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Dave talks to William Wadsworth and Dale Banham about the research behind effective revision and how it can be best utilised to improve student attainment.
Cold OpenI just heard the duly-elected President of these United States... Donald J. Trump... brag about dropping the atom bomb. On Hiroshima.My god.Steven Colbert? Jon Stewart...?Once, these guys were subversive... were daring. But...But with troops still in the California streets and missiles in Mid-Eastern air...Haven't comedians become nauseatingly... tone dead?When the Comedy stops being funny…We're in deep shit. Especially anybody different. Like, say… autistics..[music theme]IntroYou're listening to Trigger Warnings, episode 2 … a new project of AutisticAF Out Loud podcast.I'm Johnny Profane. Your fiercely divergent guide to what's actually happening in the news.Gimme 10 minutes? I'll give you my neurodivergent world.Today: “Not Everything's Funny: Colbert, Trump .. & Hiroshima.” Military deployments in two cities, Constitutional challenges mounting, and one burning question: Are we witnessing democratic norms under assault in real time? And trying to just laugh it off?For an ever deeper dive, I've included footnotes and readings in the subStack.Content Note: civil unrest, military deployment, law enforcement actions, concerns about democratic institutions + experiences & opinions of one autistic voice... in my 70s.[music theme]ShowAct 1: The Unprecedented BreakI just heard the duly-elected President of these United States... Donald J. Trump... brag about dropping the atom bomb. On Hiroshima.[1]At a NATO summit.In front of the world.My god.Let me tell you what just happened. Because the News? They aren't "reporting" just how fucked up this really is.[music freedom, 8 bars]No President Has Ever Done ThisSince the guy who dropped those bombs in 1945…Harry Truman…stopped defending his decision…cuz he stopped being president in 1952.No American president since… has dared… brag about Hiroshima. Or Nagasaki.[2]Not one.You know why? Because even the worst of them understood something. Those bombs killed 200,000 people.[3] Mostly civilians. Women. Children. Grandparents.Even Eisenhower… the guy American history class sayswon World War II… Even he said the bombing "never ceased troubling me." He called it completely unnecessary.[4]Obama visited Hiroshima in 2016.[5] He didn't apologize. But he didn't brag either.Reagan talked about nuclear weapons. But he said "a nuclear war can never be won."[6]Every president since Truman understood this was serious shit. Sacred ground. You don't joke around about vaporizing cities.Not Trump.He's bragging. Comparing his conventional strikes to atomic bombs. Like it's a video game."We have the best nuclear technology," he said. "The best equipment in the world."Like… nuclear weapons were toys.[music]Trump Just Shattered “Normal”Yesterday at the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump compared his strikes on Iran to Hiroshima.His exact words: "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use the example of Nagasaki, that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war, this ended this war."[7]He was bragging. Bragging about nuclear destruction. Like a fucking business deal."That hit ended the war," he said. Chest puffed out. Proud as hell.This is what we've come to. The President casually referencing the incineration of 200,000 humans… as a model for current policy.At an international summit.On camera.With full makeup.[music 8 bars, freedom]You know social media… if you take a sec to hit subscribe, like, share? A lot more people will check it out. Just one click… and you do a lotta good.[music, freedom]The Comedy ProblemHow are we supposed to respond? Where's the outrage?In other words, where are the comedians? Most Gen Z-ers and younger get their news from late night comedy shows.[8]Colbert will try out a "new" joke tonight. Stewart will do his smirk. They'll treat this like another Trump gaffe they can mine for laughs.[9]But it's not funny anymore.Once, these guys were subversive... were daring. But...Haven't they become nauseatingly... tone dead?You can't satirize someone who's already become a parody of human decency. Someone the scriptures of all major religions would label simply… evil?Bragging about mass murder... what the fuck is left to mock?Comedy works when there's a shared understanding of normal. When people have shame. When some lines… you just don't cross.But Trump crossed the biggest. With a smile. Not one objection from a room full of reporters. Just brief sneers from a TV full of comedians.So, Canary-in-the-coal-mine time….When the Comedy stops being funny…We're in deep shit. Especially anyone different. Like, say… autistics…[music]Why This MattersThis isn't about politics. Left or right.This is about what kind of country we are.For 80 years, American presidents understood that Hiroshima was different. Special. Unspeakable.[10]They might defend it…quickly, quietly. Say, “It saved lives.” Then quickly, move on.They understood Power comes with burdens… responsibility, accountability, humanity. That killing 200,000 people isn't something you do a victory spike over.Trump doesn't understand that weight.Or worse... he doesn't care.Ya, know, worse yet? Maybe he does care. About the bullying power that his brutish remarks burn into the world's memory.[music]Act 2: When Institutions FailWith troops still in the California streets, missiles in Mid-Eastern skies… and a Bully-in-Chief in the pulpit…Comedy… and art… fall silent.Corporate News? Well it talks… too much. But it just isn't saying anything. They don't cover reality anymore. They've been cowed into repeating Administration lies… through shell-shocked faces.When the President of the United States casually references nuclear genocide... and we fear he might just use them sometime …within the next two weeks…like all of his jokes…that become threats…that become promises kept to his base…Our cultural tools break down.We don't have frameworks for this.We have jokes for corrupt politicians. For liars. For cheaters. That subversive humor can shed a light into Democratic or Republican darkness. Through a shared giggle.But jokes about dropping nukes?They're just distractions. Like… witty comebacks, really killer memes, and the occasional truly thoughtful opinion piece in the New York Times.[music]What We're Really FacingThis is what authoritarianism starts like.[11] Not jackboots and death squads.Just a man who thinks mass murder… is something to celebrate. A man who doesn't understand why some folks might find that disturbing.The scariest part? He said this at NATO. To our allies.Heard round the world. By any country that remembers World War II. What nuclear weapons actually do.Like say, Japan.[music]Are the Democrats' the Alternative?The political opposition? They're not exactly rising to the moment. What the fuck are Democrats doing?[12]Running the same playbook they've used since Hillary lost."We're the adults in the room.""At least we're not Trump. Vote for us because we're not insane.""You just wait for the midterms… oh, boy. We really got him now."We need more than just "At least, we're not that guy."You need to explain why this is fucking terrifying.Wait… Forget all that.Say as little as absolutely necessary.Just fucking act already.[music]Where We Are NowSo here we are. And we're all supposed to pretend this is normal.It's not normal.It's not funny.And it's not sustainable. Maybe not survivable.[music]The TruthTrump just told the world that he thinks nuclear destruction is a deal-making path… worth aspiring to. :Proudly.That's not politics. That's not even partisanship.That's a fundamental break with human decency.And if we can't say that out loud... if we can't admit how fucked up this is...We're already lost.[music AutisticAF Out Loud theme]OutroThis has been Trigger Warnings: Fiercely Divergent News. Reminding you we navigate a world that wasn't built for us Neurodivergents… and it may be time… to build our own.Another warning sign that, ya know… human decency? All bets are off.Which doesn't bode well for anybody who is different.Next week? 10 more minutes of my neurodivergent world. Until then, take care of your beautiful pattern-seeking, divergent brain.And… stay safe? Stay fierce.#AutisticAF Out Loud Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. Click o receive new posts… free. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.Binge on the most authentic autistic voice in podcasting.7 decades of raw truth, real insights, zero yadayada.Footnotes[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2025/6/25/trump-compares-iran-strikes-to-hiroshima-and-nagasakihttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-hiroshima-nagasaki-iran_n_685bf52ee4b024434f988a73https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hit-ended-war-trump-likens-iran-strikes-hiroshima-bombinghttps://cbs4local.com/news/nation-world/president-donald-trump-compares-iran-strikes-to-hiroshima-bombing-nagasaki-claims-successful-end-to-conflict-nato-summit-netherlands-secretary-general-mark-rutte-operation-midnight-hammer[2]: While President Truman initially called the atomic bomb "the greatest thing in history" aboard his ship returning from Potsdam, his public statements were more measured, describing it as "a harnessing of the basic power of the universe".https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/august-6-1945-statement-president-announcing-use-bombTruman defended the decision but stopped discussing it publicly after leaving office. No subsequent president has publicly celebrated or bragged about the atomic bombings until Trump's 2025 remarks.https://www.nps.gov/articles/trumanatomicbomb.htm[3]: Death toll estimates for the atomic bombings vary significantly. The Manhattan Engineer District initially estimated 105,000 total deaths (66,000 in Hiroshima, 39,000 in Nagasaki) by end of 1945. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons estimates 140,000 in Hiroshima and 74,000 in Nagasaki by end of 1945. Methodological challenges include destroyed records, uncertain pre-bombing populations, and radiation-related deaths over time.https://www.atomicarchive.com/resources/documents/med/med_chp10.html[4]: Eisenhower expressed his "grave misgivings" about the atomic bombing in his memoir, stating he believed "Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary." He also noted his concern that the U.S. "should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives."https://www.aei.org/op-eds/japan-was-already-defeated-the-case-against-the-nuclear-bomb-and-for-basic-morality/Critics note this was a post-war reflection written nearly two decades later, not a contemporaneous military assessment.[5]: Obama visited Hiroshima in May 2016, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so. He spoke of the "silent cry" of victims and called for nuclear disarmament while carefully avoiding any apology, stating: "We stand here in the middle of this city and force ourselves to imagine the moment the bomb fell... we listen to a silent cry".https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/obama-at-hiroshima-death-fell-from-the-sky-05-27-2016-103848173[6]: Reagan's famous statement "A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought" was delivered in his 1984 State of the Union address, reflecting his commitment to nuclear deterrence while pursuing arms reduction with the Soviet Union.[7]: Trump's exact words at the NATO summit on June 25, 2025: "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing that ended that war, this ended this war"[4].https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hit-ended-war-trump-likens-iran-strikes-hiroshima-bombinghttps://cbs4local.com/news/nation-world/president-donald-trump-compares-iran-strikes-to-hiroshima-bombing-nagasaki-claims-successful-end-to-conflict-nato-summit-netherlands-secretary-general-mark-rutte-operation-midnight-hammerThis represents the first time a U.S. president has compared current military actions to the atomic bombings in a celebratory manner.[8]: Research indicates late-night political comedy shows serve as significant news sources, particularly for younger demographics. "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" averaged 8.7% viewership share in 2024, reaching approximately 281,000 viewers in the 18-49 demographic nightly[15][16].https://screenrant.com/stephen-colbert-ratings-late-show-2024-explained/https://screenrant.com/stephen-colbert-ratings-late-show-2024-explained/ Studies suggest these programs have the most impact on politically inattentive audiences who learn about politics inadvertently through satirical content.[9]: Following Trump's Iran strikes, Colbert addressed the actions through his typical comedic framework, with segments like "Trump's Weird Iran War Speech" and jokes about intelligence reports contradicting Trump's claims of "obliteration." Colbert quipped "Oops-a-nuke-y" regarding reports that Iran's nuclear capabilities remained largely intact.https://www.tvinsider.com/1199026/stephen-colbert-trump-f-bomb-rant-monologue-video/[10]: The concept of a "nuclear taboo"—an international norm against the use of nuclear weapons—has been maintained since 1945. Political scientist Nina Tannenwald defines this as "a de facto prohibition against the first use of nuclear weapons" that creates a shared understanding of the illegitimacy and immorality of nuclear weapons use[18].https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_tabooTrump's comparison breaks this longstanding presidential restraint.[11]: Harvard political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt identify four markers of authoritarian risk: rejecting democratic rules, denying opponent legitimacy, tolerating violence, and curtailing civil liberties. They argue Trump is the first U.S. politician since the Civil War to meet all four criteria19.https://www.newsweek.com/harvard-political-science-professor-donald-trump-authoritarian-how-democracy-778425Constitutional scholar Elaine Scarry argues nuclear weapons create "thermonuclear monarchy" by concentrating unprecedented destructive power in executive hands, fundamentally undermining democratic governance.https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thermonuclear-monarchy-elaine-scarry/1111087819https://futureoflife.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Elaine_Scarry_MIT_April2.pdf[12]: Democratic responses to Trump's Iran strikes showed internal divisions. House No. 2 Democrat Katherine Clark called the strikes "unauthorized & unconstitutional," while Senator Chris van Hollen argued they violated congressional war powers. However, critics note Democratic presidents have similarly bypassed Congress for military actions, weakening their constitutional arguments[22][23].https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/us-bombs-iran-attacks-trump-constitution-rcna214580https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/23/politics/trump-iran-legal-constitutional-article-1-article-2 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe
Late Show Book Club chats with Samantha Harvey, author of the Booker Prize-winning novel, "Orbital," our June book club pick. Find out which book Harvey would take into space with her, the significance of the International Space Station being deorbited in 2030, and her advice for aspiring writers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
She hasn't just lived a life, she's lived all of them! Happy Pride from The Mixed Reviews! This month we bring you May Madness winner Lily Tomlin! From Laugh In to Grandma, from 9 to 5 to The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, we cover it all, in her very politcal, very subversive, very gay career! If you have any questions/comments/suggestions for the show, follow us on twitter @TheMixedReviews, like us on Facebook, e-mail us at reviewsmixed@gmail.com, visit our Instagram or TikTok for extra content, become a patron on our Patreon, or stop by our shop and pick up some podcast merchandise! Don't forget to subscribe to us on iTunes, Spotify, Podchaser, Audible, or wherever you get podcasts! All clips are used under Fair Use and belong to their respective copyright owners.
Ben is joined by Professor Becky Allen to discuss all things AI in schools.
Animando as madrugadas da Metropolitana FM, o programa Cafeína Late Show agora apresenta o podcast diário e garante muito entretenimento e diversão. Apresentação: Flávia Fernandes - @miniruthoficial Eduardo Huada - @educaipira
Animando as madrugadas da Metropolitana FM, o programa Cafeína Late Show agora apresenta o podcast diário e garante muito entretenimento e diversão. Apresentação: Flávia Fernandes - @miniruthoficial Eduardo Huada - @educaipira
Animando as madrugadas da Metropolitana FM, o programa Cafeína Late Show agora apresenta o podcast diário e garante muito entretenimento e diversão. Apresentação: Flávia Fernandes - @miniruthoficial Eduardo Huada - @educaipira
On Tuesday, Democratic New Yorkers went to the polls and elected a democratic socialist as their candidate for the November general election for mayor. Zohran Mamdani's wide margin of victory—and the decisive defeat of Andrew Cuomo—shocked the political establishment and upended assumptions about who can win an election. In particular, Mamdani's refusal to back away from his record as an unabashed pro-Palestine candidate proved that vocal opposition to Israel's destruction of Gaza is not necessarily a political death knell, and in fact may be a political asset in some contexts. Jewish Currents staffers Peter Beinart, Arielle Angel, Mari Cohen, and Alex Kane gathered in the immediate aftermath of the election to discuss Mamdani's victory and what it might mean for the issue of Israel in US electoral politics and the New York City Jewish vote. We discussed the Jewish reaction to the win, how Mamdani spoke about Palestine on the campaign trail, what his success means for pro-Israel groups that focus on electoral politics, and the role that City Comptroller Brad Lander and groups like Jews for Racial and Economic Justice played in the election. Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Articles and Videos Mentioned“The Most Detailed Map of the N.Y.C. Mayoral Primary,” Martín González Gómez, Saurabh Datar, Matthew Bloch, Andrew Fischer and Jon Huang, The New York Times“What Zohran's Victory Means,” Peter Beinart, The Beinart Notebook“Zohran Mamdani's Moral Stand,” Jewish Currents“Colbert Talks NYC Mayoral Race With Candidates Zohran Mamdani & Brad Lander,” The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBSAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez interview, Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, PBS“States Don't Have a Right to Exist. People Do,” Peter Beinart, The New York Times“Escape from New York: Business Leaders Say They'll Flee If Mamdani Wins,” Olivia Reingold, The Free PressX post from Republican Jewish CoalitionX post from BetarX post from Blake FlaytonX post from Jacob Kornbluh “Why Are Progressive Legislators Opposing New York's First Anti-Settlement Bill?,” Alex Kane and Mari Cohen, Jewish Currents
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It's Tuesday News Day, not there's a lot news to discuss these days. We open with the NYC Mayoral Democratic Primaries and discuss Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander's appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the strange direction taken by the host. Then we bring on the great Leah Litman to discuss her new book, LAWLESS and the Supreme Court in general. Check out her podcast with Kate Shaw Strict Scrutiny In the Fun Half we check in with Charlie Kirk and Tim Pool as they tie themselves into knots trying to keep their tongue on Trump's boot. Speaking of Trump, he drops an F Bomb (plug the kids ears) on the White House Lawn over Iran and Israel not listening to him. And as promised there is some actual fun had as we watch a car wash owner in Torrance, CA gives ICE the business. All that and more, folks. Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: NUTRAFOL: Get $10 off your first month's subscription + free shipping at Nutrafol.com when you use promo code TMR10 ZOCDOC: Go to Zocdoc.com/MAJORITY and download the Zocdoc app to sign-up for FREE and book a top-rated doctor. SUNSET LAKE: Use the code LEFTISBEST to save 20% at SunsetLakeCBD.com on all their farm fresh CBD products for people and pets. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder – https://majorityreportradio.com/
Animando as madrugadas da Metropolitana FM, o programa Cafeína Late Show agora apresenta o podcast diário e garante muito entretenimento e diversão. Apresentação: Flávia Fernandes - @miniruthoficial Eduardo Huada - @educaipira
Christopher talks with Andrew Otty and Dr Ellie Willard about the challenges and opportunities that come with preparing students for GCSE English language re-sits in post-16 settings.
Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 14 Andy reconnects with his past, and Emily explores. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. And, after two weeks of trying to subtly discern it from her, Andy eventually just asked Taylor what she did for a living, and Taylor informed Andy that she'd been a phlebotomist before moving into the Rook household, and once she was done with her time in the penalty box, she would go back to it. It was the first step she had taken towards eventually becoming an anesthetist, which was her long term goal. She'd met Lauren when the Aussie had needed someone to come in and blood test a few of the 49ers she was training. Taylor insisted that if Andy ever wanted her to stay in his bed for a night, she would without reservation, but that otherwise, she would be sleeping in the same bed with Lauren, who had set up her own bedroom now, so as to not wake Andy when she left early in the morning for practice. Piper and Sheridan had also set up their own bedrooms, for similar reasons. Piper insisted her workout routine begin at the butt crack of dawn, and she also had a tendency to go to bed almost immediately after dinner, and Sheridan had started joining her in those hours, although the two women had very different work out routines in the morning. Andy had never been awake for any of them, but both of the women had filmed themselves working out, so he could see what they were up to in the wretched early hours. Aisling, Niko, Emily and Sarah had flatly refused to sleep away from Andy, although the order they laid against one another in the bed at night varied quite regularly. At various points over the last few days, he'd woken up in the night to find Emily quietly making out with each of the other three. He was a little surprised that Emily and Sarah didn't want another bedroom for times when the two of them wanted to fool around with just each other. He'd asked them about it, but Sarah had just teased him and insisted that when they did, he should be nearby in case he wanted to watch or join in. The craziest part of the day, however, was when Emily came to track him down in his office just before dinner with a rather baffling request. He'd spent most of the day writing, knowing that tomorrow there would be new women joining the household, and that he'd likely get very little work done on that day. He felt like he was very close to considering the draft for what he was now calling "The Doppleganger's Identity," the next book in the Druid Gunslinger series, ready for his first pass readers to take a look at, and hoped to wrap it up today. It would certainly stop Sarah from asking him yet again when she could read it, since she had insisted she get a spot on that esteemed small council. He kept the door to his office open most of the time, but Emily insisted on knocking before entering the room anyway. "Andrew, love, I know you're writing right now, but might I bother you for just a skosh?" she said, smiling at him in that disarmingly charming English way of hers. "It's never a bother, Em," he said, closing up his laptop. "You know, you're the only one of my partners I'm okay with calling me 'Andrew?' Anyone else does it, and I know I'm in trouble, but you somehow make me not hate the sound of my full name. C'mon in. Sit down, talk to me." The blonde Englishwoman sashayed into the room before lifting one of his legs so she could sit down on the footstool in front of his writing chair. She was wearing a billowy floral print dress that hung down past her knees, loose fitting but still draped enticingly well. Andy wondered if maybe it was tailor made for her, but before he could think to ask, she launched into the reason she'd come to see him. "My agent received a rather odd request today, and I wanted to come and talk to you about it before I answered it. If you're not comfortable with it, I would completely understand that, but I personally think that it would be an excellent thing for us to do, so I hoped we might talk a bit about it before you came to any decision, and perhaps I could bring you around to my way of thinking." Andy set his laptop on the coffee table to the side of his writing chair and shifted to sit up a little bit. "Who's the request from, and what is it that you think I might be uncomfortable with?" "It came from the office of the president, if you can believe it. My agent said President Pelosi didn't call personally, but a member of her staff did." Emily took his large hands in her small ones, holding onto them softly as she kept his gaze focused on her sapphire blue eyes. Clearly whatever they were going to discuss was of great importance. "When the announcement hits next week, they're expecting much of the nation to be in rather dire shock. Such massive casualties means the American way of life going forward is going to have to be something extremely different than what it once was, something radical and new." She licked her lips, a touch of nervousness Andy wasn't sure he'd seen from the usually confident young woman before. "Something like us. To sort of help assert the new norms in the minds of the general public, they want a handful of celebrities to do talk show appearances, with the hosts who are still alive anyway, and most of them seem to have made it out okay, and talk about their new family units, how polyamory is going to be the lay of the land, and how the laws are immediately being changed so that a single man can have multiple wives, to help repopulate the country after the severe losses." Andy laughed a little bit. "If you want to go on television, Em, you certainly don't need my permission. What makes you think I'd be against that?" She smiled at him kindly, and he realized immediately he'd missed what she'd been specifically asking him. "I don't just want to go on television by myself, Andrew. I want to go on television with you and with Sarah and maybe with a couple of the other girls, Niko in particular. I think it's important that we get out there as a new family unit, on The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night With Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, anyone who wants to talk to us, so that we can help put the country a little more at ease that we are going to get through this. Normally, I would be most in favor of shielding all of you from the horror that is the paparazzi, just to keep my personal life simply that, personal. But this is a very strange new world we find ourselves in, Andrew, and we need to help our fellow humans become comfortable with their new reality." "You sound pretty committed to the whole idea," he said, trying to keep his voice as non committal as possible, but Emily had gotten very good at reading him in the short time they'd been together, so he knew she could tell he wasn't entirely opposed to it, simply gauging how it would all work. The particulars of opening his private life to the entire world seemed a little daunting at first blush, but certainly not insurmountable. "We wouldn't be the only ones, I think it's important to stress that, love," she said, squeezing his hands a little bit. "And Sarah and I would also be coming out about our relationship with each other, so you wouldn't have to field a lot of questions if you didn't want to. We could take on the brunt of the questions if that makes it any easier. But I just know many people in this adopted homeland of mine are going to be frightened, and I think the idea to show them the way through would be a step in the right direction." She leaned her head down and kiss the tops of his hands before looking up at him. "Oh! And you could also use it to promote your books, if that might sweeten the pot a smidge. It might help, having twenty minutes of prime mental real estate for your face and your writing?" He chuckled, nodding his head. "You know as well as I do that my agent would string me up by my toes if I had a chance to get this much free publicity for my next novel and didn't take it, so how can I say no? I'm not going to hide from journalists. I'll do my fair share. Tell me how all this is going to work." She smiled, leaned in and kissed him, soft and tender, but for what felt like a delicious eternity. "We will set up the camera and microphones in Sarah and I's little studio, and then we'll just take an hour or so a day for a few weeks to record segments with whoever asks. The president's office wants us to do a 60 Minutes interview even before the announcement is made, as our sort of grand unveiling. For that, they're actually going to send Katie Couric here with a camera woman to do the interview in a few days. They're likely to want to do that in a larger room, or maybe out on the back deck, by the pool. They're going to do an entire show all about the deaths, the vaccine and the new post pandemic world we're starting to grow into. The ten to twenty minute interview with us will just be part of the larger package. They were hoping to have us for a day on the 14th. They're going to be filming at the base on the 13th and doing interviews with President Pelosi on the 15th. The president's representative seemed to think Niko might be a good link between the two segments, if she was one of the people helping to give the tour of the base, and the vaccination process. I asked Niko about it, and she said she wouldn't mind if you didn't, but that I had to ask you first. The whole episode of the show is going to air immediately after the President's speech on the 20th." "Good lord, sounds like they've got all this planned out. I'm surprised I didn't hear from the Office of the President personally." Emily offered him another smile, and considered her next words carefully. It wasn't that she worried about bruising his ego, because Andy had never come across that way, but she also didn't want to seem too full of herself. "Love, I've been a very well known movie star for a decade now, so I think they figured out where I was first and went from there. That's no slight against you! I'm just saying that you aren't a household name that millions of people recognize, and, for better or worse, I am. The Dagger Academy movies were everywhere, as were the books. Simon, my costar in the movies, he's still living in England, so he's in an entirely different world than we are here in the States." Andy grinned. "Oh, I know, I know. All I'm saying is that it wouldn't hurt for the President to have called me herself, y'know. But that's fine. It's fine." "Well, when the paparazzi are struggling to get topless photos of you in Ibiza, then we'll have a conversation about how you aren't being taken seriously as an artist, alright darling?" She giggled a little. "It was fun, teasing them, knowing they so desperately wanted to get images of my tits to sell, and that a bidding war would erupt for the image." "They are excellent tits, Em." "Bless you, love. But you're never going to convince me they're as nice as, say, Sarah's or Hannah's. And all those tits, theirs and mine, are exclusively the purview of this family now and forever more, so the paparazzo can fuck right off. So, the interview? You'll do it? You'll dance for the media circus with us, for the good of the nation?" "I'll do almost all of it, sure." She tilted her head slightly in confused amusement, that coy smile on her pink lips, as her tender fingers squeezed his thigh. "Almost all of it? Which part of it am I going to have to have to convince you for?" He rolled his eyes a little, a playful smirk on his lips. "I'll do all the evening shows, magazines, newspapers and website interviews you want me to, but doing Good Morning America might be a hill too far, simply because of how goddamn early I'd have to get up for it." "Or we could simply stay up very late and do it before bed," she said, moving to slide off the footstool so she could climb into his lap. "I'm sure we could find some way to keep you awake and alert that far into the night. Four thirty in the morning our time could give us the opportunity to go on live television with sex hair," she said, waggling her eyebrows at him lasciviously. "Oh, and I'm not gonna do Fox News." "Christ, love, haven't you heard? They're barely running a skeleton crew over there. Most of their on air talent died over the last few months, and now that the women are in charge over there, they're losing some of that ridiculous bullshit they used to be spouting." Andy chuckled, shaking his head a little bit. "All it took was most of the men dying." "It's pretty hard to pretend the plague isn't a real thing when it keeps killing people off left and right, dear," she said. "The rescheduled Presidential election next month is going to be between Senators Kamala Harris and Susan Collins, two women. That's never happened before in the history of this country. The vast majority of people voting in the election are going to be women. This is all completely unprecedented, so all those women who have felt powerless for so many years, this is their chance to shine. But the old tribal lines are still going to be there, even if the genders of the people leading those parties has changed. Republicans will still be Republicans and Democrats will still be Democrats. But there's too many dead people for everyone to go on pretending like the plague isn't real, or that it's not better to not get a grip on the new reality. One side was already telling their people that the plague wasn't real, so more of their men died than the on the other side. They can't afford to do that any more. So the new Fox News agenda is to go back to simple fiscal conservatism, pro military and pro old school Christianity stances. They're just going to drop all the anti woman bullshit that they've been poisoning their own wells with for so long." "And all it took was most of their men dying." Andy rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll leave it up to you on whether or not you want to do any of the Fox News shit." "Oh heavens no," Emily laughed, shaking her head. "No, you couldn't pay me enough to appear in front of those horrid people. They've been trying to tell me they have the right to regulate my body for decades but that I should keep my mouth shut when it comes to how they spend the money I pay in taxes. At least a few of their remaining hosts have called me horrible things for daring to disagree with them. 'Entertainers should be sit down and be quiet when it comes to politics,' they've said about me for far too long. Fuck that, darling. I'm having none of it." "Well, on that we can agree." "Now, I do believe I have some convincing to be doing," she said, licking her lips playfully, as she slid off his lap and down onto her knees before him, pushing his legs apart. "That's really not necessary, Em," he said, reaching forward to put a hand on her shoulder, but her delicate fingers moved to grab his wrists, lifting them so that one of his hands was along the back of her neck, and the other was sliding up into that radiant cascade of blonde hair. "It might not be necessary, Andrew, but that isn't to say I wouldn't enjoy it anyway," she said, her hands moving to unbutton his jeans, slowly drawing the zipper down. "Because sometimes a girl just needs to get her fix, you know?" She leaned down and kissed part of his exposed stomach. "You wouldn't deny me that, would you, love? Not innocent little me?" "I don't know that I could deny you anything, Emily," he chuckled. She licked her lips, those inescapable blue eyes of hers looking up at him. "That's what I like to hear. Because it's time for me to do something before Sarah does." She fished out his cock, tucking his balls over his boxers to protect them from accidentally getting caught in the zipper of the jeans, because she wasn't willing to wait long enough to pull his jeans off. "I let her have first go at you, but I'm entitled to have some firsts with you before she gets a chance. That's fair, isn't it?" She leaned down and pressed her pink lips against the head of his cock, covering it in tiny kisses. "I think we can both agree that's only fair." "I seem to recall you and Sarah taking turns blowing me at the same time," he said, tilting his head a little. "I wouldn't say she got there first." "She got to fuck you first though, Andrew," she sighed, stroking his cock tenderly. "And I understand why. She's madly in love with you because of your writing, although she's very much fallen in love with the man behind that writing as well." Her tongue slipped out and dragged a long trail across the bottom of his cock, from the base up to the tip, teasing the slit with the tip of her tongue for only a split second. "Me, on the other hand, I fell in love with the man first, when I heard all the lengths you'd gone to in protecting the women who'd chosen to hitch their wagons to your train. Niko painted such a wonderful portrait of you, and you haven't failed to live up to that yet." "I'm always going to put my family's needs above my own, Em," he said, shivering as he felt her pursing her lips around the mushroom tip of his circumcised cock for a long moment. "So what is you want to do before Sarah, hmm?" "Oh, bless, Andrew, I would've thought it would've been obvious," she giggled, blowing air along his cock, teasing his balls with her finely manicured fingernails. "I want you up the serviceman's entrance. I want you in my ass, before Sarah thinks to ask you to do it to her. We've had fingers and small toys up both hers and my asshole before, naturally, but never the real thing, and I'm afraid I simply cannot risk the chance that she get the opportunity to convince you to do it to her before you do it to me. I want to have at least one first of my very own with you before she does, and while I'm a little nervous, I must confess I am also rather excited. First times are always so exhilarating." Andy licked his own lips, swallowing a breath of air. "First times can also be quite intense, Em. Even overwhelming." "Yes yes yes Andrew, that's why I'm going to ask you if you can remember a color code when you're worked up. I know those kinds of sensations can be, distracting to self control, but you've always struck me as level headed." Her tongue took a long swirling path around the underside of the head of his cock, and his fingers tightened in her sandy hair a moment, clenching a fistful of it, which evoked a clear quiver of delight from the girl. "What do you mean a color code?" "You see, when Sarah and I are adventuring into, shall we say, uncharted sexual waters between the two of us, we use a color code. If one of us says 'green,' then things are wonderful, enjoyable and the other should carry on full steam ahead. If one of us says 'yellow,' then perhaps a bit of caution or easing back is needed. If one of us says 'red,' then a moment's rest is needed, or second thoughts are being had, and it's best to stop, until the other is ready to go again. Like a stoplight. We strike the use of those colors for any other uses when we're on the code." She looked up at him with those tender azure orbs again, soft and warm, as her fingertips stroked his shaft and juggled his balls. "Would that be alright, Andrew?" He leaned forward and kissed her again, and this time he found her not only pliant but a touch more eagerly wanton than she'd been moments ago. "Of course, love," he said to her. "But just be careful and remember you can't use those words for anything else while we're in color code mode." She titled her head to the side, a curious expression of amusement on her face. "Oh? Do you anticipate me slipping? I'm quite bright, you know," she teased, winking at him. "I have a degree in feminist studies from Cambridge and everything." He smirked a little bit. "I simply thought you might ask me to paddle your ass red, and then I'd have been more than a little conflicted from the mixed signals." She began to giggle fiercely, having even to take one of her hands from his cock up to cover her mouth, as she nodded furiously, her blonde curls falling in front of her face before her hand lifted from lips and pushed it from her eyes. "You're right! You're right you're right you are absolutely right, I most certainly would have done that, said that without even thinking about it, and what a right git I would've looked, while you would've been standing there frozen in fear that you'd gone too far." "You think you can keep that in mind, then?" She nodded once more, this time more slow and deliberate, before she pressed her hands on the tops of her thighs, moving to stand herself up. "I had Nicolette conceal a couple of bottles of lube in nearly every room of the house, in case this particular stripe of lust struck one of us. She seemed to think it was an excellent idea." Andy couldn't help but snicker a little bit. "I'm sure she did. She seemed to enjoy the hell out of it when she got her turn at it a couple of days ago." Emily giggled again as she reached behind the couch in the corner of his writing studio, her fingers reemerging with a small bottle of lube in them. "I did notice her walking a little funny yesterday, but she wouldn't tell me when I asked her about it. She simply blushed a wonderful shade of crimson and walked away from me. So I take it you gave her the ol' heave ho?" He tried to keep that ain't I a stinker smile from spreading on his face, but in the end, he just couldn't help it. "She told me she likes to be a bit bratty and put into her place, so I stuffed her panties in her mouth while I had a go at her ass. She seemed to like that quite a bit." While Emily approached him, he stood up and tugged off his jeans and boxers, not wanting to get any of the lube on them, setting them on his writing chair. For the hell of it, he pulled off his shirt as well. The idea of resembling Donald Duck appalled him. Emily's eyes widened in amusement and delight, shaking her head frantically. "You didn't! You absolutely didn't! Tell me that you didn't, Andrew!" "I surely and truly did, and she loved it. She even made a point to tell me that it was exactly how I should have a go at her moving forward." "Well, not this time, but I might like to try something like that at some point in the future," she said, as she walked over to him, lifting her dress up and over her head, tossing it aside, revealing she was completely naked beneath it. "Mostly because it wouldn't let me speak the color code if need be, but also because I'm simply not wearing any panties today." She flashed him another saucy wink, as she moved to set up her cell phone to point at the couch. Andy suspected she might be filming it to show to Sarah later, or perhaps just for her own personal edification. "Now let me pour some of this lube on your cock, and you can tell me what position I should be in for my first time at this." He shivered a little as she drizzled clear fluid onto his prick, her slender fingers stroking his shaft again, making sure to get every inch of his thick cock slicked up as much as possible. "If you want total control, you could climb on for a ride, but some women think the sensations are just too intense, and tend to seize up, so they prefer to have the man controlling things. If that's more your speed, then you probably want to get on your knees on the couch, laying your arms down on the top of it, your head resting on your arms, or with your arms behind you, so you can grab at your legs, or rub on your clit. Lauren rubbed her cunt her entire first time, saying it helped the nerve endings get all tangled up in one another." She licked her lips, that tiny hint of reticence fading away the moment he saw it, as she nodded. "I do think it will all be simply too much for me to keep my head clear, so I think I will try the position on the couch, and you can be in the driver's seat." She handed him the small bottle of lube. "Make sure you get me slicked up before you go rampaging in, however." "You sure you " His sentence was interrupted by her grabbing the back of his head, smearing lube on his skull while she pulled him into a feral, almost delirious kiss, her tongue rampaging into his mouth with a carnal frenzy that he didn't normally associate with his more restrained and reserved partner. When she pulled back, she didn't let her face move more than an inch away from his, her blue eyes peering directly into his greens. "I have been a posh prig my entire life, Andrew," she cooed at him in a sing song fashion. "Now it's time for you to take that stick out of my prim ass and jam this wicked cock up it instead. If you don't, I may well go mad, and that wouldn't be ideal for either of us, I somehow think. Now let's get to it." "As the lady requests," he said, watching her sashay away from him. She slid one knee up on the couch demurely, followed by the other, bending forward at the waist, leaning down until she was resting on her hands and knees on the plush sofa. God, she was gorgeous, he thought to himself. Almost criminally so. She held pose there as he walked over towards her, but as he got closer, she lowered her shoulders down towards the top of the couch, sliding her hands back behind her, to cup her perky porcelain white ass. "This is all yours, Andrew," she moaned. "Virginal. Unspoiled. Unsullied. Uncharted territory." She shivered and he could see goosebumps run across her skin as the lube started to drizzle down the cleft of her ass, smearing over that rosy pucker. "God, I feel so wanton and exposed like this, ready to be debauched and debased, your eager whore, giddy for you to introduce her to these new delights, to expand her horizons and blow her mind." Andy set the bottle on the table next to the couch, then moved to use two of his fingers to smear the clear liquid along her anus, seeing her body twitch and wriggle just a little bit, as he smeared the substance around, pushing his index finger inside of her, hearing her gasp sharply following by a tiny, high pitched yelp, as she clamped down on that digit. "How are we doing, Em?" She drew in a long breath that sounded like it took some effort before she exhaled, a slow controlled push of air over her lips, as that sphincter muscle relaxed around his fingertip. "Green! We're green, Andrew. I just, I simply needed a moment to compose myself once more. Your fingers are quick thicker than Sarah's," she said with a nervous laugh. "You're going to be getting something much bigger than that in a moment," he said. "If you still want it, that is. Not too late to change your mind." "I have come too far to back out now, Andrew." "You haven't cum at all, I don't think," he teased. "Shows what you know," she giggled once more, looking over her shoulder at him to stick her tongue out in his direction. "I definitely came when you pushed your finger in. The pre fuck jitters, one might think. Like a bloody schoolgirl, I am, right now." "Alright then," he said, as he slipped his fingertip out, her asshole closing up immediately. "Remember, you merely have to say what you want, and I'm going to listen." She nodded again, one hand reaching between her legs to rub her fingertips against her cunt, stroking her finely manicured digits against her cunt, as her other hand reached up and over behind her, grabbing one of her asscheeks, pulling it aside, as if to make sure she was open and exposed for him. "Let me feel it, Andrew, but go slow. Just a bit at first." Andy nodded, as he moved his hips, settling the tip of his cock against her asshole, which he felt spasm just a little when the mushroom head of his cock made contact with it. He gave her half a second to relax once more, then began to push forward. He leaned his body against hers, feeling some initial resistance, but after a few moments, the head of his cock popped through that ring of muscle, and a guttural, almost primitive moan erupted from her throat, loud and carnal. "Fuck that's big that's so fucking big yellow yellow Andy, yellow,” she rambled, and immediately Andy held perfectly still. "Too much?" he said, feeling her ass clinging onto the head of his cock with an intense amount of pressure. "Stop? Pull out? Just wait?" "Don't pull out! Are you fucking crazy?" she said, a borderline delirious laugh cackling from her lips. "I just, I just, just give me a moment, please, you're fucking big, you know that? You and your fat fucking cock feel like you've shoved a telephone pole up my tight young virgin ass, so I'm going to need a god damned moment, thank you very much, but don't you dare fucking slip out, or I will beat you bloody senseless with a cricket bat!" Andy blushed a little bit, a wry smile on his lips, as he held perfectly still. "In your own time, Em." The tiny blonde Brit drew in a long breath, then slowly exhaled it, like she was doing some form of yoga and trying to center her chi. She did it again, and Andrew started to get worried that maybe she simply wasn't ready for this, but just about the time that thought started to roll around in his head, he felt her starting to lean back against him just a little bit. "Green, Andrew, but,” she said, shifting her body just enough so that she could look back at him, "please, for heaven's sake, take it slowly." He nodded to her, and began to lean forward, feeling her body almost being pried apart as his cock worked his way inside of her virginal asshole. Her fingertips were rubbing down firmly on her clit, and while he tried to keep the forward momentum as slow as possible, when he was nearly half way into her ass, she suddenly pushed back into him, engulfing the rest of his cock in her back door, as a wash of goosebumps rolled across her flesh, starting at the small of her back and blossoming outwards in an instant flare, followed by a hard tremble intermingled with a high pitched whine that started racing upwards in octaves and volumes until it crested, breaking and dissolving into a frantic, almost demented giggle, as his balls rested against her fingers which hadn't stopped stroking at her cunt. "You alright, Em?" he asked. "Alright? Alright? Are you asking if I'm alright now, Andrew?" she hissed, although the tone was giddy and excited. "I am green, super green, all the greens! I am awesome, fucking brilliant. That felt,” she drew in a long breath, "So fucking good, and I came So fucking hard." Her head whipped to look directly at her cellphone camera. "Sares, it's like it builds and builds and builds, and you're getting more and more and more tense and then,” she said, pulling her hips forward, sliding his cock mostly back out of her ass before, "Wham!" she said as she slammed her ass back onto his cock hilt deep once more, and let out another unearthly moan. "Holy fuck, that feels so good. Your cock just jammed up right my ass, your balls resting right on my cunt." Her head snapped again to look back at him, and her soft and kind blue eyes had gone more than a little crazy. "Go on then, in for a penny, in for a pound. Pound your little penny. Go on, you dirty wanker. Do it to me! Fuck my ass!" At this point, he was pretty sure that if he had said 'red,' she would've ignored him and just played on through. The kind of wild lust in her eyes would've been completely unfamiliar to him if he hadn't seen it before, briefly, with both Piper and Sheridan, though those had been chemically induced. Later in the evening, he'd consider whether maybe she'd tapped into that same mental state that being deprived of his semen developed in women, but in that particular moment, the only thing he could do was to fuck Emily Stevens, film sweetheart of a generation, within an inch of her sanity. His hips drew back and then thrust forward, a solid grind on his first real pump, which was met by a hard squeeze of her ass around his cock and a burbling, uncorked moan oozing from her lips. He drew back again, but this time his forward thrust was met by the snap of her hips pushing her ass back into him, making her toned asscheeks ripple just a tiny amount. "Oh fuck, Andrew," she babbled, "I want more, but I know I'm going to cum soon, and once I start again, it's not going to stop, so I need it, I need you, I love you, I need you to fucking cum inside of my ass, fill it up with that hot spunk for the first time. Mark your territory with your seed! Please Andrew, I'm fucking begging you, let me have it, show my ass you love it, teach me this final thing. Fucking cum in my ass!" The entire time, she was doing more of the thrusting than he was, although he was trying to keep pace with her. And just towards the end, he knew that he wouldn't be able to stave off the impending orgasm for long, so at her insistence, he let loose a hot jet of jizz right into her ass. The minute he felt the first spurt escape him, it felt as though she clamped down on him in a fist like grasp, and then he felt a heavy rush of liquid against his balls, her cunt gushing all over them and down the inside of his thighs. The very sensation of it made him splattered a handful more blasts of cum into her ass before he stopped, one of his hands holding onto the back of the couch for dear life, as he felt her fingertips fall away from her cunt as her arm slumped downwards. He'd gone soft almost right away, but her ass was still trying to milk any last remaining droplets of cum from his cock with gentle squeezes, even as he finally slid out of her. Her body was mostly propped up by her knees, although her face was buried into the couch cushions. He waited a minute or so before he finally said, "You alright, Em?" She began giggling, slowly moving to roll onto her side, so he could see her face had turned bright red, the color of Sarah or Aisling's hair, and she was clutching one hand to her mouth, trying to contain the infectious laugh that would not be suppressed. "Holy fucking Christ, Andrew, I am so so so embarrassed by that," she whimpered. "I've, fuck, I've never done that before. I didn't know I could fucking do that, Christ, I'm made such a mess, how awful of me. I'm horrible." Andy knelt down alongside the couch, and leaned in to press his lips against hers. She struggled for half a moment, still caught up in her own awkwardness of the moment, before she gave in and simply returned the kiss, which he held for an endlessly long time. "Did you enjoy it?" he said, when he finally gave her a moment to breathe again. "Fuckin' 'ell, Andrew," she stumbled, "I think that would've been bloody obvious." "Then who the fuck cares about the mess?" He kissed her again, one hand stroking her sweaty hair from her face, the energy cooling down a little, as they both came down from the orgasmic plateaus they'd just been dancing in. "Besides, I'd have thought you'd enjoy the idea of telling Nicolette to come and clean my office without giving her any explanation into why." Emily face almost hurt from smiling so much as she nodded. "Thank you for this, Andrew, and for making me feel at home in my own body as it learns new things about itself." She looked down then looked up at him, almost a touch of fear in her eyes. "I know I've said it before, but it's important to me that you know this, Andrew. I well and truly love you, like no other man I've known before." "I love you too, Emily," he said, making sure he was looking directly into her eyes when he said it, so she would understand there were no reservations. "And I'm very glad you agreed to marry me. You've been not only good for me, you've been good for the whole house." "Oh shush, now my heart's all aflutter," she said, moving to stand up, pausing to wince for a second. "Well, I'll jolly well feel that for the next few days. It's sore and it's still tingling in pleasure. Both, together, at the same time. What an odd delight." He laughed, grabbing her dress for her, holding it out. "Go on, get dressed and bring Nicolette in here to see the mess that you've made for her to clean up. I'll bet she's not at all embarrassed, and more than a little jealous." "You know, I suspect you might well be correct, Andrew. Brilliant." A cast list intermission for Quaranteam The House of Rook Andy Rook, A 38 year old content writer for Netflix, who also lives a double life as semi successful urban fantasy writer Blake Conrad, known for his Druid Gunslinger books. Shaved head, neatly trimmed brown beard, 5'11", hazel eyes, tattooed on the chest with a griffon, could stand to lose a few pounds. Originally from Ohio, has lived in the Bay Area for over a decade. Our protagonist, such as he is. Still reaping the benefits from one random act of kindness to a stranger named Dave. Aisling (Ash) Blake, A 27 year old graphic design contractor for Google. Originally from Dublin, she's lived in the States for 4 years. Red hair, freckles, short (5'4"), fit. Outgoing and charming, but also protective of Andy. Aisling showed up first (at the same time as Lily) and has helped keep Andy level headed and sane throughout the entire ordeal. Pregnant with Andy's child. Engaged to Andy. Lauren White, A 35 year old personal trainer for the San Francisco 49ers. Originally from Australia, she's lived in the States for 2 years. Very tall (6'6"), very tan, blonde, athletic, emotionally involved with Taylor as much as (if not more so) Andy. Lauren is big and boisterous, but has a tendency to not think things fully through. 2nd Lieutenant Niko RedWolf, A 22 year old Air Force Security Forces officer (military police). Originally from South Dakota. Half Lakota, one quarter Mexican and one quarter Japanese. Long black hair, toned and slender. 5'4". Sarcastic, wry and witty, Niko has basically become Andy's right hand woman, along with Ash, whom she considers her best friend. She's helped provide endless insight to the vaccine program being managed at the local Air Force base, where she works. Also pregnant with Andy's child and engaged to him. Nicolette (Yvette) Seydeaux (staff), The 22 year old maid of Rook Manor. Blonde, with long curly hair. Extremely buxom. 5'9" or 6'1" (in heels). Second generation French American. Enjoys wearing classic maids outfits and being a bratty submissive. Pretended to be named Yvette at first, at the suggestion of Phil. Katie Rodriguez (staff), The 32 year old gardener of Rook Manor. Hispanic, butch, 5'8", with short black hair cut in a bob, almost always seen in overalls and a button up shirt. Lesbian and wife of Jenny Peters. Had reservations about the program, but wanted to ensure safety for her and her wife, so they took the deal and came to join the House of Rook. Jenny Peters (staff), The 31 year old cook of Rook Manor. Midwestern and plump, 5'8", with brown bushy hair. Wears large circular glasses. Tends to be overly motherly. Bisexual and wife of Katie Rodriguez. Taylor Morrison, The 25 year old ex ex girlfriend of Lauren White. Platinum blonde, stacked, short (5'2"). Currently still in the doghouse for cheating on Lauren almost a year ago, but close to working her way out of her trouble. As part of her current punishment (dictated by Lauren), she is not allowed to wear clothes. Piper Brown, A 26 year old Olympic Volleyball player. Brunette, tall (6'2"), muscular but lean, blue eyed. Went viral for a video of her pre game warm up dance. Still slightly recovering from abusive treatment at Andrew Covington's home. Asha Varma, An 18 year old college student and daughter of Dr. Charlotte Varma. Half Indian, half French, raised in London until last year. Brown skin, black hair, pierced navel, wild child attitude. 5'6". Party girl and socialite, Asha tends to enjoy causing trouble, as it gets her attention. Has some growing up to do. Sarah (Sares) Washington, A 31 year old actress. 6'2", redheaded, quirky, clumsy and a bit dorky. Originally from New Jersey. Swears like breathing. Very girl next door. Huge fan of the Druid Gunslinger books, and had a crush on Andy before she even met him. Big lover of Broadway theater and musicals, both attending and performing in. Partner of Emily Stevens. Engaged to Andy. Emily (Em) Stevens, A 30 year old actress, 5'1", blonde, blue eyed, pale, slender, very posh, British. Left London for L A just a few years ago. Incredibly charming and witty, with an almost supernatural social sense. Grew up as a child actress in a wildly popular series of movies called "The Dagger Academy" series, but has since struggled to establish a successful acting career outside that role. Partner of Sarah Washington. Engaged to Andy. Sheridan Smith, A 32 year old acrobat and performer for Cirque Du Soleil. 5'7" Blonde, frizzy hair, slender and extremely flexible. Very laid back and go with the flow. Has been teaching the girls of the house yoga in her spare time. Hannah Nakamura, And 18 year old college student and former cheerleader. Half Hawaiian, half Japanese. Short (5'1"), Asian, with long black hair with blonde stripes in it. Curvy, very well endowed (44G) and a firecracker of energy. Originally supposed to be joining the House of Watkins, she is much happier being part of the House of Rook. The House of Yang Eric Yang, A 39 year old engineer, and Andy's former roommate. Second generation Japanese American. Short (5'5") but athletic, if a bit shy and bookish. Piggybacked on Andy's one good deed into a complete life change he wasn't expecting. Andy and Eric are friends, but not overly close ones, despite having shared a condo for most of a decade. Lily Wu, a 25 year old coder for Door Dash. Second generation Japanese American. Dyed purple hair, short (5'2"), punkish. Eric's first partner, who expected to be his only partner only for life to get majorly in the way. Lily is the iron fist that runs the House of Yang, sometimes making decisions for Eric so he doesn't spend too long dwelling on them. Jenny Carnero, a 28 year old meteorologist for the local Fox News channel. Statuesque brunette (5'10") who always remains overly tanned. Lily's ex roommate who had to be rescued after fleeing from the person she was supposed to be paired up with, before getting paired up with Eric. Threatened to tell her story to the reporters at the station she worked at, but Lily convinced her that doing so would be bad for all involved. Phil cleaned the mess up. Sarah Wilson, a 26 year old HR specialist with Adobe Systems. Short (5'3"), blonde, Nordic and curvy. Originally from Kansas. The House of Marcos Phil Marcos, a 34 year old Filipino project manager for Boeing, working in conjunction with the Air Force to manage the vaccine development/distribution program trying counter the epidemic. Probably involved in a sizable amount of heavily classified shit. Tall (5'11"), slender and usually exhausted. Has a deep love of fighting games and mischief. Phil always knows more than he can talk about. Audrey Percy, a 29 year old Hispanic psychologist. Short (5'1"), very curvy. Also a big fighting games fan. Has been doing her best to keep Phil sane throughout the apocalypse. One of the first successful recipients of the current vaccine. Pregnant with Phil's child and engaged to him. Captain Linda Hayes, a 35 year old Caucasian captain in the Air Force. Blonde, fit, lethal. Also doubling at Phil's bodyguard most days. Tamika Jefferson, an 18 year old African American college student. Short (5'2"), curvy, disaffected and disinterested in most things. Yuko Takahashi, a 22 year old first generation Japanese immigrant and video game engineer. Very short (4'10"), very slender but extremely agile. The most sarcastic of Phil's partners. Dr. Charlotte Varma, a 44 year old French infectious disease researcher working with the Air Force and Boeing. Lead developer on the current vaccine. Average height (5'7"), blonde, matronly but also a bit bougie. Originally from Paris, she moved to London and married Dev Varma, before they emigrated to the US earlier this year with their teenage daughter, Asha (now part of the House of Rook). Was rescued by Andy but chose to go with Phil. The House of Covington Arthur Robert Covington IV, a 63 year old investment banker. Considers himself the most important person in New Eden. Certainly is the richest. A horrible prick with a rumored proclivity for making his partners do awful things. Runs a regular poker game where people are used as stakes. The person Andy hates the most. Lisa Davis, a 25 year old graphic design contractor for Google. Ex colleague of Aisling. Partner for Covington, who does not allow her to speak in public. Ash has been trying to find ways to talk to her on the side. Rachel DeMarco, a 28 year old infectious disease researcher working with the Air Force and Boeing. Has only been spoken of, not actually see in the story thusfar. Veronica DeLaCruz (deceased), a 27 year old Hispanic card dealer for the House of Covington privately, as well as professionally over at a local casino. Cheated on her partner (Arthur) with a man named Brian Morrison, and the sexual encounter resulted in her death. The first fatality in New Eden, her death is being used to remind women the dangers involved in being unfaithful in the new world. The House of Vikovic Gregor Vikovic, a 52 year old business owner. Russian, huge (6'2", 275lbs), mucular, with a big braided silver beard and a fondness for expensive things, particular food and drink. One of the more elite members of New Eden. The House of Watkins Nathaniel Watkins, a 41 year old investor and insanely rich self made gadfly. Tall (6'1"), lean and Waspy, Nathaniel tends to look more like an out of work yoga instructor than the forty first richest man in the world. His brown beard is always somewhat disheveled, and seems to relish always walking around in socks and Birkenstocks. Has a friendly relationship with Andy, whom he gave a shitload of money to, seemingly to punish his son. Benny Watkins, an 18 year old high school student. Benny is Nathaniel's biggest failure, spoiled and thoughtless, entitled and arrogant. His claiming of Deborah Barnes resulted in his punishment by his father, and the reassignment of Hannah to Andy. Deborah Barnes, a 34 year old veterinarian from Los Gatos, originally from Kansas. She was originally assigned to Nathaniel, who used her as a stake in one of Covington's poker games. She was won by Andy, but Benny claimed her before she could be relocated. As part of Benny's punishment, Deborah's been assigned control of Benny. Erin Donegal, a 36 year old pharmaceutical representative. Dated and lived with Andy about a decade ago until she gave him an ultimatum “ "either your friends go, or I do." Andy gave her the boot, and she stalked him on and off since then. Second generation Irish American. Blonde (but dyes her hair brown), curvy. Andy refused to bring her into his house, and she was reassigned to the House of Watkins. The House Of Haunton Mayor James Haunton, the 54 year old mayor of New Eden. Portly and short tempered. Has a mustache that whole bowls of soup could get lost in. Major Monica Peters, the 36 year old wife of the mayor, who doubles as the greeter and tour guide of New Eden for the most recent arrivals. The House of Jacobson Jake Jacobson, the 49 year old owner of the AllStore chain of department stores. Jet black hair with a pencil thin mustache. More reptilian than human, with beady eyes and a perpetual sneer on his face. Hot tempered, petty and vindictive.. The House of Baker Xander Baker, a 38 year old auto mechanic and car restorer from Ohio. Andy's oldest and best friend. Being relocated to New Eden to get paired up with Captain Betsy Ross. Covered in tattoos, ridiculously muscular, Xander is a gentle giant. Not to be allowed near karaoke machines under peril of death. Captain Betsy Ross, a 34 year old Air Force officer, working on the reconstruction program, rebuilding America's heavily damaged infrastructure. Soon to be Xander's first partner. Brooke Maloney, a 24 year old Olympic swimmer, and friend of Piper. Second generation Swedish American. Blonde, short (5'4") and extremely athletic. Originally, Piper was trying to convince Andy to bring Brooke into the House of Rook, but Andy immediately recognized her personality would be a better fit for Xander, and asked Phil to help redirect her. The House of, Dave? Dave, something or other?, a thirty(ish) something(?) quarantine management engineer for the CDC, who came to test Andy and Eric, and found out that Andy was secretly Dave's favorite author. In exchange for an advance copy of the newest unpublished Druid Gunslinger book, he put Andy and Eric into the system as Top Level V I P, which has changed their life forever. Nice dude, but Dave's just this guy, you know? Chapter 29 The next day, Andy and Ash met up with Eric and Lily for lunch in a restaurant, something they still weren't accustomed to, even though they'd done it a couple of times since moving into New Eden. They'd been in quarantine so long that the basic things like eating out felt alien. They'd found a nice little BBQ joint that someone had opened within the walls of New Eden, and Andy was ecstatic. Andy's hope was that they were going to keep getting more varieties of food in their new home town. The little 1950s dinner was nice, but the village needed things like a Mexican joint, a Chinese restaurant, a ramen house, a place where he could get a banh mi, Andy realized he really just needed the place to be less exclusively white. The guy who owned and ran the BBQ was a big black guy named Bryant Walters who'd apparently played football for the 49ers a couple of decades ago. He'd settled in the Bay after his football career ended, and he had brought his love of southern BBQ to opening his own restaurant, called "Smoke On The Water." He had a dozen of his own BBQ sauces, brisket that he smoked for at least twelve hours and some of the best damn ribs Andy had ever tasted. It didn't hurt that Bryant was also massively friendly, making sure to come out and talk to patrons of the place. The wait staff was comprised of his partners, five women in all, at least one a former 49ers cheerleader. Over lunch, Andy made sure to tell Bryant that he should have delivery service for the community, and the big burly man told him that was an excellent idea, and that he'd start working on a website for online orders. The meal was the first chance that Andy and Eric had really been able to sit down and catch up one on one since they'd gotten to New Eden. Sure, they'd seen each other at parties and big gatherings, but with just Ash and Lily there, it felt like a throwback to the first days of the whole adventure when they'd been a pair of new couples sharing a tiny little condo. "So yeah, what with all the casualties on my team, I've been promoted up the food chain to be director of the division," Eric said, poking at his brisket with his fork. "I like the responsibility and the increase in pay, but it's also incredibly depressing to think about all the former coworkers that died, none of whose funerals I can attend, because nobody's allowing funerals." "Yeah," Andy sighed, "Phil told me they're moving to mass cremations now, since so many people died. They'll probably build some sort of memorial after we're through all of this, like the Vietnam Wall or Ground Zero for 9/11." "It's so strange, seeing all the names on Slack that aren't lighting up any more," Eric sighed. "At some point, the death toll crossed from a number I can understand to a number I can't." "Kill one person and it's murder; kill a hundred thousand and it's a statistic. Good ol' Stalin," Lily joked, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "Don't try and think about it, dear. You're only going to get angry or depressed again, and we're having a nice lunch here, with everyone getting a chance to see one another. I mean, I love Niko to death, but if Andy shows up with his entire tribe, it takes over the whole room. How many are there now, fifty?" Ash giggled, rolling her eyes. "It really isn't tha' bad, Lily. How many're over there?" "Seven, including Lily," Eric said. "I refuse to let them send any more," Lily growled. "Each of the girls gets one day a week to spend with him, and he gets Sundays off." "Then when do ya get time with him?" "Any time I fucking want to," Lily laughed, waggling her beer in Eric's direction. "We're trying to have a kid now, and I'm refusing to let any of those other bitches get a go at getting knocked up until I'm well and truly swollen. Once I'm half way through my second trimester, then I'll let'em get off their birth control, and not a minute fucking sooner." "Still got Eric under your thumb, huh, Lil?" Andy teased. "Thumb, palm, e
The president tried to halt observances of the Juneteenth holiday but Americans celebrated anyway, the FDA is scrapping guidelines on daily alcohol limits, we're in for a very hot weekend across the country, and a special nuke-proof plane was spotted landing in Washington, D.C. as Trump contemplates bombing Iran. Legendary singer and songwriter Paul Simon sits for an extended, wide-ranging interview with Stephen Colbert that touches on the meaning behind the lyrics on his latest album, ‘Seven Psalms,' and stories from his over 50-year career in music. Head to The Late Show's YouTube channel to watch Paul's performance! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Former Delta Force operator and author of Forged in Chaos: A Warrior's Origin Story, Tyler Grey, is speaking out about the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. His perspective cuts through the noise with clarity only a combat-tested veteran can offer. With numerous deployments across the Middle East, Grey brings firsthand insight into the region's complex dynamics. Mary Grabar, author of Debunking FDR: The Man and the Myths, is a resident fellow at the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization and the founder of the Dissident Prof Education Project. She joined me to discuss how the 1619 Project Grift is coming to an end.Becky Noble, a journalist at Red State and her substack Gumshoe Politics, joined me to discuss United States v. Skrmetti, Rep. Maxwell Frost's statements on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Ninth District ruling in Trump's favor regarding the National Guard in California, The tenth anniversary of Donald Trump's announcement to run for President, the announcement of the new investigation into long term exposures on the people of East Palestine, and the polls suggesting that Democrat voters want new people to choose from.Become a supporter of Tapp into the Truth: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tapp-into-the-truth--556114/support Tapp into the Truth on Rumble. Follow, watch the older shows, and join the live streams.Forged in Chaos: A Warrior's Origin StoryMary GrabarDebunking FDR: The Man and the MythsDebunking the 1619 Project: Exposing the Plan to Divide AmericaDebunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation Against AmericaAlexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western CivilizationDissident Prof Education ProjectBecky Noble at Red StateGumshoe Politics & In Your Face podcast“Remember Pop Rocks? Now, imagine they gave you superpowers.” Please let me introduce you to Energy Rocks! Born from the grit and ambition of a competitive athlete who wanted a better, cleaner way to fuel the body and mind, without the hassle of mixing powders, messy bottles, or caffeine crashes. Energy Rocks is a reimagining of energy into something fun, functional, and fantastically effective. A delicious popping candy energy supplement that delivers a rapid boost of clean energy and focus — anytime, anywhere. No water. No mixing. No bulky bottles. Just open, pop it in your mouth, and get ready to rock. Making any time the right time to “Get in the Zone, One Pop at a Time.”If you love high-quality jerky, you need to check out Jerky Snob. They deliver small-batch, artisan jerky straight to your door every month—no MSG, no nitrates, just premium cuts and bold flavors. You can choose from 2, 4, or 8-bag subscriptions, and every delivery brings something new and delicious. One of my favorite things is the variety—spicy, smoky, sweet, all from different craft makers. It's like a jerky-tasting adventure every month. Plus, it makes an awesome gift! Grab your subscription at tappintofood.com and treat yourself to better jerky. Take This Quiz To Find Out The Best & Worst Foods To Avoid For Joint Pain!Do you wake up in the morning with stiff joints or pain in your hips, back, knees, or elbows? Then, chances are you're feeling the effects of chronic inflammation taking its toll on your body. The good news is that it is NEVER too late to help get this under control. And the best part is certain foods help you do this naturally, without the need for prescription medications.If recent events have proven anything, you need to be as prepared as possible for when things go sideways. You certainly can't count on the government for help. True liberty requires self-reliance. My Patriot SupplyDiversify and protect your hard-earned wealth. Use America's Premiere Conservative Gold Company, Harvard Gold Group. Use promo code TAPP.Support American jobs! Support the show! Get great products at great prices! Go to My Pillow and use promo code TAPP to save! Visit patriotmobile.com or Call (817) 380-9081 to take advantage of a FREE Month of service when you switch using promo code TAPP! Morning Kick is a revolutionary new daily drink from Roundhouse Provisions that combines ultra-potent greens like spirulina and kale with probiotics, prebiotics, collagen, and even ashwagandha. Just mix with water, stir, and enjoy!Follow Tapp into the Truth on Locals Follow Tapp into the Truth on SubstackHero SoapPatriot DepotBlue CoolersKoa CoffeeBrainMDDiamond CBDSauce Bae2nd SkullEinstokBeanstoxBelle IsleMomento AIHoneyFund"Homegrown" Boone's BourbonBlackout Coffee Co.Full Circle Brewing Co.Pasmosa Sangria
Ever wondered what our final meal would be? Or which smell instantly takes us back to childhood? This is part two of the Colbert Questionert—the rapid-fire 15-question interview made famous on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. No topic is off-limits as Keltie, Becca, and Jac reveal their deepest fears, weirdest quirks, and most unexpected favorites! Check out our summer sponsors!!Old Navy: Need summer activewear? Shop in store OR online at OldNavy.comTropical Smoothie Cafe: Smoothies and beachside bites made just for you! Earn rewards with the Tropical Smoothie Cafe® App! Learn more at TropicalSmoothieCafe.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dan Buettner, National Geographic Explorer, writer, and founder of Blue Zones: areas where people live long, healthy, happy lives. Blue Zones are areas across the globe where people tend to live the longest and have remarkably low rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Dan explores what elements make up these blue zones, including food, community, joy, purpose, and more. Listen to Dan and Heather talk about the 5 food groups that are best for a long life, and the perfect combination of a grain and beans to make a complete protein. He has appeared on CNN, Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America, Primetime Live, and the Today show to discuss his Blue Zones research, and he has delivered more than 500 keynote speeches over the last 10 years. SPONSOR: Zbiotics Go to www.zbiotics.com/Heather and use code HEATHER at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of Zbiotics probiotics. Zbiotics has a 100% money-back guarantee, so if you are unsatisfied in any way they will refund your money, no questions asked. Thank you Zbiotics for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about poisonous books, The Late Show, Oprah, and James Frey. Then, stick around for a chat with Laura Lippman!Laura Lippman was a reporter for twenty years, including twelve years at The (Baltimore) Sun. She began writing novels while working fulltime and published seven books about “accidental PI” Tess Monaghan before leaving daily journalism in 2025. Her work has been awarded the Edgar ®, the Anthony, the Agatha, the Shamus, the Nero Wolfe, Gumshoe and Barry awards. She also has been nominated for other prizes in the crime fiction field, including the Hammett and the Macavity. She was the first-ever recipient of the Mayor's Prize for Literary Excellence and the first genre writer recognized as Author of the Year by the Maryland Library Association.Ms. Lippman grew up in Baltimore and attended city schools through ninth grade. After graduating from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md., Ms. Lippman attended Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her other newspaper jobs included the Waco Tribune-Herald and the San Antonio Light.Ms. Lippman returned to Baltimore in 1989 and has lived there since. She is the daughter of Theo Lippman Jr., a Sun editorial writer who retired in 1995 but continues to freelance for several newspapers, and Madeline Mabry Lippman, a former Baltimore City school librarian. Her sister, Susan, is a local bookseller.
Jeff and Rebecca talk about recent reading, why late night talk shows might be interested in doing book clubs, a victory in court against book bans, and more book news. Then, Jeff talks to Al Woodworth, Managing Editor of the Amazon Books team, about their picks for the Best Books of 2025 so far and how their team makes those selections. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky. Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter. Tailored Book Recommendations has the chops to find the right read for your loved one this Father's Day. Gift TBR today starting at just $18! Check out Strong Sense of Place wherever you get your podcasts, or visit strongsenseofplace.com This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this Episode: St. Francis, MN school district drops book banning policy & returns books to shelves in respond to lawsuit Carla Hayden speaks out about firing Stephen Colbert launches the Late Show Book Club The Book Riot Live at Powell's July 9th: The Best Books of the Year (so far) Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy The Book of Alchemy of Suleika Jaouad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this show, Claire Bills and Beejesh Deva explore the rise of short-term implementation, the spread of teaching fads, and the growing commitment to the science of learning. They also unpack how AI is reshaping school leadership—for better or worse. A sharp, questioning take on what's driving decisions in our schools.
Send us a textLifestyle Interview: Can a Swinger Win an Election? Yvonne Rorrer Thinks So | Episode 196In this episode of The Swing Nation Podcast, the top-rated podcast about non-monogamy and swinging, Dan and Lacy sit down with Yvonne Rorrer, a Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, who recently made headlines around the world.After publicly sharing on social media that she and her husband are swingers, Yvonne sparked a wave of media attention—including a spotlight on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Dan and Lacy dive into her bold decision to live authentically in the public eye, the national reaction to her announcement, and how it's impacted her political campaign.They also discuss Yvonne's hopes for the future and her desire to be a voice for non-monogamous individuals and couples if elected. This candid and inspiring conversation breaks down stigma, champions transparency, and highlights the growing movement toward acceptance in politics and beyond.Don't miss this groundbreaking episode that blends lifestyle and leadership in a way that's never been heard before!To learn more about Yvonne or support her campaign go to: https://yvonnerorrer.com/- The Swing Nation -Main Website Quick Navigation Website: -- (Find all our social media links & more!)- Swinger Society - Our Website to meet, connect & events Swinger Society Discord Our Facebook Group- Swinger Websites -Kasadie 90 day free trialUsername: TheSwingNation SDC 14 day free trial Username: TheSwingNation** Use code 36313 for 14 days free! ** SLSUsername: NorthernGuynSouthernGirl- Merch & More -Order Your Merch Here!- Lacy's Fun Links -VIP OnlyFansPREMIUM OnlyFans-- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS --I Know my Status : Get 15% your first test with by using promo code: "Lifestyle" https://iknowmystatus.com/ Wisp : Making sexual healthcare inclusive, cost-effective, and accessible—for everyoneUse Code SWING at checkout for 15% off your oder!Shameless Care: ED Medication and at home STD testingUse Code TSN at checkout for $30 off your order!Promescent® Make Love Longer, It's Time for Great SexUse CodeSupport the show- Thank you for the support! -
Tom is joined by assessment expert Daisy Christodoulou to discuss all things AI and Assessment with special focus on History teaching. They discuss how No More Marking are revolutionising the marking landscape using AI tools. More than that, they talk about how mark schemes are flawed, the best sort of exams and when Tom experimented with Chat GPT and marking with Year 8 last year. This is an unmissable chat if you are interested in the present and future of assessment in schools.
Welcome to our first episode of The Comedy Saved Me Podcast hosted by Lynn Hoffman. Lynn host's our other podcast you should check out called "Music Saved Me" which explores the healing power of music and Comedy Saved Me explores the inside stories from comedians about what motivated them to a career of comedy and how they observe the incredible power of comedy and laughter. These elements of storytelling are central to who they are as comedians and folks like Paul Mecurio known the power of comedy. Paul is an Emmy and Peabody Award winning comedian, who his worked with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show and The Late Show with Steven Colbert. A Note to our Community Your support means everything to us! As we continue to grow, we’d love to hear what guests you might find interesting and what conversations you’d like us to explore nest. Have a friend who might enjoy our conversations? Please share our podcast with them! Your word of mouth recommendations help us reach new listeners that could benefit from our content. Thank you for being part of our community. We’re excited for what’s ahead! Check out our newest podcast called “Comedy Saved Me” wherever you get your podcasts. Warmly Buzz Knight Founder Buzz Knight Media ProductionsSupport the show: https://takinawalk.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week we are joined by Kevin McCaffrey! Kevin appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, was a regular on truTV's World's Dumbest, VH1's I Love the 2000s, and was a 2-time winner on truTV's Comedy Knockout. He has 2 albums: “Nice & Drunk” (2018) and “Not Helping” (2024). He hosts two podcasts: “Sex and the Cidiots” and “The Bridgerton Bros,” with WGA award winner Jon Daly.In this discussion, we explore growing up in Chicago, playing basketball, and an early passion for comedy and late-night television. Kevin shares his journey from childhood memories of Catholic school to his experiences in stand-up comedy and working at Late Night with David Letterman. He reflects on friendships formed through humor, the challenges of college life, and the excitement of moving to New York City. Kevin also discusses the unique experience of performing on cruise ships. Give this episode a listen!Recommendations From This Episode: Mark Twain Prize for American Humor: Conan O'BrienComedy Writing For Late Night TVFollow Kevin McCaffrey: @kevinmccaffFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpodPlease rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Email us: aloneatlunch@gmail.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to our first episode of The Comedy Saved Me Podcast hosted by Lynn Hoffman. Lynn host's our other podcast you should check out called "Music Saved Me" which explores the healing power of music and Comedy Saved Me explores the inside stories from comedians about what motivated them to a career of comedy and how they observe the incredible power of comedy and laughter. These elements of storytelling are central to who they are as comedians and folks like Paul Mecurio known the power of comedy. Paul is an Emmy and Peabody Award winning comedian, who his worked with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show and The Late Show with Steven Colbert. A Note to our Community Your support means everything to us! As we continue to grow, we’d love to hear what guests you might find interesting and what conversations you’d like us to explore nest. Have a friend who might enjoy our conversations? Please share our podcast with them! Your word of mouth recommendations help us reach new listeners that could benefit from our content. Thank you for being part of our community. We’re excited for what’s ahead! Check out our newest podcast called “Comedy Saved Me” wherever you get your podcasts. Warmly Buzz Knight Founder Buzz Knight Media ProductionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The closest of bromances devolved last week into a public cage fight. Where did this come from? And when the richest man in the world and the most powerful man in the world decide to do battle, what are the stakes?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Katy Balls, Washington DC Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Taryn Siegel.Further reading: Trump v Elon Musk may deliver one true winner: JD Vance.Further listening: Why the dollar is crashing -- and why you should care.Clips: ABC News, Sky News, NBC/Today, Bloomberg Television, CNN, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Fox News, Spectrum News, CBS News.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The Late Show with James Radburn, we explore the evolving intersection of talk, writing, and technology in education. Joined by educational leaders Shareen Wilkinson and Julie Carson, we unpack how classroom conversation is shifting, why writing across the curriculum matters more than ever, and how AI is transforming the way students and teachers engage with literacy. From oracy as a tool for social justice to the risks and rewards of generative AI in writing instruction, this episode dives deep into real classroom practices and national policy tensions. Backed by insights from Shareen and Julie's experiences and expertise, we ask: Are we at risk of losing the art of writing? And what should schools do next?
Join hosts John and Mike for their Discussions with Darren Coxon about AI in the classroom, focusing on chatbots and current guidance on its usage in the UK curriculum.
Good Morning BT with Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman | Wednesday, June 4th, 2025. 6:05 Beth’s Song of the Day 6:20 Surf or Sitcom: Beach Boys and John Stamos Tickets 6:35 Surf or Sitcom: Beach Boys and John Stamos Tickets Cont. 6:50 RAM Biz Update; Beach Boys and Jan & Dean Trivia 7:05 NBA Finals Start Tomorrow: Pacers v Thunder 7:20 Guest: Tim Boyum (Spectrum News) - Josh Stein On Late Show with Stephen Colbert 7:35 NC Gov. Josh Stein on Late Show with Stephen Colbert Cont. 7:50 Winterble Wednesday: Crossing the Streams with Brett Winterble 8:05 GMBTeam Rabbit Hole - The Beach Boys 8:20 17th Segment Material - The Ballantyne Bowl 8:35 Guest: Mike Love (The Beach Boys Founding Member) - Concert Promo 9:05 Guest: Gabe Stein (GMBTeam Extended Family Member) 9:20 Gabe Stein Cont. - Thoughts on Anti-Semitism on College Campuses 9:35 Gabe Stein Cont. - The Impact of A.I. 9:50 Show Wrap...on The Beth Troutman ShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MUSIC Craig Ferguson of the Late, Late Show creates lyrics for the Doctor Who theme - Craig Ferguson ~ Doctor Who Special Openings! Show 11th SEASON RETROSPECTIVE John and Jim discuss the good, the bad, and the funny in Pertwee's final season as the Doctor. Stay tuned for our Pertwee retrospective next week. COMIC 97 - Doctor Who - "Size Control" - May 18 - June 29, 1974 The Doctor discovers a vessel where giant mantis-like creatures are preparing to destroy their enemies, a peaceful race of beings. We hope you enjoy this discussion and as a Patreon member, we ask that if there is something you'd like to hear us cover on the podcast, do not hesitate to reach out to us by email at thedoctorsbeardpodcast@gmail.com. Become a Patreon member today to get early access to weekly episodes as well as exclusive content.
Stephen Colbert and his podcast sidekick talk at length about the history and span of Broadway (the street) before launching into Stephen's interview with Broadway star and comedian Cole Escola! Cole reveals what they hope to do next after the incredible success of "Oh, Mary!" on Broadway and challenges Stephen to a straight-off during their Late Show debut. Go see Tony-nominated "Oh, Mary!" at the Lyceum Theatre, tickets are available at ohmaryplay.com (originally aired April 28th, 2025). To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ballard is set to drop on Wednesday, July 9. Renée Ballard: Background: Michael Connelly's first book featuring Renée Ballard was released in 2017, titled The Late Show. She then unofficially partnered up with Harry Bosch in the following five novels. Dark Sacred Night (2018), The Night Fire (2019), The Dark Hours (2021), Desert Star (2022), […] The post ‘Bosch' spinoff ‘Ballard' release date announced by Prime Video appeared first on So Many Shows!.
Bible Q&A Show with Pastor Derek Walker of Oxford Bible Church
Stephen's back on the podcast this week with exclusive introductions to memorable Late Show moments, and he's kicking things off with comedy legend Don Novello, who recently reprised his iconic role as Father Guido Sarducci and took Colbert deep into the intrigue surrounding the Vatican conclave while the world's Catholics were waiting to learn who would be the next Pope (originally aired May 6th, 2025). To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's time for One Funny Morning with special guest, Comedian Mike E. Winfield! A little more about Mike ... His comedy is refreshing & relatable in a way that makes him a comedic genius. Hailing from Baltimore, MD, Mike E. moved to California to pursue comedy & to escape the rough streets of Baltimore, remembering how he found a gun under his Mom's pillow as a child, & thought, “I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY TEETH TO FALL OUT.” The comedy scene felt natural to him & he embraced it raking up credits such as The Late Show with David Letterman, a reoccurring role on NBC's The Office, Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo on Netflix, an Emmy Nomination, & multiple movies in post production, one with the rapper DMX called PIMP. Somehow in the midst of rising to the top, he had to grow up quickly because he fell in love & married an older woman with a child. That was actually the problem, he wasn't ready to be a husband, so he made many mistakes within the marriage. He has since learned & developed a bond with his stepson, or as he calls him - “ StepMAN” - because they're close in age. He takes his ups & downs in his life & marriage & turns them into jewels he releases on stage. Mike is currently on tour and can be seen at the Vail Comedy Festival this Memorial Day weekend. Check out all of his tour dates and more at www.mikewinfield.com
On today's episode, Liz Wheeler is joined by toxicologist Chris Martenson to discuss Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy showing that his hyoid bone was broken in three places. Is this indicative of hanging or violent strangulation? Plus, Liz reacts to Jake Tapper's disastrous interview about his new book, "Original Sin," on "The Megyn Kelly Show." And finally, Liz analyzes James Comey's shameless explanation of his "86 47" Instagram post on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Watch to see why all of this "bad" publicity is actually quite advantageous for Comey! SPONSORS: THE LAST RODEO: Tickets are going fast, so don't wait. Reserve your seats now for this powerful new film, in theaters starting May 23rd. Get your tickets today at https://Angel.com/LIZ. PREBORN: Your tax-deductible donation of twenty-eight dollars sponsors one ultrasound and doubles a baby's chance at life. How many babies can you save? Please donate your best gift today– just dial #250 and say the keyword, “BABY" or go to https://preborn.com/LIZ. ALL FAMILY PHARMACY: Because you're part of this movement, use code LIZ20 at checkout for an exclusive discount. Check out https://allfamilypharmacy.com/LIZ, code: LIZ20. AMERICAN HARTFORD GOLD: American Hartford Gold: Tell them I sent you, and they'll give you up to $15,000 dollars of FREE silver on your first order. So call them now! Click here https://offers.americanhartfordgold.com or call 866-996-5172 or text LIZ to 998899. STRANGE ENCOUNTERS: Streaming now on BlazeTV and YouTube, this powerful series dives into real spiritual battles through a biblical lens—not ghosts or Bigfoot. Watch now at https://BlazeTV.com/liz and get $20 off your subscription, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. BLAZETV: If you're ready to keep winning, shop your values and make sure we don't lose the ground we've gained—go to https://BlazeTV.com/liz and subscribe today. Use promo code LIZ, and you'll save 20 bucks right now off our annual plan. BlazeTV. Unfiltered. Unafraid. On Demand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stand Up is a daily podcast that I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more Dr. Jason Johnson is an associate professor of politics and journalism in the School of Global Journalism & Communication at Morgan State University and author of the book Political Consultants and Campaigns: One Day to Sell. He focuses on campaign politics, political communication, strategy and popular culture. He hosts a podcast on Slate called "A Word" He is a political analyst for MSNBC, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio and The Grio. He has previously appeared on CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera, Current TV and CBS. His work has been featured on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and on ESPN. He has been quoted by The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Wallstreet Journal, Buzzfeed, The Hill newspaper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Dr. Johnson is a University of Virginia alumnus and earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Join us Monday's and Thursday's at 8EST for our Bi Weekly Happy Hour Hangouts! Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll Follow and Support Pete Coe Buy Ava's Art Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift
That Show Hasn't Been Funny In Years: an SNL podcast on Radio Misfits
Nick shines a light on Shia LaBeouf's two turns as Saturday Night Live host—both surprisingly strong, both likely his last. Packed with standout sketches and offbeat moments, the episodes featured Shia as a bizarrely delightful version of magician Doug Henning on a twisted Match Game, and as one half of a duo of underage knuckleheads scheming to score beer with Andy Samberg. There's also a nod to Indiana Jones and a solid lineup of SNL regulars including Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Kenan Thompson, Maya Rudolph, and Fred Armisen. Nick shares behind-the-scenes stories from the tapings and wraps things up with Shia's wild retelling of his late-night Walgreens arrest on The Late Show with David Letterman. A look back at a talented, unpredictable host who nailed it—and probably won't be back. [EP 124]
"Comedy writers learn early on that we have a high degree of anonymity," writes podcast guest Alan Zweibel in his memoir Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier. "Our words are spoken publicly by others who often have famous faces. Or by unknown people on their way to having famous faces." As one of the founding writers on Saturday Night Live, Alan's words were given voice by a cast of virtual unknowns, all on their way to becoming famous faces, eventually earning worldwide acclaim as some of the most iconic comic performers of their generation. Over the course of his 50-year career, he has penned jokes for dozens of Borscht Belt comedians and written for some of SNL's most memorable characters (such as Gilda Radner's "Roseanne Rosannadanna," John Belushi's "Samurai," and Garrett Morris's "Chico Escuela"), and helped to craft SNL producer Lorne Michaels's now-legendary appeal to invite the Beatles to appear on the show for the standard artist fee of $3,000. Alan is the recipient of five Emmy Awards for his work in television, which in addition to SNL also includes "It's Garry Shandling's Show" (which he co-created and produced), "The Late Show with David Letterman," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He is the author of 11 books, including the 2006 Thurber Prize-winning novel The Other Shulman, and Bunny Bunny: Gilda Radner—A Sort of Romantic Comedy, and six off-Broadway plays. He also collaborated with Billy Crystal on the Tony Award-winning play "700 Sundays," and with Martin Short on his Broadway hit "Fame Becomes Me," and co-wrote the screenplays for the films "Dragnet," "North," "The Story of Us," and "Here Today." He joins us on the podcast to reflect on a singular career as one of our leading comedy writers and humorists—and a wickedly funny body of work that has earned him an honorary Ph.D. from the State University of New York, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Writers Guild of America, East. Learn more about Alan Zweibel: Website Facebook Instagram Bluesky Please support the sponsors who support our show: John Kasich's Heaven Help Us (now available for pre-order) Ritani Jewelers Daniel Paisner's Balloon Dog Daniel Paisner's SHOW: The Making and Unmaking of a Network Television Pilot Heaven Help Us by John Kasich Unforgiving: Lessons from the Fall by Lindsey Jacobellis Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Libro.fm (ASTOLDTO) | 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you start your membership Film Freaks Forever! podcast, hosted by Mark Jordan Legan and Phoef Sutton Everyday Shakespeare podcast A Mighty Blaze podcast The Writer's Bone Podcast Network Misfits Market (WRITERSBONE) | $15 off your first order Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Wizard Pins (WRITERSBONE) | 20% discount
In this episode of Passion Pod, we sit down with Ali Sultan, a stand-up comedian and writer based in New York City who's taken the comedy world by storm. With appearances on Comedy Central and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ali's comedy specials and albums have reached millions of viewers worldwide. Born in Yemen and raised in Ethiopia before moving to Minnesota at 15, Ali shares his incredible journey from discovering stand-up comedy on late-night TV to performing globally. We dive into his roots in Minneapolis, his ties to Eau Claire, and how his first open mic experience sparked his passion for comedy. Ali opens up about performing clean sets, playing quirky characters at college parties, and the importance of creating art for the right reasons. Whether you're a comedy fan or simply looking for inspiration, this episode is packed with laughs, heartfelt moments, and plenty of wisdom. Tune in for an unforgettable conversation with one of comedy's rising stars!
Fred and Freddy Macdonald sit down with me to talk about their latest movie, Sew Torn. They share what it was like working together. We chat about how unique the film is and why people should check it out. In addition, we talk about their father and son relationship. They discuss how each of them have helped them grow into the people they are. Lastly, we finish the interview with the Fatherhood Quick Five. About Freddy Macdonald Freddy Macdonald is a Student Academy Award winner, and the youngest Directing Fellow ever accepted to the AFI Conservatory. His feature film debut, Sew Torn, will premiere at SXSW 2024. Freddy's AFI admission film, the Sew Torn proof of concept short, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures. It received an Oscar-qualifying theatrical release nationwide alongside Ready Or Not. Additionally, Freddy's AFI thesis film, Shedding Angels, won a Student Academy Award and was shortlisted for a student BAFTA. Freddy also directed 4 music videos for 3x Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito (including his performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), and 3 viral documentaries following hardware hacker Joe Grand. Go see Sew Torn in theaters. Make sure you follow Freddy on Instagram at @fred.md. In addition, go to their website at macdonaldentertainmentpartners.com. About Fred Macdonald Fred Macdonald is a writer, producer, and founder of several entertainment and media companies. Furthermore, over the years his companies have partnered with The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate / Summit Entertainment, and Viacom. Macdonald was CEO and Chairman of Olive Jar Studios, a film production company with studios in Los Angeles and Boston. While helming the company, Macdonald creative directed theme park media (The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios), and 5 television commercials (Levi Strauss & Co., Samsung Electronics, and a Coca-Cola CLIO Gold winner that Macdonald creative directed with Spike Jonze). About Sew Torn Barbara Duggen, ‘The Mobile Seamstress', is struggling to keep her fabric shop alive. After a botched sewing appointment sets her on a quest to replace her client's lost button, she unexpectedly stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad. Faced with two downed motorcyclists, guns, and a briefcase - Barbara is completely torn. She is forced to pick between three choices: commit the perfect crime, call the police, or drive away. The narrative presents the repercussions of all three decisions, and the deadly confrontations that result from each as she gets entangled with the case's owner. Using thread to free herself, Barbara stops at nothing to save her store. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngq4hNcut_Q About The Art of Fatherhood Podcast The Art of Fatherhood Podcast follows the journey of fatherhood. Your host, Art Eddy talks with fantastic dads from all around the world where they share their thoughts on fatherhood. You get a unique perspective on fatherhood from guests like Bob Odenkirk, Hank Azaria, Joe Montana, Kevin Smith, Danny Trejo, Jerry Rice, Jeff Foxworthy, Patrick Warburton, Jeff Kinney, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kyle Busch, Dennis Quaid, Dwight Freeney and many more.