Podcasts about middle eastern

In this episode of the Derek Hunter Podcast, Dean Karayanis — New York Sun columnist and former Rush Limbaugh staffer — delivers hard-hitting, unfiltered breakdown of media double standards, establishment narratives, and foreign policy failures. Dean confronts retired General Mark Hertling over his appearance on Morning Joe, contrasting how the media coddles establishment military figures while demonizing anyone aligned with the right. He tears into Hertling's lectures on Middle Eastern culture and the flawed strategy regarding Iran's Karg Island, drawing sharp historical parallels to World War II, the Iraq War, and the Art of the Deal. Later in the show, the focus shifts across the Atlantic to Canada and Europe. Dean dissects a troubling clip from Canadian politician Mark Carney regarding a "New World Order" built out of Europe, exposing the left's sudden pivot from “diversity to an all-white, all European heritage focus on heritage. Plus, Senator John Fetterman (Democrat-Pennsylvania) challenges the media to confront the Democratic Senate candidate, Graham Platner (Nazi-Maine), over trolling on the child-rape app Kik. The media is trying to run interference for Platner, as illustrated in the Meet the Press conversation Senator Raphael Warnock. Asked if Platner has the character to serve in the Senate, the so-called reverend engages in a textbook filibuster and shills his new book. Free speech crackdowns in Ireland following civil unrest, where the beheading is fine but the people who shared the video are the problem. Plus, a quick-fire review of Steven Spielberg's latest sci-fi letdown, Disclosure Day and World Cup fever. Get yourself a cold beer, put on your sunscreen, and buckle up for a Monday reality check.

In this episode, Nihal El Aasar returns to this podcast to discuss the competing progressive alternatives in the Arab world prior to the establishment of the State of Israel. Arab attempts to join capitalist systems were obstructed by British and Zionist colonial power, leading to the maintenance of a hegemonic state. We also reference the Union of Arab States and the role of the Zionist entity in hindering regional development. Gamal Abdel Nasser and other leaders in Egypt attempted to create a sovereign economic and political space through nationalist projects. This was actively resisted by Western powers and seen as a threat to imperialist interests. The theory of dependency, as developed by Samir Amin, highlights how underdevelopment in the global South is the result of the expansion of global capital. Nihal argues that while Nasser's project was popular and supported by the masses, his distrust in popular participation and repressive actions against intellectuals helped prevent the project from fully being actualized. The formation of Israel was intertwined with Western efforts to manage the political future of the so-called Middle Eastern region. Israel has hindered the Arab modernization project and has negatively affected the surrounding countries. We discuss how Israel exists in the region to halt the potential of the Arab people as a whole. This is done through repression, impoverishment, and preventing economic prosperity. The U.S. interests in extraction and controlling resources in the region also play a role in this. Apart from that, we meditate on Egypt's early 20th century role as a leader in the Arab world and the expectations placed on its military and economy for stability and development being largely shaped by its history of conflict with Israel and the continued presence of Zionism in the region. The military's control of the economy, rise of religious fundamentalism, and prevalence of conspiracy theories can all be traced back to this relationship. Additionally, Egypt's 20th century development was and continued to be hindered by both structural pressures from outside and its own struggle with overextension as a newly decolonized nation. The working class in Egypt consisted mainly of peasants who were oppressed under the Egyptian monarchy. Land reforms were necessary for progress and industrialization was slowly taking place. From the start, Egyptian nationalism was formed in opposition to Zionism. Nasser faced challenges from the US and its allies and had to build up the Egyptian military in response. We discuss how the nationalization of the Suez Canal and the creation of the United Arab Republic were unprecedented events, but internal struggles and external interference ultimately led to its downfall. The Gulf monarchies have also been deeply intertwined with imperial and capitalist interests since their founding, making them a natural opposition to Arab socialist and progressive projects. The 1973 oil embargo, El Aasar argues, was the last major act of Arab unity but was not an altruistic act of solidarity. The embargo affirmed the importance of the petrodollar for the US and was influential in bringing about the Camp David Accords, which aimed to consolidate the petrodollar and move Egypt fully from the Soviet camp to that of the United States. We meditate on the significance of Camp David and the 1978 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, arguing that it represents a betrayal of Egyptian sovereignty and a move towards neoliberalism and repression. She also highlights how this has instilled a defeatist mindset in Egyptians and led to ongoing struggles with poverty and domestic warfare. She argues that the current regime in Egypt is a continuation of the "Camp David Republic" and that the promised benefits of peace, such as prosperity and political openness, have been left unfulfilled.   If you like what we do and want to support our ability to have more conversations like this. Please consider becoming a Patron. You can do so for as little as a 1 Dollar a month and you will gain access to our Discord.   Nihal is an Egyptian  writer, researcher, political analyst, radio host and DJ. She has written about politics, political economy, culture, literature and music in several publications including The Baffler, The Transnational Institute, Verso, Jacobin, Tribune, Parapraxis, Mundial, Art Review, The Wire, Protean, Novara media, and others, as well as authoring a book chapter about Egyptian political economy and consulting on related issues. "The Condition for Freedom Is for the Egyptian Masses to Take to the Streets"Egypt's Centrality in the Struggle for Palestine" by Nihal El Aasar   Episode artwork includes an artificially colorized version of this photo: "Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin acknowledge applause during a Joint Session of Congress in which President Jimmy Carter announced the results of the Camp David Accords." full credit information here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sadat_and_Begin_clean3.jpg  

In Episode 496 of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb open with a rich discussion on the theology of congregational singing — including the Trinity Psalter Hymnal, the Getty's Sing!, and why psalm-singing belongs at the heart of Christian worship. The main event, however, is the first installment of their study of the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30). Tony and Jesse argue that this parable is widely misread as a lesson in personal productivity or spiritual gift deployment, when in fact its center of gravity is entirely eschatological and theological: the wicked servant's failure is not financial incompetence — it is a catastrophic misunderstanding of who the master is, and therefore, who he himself is as a servant of that master. Key Takeaways The parable is eschatological, not motivational. Situated in Matthew 25 as the second of three eschatological parables in the Olivet Discourse, the Parable of the Talents answers the disciples' question about the sign of Christ's coming — not a general lesson about using your abilities for God. "Talents" refers to an enormous monetary sum, not personal giftedness. A single talent represented roughly 20 years of a laborer's wages. Even the least-endowed servant received an immense, unearned gift — which makes the wicked servant's inaction all the more indefensible. The wicked servant's problem is theological, not financial. He doesn't bury the talent out of ignorance or fear alone — he actively mischaracterizes the master as exploitative and unjust. His failure is a failure of theology: he does not know who his master is. The commendation "Well done, good and faithful servant" is the basic reward of every believer, not a tiered prize for the most productive. The five-talent and two-talent servants receive identical commendations, suggesting the measure is proportional faithfulness, not absolute output. Faithful stewardship is active, not passive. Both faithful servants are marked by immediacy and energetic engagement. The parable does not explain how they doubled their talents because the mechanics are not the point — their disposition of active, risk-taking faithfulness is. The parable resists works-righteousness readings. Whether one is Augustine or an anonymous deathbed convert, every justified believer enters into the same joy of the master. The parable is not a theology of graduated heavenly rewards but a distinction between those who understand their master and those who do not. The talents represent the stewardship of the Gospel and the Kingdom itself. The master entrusting his servants with his property is a picture of Christ entrusting the church with the message of salvation — ownership remains with the master, the servants are stewards, not proprietors. Key Concepts The Wicked Servant's Problem Is Who He Thinks the Master Is The most common misreading of this parable locates the wicked servant's failure in laziness or timidity — he was simply too afraid to act. But Tony Arsenal argues compellingly that the servant's own words expose something far more serious. He says, "I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow." This is not a confession of fear; it is an accusation. The servant has constructed a theology of his master as an exploitative, unjust overseer who doesn't deserve a return. What he catastrophically misses is that the very possession of 20 years' worth of wages — an unearned, unimaginable gift — is the master sowing into him. His refusal to act is, at its root, a refusal to acknowledge the master's generosity and authority. This is the parable's most penetrating theological edge. "Well Done" Is for Every Believer, Not Just the Most Productive One of the episode's most pastorally significant observations is Tony's argument that the commendation "Well done, good and faithful servant — enter into the joy of your master" is not reserved for spiritual high-achievers. Because the five-talent and two-talent servants receive word-for-word identical commendations despite wildly different absolute returns, the logical entailment is that the one-talent servant, had he been faithful, would have received the same words. This means the commendation is not calibrated to productivity — it is the basic inheritance of every believer who enters glory. The soul-winner and the deathbed convert, Augustine and the unknown faithful, all hear the same welcome. The parable is therefore not teaching a graduated hierarchy of heavenly reward, but a binary distinction: those who know their master and act accordingly, and those who do not. The Parable Cannot Be Detached from Its Eschatological Context Jesse Schwamb is careful to anchor the parable in its literary and theological context: this is the second of three eschatological parables in Matthew 25, all part of the Olivet Discourse, all delivered in direct response to the disciples' question about the sign of Christ's return and the end of the age. Detaching the Parable of the Talents from that frame — and reading it instead as a general productivity principle or a theology of spiritual gifts — drains it of what Jesse calls its "gravity." The master going away and returning after a long time is a direct image of the ascended Christ and his parousia. The servants' task during the interval is not self-improvement or career stewardship — it is watchful, active discipleship in the time between the first and second comings. Everything in the parable, including the staggering sums of money, is calibrated to that eschatological frame. Memorable Quotes The real difference is that the former servants understood that their master had trusted them with a task and expected something of them, and the unfaithful, wicked, lazy servant had a total misunderstanding of who the master was — and therefore what his role as the master's servant was. That's the point of this parable. — Tony Arsenal Well done, good and faithful servant — that's not a special commendation that only the most amazing Christian servants get. That's the basic commendation that every Christian who enters into glory will receive. Whether you have been the most productive soul-winner in the world... you're going to receive the same commendation as the person who dies, and on their deathbed the last thing that they think is, 'I trust Jesus.' — Tony Arsenal God's measure of faithfulness is proportional, not absolute. The two-talent servant is not judged by the five-talent standard. He is judged by what he received. — Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript [00:00:08] Tony Arsenal: that's not a special commendation that only the most amazing Christian servants get, right? That's the basic commendation that every Christian who enters into glory will receive. Whether you have been the most productive soul-winner in the world, whether you are the most, you know, the most sanctified Christian who's ever lived, whether you are, the most amazing person and millions of people have come to faith because of your ministry, you're going to receive the same commendation as the person who dies, and on their deathbed the last thing that they think is, I trust Jesus." Right. And they've produced no converts, no ministry, and maybe no one even knows that they were justified, because in their final moments before the lights went out, they trusted in Jesus, right? They hear the same well done, good and faithful servant when they enter into glory. Welcome to episode 496 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  [00:01:19] Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother.  [00:01:21] Parable Teaser [00:01:21] Jesse Schwamb: You know, the parables just keep coming for us, like we've said. And on this episode, to, just to tee it up, to whet everybody's appetites, we've got three servants, one absent master, an uncomfortable amount of money. What could go wrong? Yeah. As it turns out, quite a bit, especially if you're the kind of person who responds to divine generosity by finding the nearest shovel. So we're gonna get to all of that in this, what I call, this now sandwich of eschatological parables or teachings of Jesus in Matthew 25. So hopefully you're curious, hopefully you're stoked. But you can go put your thumb right in the scriptures there, because you're gonna meet us there very, very, very, very shortly. But first we got business. It's always the business we must do, the part of the podcast where we affirm with something or deny against something. And as always, I'm really curious what you have, and now I understand you have a list, or you're keeping a list. So- I do ... never again will there be something like that falls to the cutting room floor, brothers and sisters. Tony is always gonna have for us whatever was- ... what came to his brilliant mind as an affirmation or denial at any point, day or night.  [00:02:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. Do you, Jesse, do you ever have... I know the answer to this question is going to be yes- Yeah. That's good ... but I'm gonna ask it- All right ... mostly for rhetorical effect here. This is good podcasting.  [00:02:38] Psalm 67B Praise [00:02:38] Tony Arsenal: Do you have, do you have those situations where, like, the, the so- a song hits you, and it's just, like, the right combination of words, but also the right combination of, like, musicality?  [00:02:49] Jesse Schwamb: For sure.  [00:02:50] Tony Arsenal: Where it just, like, it just, it just feels- For sure like, right and good in every part of your being. So- All the time, yep ... I, I'm affirming, um, th- this is like the most Presbyterian thing ever. I'm affirming the, the arrangement in the Trinity, uh, psalter hymnal for Psalm 67B. Now, I'm not gonna try to sing it for you, but I wanna read the words, because obviously it's, it's a paraphrase of a psalm. So, like, that's the first thing. Like, people, like, calm down. Like, it's okay to sing paraphrases. It's okay to sing. No one is actually singing the Hebrew psalms. Right. Amen. So, like, just calm down a little bit. Amen. Uh, there is a place for us to dedicate specific focus to psalms and songs that are from the psalms, but that can be something like Better Is One Day. Like, that's a song from a psalm. Anyway, that's a whole different, that's a whole different thing. Yes, I'm affirming psalm singing. Uh, yes, I'm denying overly rigid understandings of what that is. But here's the words for Psalm 67, Setting B. That's important It's, "O God, show mercy to us and bless us with your grace and cause to shine upon us the brightness of your face, so that the whole world over may truly know your way and so that your salvation all nations see displayed. O God, let peoples praise you. Let all the peoples praise. Let nations come rejoicing and songs of gladness rise, raise." Then, um, stanza two, "For you will judge the peoples with perfect equity. To nations of the whole Earth a governor you'll be. O God, let the peoples praise you. Let all the peoples praise. The Earth has brought its bounty throughout its harvest days.  [00:04:24] Why Sing Psalms [00:04:24] Tony Arsenal: Since God our God will bless us, yes, God will blessing send, that all the Earth may fear Him to its remotest end." Now, there are lots of really great, uh, theologically sound, edifying hymns and worship choruses, but there's just something about the Psalms, right? It's inspired- Um- ... it's perfect. Again, like I said, nobody is singing the actual Hebrew Psalms, or even, I shouldn't say nobody, most people are not singing, like, the Psalms from the ESV, right? These are almost all paraphrases. They're, they're translations. But there's just something about the Psalms that I have grown so much to appreciate since joining a Presbyterian church. That's not to say other traditions don't sing Psalms in their own right, and again, like, we would sing Better Is One Day and other songs that were based on Psalms. Um, even, like, real direct translations or real direct versions of Psalms, like Better Is One Day or Create In Me A Clean Heart, there's all sorts of them. But there's just something about singing the Psalms, and this particular musical setting, it's triumphant, but not in the, like, fanfare kind of triumphant. Do you know what I mean, Jesse? Like- Mm-hmm ... it's, it's a triumphant melody, and it has, like, really interesting rises and falls and... So I, I'm gonna probably try to put this at the end of the episode. So listen. Hopefully I'll get the whole thing. Let me just, let me just do this. Hold on a second. It's just gorgeous. It's just beautiful. So I, I, I don't know what it was this morning. Uh, it's, I wasn't, like, promo- particularly emotional. It didn't, like, make me cry. Yeah. But all of that's fine. Like, I've been brought to tears in worship before, and that's, that's all good and well. There was just something about it that resonated, and I was like, "This is just good." Like, this is just good music. It's good singing. Something about hearing, uh, the whole congregation singing together. Like, it was just beautiful. It was just a beautiful moment. So if you are not in a psalm-singing church, first of all, why aren't you in a psalm-singing church? Uh, no worship leader on Earth, no, no person who is worth... Uh, when I say worship leader, I mean the person who's responsible for leading musical worship. No one who's leading worshipful music, worshipful? Worship music, if you approach them and say, "I would like to sing more songs that are based on the Psalms," if they say, "We don't wanna sing Psalms here," then you just go somewhere else. Like, someone who tells you, like, "We don't wanna s- we don't wanna sing God's Word," that doesn't make any sense to me.  [00:06:56] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:06:56] Tony Arsenal: Um, now again, like, there's a way to do it. Sometimes musically they're challenging, especially if you're singing out of something like the hymnal. But again, there are plenty of really good modern style songs and hymn style songs that are either based on the Psalms or are paraphrases, very similar to what you get in the, in the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Or most, most people who are leading in musical worship are competent enough to just sort of take the sheet music and figure out how to do it on guitar or figure out how to play it on piano. Um, they're not that difficult. So you will be edified if you do this. Your church will be edified. There's probably a lot of people out there responsible for musical worship that actually would really like to do this, and they're kind of probably, like, just waiting for that nudge, so you may even be benefiting them. But yeah, this, this psalm is beautiful. It's just a gorgeous arrangement, and it's, it's perfect, inspired words. Really was a, just a, a balm to my soul this morning.  [00:07:51] Jesse Schwamb: I love it. And o- of course, a lot of that is still happening, which is such a glorious gift to the church. The couple of times that I've had the privilege of writing music for my own church has been right from the scriptures, and for me recently that was, like, Ephesians 1 and Psalm 16. And that's mainly because, like, as a lyricist, I'm not that creative, and I'd rather go direct to the source. And all those end up being a paraphrase, like you said, anyway. Es- especially if you wanna get turn of phrase or if you wanna have a little bit of rhyming, which is always a beautiful thing. I love the Psalter, and my, my hot take on that is I sometimes find that I like, I don't wanna call them, like, the alternate, but, like, the other secondary arrangements-  Yeah and  lyrics better. I don't know why. I don't think that's purposeful, of course. It's probably just my taste. But I always find them to be, like, super fire. I, I don't know why. The, the B and C versions always kinda grab me, especially if... And here's another thing that I appreciate about the Psalter, as you know, is sometimes those B or C versions will be written in an alternate key or a minor key. Yeah. And that's even more awesome, because there's not a lot of, let's say, like, cla- I don't wanna say classic. Classic slash contemporary, uh, Christian music or wors- quote-unquote worship music that's written in minor keys. But it's good to lament, as we've talked about before. So- Yeah ... you're gonna get that full breath and scope in the Psalter there. [00:09:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:09:07] Beyond Music Styles [00:09:07] Tony Arsenal: A- and, you know, maybe let me put in one more little plug here. Um- I am not one of those people that is gonna say that there's like a particular style of music that's more godly than another. I've heard people try to make arguments that there's like certain kinds of rhythms or certain kinds of like beats that are- Right either, either more godly or somehow demonic or less godly. Um, I think there might be an argument to be made that some styles of worship are not suited well for congregational singing, so they may not be appropriate for like a, a congregational worship service. Like, you're probably not gonna go in and do a lot of hip hop and have the congregation be able to like stick with you. Right. That doesn't mean that you can't worship God through that or that it somehow is less like intrinsically beautiful. But, um, there are a lot of Let me just put it this way. In modern contemporary Western Christianity, uh, there's a lot of songs that are basically just the same thing musically. You know, you'll find, um, if you go to, like, YouTube, and, and maybe, like, be careful, 'cause sometimes some of these are, they're funny but they're a little bit crass. But if you look up, like, a video about how, like, every song is Pachel Bell's Canon. Right. Right? Every song follows the same basic arrangement of chords, and this gets even more pronounced when you're talking about modern worship music or contemporary mu- worship music, because it's designed to be able to be very simple and very easily played. Um, a lot of times worship directors are not super classically trained. Um, you think of, like, the youth pastor with the guitar around the campfire. Like, those kinds of songs have to be easy, 'cause they're not, like, classically trained guitar players. They probably picked up a chord book and figured out how to play a couple easy songs like Jesus, Lover of My Soul and things like that. That's how I learned how to play guitar. That's the extent of my skills, so I'm not, I'm not banging on that person. Um, but there are a lot, there's a lot more to music. Um, there's a lot more to singing, and there's a lot more to choral music than, you know, GCDC kind of like worship courses. Uh, and singing something like the Psalter, or even just singing out of a good hymnal- Right will actually expand your musical horizons. And there's something to be said about the creativity of our God being reflected in the creativity of His people that I do think we miss out on when we are locked into really simplistic worship styles. Um, again, like, I interpret Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to mean, like, sing in the vernacular of the people. Um, and I, you know, that's a different episode. We can talk about that sometime. But th- that, that requires the songs to be singable, and I think sometimes, uh, sometimes some of the song- some of the Psalters, some of the songs in the Psalter hymnals, and sometimes hymnals in general, are very difficult to sing. And so I think a congregation, the people leading in music need to be thoughtful of that. But I think you would do well to, like, open your horizons a little bit to something a little bit more challenging and a little bit off the beaten path. Like, this melody, I don't know the chords behind it. It may not be anything crazy, but that, like, musicality and that, that sort of, like, melody is not a typical... And this might be why it resonated with me. It's not a typical kind of melody you're gonna find in contemporary music. Um, it's, it's very different. It's older. It's more classically styled. The, it's, it's meant to sort of bring you up to these crescendos in ways that modern music is not necessarily. So enough about that. I don't know a lot about music theory, so I might be totally wrong and, and- ... people might be rolling their eyes. But I, I do think that there's something to it. Like, a lot of the older hymns- utilize chord progressions and melodies and harmonies and things like that that we're just not used to. You're not gonna get that listening to, you know, even something like, like the more musical kind, uh, more technically proficient music like something like Bethel or Hillsong, which is at times musically very good. Uh, I don't know that I would recommend listening to it, but the music is actually, like, technically very good in some instances. Uh, even there you're not gonna find a lot of this stuff. So instead of going there for, like, really nice sounding musical worship, just go to something like the Trinity Psalter app. You know, for $10 on a- on your iPhone you can sing with it. Um, yeah, enough about that. I, I, I could talk about how great the Psalms are and how great psalm singing is for an entire episode. We should do that episode- We should ... when we're done with the parables, 'cause I know we've done a lot of episodes on, like, uh, on, on, like, the regulative principle and- Right I, I think we're still both in the same spot that, like- Right ... exclusive psalmody is probably not where we would land. Right. But I think I'm coming to the conviction that the psalms should have a much greater portion of our worship diet, uh- Hmm ... than they do in most churches. Um, and I really only came to that conviction when I was in a church where psalm singing was the norm. Uh, I know that we try to have at least one s- one canonical psalm for every single worship service. Usually there's multiple, but, um, even in a, a, a setting where we normally wouldn't be so focused on that, we still try to have at least one, and it's been a, a really huge edifying thing to my soul.  [00:14:06] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I absolutely love that. You'll find no complaint from me on that. I think that that's a good reminder for all of us.  [00:14:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:14:14] Book Sing Recommendation [00:14:14] Tony Arsenal: Jesse, what do you have?  [00:14:15] Jesse Schwamb: Well, it's, we're not gonna stop this conversation, just so you know. Because we don't sync up on these things ever, but it just so happens that I'm affirming with a book that it's a really simple primer on congregational singing-  There you go that has  long been on my list and overdue to read, and I am coming in hot with a recommendation for this, and that is the book entitled Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church by Keith and Kristyn Getty. And really, it covers so many of the things that you already talked about. I, I think at the foremost, it's a reminder that God cares whether in what we sing, but he does not mind how well we sing. Yes. But it is, like, the, this... What's true is that our voices might not be of a professional standard, but they are of a confessional standard. Yeah. And so it is incumbent upon every Christian to sing. And if you need just, like, a little bit of inspiration, so to speak, or a reminder of why that's important, I highly commend this book to you. In fact, in the back they have what's called, like, these bonus tracks. It's like four or five separate chapters that they've written just to particular people in the church, pastors, laypeople, musicians, even the people that help produce the sound. I found that bit to be so lovely and pastoral. It, it's gentle, the tone is encouraging, but it is also strong, and I appreciate that. So a lot of it is some of the themes that we've just talked about, but my conviction grows all the time of just how important congregational singing is, and how everything you just said, the music, the liturgy that we bring forward- has to be of a deliberate kind to strengthen that exercise, to make it easy, so to speak. And that does come into practical things like if you look at the psalter, and I, I don't... I have it on my phone, but I don't know where my phone is, so I was gonna look at the one you were referencing. My guess is it's, it's in probably a key with a couple of sharps in it, because those are the ones that are easiest to sing. So even little things like that matter. What you hear on the radio often is, or radio? People still listen to the radio? What you hear, like, in, like, contemporary music, like, often is not necessarily for congregational singing just in its key, and, and that's okay. And so even in my own church, we transpose things to make it reasonable and approachable. But what I think was, like, the critical question put forward in this book that I absolutely loved as a great reminder was: how did the congregation sing? It's very interesting that they kind of bring forward this thesis that that's how you should be judging your music. How did the congregation sing? And I think if we started asking that, it might slightly tweak or maybe change altogether, to your point, the methods and the practices that we use when we undergo worship by way or through music. So this is really great. It's easily readable, and it's for everybody, and it, there's a chapter on family worship as well, how to bring singing into your home and music into your home all the time as an act of worship so that when you get to the Lord's Day, your kids are like, "Yeah, this is our jam." Uh, especially maybe even recognizing some of the pieces of music and be excited about that. So there was a lot that made me think about here. It's fantastic. And to your point, Tony, I would say the Gettys, especially in, like, "Christ Alone," some of the other things, this is probably the closest to what you're talking about, where they've taken and imported kind of the classical hymn structures-  [00:17:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah [00:17:27] Jesse Schwamb: but modernized a little bit just the language while without sacrificing any of the theological richness or the musicality that draws your ear to those beautiful rising and falling melodies, the swelling of the vocal there, without, like, distracting from anything that's going on there. It's not emotionalism- Yeah but it certainly is filled with the emotion of what it means to be a Christian and to sing in response as an act of praise to God.  [00:17:50] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:17:52] Family Worship Singing [00:17:52] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I mean, I can't underscore enough the importance of congregational singing. We, we've, we've actually talked about, about it in context of, like, how important it is for the men of the congregation to sing, which is something I, I really appreciate about my congregation, is, is the m- the men just go all out. Like, people are, like- Love it ... nobody is, nobody is ashamed of the fact that they squawk on a note that they're not used to or anything like that. And where this really pays out, um, at least in our congregation, but I'd, I'd be willing to bet if you go to any congregation where the, where the men particularly are passionate and active in musical worship, right? Um, I think where this plays out is you see the children very quickly picking up those songs and learning them and singing them. And the, the favorite part of my day, this is gon- any parent of toddlers is gonna be like, "What are you talking about?" Bedtime is one of my favorite times of day, not just because it means that, like, in a little while I'm gonna get a little peace and quiet. Like, that's part of it, too, but there are two songs that we sing almost every single night, and Augie leads them, which is really great. He always wants to start, and he always wants to sing, and it's the Doxology and the Gloria Patri. And these are songs that he has just picked up from being in the congregation, and, you know, I, I don't remember consciously teaching him any of these songs. And now, now Adeline, who is, uh, my two-year-old daughter, almost two, she's starting to pick those songs up, and she's starting to sing them, and she recognizes them, and she responds very differently to those songs than she does to other songs. Um, it's funny because I don't, I don't know where she got this. Neither my wife nor I are particularly, uh, charismatic, emotive people. Like, we don't raise our hands when we're singing, but she, she does. She, she, when we start singing- My girl ... the Gloria Patri or the Doxology, her hand is in the air, and she's looking at the sky, and she's waving her hands around. Yeah. And, um, she recognizes that those songs have a different place than a Miss Rachel song. She doesn't put her hands in the air and wave and look up at the ceiling when Miss Rachel comes on or when Baby Shark comes on. She knows those songs. She can sing those songs. Um, but she doesn't- Respond to those in the same way. And that is a direct result of the fact that congregational singing is an important thing in the life of our church and in the life of our family. And I think a book like Sing, I haven't read it, but I've heard very good things about it, and the, the Gettys are rock solid, like- Right ... theologically. Yes. Musically. They're, they're well within our Reformed tradition, at least broadly speaking. Um, and, and they have a, they have one of the strongest sort of theologies of praise music that you're gonna find. Mm-hmm. It's not quite like a liturgiology or something like that, but it's, it's, it's a theology of praise worship, praise and worship music. Right. Um, and that's not something that's super common, right? There's a lot of theology of liturgy. There's a lot of practical theology on liturgy. Um, the Gettys have developed a really unique kind of place in things in that they've really developed this idea that congregational singing has a specific theological import, and they've developed it in a way that's approachable. So yeah, I haven't read it and I sh- I probably should, but it, it sounds like a really great book. And, um, I c- just can't underscore it enough. And- Maybe this is my little plug. Like, uh, family worship is really tough, and it's not something I've mastered. Like, we don't, we, we don't have a regular rhythm. But what we do have is we have a consistent, uh, we consistently pray at night before bed, and we consistently sing one or both of those songs. And that by itself, like, the kids are learning and they are, they're absorbing that by osmosis. Um, they're picking up the phrasing, right? Augie can tell you who the three persons of the Trinity are, and that's partially 'cause we do catechism questions, but it's also partially, and I would actually argue probably more, because of the Trinitarian structure of those two songs. Right. He's picked up the language of the Father, the Spirit, and the Son from the Gloria Patri and from the doxology in ways that probably I wouldn't have been able to teach him otherwise. So yeah. Anyway, I, I just co-opted your affirmation. But, um, but yeah. I'm here for it. Congregational worship, family worship, singing, uh, to our Lord is commanded, and it's commanded for our good- Right and for his, his benefit and his blessing. Um, and so any book that is, is solid and will help you do that, I, I'm wholeheartedly behind.  [00:22:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. This is... All that is fire. This is fire.  [00:22:19] Reclaim Congregational Song [00:22:19] Jesse Schwamb: God designed our psyche for singing, and we're probably, uh, I would say contractually obligated since Reformed is in the name of the title of the podcast- to remind ourselves and everybody else that one of the things the Reformation did was reclaim the singing of God's word by his own people. Yes. Taking it out of that performatory space back into literally the voice boxes of the people who are sitting in worship together. So sometimes we might have to do that again. You know, there is a little bit, I think, of... There, there is in some places, not everywhere, this kind of tilting of that time of worship through music to be vouchsafed or relegated to those who are, uh, let's say, like, the most, like, talented in doing that, and somehow we participate merely by observing or by- Yeah just, uh, you know, being an audience spectator of that, and that's totally backwards. So I get it. The thing is- We're all singers. We may not all be very good singers, but we're all created to be singers nonetheless. This is what the Bible tells us. So we need to lean into that. We need to invest in that. Yeah. And so I, I like, of course, what you're doing with, uh, your kids because you're not only teaching them to sing, and this makes me so happy, but you're teaching them to love singing to the Lord. Yeah. And so that is, I think, what a lot of our congregations miss, is sometimes we do it, and I'm among them often, but grudgingly. And so to get to a place where we come excited that our reasonable response, our reasonable preparation on the Lord's day is to sing together, to hear that gospel message in melody in the ear of our... You know, the voice of our neighbor in our own ear is a wild thing. It's just, like, un- unheard of. And it's like, uh, we gotta stop, right? It's one of those things also that, like- ... we've, we've talked about how it's just kind of otherworldly. Not, not only in the sense that it gives us this really kind of foundational sense of God's, you know, kind of transcendence, of what it means to participate in the worship of someone who is transcendent because it is all these voices together, but also this is something that rarely happens in any other way, especially in the Western culture anymore. This coming together to express and to participate in something where we're all reading literally from the same sheet music is just an entirely different experience, increasingly relegated to this kind of experience. So we, we must protect it, not only because God says that we ought to, but also because, again, it is, it is our reasonable response. Yeah. And it is something, like you've just said, that brings Him glory and is certainly for our good. So, uh, this is the Singcast, so everybody- ... everybody get to it. You can make your own music. God has commanded us to sing. So the sooner we just understand, like, hey, it's, it's... You know. Uh, but... And the last thing I'll say is this is one of those things that's, like, practice too. A- and I get it. Like, you may say, like, "Listen, I can only hit two notes, and that's all I'm gonna hit no matter what the music is." Well, then belt the two notes, and also know that, like, the more you practice that kind of thing, honestly, the better that you'll get and the more comfortable that you'll become. The voice is an instrument like any other instrument that takes, like, a little bit of practice and a little bit of work. But even that can cause, I think, great benefits and build a little bit of confidence. But just the example of singing and doing it from a heart that is keen to worship God and that is filled with passion to respond to Him with gratitude and, you know, adoration is really the key thing. And so I, I'd rather have a entire group full of worshipers that are singing off-key but, like, with just resounding passion than to have this performance of just a handful of voices because they feel like they're the most capable to do it. Yeah. I think we'd, we'd rather have everybody else, and to hear the congregation mixed as one of those instruments. So sing. Yeah.  [00:26:05] Everyone Can Sing [00:26:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and y- you and I have made the point in the past, too, like- I, I don't think, uh, maybe I'm wrong. Uh, we are a top 50 healthcare podcast, so maybe some doctor- I'm sure you're correct ... is gonna... Right. Like, I don't think being tone deaf is actually a physical condition. Like- Mm. I, I mean, I, I mean, obviously, like, some people have hearing problems, and that means they have trouble singing. I hear what you're saying. But, like, the people who are like, "Well, I j- I just can't sing. I'm just not capable of that," uh, like, I think the, the physical conditions that would make you incapable of singing are not usually what people are talking about. Like- Right. Yeah ... you know, some people have, like, vocal fold disorders or they have hearing problems, and I guess maybe, like, if perfect pitch is a thing, which it, it is. Like, perfect pitch is a... I don't know what causes it, but some people are born with perfect pitch. I suppose in theory that means some people must be born with, like, the opposite of perfect pitch. But I think most people who say, like, "Well, I just, I'm just tone deaf. I can't carry a tone," that, that's probably not true. Like, it just means you need practice. Um, and some people's voices, like physically, their bodies are more, more designed by God to produce a pleasant sound than other people. But I, I think actually just about anybody with a little bit of practice, and mostly I think this is probably just the confidence to actually sing and a little bit of practice to learn how your body works, like how your voice works, um, could probably get to a point where singing is not only very relatively comfortable and easy, but it's something that is pleasant and is not overly challenging. This is actually something that I think we've lost in the church. We should... This, I mean, this is about to come the episode, but, um- ... something we've lost in the church when we have sort of changed from a true genuine congregational singing model, which was the norm- And I've heard people make arguments about the importance of hymnals, and I, I agree with those arguments, although I know some people have moved them into almost like a realm of, like, divine mandate- Right that you have to use hymnals because it trains people to teach. But we have lost something with both the sort of commercialization of worship music and the pro- like making it a professional thing, and we've lost congregational singing. The, the people in the church throughout history have learned to sing. Many of them have learned to read, learned the scriptures, learned theology, not in the seminary and not in the monastery, but in the pew as they sing God's word and as they sing- Right ... the great theological hymns of, of the church. There's so much you can learn through that process that I just think we've lost. And I think going back to something like a hymnal or the Trinity Psalter Hymnal or whatever, whatever standard music your church is gonna use, and I mean standard music. Like, whether this is a collection of worship choruses that has been curated for the church or it's a published hymnal or something like that, going back to something like that teaches the church how to sing. And I don't remember who wrote it, but the trellis and the vine, like the worship that we sing, I know Mike Horton makes this point. The worship that we sing is the tre- is the trellis that the vine of our wor- of our- Yes ... faith grows on, right? That's true. Like, what the, what the church lex credendi, lex orandi. Like, the church, what the church prays, the church believes. What the church sings, the church believes. So all of that to say, like, the, the importance of congregational singing can't be under-emphasized, and it's... I, I mean, I don't know that I would I don't know that most theologists say technically s- like, congregational singing is an element of worship, but praising the Lord through song certainly is. Yes. It's, it's evidence. Um, and, and so I think that's definitely something that the church has lost in general. Um, and I know there are churches... I- it's funny, when Ashley and I were between churches, uh, very briefly after, um, our previous church closed down, um, we went to a local sort of, like, high, high, uh, production, seeker-sensitive church, very Steven Furtick-esque, and we only lasted, like, 10 minutes in this, in this service. We went in and the production value was great, and the music sounded great, but we couldn't hear ourselves, we couldn't sing- Right ... and it was very performative, and we just left. We were only there for a few minutes, and we left. And I think that's something we've lost as we've sort of migrated worship to almost, like, a professional class. So yeah, bring it back to the pews. Bring it back to your- Bring it back ... bring it back to your house, bring it back to your kid's bedroom when you're tucking them in. Everywhere. Bring it back to the car on the way to work, in the bus. Right. Like, just let's everywhere we go, let's sing and worship the Lord. [00:30:30] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's right.  [00:30:31] Train Your Voice [00:30:31] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, so as a final thing, let me compound your hot take and say that I agree with you, that I... And I think professionals would as well, and I'm gonna stand on a resource that I'm gonna recommend to everybody here in a second, that in fact the Getty say, "If you can speak, you can sing." And there are a f- a few conditions that would prevent you from doing that, of course. And even there, they wanna explore opportunities for you, for instance, signing, for instance, to ensure that you can participate in worship. Uh, the hot take is I do think that because the instrument that God has given us in the vocal cords is exactly that, that it can be trained, and that actually most people can sing. And if you're serious about that, if you think, "You know what? I'd like to be able to do that. How can I explore that?" Here's a book for you. It's called Set Your Voice Free by Roger Love. The full title is How to Get the Singing or Speaking Voice You Want. Roger Love is, like, this amazing behind-the-scenes vocal coach. He has coached, like, a ton of really talented recording artists, and this is his very contention in the book, is that everybody can sing. It's really about how much or little work you wanna put into it. And in fact, this book comes with, like, these exercises that you can listen to and then record yourself. And then he, from a distance basically, can give you some pointers based on allowing you to kinda evaluate what you hear in your own recording back. So if you really are the kind of person that's like, "Listen, I, I dare you. I cannot sing," I would challenge you, I would double dog dare you to get this book, Set Your Voice Free, and if you're really serious about wanting to try and see if it can make a difference, I, I think it can. And I've, I myself have enjoyed this book, gone back to it many times, use it in my own work and practice because I found it to be helpful. So there you go. Sing, sing, and sing again.  [00:32:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:32:07] Singing Apps and Practice [00:32:07] Tony Arsenal: And if you're not a reader, first of all, why are you listening to the podcast? But second of all, if for some reason you're not a reader I'm, I'm joking. I'm sure there are people that are listening to the podcast who are not readers. That was, like, a super smug thing to say. How dare you. I'm sorry about that. How dare you. Um, if for some reason you don't wanna read that book or you're not a reader, um, y- you can do something as simple as looking up Yousician on your Yousician, Y-O-U- Yeah ... S-I, like the word musician, but U instead of, like, Y-O-U instead of, uh, musician. Um, there are plenty of apps out there. I just, I mention Yousician just because I've used that on, like, a free trial basis with some guitar teaching, and it's a reputable source. They also have a vocal module. So, like, if you wanna learn to sing, there are plenty of resources out there who can help you train your voice. A- and it- Again, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a vocal coach, I'm not a professional singer. I'm not even that great of a singer, and I, I probably could be a better singer if I wanted to devote the time to it. Um, it doesn't take much to, to be able- Right ... to become a competent singer. Um, I think most of us, you pick up one s- just like I learned guitar, you pick one or two songs that you really like and you wanna learn, and you learn to sing those songs, and then those skills will develop over time. So enough about that, Jesse. We've got, speaking of talents- ... we've got some talents to talk about. There it is. Boom, bazinga. Baza-bazom. I'm  [00:33:27] Jesse Schwamb: back. There it is. Yeah, so- I was excited  [00:33:31] Tony Arsenal: about that one ...  [00:33:32] Jesse Schwamb: that, that was really good. And, and we should just h- honor everyone. That's it.  [00:33:37] Tony Arsenal: That's it. Tip your waiters and waitresses, folks. It  [00:33:39] Jesse Schwamb: was so good. We're here all week.  [00:33:41] Parable Context Setup [00:33:41] Jesse Schwamb: So we're in Matthew 25, uh, verses 14 through 28, and this is at least gonna be a two-parter for us. This goes by the name you might be familiar of, which is The Parable of the Talents. But before we get to it, just a quick reminder that we've been speaking about this parable, not like in a special way, but hopefully in the more contextual sense. So this is the second of three eschatological parables in Matthew 25. So the first was The 10 Virgins, which we went through. We're in The Talents, and then we're coming up to everybody's favorite, The Sheep and the Goats. All three are part of this Olivet Discourse, which is, of course, Jesus' final teaching block before his Passion. And I think it h- behooves us so that we do not get distracted from, like, the center of gravity of this thing, that this is delivered in response to the disciples' question about the sign of his coming and the age to come. Because I've heard so many, like, little talks, maybe homilies is more the right word, on this particular parable that lack gravity. So little gravity that basically NASA could train their astronauts in it. So we wanna stay away from that and I think get into, like, the, the proper context. So Tony, do you have it in front of you by any chance? And would  [00:34:50] Tony Arsenal: you- I do. I do, yeah. Yeah. Read it for us? I'll read it here.  [00:34:52] Reading the Parable [00:34:52] Tony Arsenal: So this is, uh, starting in, uh, Matthew 25 verse 14, and I'm gonna read down through, uh, the end of verse 30 here. So it, it reads here, "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them, entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents. Here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, "Master, you delivered to me two talents. Here I have made two talents more." His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." He also who had received one talent came forward, saying, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours." But his master answered him, "You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him who gave it, who give it to him who has 10 talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. For, uh, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  [00:36:56] Watchfulness and Stewardship [00:36:56] Jesse Schwamb: So it starts with that amazing connective, which we really spoke about in the last episode, in verse four- 14, starting with four. So it's tying, like we said, this parable directly to verse 13, which we know is in the, the parable of the ten virgins. But it's this idea of watchfulness. "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." So th- I think this is the point we really drove last time, that we really felt highly convicted about, that this parable is not like a detached economic lesson, but it's really like an expedition, exposition, not expedition- ... of what watchful discipleship actually looks like during the interval of the master's absence. Like, that's the whole setup here. So it's starting with this idea of like the master goes away, but here we have these slaves or these servants who are entrusted. And to me, again, that's like such a linchpin in this whole thing, 'cause it's, it's carrying the sense that of course, like, he's handing over stewardship. It's a deposit held on another's behal- I love this parable because it has some banking language in it. It's, it's a deposit held on another's behalf, and that's like the key covenant concept of the entire thing. Ownership remains with the master. The servants are stewards. They're not proprietors. And that language, I think, really anticipates, like, the entire New Testament theology of stewardship, which is developed by Paul. So like when Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." So like all of that, that's like just one verse for me. Like, that's an incredible setup.  [00:38:27] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:38:28] Common Misreadings [00:38:28] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and you know, I think it bears saying, too, um, I wanna be careful how I say this because I don't wanna impugn, uh, poor motives or anything like that on, on the, the people that I'm about to speak to. And I say this a little bit tongue in cheek, but also I say this as someone who used to be deeply involved in youth ministry. There's kind of like a, a youth ministry, um- international version of the Bible, I guess, if you wanna put it that way, where, like, there are certain, certain passages and parables that s- for some reason seem really prone to misapplication- Sure in, in some context. And I would say, like, youth ministry is the one I have in mind. Like, um, one of them is, like, in Matthew 18 where it's like, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them." Like, that's a, that's a statement about God's, God's presence in the judgment of the church and excommunicating an un- like, a, an unrepentant, uh, person who identifies with Christ. And, and ironically here, maybe not ironically, but, like, casting them into the outer darkness of excommunication, which is representative of casting them out into the actual inner darkness of damnation. Right. Like, th- there's a, there's a misapplication of that, that like, well, you know, like, if only a couple people came to youth group tonight, like, it's still worth meeting because where two or three are gathered, there I am in the midst of them. Um, this, this parable has a very similar kind of misapplication that is maybe a, a little bit less of a misapplication. Like, I think there is something to say in this parable about the fact that God entrusts us with abilities, talents, treasure, t- our time. Like, He's entrusted us with resources, and He does expect us to use those resources, uh, in a way that is honoring to Him and beneficial for the, for the gospel and for the kingdom. Um, that's true in a broad sense, but I don't think actually that this is what that... But, like, that's not what this passage- Mm ... is teaching. Right. I think I, I kinda joked last time, but, like, I've heard more than one sermon that draws the parallel between the word talent here and our talents in terms of, like, our spiritual gifts or our ability to play guitar or, like, to bounce a basketball and, like, thr- like, throw a free throw. Like, that's not the kinda talent we're talking about here. So I wanna, I wanna sorta, like, point that out just to sort of exclude that from the conversation. Yes, God gifts His people, and He expects His people to use those gifts for His glory and for their own benefit. Um, but that's not what this parable is talking about. This is a parable about the fact that God has entrusted the kingdom of heaven on Earth to His people.  [00:41:08] Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  [00:41:08] Tony Arsenal: And He expects His people to make use of that in a way that expands the kingdom and also in a way that does not... And this is, this is, I actually think, the main point of the parable. In a way that properly understands the nature of the king. The, the punchline or the main point of the parable here, it, just to sort of, like, I don't know, give away the ending or, like, unbury the lead, I don't know, whatever that is. The point of this parable- It's not that, like, it's a really good thing to double what God has resourced you with. The point of the parable, the reason that, just like the, um, just like it wasn't the virgins falling asleep in the last parable that was the problem because everybody fell asleep, in this instance, uh, the amount of money or the amount of return on investment that the servants produce is not the point of the parable. That's not the real difference between them. The real difference is that the former servants understood that their master had trusted them with a task and expected something of them, and the, the unfaithful, wicked, lazy servant had a total misunderstanding of who the master was- Right ... and therefore what his role as the master's servant was. That's the point of this parable, and I think, this is the last thing I'll say before I, I, I take a breath here. There's a lot of people that would look at this parable and might read some sort of works righteousness or, um, and this is more understandable and I think has a place within the Reformed tradition, although I don't necessarily hold this view. But would look at this as sort of like a theology which would, would argue that we receive some sort of enhanced rewards in heaven based on our faithfulness. There's plenty of good, faithful Reformed Bible teachers that would hold that position. I actually think whether or not that's true, this is still also not what this passage is getting at. [00:43:00] Jesse Schwamb: I, I totally agree with you there.  [00:43:02] Talents as Huge Wealth [00:43:02] Jesse Schwamb: I, I think one of the reasons that we know that is because we can look at some of these details and let the details speak to us about the magnitude in their representation, why they're given. So of course, whenever the scripture gives us detail, especially in a context like a parable, it can be helpful of cour- of course not to overanalyze them, but to respect their place in the context of the story, and that's why verse 15 I think is so important. So to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability, then he went away. Now, this, this varies slightly, but there's a lot of, I think, very common historicity here that points us to understanding, like, the talents as a unit of monetary weight, and there is some discrepancy about its exact weight. But what we can say for sure is this: that we're talking about, as I teased at the beginning, a huge sum of money. So in other words, like, this is a gift from God himself. It's a divine gift. Yeah. It's something that's not earned. It's something that's given and something that's entrusted. So in the first-century Roman world, a talent was roughly equivalent to, like, 6,000 denarii, depending on who you talk to, which would mean that a single talent represented approximately, like, 20 years on average of a laborer's wages. So the sums then here we're talking about are staggering even at the lowest one. So the five-talent servant is receiving essentially approximately equivalent of a century's wages, and the one-talent servant is receiving 20 years' worth. There's no such thing as a small gift in Christ's economy, I think is the point here, and even the least endowment is immense beyond our reckoning. Yeah. So the distribution also is deliberately unequal. It's five, one, two, and the text doesn't offer any apology for this inequality. The master distributes to each according to his ability, which as I say that, I realize that could probably be its own episode, that we could talk about what that even means. Yeah. But he is matching and entrusting to capacity, and that's not arbitrary. Of course, that's wise and personal, and even the Greek here for this idea of capacity or power suggests the master knows his servants intimately and calibrates the stewardship accordingly. But nonetheless, it proves the point you're making here, which is not just about, like, well, do you have some kind of innate ability that's above average that God has endowed you with here? That's not even what we're talking about. Again, the whole point of this is to answer the question eschatologically about what the end means and when the time is coming and what good discipleship looks like. And so in that way, we understand then these talents to be these divinely appointed and massively generous gifts of God, essentially, like you said, the stewarding of the gospel in the story of salvation itself unto his people, and then to make something of that, so to speak, by the power of the Holy Spirit that earns a return for the kingdom, that is all empowered by God, that is under the volition of the person, uh, the Christian who says, "As a disciple, it is my responsibility to steward these gifts." That is really what we're after. So we do kind of get in this place where when you take this and say, "Well, what are you doing with," let's say- your home, if you have a nice home, are you being hospitable enough? If you have, let's say, a good singing voice by talent, are you using that to make sure that you're on the, quote-unquote, "praise and worship team," is not, like, entirely wrong, but it's not right either- Yeah to use this passage- Yeah ... for that purpose. There's a bigger theme here. There is, there's a much stronger and widescale framework that God is drawing us to and examine, and it's about the stewardship of the church itself.  [00:46:30] Tony Arsenal: Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.  [00:46:31] The Foolish Servant Exposed [00:46:31] Tony Arsenal: That's really key, and this is what struck me as, as you were speaking about that, is like we see in so many of the kinda like, uh, like the chump in the parable. Like, there's- Yeah ... a lot of these parables have like a chump- Right ... where like you're looking at and you're like, nothing about what you've decided to do makes any sense. We're talking about people who've been given, in the first case, 100 years worth of, worth of wages. Right. Right? Any one of these people, and again, we're talking about a timeframe where, like, you could just take that money and run and, like, nobody's gonna find you. There's no digital trail on any of this, right? If I stole, if I stole 100 years worth of labor from my manager or from my, my employer, they would find me, right? That's not the situation we're talking about. So even the chump who decided, "I'm not gonna do anything with this," he could've just take- taken off with the money and had 20 years worth of labor. Right. Just 20 years worth of wages. Right. This is a, this is a sum of money that makes all f- all three of these servants unimaginably wealthy instantly, right? The point of this is, in part, that the final servant has no idea the amazing blessing and responsibility that he's been given. And again, I come back to this. It's not because he is dumb or because he is, um, somehow less competent in a strict sense, right? It, it's so funny to me, like, we also gloss over the fact that, like, the guy who has five talents, he's got 100 years worth of money, 100 years worth of wages. Right. And he just goes and gets 100 more. Like- Right he just goes and trades and- Right ... comes up with 100 years worth of wages that he brings back. Like, that's, in itself is, like, phenomenally, amazingly outrageous. We ran into this too with the, um, the parable of the unmerciful servant, right? We've, we've got one guy who's got this unimaginable debt, like, like, thousands of years worth of, uh, worth of wages that he could never make up, and he thinks he's gonna somehow come up with it if you just give him enough time. It's kind of like the opposite here. This guy's got this unimaginable amount of instant wealth, and he just buries it in the ground. First of all, how much... We're also talking about an era where money was a physical, entirely physical.  [00:48:53] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:48:53] Tony Arsenal: There were no, there were no digital banks. Like- No zeros and ones most of our money exists as ones and zeros in a computer program right now. Right. Like, in reality, like- Right ... my money doesn't exist. We don't have, like, a physical gold standard anymore in America. Jesse could probably s- I'm probably making dumb things up right now. No, that's that's- Like, it used- Right on to be that, like, every dollar that the United States government printed had, like, a piece of gold sitting at Fort Knox- Yes ... uh, like backing it up, but we just don't have that anymore. Most of the money that exists in our system is entirely imaginary. It's an entirely, like, made-up digital currency way before, like, Bitcoin was a thing. That's not the case in this timeframe. This dude who buried 20 years worth of money in the ground, that's a significant amount of labor in and of itself- Right ... to even be able to do that. So we're not talking about, like... And I think this is the thing we miss when we, when we read the word talents, and one, when we obscure it and we, like, we misappropriate the word talent to mean, like, abilities, 'cause it, that's a convenient, like, illustration tool. We're talking about a huge sum of probably gold or silver that this dude just buries in the ground, and then, like, digs it up when the master comes back.  [00:50:01] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:50:01] Tony Arsenal: And I think, like- When we don't realize how much money this is, we miss the force of the master's like, "You stupid, dumb, wicked, slothful servant." Like, if you had even taken this money to the bank and done the least imaginable- Yes ... effort. Exactly. Like, if you had done anything at all, like how mu- how difficult, granted more difficult back in this age than it is now, but like if you had even done something as simple requiring as little labor as possible and just brought this to the bank and let them collect interest on it, we'd still be talking about a huge return. [00:50:35] Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  [00:50:36] Tony Arsenal: And he doesn't even do that, and that's, that's the point. There's the people who do, and they gloss over this. The parable totally glosses over the amazing effort and work that it must have taken to take 100 years worth of la- of wages and turn it into 200 years worth of wages. Right. Or to take 40 years worth of wages and turn it into 80 years worth of wages. That's an amazing, probably almost miraculous return on, on investment. Whatever they did is amazing, and the parable's like, "Yeah, they did that." They just took it to the traders and they brought back five more talents. Like, it's nothing. And then this idiot, and I say idiot in like the most like, like exegetically sound, idios, like, like foolish idiot person. [00:51:20] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:51:20] Tony Arsenal: This idiot just buries it in the ground and doesn't even bother to bring it to the bank where he's gonna get some return on it. This is the picture of the fool who does not make use of the means of salvation. This is the picture of the fool who refuses to receive Christ as savior, who refuses to make use of the benefit and blessing of salvation that is available to all who will trust in Christ and turn to him. This is the same picture as the idiot virgins who didn't buy enough oil and just fell asleep when they knew that the bridegroom was coming, right? Right. It's not that they fell asleep, it's that they didn't do the most obvious, simple,

The Forty-Deal Mirage: Why Sanctions Relief Will Cost American Troops Their Lives** In this blistering critique of ongoing U.S.–Iran foreign policy, the commentary unpacks the strategic and personal costs of a proposed maritime framework. The host sounds the alarm on President Trump's claims that the U.S. is close to a deal for the "fortieth time," contrasting White House optimism with uniform denials from Middle Eastern allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel. The monologue highlights a dangerous economic paradox: while the administration leverages the conflict to channel global refining and extraction profits into the American oil sector, it risks doing so at the cost of U.S. service members. Drawing a direct parallel to the catastrophic 2021 Abbey Gate bombing that permanently crippled Joe Biden's presidency, the host warns that Tehran does not need to defeat America militarily—they only need a handful of casualties to break the nation's political will. With backing from satellite data provided by China, Iran is sitting on billions of dollars in clogged oil reserves. Lifting sanctions and granting them a massive cash injection, the host argues, rewards hostile behavior and teaches the regime a lethal lesson: the more American troops they attack, the more money they receive. Iran deal, Donald Trump, Kharg Island, Sanctions relief, Abbey Gate, Oil industry, China, Middle East, Military retaliation, Foreign policy, National security, Hostilities ceasefire

In this segment, the hosts break down the mass confusion surrounding the Trump administration's erratic diplomatic statements regarding the ongoing war with Iran. The discussion zeroes in on a dizzying 24-hour news cycle where President Trump alternately threatened ferocious bombing campaigns and then abruptly declared the war "over," claiming to have reached a conceptual memorandum of understanding. The commentary highlights a stark disconnect between the White House and global reality, as Middle Eastern allies like Egypt and Israel, along with Iranian state media, quickly denied any knowledge of a finalized settlement. While Trump claims a breakthrough is on the horizon, the reality on the ground tells a far different story: the Ayatollah has publicly rejected the proposal, cyber warfare groups have breached digital infrastructure, and Iranian forces have resumed drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The host concludes with a poignant warning from national security experts, emphasizing that a weak diplomatic framework fails to address Iran and China's hostile actions against American service members. Iran conflict, Donald Trump, Strait of Hormuz, Foreign policy, National security, Ayatollah Khamenei, Fox News, Drone warfare, Cyber attacks, Middle East diplomacy

Host Tara and co-host Lee react to a breaking Truth Social post from President Donald Trump announcing that the United States intends to take control of Iran's Kharg Island tonight. They debate the strategic choice behind broadcasting a military operation in advance, questioning if it serves as a piece of deception or tactical supremacy over the Strait of Hormuz. Turning to the home front, Tara highlights major domestic victories that are being overshadowed by Middle Eastern developments, detailing a massive systemic dismantling of illegal immigration and welfare systems, including the removal of four million people from SNAP benefits and a HUD housing audit uncovering widespread documentation loopholes. Kharg Island military operation, Trump foreign policy, Strait of Hormuz conflict, SNAP benefit fraud purge, HUD public housing audit, China proxy warfare, independent political commentary

The dialogue centers on a potential peace settlement with Iran, where military strikes reportedly forced the regime to negotiate a no-nuclear weapon deal and open critical shipping straits. Experts discuss the strategic importance of regional buy-in from Middle Eastern allies and the necessity of codifying this agreement through Congressional ratification to ensure long-term stability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dialogue centers on a potential peace settlement with Iran, where military strikes reportedly forced the regime to negotiate a no-nuclear weapon deal and open critical shipping straits. Experts discuss the strategic importance of regional buy-in from Middle Eastern allies and the necessity of codifying this agreement through Congressional ratification to ensure long-term stability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United ‌States will hit Iran “very hard tonight” and will soon take control of the Middle Eastern country's oil ⁠and gas infrastructure and ‌markets, US ‌president Donald Trump said today on Truth Social…Joining Ciara to discuss this further is Adam Parsons, Sky News Middle East Correspondent.

Francis and Konstantin are joined by bestselling national security journalist Richard Miniter and Middle East expert Thomas Small. We use Ground News to stay fully informed. Go to https://ground.news/triggernometry to save 40% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan.Go to https://Sheath.com. Use code TRIGGERNOMETRY for 20% off ABOUT OUR GUESTSRichard Miniter is a New York Times bestselling investigative journalist and author of Losing Bin Laden, Shadow War, and Mastermind. Former Wall Street Journal and Sunday Times (London) reporter.Thomas Small is an author, filmmaker and podcaster specialising in Middle Eastern politics, history and Islamism. A former novice monk turned Arabic expert and journalist, he is the co-host and producer of the Conflicted podcast alongside former MI6 spy Aimen Dean.

Serkan Tutar is an internationally award-winning Turkish belly dancer, teacher, choreographer, and festival organizer known for his dynamic stage presence and multicultural approach to Oriental dance. Originally from Turkey and now based in Belgium, Serkan discovered his passion for belly dance as a child during his time in Saudi Arabia and was deeply inspired by Middle Eastern music and culture. Winner of Male Bellydancer of the World 2008 and Brandon Oasis 2006, he has taught and performed in over 30 countries worldwide. Specializing in Turkish and Modern Egyptian style, Turkish Romani, Baladi, Saidi, veil work, and his signature “crazy drum solos,” Serkan is also the organizer of the internationally recognized Rakkas Istanbul International Oriental Dance Festival. Known for his warmth, humor, and supportive teaching style, he continues to inspire dancers around the world through workshops, performances, and mentorship.In this episode you will learn about:- Why jealousy can quietly damage dancers more than competition ever could, and what's the difference between jealousy and envy from the dance career perspective- The ongoing challenges of being a male belly dancer- Why body type, age, gender, or appearance should never define who gets to dance- The reality of online criticism, keyboard warriors, and how dancers can protect themselves emotionally- Why many “international festivals” are not really festivals—and how this is changing the dance industryShow Notes to this episode:Follow Serkan Tutar on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and website. Rakkas Istanbul International Oriental Dance Festival: website.Previous interview with Serkan Tutar:Ep 91. Serkan Tutar: Shortcuts That Don't Serve Your Dance CareerDetails the BDE shows and training programs are available at www.JoinBDE.comFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:1) Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes on Monday despite President Trump’s calls for both sides to stop fighting and give peace talks a chance. Iran launched a fresh wave of attacks just hours after firing ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday. Israel responded with strikes on military targets in western and central Iran, while Iranian state media reported multiple explosions in the capital, Tehran. 2) The Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group that controls much of Yemen, declared a ban on Israeli ships in the Red Sea, threatening a key bypass route to the Strait of Hormuz. “We declare a complete and total ban on Israeli maritime navigation,” the group said Monday in a statement. “We consider all enemy movements to be legitimate military targets for our armed forces.” The move comes as the Iran war drags into a fourth month and hostilities flare across the region, threatening to derail a fragile truce and complicate negotiations toward a peace deal. The conflict has led to the near-closure of Hormuz, forcing key Middle Eastern exporters to find alternative routes to global markets.3) The Secret Service and the New York Police Department barred outdoor watch parties planned near Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, citing security requirements tied to President Donald Trump’s planned attendance. The ban applies only to Game 3, with officials expecting the New York City watch parties to resume for Game 4. Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office, said the two agencies jointly determined that outdoor gatherings near the arena could not be safely accommodated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe poses as the heir to a Middle Eastern throne as WIN tries to rescue the real prince from kidnappers allied with a jealous regent.Intro special guest: Sharon Mansfield

On this episode, we speak with Nadim Shehadi, economist, political adviser and one of the leading voices on Lebanese and Middle Eastern affairs. A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was announced earlier this week, but after Hezbollah rejected the deal, can it survive or is it already beginning to unravel?

On the third edition of our World Cup previews, we talk teams that could be headed for disappointment at this year's tournament. Can Argentina keep up with the demands of yet another deep run? Is Belgium's golden generation finally out of gas? Is Mexico good enough to carry the national burden of "el quinto partido?" Has Saudi Arabi lost their luster as a Middle Eastern footballing power? We select a nation from each from 9 tiers of World Cup contention that we developed and explain why we think they could be in for an underwhelming – or downright embarrassing – showing in North America 2026. 4 more previews to go! Cheers! Chapters: 01:50 - the tier system 3:00 - Tier 1: Argentina 05:48 - Tier 2: Germany + Brazil 07:15 - Tier 3: Croatia 8:50 - Tier 4: Belgium 10:10 - Tier 5: Uruguay 10:55 - Tier 6: Mexico 12:20 - Tier 7: Egypt 15:20 - Tier 8: Saudi Arabia 17:20 - Tier 9: what's reasonable to expect?

Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, an in-depth investigatory show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (6/4/26). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth is, or claiming they have the answer, is likely leading you astray, for one reason or another. Stay Vigilant. !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble");   Rumble("play", {"video":"v78ncqs","div":"rumble_v78ncqs"}); Source Links (In Chronological Order): (21) The Last American Vagabond on X: "Clint Curtis alleged in 2000 that representative Tom Feeney had him write software to undetectably alter election results on voting machines. Curtis testified under oath that his program could award a specific candidate 51% of the vote. No accountability. Nothing truly changed. https://t.co/cikAXEblBA" / X (21) Elon Musk on X: "Yup" / X (21) Elon Musk on X: "Southern Poverty Law Center is a criminal organization" / X Southern Poverty Law Center Indictment, April 21, 2026 | DocumentCloud New Tab John Bolton, Ex-Trump Adviser, Reaches Deal to Plead Guilty Over Classified Information - The New York Times Letitia James targeted by Trump official seeking new DOJ prosecution of the New York attorney general New Tab (21) C-Reason

Journalist and commentator Max Rodenbeck examines shifting attitudes towards Palestine and Israel across the United States, Europe, the Arab world and Jewish communities internationally. Drawing on recent polling, media coverage and political developments, he explores how public understanding of the conflict has evolved and what challenges remain in translating opinion into political action.The session explores:Major shifts in public opinion on Palestine and Israel since 2023.Recent developments in the United States and changing attitudes within political, media and cultural circles.The role of media coverage and high-profile political controversies in shaping public perceptions.Changes in public opinion across Europe, including Germany and Italy.Growing international awareness of concepts such as the Nakba and public debates surrounding Israeli government policies.Global polling data measuring perceptions of Israel and wider international attitudes towards the conflict.Trends within American public opinion, including generational and political differences.Public opinion across the Arab world and the broader regional impact of the war in Gaza.Evolving attitudes among Jewish communities, particularly in the United States.The gap between public opinion and political decision-making in democratic systems.Rodenbeck argues that public understanding of Palestine has broadened significantly, with issues that were once confined to specialist discussions now entering mainstream political and cultural debate. He highlights the growing visibility of Palestinian narratives and the increasing scrutiny being applied to government policies and international responses.At the same time, he cautions that changes in public opinion do not automatically translate into political action. While polling suggests significant shifts in attitudes across multiple countries, he notes that political influence, institutional power and policymaking often move much more slowly than public sentiment.The presentation concludes with a discussion of the challenges facing campaigners, advocates and policymakers seeking to turn changing public awareness into meaningful political change.Recorded at the Britain Palestine Project annual conference, Recognition is the Beginning, held at the Greenwood Theatre, London, on 2 June 2026.Max Rodenbeck is a journalist, author and former Middle East correspondent and bureau chief for The Economist. He has reported extensively from across the Middle East for more than three decades and is widely regarded as one of the leading commentators on the region's politics, history and international relations. His work has focused on Palestine, Israel, Egypt and the wider Arab world, and he is the author of several acclaimed books on Middle Eastern politics and society.

Featuring: Chris Doyle, Shawan Jabarin, Dame Emily Thornberry MP, Debbie Abrahams MP and Paul Gerrard,  Chair: Sir Vincent FeanIn this wide-ranging panel discussion, leading politicians, campaigners, human rights advocates and policy experts examine the question at the heart of the conference: now that the UK has recognised the State of Palestine, what practical steps should come next?The panel explores how recognition can be translated into meaningful political, economic and legal action, discussing sanctions, trade, settlements, accountability, international law and the role of civil society in shaping government policy.Topics discussed include:The implications of UK recognition of the State of Palestine and whether recognition should be viewed as a starting point rather than an endpoint.Britain's historic and contemporary responsibilities regarding Palestine.The UK's military, diplomatic and economic relationship with Israel.Calls for sanctions, arms embargoes and restrictions on trade connected to settlements.The International Court of Justice advisory opinion and the UK's response to its findings.The legality of Israeli settlements and possible measures available to governments and businesses.The proposed E1 settlement expansion and its implications for the viability of a future Palestinian state.The role of British businesses, investors and consumers in relation to settlements and occupation.The economic challenges facing Palestinian producers and exporters.The role of Parliament, political parties and public campaigning in shaping UK policy.Civil society action, grassroots organising and public pressure as drivers of political change.Questions of accountability, international law and enforcement mechanisms.Recorded at the Britain Palestine Project annual conference, Recognition is the Beginning, held at the Greenwood Theatre, London, on 2 June 2026.Chris Doyle is Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), one of the UK's leading organisations promoting informed debate and policy engagement on the Middle East. He is a frequent commentator on Middle Eastern affairs and has worked for decades on issues relating to Palestine, Israel, human rights and British foreign policy.Shawan Jabarin is General Director of Al-Haq, the leading Palestinian human rights organisation. A prominent lawyer and human rights advocate, he has spent decades documenting violations of international law and advancing accountability through international legal mechanisms.Dame Emily Thornberry is Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury. She has played a leading role in parliamentary scrutiny of UK foreign policy and has been an advocate for Palestinian statehood and international law.Debbie Abrahams is Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and Co-Chair of the Britain-Palestine All-Party Parliamentary Group. She has been a longstanding advocate for human rights, international law and Palestinian self-determination.Paul Gerrard is Director of Campaigns, Public Affairs and Board Secretariat at the Co-op Group. He has led the Co-op's work on ethical sourcing, human rights and responsible business practices, including initiatives supporting Palestinian producers and addressing trade linked to settlements.Sir Vincent Fean is a former British diplomat and Trustee of the Britain Palestine Project. He served as British Consul-General in Jerusalem and has written extensively on British policy towards Palestine and Israel, diplomacy and international law.

This is our last chance to talk about the Crusades on this podcast. So I put listener questions to Dr Nicholas Morton.Dr Morton is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern and Global history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. His research focuses on the history of the Crusades and the Medieval Middle East between the tenth and the fourteenth centuries. He has written four other books on Crusading and the Crusader states as well as The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East. His new book The Crusader Storm: A Global History of the Wars for the Middle East is available now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fun episode of a delightful podcast. Happy birthday (belated), Adal! Starring:Adal RifaiJohn Patrick CoanErin KeifGuest Starring:Sandor WeiszEditing by: Casey ToneyTheme by: Arne ParrottLogo by: Emily Kardamis & Emmaline MorrisWant more? Get Weekly Bonus Eps on Patreon!JPC's Guided Meditations Volume 1, available now at our Patreon digital store!Want merch? Visit our Dashery Store!Want to mail us something? Hey Riddle Riddle 6351 W Montrose Ave #267Chicago, IL, 60634Want to leave us a voicemail? Call (805) RIDDLE-1 or (805-743-3531)Want to advertise on the show? Check out Hey Riddle Riddle via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

STREAMING THE MAKING OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, FEATURING THADDEUS MCCOTTER, 6-2-2026BRUSSELS1810 ANTWERP GATE BRUSSELSThis dialogue explores the significant political and economic challenges facing the Republican party during an election cycle. The speakers highlight record-low economic confidence among independent voters, noting that current dissatisfaction levels rival those seen during the Great Recession and the 1980s. This domestic frustration is further complicated by a conflicting and confusing foreign policy, specifically regarding the administration's handling of Middle Eastern conflicts and the Iranian regime. The participants argue that the interconnected nature of global instability and domestic inflation poses a severe threat to incumbent candidates. Ultimately, the discussion suggests that unless the administration can demonstrate concrete economic progress and clear diplomatic leadership, they risk losing the support of critical swing voters.

//The Wire//1800Z June 3, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: TARGETING EFFORTS INCREASE THROUGHOUT MIDDLE EAST AS U.S. TARGETS QESHM ISLAND, AND IRANIAN MISSILES AND DRONES STRIKE BAHRAIN AND KUWAIT. HOSTAGE SITUATION CONCLUDES AT BANK IN CALIFORNIA. TWO NIH EMPLOYEES ARRESTED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE MONKEYPOX INTO THE USA.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Middle East: Overnight the war continued to expand with multiple strikes reported throughout the region. Following the now-daily American airstrikes on Qeshm Island, the Iranians retaliated by launching multiple ballistic missiles targeting locations in Kuwait and Bahrain. CENTCOM claimed that none of the missiles impacted their targets, however Kuwait International Airport was directly hit by at least one large munition (possibly a Shahed-type drone). The main terminal was heavily damaged, and a total of 63x individuals were wounded during this attack. Additionally, locals in residential areas to the north claim that Camp Buehring was also hit by a ballistic missile, though satellite imagery is still pending to confirm this.Separately, multiple munition impacts were reported in Bahrain though the details of these strikes remain less certain than in Kuwait. Some reports claim that Sakhir Air Base was hit, however this is not confirmed at this time.-HomeFront-California: Yesterday a hostage situation was reported in Bakersfield after a man entered Chase Bank on 17th Street with what he claimed was an explosive device. The man claimed to have wired an explosive vest with a deadman switch, and took a total of 5x hostages inside the bank. The individual has been identified as Anthony Scott Searle-Sharris, who conducted this incident for personal reasons, claiming that he was wrongfully convicted of previous crimes (crimes against children). The hostage situation continued throughout the night, before the suspect was neutralized this morning by an FBI sniper team. All hostages have been recovered in good health.Michigan: Two researchers for the National Institute of Health (NIH) were arrested in Detroit, after attempting to smuggle monkeypox into the United States. Vincent Munster (from the Netherlands) and Claude Kwe (from Cameroon) were arrested after a search of their belongings at customs revealed chilled storage for 113 vials which contained Monkeypox along with other pathogens.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: As a reminder, the information lockdown is palpable throughout the Middle East, so details are hard to verify. What is absolutely undeniable at this point, is that authorities throughout the region, to include CENTCOM, are posting very misleading "fact checks" which are carefully worded by attorneys to leave out critical details. In some cases, outright lies are being told to conceal the success of Iranian strikes. This has been the case since the start of the war, and it's extremely common for various entities to lie during a time of war, which is sometimes necessary to ensure mission success. If CENTCOM wants to conceal the success of strikes for operational security purposes that's their business, but we can't pretend that this is not happening.As luck would have it, the Sentinel 2 open-source imagery satellite passed over Camp Ali Al Salem a few hours after the missile attacks. Comparing the imagery taken today, with yesterday's pass, a discernable impact can be noted at one of the aircraft hangers on the airfield. As always, the Iranians already know about the success of their own strikes as the Iranians secretly purchased the Chinese TEE-01B satellite, which grants them their own imagery for Battle Damage Assessments (in addition to the wealth of intelligence support being provided by Russia and China). As a result, concealing the details of American bases getting hit is hiding the truth from exactly one audience...the American taxpayer.Around the region, the locals within GCC states are first hand observers to the strikes, even though most Arab nations are arresting their own citizens for posting videos of failed interceptions in order to keep the illusion going that air defenses are working. One such individual was arrested last night in Kuwait after posting a viral video while driving on the highway. While it is speculative, it's possible that the reason this individual was arrested is because it was easy to identify him due to the motor vehicle accident that also occurred at the same time and thus made the video go viral, but also because his video appears to show failed interceptions...several of the Patriot missiles fired at the incoming Iranian missiles appear to have missed and exhibited the telltale self-destruct phase of their flight path. It's a classic Middle Eastern shakey-cam situation, but the Kuwaitis are very motivated to conceal the true effects of Iranian targeting efforts and the impact craters observed throughout the country this morning add credence to the failed interceptions.This challenging information environment would be very wise to remember as the "good news" posts of impending peace saturate social media and mainstream media constantly at this point. The truth of the situation on the ground indicates that strikes on Iranian targets (specifically at Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island) are now daily occurrences, and the slow ramp-up to the collapse of the ceasefire has already been underway for several days.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//

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EPISODE DESCRIPTION Are Americans about to get hit with $6 gas and a worldwide recession? Tara and Roger dive into escalating tensions with Iran, growing concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, and reports that oil prices could surge dramatically if current conditions continue. The discussion explores military strategy, secret escort operations in the Persian Gulf, China's role in the conflict, and whether President Trump is playing a much bigger geopolitical game than most Americans realize. PODCAST SUMMARY Today's show focused on the rapidly evolving situation involving Iran, global oil markets, and the potential economic consequences for the United States and its allies. Tara began by discussing comments from retired General Jack Keane, who suggested that Iran continues to stall negotiations while pursuing its own strategic objectives. The hosts questioned whether diplomatic efforts are buying time or simply allowing tensions to escalate further. A major portion of the program examined the Strait of Hormuz and its importance to global energy markets. Tara argued that many Americans misunderstand the current situation, emphasizing that oil remains a global commodity whose price is determined by worldwide supply and demand rather than domestic production alone. The discussion highlighted reports that U.S. military forces have quietly assisted commercial shipping operations through the region while maintaining a lower public profile than previously announced escort missions. Tara questioned why those efforts have received limited attention and suggested that safe passage through the waterway may already exist. The hosts also explored theories regarding Trump's broader strategy, including speculation that disruptions in Middle Eastern supply chains could encourage long-term shifts toward American energy exports. However, Tara warned that such a strategy carries enormous risks, particularly if China and other international actors become more deeply involved in supporting Iran. The episode concluded with concerns about rising oil prices, the possibility of economic fallout if crude reaches $150-$160 per barrel, and the broader implications for consumers, inflation, and global markets. KEY TALKING POINTS General Jack Keane discusses Iran's negotiating strategy. Questions surrounding the effectiveness of current cease-fire efforts. Growing concerns about instability in the Strait of Hormuz. Predictions that oil could rise to $150-$160 per barrel. Potential impact of higher energy prices on consumers. Reports of U.S. military assistance to commercial shipping. Debate over Trump's strategy in the Middle East. The role of China and Russia in supporting Iran. Risks facing global energy markets. Concerns about inflation and economic slowdown. How global oil markets affect prices at American gas pumps. Whether a broader regional conflict can still be avoided. QUOTE OF THE DAY "If oil reaches $150 to $160 a barrel, you're not just talking about higher gas prices. You're talking about the possibility of a worldwide economic shock." SEO KEYWORDS Iran crisis, Strait of Hormuz, oil prices, gas prices, Donald Trump, Jack Keane, Middle East conflict, global recession, energy markets, China Iran alliance, oil supply disruption, inflation concerns, Persian Gulf, energy crisis, crude oil prices, world economy, geopolitical tensions, AmperWave, Tara Servatius, political commentary

Start Artist Song Time Album Year 0:02:18 Henry Parker Ravens At Alport (Psalms) 3:55 The Dark Peak 2026 0:06:36 Mari Mathias Can y Melinydd 4:05 Cyfarwydd 2026 0:10:59 GoGo Penguin Call to the Void 5:01 Call to the Void 2026 0:16:24 Aisling Urwin One Day All Of This Will End 6:19 The Other Place 2026 0:22:54 Jim Ghedi The Hungry Child 5:50 The Hungry Child 2026 0:29:06 Vishal Naidu Gallops In The Mist 5:15 Aeons In Stillness 2025 0:34:36 Kalandra Everything In Its Right Place (Radiohead Cover) 4:32 Single 2026 0:39:35 In the Labyrinth Kabul 4:02 Worlds on Fire 2026 0:44:03 Ed O’Brien Incantations 7:34 Blue Morpho 2026 0:51:59 Lyrre Ephemeral 5:09 Nothing is Promised 2026 The Dark Peak by Henry Parker favorite track Ravens At Alport (Psalms) Fine guitarist looks to the natural settings of the Peak District National Park for inspiration on this release. It's just him on his guitar and the sounds of the moorland landscapes there. This is just lovely and contemplative. I kind of can't stop playing it. Cyfarwydd by Mari Mathias favorite track Can y Melinydd Dulcet-voiced Welsh folk singer-songwriter sings these mostly delicate pieces in her native tongue, and she tastefully brings in some modern sensibilities. Mari handles vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonium, with guests on flute, electric guitar, bass, harp, and drums and percussion. The Other Place by Aisling Urwin favorite track One Day All Of This Will End Multi-instrumentalist and singer, Irish Aisling Urwin has a lovely, soaring voice. Her writings are in a contemporary folk vein, sometimes dabbling into jazz territory. There is a veritable kitchen sink of modern and traditional folk instruments featured here, too much to list, but all are tastefully played in support of this fine artist's work. The Hungry Child by Jim Ghedi Jim Ghedi brings his impassioned delivery to this drone-y dirge. The piece steadily builds from ominous to near chaos as the tragic ending for the child is finally revealed. Aeons In Stillness by Vishal Naidu favorite track Gallops In The Mist Vishal is a member or a prominent metal band in India, but don't let that fool you. This is deeply contemplative instrumental music in a dark folk vein. Primarily guitar, other instrumentation here are strings, flute, and piano and other keyboards, provided by some other artists in this realm. Everything In Its Right Place by KALANDRA This time, Kalandra is covering this Radiohead song, turning it into their own by virtue of their own signature sound. Their version is both airier, yet more lush, with Kalandra's layering of both instruments and vocals. Worlds on Fire by In The Labyrinth favorite track KABUL Multi-instrumentalist and composer Peter Lindhal once again delivers his particular menu of richly flavoured world-infused music to the musical table. Peter alone plays too many instruments to list, and he also has guests on many others, plus vocals, as well. This is a heady mix of Middle Eastern and Indian music, stirred up with some western electricity. Not just world music, but other-worldly music. Blue Morpho by Ed O’Brien favorite track Incantations This is the second solo release for Radiohead's guitarist. Psych folk for the most part, with chamber, jazz, funk, and ambient over- and under-tones. The sound is a bit muted, but not at all unclear, more dreamlike than muffled. Utterly phantasmagoric, and best heard from start to finish, but choosing the opener as my favourite track, as it is a fine introduction. Nothing Is Promised by LYRRE favorite track Ephemeral Full-length release from Lyrre, a metal band, who feature hurdy-gurdy, along with an ethereal, yet forceful female vocalist. The music is driving, as metal should be, but the element of the hurdy-gurdy gives it an enjoyable twist from the usual instrumentation one encounters in metal, and the musical complexity makes it an enjoyable experience.

Luca is the host of Luca's Insight Track, one of the leading podcasts in the UAE, and a public speaking coach who works with executives, founders, and corporate leaders across the region. After two decades in the corporate world — culminating in a CEO role at a major media agency — he made the bold leap to walk away at the height of his career, choosing authenticity over title and freedom over comfort. He now dedicates his work to helping people unlock their genuine voice in an age where AI and overproduction have made real human connection more valuable than ever. Luca speaks openly about the inner work behind reinvention, drawing on his own journey through clinical depression, deep self-doubt, and rediscovering identity after stepping away from a defining career. With roots between Lebanon, Italy, the UK, Nigeria, and Dubai, and a childhood shaped by boarding school and abandonment, he brings a refreshingly honest perspective on vulnerability, masculinity, and mental health — particularly within Middle Eastern culture, where therapy and emotional openness are still often taboo. He empowers his audience to embrace their authentic selves, build meaningful personal brands, and find the courage to live a life that aligns with who they truly are, not who the world told them to be.#hikmatwehbipodcast #podcast#english_podcast #Luca_Allam#Luca's_Insight_Track#wstudiodxbحكمت_وهبي#حكمت_وهبي_بودكاست#

Show Notes: Mehdi Frikha, founder at  mzx.ai, explains that mzx.ai builds a crew of agents for all knowledge workers, including colleagues in the Umbrex network.  Generating Brand Proposals from RFPs He introduces the first agent, Hector, which generates brand proposals from RFPs or client pitches, from as little as half a page of information. He explains that you input your output language, preferences about proposal approach, the target, the tone etc. Users can include their own PowerPoint template,  and the agent will provide a proposal that is 100% branded and 100% compliant with context, objectives, and the firm's approach. Integrating Firm Knowledge Mehdi mentions that the product is more targeted towards the European and Middle Eastern markets, where long proposals are common. He confirms that the agent can integrate the firm's knowledge, CVs, credentials, and any proprietary databases to generate a full proposal. The final product is fully branded and can be up to 40-50 pages, including all necessary elements to win the RFP or project.  Demonstrating the PowerPoint Output Mehdi demonstrates the 41-slide PowerPoint output, which is a technical proposal for an economic development strategy for AIDO(Abu Dhabi Investment Office) and offers to make the  41-slide PowerPoint output available for viewers. He explains how users simply send the request to the agent. The agent delivers a comprehensive 41 slide presentation based on the information sent.  Mehdi demonstrates how the agent presents the context and objectives of the project including the importance of AI in translating Abu Dhabi's national ambitions into localized investment. The proposal includes global benchmarks, structural drivers, competitive windows, and institutional timing. The proposal also addresses economic and market risks, environmental spatial constraints, and demographic and talent challenges. Structuring the Proposal Mehdi explains that the overall approach to the project is laid out in phases, which can be customized based on the RFP or the firm's preferences. The agent can provide guidance on the structure of the approach, including the number of phases and steps. The detailed version of the approach in this demonstration is 11 pages and can be used as a more detailed project plan. Agent Attention to Detail  Mehdi highlights the attention to detail, including real bullets, semantic selection of icons that reflect the content of the page, and consultant-compliant quality. Mehdi mentions that the agent can be trained to include details such as a placeholder slide for pricing or investment, and any necessary disclaimers in the proposal  in the future. Mehdi introduces the next agent, which translates PowerPoint presentations automatically, including complex slides with timelines and Gantt charts. He demonstrates the translation feature, which translates slides and injects the content in the right place, including right-to-left languages and timelines that read right to left. It has the ability to mirror complex slides and the potential time-saving benefits. Mehdi shows how the platform can generate research reports on any topic, using the request for an overview of nuclear submarine coolant pumps as an example. The Platform Pricing Structure In the demonstration of the third agent, Mehdi explains that the entry subscription will be $20, allowing 120 slides. Enterprise offers will be available for firms that want to deploy the platform in a private cloud, ensuring data security. Mehdi provides the website for sign-up and mentions that there is a closed beta available for interested users, and he mentions that there are many agents in development and invites feedback from Umbrex members for new product ideas. Timestamps: 01:51: Details of Hector's Proposal Generation  03:47: Examination of the Proposal Example  05:34: Customization and Detailed Approach 08:56: Additional Features and Pricing 11:04: Translation and Research Report Generation  20:00 Future Developments and Pricing Structure  Links:   Website: https://mzx.ai/ Proposal permalink: https://umbrex.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Proposal_example_Economic_Development_Strategy_for_Al_Dhafra_Region_English.pptx Report permalink: https://umbrex.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Report_example_Nuclear_submarine_reactor_pump_manufacturers_overview.pptx This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/?p=287037 Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.  

Negotiations for an end to the war in Iran took a baffling turn last Monday when U.S. President Donlad Trump declared via social media that he would be willing to end the war in exchange for a number of countries in the Middle East and South Asia joining the Abraham Accords.The Accords are a series of diplomatic agreements that normalized relations between Israel and some Arab states. They were originally touted as a Trump foreign policy victory, and a step towards a more peaceful Middle East. But six years on, the region has descended into widescale war.Today we're speaking with Matt Duss. He is the Executive Vice President at the Center for International Policy. He was also a foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders from 2017-2022. He's co-written a piece for Foreign Policy that argues that the Abraham Accords laid the groundwork for this new era of violence in the Middle East.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Librado Palomares, executive chef for Emerald Cruises, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Emerald Kaia on its inaugural cruise between Greece and Turkey about the yacht's three main dining venues—La Cucina, Solea Bistro and the eight-seat Night Market chef's table. Palomares also discusses rotating Asian, Filipino, Indian and Middle Eastern menus at the Night Market; destination-based ingredients; local shopping with guests; dietary requests; the open kitchen; and how guest feedback has shaped menus across the Emerald fleet. For more information, visit www.emeraldcruises.com.  All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel  (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox. 

STREAMING MAKING JBS, FEATURING CONSTABLE AND MCTAGUE. 5-28-281903 POPULAR HISTORY OF FRANCE.This conversation features a broadcast recording between host John Batchelor and correspondents Simon Constable and Jim McTague, who discuss the intersection of global commodities, regional weather, and international politics. Reporting from the French Pyrenees, Constable describes the local agriculture of vines and olive trees while noting the impact of Middle Eastern violence on energy prices and Brent crude. In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, McTague highlights the burden of rising gasoline costs on American consumers, illustrating the economic strain through long lines at local fueling stations. The dialogue shifts to the instability of British leadership, critiquing the current state of the Labour Party and the nostalgic but controversial calls for Tony Blair's return. The participants also weigh the growing influence of artificial intelligence on creative work and data security, reflecting on how these technologies are reshaping professional standards. Ultimately, the transcript serves as a multinational overview of how localized environmental conditions and geopolitical skirmishes drive market volatility.

DOWNLOAD "BREAKING MY ALLEGIANCE" by Bernard Borghei on your favorite APP or go to:   ‎Breaking My Allegiance - Single - Album by Bernard Borghei - Apple Music Learn more about Bernard at: Bernard Borghei | LinkedIn Episode Highlights  From Tehran to Philadelphia: A Teenager's Escape from Revolution At just 12 years old, Bernard witnessed the Iranian Revolution up close. His family lost everything—their home, savings, and even his Star Wars toys were confiscated. By 13, he was fleeing across Europe, eventually finding asylum in the U.S. thanks to policy changes under the Reagan administration. The Immigrant's Fire: Why Hunger Beats Talent Bernard shares how working in pizza shops to pay for college while never attending a single basketball game or spring break fueled his relentless drive. His biggest fear? That his own children would have to experience the same survival mode he did. A Forgotten Iran: When Faith United, Not Divided Before the revolution, Iran was a secular, democratic society where Christians, Muslims, and Jewish Persians celebrated each other's holidays. Bernard recalls watching the Israeli national soccer team play in Tehran—proof that the region once thrived on coexistence. The Music That Saved Him (And the Record Exec Who Said No) Music was therapy for Bernard. He taught himself guitar on a left-handed Fender, wrote 22 songs, and almost got signed by Polygram—until an A&R guy told him, “I can't sell this face to the MTV generation.” Instead of giving up, he kept playing on weekends for decades. Breaking My Allegiance: A Song Against Weaponized Faith Bernard's first official single, releasing this Friday, is a rock anthem born from his experience with the Iranian regime. It's not against faith—it's against using religion to justify oppression. The song's message: *“If that's what your religion is, I'm breaking my allegiance.”* The Immigrant's Oath: Integrate, Follow Rules, Be Grateful Bernard offers a powerful perspective on immigration: he never hid his roots, but he worked tirelessly to learn English, pay taxes, and contribute. His advice to new immigrants? “If you want to chase a better life, respect what this country has to offer.” Show Notes 2:35

The world is on the brink of a significant judgment period. So, what gives you the feeling that the end is just around the corner? Are there any signs indicating the end times? Today, Pastor JD dives into the Middle Eastern conflict, sharing insights on how talks of peace and security might just hint at the end times.

The world is on the brink of a significant judgment period. So, what gives you the feeling that the end is just around the corner? Are there any signs indicating the end times? Today, Pastor JD dives into the Middle Eastern conflict, sharing insights on how talks of peace and security might just hint at the end times.

DOWNLOAD THE DV RADIO APP ON ANDROID RIGHT NOW!!   The latest BARRACKS TALK podcast episode is waiting, press 'play' now!   In this week's episode of BARRACKS TALK from DV Radio: The DV Radio Crew reminisce about Middle Eastern sandstorms to navigating the "extreme" anxiety of Veteran healthcare screenings, this episode explores the gritty reality of aging with the broken parts Uncle Sam left behind. They tackle the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, the hazards of self-medication, and the looming dread of medical "probes" alongside reflections on the true weight of Memorial Day. It's a raw, humor-filled look at life after service where golf rants, tactical simulations, and mortality are always on the menu. #DVRadio #BARRACKSTALK #VeteranLife #MilitaryHumor #MemorialDay #PTSDAwareness #VetHealth #MilitaryHistory #AnxietySupport #MentalHealthMatters #GrittyVets #MilitaryTransition #TacticalSims #PsychedelicHealing #VetsHelpingVets #ZeroFucks #VeteranRealities - GOFUNDME CAMPAIGNS MENTIONED Ms Lynn:: https://www.gofundme.com/f/standing-with-lynn-through-her-cancer-battle - Grab Your DV Radio Merch! https://bit.ly/DVR-StreamLabs-Merch - Respawn Finance + Free Budgeting App https://respawnfinance.com/ - Star Spangled Brewing Co. [THE OFFICIAL BEER OF DV RADIO] https://www.starspangledbrewingco.com/ - Hard Of Hearing, Deaf, or Have Other Hearing Issues? READ THE TRANSCRIPT! https://dvradio.net/accessibility - Hope For 22 A Day [Pin-Ups For the 22 A Day] https://hopefor22aday.org/ - Liberty Risk Podcast [Brothers Like None Other] https://beacons.ai/libertyriskpodcast - INERT Mugs [OFFICIAL SPONSOR] www.inertmugs.com - Laugh It Off [The Comedy Wing of DV Radio] https://www.laughitoff.org/ - Want To Sponsor DV Radio? No pricing model beats DV Radio when it comes to sponsorship. https://bit.ly/SponsorDVRadio DV Radio on Rumble https://rumble.com/c/DVRadio DV Radio on twitch.tv https://www.twitch.tv/dvradio - [NOTE: Click these links!] ---------- DV Farm Septic System Fundraiser https://donorbox.org/dv-farm-septic-system ---------- Parental Control Apps https://bit.ly/ChildSafeInternet ---------- Backpacks For Life https://backpacksforlife.org/ ---------- Wah-Tie Woodturning https://wahtiewoodturning.com/ ---------- Backpacks For Life Fundraiser https://ko-fi.com/dvradio/goal?g=1 ---------- Edited by Munkee Bawlz Media https://www.munkeebawlzmedia.com/ ---------- Are you a Veteran Owned Business? Have unique, handmade items that we can buy and review on a show? Contact us, show us what you have, and we'll (at least Bo) will spend up to $50 per month and speak openly about your product(s)!! ---------- Find Out More About Betsy Ross At Her Website https://bit.ly/Fight-With-Betsy-Ross ---------- *Got an idea for BARRACKS TALK or any other show? Want to be a guest? Then please feel free to contact us by sending an email to info[at]dvradio.net or oink[at]dvradio.net.* ---------- **LINKS TO CHECK OUT** EVERYTHING DYSFUNCTIONAL VETERANS https://whereisdv.carrd.co  ---------- DV RADIO PARTNERS, SPONSORS, and AFFILIATES https://dvr-listen-support.carrd.co

It's been well over a month since April 8, when Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in Iran, but now that truce appears to be under real strain. ­ This week, tensions between the US and the Middle Eastern country have escalated, with both sides exchanging strikes just as a possible breakthrough in peace talks seemed imminent. ­ So, how realistic is the prospect of a peace deal at this point? And, as the situation deteriorates, how has one political figure edged ever closer to the centre of power? ­ US secretary of state Marco Rubio has increasingly rowed in behind his president's foreign-policy agenda, but who exactly is the political hawk turned Trump cheerleader? And how did he climb the Mar-a-Lago ladder to join Trump's inner circle? ­ On today's The Indo Daily, host Tessa Fleming is joined by Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at the Clinton Institute in UCD, to discuss the latest on Iran and the rise of Marco Rubio. ­ ­We want to earn your trust and are members of The Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mea Culpa welcomes back Maz Jobrani. The actor and comedian who starred on the Axis of Evil Middle East Comedy Tour, a groundbreaking tour of the US and Middle Eastern countries, where it sold out 27 shows in Dubai, Beirut, Cairo, Kuwait and Amman. The Axis of Evil Comedy Central Special premiered in 2007 as, arguably, the first show on American TV with an all-Middle Eastern/American cast. He is also the author of the best-selling memoir, “I'm Not a Terrorist But I Play One on TV.” In addition, Maz is a frequent host of NPR's “Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me.” And a popular TED speaker. His latest comedy special, “The Birds and the Bees” was filmed at Hollywood's legendary Comedy Store and is available for download on YouTube. Leading up to the election and its aftermath, Jobrani's Twitter feed delivered much-needed laughs during an especially tense time for me as we awaited this nation's fate. Now as we find ourselves in the De Ja Vu of yet another Donald Trump indictment, it's time to bring him back and hear his view on what's in store for all of us. 

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 5-26-26.1919 WILSON DINES IN SAN FRANCISCO ON HIS TREATY CAMPAIGNING THAT LED TO ILL HEALTH.Liz Peek discusses the stabilizing energy markets despite ongoing Middle Eastern tensions, noting that global oil production remains resilient. She also explores Kevin Warsh's potential role as a reformer at the Federal Reserve. (1)Liz Peek analyzes Donald Trump's dominance in Republican primaries, highlighting his successful endorsements of loyalists over the party establishment. She notes the internal friction within the Senate GOP as Trump reshapes the party's future. (2)Jonathan Schanzer evaluates the rumored Iran memorandum of understanding, warning it may signal American vulnerability to regional adversaries. He notes that while Iran's defense base is weakened, its control over energy remains potent. (3)Jonathan Schanzer details Israel's expanding operations against Hezbollah in South Lebanon, focusing on the threat of unjammable FPV drones. He also updates the IDF's progress in Gaza against remaining Hamas leadership and territory. (4)Mary Kissel warns that prioritizing the Strait of Hormuz over dismantling Iran's nuclear program lacks necessary strategic leverage. She stresses the danger of a messianic regime partnering with major powers like China and Russia. (5)Mary Kissel discusses the potential collapse of the Castro regime due to severe economic mismanagement and food shortages. She highlights the need for a comprehensive plan to rebuild while deterring Russian and Chinese influence. (6)Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo discuss US military exercises over Caracas and the release of Alex Saabas signals of a shifting transition. They also cover Lula da Silva's health challenges and the friction within the Brazilianelection. (7)Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo cover intense protests in Bolivia triggered by a deepening economic crisis. The guests attribute the instability to Evo Morales, describing his efforts to provoke institutional chaos for his own political survival. (8)Gregory Copley discusses the tactical nature of Iran negotiations, noting continued US defensive strikes in the region. He identifies Turkey's nuclear ambitions and its ICBM program as an emerging factor for future regional stability. (9)Gregory Copley previews the 2027 Nigerian presidential election, noting President Tinubu's likely run despite his health concerns. He contrasts Nigeria's relative calm with the revolutionary anarchy currently gripping the neighboring states in the Sahel. (10)Gregory Copley examines the political instability in Britain, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces significant unpopularity within his own party. He discusses the potential for a nationalist breakup of the United Kingdom. (11)Gregory Copley praises King Charles III's leadership in maintaining national identity during political turmoil. He also discusses Prince William's preparation for the crown and critiques Keir Starmer's perceived radical leftist, anti-monarchical agenda. (12)Joseph Sternberg analyzes the widening economic gap between a prosperous United States and a stagnating Europe. He identifies the European welfare state and low productivity as significant drags compared to American economic growth. (13)Joseph Sternberg details the political melodrama in London, focusing on Keir Starmer's leadership crisis and Labour's poor performance. He highlights the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform Party and the persistent Brexit debate. (14)Thaddeus McCotter questions whether the US is conceding to Iran's nuclear program to prioritize energy prices. He also discusses Trump's successful primary strategy in shaping a loyalist Republican Party for the 2027 cycle. (15)Grant Newsham critiques the lack of clear war aims in the Iran conflict, noting that critical infrastructure remains largely untouched. He warns this perceived weakness sends a dangerous message to adversaries in Beijing and Moscow. (16)

Liz Peek discusses the stabilizing energy markets despite ongoing Middle Eastern tensions, noting that global oil production remains resilient. She also explores Kevin Warsh's potential role as a reformer at the Federal Reserve. (1)1919 VERSAILLES TREATY

Special Guest: Vitaliy StyrtFrasier, Alan, and Freddy are tasked with watching Eve's baby. Roz takes Eve and Olivia out for a girl's night. The Reversers try to create Boston's number one nautical themed Middle Eastern fusion restaurant. (00:00) Welcome!(11:53) Mahoney's Bar(16:01) Girl Bar(18:58) Art Gallery and Kaptain Kebab's(26:57) Art Gallery and Kaptain Kebab's Continued(32:29) Frasier's Apartment Again(35:44) Tossed Salad & Scrambled Eggs(37:42) Episode Ratings(39:22) Kan't Beat Kebab(68:08) Previous PreviewFind us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube or email us at ReversePsychPod@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Kitchen Tape, Rose and Crystal sit down with Helen Goh, internationally acclaimed pastry chef, longtime Ottolenghi collaborator, columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian, and author of Baking and the Meaning of Life and Sweet. Featuring 100 recipes that weave together Helen's Malaysian and Australian heritage with Western and Middle Eastern influences, Baking and the Meaning of Life asks a larger question beneath the recipes: how do we build meaning in our lives? Through eight essays woven throughout the book, Helen explores baking as a practice of mindfulness, agency, competence, ritual, and connection — not simply as a way to make food, but as one of the many small acts that help us create purpose and community in a chaotic world. The conversation moves through her enviable cookbook collection, existentialism, the meanings of color, psychology, flavor, memory, and the quiet rigor behind recipes that feel both deeply comforting and profoundly intentional.Mentioned in this episode:• Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes• Sweet by Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi• Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many by Jeremy Lee• Kate Spade Green• The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book• The Flavor Thesaurus by Niki Segnit• Stars Desserts by Emily Luchetti• Flour Hour Baking Podcast hosted by Jeremiah Duarte Bills and Amanda Faber• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott• Ma Vie en Rose by Rose Levy Beranbaum• The Artful Baker by Cenk Sonmezsoy• Jikoni by Ravinder Bhogal

It's Tuesday, May 26th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson and Timothy Reed Islamic governance seen in 14 countries Islamic governance is on the rise around the world, usually a response to Western aggression or interference with the Middle Eastern nations.   Since 1980, the nations which have seen increased Islamic influence in government include Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, Brunei, Turkey, Iraq, northern Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Syria. Russia's latest attack on Kyiv, Ukraine Russia has launched a barrage of attacks on Kyiv. Ukrainian officials say four people died and 60 were injured over the weekend. Ukrainian Supreme Court legitimized homosexual faux marriage Plus, in a February ruling, the Ukrainian Supreme Court has just legitimized the faux marriage of a male with a male as well as a female with a female. In Genesis 2:24, God said, “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” China's aggression toward Taiwan and Taiwanese embrace “gay” marriage Last week, in the days following President Trump's visit to Beijing, China conducted another threatening military exercise involving 100 vessels off the shores of Taiwan, reports Fox News. Meanwhile, Taiwanese are even more in support of faux homosexual marriage since the nation legalized the abomination in 2019. The Taiwan Equality Campaign Poll found 54 percent of the population support faux marriage, up from 42 percent seven years ago.  Jude 7 offers a sober reminder of what happens to places that embrace the sin of homosexual behavior. “Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Secret Service killed a gunman outside White House Another potential attempt on the life of the President occurred on Saturday, May 23rd at 6:00pm, reports NewsNation.com. The shooter, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents as he opened fire near a security checkpoint close to the White House at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The mentally disturbed man reached into a bag, pulled out a weapon, and began firing. Trump will send 5,000 troops to Poland President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland. The president noted that his decision was based on the election last year of Poland's conservative President Karol Nawrocki. Presently, the United States has 80,000 troops stationed in Europe, 10,000 of which are in Poland, according to a Council on Foreign Relations analysis.  The largest U.S. presence is in Germany, with more than 38,000 troops. Should recently naturalized citizens hold office? Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina  who is also running to be the Palmetto State's next governor, made headlines for introducing a joint resolution to prevent recently naturalized citizens from holding office. Mace is calling for her resolution to be passed in the form of a constitutional amendment. In her words: “The American people deserve leaders who put America first. This amendment makes sure of it.” Oklahoma makes it a felony to traffic Abortion Kill Pills Oklahoma Republican Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill that makes it a felony to traffic Abortion Kill Pills into the state for the purpose of causing an illegal abortion, reports Newson6. Punishments range up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine, or both. Republican State Senator David Bullard commented on the bill. He said, “We have worked hard to eliminate this enslavement of people. The trafficking of the abortion pill is no different than human trafficking and possibly worse. It is the largest killer of babies and the greatest threat to motherhood.”  Reddest states gain population; Bluest states lose America's “reddest” or most conservative states are gaining population and the bluest states are losing fastest. Last year, South Carolina, Idaho, and Tennessee were the fastest gainers on a resident per capita basis. By contrast, New York, California, and Maryland were the biggest losers. Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Michigan also lost residents in 2025. Condominium prices sinking across America Condo prices are sinking fast around the nation. A Denver condominium peaked at $280,000 in 2022 (adjusted for inflation), up from $165,000 in 2009. Already that $280,000 condo in 2022 (valued in 2009 dollars) has dropped off to a $202,000 value (in 2009 dollars). That's a 28 percent collapse in just four years. Florida and California condominium prices are sinking even faster. Condo prices usually run ahead of other real estate when the bubbles deflate. U.S. economy is faltering Americans are more pessimistic than ever concerning their views on the economy, while at the same time Wall Street is more euphoric than ever! The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index has dipped to an all-time low — the lowest in 65 years of American history. Meanwhile, the NASDAQ Composite Index has exploded to over 26,300. That's a whopping 450 percent increase from 10 years ago — at the same time that the nation's Gross Domestic Product only increased 200 percent.  Elon Musk on track to become Earth's first trillionaire And finally, as of yesterday, Elon Musk's net worth clocks in at $828 billion, according to the Forbes index. Economists say he's on his way to become the first trillionaire on Earth, reports The Daily Star. Elon's rocket, satellite and Artificial Intelligence empire is officially headed for the U.S. stock market, filing its prospectus with regulators. Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin are hovering around $300 billion, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos sits at $270 billion on the Forbes billionaire list. Keep in mind the wisdom of Psalm 49:16-17 today: “Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, May 26th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

US president Donald Trump wants to make more Middle Eastern countries sign the Abraham Accords as part of a peace agreement – but would it actually make a difference? Then: The French presidential race hots up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bruce Bechtol details North Korea's massive military support for Russia and Middle Eastern proxies in Rogue Allies. North Korea has supplied Russia with 20,000 containers of munitions and 60% of its artillery shells for the war in Ukraine. In the Middle East, North Korea trained Syria in chemical warfare and constructed a 45-kilometer tunnel network for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Weapons like RPGs and machine guns are also supplied to Hamas. China remains a crucial facilitator, providing the dual-use technology necessary for North Korea's robust military-industrial complex. (3/4)JUNE 1958

Stijn Schmitz welcomes Art Berman to the show. Art Berman is known as the energy realist and he paints a dire picture of the global energy situation, describing the Strait of Hormuz disruption as an unprecedented crisis with no historical precedent. He likens the world economy to a human losing 20% of its blood supply daily, explaining that while the West hasn’t felt immediate effects due to drawing on oil inventories, these savings will soon run out, and the lag will hit hard. Discussing supply numbers, Berman clarifies that roughly 15 to 20 million barrels per day of crude and refined products normally flow through the strait, but the effective loss is reduced to around 10 million barrels by bypass pipelines, still a catastrophic bleed-out. Berman outlines scenarios, starting with an unrealistic best case where everything resolves by June 1st, yet logistical hurdles like de-mining, insurance, and tanker queues mean oil wouldn’t flow until late 2026 at the earliest, leaving the world with no supply replenishment for months. His base case is that the Strait of Hormuz never returns to normal flows, as Iran has no incentive to relinquish the immense geopolitical leverage it now holds. He emphasizes that the U.S. is not truly energy independent, importing 6.5 million barrels of heavy crude daily because domestic light oil cannot substitute for the diesel and jet fuel the economy requires. Production restarts would be fraught with technical problems, and investor confidence in the region is permanently shattered. Berman stresses the irreversible nature of these events, comparing them to personal betrayals or missed opportunities—stabilization may occur, but the world will never return to 2025 economic norms. He notes that credible analysts predict global oil storage could hit operational limits by late July, with price spikes to $150-$160 possible before demand destruction tempers them. He highlights the unprecedented rate of supply loss, 99 times faster than any previous oil shock. Despite the bleakness, Berman finds hope in the crisis forcing necessary behavioral changes and a reevaluation of humanity's planetary footprint. Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:49 – Strait of Hormuz Disruption Significance 00:03:59 – Inventory Drawdown Effects 00:11:01 – Missing Barrel Estimates 00:16:44 – Best Case Recovery Scenario 00:27:37 – Base Case Permanent Blockade 00:28:39 – United States Energy Impact 00:32:33 – Crude Oil Quality Differences 00:45:12 – Long Term Geopolitical Outlook 01:05:40 – Storage Inventory Limits 01:25:29 – Concluding Thoughts Guest Links: Website: https://artberman.com X: https://x.com/aeberman12 Art Berman isn’t your run-of-the-mill energy consultant; he’s a full-blown disruptor in a realm riddled with myths. With 40 years in petroleum geology and an intriguing twist – a degree in Middle Eastern history – Art slices through energy complexities with academic rigor and market savvy. Forget what you thought you knew. This man’s comparative inventory approach is a guiding light for traders, investors, and policymakers. And he doesn't just spend his time consulting. Art is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Houston, your go-to expert witness, and an electrifying keynote speaker who doesn’t mince words. In a sector awash with misinformation, Art’s your source for gut-punching, data-backed truths. His clientele spans from ambitious investors to globe-spanning corporations, all seeking decisions steeped in reality, not fantasy. Love him or hate him, one thing is certain: Art Berman is an undeniable force in the energy sector. Away from the charts and graphs, Art enjoys Baroque music and psychology and spending family time with his wife, kids, grandkids, and his dog, Lily. So, are you ready for the unvarnished truth? Look no further.

PREVIEW for Later Today: Henry Sokolski. Henry Sokolski discusses the NPT review, warning against granting enrichment rights to Middle Eastern nations and emphasizing the need for stronger international enforcement mechanisms.

Recorded live at the Morgan Stanley and MUFG Japan Summit, our Global Chief Economist and Head of Macro Research Seth Carpenter led a discussion on Asia's exposure to the energy shock and Japan's bullish outlook.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Seth Carpenter: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Seth Carpenter, Morgan Stanley's Global Chief Economist and Head of Macro Research. And on today's episode, we're bringing you a live taping direct from Morgan Stanley and MUFG's Japan Summit to discuss the macroeconomic overlook. And, in particular, Japan's moment: reflation, reform, and the case for a structural re-rating. I am joined by Chetan Ahya, our Chief Asia Economist; Takeshi Yamaguchi, our Chief Japan Economist; Jonathan Garner, our Chief Asia and EM Equity Strategist; Koichi Sugisaki, who is our Head of Japan Macro Strategy; and Sho Nakazawa, who is our Japan Equity Strategist. Seth Carpenter: I will say we have just collectively published our mid-year outlook. So twice a year, Morgan Stanley Macro Research puts together our forecast. We take the time to debate with each other, to pressure test our views on the outlook for the next year and a half to two years. And I have to say this version of the outlook process may have been the most difficult one that I can remember. And in no small part because one of the key fundamental drivers of the outlook globally for growth, for inflation is oil, oil prices. And the swings there have been pretty dramatic. And so, as a result, we put a lot of effort into not just our baseline forecast, but also scenarios and the ways in which our baseline forecast could be wrong. But Chetan, let me start with you. Tell us a little bit about the exposure in Asia to, to the energy shock. Chetan Ahya: So Seth, you're right. Asia is one of the more exposed part of the world. But I would say that we've been surprised in the way this energy shock has been managed. One is, of course, at the global level, two big swings happened. US exports increased dramatically by 3.8 million barrels per day. Just to give you perspective, global consumption of oil is about 100 million barrels, so it's simple math in terms of how big this number was. And then China parallelly also reduced its imports by 3.5 million barrels. So, we had a 7 million barrel swing from a global oil demand balance perspective.And, secondly, as far as gas is concerned, that is where actually we were more concerned about Asia because Asia was very dependent on Middle Eastern gas. And on that front, China single-handedly has bailed out the region. So, China cut its gas imports by about 45 percent, and that had at least avoided the shortages that we were worried about. We can manage oil prices, but shortages is something very difficult to manage. So that's at the global level. And within the region, what every economy did is to switch to an alternative source of fuel, whether it is electricity generated through coal or other renewable sources. And particularly that happened in China and India, which are the two big importers of fuel in the region.And then additionally, what we also saw is that everybody managed the fuel price increase quite well. So, on an average, if I look at the stats as of today, only about 25 to 30 percent of the underlying fuel price increase has been passed on to the consumer. So, the governments are taking it, so there is a burden on the fiscal front that is building up. But as far as the consumers are concerned, this has been a help, and therefore you have not seen a big spike in inflation across the region. Seth Carpenter: Okay. So, a lot of comments about Asia in general. Let's go more specific to here in Japan. And so, Yamaguchi-san, you were an early adopter of the Japan reflation view. If we go back a year, two years, three years, you were probably more optimistic, more bullish about growth in the market than consensus. More recently, you've been a little bit more cautious about where growth is going. And so, can you tell us a little bit first why you're a bit more cautious now relative to where I suspect the market is? And then when it comes to the energy shock, how do you see it playing out with the Japanese economy? And should we worry about it derailing this whole reflation trade? Takeshi Yamaguchi: We think Japanese underlying economic fundamentals remain resilient in the sense that, you know, nominal GDP recovery will continue as a trend. But for this year, I think there's a, you know, short-term slowdown, both in terms of real GDP growth and nominal GDP growth, due to the terms of a trade shock. So far, you know, thanks to the government energy subsidies and Japan's relatively large strategic oil reserves, the direct impact on households has been limited. But we are already seeing a big increase in producer prices in the April data. It jumped to 4.9 percent {year-over-year], and we expect this producer price index will continue to go up due to the higher oil prices, but also because of the NAFTA-related supply side, you know, disruptions in areas, you know, such as, you know, construction materials, plastic products, and industrial solvents and so on. That said, we still believe that, you know, underlying economic fundamentals remain resilient in the sense that there's a structural labor shortage. So, wage growth may somewhat slow, but still I think a solid, you know, base up increase will continue next year, especially among young workers. Also, I think this structural tight labor market [is] encouraging companies to step up labor-saving investment. And, I think, together with government's initiatives for domestic investment, I think, domestic CapEx will also likely remain resilient. So, this year for nominal GDP growth, we expect, you know, slightly negative growth due to the terms of trade loss. But the next year, we are expecting above 4 percent nominal GDP growth. So, the overall, you know, story remains unchanged despite the short-term headwinds. Seth Carpenter: Okay. So fundamental story remains unchanged. We're pretty optimistic, but it's a matter of long term versus short term Jonathan, let me turn to you. Equity markets are generally optimistic, I would say, these days, but there is a bit of a divergence between views on equities here in Asia, between Japan on the one hand, and EM overall. In the mid-year outlook, you have expressed a preference for Japanese equities over EM. Can you talk a little bit about that view? Why that preference? Are there sectors or specific stocks that matter more? How are you thinking about this sort of allocation across equity markets for you in Asia? Jonathan Garner: So, certainly, as Seth indicated and Chetan and Yamaguchi-san said, it's really an environment where the sector call, particularly the CapEx, super cycle call should drive portfolios. And that naturally leads you in Asia more to North Asia, where Japan is very richly endowed in beneficiaries of the CapEx super cycle. And obviously markets like Korea and Taiwan, and much less so to South Asia, where the larger markets are much more populated by consumer and services stocks. So, in our portfolio, we're essentially overweight capital spending, underweight the consumer. And when you look at the Japan market, one of the things that my colleague Daniel Blake has done a lot of work is, is the sort of thematic exposures that exist within our coverage. The four core Morgan Stanley research themes of multipolar world, AI, tech diffusion, future of energy and societal shifts, they map into about 75 percent by stock number of our coverage for the Japan market, and they're quite nicely distributed across the stock coverage. Obviously, some stocks have more than one aspect to them. And that is highly advantageous and much more advantageous than in fact any other large market. Europe of course, doesn't have AI, tech diffusion, or it largely lacks the beneficiaries, the upstream beneficiaries. The US has legacy, sort of, software service, business models and consumer exposure. Now, it's not to say that all is sort of rosy in the garden. There are large auto OEMs here in Japan where the earnings numbers are challenged. So, it's all about the kind of the dispersion that's going on within the portfolio. But just on the base case targets, 4300 for topics, that's set by Nakazawa-san and myself. It's about 12 percent upside in the base. In the two weeks since we published the report, EM has fallen back somewhat, so there's about 8 percent upside to our EM target. But on a kind of risk-adjusted bull-bear skew, bear in mind that EM is much more skewed in terms of the earnings drivers of that market. Essentially, if you strip Korea and Taiwan out, there's no earnings growth in EM right now. You would ultimately have to favor Japan. So, Japan should be at the core of any Asia portfolio at the moment. Seth Carpenter: And can you just give us a little insight as to what you're seeing about how the market is or maybe is not pricing the threat from the energy shock? What are you seeing in equity markets, top line, down into sectors? Do you think there's enough concern? Do you think there's room for that to get, sort of, rerated just on the energy shock situation? Jonathan Garner: So, what you're seeing is that anything that is consumer-related is really struggling in terms of revisions. I think there are six different subcomponents of the consumer that we can track. Every single one of them has downgrades. And the upgrades are in energy, upstream energy, which isn't that well represented in Japan. There are a couple of names. In materials, really across the board. In semis and IT across the board, and broadly, tech hardware. And then in the defense capital goods space. And that dispersion in revisions within the Japan market or within Asia as a whole is something that I've never seen before.It does maybe to some extent question the resilience of the consumer in terms of the way that the numbers are being downgraded. So, I'll just leave that hanging a little bit. Seth Carpenter: Alright, thank you very much to my colleagues. And this is where I have to shift back into podcast mode to say thank you for listening. And if you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please share it with a colleague or friend today. Thank you very much everybody. Voice: That was Part 1 of a special two-part episode from Morgan Stanley and MUFG's Japan Summit. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of the conversation.

It's raining again in St. Louis, morale is low, and somehow that immediately leads the show into a heated discussion about wiffle ball bats, sewer water, and whether today's kids even understand the sacred responsibility of yelling “CAR!” during a neighborhood street game.Welcome back to another completely normal episode of The Rizzuto Show — your favorite daily comedy show where literally any topic can spiral into a debate about Costco theft, fake Middle Eastern royalty scams, and frozen-time criminal activity.This episode starts with weather complaints because apparently Missouri is now legally classified as “Sog City USA.” Then things get personal when Rizz reveals his own children saw the comments online after his now-infamous baby deer rescue story… and proceeded to roast him harder than the listeners did. Nothing says family love like your son publicly commenting “I'm disappointed in my dad” on Instagram.The crew also breaks down the latest “Best Places To Live” rankings around the St. Louis area, with St. Peter's, O'Fallon, St. Charles, and Florissant all making appearances. Naturally, this evolves into a deeply nostalgic conversation about growing up in the suburbs during the golden era of neighborhood sports. Wiffle ball. Roller hockey. Ghost runners. Tennis balls soaked in sewer juice. Homemade rules that made absolutely no sense. If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, this episode is basically a memory grenade.Then comes the hypothetical question that derails the entire room:“If you could freeze time… would you commit crimes?”And buddy… these answers escalate FAST.Rizz immediately starts plotting casino robberies, ATM thefts, Costco raids, and highway-speed experiments that would absolutely end with him stealing a Lamborghini. Moon wants unrestricted access to Area 51. Lern becomes a chaotic vigilante helping humanity one paused-time intervention at a time. And Rafe somehow invents an entire frozen-time prank universe involving Sharpies, salad tongs, and public humiliation that we legally cannot explain further here.Because this is a daily comedy show, the conversation somehow gets even weirder when the gang discusses two fake “Middle Eastern princes” who scammed investors out of $21 million while pretending to be royalty in Cleveland. Cleveland being the perfect place for a fake billionaire scheme somehow becomes the least ridiculous thing discussed all morning.Later, the crew dives into the world of dumpster diving side hustles, including college move-out season treasure hunting, curbside furniture discoveries, weird mannequin heads found in Tokyo dumpsters, and Moon accidentally giving away a valuable vintage chair because apparently nobody checked Google first.This episode has:St. Louis nostalgiaFamily dramaChildhood sports storiesWeird newsDumpster-diving economicsCelebrity-level scamsFrozen-time crimesCostco meat theft planningAnd enough sarcastic chaos to qualify as group therapyBasically: another flawless entry in the growing archive of “How Did This Conversation Get Here?” moments from The Rizzuto Show.If you love a funny podcast that sounds like your smartest and dumbest friends arguing at the same time, welcome home.Subscribe, follow, and come back tomorrow for more nonsense from your favorite daily comedy show.Follow The Rizzuto Show → https://linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → https://1057thepoint.com/RizzShowHear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our friend Kareem Rahma from Subway Takes and his new show, Keep the Meter Running, returns to chat about Alcaraz and Sinner's love triangle, Elordi skipping Cannes to hit Hawaii with Kendall, pitching a Sandlot remake starring Jake Shane, Middle Eastern real estate developments, his new country home in Connecticut, influencer furniture, never investing in yourself, a guy's-trip Venmo request, his whirlwind press tour, how sometimes people pay to be on the show, weed-whacking, rebranding A.I., Drake's club record rating quite high, and some deeper details of his new show. instagram.com/kareem twitter.com/donetodeath twitter.com/themjeans howlonggone.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

-- On the Show: -- Don Lemon, journalist and host of The Don Lemon Show, joins us to discuss Trump's political prosecution against him following his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church -- Modern politicians increasingly prioritize viral clips, livestream culture, and audience loyalty over policy expertise and effective governance -- Donald Trump posts a statement claiming Middle Eastern leaders begged him to delay an Iran attack, while Fox News reframes his retreat -- YouTube impressions for left-leaning media collapse by roughly 30 percent while subscribers report videos disappearing from their feeds -- Donald Trump delivers rambling healthcare remarks, praises a taxpayer-funded settlement benefiting allies, and attacks voting by mail -- Candace Owens, Alex Jones, Anthony Scaramucci, and other figures openly discuss Donald Trump's instability and possible removal -- Donald Trump reportedly bought Thermo Fisher, Micron, and Dell stock shortly before praising the companies in speeches and TV appearances -- JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, and other MAGA figures imitate Trump's speaking style but fail to replicate his chaotic charisma -- On the Bonus Show: Elon Musk loses OpenAI lawsuit, Kamala Harris calls for court-packing and adding states, Trump's corrupt stock trades exposed, and much more... ✉️ StartMail: Get 50% OFF for a year subscription at https://startmail.com/pakman

Lance Gatling and Jim McTague discuss Japan's record stock market highs and strategic use of national oil reserves. Despite Middle Eastern instability, Japan maintains economic stability through subsidies, technological leadership, and careful energy diversification. (5/16)1920 GREENVILLE SC