Podcast appearances and mentions of michael crowley

President Trump once approached the challenge of ending Russia's war in Ukraine as a straight-ahead deal that he could achieve easily. But after months of trying, he's signaling that he might actually walk away.Michael Crowley, who covers U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times, discusses the recent phone call between Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and what it tells us about how the conflict could end.Guest: Michael Crowley, a reporter covering the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times.Background reading: Mr. Trump's new position on the war in Ukraine: Not my problem.In his call with Mr. Trump, Mr. Putin notched a diplomatic win, with an economic caveat.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Nicolle Wallace on Trump's peddling of false “white genocide” claims in an Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, an administration official's effort to rewrite intelligence, and the Justice Department's investigation into Andrew Cuomo. Joined by: Michael Crowley, Eddie Glaude, Rick Stengel, Mike Schmidt, Rep. Jim Himes, Andrew Weissmann, John Heilemann, Basil Smikle, Lisa Rubin, Justin Wolfers, and Tim Miller.

Nicolle Wallace on the impending economic doom fueled by Trump's tariffs on China, reports that the Trump administration will send migrants to Libya and Ukraine, and the recent immigration raids at DC-area restaurants.Joined by: Justin Wolfers, David Jolly, Ryan Petersen, Rep. Jim Himes, Michael Crowley, Marc Elias, Kristy Greenberg, Vaughn Hillyard, Shawn Townsend, and Dr. Michael Anderson.

Nicolle Wallace on Trump and Musk's continued gutting of the State Department and USAID amid low approval ratings, Trump's softened tone on China tariffs and Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and the White House's repeated resistance to comply with court orders.Joined by: Michael Crowley, Andrew Natsios, David Graham, David Gura, Tim Miller, Rep. Dan Goldman, Marc Elias, Ryan Reilly, and the hosts of MSNBC's new show “The Weeknight” Alicia Menendez, Michael Steele, and Symone Sanders Townsend.

Nicolle Wallace on the Trump administration reducing tariffs on most countries while increasing tariffs on China to 125% and Trump signing new executive orders targeting two former officials.Joined by: Jason Furman, Michael Crowley, John Heilemann, Steve Liesman, Sarah Longwell, Marc Elias, Mary McCord, Sean Patrick Maloney, Tim Miller, and Basil Smikle.

Alicia Menendez – in for Nicolle Wallace – on the D.C. appeals court hearing into Trump's deportation flights, the administration's careless handling of national security intel, and Trump's escalating attacks on the rule of law. Joined by: Lisa Rubin, Jacob Soboroff, Claire McCaskill, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Charlie Sykes, Gov. Andy Beshear, Mary McCord, Harry Litman, Michele Norris, Eddie Glaude, Rep. Jason Crow, and Michael Crowley.

Nicolle Wallace discusses the phone call between President Trump and Putin, growing fears from economists over a possible impending recession, the DOGE takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace, protesting federal employees who – despite a court ordered return – are now being placed on “administrative leave,” Trump's escalating threat on the rule of law, and the rare pushback he got from Supreme Court Justice John Robert – AND live coverage of the NASA astronauts splashing down to earth after more than nine months in space. Joined by: Michael Crowley, Charlie Sykes, John Brennan, David Gura, Liam Scott, Andrew Weissmann, Tim Miller, Jacob Soboroff, Judge Esther Salas, and Chris Sembroski.

Nicolle Wallace on Trump's dangerous and warped approach to the war in Ukraine, today's hearing on the DOJ's motion to dismiss charges against Eric Adams, and the administration's targeting of independent agencies.Joined by: Amb. Michael McFaul, Michael Crowley, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Andrew Weissmann, Kristy Greenberg, Mike Schmidt, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Anne Applebaum, Claire McCaskill, Vaughn Hillyard, and Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Nicolle Wallace on the stunning resignation of Manhattan's acting U.S. Attorney after being ordered by the Justice Department to drop the corruption charges against Eric Adams.   Joined by: Mimi Roche, Andrew Weissmann, Chris Hayes, Dr. Ashish Jha, Dr. Kavita Patel, Lisa Rubin, Michael Crowley, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Amb. Michael McFaul, and Alex Wagner.

Warning: This episode contains strong language.As President Trump demolishes the government's biggest provider of foreign aid, the United States Agency for International Development, he is ending a 60-year bipartisan consensus about the best way to keep America safe from its enemies.Michael Crowley, who covers U.S. foreign policy, and Stephanie Nolen, a global health reporter for The New York Times, discuss the rise and fall of U.S.A.I.D. — and American soft power.Guests: Michael Crowley, a reporter covering the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times; and Stephanie Nolen, a global health reporter for The New York Times.Background reading: With his aid cutoff, President Trump has halted U.S.A.I.D.'s legacy of “acting with humanity.”The agency's workers are braced for the worst.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Safin Hamid/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Nicolle Wallace discusses the multiple lawsuits filed against Trump's Justice Department over their actions targeting FBI agents, the growing number of legal movements attempting to tackle the administration, Elon Musk's aggressive incursion into multiple federal agencies, the recent college graduates he has reportedly brought with him, an update on Trump nominees hurtling towards confirmation, and his latest statements on the future of Gaza.   Joined by: Michael Clark, Andrew Weissmann, Frank Figliuzzi, Alex Wagner, David Jolly, Vaughn Hillyard, Angelo Carusone, John Brennan, and Michael Crowley.

Nicolle Wallace on a temporary block to Trump's birthright citizenship order, the many controversies in Pete Hegseth's past, judges pushing back against the pardoning of January 6th rioters, and Mike Pompeo's newly revoked security detail.  Joined by: Melissa Murray, Alicia Menendez, David Jolly, Julia Ainsley, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Glenn Kirschner, Harry Litman, Ryan Reilly, John Brennan, and Michael Crowley.   

Uncertainty of reaching the finish line is always on the mind of an ultra-marathon runner like Michael Crowley. But by pushing through, you can make the unbelievable possible. Such is the story for Australian agriculture and the long future ahead of it.In this episode, Oli sits down with Michael Crowley who recently took up the top job with Meat and Livestock Australia. They dive into Michael's history with AG, the time he ran 100 km for mental health, and his dream of passing on a sense of stewardship to the next generation. He's a big-picture guy. As Managing Director, he is privy to talks around tech in Australian farming, trade relationships, and developing sustainable practices for the future.In this episode, you'll hear about:Michael Crowley discusses his history working in Europe with Meat and Livestock Australia, becoming the CEO of Herefords Australia, before returning to Meat and Livestock Australia.Michael shares his passion for running and raising funds for the 'How's Your Mate?' charity in a 100 km marathon.Michael discusses the opportunities and challenges facing the future of Australian ag to meet sustainability efforts and the complex trade landscape.He provides valuable insight for those operating in the agriculture sector and those just starting.Picture Credit: Meat and Livestock Australia

Nicolle Wallace is joined by Sam Brock, Tom Winter, Frank Figliuzzi, Andrew Weissmann, Tim Heaphy, Claire McCaskill, Lee Gelernt, Eddie Glaude, Rick Stengel, and Michael Crowley. 

Nicolle Wallace is joined by Aaron Blake, Matt Dowd, Rev. Al Sharpton, Cornell Belcher, Tom Winter, Frank Figliuzzi, Michael Crowley, Andrew Weissmann, Jeremy Kohler, and Michele Goodwin.

Nicolle Wallace is joined by Tim Miller, Amy McGrath, Angelo Carusone, Michael Crowley, Dr. Peter Hotez, Melissa Murray, Jodi Kantor, Ryan Nobles, Courtney Kube, Gabe Roth, Andrew Weissmann, and Garrett Graff.

Nicolle Wallace is joined by Richard Engel, Michael Oren, John Brennan, Michael Bender, Tim Miller, Mini Timmaraju, Erin McLaughlin, Michael Crowley, General Barry McCaffrey, Matt Dowd, Claire McCaskill, and David Jolly.

Meat & Livestock Australia's new managing director Michael Crowley has well and truly got his feet under the desk since kicking off in his new job in late May.     Many in the industry got their first insight on Mr Crowley's take on the industry service delivery company's future direction in an address to the Queensland Rural Pres Club last month. One of his key visions is to see Value-Based Marketing embedded within the Australian beef industry, delivering performance-based payments to producers that factor in meat yield, as well as meat quality and carcase traits.   The Weekly Grill is brought to readers and listeners by Rhinogard by Zoetis.

Nicolle Wallace is joined by Michael Cohen, John Heilemann, Harry Litman, Hugo Lowell, Marc Elias, Ian Bassin, Admiral James Stavridis, Michael Crowley, Matt Miller, Mini Timmaraju, Gabe Roth.

PJ hears from Tadhg Keller of Sullán Studios about a guitar that's a piece of music history that was taken from his house. Because the guitar has links to Michael Crowley, and Cork's own Rory Gallagher among others he's heartbroken. See picture here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If and when Israel and Hamas reach a deal for a cease-fire, the United States will immediately turn to a different set of negotiations over a grand diplomatic bargain that it believes could rebuild Gaza and remake the Middle East.Michael Crowley, who covers the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The Times, explains why those involved in this plan believe they have so little time left to get it done.Guest: Michael Crowley, a reporter covering the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times.Background reading: Talks on a cease-fire in the Gaza war are once again at an uncertain stage.Here's how the push for a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia looked before Oct. 7.From early in the war, President Biden has said that a lasting resolution requires a “real” Palestinian state.Here's what Israeli officials are discussing about postwar Gaza.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

With Jane Boynton, Senior Creative Director at Wolff Olins and Michael Crowley, Chief Marketing Officer at NYBG. The original post for the project can be found at https://bit.ly/bnpodcast081

A new era for Meat and Livestock Australia, as the new managing director Michael Crowley takes the reigns.   

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Joe Manchin's departure from the U.S. Senate and what it means for the Democratic majority, No Labels, and the 2024 presidential race; the Supreme Court's new code of conduct and whether it's worthless; and the Israel-Hamas war and how it's affecting Democratic politics. You can be a part of the show: submit your Conundrum at slate.com/conundrum. And join us for Conundrums Live! December 7 at The 92nd Street Y, New York City.    Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Zeeshan Aleem for MSNBC: “Joe Manchin's triple blow to the Democrats”  Brittany Gibson and Shia Kapos for Politico: “Pelosi launches an all-out attack against No Labels” Wikipedia: “Assume a can opener” The Supreme Court of the United States: “Code of Conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States” Adam Liptak for The New York Times: “Supreme Court's New Ethics Code Is Toothless, Experts Say” Maria Abi-Habib, Michael Crowley, and Edward Wong for The New York Times: “More Than 500 U.S. Officials Sign Letter Protesting Biden's Israel Policy” Sam Fossum, Morgan Rimmer, and Manu Raju for CNN: “Top House Democrats evacuated from DNC headquarters as police clash with protesters calling for Gaza ceasefire”  Liz Goodwin for The Washington Post: “Bernie Sanders faces blowback as progressives urge cease-fire in Gaza” George Packer for The Atlantic: “Israel Must Not React Stupidly” Thomas L Friedman for The New York Times: “I Have Never Been to This Israel Before” Declan Walsh and Abdi Latif Dahir for The New York Times: “Seizing Darfur Region, Paramilitary Forces Are Accused of Atrocities”  Jennifer Jacobs for Fortune and Bloomberg: “Why a group of ‘everyday people' in Iowa have been invited to dinner by Chinese president Xi Jinping: ‘We're eager to meet with him'” Iowa PBS: “Citizen Diplomacy” The Economist's The Prince podcast: “7: Wolf warriors”  Muscatine County, Iowa: “History”   Here are this week's chatters: Emily: HBO's movie Oslo John: John Dickerson on Instagram and Covenant House Sleep Out; Alex Wilkins for New Scientist: “Robotic chemist discovers how to make oxygen from Martian minerals” David: Michael Balsamo for AP: “Secret Service agents protecting Biden's granddaughter open fire when 3 people try to break into SUV”; Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police: Carjacking; Exploring a Secret Fort with David through airbnb Listener chatter from David, Alameda, California: Chloe Olewitz for Morsel: “Over 100 Years Ago, the US Government Commissioned 7,500 Watercolor Paintings of Every Kind of Fruit in the Country” and U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library: “USDA Pomological Watercolors” In the next Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with James Sturm about Watership Down: The Graphic Novel. See also James Sturm and Joe Sutphin in The New York Times: “In Times of Danger, There's Strength in Numbers.”   Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth  Research by Julie Huygen   Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Joe Manchin's departure from the U.S. Senate and what it means for the Democratic majority, No Labels, and the 2024 presidential race; the Supreme Court's new code of conduct and whether it's worthless; and the Israel-Hamas war and how it's affecting Democratic politics. You can be a part of the show: submit your Conundrum at slate.com/conundrum. And join us for Conundrums Live! December 7 at The 92nd Street Y, New York City.    Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Zeeshan Aleem for MSNBC: “Joe Manchin's triple blow to the Democrats”  Brittany Gibson and Shia Kapos for Politico: “Pelosi launches an all-out attack against No Labels” Wikipedia: “Assume a can opener” The Supreme Court of the United States: “Code of Conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States” Adam Liptak for The New York Times: “Supreme Court's New Ethics Code Is Toothless, Experts Say” Maria Abi-Habib, Michael Crowley, and Edward Wong for The New York Times: “More Than 500 U.S. Officials Sign Letter Protesting Biden's Israel Policy” Sam Fossum, Morgan Rimmer, and Manu Raju for CNN: “Top House Democrats evacuated from DNC headquarters as police clash with protesters calling for Gaza ceasefire”  Liz Goodwin for The Washington Post: “Bernie Sanders faces blowback as progressives urge cease-fire in Gaza” George Packer for The Atlantic: “Israel Must Not React Stupidly” Thomas L Friedman for The New York Times: “I Have Never Been to This Israel Before” Declan Walsh and Abdi Latif Dahir for The New York Times: “Seizing Darfur Region, Paramilitary Forces Are Accused of Atrocities”  Jennifer Jacobs for Fortune and Bloomberg: “Why a group of ‘everyday people' in Iowa have been invited to dinner by Chinese president Xi Jinping: ‘We're eager to meet with him'” Iowa PBS: “Citizen Diplomacy” The Economist's The Prince podcast: “7: Wolf warriors”  Muscatine County, Iowa: “History”   Here are this week's chatters: Emily: HBO's movie Oslo John: John Dickerson on Instagram and Covenant House Sleep Out; Alex Wilkins for New Scientist: “Robotic chemist discovers how to make oxygen from Martian minerals” David: Michael Balsamo for AP: “Secret Service agents protecting Biden's granddaughter open fire when 3 people try to break into SUV”; Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police: Carjacking; Exploring a Secret Fort with David through airbnb Listener chatter from David, Alameda, California: Chloe Olewitz for Morsel: “Over 100 Years Ago, the US Government Commissioned 7,500 Watercolor Paintings of Every Kind of Fruit in the Country” and U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library: “USDA Pomological Watercolors” In the next Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with James Sturm about Watership Down: The Graphic Novel. See also James Sturm and Joe Sutphin in The New York Times: “In Times of Danger, There's Strength in Numbers.”   Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth  Research by Julie Huygen   Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Joe Manchin's departure from the U.S. Senate and what it means for the Democratic majority, No Labels, and the 2024 presidential race; the Supreme Court's new code of conduct and whether it's worthless; and the Israel-Hamas war and how it's affecting Democratic politics. You can be a part of the show: submit your Conundrum at slate.com/conundrum. And join us for Conundrums Live! December 7 at The 92nd Street Y, New York City.    Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Zeeshan Aleem for MSNBC: “Joe Manchin's triple blow to the Democrats”  Brittany Gibson and Shia Kapos for Politico: “Pelosi launches an all-out attack against No Labels” Wikipedia: “Assume a can opener” The Supreme Court of the United States: “Code of Conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States” Adam Liptak for The New York Times: “Supreme Court's New Ethics Code Is Toothless, Experts Say” Maria Abi-Habib, Michael Crowley, and Edward Wong for The New York Times: “More Than 500 U.S. Officials Sign Letter Protesting Biden's Israel Policy” Sam Fossum, Morgan Rimmer, and Manu Raju for CNN: “Top House Democrats evacuated from DNC headquarters as police clash with protesters calling for Gaza ceasefire”  Liz Goodwin for The Washington Post: “Bernie Sanders faces blowback as progressives urge cease-fire in Gaza” George Packer for The Atlantic: “Israel Must Not React Stupidly” Thomas L Friedman for The New York Times: “I Have Never Been to This Israel Before” Declan Walsh and Abdi Latif Dahir for The New York Times: “Seizing Darfur Region, Paramilitary Forces Are Accused of Atrocities”  Jennifer Jacobs for Fortune and Bloomberg: “Why a group of ‘everyday people' in Iowa have been invited to dinner by Chinese president Xi Jinping: ‘We're eager to meet with him'” Iowa PBS: “Citizen Diplomacy” The Economist's The Prince podcast: “7: Wolf warriors”  Muscatine County, Iowa: “History”   Here are this week's chatters: Emily: HBO's movie Oslo John: John Dickerson on Instagram and Covenant House Sleep Out; Alex Wilkins for New Scientist: “Robotic chemist discovers how to make oxygen from Martian minerals” David: Michael Balsamo for AP: “Secret Service agents protecting Biden's granddaughter open fire when 3 people try to break into SUV”; Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police: Carjacking; Exploring a Secret Fort with David through airbnb Listener chatter from David, Alameda, California: Chloe Olewitz for Morsel: “Over 100 Years Ago, the US Government Commissioned 7,500 Watercolor Paintings of Every Kind of Fruit in the Country” and U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library: “USDA Pomological Watercolors” In the next Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with James Sturm about Watership Down: The Graphic Novel. See also James Sturm and Joe Sutphin in The New York Times: “In Times of Danger, There's Strength in Numbers.”   Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth  Research by Julie Huygen   Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicolle Wallace joined by: Rev. Al Sharpton, David Jolly, Andrew Weissmann, Susanne Craig, Judge J. Michael Luttig, Neal Katyal,  Paul Rieckhoff, Ellison Barber, and Michael Crowley

On the Oct. 15 episode of Score Values, Alex Kuhn chatted with Michael Crowley, the president & CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. Also, Lauren Scheibe, the Autism Speaks Walk director, joined the show to preview events coming up at Soldier Field and in Wheaton on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.

In this mind-expanding episode of ULTRACULTURE WITH JASON LOUV, we dive into the fascinating intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics with Lama Mike Crowley, author of the groundbreaking book on psychedelic Buddhism. Join us as we explore how these two seemingly disparate paths can enrich and enhance each other, leading to profound spiritual experiences and deeper understanding of the self and the universe. Lama Mike shares his insights on incorporating psychedelics into Buddhist practice, detailing how substances like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms can lead to spontaneous awakening experiences once thought to be exclusive to advanced meditators. We discuss the use of psychedelics encoded in Vedic and Buddhist scriptures, particularly in the Vajrayāna tradition, tracing their role in spiritual exploration from the Middle Ages to the present day. Together, we delve into the key beliefs of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, and the practices followed in various yānas or paths. Lama Mike offers guidance on meditation techniques, emphasizing the importance of cultivating the Four Positive Attitudes: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. We also explore Buddhist symbols, ceremonies, deities, and initiations, as well as the role of psychic powers in the Buddhist tradition. Whether you're a Buddhist looking to integrate psychedelics into your practice or a psychonaut curious about the maps of inner space provided by Buddhism, this episode is an enlightening journey into uncharted territories of consciousness. Discover how ancient Buddhist wisdom can guide your psychedelic experiences, helping you navigate the vast realms of inner space and unlock the secrets of the universe. For more on magick, get our free meditation now at: https://start.magick.me

Key TakeawaysMike 's BackgroundOver 40 years of Fire Protection Consulting ExperienceStudied Fire Protection and Safety Engineering at Illinois Institute of TechnologyLabs were at Underwriters LaboratoriesReceived an MBA from University of HoustonWorking at Rolf Jensen and Associates and then Jensen Hughes Over 30 years Involved in the code writing process and litigation support.Saw failures of passive systemsGot involved with the healthcare industry and was part of committees related to life safety code.Dealt with Healthcare projects, finding a balance in passive and suppression systems. Faced different life safety issues in different occupancies like assembly spaces, large theaters, and high-rise buildingsHealthcare Was sent to a committee meeting as an alternate and eventually became a full committee member. Wife was a nurse, so familiarity with the Healthcare space. Did work with the Military and VA Hospitals. Chaired the fundamentals committee and the entire correlating committeeCurrently chairs the medical gas technical committeeIndustry Challenges Large energy storage systems / thermal runawayDoors! Fire Rated doors and compliance / testing How numbers were put into codes Labor shortage / hiring processAdvice for newcomers to the Engineering Field Find a NicheConsider subcategories of engineering, such as acoustics or corrosion controlBuild a resume with an internshipCoffman Engineering Full-service MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) firmWorks in the Fire Protection Group, which has grown rapidly to cover offices all over the countryStarted as a structural engineering company and has expanded its services over 42 yearsDepartment of Defense workOil and GasBroaden horizons by working on a variety of projects like working on the Texans StadiumSpeaking EngagementsCovered changes in code at a recent ASHE eventDiscussed findings from fire Data. Where fires are happening in HealthcareHelps determine where the focus should be in limiting...

Wisconsin.Golf's Gary D'Amato and Rob Hernandez discuss 2022's WSGA and WPGA players of the year, including Jack Schultz, Jim Doing, Michael Crowley, Emily Lauterbach and Maggie Leaf, as well as WPGA Junior POYs William Harned and Norah Roberts.

The Sylvia Plath literary festival celebrates the life and work of one of the twentieth century's most influential poets.  Taking place over the weekend of the 21st to 23rd of October in Hebden Bridge and Heptonstall in West Yorkshire, the festival will feature events led by and featuring contemporary poets.  In this podcast we hear from some of the poets appearing at the festival with their thoughts on Plath and readings of their poems.  Thank you for listening to this edition of the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast You can find out about each of the poets featured in this podcast via the following links Polly Atkin. https://pollyatkin.com/Jessica Mookherjee https://thejessicapoet.com/Daniel Fraser https://danieljamesfraser.wordpress.com/Michael Crowley http://michaelcrowley.co.uk/Maureen Boyle https://twitter.com/BoyleMo Find out more about the Sylvia Plath Literary Festival, order the After Sylvia anthology and book tickets for in-person and online events visit the festival's website here  https://plathfest.co.uk/Follow the festival on social media https://twitter.com/PlathFesthttps://www.instagram.com/plathfest/ You can hear more from Polly Atkin by listening to her interview on the new Alternative Stories produced Seren Poetry Podcast.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035359 And hear from Plathfest director Sarah Corbett in an extended interview in this podcast  https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/11406109 This podcast has been presented by Chris Gregory and Tiffany Clare.  Each of the contributors recorded their own poems for this programme. Production, sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory  Follow Alternative Stories on social media https://twitter.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/ and contact us by email at office@alternativestories.com  Support the show

Nicolle Wallace discusses the Justice Department's investigation into Trump's actions on Jan. 6th. Plus, Congress grapples with reforming the Electoral Count Act, gunmakers testify on Capitol Hill, and a potential deal to free Brittney Griner.Joined by: Carol Leonnig, Neal Katyal, Charlie Sykes, Betsy Woodruff Swan, Jackie Alemany, Joyce Vance, Miles Taylor, Marc Elias, and Michael Crowley

Nicolle Wallace discusses the July 4th parade shooting that left seven dead and dozens injured. Plus, possible criminal referrals from the Jan. 6th committee, a Fulton County grand jury subpoenas top Trump insiders, never-before-seen Trump documentary footage, MAGA-world attorneys continue to thrive, and Brittney Griner sends Biden a handwritten letter.Joined by: Chris Jansing, Tom Winter, Claire McCaskill, Peter Strzok, Shannon Watts, Greg Bluestein, Carol Leonnig, Barbara McQuade, Charles Blow, Heidi Przybyla, and Michael Crowley

Nicolle Wallace discusses possible witness tampering in the Jan. 6th investigation. Plus, the Supreme Court completes a controversial term, WNBA star Brittney Griner's trial begins in Russia, the battle for eastern Ukraine rages on, and the erosion of liberties in the U.S. ahead of July 4th. Joined by: Betsy Woodruff Swan, Frank Figliuzzi, Harry Litman, Jackie Alemany, Marc Elias, Brian Fallon, Michael Crowley, Ann Simmons, Tom Firestone, Igor Novikov, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Amy McGrath

Soooo...that last episode was pretty crazy, right? Today is a whole different can of worms, friends. This time, our ol' Borg Boys' lives go completely off the rails. Kurl "takes the lead", Soup finally gets some flesh, and Mel...well Mel just gets boned, this week on The Rolled Standard. Check out our various socials and whatnot at: https://linktr.ee/therolledstandard We have a Patreon. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/therolledstandard The Rolled Standard is: Jake Vaughn as Kurl @vaughnhaus Levi Brusacoram as Soup Nate Seibert as Melville Hugo Lesterborne @TheRolledNate And Christopher Heinrich as the Game Master @7CannibalChris7 Cold and Deathless was written by Christopher Heinrich with collaborative efforts from Levi Brusacoram, Nate Seibert, and Jake Vaughn. Episode edited by Jake Vaughn and Nate Seibert. Cover art by Cannibal Chris Theme music courtesy of PoweredByGDK. Longest Night comes courtesy of Michael Crowley and is the overall winner of the Cold and Deathless Northern Darkness Jam as well as the winner of the Darkest category. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/therolledstandard/support

After a partially expected encounter in town, the Mörk Boys head back out on their journey, inching ever closer to their goal. With the weather turning on them, they look for any kind of shelter from the blistering cold with terrible consequences. Soup finds a little heart, Kurl hugs a lady, and Mel gets too close for comfort, this week on The Rolled Standard. Check out our various socials and whatnot at: https://linktr.ee/therolledstandard  We have a Patreon. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/therolledstandard The Rolled Standard is: Jake Vaughn as Kurl @vaughnhaus Levi Brusacoram as Soup Nate Seibert as Melville Hugo Lesterborne @TheRolledNate And Christopher Heinrich as the Game Master @7CannibalChris7 Cold and Deathless was written by Christopher Heinrich with collaborative efforts from Levi Brusacoram, Nate Seibert, and Jake Vaughn. Episode edited by Jake Vaughn and Nate Seibert. Cover art by Michael Harmon of Yog'du Games @yogdugames Theme music courtesy of PoweredByGDK. Unholy Night comes courtesy of Philip Jensen and is the third honorable mention from our Cold and Deathless Northern Darkness Jam. Longest Night comes courtesy of Michael Crowley and is the overall winner of the Cold and Deathless Northern Darkness Jam as well as the winner of the Darkest category. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/therolledstandard/support

PJ talks to Michael Crowley from Midleton about his Romeo And Duet with OtiMabuse victory on ITV on Sat night See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nicolle Wallace discusses the Pentagon confirming  that the Russian flagship was sunk by Ukrainian missiles. Plus, a batch of revealing texts from Trump allies, protestors demand justice following the fatal shooting of a man in Michigan by police, a new interview with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and Trump endorses J.D. Vance in the Ohio Senate primary.Joined by: Ali Arouzi, Amb. Michael McFaul, Michael Crowley, Luke Broadwater, Eugene Daniels, Shaquille Brewster, Rev. Al Sharpton, Mike Memoli, Anne Applebaum, John Heilemann, Simon Shuster, Adm. Mike Rodgers, and Maya Wiley

Nicolle Wallace discusses the latest on Russia's expanding offensive in Ukraine as Putin also wages a propaganda war. Plus, the spread of Russian disinformation in the U.S., WNBA star Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia, and Republicans push for a crackdown on voter fraud that doesn't exist. Joined by: Ali Arouzi, Amb. Michael McFaul, Frank Figliuzzi, Brian Karem, Jacob Soboroff, Cal Perry, Terrell Jermaine Starr, Matt Miller, Tom Firestone, Michael Crowley, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Nick Corasaniti

Nicolle Wallace discusses a brutal new stage of war in Ukraine. Plus, Michael Flynn meets with the Jan. 6th committee, and Tucker Carlson amplifies Russian propaganda.Joined by: Ali Arouzi, Courtney Kube, Claire McCaskill, Michael Crowley, Oleksandra Ustinova, Josh Lederman, Garrett Haake, Philip Crowther, Amb. Michael McFaul, Rick Stengel, Jonathan Karl, and Matt Bradley

Nicolle Wallace discusses Russia escalating their attacks in Ukraine and their seizure of Europe's largest power plant. Plus, the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine, and the media crackdown in Russia.  Joined by: Adm. James Stavridis, Michael Crowley, Rick Stengel, Ned Price, Jon Wolfsthal, Kira Rudik, John Sipher, Jim Townsend, Carlos Martinez de la Serna, and Charlie Sykes 

Nicolle Wallace discusses Putin's invasion of Ukraine and Biden's announcement of new sanctions in response.Joined by: Keir Simmons, Cal Perry, Amb. William Taylor, Anne Applebaum, John Heilemann, Amb. Michael McFaul, Rep. Seth Moulton, Michael Crowley, Adm. James Stavridis, Jeremy Bash, Helene Cooper, Ned Price, and Tom Nichols.

John Heilemann, in for Nicolle Wallace, discusses the rapidly changing crisis in Ukraine as the U.S. levies new sanctions on Russian financial institutions and elites.Joined by: Hagar Chemali, David Ignatius, Katty Kay, Peter Alexander, Matt Bodner, Amb. Michael McFaul, Julia Ioffe, Michael Crowley, Ben Rhodes, and Erin McLaughlin, and Rep. Anthony Brown

A judge ordered Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. to testify under oath in a long-running civil investigation into the family's business practices. Meantime, President Biden is expected to hold a call with key leaders on Friday about Russia's buildup of military troops at the Ukraine border. Plus, the Senate passed a three-week spending bill to avoid a shutdown this weekend. It comes as House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy endorses Rep. Liz Cheney's primary opponent. And the Russian figure skater at the center of a doping scandal ended her time at the Olympics in tears. Ashely Wagner and Jackie Wong weigh in. Jackie Alemany, Melissa Murray, Michael Crowley, Adm. James Stavridis, Don Calloway, Susan Del Percio, Ashely Wagner and Jackie Wong join.

Nicolle Wallace discusses Biden's order to release Trump's White House visitor logs. Plus, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes seeks release from jail, right-wing media spread conspiracy theories about the Durham report, NATO sees no signs of Russian de-escalation, election officials fight disinformation, the year of angry parents, and Sandy Hook families reach a settlement with gun manufacturer Remington. Joined by: Mike Schmidt, Betsy Woodruff Swan, Tim Miller, Frank Figliuzzi, Charlie Savage, Michael Crowley, Mark Jacobson, Kimberly Atkins Stohr, Secy. Katie Hobbs, Amy Walter, A.B. Stoddard, and Josh Koskoff

Alicia Menendez and Jason Johnson, in for Nicolle Wallace, discuss reports that Trump brought top secret documents to Mar-a-Lago. Plus, the White House warns a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent, Republicans' hypocritical defense of and loyalty to Trump, the “freedom convoy” paralyzes U.S.-Canada border crossings, the Congressional Black Caucus urges the DOJ to protect voting rights, and the Rams and Bengals prepare to face off in this weekend's Super Bowl. Joined by: Rep. Pete Aguilar, Ashley Parker, Luke Broadwater, Harry Litman, Kelly O'Donnell, Rev. Al Sharpton, Miles Taylor, Michael Crowley, Frank Figliuzzi, Rick Stengel, Cal Perry, Cornell Belcher, Errin Haines, Rep. Barbara Lee, and Shaquille Brewster

MD Holistic Healing with Dr. Raphael Kellman with Prof Michael Crowley on new Stem Cell Technology. Dr, Crowley is Co-founder and co-managing Member of ATVentureCenter and its Subsidiaries Sanatela and Regenerelle. Michael has successfully brought 26 advanced technology companies to the market. In his discussion with Dr. Kellman he discusses all the major advance in stem cells that are making a real difference in people's lives.

Nicolle Wallace discusses Trump admitting  he wanted Pence to overturn the real result of the 2020 election. Plus, Biden's vow to nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court is met with racism from the GOP, Republican-led states introduce a flood of anti-abortion legislation, the battle to protect free and fair elections, Georgians feel the impact of voter suppression bills, the U.S. and Russia face off at the United Nations, and calls mount for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign after a report details his parties amid pandemic lockdown.Joined by: Claire McCaskill, Tim Miller, Betsy Woodruff Swan, Rep. Madeleine Dean, Cecile Richards, Kim Atkins Stohr, Errin Haines, Frank Figliuzzi, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Julia Ioffe, Michael Crowley, and Keir Simmons

Nicolle Wallace discusses the Jan. 6 panel's conversations with former Attorney General Bill Barr. Plus, questions over whether Justice Clarence Thomas' wife is a threat to the Supreme Court, a weekend of unforgettable NFL games, the U.S. weighs its options for de-escalating Russian aggression in Ukraine, the fake elector scheme in Pennsylvania, and a Fulton County court greenlights a special grand jury in the Trump election interference probe.Joined by: Mike Schmidt, Claire McCaskill, Betsy Woodruff Swan, Jane Mayer, Tim Miller, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, Michael Crowley, Katty Kay, Ben Rhodes, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Yamiche Alcindor, and Eddie Glaude 

Chris, Zack, and Melanie talk about the massing of Russian troops near Ukraine's eastern border and the Biden administration's efforts to deter Putin from invading Ukraine. What is Putin's motivation for the actions of the last several months? Are the Biden team's threats of crippling economic sanctions in the case of an invasion credible? How will the different interests of individual NATO allies affect what President Joe Biden is able to promise in upcoming discussions? Could our handling of this potential crisis make it more likely that China will try to take Taiwan? Chris has some thoughts on media coverage of Omicron, Zack wishes Donald Trump would stop praising leaders with authoritarian tendencies, and Melanie laments that the Biden administration has still not developed an economic strategy for Asia. Links: Josh Shifrinson and Stephen Wertheim, “Acting Too Aggressively on Ukraine May Endanger It—and Taiwan,” Washington Post, Dec. 23, 2021. Kori Schake, “Russia's Aggression in Ukraine Is Backfiring,” The Atlantic, Dec. 29, 2021. “Purdue Sends Message to China,” Wall Street Journal, Dec. 17, 2021. Yuka Hayashi, “US on Sidelines as China and Other Asia-Pacific Nations Launch Trade Pact,” Wall Street Journal, Jan. 1, 2022. Francis J. Gavin, “Is Team Biden Winning?”, Texas National Security Review, Dec. 30, 2021. Andrew Kramer, Steven Erlanger, and David Sanger, “Russia Lays Out Demands for a Sweeping New Security Deal with NATO,” New York Times, December 17, 2021. Michael Kofman and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, “The Myth of Russian Decline,” Foreign Affairs, Oct. 19, 2021. Michael Crowley and Julian E. Barnes, “How Far Would Biden Go to Defend Ukraine Against Russia?”, New York Times, Nov. 25, 2021. Sauli Niinisto, New Year's Speech, Presidentti.fi, Jan. 1, 2022. Michael Crowley, “Biden Stand on Ukraine is a Wider Test of US Credibility Abroad,” New York Times, Dec. 16, 2021. Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Handssler, and Nicole Gaouette, “House Lawmakers Push Biden Administration to Do More to Deter Russian Aggression against Ukraine,” CNN, Dec. 14, 2021. Mark Cancian, “What Would it Take to Defend Ukraine? Potentially, Billions of Dollars,” Breaking Defense, Dec. 7, 2021.  Jennifer Millman, “NY COVID Hospitalizations Top 2021 Surge Levels; Omicron Quintuples Risk of Breakthrough Cases,” NBC New York, Jan. 3, 2022, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/ny-covid-hospitalizations-top-2021-surge-levels-as-omicron-drives-95-of-cases/3476250/. “Future Foreign Policy series featuring Ambassador Robert Zoellick,” New American Engagement Initiative, Jan. 19, 2022, 12:00 p.m. ET, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/ffp-series-featuring-ambassador-robert-zoellick/.

Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate whether there is a "Biden doctrine" and if so, what exactly it is. They identify two separate threads in Biden's thinking and that of his team — one idealist vision for global democracy, and a second more pragmatic and restrained approach. These diverging views do not, at the moment, appear to have yet been resolved. Chris also questions George W. Bush on the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, Melanie weighs in on the Met Gala, and Zack supports expanding Selective Service registration.    Brian O'Toole, “Biden's Empty Posts are a National Security Problem,” Atlantic Council, August 10, 2021, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/bidens-empty-posts-are-a-national-security-problem/. Danielle L. Lupton, "Biden Has a Narrow Window to Restore U.S. Credibility," Foreign Affairs, Feb. 8, 2021, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-02-08/biden-has-narrow-window-restore-us-credibility. Dominic Tierney, “In Search of the Biden Doctrine,” FPRI, November 9, 2021, https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/11/in-search-of-the-biden-doctrine/. Evan Montgomery, "Credibility Controversies: The Implications of Afghanistan for the Indo-Pacific," War on the Rocks, Sept. 7, 2021, https://warontherocks.com/2021/09/credibility-controversies-the-implications-of-afghanistan-for-the-indo-pacific/. Hal Brands, "The Emerging Biden Doctrine," Foreign Affairs, June 29, 2021, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-06-29/emerging-biden-doctrine. Helene Cooper, Lara Jakes, Michael D. Shear, and Michael Crowley, "In Afghan Withdrawal, a Biden Doctrine Surfaces," New York Times, Sept. 4, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/04/us/politics/biden-doctrine-afghanistan-foreign-policy.html. Jay Hancock, “Military expected to be used sparingly,” Baltimore Sun, December 17, 2000, https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-12-17-0012170148-story.html. Jada Yuan, “The Met Gala is Full of Rich People. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wore a Dress with a Message: ‘Tax the Rich,'” Washington Post, Sept. 14, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/09/14/aoc-met-gala-tax-rich-dress/.  Joe Biden, "Remarks by President Biden on the End of the War in Afghanistan," The White House, Aug. 31, 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/08/31/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-end-of-the-war-in-afghanistan/. Joe Biden, "Why America Must Lead Again," Foreign Affairs, March/April 2020, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2020-01-23/why-america-must-lead-again. Joshua Shifrinson and Stephen Wertheim, "Biden the Realist," Foreign Affairs, Sept. 9, 2021, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-09-09/biden-realist. Joshua D. Kertzer, "American Credibility After Afghanistan," Foreign Affairs, Sept. 2, 2021, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/afghanistan/2021-09-02/american-credibility-after-afghanistan. New American Engagement Initiative, Annual Student Competition, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/scowcroft-center-for-strategy-and-security/new-american-engagement-initiative/naei-annual-student-competition/. Peter Dombrowski and John Glaser, “A Distracted Grand Strategy,” Power Problems, Sept. 7, 2021, https://www.cato.org/multimedia/power-problems/distracted-grand-strategy. Scott Lincicome, “US Regulators Are Failing the (Rapid) Test,” CATO, Sept. 1, 2021, https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-regulators-are-failing-rapid-test. Task Force on U.S.-China Policy, "China's New Direction: Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Policy," Asia Society and U.C. San Diego, September 2021, https://china.ucsd.edu/_files/2021-china-new-direction-report.pdf. Thomas Wright, "Joe Biden Worries That China Might Win," The Atlantic, June 9, 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/06/joe-biden-foreign-policy/619130/.

Alicia Menendez and Brian Williams host a special edition of Deadline: White House on the terror attack at the Kabul airport and the president's comments on the fallen U.S. service members. Joined by: Rick Stengel, Phil Rucker, Clint Watts, Courtney Kube, Rep. Ruben Gallego, Matt Bradley, John Hudson, Richard Engel, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Mike Memoli, Michael Crowley, Mark Jacobson, Peter Baker, and Greg Myre

Nicolle Wallace discusses President Biden pledging a continued surge in resources to Afghanistan while also defending his decision to withdraw troops. Plus, a congressman is slammed for appearing sympathetic to yesterday's bomb threat suspect, the Texas Supreme Court allows mask mandates in schools, the latest on the Manhattan district attorney's probe into the Trump Organization, the Texas House reaches a quorum, Republicans in Arizona are getting ready to release their report from the phony election audit, a Tennessee father calls out Republicans for not understanding what his 5-year-old does about masks, and a historical look at presidential friendships.  Joined by: Michael Crowley, Susannah George, Rep. Gregory Meeks, Rep. Joe Neguse, Dr. Kavita Patel, Nick Confessore, Joyce Vance, Reverend Al Sharpton, state Rep. Ron Reynolds, Errin Haines, Katie Hobbs, Mara Gay, David Jolly, and Gary Ginsberg   

Nicolle Wallace and Brian Williams host special coverage of the situation in Afghanistan as the Taliban regain control of the country's capital  and Pres. Biden delivers a speech defending his decision  to withdraw U.S. troops. Joined by: Mike Memoli, Ben Rhodes, John Brennan, Matt Zeller, Richard Engel, Rep. Jackie Speier, Michael Crowley, Jeremy Butler, Paul Rieckhoff, Lynsey Addario, David Plouffe, and Basil Smikle 

Michael Crowley was born and raised in South Jersey just a short distance from Center City Philadelphia. He's a three time high school state qualifier and a two time regional champion. With Michael's help, Underground Wrestling was able to provide training facilities for the Senior Level athletes at the PRTC during the COVID pandemic. Michael has a passion for the sport and is in the wrestling room almost every day.

Michael Crowley was born February 26th, 1948 in Cardiff, Wales. He began studying Buddhism with a Tibetan lama in 1966, becoming an Upāsaka of the Kagyud lineage in 1970.In order to augment his Buddhist studies, he acquainted himself with Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Mandarin Chinese. Mike has lectured at the Museum of Asia and the Pacific, Warsaw, the Jagiellonian University, Cracow, the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.His work has been published in Fortean Times, Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness, and Culture, Psychedelic American, and Psychedelic Press UK. In January 2016, Mike received the R. Gordon Wasson Award for outstanding contributions to the field of entheobotany. In 2016 he published The Secret Drugs of Buddhism, exploring the role psychedelic plant medicines had on the early development of Yoga & Buddhism.He currently serves on the advisory board of the Psychedelic Sangha, a group of psychedelically-inclined Buddhists, based in New York and he teaches at the Dharma Collective in San Francisco.Mike's website: http://amritadzong.comShamanic Roots of Yoga: https://youtu.be/b9KT7rVgynk Yoga & Plant Medicine (download): https://bit.ly/3gpOmM8 Yoga & Plant Medicine (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3wkHB4UTopics: Vajrayana Buddhism, psychedelics, meditation, soma, amrita•••Music: Royal Fern by Green House (https://green-house.bandcamp.com)Support the Podcast: Single Donation: http://ko-fi.com/brianjamesPatreon: http://patreon.com/medicinepath Coaching & Books: http://brianjames.ca Yoga Courses: https://vimeo.com/brianjamesyoga/vod_pagesUse code MEDICINEPATH or link below for 15% off the Shamanic Yoga series: https://vimeo.com/r/334h/MFJHQkFEVk

Voting rights legislation, the filibuster, and the Biden domestic agenda all seem to hang in the balance on the vote of one member of Biden's own party: West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin. Plus, Trump returns to the political stage at a Republican event in North Carolina. Joining the program is Ashley Parker, Anna Palmer, Michael Crowley, Don Calloway, Matthew Dowd, and Dr. Murtaza Akhter.

Nicolle Wallace discusses Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire. Plus, only 35 House Republicans vote alongside Democrats to establish an independent commission to investigate January 6th,  Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg is now officially under investigation by the New York attorney general, the Big Lie’s spread across the country, Dr. Fauci says Americans are 'misinterpreting' the CDC's guidelines on masks, and Biden signs a bill to address the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes.Joined by: Richard Engel, Andrea Mitchell, Yamiche Alcindor, John Brennan, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, David Jolly, Susanne Craig, Jocelyn Benson, Katie Hobbs, Jason Johnson, Aaron Blake, Dr. Peter Hotez, Michael Crowley, and Kurt Bardella 

Nicolle Wallace discusses the CDC announcing that fully vaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks in most settings. Plus, some Republicans make outrageous claims downplaying the insurrection, new reporting of a 2018 campaign to discredit Trump’s perceived enemies among his own top intelligence officials, how Biden pushes his agenda in the face of mounting disinformation, the president having to navigate an increasingly violent conflict in the Middle East, and officials in Palm Beach, Florida are bracing for a possible Trump indictment.Joined by: Dr. Vin Gupta, Donny Deutsch, Jonathan Lemire, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Matthew Dowd, Nick Confessore, Denver Riggleman, Charlie Sykes, Errin Haines, Rep. Jason Crow, Michael Crowley, Robert Gibbs, Andrew Weissmann, and Tim O’Brien  

Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate the wisdom of President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan. They discuss the argument made by Meghan O'Sullivan and Richard Haass that the Biden administration should have kept a small force in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, but question whether that would have been sufficient to accomplish U.S. objectives. Chris also issues a warning to virtue signalers, Zack calls for more virtue signaling with India, and Melanie is aggrieved by the election of Iran to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women.   Meghan L. O'Sullivan and Richard Haass, "It's Wrong to Pull Troops Out of Afghanistan. But We Can Minimize the Damage." Washington Post, April 16, 2021 Richard Fontaine, "The Case Against Foreign Policy Solutionism," Foreign Affairs, February 8, 2021 Eliot A. Cohen, "Exit Strategy," The Atlantic, April 13, 2021 Afghanistan Study Group, "A Pathway for Peace in Afghanistan," United States Institute of Peace, February 3, 2021 Soner Cagaptay, "Biden Recognizing the Armenian Genocide Shows How Far Turkey and Erdogan Have Fallen," NBC News, April 24, 2021 Stephen Wertheim, “Biden Just Made a Historic Break with the Logic of Forever War,” Foreign Policy, April 16, 2021 Oren Liebermann, Ellie Kaufman and Devan Cole, “Nearly 40% of Marines Have Declined Covid-19 Vaccine,” CNN, April 10, 2021 Senior Fellow, New American Engagement Initiative, Atlantic Council Robert Manning, “Reality Check #5: Learning to Live with a Nuclear North Korea,” New American Engagement Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council, April 26, 2021 Joe Biden, "Remarks by President Biden on the Way Forward in Afghanistan," White House, April 14, 2021 Michael Crowley, "Biden Officials Place Hope in Taliban's Desire for Legitimacy and Money," New York Times, April 23, 2021 "UK Parliament Declares Genocide in China's Xinjiang; Beijing Condemns Move," Reuters, April 23, 2021 Michael Lipin, Ramin Haghjoo, "Iran's Election to UN Women's Body Draws Outrage from Rights Activists, US Silence," VOA News, April 24, 2021 John Bew, Citizen Clem, (London: Riverrun, 2016) Future Foreign Policy Series: Featuring Wendy Cutler on US Trade Policy, May 17, 2021, 12:00PM, Atlantic Council (via Zoom)

Nicolle Wallace discusses the nationwide reaction to Derek Chauvin being found guilty in the murder of George Floyd. Plus, new polling shows Trump's support may be waning, the White House's efforts to get everyone vaccinated, a concern with the Pentagon's crackdown of extremism, and tensions in Russia mount over the imprisonment of Putin critic Alexei NavalnyJoined by: David Henderson, Robert Gibbs, Michael Eric Dyson, Jonathan Lemire, Tim Miller, Dr. Kavita Patel, Eugene Daniels, David Jolly, Errin Haines, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Olivia Troye, and Michael Crowley 

It was a bright, clear Autumn morning in October 1957 when three 15-year-old British Royal Navy cadets – William Laing, Michael Crowley and Ray Baker – set off across the rural Suffolk countryside on what should have been a routine map-reading exercise. Instead, they came across the picturesque village of Kersey, where they claim to have had a bizarre and unsettling experience, as they potentially entered a time-slip which sent back to the Medieval period.Join us every week for a new story, and maybe even submit your own by emailing us at spookygalspodcast@gmail.com. Also make sure to like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/SpookyGals, and follow us on Twitter @spookygalspod & Instagram @spookygalspodcast, for regular updates. If you want to support us further then you can become a patron by going to www.patreon.com/spookygals, and from as little as $2 a month you gain access to bonus episodes and other awesome content that we have planned for the future. Stay spooky! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com, Cahit AsovaSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/spookygals)

In a call with European foreign ministers on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said he would begin steps to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that was abandoned by the Trump administration. Today’s guest, Tom Josclelyn, thinks a series of upfront concessions to Tehran before the country’s leaders even come to the negotiating table would be an unwise foreign policy move for the Biden administration. “I’ve taken to calling it ‘servile diplomacy’ because it is very much from a submissive position,”Joscelyn tells Sarah and Steve. Tune in to hear our hosts’ take on China’s ongoing genocide against the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and the latest rocket attack on a U.S. airbase in Iraq.   Show Notes: -“Biden Administration Formally Offers to Restart Nuclear Talks With Iran” by Lara Jakes, Michael Crowley, David E. Sanger and Farnaz Fassihi in the New York Times. -“Biden dismisses Uighur genocide as part of China’s ‘different norms’” by Emily Jacobs in the New York Post. -“‘Genocide’ is the wrong word for the horrors of Xinjiang” by the Economist. -Tom Joscelyn’s Vital Interests newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicolle Wallace discusses a Senate hearing that amplified Trump’s baseless election fraud claims. Plus, Joe Biden announces Pete Buttigieg as his Secretary of Transportation, the FDA authorizes its first at-home rapid test, a look at Trump's failed election lawsuits, reports Trump is thinking of appointing a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, the challenge Biden faces with Russia, the Republican party split between fact and fiction, and one of our guests talks about getting the covid vaccine.Joined by: Heidi Przybyla, Phil Rucker, Michael Steele, Geoff Bennett, Dr. Irwin Redlener, Marc Elias, Bill Karins, Carol Lee, Jonathan Lemire, Chuck Rosenberg, Michael McFaul, Michael Crowley, Jason Johnson, Rick Wilson, and Dr. Peter Hotez

Dans l’imaginaire collectif, Thanksgiving renvoie à un moment chaleureux, familial, ses origines sont à chercher dans le passé colonial des Etats-Unis. Célébrée le 4ème jeudi du mois de novembre aux Etats-Unis, on retrouve sur la table dinde farcie, pumpkin pie, maïs, écrasé de pommes de terres, canneberges… autant de mets et d’ingrédients qui trouvent leurs racines dans les cultures amérindiennes.En première partie d’émission, Emilie s’entretient avec Sean Sherman, chef d’origine amérindienne qui depuis trente ans travaille à la préservation du patrimoine culinaire des peuples indigènes. En deuxième partie, Emilie discute avec Hélène Harter, professeure d’histoire de l’Amérique du Nord à l’université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Elle revient avec elle sur l’histoire de Thanksgiving, la place de cette célébration dans l’imaginaire états-unien et ce à quoi cet événement renvoie dans l’histoire des amérindiens. Les références de l’épisode: Sean Sherman est un chef d’origine amérindienne qui travaille à la préservation du patrimoine culinaire des peuples indigènes. Il est le co-fondateur de The Sioux chef (https://sioux-chef.com)Sean Sherman, Beth Dooley, The sioux Chef’s Indigenous kitchen, University of Minnesota Press (2017) Julie Kendrick, « Sean Sherman, The Sioux Chef: ‘This Is The Year To Rethink Thanksgiving’ », Huffpost (2020) Michael Crowley, « Trump Calls for ‘Patriotic Education’ to Defend American History Form the Left », New York Times (2020)Hélène carter est enseignante chercheuse à l’université Paris Panthéon SorbonneMontage par Marine Raut. Mixage par Thomas Decourt. Générique réalisé par Aurore Meyer Mahieu

Mike began studying Buddhism with a Tibetan lama in 1966, becoming an upasaka of the Kagyud lineage in 1970.  In order to augment his Buddhist studies, he acquainted himself with Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Mandarin Chinese.  Mike has lectured at the Museum of Asia and the Pacific, Warsaw, the Jagiellonian University, Cracow, the California Institute of Integral Studies, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  His work has been published in the Fortean Times, Time and Mind:   The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness, and Culture, Psychedelic American, and the Psychedelic Press UK.  In January 2016, Mike received the R. Gordon Wasson Award for outstanding contributions to the field of entheobotany.  He currently serves on the advisory board of the Psychedelic Sangha, a group of psychedelically-inclined Buddhists, based in New Your and he teaches at the Dharma collective in San Francisco.   In this episode, we discuss his book The Secret Drugs of Buddhism:  Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayana, a second edition of which was recently released.  The book may be ordered by clicking on this link: https://www.synergeticpress.com/shop/secret-drugs-of-buddhism-psychedelic-sacraments-and-the-origins-of-the-vajrayana/ This podcast is available on your favorite podcast platform, or here:  https://endoftheroad.libsyn.com/episode-131-michael-crowley-entheobotanythe-synergy-of-buddhism-and-psychedelicsthe-secret-drugs-of-buddhism   Have a great weekend!

Seward was almost killed the same night as Lincoln. This episode is not explicit. Voiced by Michael Crowley and Kari Aguila of “Broken, Alaska” and written by Kari Aguila. www.brokenalaskapodcast.com TRANSCRIPT Three-Fer Assasination. You’ve all heard about how Secretary of State Seward bought Alaska in 1867 and was laughed at for the rest of his life, but it should also be remembered that he was a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln, and was nearly assassinated the same night as Lincoln. On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth loaded his gun and headed to the Ford’s Theater, George Atzerodt chickened out before trying to kill Vice President Johnson, and Lewis Powell walked into Secretary Seward’s bedroom and slashed him to ribbons with a knife. He survived, but it was planned to be a three-fer assassination! Living here in Broken, Alaska, we know there are many sides to every person, even Secretary Seward. Maybe even you. This episode of Listen, Rinse, Repeat was voiced by Michael Crowley and Kari Aguila of “Broken, Alaska” and written by Kari Aguila.

Johnny 99 saw Margaret Hall today by the river. This episode is not explicit. Voiced by Michael Crowley and Kari Aguila of “Broken, Alaska” and written by Kari Aguila. www.brokenalaskapodcast.com TRANSCRIPT The Jackhole River. We have no children in Broken, Alaska, but we do have Margaret Hall at 92 years old. And she’s still out leading tours down the frothy rapids of the Jackhole River. When I asked her what she thinks about catching Covid19, she just snorted a laugh and said, “You mean, can it catch me!? Now scoot outta here, sweet cheeks, I gotta get home to my boy-toy, Tyler. He’s been working his glutes extra hard this week on the treadmill, and I’m gonna see if I can bounce a quarter off ‘em.” I flipped her a Kennedy half-dollar and told her to bounce it two times for me. This episode of Listen, Rinse, Repeat was voiced by Michael Crowley and Kari Aguila of “Broken, Alaska” and written by Kari Aguila.

Seward bought Alaska, but was it folly? This episode is not explicit. Voiced by Paul Eenhoorn and Michael Crowley of “Broken, Alaska” and written by Kari Aguila. www.brokenalaskapodcast.com TRANSCRIPT Seward’s Folly. What are you reading, Mark? I thought the cats and I would learn about U.S. Secretary of State, William H. Seward. I heard that guy was a weirdo. Most people thought he was a bit weird. See, he bought the Alaskan territory from Russia for at the time, a measly $7 million. It was cold, sparsely populated, and didn’t show much promise. Congress people laughed and laughed, and called the whole Alaskan purchase “Seward’s Folly”. See, sounds like a looser. Seward died a few years later, and went to his grave thinking he was America’s biggest loser for buying Alaska. But, in 1896, they found gold in the Klondike. So, he never knew his Alaska purchase was an amazing deal? Not in his life. Wow. This episode of Listen, Rinse, Repeat was voiced by Paul Eenhoorn and Michael Crowley of “Broken, Alaska” and written by Kari Aguila.

2020 began with a bombing in Iraq - ordered by President Trump - which killed one of Iran's highest ranking military officers. In this episode, we take a close look at the recent history of our relationship with the Iranian government in order to understand how we started the year on the brink of another war. Also, since our President is a total wildcard, we look at what Congress authorized for 2020 in terms of war with Iran, Iraq, and Syria.  Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD041: Why Attack Syria? CD096: Fast Tracking Fast Track (Trade Promotion Authority) CD108: Regime Change CD131: Bombing Libya CD141: Terrorist Gifts & The Ministry of Propaganda (2017 NDAA) CD156: Sanctions – Russia, North Korea & Iran CD172: The Illegal Bombing of Syria CD175: State of War CD190: A Coup for Capitalism CD191: The “Democracies” Of Elliott Abrams CD195: Yemen Bills Bill: S.1790 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 Congress.gov, December 20, 2019 Sec. 1208: Eliminates the authorization for payments that started in late 2016 “for damage, personal injury, or death that is incident to combat operations of the armed forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen.  Sec. 1210A: Allows the Defense Department to give the State Department and USAID money for “stabilization activities” in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia and authorizes an additional $100 million for this year (bringing the limit up to $450 million)  Sec. 1217: Allows the Defense Secretary to use War on Terror money for paying “any key cooperating nation (other than Pakistan)” for logistical, military, or other support that nation gives to our military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria.  Sec. 1221: Withholds at least half of the $645 million authorized by the 2015 NDAA for “military and other security forces of or associated with the Government of Iraq, including Kurdish and tribal security forces or other local security forces” for “training, equipment, logistics support, supplies, and services, stipends, facility and infrastructure repair and renovation, and sustainment” until the DoD submits a report that includes an estimate of the funding anticipated to support the Iraqi Security Forces through September 2025. The report also needs to include how much and what kind of assistance if being given to forces in Iraq by the Government of Iran. Also, a new stipulation is added saying that our military assistance authorized since 2015 “may only be exercised in consultation with the Government of Iraq.”  Sec. 1222: Changes the authorization from 2015 that allowed the Defense Department to train, equip, supply, give money to and construct facilities for “vetted elements of the Syria opposition” so that the “opposition” is no longer allowed to get the money or training. The new language eliminates all mentions of the “opposition” groups and deletes “promoting the conditions for a negotiated settlement to end the conflict in Syria” from the list of authorized purposes. The new language focuses specifically on providing assistance to combat the Islamic State and al Qaeda. It also limits the kinds of weapons that can be given to Syria groups to “small arms or light weapons” (there is a way for the Defense Secretary to waive this) and it limits the amount that can be spent on construction projects to $4 million per project or $20 million total.  Sec. 1223: Eliminates the authority for the Defense Department to fund “operations and activities of security assistance teams in Iraq” and removes the authority to pay for “construction and renovation of facilities”. The law still allows $30 million for the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq (a $15 million funding cut). The authorization will then sunset 90 days after enactment (mid March 2020). The OSCI can’t get more than $20 million until they appoint a Senior Defense Official to oversee the office, develop a staffing plan “similar to that of other security cooperation offices in the region”, and they create a five-year “security assistance roadmap” that enables “defense institution building and reform.”  Sec. 1284: “Nothing in this Act, or any amendment made by this Act, may be construed to authorize the use of military force, including the use of military force against Iran or any other country.”  Sec. 5322: Creates a “Foreign Malign Influence Response Center” under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which will “be comprised of analysts from all elements of the intelligence community, including elements with diplomatic an law enforcement functions” and will be the “primary organization” for analyzing all intelligence “pertaining to foreign malign influence.” The foreign countries that will specifically be reported on are, in this order, Russia, Iran, North Korea, China, and “any other country”. “Foreign malign influence” means “any hostile effort undertaken by, at the direction of, or on behalf of or with the substantial support of, the government of a covered foreign country with he objective of influencing, through overt or covert means the (A) political, military, economic or other policies or activities of the United States Government… including any election within the United States or (B) the public opinion within the United States.”  Sec. 5521: “It is the sense of Congress that, regardless of the ultimate number of United States military personnel deployed to Syria, it is a vital interest of the United States to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hezbollah, and other Iranian backed forces from establishing a strong and enduring presence in Syria that can be used to project power in the region and threaten the United States and its allies, including Israel.”A report is required within six months that will include how Iran is militarily training and funding the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad and the threat that Iran’s forces pose to “areas of northeast Syria that are currently controlled by local partner forces of the United States.” The report also must outline “how Iran and Iranian backed forces seek to enhance the long-term influence of such entities in Syria through non-military means such as purchasing strategic real estate in Syria, constructing Shia religious centers in schools, securing loyalty from Sunni tribes in exchange for material assistance, and inducing the Assad government to open Farsi language department at Syrian universities.” The report must also include “How Iran is working with the Russian Federation, Turkey, and other countries to increase the influence of Iran in Syria.” The NDAA assumes the Iranian goals in Syria are "protecting the Assad government, increasing the regional influence of Iran, threatening Israel from a more proximate location, building weapon production facilities and other military infrastructure, and securing a land bridge to connect to run through Iraq and Syria to the stronghold of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.” The report also must include descriptions of "the efforts of Iran to transfer advanced weapons to Hisballah and to establish a military presence in Syria has led to direct and repeated confrontations with Israel”, "the intelligence and military support that the United States provides to Israel to help Israel identify and appropriately address specific threats to Israel from Iran and Iranian-backed forces in Syria”, “The threat posed to Israel and other allies of the United States in the middle east resulting from the transfer of arms to… Hezbollah”, and “Iranian expenditures in the previous calendar year on military and terrorist activities outside the country, including the amount of such expenditures with respect to each of Hizballah, Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hamas, and proxy forces in Iraq and Syria.” Sec. 6706: The 2017 Intelligence Authorization (Section 501) created a committee made up of the Director of National Intelligence, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury, Attorney General, Secretary of Energy, FBI Director, and the heads of “each of the other elements of the intelligence community” for the purposes of countering “active measures by Russia to exert covert influence over peoples and government by exposing falsehoods, agents of influence, corruption, human rights abuses, terrorism, and assassinations carried out by the security services are political elites of the Russian Federation or their proxies.” This NDAA adds China, Iran, North Korea, “or other nation state” to the target list.  Sec. 6729: Orders an Intelligence Assessment into the revenue sources of North Korea, specifically requiring inquiries into “(1) Trade in coal, iron, and iron ore. (2) Fishing rights in North Korea’s territorial waters (3) Trade in gold, titanium ore, vanadium ore, copper, silver, nickel, zinc, and rare earth minerals.” They also want to know what banking institutions are processing North Korean financial transactions.  Sec. 7412:  Effective starting in June 2020, the President “shall” enact sanctions on a “foreign person” if that person gives money, material or technical support to the Government of Syria, is a military contractor working for the Government of Syria, the Russian government, or the Iranian government, sells items that “significantly facilitates the maintenance or expansion of the Government of Syria’s domestic production of natural has, petroleum, or petroleum products”, or “directly or indirectly, provides significant construction or engineering services to the Government of Syria.” If the sanctions are violated, the President “shall” use his power to “block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests in property of the foreign person” if that property “comes within the United States, are come within the possession or control of United States person.” The foreign persons will also be ineligible for visas into the United States except to permit the United States to comply with the agreement regarding the headquarters of the United Nations or to assist with US law-enforcement. Sec. 7402: Statement of Policy: …”to support a transition to a government in Syria that respects the rule of law, human rights, and peaceful co-existence with its neighbors.”  Sec. 7411: Gives the Secretary of the Treasury until late June to determine “whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that the Central Bank of Syria is a financial institution of primary money laundering concern.” If it’s a yes, the Secretary of the Treasury “shall” impose “special measures” that could require banks to retain more records about transactions in Syria, give the government information about the people who conduct financial transactions with people in Syria, or prohibit US banks from opening accounts for Syrian banks.  Sec. 7413: Orders the President to submit a strategy to Congress by June 2020 to “deter foreign persons from entering into contracts related to reconstruction” in areas of Syria under the control of the Government of Syria, the Government of Russia, or the Government of Iran.  Sec. 7424: Authorizes the Secretary of State to “provide assistance to support entities that are conducting criminal investigations, supporting prosecutions, or collecting evidence” against those that have committed war crimes in Syria. The assistance can’t be given as long as President Bashar al-Assad is in power, can’t be used to build judicial capacities of the Syrian government, or for prosecutions in the domestic courts of Syria.  Sec. 7438: This title (Sections 7401-7438) sunsets in 5 years.    Bill: H.Con.Res.83 - Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran. Congress.gov, January 9, 2020   Bill: H. R. 1158 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 GPO, January 3, 2019 Sec. 9007:  No funds from this year’s funding or any other law can’t be used to “establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Forces in Iraq” or to “exercise United States control over any oil resource of Iraq” Bill: H.R.3107 - Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 Congress.gov, August 5, 1996 Articles/Documents Article: More US service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following Iran strike by Barbara Starr and Zachary Choen, CNN, January 30, 2020 Article: House Votes 'No War Against Iran,' In Rebuke To Trump by Merrit Kennedy, npr, January 30, 2020 Article: Overnight Defense: White House threatens to veto House Iran bills | Dems 'frustrated' after Iran briefing | Lawmakers warn US, UK intel sharing at risk after Huawei decision by Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, January 28, 2020 Article: T‘Demeaned and Humiliated’: What Happened to These Iranians at U.S. Airports by Caleb Hampton and Caitlin Dickerson, The New York Times, January 25, 2020 Article: The Iranian revolution—A timeline of events by Suzanne Maloney and Keian Razipour, Brookings, January 24, 2020 Document: Iran Sanctions by Kenneth Katzman, Congressional Research Service, January 24, 2020 Article: KEY ARCHITECT OF 2003 IRAQ WAR IS NOW A KEY ARCHITECT OF TRUMP IRAN POLICY by Jon Schwarz, The Intercept, January 16, 2020 Article: INSTEX fails to support EU-Iran trade as nuclear accord falters by Alexandra Brzozowski, Euractiv, January 14, 2020 Article: The Members of Congress Who Profit From War by Donald Shaw and David Moore, Sludge, January 13, 2020 Article: Under pressure, Iran admits it shot down jetliner by mistake by Nasser Karimi and Joseph Krauss, AP, January 11, 2020 Article: Jet Crash in Iran Has Eerie Historical Parallel by Karen Zraick, The New York Times, January 11, 2020 Article: U.S. STRIKE ON IRANIAN COMMANDER IN YEMEN THE NIGHT OF SULEIMANI’S ASSASSINATION KILLED THE WRONG MAN by Alex Emmons, The Intercept, January 10, 2020 Article: New Iran revelations suggest Trumps deceptions were deeper than we thought by Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent, The Washington Post, January 10, 2020 Article: On the day U.S. forces killed Soleimani they targeted a senior Iranian official in Yemen by John Hudson, Missy Ryan and Josh Dawsey, The Washington Post, January 10, 2020 Article: Venezuela: Guaido Installs Parallel Parliament After Washington Threatens More Sanctions By Ricardo Vaz, Venezuelanalysis.com, January 8, 2020 Article: US-Iran tensions: Timeline of events leading to Soleimani killing Aljazeera, January 8, 2020 Article: The Quiet Billionaires Behind America’s Predator Drone That Killed Iran’s Soleimani by Deniz Çam and Christopher Helman, Forbes, January 7, 2020 Article: U.S. contractor killed in Iraq, which led to strike on Iranian general, buried in Sacramento by Sawsan Morrar and Sam Stanton, The Sacramento Bee, January 7, 2020 Article: US won’t grant Iran foreign minister visa for UN visit by Matthew Lee, Associated Press, January 7, 2020 Article: Iran's Zarif accuses U.S. of violating U.N. deal by denying him a visa by Michelle Nichols, Reuters, January 7, 2020 Article: What Is the Status of the Iran Nuclear Agreement? by Zachary Laub and Kali Robinson, Council on Foreign Relations, January 7, 2020 Article: For Some Never Trumpers, Killing of Suleimani Was Finally Something to Like by Michael Crowley, The New York Times, January 6, 2020 Article: Who Was The Iraqi Commander Also Killed In The Baghdad Drone Strike? by Matthew S. Schwartz, npr, January 4, 2020 Article: Will There Be a Draft? Young People Worry After Military Strike by Sarah Mervosh, The New York Times, January 3, 2020 Article: Four Years Ago, Trump Had No Clue Who Iran’s Suleimani Was. Now He May Have Kicked Off WWIII. by Mehdi Hasan, The Intercept, January 3, 2020 Article: WITH SULEIMANI ASSASSINATION, TRUMP IS DOING THE BIDDING OF WASHINGTON’S MOST VILE CABAL by Jeremy Scahill, The Intercept, January 3, 2020 Article: America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing by Ryan Cooper, The Week, January 3, 2020 Article: Hashd deputy Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis: Iran's man in Baghdad Aljazeera, January 3, 2020 Article: Well, that escalated quickly By Derek Davison, Foreign Exchanges, January 2, 2020 Article: After Embassy Attack, U.S. Is Prepared to Pre-emptively Strike Militias in Iraq By Thomas Gibbons-Neff, The New York Times, January 2, 2020 Article: U.S. Sanctions Have Cost Iran $200 Billion RFE/RL staff, OilPrice.com, January 2, 2020 Article: Protesters storm US embassy compound in Baghdad Aljazeera, December 31, 2019 Article: US strikes hit Iraqi militia blamed in contractor’s death Ellen Knickmeyer and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, AP, December 30, 2019 Article: Saudi Arabia oil attacks: UN 'unable to confirm Iranian involvement' BBC News, December 11, 2019 Article: Six charts that show how hard US sanctions have hit Iran by Franklin Foer, BBC News, December 9, 2019 Article: At War with the Truth by Craig Whitlock, The Washington Post, December 9, 2019 Article: Foundation for Defense of Democracies Militarist Monitor, October 18, 2019 Article: Gulf tanker attacks: Iran releases photos of 'attacked' ship BBC News, October 14, 2019 Article: US-Iran standoff: A timeline of key events Aljazeera, September 25, 2019 Article: US Offered Millions To Indian Captain Of Iran Oil Tanker Heading To Syria NDTV, September 5, 2019 Press Release: Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini following the Foreign Affairs Council by European Union External Action, July 15, 2019 Article: Pentagon nominee Esper, a former Raytheon lobbyist, must extend recusal, says Warren By Joe Gould, DefenseNews, July 15, 2019 Article: INSTEX: Doubts linger over Europe's Iran sanctions workaround By Siobhan Dowling, Aljazeera, July 1, 2019 Press Release: Chair's statement following the 28 June 2019 meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action by European Union External Action, June 28, 2019 Article: Iran executes 'defence ministry contractor' over spying for CIA Aljazeera, June 22, 2019 Article: Saudi oil tankers show 'significant damage' after attack – Riyadh By Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, May 13, 2019 Article: Bolton: US deploying bombers to Middle East in warning to Iran Aljazeera, May 6, 2019 Statement: Statement from the National Security Advisor Ambassador John Bolton WhiteHouse.gov, May 5, 2019 Article: Iran responds in kind to Trump's IRGC 'terrorist' designation Aljazeera, April 8, 2019 Statement: Designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Foreign Terrorist Organization WhiteHouse.gov, April 8, 2019 Document: The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview By Pat Towell and Aras D. Kazlauskas, Congressional Research Center, August 8, 2018 Article: Mike Pompeo speech: What are the 12 demands given to Iran? By Aljazeera News, May 21, 2018 Article: Trump Jr. and Other Aides Met With Gulf Emissary Offering Help to Win Election By Mark Mazzetti, Ronen Bergman and David D. Kirkpatrick, The New York Times, May 19, 2018 Article: If the Iran deal had been a Senate-confirmed treaty, would Trump have been forced to stay in? Nope. By Andrew Rudalevige , The Washington Post, May 9, 2018 Article: Trump Abandons Iran Nuclear Deal He Long Scorned By Mark Landler, The New York Times, May 8, 2018 Article: Valiant picks up another government business in $135M cash deal By Robert J. Terry, The Washington Business Journal, April 19, 2018 Article: 64 Years Later, CIA Finally Releases Details of Iranian Coup By Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Foreign Policy, June 20, 2017 Article: CIA Creates New Mission Center to Turn Up the Heat on Iran By Shane Harris, The Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2017 Article: CIA establishes mission center focused on North Korea By Max Greenwood, The Hill, May 10, 2017 Article: The Shadow Commander By Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, September 23, 2013 Article: Iran and Iraq remember war that cost more than a million lives By Ian Black, The Guardian, September 23, 2010 Document: Executive Order 12959—Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect to Iran Administration of William J. Clinton, GPO, May 7, 1995 Document: Middle East Peace Process, Executive Order 12957—Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect to the Development of Iranian Petroleum Resources Administration of William J. Clinton, GPO, March 15, 1995 Additional Resources Biography: Reuel Marc Gerecht Foundation for Defense of Democracies Budget: EUROPEAN DETERRENCE INITIATIVE, Department of Defense Budget Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 By Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, March 2019 Budget: EUROPEAN REASSURANCE INITIATIVE, Department of Defense Budget Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, February 2017 Fundraising Summary: Sen. James E Risch - Idaho OpenSecrets.org Joint Resolution: Public Law 107–40 107th Congress GPO, Congress.gov, September 18, 2001 Podcast Episode: GHOSTS OF MOSSADEGH: THE IRAN CABLES, U.S. EMPIRE, AND THE ARC OF HISTORY Document: TITLE 31—MONEY AND FINANCE GovInfo.gov Video: Why I Voted Against The Sactions Bill Bernie Sanders Video: MORE THAN JUST RUSSIA — THERE’S A STRONG CASE FOR THE TRUMP TEAM COLLUDING WITH SAUDI ARABIA, ISRAEL, AND THE UAE By Jeremy Scahill, The Intercept Vote Results: ROLL CALL 33, Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Medal Act Clerk of House of Representatives Vote Results: ROLL CALL 34, Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Medal Act Clerk of House of Representatives Sound Clip Sources Press Conference: Trump tells GOP donors that Soleimani was 'saying bad things' before strike, The Hill, January 10, 2020 Hearing: From Sanctions to the Soleimani Strike to Escalation: Evaluating the Administration’s Iran Policy, United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, January 14, 2020 Watch on Youtube Watch on CSPAN Witnesses DID NOT SHOW: Mike Pompeo Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations Avril Haines, Columbia University (formerly NSA and CIA) Stephen Hadley Transcript: 44:55 Richard Haass: Here, I would highlight the American decision in 2018 to exit the 2015 nuclear agreement, the JCPOA, and the decision to introduce significant sanctions against Iran. These sanctions constituted a form of economic warfare. Iran was not in a position to respond in kind and instead instituted a series of military actions meant to make the United States and others pay a price for these sanctions and therefore to conclude they needed to be removed. It is also important, I believe, to point out here that the United States did not provide a diplomatic alternative to Iran when it imposed these sanctions. This was the context in which the targeted killing of Qassem Suleimani took place. This event needs to be assessed from two vantage points. One is legality. It would have been justified to attack Suleimani if he was involved in mounting a military action that was imminent. If there is evidence that can responsibly be made public supporting that these criteria were met of imminence, it should be. If, however, it turns out criteria were not met, that what took place was an action of choice rather than the necessity, I fear it will lead to an open ended conflict between the United States and Iran. Fought in many places with many tools and few red lines that will be observed. The President tweeted yesterday that the question of this imminence doesn't really matter. I would respectfully disagree. Imminence is central to the concept of preemption, which is treated in international law as a legitimate form of self defense. Preventive attacks though are something very different. They are mounted against a gathering threat rather than an imminent one, and a world of regular preventive actions would be one in which conflict was prevalent. 47:20 Richard Haass: First, there were other, and I believe better ways to reestablish deterrence with Iran. Secondly, the killing interrupted what I believe were useful political dynamics in both Iran and Iraq. Thirdly, U.S.-Iraqi ties were deeply strained. Fourthly, we've been forced to send more forces to the region rather than make them available elsewhere. Fifthly, given all worldwide challenges, I do not believe it is in our strategic interest to have a new war in the middle East. And six, Iran has already announced plans to take steps at odds with the JCPOA, which will shrink the window it needs to build a nuclear weapon if it decides to do so. And if this happens, it will present both the United States and Israel with difficult and potentially costly choices. 50:16 Richard Haass: Let me just make a few recommendations and I know my time is growing short. One, the United States should work closely with its allies and other signatories of the JCPOA to put together the outlines of a new agreement. Call it JCPOA 2.0 and present Iran with a new deal. It would establish longer term or better yet open-ended limits on Iran, nuclear and missile programs. In exchange for sanctions relief, Congress should approve any such agreement to remove the concern that this pack could be easily undone by any President, and such initiatives should emerge from consultation with allies. Our policy toward Iran has become overly unilateral and is less effective for it. 1:02:50 Stephen Hadley: The problem was that the strike occurred in Iraq. The fear of becoming the central battleground in a military confrontation between the United States and Iran is being used to justify calls for the expulsion of us forces from Iraq. But a U.S. withdrawal would only reward Kata'ib Hezbollah's campaign of violence, strengthen the uranium backed militias, weaken the Iraqi government, undermine Iraqi sovereignty, and jeopardize the fight against ISIS. A terrible outcome for both the United States and Iraq. To keep U.S. Forces in Iraq, Iraqi authorities will have to manage the domestic political fallout from the strike on Suleimani. U.S. Administration and the Congress can help by making public statements reaffirming that America respects the sovereignty and independence of Iraq that U.S. Forces are in Iraq to train Iraqi security forces and to help them protect the Iraqi people from a resurgent ISIS that the United States will coordinate with the Iraqi government on matters involving the U.S. Troop presence, that so long as U.S. Troops and diplomats in Iraq are not threatened, America's confrontation with Iran will not be played out on Iraqi territory, and that the United States supports the aspirations of the Iraqi people for a government that can meet their needs and expectations, and is free of corruption, sectarianism and outside influence. 1:49:30 Richard Haass: The other thing I think you heard from all three of us is the importance of repairing the U.S.-Iraqi relationship. I mean, think about it. Qasem Soleimani's principle goal was to drive the United States out of Iraq. Why in the world would we want to facilitate his success there after his death? We ought to make sure that doesn't happen. And Steve Hadley gave, I thought, a lot of good ideas about ways we could signal almost to help the Iraqi government manage the Iraqi politics. We could also look at some creative things. When I was in the Pentagon years ago, when we were building what became Central Command, we used to look at the idea of presence without stationing. There's ways to have a regular force presence without necessarily having forces be permanent. This may help the Iraqi government manage the politics of it without a serious diminuition of our capabilities. 1:58:20 Richard Haass: I think there's a fundamental difference between taking out a member of a terrorist organization and taking out an individual who is, who was an official of a nation state, who happens to use terrorist organizations to promote what the state sees as its agenda. I'm not saying it's necessarily wrong, I'm saying it's a big step. We've crossed a line here. So I think one thing this committee needs to think about is when it looks at AUMF's, none is on the books that allows us to do this as best I understand. So I think it's a legitimate question for this committee to say, do we need to think about an AUMF towards Iran that deals with this set of scenarios, where Iran would use military force to promote its ends, and also with the one that both Steve Hadley and I have talked about here, about the gathering threat on the Iranian nuclear side. 2:07:50 Avril Haines: Clearly the strike had an enormous impact on our relationship with Iraq. Iraq has come out and indicated that they did not provide consent for this particular strike on their territory. And it has brought the parliament to the point where they've actually passed to vote calling for the U.S. Forces to leave. And we've seen that the Prime Minister has indicated that in fact, they want a delegation to talk about leaving Iraq. And I think, as Dr. Haass noted, this is in many respects exactly what Solemani had wanted. And as a consequence, we're now in a position where I think it will be likely that it is unsustainable for us to have the presence that we've had. I hope that's not true. I hope that we can in fact, get through this period with them and that their domestic politics don't erupt in such a way that it makes it impossible for us to stay. 2:42:15 Rep. Adriano Espaillat: My question to you individually, this is a yes or no answer question, is whether or not you feel you gathered enough information or evidence, that from the inspectors or otherwise that you feel that Iran complied with the provisions established by the JCPOA. Mr Hass, do you feel that they complied? Yes or no? Richard Haass: Based on everything I've read, the international inspectors made the case that Iran was in compliance. Rep. Adriano Espaillat: Ms. Haines? Avril Haines: Yeah, same. Rep. Adriano Espaillat: Mr. Hadley? Stephen Hadley: So far as I know, yes. Interview: Pompeo on Soleimani Justification: I Don't Know Who Used "Imminent Threat" First, "But It Reflects What We Saw", Bret Baier with Fox News Channel Interviews Mike Pompeo, RealClear Politics, January 13, 2020 Speakers Mike Pompeo Bret Baier Transcript: Mike Pompeo: Not only when I was CIA director did I see the history and then what was the current activity for the first year and a half of this administration. But when I was a member of Congress serving on the house intelligence committee, I saw too, Suleimani's been a bad actor for decades in the region. He has the blood of hundreds of Americans on his hand. He's killed, or contributed to the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in Syria, Muslims, mostly throughout the region. This was a bad actor. And when we came to the point where we could see that he was plotting imminent attacks in the region to threaten Americans, a big attack, we recommended to the President he take this action. The president made the right decision. Press Conference: Pompeo Imposes Sanctions on Iran, Sticking to Assertion That U.S. Faced Imminent Threat, White House Press Briefing, The New York Times, January 10, 2020 Transcript: Mike Pompeo: We had specific information on an imminent threat, and that threat included attacks on U.S. embassies, period. Full stop. Reporter: What's your definition of imminent? Mike Pompeo: This was going to happen, and American lives were at risk, and we would have been culpably negligent, as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, that we would've been culpably negligent had we not recommended the President that he take this action with Qasam Suleimani. He made the right call and America is safer as a result of that. I don't know exactly which minute, we don't know exactly which day it would have been executed, but it was very clear. Qasam Suleimani himself was plotting a broad, large scale attack against American interests, and those attacks were imminent. Press Conference: The most troubling part of Mike Lee's broadside against the Trump administrations Iran briefing, The Washington Post, January 8, 2020 Transcript: Mike Lee: They're appearing before a coordinate branch of government, a coordinate branch of government responsible for their funding, for their confirmation, for any approval of any military action they might undertake. They had to leave after 75 minutes while they're in the process of telling us that we need to be good little boys and girls and run along and not debate this in public. I find that absolutely insane. I think it's unacceptable. And so I don't know what they had in mind. I went in there hoping to get more specifics as far as the factual, legal, moral justification for what they did. I'm still undecided on that issue in part because we never got to the details. Every time we got close, they'd say, well, we can't discuss that here because it's really sensitive. We're in a skiff. We're in a secure underground bunker where all electronic devices have to be checked at the door and they still refuse to tell us. I find that really upsetting. Interview: CNN Interview with Mike Pompeo The Hill, January 3, 2020 Transcript: Mike Pompeo: We know it was imminent. This was an intelligence based assessment that drove our decision making process. Hearing: Full Committee Hearing: “U.S. Policy in Syria and the Broader Region” House Armed Services Committee, December 11, 2019 Witnesses Mark Esper - Secretary of Defense General Mark Milley - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Transcript: 25:20 Mark Esper: Since May of this year, nearly 14,000 U.S. military personnel have deployed to the region to serve as a tangible demonstration of our commitment to our allies and our partners. These additional forces are not intended to signal an escalation, but rather to reassure our friends and buttress our efforts at deterrence. 25:40 Mark Esper: We are also focused on internationalizing the response to Iran's aggression by encouraging increased burden sharing and cooperation with allies and partners from around the world. The International Maritime Security Construct, which protects freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and the more nascent integrated air and missile defense effort led by Saudi Arabia are two such examples. Through these activities, we are sending a clear message to Iran that the international community will not tolerate its malign activities. Hearing: Review of the FY2020 Budget Request for the State Department Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, April 9, 2019 Watch on CSPAN Witnesses Mike Pompeo Transcript: 15:15 Sen. Lindsay Graham (SC): Do you agree with me that having a stabilizing force in Northeastern Syria will prevent Iran from coming down and taking over their oil? Mike Pompeo: It is an important part of our overall Middle East strategy, including our counter-Iran strategy. Sen. Lindsay Graham (SC): So, containing Iran, would include you having a policy in Syria that would keep them from benefiting from our withdrawal. Mike Pompeo: That's right. It's one piece of it. Yes. Sen. Lindsay Graham (SC): Okay. Hearing: State Department Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request House Foreign Affairs Committee, May 23, 2018 Witnesses Mike Pompeo Transcript: 18:05 Mike Pompeo: On Monday I unveiled a new direction for the President’s Iran strategy. We will apply unprecedented financial pressure; coordinate with our DOD colleagues on deterrents efforts; support the Iranian people, perhaps most importantly; and hold out the prospect for a new deal with Iran. It simply needs to change its behavior. Speech: Pompeo vows U.S., Mideast allies will ‘crush’ Iranian operatives around the world, Heritage Foundation, May 21, 2018 Transcript: Mike Pompeo: We will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime. The sanctions are going back in full effect and new ones are coming. These will indeed end up being the strongest sanctions in history when we are complete. Mike Pompeo: As President Trump said two weeks ago, he is ready, willing and able to negotiate a new deal. But the deal is not the objective. Our goal is to protect the American people. Speech: Bolton: 'Our Goal Should Be Regime Change in Iran' Fox News, January 1, 2018 Transcript: John Bolton: Our goal should be regime change in Iran. Hearing: IRANIAN TERROR OPERATIONS ON AMERICAN SOIL SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT, INVESTIGATIONS, AND MANAGEMENT and the SUBCOMMITTEE ON COUNTERTERRORISM AND INTELLIGENCE of the House Homeland Security Committee, October 26, 2011 Watch on CSPAN Witnesses: Reuel Marc Gerecht: CIA Officer who became a director at the Project for a New American Century. Also a former fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Supported the Afghanistan regime change and Iraq regime change. Currently a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, which was founded after 9/11 and it funds “experts” who pushed Congress to fight the “war on terror”. Transcript: 1:30:25 Reuel Marc Gerecht: Again, I have nothing against sanctions. I think there are lots of sanctions the United States should tighten. I'm in favor of most of what we might call central bank sanctions, the Iran oil free zone. There are lots of different things you can do, but again, I just emphasize the people who rule around Iran rose up essentially through killing people. They have maintained a coercive system. It's become more coercive with time, not less. They do not respond in the same rational economic ways that we do. Iran would not look like the country it is today if they were concerned about the bottom line. So, I don't think that you are going to really intimidate these people, get their attention unless you shoot somebody. It's a pretty blunt, but I don't think you get to get around it. I think for example, if we believe that the Guard Corps is responsible for this operation, then you should hold Qasem Soleimani responsible. Qasem Soleimani travels a lot. He's all over the place. Go get him. Either try to capture him or kill him. 1:32:10 Reuel Marc Gerecht: You could aggressively harrass many of their operations overseas. There's no doubt about that. But you would have to have a consensus to do that. I mean, the need is to say the White House, the CIA would have to be on board to do that. You would have to have the approval to do that. We all know it's Washington, D C these things are difficult to do. So you may find out that this type of covert action is actually much more difficult to do than going after, say Qasem Soleimani when he travels. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Charges:  Burglary, Threatening and Intimidating, Criminal Damage and a Probation Violation Warrant stemming from Possession of Narcotics and Child Abuse.

Interview with Mike Crowley author of Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic sacraments and the origins of the Vajrayana by Mike Crowley. This is being released to coincide with the release of the 2nd edition of the book.Michael Crowley was born 1948 in Cardiff, Wales. He began studying Buddhism with a Tibetan lama in 1966, becoming an upasaka of the Kagyud lineage in 1970, being ordained as a lama in 1988. In order to augment his Buddhist studies, he acquainted himself with Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Mandarin Chinese. Mike has lectured at the Museum of Asia and the Pacific, Warsaw, the Jagellonian University, Cracow, The California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work has been published in Fortean Studies, Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness, and Culture, Psychedelic American, and Psychedelic Press UK. In January 2016, Mike received the R. Gordon Wasson Award for outstanding contributions to the field of enthneobotany. He currently serves on the advisory board of The Psychedelic Sangha, an American organization of psychedelically-inclined Buddhists, he teaches Buddhism at the Dharma Collective in San Francisco.

President Trump traveled on Wednesday to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, where mass shootings killed 31 people. Our colleagues described the scene in both cities. Guests: Mitch Smith, who covers the Midwest for The New York Times, and Michael Crowley, a White House correspondent. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: President Trump began a day set aside for healing in Dayton and El Paso by lashing out at rivals, using the kind of divisive language that prompted protests in both cities even before he arrived.Across El Paso, some residents worried that Mr. Trump’s visit might do more harm than good.

In this episode, Breffnie meets Michael Crowley,a partner at Patrick F O'Reilly & Co. Solicitors, who describes the legal process of buying a residential property in Ireland

Josh talks with Bianca Tylek and Michael Crowley about prison privatization and private prisons I forgot to mention that Decarceration Nation was mentioned in the online publication Bustle this week. Thanks to Taylor Maples for including us on the list of "7 Criminal Justice Podcasts to Listen to." If you are a long-time fan of Orange Is the New Black, the guide to all of my recaps covers every season to date. If you are just starting to watch Orange Is the New Black, the first recap covers the first episode of Season 6 from the perspective of formerly incarcerated folks. Bianca Tylek is the Director of the Corrections Accountability Project. Michael Crowley worked at the Office of Management budget under both the Bush and Obama Administrations, he currently works at the Brennan Center for Justice. He was written recent articles on funding priorities for criminal justice reform and about model state movements towards criminal justice reform. I asked the most renowned expert in prison abolition that I know the question, "if you could only suggest one book people should read if they wanted to learn more about abolition, what would you suggest?" She quickly responded, "Are Prisons Obsolete by Angela Y Davis." I have also recently written a breakdown of my own experiences in Solitary Confinement. Private Prisons are seeing incredible growth in immigration enforcement contracts. Private Prisons are often shielded from FOIA requests. Privatization of public prisons should be an equally large concern as Bianca's research at the Correction Accountability Project has proven. The University of Pennsylvania produced a pretty good study summarizing the problems with medical contracts in prisons. Securus has moved to acquire ICS which will create a near duopoly on telephone communication in the correctional market. New York City just made many phone calls in jail free. Many of the companies who operate in the private prison and prison privatization space are buying up community correction and reentry services to take advantage of the movement towards criminal justice reform. Carl Takei's article addresses the move by private companies into mass supervision and surveillance. Obviously, I disagree with Michael on the First Step Act but I do agree that one of the risks of the legislation is that it widens the net of supervision and surveillance. Meek Mill is a textbook case in how expanded surveillance and supervision can be dangerous. I have covered the evidence behind the question of violence many times, here on the podcast, on Medium, on Medium again, and on Daily Kos. The breakdowns of prison costs were broken down in a Vera Institute of Justice study "The Price of Prisons."

In this episode, Michael Crowley talks about his recent job change: after many years leading philanthropy efforts for Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, this Millinocket native is returning home to become the first Executive Director of Our Katahdin, which is a community and economic development organization.  Michael shares his story of growing up in Millinocket and what has drawn him back.   Photo credit: EMHS

Sam Malone, sitting in for Mike Gallagher, talked about the U.S.'s current worst economic recovery since the Great Depression with the Wall Street Journal's Stephen Moore. Hugh Hewitt spoke with Governor Mike Pence about Donald Trump's foreign policy credentials. Kristen Welker of MSNBC's Meet the Press Today sat down with Hewitt to discuss the Trump versus Khan controversy. Hewitt interviewed Michael Crowley about the Obama administration's apparent ransom money for U.S. hostages held illegally in Iran. Michael Medved critiqued Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention last week. What's wrong with socialism? Dennis Prager spoke with author Thomas DiLorenzo. Larry Elder wraps up the show with a few thoughts on Hillary Clinton's hypocrisies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our communities are constantly changing. Most changes are gradual and predictable—a new store opens on Main Street, newcomers come to town and priorities shift. But, sometimes change is abrupt, unexpected—a major natural disaster or an epidemic. How can your city or town best prepare for unanticipated change? What will help your community respond to challenges not only to bounce back, but to become stronger than ever? Michael Crowley, senior program officer, Institute for Sustainable Communities, and Christine Morris, chief resilience officer with the city of Norfolk, Virginia, join CommunityMatters for an hour-long conference talk to share ideas and lessons learned from building resilient communities. Follow along with our notes here: http://bit.ly/1y40o2A. Photo credit: Martijn de Valk, Flickr Creative Commons, https://flic.kr/p/9xJXrc

8 AM - 1 - Louis Farrakhan went off on Ferguson and threatened to "tear this country apart"; Ferguson stuff. 2 - Politico Michael Crowley talks about his story "Can a Wonk Run a War" about the new Sec Def Ashton Carter. 3 - Marshall's News. 4 - House comm