI manipulation.35:00 - Stewart's Claude regression problem drives chatbot vibe coding quest; small language models and domain-specific approaches explored as alternatives.40:00 - Consciousness discussion through Michael Pollan's panpsychism lens; language versus cognition disconnect revealing LLMs as pure token-stitching without genuine thought.45:00 - Context graphs as purpose-built knowledge graphs for AI; Stewart's planning agents versus coding agents architecture and ground truth verification problem.50:00 - Docs-as-code versus code-as-docs paradigm shift; knowledge graphs as universal verifiers against validated facts; RDF 1.2 enabling provenance and degrees of certainty.55:00 - Jessica Talisman's Knowledge Graph Academy recommended for onboarding; kgi.fm podcast shared; knowledge representation community needs better abstraction for wider adoption.Key Insights1. The term "artificial intelligence" was not a marketing gimmick but was coined deliberately at the 1956 Dartmouth Conference to distinguish the work of John McCarthy from Norbert Wiener's cybernetics. The two camps represented genuinely different approaches, and the AI label was a form of intentional intellectual branding rather than empty promotion.2. The semantic web, often called the most successful failure in technology history, has quietly embedded itself everywhere despite never achieving its original vision. Technologies like RDF power metadata standards inside every Adobe product and form the invisible backbone of government systems, enterprise data infrastructure, and cultural heritage organizations worldwide.3. Knowledge graphs are best understood as an ontology combined with all the instances that populate it. The distinction between things and strings, popularized by Google in 2012, captures the core idea that knowledge representation is about concepts as distinct from the labels we give them.4. The t-box, a-box, and c-box framework offers a practical model for understanding knowledge architecture. The t-box holds terminology and concepts, the a-box holds assertions about specific instances, and the c-box manages the attributes, taxonomies, and controlled vocabularies that sit between them and enable things like faceted search.5. Large language models produce fluent, convincing output but lack genuine reasoning, epistemological grounding, or judgment. Research on cognitive surrender shows that even people who understand how LLMs work are still susceptible to being misled by their fluency, meaning intelligence and awareness offer no reliable protection against being deceived.6. The gap between language and cognition matters deeply when evaluating AI. Evidence from people with aphasia shows that thinking can occur without language, which suggests LLMs, being purely language-based systems, are missing a fundamental layer of cognition that cannot be recovered through more tokens or better training.7. Knowledge graphs and RDF-based representation are well suited to the problem of verification and grounding in AI systems. Rather than relying on vectorized embeddings of language, a knowledge graph can store validated, provenance-tracked facts with degrees of certainty, making it a natural foundation for building trustworthy AI applications.

2026-06-15 | UPDATES #215 | EMPIRE OF SAVAGES: The Pechersk Lavra Burns, Five Kharkiv Rescuers Die in a Double-Tap, the Largest Ukrainian Costume Collection in History Is Incinerated — and the West Watches Russia Cross the Final Threshold of Cultural Erasure in a Single Night. Who dares still invoke Great Russia culture, when it's whole economy, industry, working population and military is single-mindedly focused on one thing – the attempted erasure of Ukraine and its culture. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga's Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine's largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Kyiv's historic Pechersk Lavra burns as large-scale Russian strikes kill 5, injure 29 in capital" (15 June 2026) Türkiye Today — "Russian attack sets fire to Ukraine's holiest UNESCO-listed site, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra" (15 June 2026) NPR / Associated Press — "Russian attack sets fire to religious site in Kyiv, kills 5 in Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) NBC News — "Russian attacks fuel blaze at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine monastery" (15 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Massive Russian Strike on Kyiv At Least Kills Five, Injures Dozens, Ignites Fire at Historic Pechersk Lavra Monastery" (15 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Five Ukrainian First Responders Killed in Russian Double-Tap Strike on Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) CNN — "Ukraine's historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery set on fire following major Russian attack" (15 June 2026) Al Jazeera — "Russian attacks in Ukraine kill nine, damage historic Kyiv cathedral" (15 June 2026)AP via WSB Radio — "Russian attack sets fire to centuries-old religious site in Kyiv and kills rescuers in Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) Ukrainska Pravda English — "Large fire at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra extinguished, Mystetskyi Arsenal still burning" (15 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda English — "Fire breaks out at Mystetskyi Arsenal art museum following Russian attack" (15 June 2026) NV / The New Voice of Ukraine — "Mass Russian drone strike damages National Mystetskyi Arsenal complex in Kyiv" (15 June 2026) Kyiv Post — "681 Aerial Weapons: Russia Hits Kyiv, Leaving 4 Dead, Kills 5 Rescuers in Kharkiv Double Strike" (15 June 2026) Interfax Ukraine — "Zelenskyy: Targeted Russia attack on Lavra and Mystetskyi Arsenal area confirmed" (15 June 2026) UNN (Ukrainian News Network) — "Fire extinguished on the roof of a church in the Lavra after a Russian attack; aviation deployed" (15 June 2026)Yahoo News / Ukrinform archive — "Kyiv's Caves Monastery damaged in Russian attack" (January 2024 historical context) EU Today — "Russia's Strike on Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Turns Ukraine's Air War Into Europe's Heritage Test" (15 June 2026) ----------

Listen in as we attempt to name 100 athletes, discuss the latest significant NFL moves, and predict Shepherd's life.---If you want an Until Next Week Podcast shirt shipped to you for $30 (Large & XL available), email untilnextweekpodcast@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram. ---Please follow our Instagram & TikTok to stay updated on all things podcast and make sure to send us a voice message via Instagram DM to be featured on one of our next episodes.https://www.instagram.com/untilnextweekpodcasthttps://www.tiktok.com/@untilnextweekpodcast---Please leave us a 5 STAR REVIEW on both Spotify and Apple for a chance to be mentioned on a future episode.---Get $10 off at Friday Pickleball with a minimum order of $95: [MUST CLICK LINK BELOW]https://www.fridaypickle.com/discount/SAMUEL14434---Key words for the algorithm: Clean Podcast, Clean Comedy, Friday Pickleball, Ghostrunners Podcast, Correct Opinions Podcast, Tim Hawkins Podcast, Becoming Something Podcast, Youth Group Chronicles Podcast, Almost Athletes Podcast with Dude Perfect, Pickleball, Softball is Back, 1st Sale, High Level Competition, Summer Camp, Late Recruiters, Cat Car, Worst Smells, Board Games, & Strawberry Uncrustables.

Featuring perspectives from Dr Manali Kamdar, Dr Krish Patel and Dr Gilles Salles, including the following topics: Introduction (0:00) Antibody-Drug Conjugates and Other Novel Strategies for the Management of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) — Prof Salles (7:05) Current and Future Role of Monoclonal and Bispecific Antibodies in the Management of DLBCL — Dr Patel (26:21) Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy for DLBCL — Dr Kamdar (43:12) CAR T-Cell Therapy for Follicular Lymphoma (FL) — Prof Salles (1:08:33) Other Approved and Emerging Novel Therapies for FL — Dr Patel (1:24:44) Integrating Bispecific Antibodies into the Management of FL — Dr Kamdar (1:41:34) CME information and select publications

In this episode of The Geek in Review, we welcome Greg Dickason, Chief Technology Officer at LexisNexis, for a wide-ranging conversation on agentic legal AI, Lexis+ AI Protégé, and the movement from AI chat toward AI work. Dickason frames the shift through a simple contrast: earlier legal AI answered questions, while agentic workflows take on multi-step assignments, conduct research, create drafts, verify citations, and move legal professionals closer to finished work product. For law firms and legal departments trying to understand where AI goes next, this episode places agentic AI squarely inside legal workflow, legal research, drafting, and risk management.A major theme of the conversation is trust. Dickason explains how Shepard's Verify extends the familiar Shepard's signal beyond traditional research screens and into uploaded work product. Rather than asking lawyers to rely on AI-generated text without a verification layer, LexisNexis is building citation checking into the workflow, giving lawyers a path to confirm whether cited authority exists, whether authority is still good law, and how later courts treated the cited case. For lawyers worried about hallucinated citations, AI-generated briefs, and unreliable authority, this verification layer becomes part of the product architecture, rather than an afterthought.The discussion also explores the relationship between LexisNexis and Anthropic, along with the rise of legal AI skills. Dickason describes a market where model choice, orchestration, and legal skills increasingly matter as separate layers. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and other model providers offer impressive foundations, yet legal work needs more than general-purpose intelligence. Large law workflows require legal content, expert reasoning, matter-specific playbooks, and firm-defined processes. Dickason notes the ability to upload firm playbooks as skills, giving firms a path to bring their own way of working into Protégé.Security receives equal billing with accuracy. As firms place client documents into AI vaults and connect work product to legal AI platforms, Dickason explains bring your own key, or BYOK, through a practical office-and-locked-cabinet analogy. The point is control: client content sits encrypted, access depends on the user's key, and access stops when the key is withdrawn. He also discusses legal chunking, indexing, vector stores, retrieval-augmented generation, and knowledge graphs as part of building AI systems suited for legal documents, rather than generic file handling.The episode closes with a broader view of legal AI's impact on junior associates, legal training, and access to law. Dickason does not predict the end of junior lawyers. Instead, he sees AI helping junior lawyers become senior faster through mock trials, mock depositions, and richer training environments. He also warns of risks from agent volume, security vulnerabilities, and legal systems struggling to keep pace with AI-enabled industries. The message is pragmatic and optimistic: agentic legal AI will change legal work, yet the winners will be those who combine trusted content, secure systems, verification, workflow design, and human judgment.Listen on mobile platforms:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠Substack⁠[Special Thanks to ⁠⁠Legal Technology Hub⁠⁠ for their sponsoring this episode.]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcript:

Outline 00:00 - Intro 02:10 - London in the 1960s12:40 - From Oxford to Imperial College: David Mayne and the discrete-time Riccati equation 18:05 - The "global tour": Montenegro roads, hitch-hiking to Istanbul, and the San Francisco waterfront 22:30 - Feedback and causality between stochastic processes 31:15 - The system identification years 40:50 - Model complexity, the bias–variance trade-off, and concentration inequalities 52:05 - Adaptive control: living through a golden era 1:00:30 - McGill, George Zames, and CIFAR's "institute without walls," and COCOLOG 1:09:45 - Mean field games: the China connection, the cell-phone problem, and Nash Certainty Equivalence 1:20:15 - The Lasry–Lions simultaneous discovery 1:24:40 - From graphons to graphexons: sparse networks, Laplexions, and geometry 1:31:00 - Linear Stochastic Systems, Popper, and falsifiability 1:35:20 - Advice to young researchers 1:38:00 - OutroLinks Peter Caines' website: https://www.mcgill.ca/cim/caines Linear Stochastic Systems: https://epubs.siam.org/doi/book/10.1137/1.9781611974713  On the discrete-time matrix Riccati equation of optimal control: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207177008931892 Feedback between stationary stochastic processes: https://doi.org/10.1109/TAC.1975.1101008 Prediction-error identification methods for stationary stochastic processes: https://doi.org/10.1109/TAC.1976.1101304 Asymptotic normality of prediction-error estimators for approximate system models: https://doi.org/10.1109/CDC.1978.268066 Discrete-time multivariable adaptive control (Axelby Award): https://doi.org/10.1109/TAC.1980.1102363 Discrete-time stochastic adaptive control: https://doi.org/10.1137/0319052 25 seminal control papers of the 20th century: https://books.google.ca/books/about/Control_Theory.html?id=eVhGAAAAYAAJ COCOLOG: A conditional observer and controller logic for finite machines: https://epubs.siam.org/doi/10.1137/S0363012992226636 Hierarchical hybrid control systems: https://doi.org/10.1109/9.664153 On the hybrid optimal control problem: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4303244Bode Lecture: https://ieeecss.org/presentation/bode-lecture/mean-field-stochastic-control The cell-phone problem - Large population stochastic wireless power control: https://doi.org/10.1109/CDC.2003.1272542 Large-population stochastic dynamic games - McKean-Vlasov and the Nash Certainty Equivalence principle: https://projecteuclid.org/journals/communications-in-information-and-systems/volume-6/issue-3/Large-population-stochastic-dynamic-games--closed-loop-McKean-Vlasov/cis/1183728987.full Large-population cost-coupled LQG with nonuniform agents and decentralized ε-Nash equilibria: https://doi.org/10.1109/TAC.2007.904450 Social optima in mean field LQG control: https://doi.org/10.1109/TAC.2012.2183439 ε-Nash mean field games with major and minor agents: https://arxiv.org/abs/1209.5684 Graphon mean field games and their equations: https://doi.org/10.1137/20M136373X Mean field games on large sparse network limits - Laplexion dynamics on graphexons: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240589632500388X Murray Wonham oral history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IBZyRo0vDkSupport the showPodcast infoPodcast website: https://www.incontrolpodcast.com/Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n84j85jSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/4rwztj3cRSS: https://tinyurl.com/yc2fcv4yYoutube: https://tinyurl.com/bdbvhsj6Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/3z24yr43Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncontrolPInstagram: https://tinyurl.com/35cu4kr4Acknowledgments and sponsorsThis episode was supported by the National Centre of Competence in Research on «Dependable, ubiquitous automation» and the IFAC Activity fund. The podcast benefits from the help of an incredibly talented and passionate team. Special thanks to L. Seward, E. Cahard, F. Banis, F. Dörfler, J. Lygeros, ETH studio and mirrorlake . Music was composed by A New Element.

In this episode, we discuss A rigorous framework anchored in asset-based finance helps define the actual scale and scope of the opportunity.The discussion and content provided within this podcast is intended for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate for all investors. Reliance upon information provided in a podcast is at the sole responsibility of the listener. The information included herein is not based on any particularized financial situation, or need, and is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, a forecast, research, investment advice or a recommendation for any specific PIMCO or other security, strategy, product or service. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. All investments contain risk and may lose value. Investors should speak to their financial advisors regarding the investment mix that may be right for them based on their financial situation and investment objective. Podcasts may involve discussions with non-PIMCO personnel and such content contain the current opinions of the speaker but not necessarily those of PIMCO. Other podcasts may consist of audio recording of an existing PIMCO article and such material contains the current opinions of the manager. The opinions expressed in all podcasts are subject to change without notice. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. PIMCO as a general matter provides services to qualified institutions, financial intermediaries and institutional investors. This is not an offer to any person in any jurisdiction where unlawful or unauthorized. For additional important information go to www.pimco.com/gbl/en/general/legal-pages/podcast-disclosures CMR2026-0521-5513952-T

Newt talks with Ambassador Sam Brownback about his new book, “China’s War on Faith.” Brownback, who previously served as a United States Senator, the 46th governor of Kansas and Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, has decades of experience on the frontlines fighting for religious liberty around the world. Brownback argues the Chinese Communist Party sees religious freedom as an existential threat and has engaged in a ruthless campaign to suppress people of faith, including forced organ harvesting on the Falun Gong. He believes the party's crackdown on religious groups like the Tibetan Buddhists and Uyghur Muslims constitutes genocide. Brownback calls for the U.S. to elevate religious freedom as a strategic issue in confronting China's totalitarianism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin Yorski scuttles across the table to play Desiree the thri-kreen ranger.   STARRING - Austin Yorski: https://bsky.app/profile/austinyorski.bsky.social Laura Kate Dale: https://bsky.app/profile/laurakbuzz.bsky.social Quinn Larios: https://bsky.app/profile/rollot.bsky.social   SUPPORT - Patreon.com/AustinYorski Patreon.com/LauraKBuzz Patreon.com/WeeklyMangaRecap   AUDIO - "Monster Beach Party" by Gio   COMMUNITY - Discord: https://discord.gg/YMU3qUH Wiki: https://dicefunk.ludo.au/

Issues of law, existence, faith, and hilarity in this week's episode with our Attorney at Large, Alfred. JacobVi.com Patreon.com/JacobVi Cattyshackil.org

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Sahra S. Halpern. Interview Purpose The purpose of this interview is to educate small business owners—especially entrepreneurs of color—about equitable access to capital, alternative lending pathways, and how to become “capital ready.” Sahra Halpern, President and CEO of the Business Consortium Fund (BCF), explains how mission‑driven lending fills the gap left by traditional banks and helps small businesses survive, grow, and ultimately graduate into mainstream financing. The conversation also aims to demystify lending, reduce fear around capital, and encourage entrepreneurs to build trusted financial relationships before entering moments of crisis. Core Themes Discussed 1. Why Small Businesses Are Turned Down by Banks Halpern explains that many small businesses are rejected by banks not because they lack potential, but because banks operate under strict underwriting and regulatory requirements. These systems often fail to account for resilience, experience, contracts, and future growth. BCF exists to serve as a bridge—supporting businesses where banks cannot and preparing them to eventually return as qualified borrowers. 2. Capital Curious vs. Capital Ready A key distinction introduced in the interview is the difference between businesses that are “capital curious” and those that are “capital ready.” Many entrepreneurs know they need funding but lack: Financial organization Clear projections Proper documentation A capital strategy BCF provides technical assistance to help businesses prepare for financing instead of setting them up to fail. 3. Mission‑Driven Lending and Community Impact Halpern frames lending as an ecosystem, not a transaction. When small businesses succeed: Business owners gain stability Employees gain jobs Communities grow stronger Large corporations benefit from more diverse and capable supply chains BCF focuses on long‑term economic impact, not short‑term profit. 4. CDFIs vs. SBA Loans The interview draws a clear distinction between Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) like BCF and government entities such as the SBA. Key differences highlighted: SBA programs shift based on political administrations SBA underwriting has tightened in recent years CDFIs are nonprofit, mission‑aligned, and relationship‑driven CDFIs look at the whole entrepreneur, not just credit scores 5. The Danger of Merchant Cash Advance Loans Halpern strongly warns against Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) loans, which are often marketed as fast solutions but carry extremely high interest rates and long‑term consequences. She explains that: MCAs disqualify borrowers from future SBA refinancing They often trap business owners in cycles of expensive debt CDFIs like BCF can help refinance and escape these loans A real‑world case study (The Cut Buddy / Shark Tank entrepreneur) illustrates how BCF helped refinance over $1M in predatory debt and save a growing business. 6. Relationships Matter More Than Transactions Both Halpern and McDonald emphasize the importance of building lender relationships early, not only when cash flow is tight. BCF underwrites the entire business and the entrepreneur, rather than seizing control of a contract or revenue stream, as some factoring companies do. Power comes from having options—and informed decision‑making. Key Takeaways Banking rejection is not the end of the road Small businesses must prepare themselves to be capital ready CDFIs serve as critical bridges between entrepreneurs and traditional banks Fast money often leads to expensive, dangerous debt Merchant cash advances should be avoided whenever possible Mission‑driven lenders look at the whole entrepreneur, not just numbers Strong lender relationships protect businesses during uncertainty Capital should empower growth—not take control of your company Notable Quotes “Just because a bank says no doesn’t mean that’s the end of your road.” “We’re not just looking at your credit score—we’re looking at you as a whole entrepreneur.” “Capital readiness is not about desperation; it’s about preparation.” “If you’re sitting on a merchant cash advance loan right now, you are not stuck.” “Nothing makes me happier than seeing clients realize their dreams and grow into multimillion‑dollar businesses.” “You should talk to multiple lenders—but you should always understand the real cost of the money.” Conclusion Sahra Halpern’s interview serves as a practical roadmap and a cautionary lesson for small business owners navigating today’s uncertain economic landscape. It reinforces that access to capital is about strategy, education, and relationships, not just approval or rejection. The conversation encourages entrepreneurs to reclaim power, avoid predatory financing, and partner with institutions that are committed to their long‑term success and community impact. #SHMS #BEST #STRAWSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ryan Richmond.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ryan Richmond.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Sahra S. Halpern. Interview Purpose The purpose of this interview is to educate small business owners—especially entrepreneurs of color—about equitable access to capital, alternative lending pathways, and how to become “capital ready.” Sahra Halpern, President and CEO of the Business Consortium Fund (BCF), explains how mission‑driven lending fills the gap left by traditional banks and helps small businesses survive, grow, and ultimately graduate into mainstream financing. The conversation also aims to demystify lending, reduce fear around capital, and encourage entrepreneurs to build trusted financial relationships before entering moments of crisis. Core Themes Discussed 1. Why Small Businesses Are Turned Down by Banks Halpern explains that many small businesses are rejected by banks not because they lack potential, but because banks operate under strict underwriting and regulatory requirements. These systems often fail to account for resilience, experience, contracts, and future growth. BCF exists to serve as a bridge—supporting businesses where banks cannot and preparing them to eventually return as qualified borrowers. 2. Capital Curious vs. Capital Ready A key distinction introduced in the interview is the difference between businesses that are “capital curious” and those that are “capital ready.” Many entrepreneurs know they need funding but lack: Financial organization Clear projections Proper documentation A capital strategy BCF provides technical assistance to help businesses prepare for financing instead of setting them up to fail. 3. Mission‑Driven Lending and Community Impact Halpern frames lending as an ecosystem, not a transaction. When small businesses succeed: Business owners gain stability Employees gain jobs Communities grow stronger Large corporations benefit from more diverse and capable supply chains BCF focuses on long‑term economic impact, not short‑term profit. 4. CDFIs vs. SBA Loans The interview draws a clear distinction between Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) like BCF and government entities such as the SBA. Key differences highlighted: SBA programs shift based on political administrations SBA underwriting has tightened in recent years CDFIs are nonprofit, mission‑aligned, and relationship‑driven CDFIs look at the whole entrepreneur, not just credit scores 5. The Danger of Merchant Cash Advance Loans Halpern strongly warns against Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) loans, which are often marketed as fast solutions but carry extremely high interest rates and long‑term consequences. She explains that: MCAs disqualify borrowers from future SBA refinancing They often trap business owners in cycles of expensive debt CDFIs like BCF can help refinance and escape these loans A real‑world case study (The Cut Buddy / Shark Tank entrepreneur) illustrates how BCF helped refinance over $1M in predatory debt and save a growing business. 6. Relationships Matter More Than Transactions Both Halpern and McDonald emphasize the importance of building lender relationships early, not only when cash flow is tight. BCF underwrites the entire business and the entrepreneur, rather than seizing control of a contract or revenue stream, as some factoring companies do. Power comes from having options—and informed decision‑making. Key Takeaways Banking rejection is not the end of the road Small businesses must prepare themselves to be capital ready CDFIs serve as critical bridges between entrepreneurs and traditional banks Fast money often leads to expensive, dangerous debt Merchant cash advances should be avoided whenever possible Mission‑driven lenders look at the whole entrepreneur, not just numbers Strong lender relationships protect businesses during uncertainty Capital should empower growth—not take control of your company Notable Quotes “Just because a bank says no doesn’t mean that’s the end of your road.” “We’re not just looking at your credit score—we’re looking at you as a whole entrepreneur.” “Capital readiness is not about desperation; it’s about preparation.” “If you’re sitting on a merchant cash advance loan right now, you are not stuck.” “Nothing makes me happier than seeing clients realize their dreams and grow into multimillion‑dollar businesses.” “You should talk to multiple lenders—but you should always understand the real cost of the money.” Conclusion Sahra Halpern’s interview serves as a practical roadmap and a cautionary lesson for small business owners navigating today’s uncertain economic landscape. It reinforces that access to capital is about strategy, education, and relationships, not just approval or rejection. The conversation encourages entrepreneurs to reclaim power, avoid predatory financing, and partner with institutions that are committed to their long‑term success and community impact. #SHMS #BEST #STRAWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sponsor Link:This episode of SpaceTime is brought to you by NordVPN, where your online security starts. To check out our special offer for SpaceTime listeners, visit www.nordvpn.com/stuartgarySpaceTime Series 29 Episode 70 *The Small Magellanic Cloud is being ripped apart A new study reveals that the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, is slowly being torn apart by gravitational forces from the Large Magellanic Cloud. Researchers have utilised over a decade of observations to uncover the galaxy's dynamic state, challenging previous models of coherent rotation. *Blueprint for a lunar base NASA's plans for a lunar base at the Moon's South Pole are sparking innovative proposals for construction using local lunar materials. The Texas A&M Space Institute is leading research into using lunar regolith, a challenging construction material, to develop habitats for future lunar missions. *Meteor rocks New England A recent meteor explosion over New England has been confirmed as a sonic boom from a meteor entering the Earth's atmosphere, sending shockwaves across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The meteor, travelling at 121,000 kilometres per hour, likely fragmented before falling into the North Atlantic Ocean. *The Science Robert Increased wildfire risks are predicted across parts of Australia, while a study reveals that Iceman Otzi's microbiome remains active even after 5,300 years. Additionally, video technology may allow for heart rate monitoring through facial recognition.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-with-stuart-gary--2458531/support.

Canon Stephen Sharpe, ICKSP, serves as Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph Shrine in Detroit, Michigan. He was ordained in 2020. In Today's Show: Why is the universe so large if it was made only for us? How can we focus fully on God without getting distracted by secular things? Can blind priests say the Mass from memory? How literal should we take "the body and the soul are one"? What should we do if a family member is uncomfortable with the Catholic faith? Can a wake be held on a Sunday? How can poorly catechized Catholic families become well-grounded in the faith? Is there a problem with watching videos of crimes being committed and arrests? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Thinking about turning your vacant retail space into a food hall? Beth Azor says that could be a very expensive mistake.In Episode 92 of I Own A Shopping Center Now What, Beth Azor breaks down why the rapid rise of food halls across the country may not be the opportunity many shopping center owners believe it is. While food halls appear trendy and exciting, Beth explains that most owners dramatically underestimate the population density, foot traffic, operational costs, and tenant turnover required to make them successful.Drawing from real-world examples across cities like Miami, Birmingham, and Delray Beach, Beth shares why many food hall projects struggle financially despite major investment and strong initial excitement. From repeated tenant improvement costs to reliance on local operators instead of national-credit tenants, this episode highlights why food halls are rarely the simple solution to large retail vacancies.

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

The 2026 Legislative Session has officially wrapped! New York State Lawmakers passed more than 700 bills this year, many of which will head to the governor's desk soon. We sit down with WXXI's Samuel King and Newsday's Keshia Clukey to unpack some of the big bills awaiting the governor's review, including bills to redistrict congressional election maps and put a moratorium on data centers. State Assembly Member Carrie Woerner, chair of the racing and wagering committee, joins us to discuss the state's approach to tackling gambling issues.   EXPLORE MORE: nynow.org

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/national-security

(89) Magic Island - A Large Bad Storm Causes ProblemsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/harold-s-old-time-radio--4206392/support.

Not a leftover of evolution but a marvel – Danielle Clode celebrates the enigmatic echidna.

New Episodes out every Thursday during the Nascar Season.

Riots are spreading across Northern Ireland after a Sudanese migrant was videotaped allegedly stabbing and trying to behead a local resident. Large groups of men dressed in black responded with a wave of arson.We'll discuss this topic and others in this episode of Crossroads.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day.I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here.Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward.No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today.Let's dive in!You can listen to the full episode here: http://prooftoproduct.com/281Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper Camp

Since the days of Aesop, stories about animals have been used to explore distinctly human values, virtues, and vices. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz consider such childhood classics as E. B. White's “Stuart Little” and C. S. Lewis's “Chronicles of Narnia” series, as well as “The Sheep Detectives,” a recent entry in this canon that centers on a flock who learn poignant lessons about life and loss. Works of adult literature, too, have explored the animal-human bond. Our tendency to project onto animals translates to the real world in strange ways, with figures like Timmy the Whale and Punch the Monkey going viral on our social feeds even as our day-to-day lives are more detached from the natural world than ever before. But the distance between us can be instructive, too. “Reckoning with their similarity to us and also their total strangeness to us . . . that's where works about animals really get me,” Schwartz says. “Not just as a direct transfer onto the human experience but also this other thing that really does enrich our lives: to be in contact with species that are not our own.”Read, watch, and listen with the critics:Homer's Odyssey“Stone Fox,” by John Reynolds Gardiner“The Mare,” by Mary Gaitskill“The Sheep Detectives” (2026)“Stuart Little,” by E. B. White “Bambi” (1942)“The Lion King” (1994) C. S. Lewis's “Chronicles of Narnia” Series“Tom and Jerry” (1940-67)Aesop's Fables“Frederick,” by Leo Lionni“ ‘Wake Up Dead Man' and the Whodunnit Renaissance” (The New Yorker)“Zootopia” (2016) “Why Earnestness Is Everywhere” (The New Yorker)“Babe” (1995)“Tiger King” (2020-21)“Monkey Business in ‘Chimp Crazy,' ” by Vinson Cunningham (The New Yorker)I am Bunny on TikTokNew episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large wherever you get your podcasts.Critics at Large is a weekly discussion from The New Yorker which explores the latest trends in books, television, film, and more. Join us every Thursday as we make unexpected connections between classic texts and pop culture. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Join Jordan, Commish, Pitt Girl, Big Sky Brigit, Lord of the Spreadsheets Kevin and Beth, along with our VP of Podcast Production, Arthur. We taste test some of the Buzzballz World Cup Flavors, talk a little bit about the Brendan Sorsby InjuncTION, Then we PREVIEW THE WORLD CUP, We go through all 48 Teams as fast as possible, we guess their FIFA Rank, mention Dick Advocaat, Hungry Hungry Hippos, rate their shields and kits, red cards between Brazil and the USWMT keep interrupting the podcast, go Blue Sharks, THE LIONS OF MESOPOTAMIA, Senegal and Rutgers, EGYPT IN SPOKANE, ALGERIA in LAWRENCE KANSAS, The German Deacons, Norway's fun photo-shoots, Messi at Auburn, things the European Mind cannot comprehend, Uzbekistan coaching drama and GIANT PLOV, Oh no Morocco's coach accidentally became important at work and oh so much, much more!Join our Patreon for just $3 or $5 a month. https://www.patreon.com/cw/SickosCommitteeBuy some of our merch from https://thesickoscommittee-shop.fourthwall.com/NEW SICKOS FC JERSEYS FOR SALE https://oliveandyork.com/products/sickos-fcCheck out our Linktree for all our discount codes https://linktr.ee/sickoscommitteeSubscribe to our blog at https://sickos-newsletter.beehiiv.com/Subscribe to our YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@sickoscommittee See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Commercial real estate just hit an all-time high at $129 per square foot median price, however the pricing records mask stark divergences in property transaction patterns; Multifamily buildings are 23% smaller than 2019 yet selling for record prices. Older stock is outpricing newer product. Deal sizes are hitting all-time highs while building sizes shrink. The team breaks down the Q1 2026 Investment and Transactions Quarterly report to surface these inversions, and why CRE pricing showed surprising resilience through Q1's macro shocks.Key moments01:31 What is the US CRE Investment and Transactions Quarterly report?03:05 National activity trends04:58 Deal size and property age07:01 Pricing headlines by sector12:05 Subtype pricing winners and losers17:14 Pricing by property vintage22:09 Building size and deal size records26:34 Large deal share by sector32:34 Key surprises and takeaways35:35 Inflation-adjusted deal analysis38:57 Where to find the reportResources mentionedUS CRE Investment and Transactions Quarterly Report – Q1 2026 -https://www.altusgroup.com/featured-insights/cre-transactions/

In this week's episode, Blood editor Dr. Philippe Armand interviews Drs. Manali Kamdar and Nancy L. Bartlett on their latest review article published in Blood titled “From breakthroughs to blueprints: evolving evidence and future directions in relapsed and refractory large B-cell lymphoma”. They discuss the how the advent of chimeric antigen receptor T cells, antibody-drug conjugates, and bispecific antibodies all show major increases in efficacy over legacy chemotherapy-based regimens. They also share their insights on how to transform treatment paradigms in light of these breakthroughs.

Segment 1: Emily Stewart, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider, joins John to talk about the expected rise in people calling off work so they can watch the World Cup. Segment 2: Scott Stein, Editor at Large, CNET, joins John Williams to break down everything he learned from Apple’s WWDC and why everyone was talking about Siri AI. Segment 3: Mike Spriggs, […]

Ulises presents with intermittent upper extremity paresthesia reproduced with overhead activity. Examination reveals an elevated first rib on the involved side without reports of soft tissue tenderness. Which of the following mobilization techniques is MOST appropriate?A) Large-amplitude oscillations performed into tissue resistanceB) Small-amplitude oscillations performed into tissue resistanceC) Large-amplitude oscillations performed before tissue resistanceD) Small-amplitude oscillations performed before tissue resistanceText our team the word COACH for a free diagnostic: (727) 732-4573Join the FREE Facebook Group: www.nptegroup.com

Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Airline passenger rights are back in the spotlight, and Europe may be making one of the strongest consumer protection programs even stronger. This week, Ed is joined by Julian Kheel from Points Path to discuss proposed updates to EU261 passenger compensation rules, including new requirements that could force airlines to proactively tell travelers when they're entitled to compensation. They also explore JSX's new premium route between New York and Florida, whether semi-private flying is becoming more mainstream, and why loyalty programs continue to evolve in unexpected ways. Plus, Alaska Airlines signals interest in expanding its loyalty ecosystem, OneWorld adds a new hotel partnership, American Airlines appears to be making award pricing changes with Air Tahiti Nui, and Delta rolls out a new checked bag benefit that may not be quite as generous as it first appeared.   Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community.  Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly access Annual access Personal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ EU261 passenger compensation updates • Proposed changes to Europe's passenger rights rules • Why communication may become a bigger focus • Could the U.S. ever adopt something similar? ✈️ The challenge of airline accountability • What happens when flights are delayed or canceled • Enforcement versus policy • Making passengers whole versus getting them moving ✈️ JSX launches a new New York–Florida route • Teterboro to Naples service begins this fall • The appeal of semi-private flying • Why JSX continues to challenge traditional airlines ✈️ Loyalty programs keep expanding • OneWorld partners with Taj InnerCircle • Extending elite benefits beyond airlines • Why travel ecosystems matter ✈️ American Airlines and Air Tahiti Nui awards • Reports of new dynamic pricing • What travelers are seeing so far • Potential impact on AAdvantage value ✈️ United's credit card award discounts • Large mileage discounts for cardholders • A powerful acquisition strategy • How it compares to Delta's approach ✈️ Alaska Airlines wants more flexibility • Discussion around transferable points • Bank of America's potential role • The upside and downside for Mileage Plan members ✈️ Delta expands checked bag benefits • A second free checked bag for some cardholders • Why the change is more limited than expected • Who stands to benefit most        ⏱️ Episode 440 Timestamps 3:35 – EU261 passenger compensation changes explained 7:51 – Should the U.S. adopt similar passenger protections? 12:05 – JSX launches Teterboro–Naples service 18:50 – OneWorld partners with Taj InnerCircle 22:40 – American and Air Tahiti Nui award pricing changes 25:44 – Why partner award pricing may be evolving 27:34 – United's surprisingly large award discounts for cardholders 29:20 – Slack community and Points Path updates 32:07 – Alaska Airlines discusses transferable points 36:31 – Delta's new checked bag benefit arrives      

Police in Chicago are investigating a cross burning in a public park. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.

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-Waymo's ReD is based on a neuroscientific concept called active inference, which posits that people are always trying to minimize surprise. -The Seattle City Council has unanimously approved a moratorium on the construction of new large AI data centers for one year. -Kalshi will require users to disclose where they work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In "Is Organized Tech Destroying the Small Logistics Entrepreneur" Joe Lynch and Nicholas Antoine, Co-Founder, Co-CEO, and Managing Partner of Red Arts Capital, discuss how mid-market logistics companies can leverage emerging automation and strategic "moats" to successfully survive and compete against tech-heavy enterprise giants. About Nick Antoine Nicholas Antoine is the Co-Founder, Co-CEO, and Managing Partner of Red Arts Capital, a private equity firm he co-founded in 2015 - at age 26 - to invest exclusively in supply chain and logistics businesses. A Princeton graduate, Nick began his career as an equity research analyst at Princeton Global Asset Management before joining Ariel Investments in Chicago, where he served as Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO of the $17 billion asset manager. At Red Arts, he leads fundraising, research, and investment thesis development, building one of the few Black-founded and -led PE firms in the country and one of the top-performing, ranked #7 on Bloomberg's 2025 Best-Performing U.S. Buyout Funds. Nick is a member of YPO and a board trustee of The Studio Museum in Harlem and WTTW (PBS Chicago). About Red Arts Capital Red Arts Capital is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused exclusively on partnering with North American supply chain and logistics businesses. Founded in 2015 by Nick Antoine and Chad Strader, Red Arts is a 100% Black-owned firm investing across the "supply chain economy" - freight, transportation, warehousing, contract packaging, and related middle-market companies with strong growth potential. In 2023, the firm closed its latest fund oversubscribed at $270M, above its $225M target, backed by institutional LPs including Prudential Financial, the University of Chicago's Office of Investments, and funds managed by Neuberger Berman. Red Arts pairs a sector-focused thesis with a belief that diversity drives performance - women represent roughly half the firm. Key Takeaways: Is Organized Tech Destroying the Small Logistics Entrepreneur In "Is Organized Tech Destroying the Small Logistics Entrepreneur" Joe Lynch and Nicholas Antoine, Co-Founder, Co-CEO, and Managing Partner of Red Arts Capital, discuss how mid-market logistics companies can leverage emerging automation and strategic "moats" to successfully survive and compete against tech-heavy enterprise giants. Firm Profile & Focus: Founded in 2015, Red Arts Capital is a 100% Black-owned, Chicago-based private equity firm that focuses exclusively on North American supply chain, logistics, and middle-market infrastructure businesses. Target Investment Profile: Unlike venture capital firms that hunt for speculative "hockey stick" growth, Red Arts invests $50M to $100M+ into established, profitable middle-market companies (typically family-owned with $100M to $500M in revenue) to provide liquidity and operational scaling. Strong Institutional Backing: Validating their sector-focused thesis, the firm closed its 2023 fund oversubscribed at $270M (surpassing its $225M target) backed by premier LPs like Prudential Financial and the University of Chicago. The Concept of "Organized Tech": Nick defines "organized technology" as a modern third form of power alongside organized people and organized capital. Large enterprise players use their scale and massive resources to deploy tech—and partner with startups for free trials—giving them a distinct, systemic advantage. An Opportunity, Not a Death Sentence: Organized tech is not inherently destroying small logistics entrepreneurs; rather, the risk lies in a lack of adaptability. Because AI and automated tools are becoming rapidly commoditized and affordable, small business survival depends on an entrepreneurial willingness to experiment. Building Defensive "Moats": To avoid competing strictly on commoditized pricing, successful logistics companies must build defensible moats. This includes high-touch customer service, strong cultural values that lower driver turnover, or geographic asset density (like uniquely zoned cross-dock terminals) that competitors cannot easily replicate. Outsized Returns from Small Tech Investments: Technology adoption doesn't require a massive overhaul to significantly impact the bottom line. In one LTL case study, Red Arts introduced a simple automated software tool to capture missed, manual accessorial charges, plugging a major revenue leak and yielding massive profit returns. Learn More About Is Organized Tech Destroying the Small Logistics Entrepreneur Nicholas Antoine | Linkedin Red Arts Capital | Linkedin Red Arts Capital Bloomberg executive profile Investing in Supply Chain Solutions with Nick Antoine of Red Arts Capital | Impact Podcast Black Professionals in PE & Finance spotlight | McGuireWoods Fund close coverage | $270M, Business Wire Organized Technology: A New Power Defining The American Dream | Forbes The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Cinematic dramatic YouTube thumbnail, gritty outlaw biker style, dark moody lighting with strong red warning tones, high contrast, film grain. Center: Black Dragon (use uploaded picture) with serious, authoritative expression, wearing his vest, looking directly at viewer. Background: Split dramatic scene — Left side shows a crowded biker annual party with people, bikes, and subtle guns. Right side shows a "No Guns" symbol / metal detector at entrance with red "X" over firearms. Large bold text: Top: "DISARM EVERYONE" in cracked aggressive red font Center: "AT YOUR ANNUAL" in massive white and gold outlaw font Bottom: "Plus: Why Out Bad is Meaningless Today" "Black Dragon Biker TV" at the very bottom Ultra-realistic face on Black Dragon, powerful and controversial mood, high detail, eye-catching, perfect vertical 9:16 ratioBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Last time we spoke about the One Hundred Regiment Offensive. During Phase Three of the One Hundred Regiment Offensive, CCP forces in the Taihang/Jizhong area emphasized strongpoint attacks and transportation warfare. Rather than trying to defeat Japanese units head-on, they used tactics such as night raids and ambushes to disrupt Japanese supply routes and communications. The underlying goal was to make Japanese logistics unstable, weakening their ability to maintain control and conduct effective operations. After CCP successes, the Japanese responded with large-scale "mopping-up" operations beginning October 6. As the Eighth Route Army continued resisting, it adopted flexible methods to counter the Japanese sweeps, especially rapid repositioning and targeted ambushes. One notable action described involves an ambush of a Japanese convoy that caused substantial enemy losses, demonstrating how disrupting enemy mobility could blunt the effectiveness of larger Japanese operations. Overall, the situation remained fluid, with both sides continually adapting their tactics in an ongoing contest for control across occupied North China.   #205 The Hubei-Henan Campaign of 1940-1941 Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. By 1940, the war had settled into a grueling stalemate, with Japanese troops occupying vast swathes of central China, including parts of Hubei, but facing persistent Chinese guerrilla and conventional resistance that prevented total consolidation. In the aftermath of the Battle of Zaoyang in the summer of 1940, Japanese forces had secured the key cities of Yichang and Shashi along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Yet Chinese Nationalist troops of the Fifth War Area retained firm control over the vital territories east and west of the Xiang River. Their defensive lines formed a broad arc stretching from the southwest of Yuan'an through Jingmen, north of Zhongxiang, and the rugged foothills of the Dahong Mountains, extending northwest to Suixian. These positions straddled both banks of the Xiang River, anchored on the right by the Wudang Mountains and on the left by the Tongbai range. Working in close coordination with guerrilla detachments operating in the southeast, Chinese units repeatedly harassed the Japanese garrisons that had pushed into Yichang. The constant pressure on the enemy's flanks left the Japanese forces in Yichang and Shashi dangerously exposed and hemmed in, unable to expand or consolidate their gains. To the Japanese high command, this situation had become an intolerable thorn that demanded immediate removal.   Under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese Nationalist government faced severe strains as the war with Japan escalated. Its problems were not only military, but also political and economic. Deep ideological and territorial rivalries with the CCP meant that efforts to present a single front were constantly undermined. Although the two sides officially formed a United Front in 1937, earlier violence and competition, such as the 1927 Shanghai Massacre and the CCP's Long March of 1934 – 1935 had left distrust and strategic differences in place. As a result, Nationalist resistance was harder to coordinate than it would have been under full unity. Meanwhile, the CCP strengthened its position in northern China by expanding rural strongholds. Through land reforms and the use of guerrilla warfare, the communists were able to win local support and apply pressure to Japanese forces in ways that often did not require large, conventional armies. This strategy also drew influence and manpower away from the Nationalists' more traditional, state-centered military structure.   Economically, the Nationalists were squeezed from multiple directions. The loss of China's coastal industrial regions to Japanese occupation forced the government to rely heavily on the interior, with Chongqing becoming a key base. That geographic shift left the administration more vulnerable to shortages of critical supplies, especially raw materials, fuel, and modern weapons. On top of wartime disruption, the global Great Depression intensified fiscal and logistical difficulties, limiting how quickly and effectively the Nationalists could mobilize resources for large-scale operations. By late November 1940, these weaknesses intersected with renewed Japanese pressure. Japanese commanders were also concerned about the possibility of a major Nationalist push, particularly fears of a counteroffensive by the Thirty-first Army Group under General Tang Enbo.    Determined to break the stalemate, the Japanese launched a major offensive in late November 1940. Preparations had begun in earnest early that month. Engineers repaired and expanded highways and bridges, constructed new defensive works and airfields, and stockpiled vast quantities of rations, ammunition, steel-hulled boats, and rubber rafts in the Zhongxiang area. Five regiments were concentrated near Zhongxiang, while additional troops east and west of the Xiang River brought the total strength to more than three divisions. Along the Suixian–Xiangyang Highway, Japanese forces were reinforced to divisional strength, supported by increased artillery and tank detachments. These meticulous measures left no doubt that the enemy was ready for a large-scale operation.   By 23 November the Japanese had completed their deployments and moved into assault positions. The Japanese forces assigned to the Central Hubei Operation were placed under the overall command of Lieutenant General Waichirō Sonobe, who directed the campaign from his headquarters in Wuhan. Sonobe's 11th Army drew on a broad mix of formations, combining units from the 3rd, 4th, 15th, 17th, 39th, and 40th Divisions. The offensive backbone for the thrust into central Hubei province was reinforced by the 18th Independent Mixed Brigade, which helped supply the infantry strength needed for sustained fighting across difficult ground. In practice, this multi-division structure reflected the 11th Army's key mission in the region, acting as the main Japanese formation after the earlier Battle of Zaoyang and it emphasized coordinated divisional advances supported by attached brigades and specialized elements, including limited armored capabilities.   In terms of manpower, the Japanese force is commonly estimated at roughly 40,000 to 50,000 troops. This strength included several infantry regiments and artillery batteries, along with only limited armored elements rather than a fully armored formation. Because the operation depended on finding and exploiting opportunities quickly, it was supported by aerial reconnaissance and bombing carried out by the 3rd Air Brigade operating in central China. Infantry units formed the majority of the fighting power, while artillery was used to provide suppressive fire during advances. Air support, meanwhile, was intended to help identify and target Chinese positions—particularly along important riverine and rail corridors, where disruptions could slow resistance and complicate Chinese reinforcement or retreat.   To manage the operation across varied terrain and combat tasks, Sonobe's command used smaller combined formation often described as task forces, that could operate with some flexibility. Among them were the Kayashima Force, commanded by Major General Koichi Kayashima of the 18th Independent Mixed Brigade, consisting of the entire brigade reinforced by elements of the 40th Division. The Muragami Force, under Lieutenant General Keisaku Muragami, commander of the 39th Division, which included the full division plus supporting non-infantry units. The Hirabayashi Force, led by Lieutenant General Morito Hirabayashi of the 17th Division, formed from detachments of the 17th and 15th Divisions.The Kitana Force, commanded by Lieutenant General Kenzo Kitana of the 4th Division, incorporating portions of the 4th Division and the Kususe Armored Force. These four groups were deployed in parallel around Tangyang, Jingmen, Zhongxiang, and north of Jingshan. The Hanjima Force, commanded by Lieutenant General Fusataro Hanjima of the 3rd Division, positioned near Suixian along the Xiangyang–Hua Highway. This task-force approach helped tailor combat power to specific mission profiles—such as flanking movements, raids, or pressure on Chinese defensive lines—while keeping the overall campaign plan under a unified command.   Equipment choices also reflected the tactical environment of Hubei. The Japanese units made use of Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks for reconnaissance and for anti-infantry roles, typically best suited to the reconnaissance, pursuit, and screening functions that were available even with constrained armor numbers. For fire support, the force relied on conventional artillery, including 75mm Type 90 guns for field engagements and 105mm howitzers for heavier bombardment where stronger explosive impact was needed. Together, these assets were intended to allow Japanese formations to maneuver around Chinese positions and apply pressure in rugged landscapes where rivers, roads, and rail lines often determined the rhythm of battle.   Logistics were a decisive factor in whether the operation could sustain momentum. Sonobe's army depended heavily on existing transportation infrastructure, particularly rail lines radiating from the Wuhan hub toward forward areas such as Suizhou and Zaoyang. These routes were critical for moving ammunition, replacements, and other supplies closer to the front as the Japanese advanced. The campaign also used river transport along the Yangtze River, including motorized barges and steamers, to deliver supplies to units operating near waterways. However, reliance on these corridors came with risks: Chinese interdiction raids could disrupt shipments, forcing convoys to be escorted and increasing the time and resources required to keep the forward units supplied. Overall, this dependence on both rail and fluvial networks highlighted a central operational challenge, maintaining secure access to transportation arteries in contested territory so that the Japanese could keep fighting effectively rather than stalling as supplies dwindled.   The Central Hubei Operation was driven by an intelligence assessment that Chinese troop movements were signaling preparations for a Nationalist counteroffensive. Acting on that interpretation, the Japanese began tightening plans and positioning forces early in the final days of November 1940. On 23 November 1940, the Japanese 11th Army under Lieutenant General Waichirō Sonobe began organizing for the offensive in central Hubei. In order to conduct a coordinated advance across the Han River, the army arranged its forces into five groups, each tasked with moving in a way that supported the broader pincer-style pressure on Chinese positions. The approach also reflected lessons drawn from the earlier Zaoyang–Yichang campaign earlier in 1940, when Japanese divisions had been able to cross the Han River at multiple points, such as Dangyang, Jiukouzhen, and Shayangzhen—to help secure access toward Yichang and the Yangtze route. Logistics were built around infrastructure the Japanese had already established during prior operations. The Hankou hub supported the 11th Army through arrangements that included munitions storage, medical facilities, and transport coordination. Supplies and reinforcements were moved using truck convoys and river crossings, while forward depots—such as those at Shayangzhen northwest of Hankou—provided additional capacity, including freight handling and field hospitals. Because the area was not secure, these supply points were also guarded against threats from guerrilla activity, which could disrupt communications and threaten personnel and equipment.   Operationally, the offensive used limited artillery and air support, reflecting Japanese constraints and directives aimed at keeping the campaign short and avoiding commitments that could stretch units beyond their logistical reach. Instead of trying to grind down Chinese defenses through prolonged bombardment, the plan prioritized speed, reconnaissance, and focused disruption. Japanese intelligence preparation relied heavily on aerial reconnaissance over the Han River valley to locate Chinese positions and infer where resistance would likely concentrate. That information enabled Japanese units to coordinate select maneuvers, including converging pressure from different directions. Where river transport mattered, coordination with naval or riverine elements supported movement and resupply, with overall oversight connected to the China Expeditionary Army.   Anticipating the coming assault, the Chinese Fifth War Area headquarters acted swiftly on instructions from the National Military Council. Orders were issued to the River West Army Group (30th and 77th Corps), the Right Army Group (44th and 67th Corps), and the Central Army Group (41st and 45th Corps) to employ a flexible defensive strategy: hold key positions firmly while committing the main strength to strike the enemy's outer flanks at the decisive moment. The 59th Corps was directed to advance toward the Xiangfan area, ready to reinforce operations on either bank of the river as the situation developed.   As commander of the Fifth War Area, Li Zongren arranged the defense to meet a likely Japanese thrust along the Han River, particularly in the approaches to Wuhan and Yichang, following the wider stalemate that settled in after the 1938 fall of Wuhan. The Fifth War Area could draw on roughly 300,000 troops, though many units were understrength, and the overall readiness varied by locality. Among the formations Li Zongren placed in the most sensitive sectors was the 31st Army Group under General Tang Enbo, which Japanese planners had identified as a potential threat to Japanese intentions in the region. In keeping with the terrain and the limits on manpower, Li's defensive design relied heavily on natural barriers—most importantly the Han River itself—and on the defensibility of rugged ground. Forces were arrayed to hold or contest riverbank positions, supported by fortifications, trenches, and smaller auxiliary elements. Divisions such as the 44th were positioned with an eye toward slowing an enemy crossing and forcing the Japanese to fight for difficult approaches rather than moving rapidly. At the same time, irregular forces and prepared defensive works were used to complicate Japanese reconnaissance and to make it harder for the attacker to coordinate a clean operational flow. Strategically, Li Zongren leaned on elastic defense rather than attempting to win decisive battles at fixed lines. Regular units were supported by guerrilla-style harassment intended to strike Japanese vulnerabilities, especially supply and transportation, between forward bases and the front. Local operations, including actions coming from areas such as Xinyang, were designed to disrupt Japanese logistics in periods when the Nationalists were still managing shortages of ammunition and medical supplies. Militias in the inter-mountainous regions further reinforced this approach: instead of seeking costly frontal engagements, they concentrated on disruption, delaying movements, and making Japanese operations slower and more expensive.   At dawn on 25 November the Japanese offensive began, with columns advancing along multiple axes. On the western Xiangyang front, more than 1,000 troops from Tangyang and over 3,000 from Jingmen struck Hengdian and Yanzhimiao, shattering the positions of the Chinese 30th Corps. Simultaneously, a column moving from Zhujiafu toward Tunglinling split into several detachments and drove deep northward into Liangshuijing, Xiajiazi, and Kuaihuopu. By nightfall the River West Army Group had regrouped along the line from Hengdian through Yanzhimiao to Kuaihuopu. On 26 November the Japanese reached Xianzhu. The following day they assaulted Liuhouji and Lijiatang in a day-long battle that ended in stalemate. At dusk the 30th Corps launched a powerful counterattack; the 27th and 31st Divisions dispatched raiding parties into the enemy's rear. Unable to withstand the pressure, the Japanese fell back toward Jingmen and Zhongxiang, pursued by Chinese forces that inflicted heavy losses.   Along the Jingmen–Zhongxiang Highway the Japanese massed more than 3,000 troops to attack Changshoutian and Wangjiatian, encircling Changjiachi and Shahetian. The Chinese 149th Division withdrew in good order to the stronger Wangjiahe–Wulongguan line. On 26 November enemy strength grew to 4,000–5,000. One column advanced on Sanligang while the main body assaulted Peizhai, Wangjiahe, and Yunanmen. Fighting continued until dark without decisive result. On 27 November the main force of the 44th Corps counterattacked from Wangjiahe, converging with the 67th Corps advancing from the northwest. The coordinated assault inflicted severe casualties, yet the Japanese continued to fight stubbornly. On the Suixian front, more than 2,000 Japanese troops reached Liangshuikou on the morning of 25 November and launched a violent attack against the 123rd Division at Lishan. Two additional columns, each exceeding 1,000 men, pushed westward toward Hoyuantian and Qingmingpu; their numbers swelled steadily as darkness fell. On 26 November fierce combat raged against the 124th and 127th Divisions at Jinjishan and Qingmingpu. A separate force of 700–800 men advanced from Xihe via Langhetian to Tangjiafan. After clashing with the 41st Corps, the Japanese near Qingmingpu linked up with those at Jinjishan and moved toward Hoyuantian on 27 November. That night the detachment at Tangjiafan reached the vicinity of Huantan Zhen, confronting the 125th Division. Recognizing that the enemy had become dangerously dispersed, the War Area Command ordered its units to hold critical localities while the main forces exploited the mountainous terrain for ambushes. The tactic proved effective. Heavy fighting continued until 28 November, when the Japanese, unable to achieve their objectives, began a general withdrawal. Chinese forces west of Xiangyang immediately took up the pursuit. The enemy opposing the Right Army Group was routed and retreated along several routes. In the Suixian sector, Japanese units at Hoyuantian and Huantan Zhen were caught in converging attacks by the Central Army Group, driven back to high ground, and encircled. In a desperate attempt to relieve the trapped forces, the Japanese rushed 1,500–1,600 infantry and cavalry troops from Suixian and Yingshan through Shangshitian and Shatian in a flanking maneuver—only to be ambushed once more. Covered by aircraft and armor, the enemy withdrew toward Suixian and Xihe as Chinese troops pressed forward along the line from Chunchuan to Anchu, Lishan, and Gaocheng. By 30 November all Chinese Army Groups had restored their original positions.   The Central Hubei Operation produced uneven battlefield outcomes, particularly in reported casualties. Japanese accounts describe relatively limited losses, just 132 killed and 445 wounded attributed to advantages in air superiority, artillery, and armored support, even though the advance was complicated by difficult terrain. At the same time, Japanese forces faced persistent Chinese counterattacks along the Han River, which contributed to localized pressure and eventual withdrawal. The Japanese reported 6,439 Chinese killed  and 474 captured, but the evidence base is uncertain and the language of reporting suggests possible exaggeration or propaganda. Conversely, Chinese-era estimates reportedly placed Japanese losses at roughly 5,000 killed and 7,000–8,000 wounded, illustrating a substantial gap between competing narratives. Some alternate reconstructions suggest total Chinese casualties in the range of 20,000–30,000, depending on whether wounded and missing personnel are included. However, because wartime reporting was fragmented and inconsistent, there is no fully verifiable casualty ledger for all units involved.   Despite these tolls, the operation did not appear to achieve a decisive Chinese destruction of Japan's intended target force. The Chinese Fifth War Area, including elements associated with the 31st Army Group under Tang Enbo, suffered attrition but generally avoided annihilation. No major command-level losses are indicated in the surviving accounts, and unit formations were not described as collapsing permanently. On the material side, Japan reportedly seized rifles and supplies from positions that Chinese forces had encircled or abandoned in the short term, but overall equipment losses for either side were described as limited, consistent with the operation's restricted intensity.    Strategically, the operation offered Japan short-term tactical advantages—notably through localized envelopments and the temporary pressure of combined-arms support—but it failed to translate these gains into a sustained strategic result. The fighting also strained Japanese logistics in central China, especially given that the offensive was not followed by major reinforcements. At the same time, it exposed continuing vulnerabilities in rugged terrain where Chinese guerrilla activity and organized counteraction could offset superior firepower.   Ultimately, the Central Hubei Operation produced no net territorial gains. By the end of the week, Japanese troops had returned to positions that did not fundamentally alter control in central Hubei. Local clashes may have disturbed formations and disrupted movement temporarily, but the campaign did not create durable forward bases, did not change administrative control meaningfully, and did not permanently disrupt key supply corridors. The territorial status quo largely persisted: Chinese Fifth War Area forces maintained positions north of the Yangtze River, and there was no widespread abandonment of strongholds sufficient to indicate a strategic collapse.   In the months following the Japanese repulse in central Hubei in November 1940, enemy forces remained largely immobilized across the Jing-Xiang plains, their earlier ambitions checked by determined Chinese resistance. Seeking to regain momentum and draw Chinese strength away from other theaters, the Japanese high command prepared a massive offensive into southern Henan in late January 1941. By the end of the month they had concentrated an imposing array of seven infantry divisions, one independent cavalry brigade, three independent armored regiments, and one independent artillery regiment. In all, more than 150,000 infantrymen, over 8,000 cavalry, 550 artillery pieces, 300 tanks, and 200 armored cars stood ready. Over a hundred aircraft were massed at forward bases in Anyang, Xinxiang, Huaiyang, and Xinyang. From early January onward, ammunition and equipment had been laboriously shipped up the Yangtze and moved inland to Xinyang, while Japanese reconnaissance planes repeatedly overflew Chinese rear areas. Additional troops were concentrated in southern Henan itself.   On 20 January, as a preliminary move to pin down Chinese forces and facilitate the main effort in central Henan, the Japanese 18th Independent Mixed Brigade, together with elements of the 39th and 4th Divisions, launched a limited attack against the Chinese 29th and 33rd Army Groups. The principal assault, however, began on 24 January under the overall command of Lieutenant General Katsuichiro Enbu. The Japanese organized their southern Henan forces into three powerful columns: The Left Flank Force, built around the entire 3rd Division reinforced by the 8th Regiment of the 4th Division and the Mizuno Armored Unit, commanded by Lieutenant General Fusataro Hanjima of the 3rd Division. The Central Force, centered on the 17th Division (less one regiment) and strengthened by the 67th Regiment of the 15th Division and the Yoshimatsu Armored Unit, commanded by Lieutenant General Amaya of the 40th Division. The Right Flank Force, formed around the main body of the 40th Division, also under Lieutenant General Amaya.   In support of this main thrust, Japanese forces in northern Anhui and eastern Henan—principally the 4th Cavalry Brigade with the Hirabayashi Tank Regiment—advanced westward from Haozhou toward Woyang. The Ouda Regiment of the 21st Division pushed west from Suzhou, while the Uguchi and Kobayashi Regiments of the 35th Division, accompanied by engineer, cavalry, artillery, and tank units, moved from Kaifeng, Tongxu, and Zhuxian Zhen along the north bank of the Yellow River and through the flooded areas toward Zhengzhou. These supporting columns were intended to tie down Chinese reserves and prevent reinforcement of the southern front.   The National Military Council in Chongqing correctly assessed the enemy's intention: to drive north along the Beiping-Hankou Railway with their main strength, force a decisive battle against the Chinese field armies, and rely on the northern Anhui–eastern Henan forces to strike westward in coordination. Accordingly, the Council instructed the Fifth War Area to avoid a costly frontal engagement. Instead, a small portion of its troops would offer delaying resistance along the railway, while the main force would maneuver to the enemy's flanks and rear, severing communications and launching devastating counterattacks. In compliance, the Fifth War Area left only a single division near Xiping on the Beiping-Hankou line. The bulk of its strength—carefully concealed in depth on both sides of the enemy's expected axis of advance—remained highly mobile, ready to strike the Japanese flanks or rear the moment the enemy divided his forces or pushed toward Runan, Yancheng, or Wuyang. This elastic strategy proved decisive.   At dawn on 25 January the Japanese southern Henan forces advanced in three columns. The Left Flank Force moved along the line from Xiaolindian to Gucheng and Chashan. The Central Force struck northward from the Minggang area. The Right Flank Force crossed the Huai River between Huaijiao Zhen and Chengyang under heavy air support. Japanese planes bombed Chinese positions relentlessly. True to plan, Chinese units employed only light screening forces to harass the enemy with ambushes and flank attacks, preserving their main strength for the decisive moment.   By 26 January the Japanese had reached the line from Piyang to Gaoyi, Xingtian, and Queshan. On the 27th they pressed on to Chunshui, Shahetian, and Zhumadian. At this point Chinese mobile forces sprang into action. The 13th Corps of the 31st Army Group swung northward toward Xiangheguan, while the main body of the 85th Corps moved toward Shangcai to begin an enveloping maneuver. The 68th Corps of the 11th Army Group struck the enemy rear south of Xiangheguan; the 55th Corps advanced from Tanghe to Piyang; and the 59th Corps of the 33rd Army Group pushed toward Nanyang. On 29 January the 13th Corps attacked the Japanese Left Flank Force near Jieguanting and Xiaoshidian south of Wuyang, while the 85th Corps struck the Right Flank Force around Runan, southeast of Shangcai. The enemy's Central Force, advancing along and west of the railway, found the Chinese positions already evacuated and failed to trap any major units. The Japanese columns on the extreme flanks suffered over 3,000 casualties and lost six tanks in the fighting around Jieguanting.   By 31 January the enemy, desperate to rescue his exposed flank columns, reordered his forces. The Central Force executed turning movements on both sides: elements of the 15th Division swung right from Suiping through Shangcai to converge with troops moving north from Runan against the 85th Corps, while the main body of the 17th Division split into two columns and advanced from Suiping through Xiping toward Wuyang. Simultaneously, the main force of the 3rd Division and part of the 4th Division also converged on Wuyang, hoping to link with the 17th Division and crush the 13th Corps near Jieguanting and Xiaoshidian. Before the trap could close, however, the Chinese 13th and 85th Corps withdrew in good order to the area north of Ye Xian, between Yancheng and Shangshui, and north of the Sha River. When the Japanese broke through at Wuyang and Shangcai they found no major Chinese forces to destroy.   Meanwhile, Chinese troops from western Henan, the 59th, 55th, and 68th Corps, advanced from Tanghe, Piyang, and points north to strike the enemy rear at Wuyang. On 29 January the 84th Corps and local guerrillas in western Anhui recaptured Chengyang and continued the pursuit. The Japanese, having failed to concentrate superior strength or control the battlefield, now found themselves isolated. Their rear communications were severed, and they were under constant pressure from the 68th, 55th, and 59th Corps. After days of exhausting combat the enemy began to withdraw southward on the night of 2 February. Leaving only rear guards at Wuyang and Baoanzhai to tie down the 13th Corps, the main body of the 3rd Division moved from Fangcheng toward Nanyang and Zhenping. The 13th Corps immediately counterattacked, recaptured Baoanzhai and Wuyang, and pursued the enemy toward Fangcheng.   On the night of 2 February, as the Japanese main force approached Nanyang, the 17th Division together with elements of the 15th and 4th Divisions had already pushed south from Wuyang via Xiangheguan toward Piyang, hoping to link with forces moving east from Nanyang and trap the Chinese 68th, 55th, and 29th Corps. Fierce resistance by the 68th Corps near Xiangheguan inflicted heavy losses and forced the enemy to abandon large quantities of supplies. Further south, the 29th Corps exacted still greater casualties around Piyang. On the night of 7 February the trapped Japanese column split: part retreated along the Tanghe–Piyang highway, while the main body withdrew along the Tongbo–Xinyang highway toward Xinyang, leaving many dead behind. The Chinese 85th Corps pursued southeastward, while elements of the 13th, 29th, 55th, and 59th Corps harried the enemy toward Xinyang. By the time the fighting ended, all Chinese units had regained their original positions.   In coordination with the southern Henan offensive, the Japanese forces in northern Anhui and eastern Henan advanced westward in four columns on the morning of 25 January. The Ouda Regiment of the 21st Division struck west from Suzhou. The 4th Cavalry Brigade, reinforced by the Hirabayashi Tank Regiment, split into three routes from Bozhou to attack Woyang, Shanheji, and Shuangqiao, clashing bitterly with a Chinese cavalry division near Shizihe and Niqiuji. The Uguchi Regiment of the 35th Division advanced through the flooded areas from Tongxu and Zhuxian Zhen, while the Kobayashi Regiment moved westward along the north bank of the Yellow River near Zhengzhou. Japanese aircraft intensified their bombing of Chinese cities and front-line positions, including Zhoujiakou, Zhengzhou, Yancheng, Ye Xian, Xiangcheng, Wuyang, and Luoyang. On 29 January one enemy column reached Santaiji and suffered heavy losses under Chinese attack. Threatened on the left by forces near Huaiyang, two Chinese corps withdrew temporarily to the line from Fuyang to Taihe and Jieshou. On 5 February the Japanese captured Taihe and Jieshou, but a Chinese counterattack on the morning of 6 February regained both towns, forcing the enemy to retreat northeastward.   The Battle of Southern Henan, which opened on 25 January and concluded on 10 February after seventeen days of continuous fighting, ended in a clear Chinese victory. Japanese casualties exceeded 9,000; when the enemy withdrew from Nanyang more than 300 military vehicles were left burning on the battlefield. Large quantities of arms, ammunition, and supplies fell into Chinese hands. Chinese losses were significantly lighter. The enemy had hoped to force a decisive battle along the railway and shatter the Chinese armies of the Fifth War Area. Instead, skillful Chinese maneuver, timely flank attacks, and relentless pressure on the enemy's rear and communications had turned the Japanese offensive into a costly failure. The victory not only preserved the integrity of the central Chinese front but also demonstrated once again the effectiveness of elastic defense and mobile counteroffensive tactics against a numerically superior but overextended foe.   In the wake of their costly repulse in central Hubei the previous November and the even more humiliating defeat in Southern Henan between late January and early February 1941, the Japanese sought once more to regain the initiative in the spring of 1941. Their target was western Hubei, where Chinese forces continued to deny them freedom of movement along the middle Yangtze. The entire Japanese 13th Division garrisoned the Yichang salient. Its regiments were deployed in a defensive arc: the 65th Regiment and the 19th Artillery Regiment held positions east of the city at Longchuanpu, Tumenya, and Yaqueling; the 104th Regiment guarded the northwest approaches; and the 17th Cavalry Regiment patrolled the Yangchalu–Baishanao sector. On the west bank of the Yangtze, the 58th Regiment had constructed strong bridgehead fortifications between Chaojialing and Shangwulongkou, ready to support any renewed thrust westward.   Facing this entrenched enemy was the Chinese 26th Corps, entrusted with the critical mission of river defense on the west bank of the Yangtze opposite Yichang. The corps commander had organized his forces into three sectors. The 41st Division held the right zone, anchoring its line from Mujiatian and Tanjiataizi northward to the vicinity of Fanjiah u. The 32nd Division defended the left zone, stretching from Mujiatian through Ceyang to Xiangzikou. The 44th Division remained in corps reserve near Caojiafan, poised to reinforce either flank or exploit opportunities for counterattack.   On 6 March 1941 the Japanese struck. Having quietly reinforced their forces west of Yichang to more than three regiments, supported by cavalry and artillery, they opened the assault at 5:30 a.m. with a violent artillery barrage, followed immediately by infantry advances under cover of air strikes. Chinese security positions at Tanjiataizi and Chaojiadian were overrun. The enemy then hurled itself against the main line at Changgangling. Simultaneously, 600 to 700 Japanese troops, backed by planes and guns, assaulted Fanjiah u. After hours of bitter fighting both localities fell. On the morning of 7 March, Japanese aircraft again spearheaded the attack, enabling the capture of positions at Qianjiatai and Wujiaba. The enemy pressed on toward Qianjiachong and Yutaishan but was thrown back. Meanwhile, the force that had taken Fanjiah u clashed fiercely with the Chinese 44th Division around Taipingqiao; although the division was eventually compelled to withdraw to the eastern end of the bridge under relentless air attack, it continued to resist stubbornly. When the enemy seized Hut zeye from the direction of Fanjiah u, the 32nd Division fell back in good order to the line from Tunziqiao to Tuyanzhong, where it beat off further assaults. By this stage the Japanese had driven themselves into a dangerously narrow salient, exposed on both flanks.   Seizing the moment, the River Defense Force reorganized its lines. The 103rd Division of the 8th Corps relieved the sector from Mujiatang through Yingzishan to Chaotianguan, while the 26th Corps consolidated new positions at Yutaishan, Pijiashan, Qingshuiba, Guangongling, and Xiaopingshanba. The plan was clear: hold the enemy east of this line, then launch a converging counterstroke to destroy the invaders and restore the original front. On 8 March two guerrilla columns from the 41st Division struck at Changgangling and Fanjiayuan, while another detachment hit the enemy east of Pifengjian. More than 2,000 Japanese troops assaulted the 44th Division's positions from Gaolingpo and Dajiaobian toward Wanghuzizhong; determined resistance by the 44th Division, supported by elements of the 41st, brought the attack to a standstill. Later that day the enemy managed to penetrate the 32nd Division's line at Tianwangshi, forcing Chinese troops to fight a delaying action along the outskirts of the Shibai Fortress from Mingjiachong to Heitangou.   Dawn on 9 March brought renewed Chinese initiative. The 103rd Division occupied the line from Tutiling to Shizinao and advanced in several columns against the enemy. A portion of the 44th Division waged a grim holding action on the high ground flanking Guojiaba, suffering heavy losses but buying time for the main body to launch a powerful flank attack against the Japanese at Taipingqiao and Xianglingkou. By dusk Chinese forces had captured the enemy strongpoints at Dujiaoba and Dajiaobian along the highway, annihilating numerous enemy troops. The 32nd Division threw its main strength against the area northwest of Dajiaobian; heavy fighting raged around Wanghuzizhong into the afternoon until enemy reinforcements were driven off. The 41st Division, meanwhile, executed effective flank attacks that yielded significant gains. On 10 March the 103rd Division recaptured the high ground at Xiawulongkou and north of Tianzipo, while guerrillas of the 41st Division continued to harass the enemy through every gap in his lines. When positions at Hongshipo and Lungtanping held by the 44th Division were breached, the division withdrew to the western heights of Bomuping and faced the enemy anew.   At dawn on 11 March, after suffering severe casualties, the Japanese resorted to smoke screens and began withdrawing eastward along several routes. Chinese pursuit forces swiftly retook Xianglingkou, Guojiaba, Guangongling, Tianwangshi, and Dajiaobian. By 12 March the enemy had fallen back to a defensive line running from east of Taipingqiao to Hu z'ai and Huangnikeng. On 13 March Chinese units launched general counterattacks. Unable to withstand the pressure, the Japanese retreated to their original positions. The eight-day engagement thus ended exactly where it had begun.   The battle had been fought with only a portion of the available Chinese forces, yet it proved decisive. The Japanese, who had hoped to crack the river defenses and resume their westward drive, instead suffered 4,000 to 5,000 casualties. The swift and skillful Chinese counteroffensive not only restored the front but left the enemy shaken and apprehensive. Their design to push deeper into western Hubei was decisively thwarted, buying precious time for the broader Chinese war effort in the Yangtze theater and demonstrating once again that determined defense, timely reinforcement, and aggressive counteraction could blunt even the most carefully prepared Japanese offensive. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In November 1940, a Central Hubei Operation using five task forces attempted to exploit Chinese dispersal but achieved no territorial gains despite local successes. A larger January 1941 offensive into southern Henan deployed 150,000+ troops but again failed strategically. Despite Japanese tactical advantages and superior firepower, logistical constraints and rugged terrain favored mobile Chinese resistance. Both campaigns ended with Japanese withdrawals and restored Chinese positions, demonstrating that determined defense and timely counteraction could blunt large-scale Japanese operations.

Join us for a conversation with the James Beard Award-winning duo behind the new book, The Cocktail Sessions: Toby Maloney, award-winning bartender, and acclaimed author Emma Janzen. Toby draws on decades behind the bar to break down the fundamentals of classic cocktails, from the Daiquiri and Old Fashioned to the Negroni and beyond, revealing how small adjustments in balance, texture, temperature, and technique can transform an everyday staple into something truly memorable. Emma brings her signature clarity and storytelling to the discussion, explaining how their collaborative process distills professional wisdom into pages that feel like sitting down for a session with a master bartender. Together, they explore why there is no single right way to make a great Martini or Mai Tai, and how home enthusiasts can learn to trust their own palates. Tune in for a masterclass in classic cocktails that is equal parts education, inspiration, and pure joy. Link to book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/757701/the-classic-cocktail-sessions-by-toby-maloney-and-emma-janzen/ Free Perfect Puree Samples: https://perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________ Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender?_t=ZT-8uBekAKOGwU&_r=1 Bartender at Large: www.tiktok.com/BartenderAtLarge

DESCRIPTION President Trump's endorsement of Pam Evette was supposed to settle South Carolina's Republican gubernatorial primary. Instead, it may have thrown gasoline on an already chaotic race. Charlie breaks down the fallout from the endorsement, the controversy surrounding Henry McMaster Jr., conflicting polls, the rise of outsider candidate Rom Reddy, and accusations that Democrat-backed interests are attempting to influence Republican primary races. Plus, a warning about deceptive political mailers flooding South Carolina voters ahead of Election Day. Based on discussion from the transcript. PODCAST SUMMARY South Carolina's Republican governor's race has entered its most unpredictable phase yet. Charlie examines the political fallout following President Trump's endorsement of Pam Evette, arguing that the endorsement raised more questions than answers and exposed divisions within the state's Republican establishment. The discussion focuses on allegations involving redistricting decisions, the McMaster political machine, and the surprising revelation that Henry McMaster Jr. was reportedly considered for lieutenant governor despite previous denials. The episode also dives into conflicting polling data showing a tightly packed field with significant numbers of undecided voters. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Pam Evette, Ralph Norman, and Rom Reddy all appear within striking distance, making the race highly volatile. Charlie and Lee discuss whether outsider candidates like Rom Reddy are gaining momentum among voters frustrated with traditional political figures. Additionally, the show warns listeners about political mailers and advertising campaigns flooding South Carolina ahead of the primary. Charlie argues that voters should carefully scrutinize campaign messaging and follow the money behind political advertisements before casting their ballots. The conversation closes with concerns about party loyalty, Democrat influence in Republican races, and the uncertainty surrounding one of the most consequential elections in South Carolina politics. KEY TAKEAWAYS Trump's endorsement of Pam Evette created new controversy instead of ending the debate. Questions remain about Henry McMaster Jr.'s reported role in the campaign. Polling suggests the Republican field remains extremely tight. Large numbers of undecided voters could determine the outcome. Rom Reddy appears to be gaining grassroots attention as an outsider candidate. Political mailers and advertisements are becoming a major factor in the race. Republican voters are still searching for clarity ahead of the primary. The South Carolina governor's race remains highly unpredictable. SOCIAL MEDIA TITLE SC Governor Race Explodes After Trump Endorsement SOCIAL MEDIA DESCRIPTION Did Trump's endorsement help or hurt Pam Evette? South Carolina's governor race is tighter than ever as polls conflict, candidates battle for undecided voters, and political insiders scramble ahead of Election Day. SOCIAL MEDIA POST