Podcasts about middle eastern

It's Friday, January 23rd, 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 Adam McManus Iran makes large sums of money off the backs of persecuted Christians Iran has an open secret. Persecuting Christians is a booming business in the Muslim-majority nation, and the country is earning large sums of money from arresting Christ followers, reports International Christian Concern. Fines and bail amounts imposed by Iranian courts have reached hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years, financially crippling poor Christian families trying to keep their loved ones out of prison. For years, the Middle Eastern nation has targeted Christians for their faith in Christ through intimidation, physical abuse, and imprisonment. But what's often overlooked are the exorbitant bail amounts doled out to Christ followers simply to keep themselves out of jail. Joseph Shahbazian, leader of a Christian house church, was arrested in June 2020 for his Christian activities and given a bail amount of $163,000. After pleading with the court and handing over the deeds to his and his mother's apartments, the court accepted $109,000 on Shahbazian's behalf. Proverbs 22:22-23 says, "Do not rob the poor because he is poor, nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; For the LORD will plead their cause, and plunder the soul of those who plunder them." Shahbazian was released from prison in 2023 after serving a little more than a year in jail, but was rearrested in 2025 for his continued Christian activities and sentenced to an additional 10 years in jail. According to Open Doors, Iran is the sixth most difficult country worldwide for Christians. Trump ends all tax-funded research with aborted baby parts On January 22nd, the 53rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, President Donald Trump ended federal funding for research involving the use of aborted baby parts. It's a major victory for pro-life advocates that halts taxpayer support for such studies effective immediately, reports The Daily Wire. The National Institutes of Health announced the policy change on Thursday. The move prohibits the use of funds for research involving aborted baby parts obtained from elective abortions, while allowing ethical fetal tissue from sources such as miscarriages when donors consent. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said, “Someone who has had a miscarriage and wants to do a meaningful thing and they donate the tissue from the miscarriage to science, that's still allowed. The only ban is on, you have an abortion specifically to terminate the baby, and then the tissue then gets sold, that's what's being banned,” something he described as “morally abhorrent.” Rescue Resurrection protesters plead with Trump to ban abortion pill People from as far away as California and Georgia came to the nation's capital Thursday morning to plead with the Trump administration to ban the abortion kill pill, which is now easily available by mail and has led to a shocking increase of abortions following the Supreme Court's overturn of Roe v. Wade, reports LifeSiteNews.com. In the shadow of the U.S. Capitol dome, 20 people with Rescue Resurrection were arrested by United States Capitol Police outside the Health and Human Services headquarters as they sat down in the middle of the street. They were singing. RESCUE RESURRECTION: “Help us tell the nation we want a pro-life revolution. Help us tell the nation we want a pro-life revolution” POLICEMAN: “Everyone is now under arrest. You will be placed in handcuffs.” RESCUE RESURRECTION: “Ban the abortion pill!” POLICEMAN: “If you don't plan on being arrested, leave the street. If you don't plan on being arrested, you need to go onto the sidewalk.” Some of the members of Rescue Resurrection had been incarcerated under the F.A.C.E. Act by the Biden Justice Department and then pardoned by President Donald Trump. Elderly pro-life icon Joan Andrews Bell was kneeling before a group of police carried her off of the street and cuffed her. (Watch the video of the arrest through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com). Emily Berning, president of Let Them Live, said, “The chemical abortion pill has become the chemical coat hanger, and the bathroom has become the new back alley. The abortion pill is twenty-two times more dangerous than the FDA told the American people. When the truth is buried, women are the ones who bleed in silence. “And that is why we're standing here outside HHS. HHS is not a bystander in this. HHS has the authority to regulate and the power to act, [yet] they still have allowed a dangerous drug to remain on the market.” JD Vance & Second Lady announce they're expecting fourth child Second Lady Usha Vance announced she is pregnant and will deliver a boy  in late July, according to a Tuesday statement on social media. This will be the fourth child for Vice President J.D. Vance and Usha, and their third son. U.S. to gain “total access” to Greenland without payment On January 22nd, President Donald Trump said that the United States is negotiating an arrangement to secure full access to Greenland with no payment in return and unconstrained by any time limit, reports the Epoch Times. He appeared on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo. Listen. BARTIROMO: “So, what are we talking about? An acquisition of Greenland? Are you going to pay for it?” TRUMP: “Essentially, it's total access. There's no end. There's no time limit. We're not doing, you know, the famous '99-year' deals that you hear about. Countries go on longer. I noticed the stock market went up pretty substantially after we announced it.” BARTIROMO: “The [Gross Domestic Product] of Greenland is like $3.3 billion, but people are valuing Greenland between $50 billion and almost a trillion [dollars]. So, what are you willing to pay for Greenland?” TRUMP: “Well, I'm not going to have to pay anything.” The president has described U.S control of the Arctic island as critical to both national and international security.  Indeed, Greenland will be an essential property to facilitate the much-anticipated Golden Dome, the U.S. missile defense system that will destroy enemy missiles before they launch or while they are in flight. It will be patterned after Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. TRUMP: “We're going to have total access to Greenland. We're going to have all military access that we want. We're going to be able to put what we need on Greenland. We're talking about national security and international security. We are building the Golden Dome, and it'll be Israel times probably a hundred.” 7 Democrats voted with GOP to pass DHS/ICE spending bill Seven Democrats voted with Republicans on Thursday to pass a Department of Homeland Security spending bill, despite opposition from their own Democratic leadership, reports Fox News. The DHS bill will be bundled alongside three other spending bills, totaling a combined $1.2 trillion in federal spending. The entire package's passing is a significant step toward averting a government shutdown come January 30th. It passed in a 220-207 vote with the help of seven Democrats. Only one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted in opposition.  According to TheHill.com, the seven Democrats who sided with Republicans were Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Perez of Washington, Laura Gillen of New York, Don Davis of North Carolina, Tom Suozzi of New York and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas. Anniversary of hymnwriter deaths who wrote “Holy, holy, holy” and “Jesus Loves Me” And finally, we recognize the anniversary of the deaths of two Christian hymnwriters, both of whom died on January 22nd. John Dykes, who died on January 22, 1876, composed the music to the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!"  sung here by Shane & Shane. SHANE AND SHANE: “Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in Earth, and sky, and sea; Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.” Isaiah 6:3 says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole Earth is full of His glory.” And on January 22, 1915, Anna Bartlett Warner, the author of "Jesus Loves Me", died.  Listen to the lesser known second verse with the chorus, sung by Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hymns. (Learn more about him here). DRAKE: “Jesus loves me He who died Heaven's gate to open wide. He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in. (Refrain) “Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.” 1 John 4:19 says, "We love because [Christ] first loved us." Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, January 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness says Massive Shortage: The nation faces a shortage of over 7 million affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renters. Income Gap Widening: Homebuyers need to earn significantly more than the average worker to afford a median-priced home, creating a substantial affordability gap.   Before starting his entrepreneurial journey, Jesse Sells had a remarkable career as a Combat Aviation Advisor and Intelligence Analyst in Air Force Special Operations. He spent years briefing three- and four-star generals and deploying alongside foreign military partners. Whether he was delivering strategic insights to high-ranking military leaders or sharing living quarters with Middle Eastern allies—where days were filled with Arabic conversation, tea rituals, and detailed mission planning—Jesse's experiences fostered a unique blend of leadership, cultural intelligence, and strategic communication. Sells is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Impact Growth Capital, where he manages the daily operations of a diverse portfolio of properties and companies. With a strong passion for creating meaningful change, Jesse connects strategic vision with concrete results. His focus ensures that each project not only achieves its goals but also positively impacts communities and the wider market.   For more information: https://impactgrowthcap.com/  LinkedIn: @JesseSells Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SEGMENT 14: EMERGING SUNNI OR ISLAMIC NATO IN ASIA Guest: Gregory Copley Copley explores the potential formation of a new security alliance among Sunni Muslim nations in Asia. Discussion covers the strategic drivers behind such a coalition, which countries might participate, how this Islamic NATO could reshape regional power dynamics, and implications for Western alliances and Middle Eastern stability.

SHOW SCHEDULE 1-20-20251907 GREENLANDSEGMENT 1: RETAIL SALES AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK Guest: Liz Peek Strong retail sales signal consumer confidence as Trump takes office. Peek discusses holiday spending numbers, the stock market's performance, and economic expectations for the new administration. Conversation touches on inflation pressures, interest rate concerns, and whether the economy's momentum can continue under new policy directions.SEGMENT 2: MARKETS AND GREENLAND CONTROVERSY Guest: Liz Peek Peek analyzes market reactions to the incoming administration and addresses Trump's renewed interest in acquiring Greenland. Discussion covers the strategic importance of Greenland's resources and location, European responses to the proposal, and how this diplomatic imbroglio fits into broader economic and geopolitical considerations facing the new term.SEGMENT 3: EUROPEAN FRUSTRATION WITH TRUMP'S RETURN Guest: Judy Dempsey (Carnegie Berlin), Co-Host: Thaddeus McCotter Dempsey assesses European anxiety as Trump begins his second term. Discussion covers EU economic stagnation, Germany's struggling industrial base, and widespread frustration among European leaders unprepared for renewed American pressure on trade, defense spending, and NATO commitments. McCotter joins from Detroit offering domestic political perspective.SEGMENT 4: EU ECONOMY AND TRANSATLANTIC TENSIONS Guest: Judy Dempsey (Carnegie Berlin), Co-Host: Thaddeus McCotter Continued analysis of Europe's economic malaise and political uncertainty ahead of German elections. Dempsey examines how EU leadership plans to navigate Trump's transactional approach to alliances, concerns over tariffs and energy policy, and whether Europe can muster unified responses to American demands on defense and trade.SEGMENT 5: POWELL VS. TRUMP ON MONETARY POLICY Guest: Joseph Sternberg (London) Sternberg analyzes the brewing conflict between Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and President Trump over interest rate policy. Discussion examines Trump's public criticism of Powell, the Fed's independence, inflation concerns, and how this tension between the White House and central bank could shape economic policy and market confidence.SEGMENT 6: STARMER'S LEADERSHIP FAILURES AND CHINA EMBASSY CONCERNS Guest: Joseph Sternberg (London) Sternberg critiques Prime Minister Keir Starmer's struggling leadership and lack of clear direction for Britain. Discussion turns to Starmer's belated scrutiny of China's massive new London embassy complex, raising security concerns about the sprawling diplomatic compound and questions about why earlier governments permitted its construction without adequate review.SEGMENT 7: IRAN EXECUTIONS AND TRUMP'S PROMISE OF HELP Guest: Jonathan Schanzer (Washington, DC) Schanzer reports on the surge of executions inside Iran as the regime cracks down on dissent. Discussion covers Trump's remarks signaling support for the Iranian people, the brutal nature of the regime's repression, recent execution numbers, and whether American policy shifts could aid those suffering under Tehran's authoritarian rule.SEGMENT 8: GAZA CEASEFIRE AND POSTWAR GOVERNANCE Guest: Jonathan Schanzer (Washington, DC) Schanzer examines the fragile Gaza ceasefire and critical questions about who will govern after the fighting ends. Discussion analyzes the proposed makeup of any postwar governing board, the challenges of reconstruction, Hamas's continued presence, and regional players jockeying for influence over Gaza's future political arrangements.SEGMENT 9: GREENLAND STRATEGY AND ARCTIC AMBITIONS Guest: Mary Kissel (Former Senior Adviser to Secretary Pompeo) Kissel offers insider perspective on Trump's renewed push for Greenland, drawing on her State Department experience. Discussion examines the strategic rationale behind the proposal, Arctic security concerns, Danish and European reactions, and whether this represents serious policy or negotiating leverage for broader geopolitical objectives.SEGMENT 10: GAZA DIPLOMACY AND INVITATIONS TO ADVERSARIES Guest: Mary Kissel Kissel analyzes the peculiar diplomatic landscape surrounding Gaza negotiations, including controversial outreach to bad actors like Putin. Discussion questions the wisdom of engaging hostile powers in Middle East peacemaking, the signals this sends to allies, and how the new administration might reshape these diplomatic approaches going forward.SEGMENT 11: JAPAN'S SNAP ELECTION UNDER PM TAKAICHI Guest: Lance Gatling (Tokyo), Co-Host: Thaddeus McCotter Gatling reports from Tokyo on Prime Minister Takaichi's decision to call snap elections. Discussion covers the political calculations behind this move, Takaichi's nationalist stance, implications for US-Japan relations under the new Trump administration, and how Japanese voters are responding to shifting domestic and regional dynamics.SEGMENT 12: CHINA'S GROWING THREAT TO JAPAN Guest: Lance Gatling (Tokyo), Co-Host: Thaddeus McCotter Gatling assesses the mounting Chinese military threat facing Japan, including naval provocations and airspace incursions. Discussion examines Japan's defense posture, increased military spending, the importance of the US-Japan alliance in deterring Beijing, and how Tokyo views the security landscape with Trump returning to the White House.SEGMENT 13: NATO'S DECLINE AND THE GREENLAND CRISIS Guest: Gregory Copley Copley argues the Greenland controversy reveals deeper fractures signaling NATO's erosion. Discussion examines how the alliance has weakened through neglect and diverging interests, European defensiveness over Arctic claims, and whether the transatlantic security architecture built after World War II can survive current political and strategic pressures.SEGMENT 14: EMERGING SUNNI OR ISLAMIC NATO IN ASIA Guest: Gregory Copley Copley explores the potential formation of a new security alliance among Sunni Muslim nations in Asia. Discussion covers the strategic drivers behind such a coalition, which countries might participate, how this Islamic NATO could reshape regional power dynamics, and implications for Western alliances and Middle Eastern stability.SEGMENT 15: GREAT POWERS VERSUS SMALL STATES IN STRATEGIC THINKING Guest: Gregory Copley Copley contrasts how great powers often act impulsively while smaller states analyze carefully before moving. Discussion examines the hubris of major nations shooting from the hip on foreign policy, the advantages smaller countries gain through meticulous strategic calculation, and lessons for American policymakers in an increasingly complex world.SEGMENT 16: THE CALMING POWER OF KINGSHIP Guest: Gregory Copley Copley offers praise for monarchical systems as stabilizing forces in nations facing discontent. Discussion examines how kingship provides continuity, national unity, and legitimacy that elected leaders often cannot muster, with examples of how constitutional monarchies successfully navigate political turbulence and maintain social cohesion during crises.

Three young boys are killed by a car bomb, their mother Doreen and older brother in the front seat are the only survivors. Detectives Goren and Eames learn Paul Whitlock developed a new kind of land mine and his wife had spotted some threatening-looking Middle Eastern men before the blast.  But there are indications the pipe bomb was built in their garage and someone swept it up. Bobby and Alex suspect the depressed Doreen blew up the car in a murder/suicide attempt.ADA Ron Carver insists the overbearing husband is their best suspect. The detectives find a space heater Doreen tampered with to leak carbon monoxide. The overwhelmed mother confesses she wanted to take the children to heaven with her, where she could be a better parent. But Goren and Eames discover the cold-blooded Whitlock knew Doreen wanted to die and was fine if she did - he just didn't know the children would get hurt. Enraged at his cruelty, the detectives insist Carver hold him legally responsible, but he says there's no crime in not stopping your wife from killing herself and her family.We're talking about Law & Order: Criminal Intent season 4 episode 7 “Magnificat.” Our returning guest is Katie from the A Date with Dateline podcast.Plot points in this episode are inspired by the 2001 case of Andrea Yates. For exclusive content from Kevin and Rebecca, sign up on Patreon.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 459 of Hidden Forces is the twelfth episode in the Hundred Year Pivot podcast series. In it, Demetri Kofinas and Grant Williams speak with Kamran Bokhari, a strategic forecaster and geopolitical analyst who specializes on the Middle Eastern and Eurasia, about Iran's nationwide protests, what they reveal about the power and stability of the Iranian regime, and what the state of Iranian affairs portends for Iran's future, the region's geopolitics, and the strategic considerations and objectives of the United States. The conversation's opening hour traces Iran's modern formation—beginning in the early 1900s with the Constitutional Revolution, moving through the 1953 coup and the Shah's rule, and culminating in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and its aftermath. Kamran walks the audience through the evolution of Iran's dual military structure, explaining the critical distinction between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the regular armed forces (Artesh), and how the IRGC grew from an ideological militia into an oversized parallel state controlling everything from telecommunications to Iran's nuclear program, while becoming increasingly corrupt and internally divided. The second hour is devoted to analyzing the current protests engulfing Iran, how they differ from previous uprisings, and the implications for a severely weakened IRGC following Israel's dismantling of its proxy network, the relentless targeting of its commanders, and its failure to secure the safety of its own citizens from Israeli reprisals. They explore the regime's internal factionalization, the role of the merchant class in these protests, the potential pathways forward—from managed regime decay to military intervention to outright chaos—and the cascading effects that Iran's instability could have on its neighbors, from Turkey and Azerbaijan to Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond. Subscribe to our premium content—including our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports—by visiting HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you'd like to join the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community—with benefits like Q&A calls with guests, exclusive research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners—you can also sign up on our subscriber page at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you enjoyed today's episode of Hidden Forces, please support the show by: Subscribing on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, CastBox, or via our RSS Feed Writing us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Joining our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe and support the podcast at https://hiddenforces.io. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 01/15/2026

How does Greece's Byzantine and Ottoman past shape its future? In this episode, Helen Carr speaks to journalist and author Sean Matthews about Greece's shifting geopolitical role and alliances. Caught between wars raging in both Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Greece is an island of relative stability. Popularly considered the cradle of Western civilization, this is a Christian Orthodox state on the edge of the Islamic world. And, after a half-century of integration into NATO and the EU, Greece is now reabsorbing into the Near East, as the West fractures and new Middle Eastern powers rise. As Greek-American journalist Sean Matthews argues, the country's importance as a cultural and geopolitical hybrid is growing. Sean is a Greek-American journalist who has covered a wide swath of the Middle East.  He is a correspondent with Middle East Eye, and has also written for The Economist and Al-Monitor, among others. The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East is his first book. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 Donald Trump publicly praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa -- a former commander of the al-Qaeda-aligned al-Nusra Front -- during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, offering one of his most direct endorsements of the ex-jihadi leader to date. Trump has repeatedly acknowledged al-Sharaa's shift from a senior al-Nusra Front figure to Syria's transitional president, previously describing the Middle Eastern leader as "young" and "attractive" in public remarks.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Trump freezes immigration from over 70 countries; Deranged Libs find a new low to stoop to; and the U.S. evacuates a major Middle Eastern military base amid tensions in Iran. Watch VINCE Live on Rumble - Mon-Fri 10AM ET ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://rumble.com/vince⁠ FBI Raids Home of Washington Post Reporter in Classified Docs Probe ⁠https://justthenews.com/accountability/media/washington-post-says-fbi-searched-reporters-home-classified-documents-probe⁠ Woke Democrats' Viral Anti-ICE Claim Gets Debunked With Video Footage ⁠https://redstate.com/rusty-weiss/2026/01/13/woke-tn-democrat-has-viral-claim-about-ice-debunked-after-dashcam-video-drops-n2198089⁠ Iran Uprisings Turn Deadlier as Regime Reportedly Targets the Wounded and Hospitals ⁠https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/01/14/iran-hospital-atrocities-n2669439⁠ Sponsors: Kalshi - ⁠https://kalshi.com/vince⁠ Patriot Mobile - ⁠https://patriotmobile.com/Vince⁠ Zippix - ⁠https://ZippixToothpicks.com⁠  code: Vince Bon Charge - ⁠https://boncharge.com⁠ code: VINCE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Phaan Howng!Who is Phaan Howng: Phaan Howng is a Taiwanese American multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland. Howng creates lush, vegetal paintings and installations that examine the various historical perplexities within human-plant relationships, particularly humans' desire to control and tame nature. Her work, Big Ass Snakes on a Plane, is currently on view publicly in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District in Baltimore as one of the installations in the public arts initiative Inviting Light. In this episode, Phaan shares her story. Phaan shares her start moving from Florida to North Carolina to settling in her current base of Baltimore all while explore art as a career. Howng discusses what it was like finding her multidisciplinary approach to making art and her curiosity with plants. Howng describes some highlights from 2025 including her work, Big Ass Snakes on a Plane, and her work curating EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS, which features the work of 25 artists of the APIMEDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Desi American)  diaspora who live and create in the Baltimore and the DMV area.  Be sure to check out Big Ass Snakes on a Plane in the Start North Arts district. Phaan's website is https://www.phaan.com/ Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis. Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcast The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

Jeffrey Epstein's relationship with elements of the Saudi royal family has long hovered in the background of the scandal, rarely explored with the seriousness it deserves. Epstein moved easily within elite Gulf circles during the 1990s and early 2000s, cultivating relationships with Saudi businessmen, royals, and intelligence-adjacent figures under the same vague cover he used everywhere else: finance, philanthropy, and “advising” powerful people. His access was not casual. Epstein traveled repeatedly to Saudi Arabia, hosted Saudi nationals at his properties, and was known to facilitate introductions between Middle Eastern elites and Western political and financial figures. As with many of his relationships, the exact nature of the services he provided remains opaque, but the pattern is familiar: proximity to power, insulation from scrutiny, and an ability to operate across borders with little interference from U.S. authorities.The most disturbing and concrete piece of evidence tying Epstein to Saudi state-level protection surfaced after his 2019 arrest, when law enforcement discovered he was in possession of a Saudi passport. The passport listed a false name but included his photograph, raising immediate red flags about who issued it, why it existed, and how Epstein obtained it. This was not a novelty item or souvenir. Saudi passports are tightly controlled state documents, and possession of one by a non-citizen under an alias strongly suggests official facilitation rather than private forgery. Epstein claimed he used it for travel in the Middle East, yet no serious public accounting has ever been given for how a convicted sex offender and alleged intelligence-linked financier ended up holding sovereign identity documents from a foreign monarchy. Like so much of the Epstein story, the discovery was quickly noted, then quietly sidelined, leaving unanswered questions about foreign intelligence ties, diplomatic cover, and how deep Epstein's international protection network truly went.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Jeffrey Epstein's relationship with elements of the Saudi royal family has long hovered in the background of the scandal, rarely explored with the seriousness it deserves. Epstein moved easily within elite Gulf circles during the 1990s and early 2000s, cultivating relationships with Saudi businessmen, royals, and intelligence-adjacent figures under the same vague cover he used everywhere else: finance, philanthropy, and “advising” powerful people. His access was not casual. Epstein traveled repeatedly to Saudi Arabia, hosted Saudi nationals at his properties, and was known to facilitate introductions between Middle Eastern elites and Western political and financial figures. As with many of his relationships, the exact nature of the services he provided remains opaque, but the pattern is familiar: proximity to power, insulation from scrutiny, and an ability to operate across borders with little interference from U.S. authorities.The most disturbing and concrete piece of evidence tying Epstein to Saudi state-level protection surfaced after his 2019 arrest, when law enforcement discovered he was in possession of a Saudi passport. The passport listed a false name but included his photograph, raising immediate red flags about who issued it, why it existed, and how Epstein obtained it. This was not a novelty item or souvenir. Saudi passports are tightly controlled state documents, and possession of one by a non-citizen under an alias strongly suggests official facilitation rather than private forgery. Epstein claimed he used it for travel in the Middle East, yet no serious public accounting has ever been given for how a convicted sex offender and alleged intelligence-linked financier ended up holding sovereign identity documents from a foreign monarchy. Like so much of the Epstein story, the discovery was quickly noted, then quietly sidelined, leaving unanswered questions about foreign intelligence ties, diplomatic cover, and how deep Epstein's international protection network truly went.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Small Bites Radio Episode 201 - Passport to Flavor by Chef Abby Cheshire and Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes by Helen Goh This week on Small Bites Radio, we serve up a global, soulful, and very Philly centric packed with culinary inspiration and big city excitement. We kick things off celebrating Philadelphia's upcoming 250th anniversary, along with the incredible lineup of major events heading our way including FIFA World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game, and another triumphant year for Donato, who takes first place once again at the Mummers Parade. Our featured guest is social media sensation Chef Abby Cheshire, private yacht chef, culinary arts teacher, and creator behind the wildly popular @abbyinthegalley with over 4 million social media followers! Abby joins us to talk about her upcoming cookbook, Passport to Flavor: 100 Global Dishes You Can Make Anywhere published by Harper Celebrate, releasing January 20, 2026. Drawing from her years cooking aboard luxury yachts around the world, Abby shares how home cooks can create vibrant international dishes in any kitchen no matter the size. From the Mediterranean and Caribbean to Asia and Europe, her recipes are infused with regional flavors, fresh local ingredients, and practical tips for cooking in small spaces. We also chat about her life teaching high school students during the year, summers spent at sea, her love of global food culture, and even her dream of cooking for Ina Garten how she should meet Extreme Chef Terry French and her life cooking and living in Florida. The episode also features acclaimed pastry chef and writer Helen Goh, who joins us to discuss her highly anticipated debut solo cookbook, Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes published by Abrams Books. Known for her longtime collaboration with Yotam Ottolenghi on Sweet and Comfort, Helen shares how her multicultural upbringing in Malaysia and Australia, her Mediterranean and Middle Eastern baking influences, and her work as a trained psychologist shape both her recipes and her philosophy. From showstopping celebration cakes to comforting everyday bakes and even savory treats Helen explores how baking fosters connection, community, and joy in life's biggest and smallest moments. It's an episode filled with travel, storytelling, meaningful food, and Philly pride only on Small Bites Radio. #ChefAbbyCheshire #AbbyInTheGalley #PassportToFlavor #GlobalCuisine #CookbookRelease #HelenGoh #BakingAndTheMeaningOfLife #Ottolenghi #BakingLife #CookbookLove #CulinaryTravel #FoodAroundTheWorld #YachtChef #GlobalEats #PhillyEats #PhillyFoodScene #Philadelphia250 #PhillyPride #FIFAinPhilly #MLBAllStarPhilly #MummersParade #DonatoWins Small Bites Radio is the WINNER of Metro Philly Newspaper Best of Philadelphia Arts & Entertainment 2023-2025, nominated by Metro Philly Newspaper 2022 Best of Arts & Entertainment, named Top Hospitality Shows on the Planet from 2020–2025, #Bluejeanfood.com named Top Philadelphia Best Philadelphia Lifestyle Blogs and Websites from 2021-2025, Best Philly Food Blogs and Websites 2023-25, and Top Philly Food RSS Feeds 2024-2025. Again, in 2025, Small Bites with Donato Marino and Derek Timm of Bluejeanfood.com was blown away by winning the Best of the Best in the Philadelphia Region Arts & Entertainment category out of 80,000 votes tallied in total through Metro Philly's Best of Philadelphia for 2025. Truly appreciate everyone who voted for us. We would be thrilled if you voted for us again in 2026. As usual don't forget to listen to the #1 listed “Food Radio Show Philadelphia” and the #1 listed “Food Radio Show South Jersey” Small Bites Radio. For a list of guests who have appeared on the show and more information click below: http://www.bluejeanfood.com/smallbitesradio #foodradioshowphiladelphia #FoodRadioShowSouthJersey #tophospitalityshow #foodradio #foodradioshow #topphiladelphialifestyle #toplisted #bestfood #bestpodcast #bestofphilly #bestphillyblog #bestfoodfeed #bestphillyartsentertainment #metrophillybest

The Valley: Persian Style might be one of the best new shows out right now and we're breaking down exactly why. From the OGs they brought back to the spot-on casting, this show had us hooked immediately. We're already fully invested in every new person and couple, and the mix of Middle Eastern culture, real marriage struggles, tested friendships, over-the-top parties, and honest parenting dynamics makes it a 10/10 must-watch. On today's episode, we recap the first two episodes and give our unfiltered opinions on what each cast member is dealing with. We talk marriages under pressure, friendships being pushed to the limit, wrong moves that are already causing tension, and what we think is coming next. If you're watching The Valley: Persian Style or thinking about starting, this episode is for you. Follow Us On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contributor: Taylor Lynch, MD Educational Pearls: What is tramadol and how does it work? Tramadol is a Schedule IV opioid analgesic used for moderate pain and is often perceived as safer than other opioids due to lower abuse potential. It is a prodrug with weak direct μ-opioid receptor activity. The parent compound also inhibits serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, giving it SSRI/SNRI-like properties. Tramadol is metabolized by CYP2D6 into O-desmethyltramadol (ODT), which has significantly stronger μ-opioid receptor agonism than the parent drug. What are the concerns with tramadol? Ultrarapid CYP2D6 metabolizers (more common in Middle Eastern and North African populations) rapidly convert tramadol to ODT, increasing the risk of opioid toxicity. Poor CYP2D6 metabolizers generate little ODT and may experience primarily serotonergic effects, increasing the risk of serotonin syndrome, especially when combined with SSRIs or SNRIs. CYP2D6 inhibitors (e.g., bupropion, paroxetine, terbinafine, celecoxib) can block tramadol's conversion to ODT, potentially precipitating opioid withdrawal or increasing serotonergic toxicity. Tramadol is also associated with an increased risk of first-time seizures, even at therapeutic doses. Key takeaways Tramadol's effects are highly unpredictable, varying from minimal analgesia to exaggerated opioid effects depending on metabolism. Drug–drug interactions can lead to serotonin syndrome or opioid withdrawal. Despite its Schedule IV classification and reputation for safety, alternative analgesics may be preferable in many patients. References DailyMed - TRAMADOL HYDROCHLORIDE tablet, coated. Accessed January 10, 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=61fb5ba7-6896-4ee4-83de-caee69b06a8e#ID57 Dean L, Kane M. Tramadol Therapy and CYP2D6 Genotype. In: Pratt VM, Scott SA, Pirmohamed M, Esquivel B, Kattman BL, Malheiro AJ, eds. Medical Genetics Summaries. National Center for Biotechnology Information (US); 2012. Accessed January 10, 2026. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK315950/ Aly SM, Tartar O, Sabaouni N, Hennart B, Gaulier JM, Allorge D. Tramadol-Related Deaths: Genetic Analysis in Relation to Metabolic Ratios. J Anal Toxicol. 2022;46(7):791-796. doi:10.1093/jat/bkab096 Summarized and edited by Dan Orbidan OMS2 Donate: https://emergencymedicalminute.org/donate/ Join our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/c9ouHf  

Donara Jaghinyan – Transformation and Integration Leader Donara Jaghinyan, returns for Part 2 of our conversation on what actually breaks integrations after the deal closes. This episode tackles the messy reality of post-merger execution: integration debt that piles up when long-tail items don't get done, change management as a practical framework (not corporate fluff), and the cultural friction that surfaces in cross-border deals. Donara shares firsthand experiences navigating gender-based hierarchy in Middle Eastern TSA negotiations, building trust across geographies, and managing the communication breakdowns that create employee uncertainty. If you missed Part 1, listen to that first—then come back for the operational realities that determine whether your deal actually delivers value. Things You'll Learn What integration debt actually is and why long-tail items get forgotten six months post-close without a formal tracking system Change management as a framework, not fluff—identifying friction points, enabling change agents, and communicating up to seven times before messages reach end users Cross-border cultural challenges that don't show up in diligence, including hierarchy-based decision-making and relationship-building strategies that work globally  _____________

The conversation covers the historical emergence of Algeria as a political and territorial unit, starting in the Ottoman period in the 16th century. Key pivotal moments in Algerian history are highlighted, including French colonialism beginning in 1830, which led to a settler colonial project, the rise of the modern mass nationalist movement in the interwar period, the War of National Liberation (1954–1962), and the decade of violence in the 1990s. The latter half of the conversation focuses on the "Worlds of Islam," emphasizing a polycentric history with no single center. A historian, professor at the University of Oxford, and author of books "A History of Algeria" and "The Worlds of Islam: A Global History", James McDougall details the diverse "technologies" of Islam's spread, including its compelling initial mission, the appeal of social mobility for non-Arabs, trade networks, and the influence of Sufism. He also discusses the historical roots of Islamophobia, which is traced to the 19th-century colonial moment. He discusses why he was drawn to studying Algeria, a country he notes is often ignored in Middle East studies and is known as "the land of a million martyrs" for its iconic history of resistance to colonialism.  0:00 Introduction2:08 Intellectual Curiosity and Addressing Poor Understanding of the Region7:37 When Did Algeria Begin to Exist? Debunking the Colonial Narrative12:38 Pivotal Moments in Algerian History13:48 The Ottoman Period (16th–19th Century) and Connection to the Levant16:29 Settler Colonialism Under the French (1830 Onwards)19:46 The War of National Liberation (1954–1962)20:41 The Violence of the 1990s21:35 Is the War of Independence Connected to the 1990s Civil Strife?23:34 The Legacy of French Colonial Misunderstanding and Racism31:27 Algeria as an Anti-Colonial Symbol Across the Arab World32:18 Leadership of the Algerian Revolution38:37 The Worlds of Islam: A Polycentric Global History46:05 Technologies of Islam's Spread49:18 Muslims as a Minority in the Middle East After the Early Conquests53:15 Why Islam Did Not Spread Everywhere Earlier55:20 The Historical Development of IslamophobiaReadings on Global history and Islamic history:Josephine Quinn, How the World Made the West: A 4000 Year History (2024)Cemil Aydin, The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History (2017) Readings on Algeria:Natalya Vince, The Algerian War, the Algerian Revolution (2020)Malika Rahal, Algérie 1962, une histoire populaire (2022)Jeffrey James Byrne, Mecca of Revolution: Algeria, Decolonization, and the Third World Order (2016)Thomas Serres, The Suspended Disaster: Governing by Crisis in Bouteflika's Algeria (2023)Muriam Haleh Davis, Markets of Civilization: Islam and Racial Capitalism in Algeria (2022)Christopher Silver, Recording History: Jews, Muslims and Music across 20th century North Africa (2022)Sara Rahnema, The Future is Feminist: Women and Social Change in Interwar Algeria (2023) Arthur Asseraf, Electric News in Colonial Algeria (2019) James Robert McDougall is a British historian and Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Oxford and Laithwaite Fellow in History at Trinity College, Oxford. His research mainly addresses the modern and contemporary Mediterranean; Middle Eastern, African and Islamic history, especially Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, but also the history of European imperialism in the Arab world, modern Arab intellectual and political history, and the global history of Islam since c.1700; the French colonial empire in Africa; the Sahara; nationalism and revolutionary movements in Asia and Africa; comparative imperial history; historiography and critical theory.  Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

Jeffrey Epstein's relationship with elements of the Saudi royal family has long hovered in the background of the scandal, rarely explored with the seriousness it deserves. Epstein moved easily within elite Gulf circles during the 1990s and early 2000s, cultivating relationships with Saudi businessmen, royals, and intelligence-adjacent figures under the same vague cover he used everywhere else: finance, philanthropy, and “advising” powerful people. His access was not casual. Epstein traveled repeatedly to Saudi Arabia, hosted Saudi nationals at his properties, and was known to facilitate introductions between Middle Eastern elites and Western political and financial figures. As with many of his relationships, the exact nature of the services he provided remains opaque, but the pattern is familiar: proximity to power, insulation from scrutiny, and an ability to operate across borders with little interference from U.S. authorities.The most disturbing and concrete piece of evidence tying Epstein to Saudi state-level protection surfaced after his 2019 arrest, when law enforcement discovered he was in possession of a Saudi passport. The passport listed a false name but included his photograph, raising immediate red flags about who issued it, why it existed, and how Epstein obtained it. This was not a novelty item or souvenir. Saudi passports are tightly controlled state documents, and possession of one by a non-citizen under an alias strongly suggests official facilitation rather than private forgery. Epstein claimed he used it for travel in the Middle East, yet no serious public accounting has ever been given for how a convicted sex offender and alleged intelligence-linked financier ended up holding sovereign identity documents from a foreign monarchy. Like so much of the Epstein story, the discovery was quickly noted, then quietly sidelined, leaving unanswered questions about foreign intelligence ties, diplomatic cover, and how deep Epstein's international protection network truly went.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Mark Rubin, Jew of Oklahoma is an Okie making music that’s mostly Americana and Bluegrass with a hint of Klezmer, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern flavors. His songs are often political, seeking to reach people’s hearts and minds with messages of conscience.  His new album is Dispatches: Songs from a World Gone Mad. Mark is a direct communicator.  Talking with him, listening to his music, one never has to wonder what he’s saying, he is as clear as a bell in his messaging.  His intentions shine brightly! Musically he’s about as down home as you’re going to find anywhere. • Mark Rubin on YouTube Music by: Mark Rubin The post Mark Rubin – “Dispatches: Songs from a World Gone Mad” appeared first on Paradigms Podcast.

Ilay Karateke is the co-founder and CEO of Bezi, the labneh brand on a mission to make the Middle Eastern spreadable cheese a mainstream category in America. On this episode of ITS, Ilay walks Ali through the primary questions she continually asks herself as she's building Bezi, explains why she is turning down bigger distribution, and why slow and steady is key when you're working with constraints like the refrigerator and awareness.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A traumatizing, air travel experience is no stranger to the everyday Canadian. But it seems the TikToks and online posts of complaints seem to do little in terms of garnering real and sustainable change from our aviation sector. The federal government recently granted more access to Middle Eastern airlines to fly into Canadian airports in hopes of creating competition. It comes in response to a 2025 Competition Bureau report that called for less restrictions on foreign investment. Host Maria Kestane speaks to John Gradek, aviation expert and professor at McGill University to discuss what changes Canada's aviation industry should implement to restore consumer trust in air travel, and what progress has been made since the 2023 federal commitment of improving the air passenger protection regulations. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

President Donald Trump marked the new year by launching a military assault on Venezuela and abducting President Nicolas Maduro. Some 75 people in Venezuela were killed in the Saturday attack and 7 U.S service members were injured, according to the Washington Post. Many Democrats and some Republicans have denounced the act as unconstitutional, while Trump has followed up by threatening more military action against Cuba, Mexico, Columbia and Greenland. This week also marks the fifth anniversary of the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters who were attempting to overturn Trump's loss in the 2020 presidential election. I spoke with Vermont Sen. Peter Welch about these escalating domestic and international crises under the Trump administration just before he returned to Washington. The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.David Goodman  Let's begin by getting your thoughts on the US actions against Venezuela this weekend.Peter Welch  It's reckless and it's wrong. I mean, let's acknowledge the military did a very professional job, but the decision the President made to depose the leader of another country, authoritarian that he was, and then to say that this is about us running Venezuela, and then to say that he wants our big oil companies like Exxon to take over Venezuelan oil brings us back to gunboat diplomacy. It's very, very dangerous. I'm adamantly opposed to what the President did.David Goodman  What did you as a United States senator know about this operation in advance?Peter Welch  Absolutely nothing. I'm a United States senator and the United States Senate is the institution that has the authority to authorize a military action. This was an act of war. We were never consulted. We were never involved. So we knew no more than any other citizen who woke up that morning. And what you're seeing is that the President is completely acting beyond the authority of an executive. In my view, Congress has to stand up and resist that. But we don't have Republican support, and we need that. I am a co sponsor of a resolution condemning this and I'm going to be urging my Republican colleagues that we not relinquish our authority and have a president who is exceeding the powers that the Constitution gives him.David Goodman  How is this supposed to work? For example, what happened when President George W. Bush invaded Iraq in 2003?Peter Welch  The President comes to Congress and asks for an authorization to use force, and in the case of President Bush, he did that before he went to Iraq. I was opposed to that and many members of Congress were, but a majority supported him. But the President did come to Congress. There's a reason for that. When we're going to put our men and women in harm's way, that's a major decision. Deciding to use military force is an easy decision for a president like Trump, but the consequences of it are paid for by our country and by men and women who are willing to serve at the call of the Commander in Chief. That decision should be deliberated. There should be a discussion, there should be a debate. There should be accountability by members of Congress that they said yes or they said no to this request by the President. What there shouldn't ever be is the arbitrary capacity of an individual who happens to be president to plunge us into a war.David Goodman  President Trump said in his address to nation on Saturday that this is all going to be free. It's going to be paid for by Venezuela. Do you believe that?Peter Welch  No, absolutely. He said that about the (border) wall too. Let's just discuss this. There is a decision that only the President made. Number one, the decision was to take out Maduro. Number two, everybody in Maduro's government is still in power. Number three, the President says we're going to run the country. How are we going to do that? Number four, he says our oil companies like Exxon are going to take over the Venezuelan oil fields. None of those things can happen and none of them should happen. So the President is saying, “they're going to pay for it.” This same president won't lift a finger to extend the health care tax credits that have already expired and where we're going to have about 25,000 Vermonters without health care as a result of that. No, this is bogus.David Goodman  Right now there are Vermonters in the Caribbean, the Vermont Air National Guard. What do we know about the role that they are playing in this operation?Peter Welch  First of all, we are all so impressed and appreciative of our Guard. They got 11 days notice right around the Christmas holidays and had to pick up and leave their families behind. There was no notice for them. What we do know is that none of them have been injured, and I am so pleased that that is the news that we have, and we are awaiting a report about what role they did play. But of course, we have the Air National Guard and they have air assets, and obviously those were a big part of this operation, so we'll find out. But I don't know exactly what they were requested to do.David Goodman  The President has described the strategic principle here as the “Donroe Doctrine,” his update of the 200 year old Monroe Doctrine. What do you understand Trump's doctrine to be?Peter Welch  The Monroe Doctrine was an assertion by President James Monroe that European powers could not colonize countries in this hemisphere. What the “Donroe” Doctrine is is the United States can impose its will on countries in this hemisphere. Totally different. It's more about gunboat diplomacy. It's more about imperialism. These are the President's words: “we're going to run the country in Venezuela,” “we're going to have our oil companies there.” That has absolutely nothing to do with the Monroe Doctrine. If the President is, in a kind of pathetic way, trying to make a new word of “Donroe,” the Don is more like a mob boss than it is a diplomat or a statesman.David Goodman  The United States does not have state-run oil companies, but President Trump is saying that private American oil companies are going to rebuild the infrastructure of Venezuela's oil industry. Does that make sense to you?Peter Welch  No, absolutely not. I first started getting interested in Latin America during the President Kennedy administration. There had been a history of the United States companies essentially toppling governments to their own advantage. United Fruit in Nicaragua, of course, the United States toppling an elected government in Guatemala in 1954. What President Kennedy did was really started moving us to where we were promoting democracy. The Alliance for Progress, the Peace Corps -- they became the United States engagement in Latin America and South America, which were more premised on the ideals of democratic participation and democratic rule. President Trump has repudiated that totally and completely. What he wants to do is have transactional engagements with these countries that benefit him or benefit American companies. The aspiration for democratic rule or facilitating the path to democracy is totally rejected by this President. It is completely the wrong way to go.David Goodman  In the first year of President Trump's second term, the United States has taken military action against seven different countries, including three that we've never waged war against. After attacking Venezuela, Trump threatened action against Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. What can or will constrain him?Peter Welch  It has to be Congress and the American people. But right now, the biggest dilemma we have in Congress is that my Republican colleagues have abdicated the constitutional authority that we have as members of Congress in so many areas that the President is acting more like a king. Under Article One of the Constitution, Congress has to vote on war making and authorize it in Appropriations. It's up to Congress, the power of the purse. The President is disregarding that. In area after area, my Republican colleagues have been willing to abdicate their authority and their responsibility and delegate it to the President. So you're having this undemocratic concentration of power in a president who knows no limits and thinks that because he is president, he can do whatever he wants. That's a real threat to our democratic governing system.David Goodman  This seems to have opened up some cracks in the MAGA coalition. We are hearing about opposition from Marjorie Taylor Greene and Representative Thomas Massie, also Senator Rand Paul, who have opposed this break with the idea of “America First.” Do you think this could cause other fractures within that coalition?Peter Welch  I do. Americans do not want us getting involved in foreign wars. They support our military, and we need our strong military to make certain that we're defended. But this action in Venezuela is not to protect us from a threat to our country from Venezuela. His talk about taking over Greenland is not to protect us from a threat by Greenland or Denmark, and likewise, Colombia. Most Americans know that asking our citizen soldiers to go to war for presidential preferences is absolutely wrong. We've got to take care of things that are really tough for everyday working people in our country. Right now, Vermonters are losing health care. The President hasn't lifted a single finger to extend those tax credits so that Vermonters and Americans won't lose health care. The president ran as a person who was against these “forever wars” and now he's embracing these wars, not just in Venezuela, but also the threats In Colombia, the threats in Greenland and in Cuba. Why?David Goodman  Why do you think he has pivoted in such a dramatic fashion from a core principle that he has run on?Peter Welch  The biggest support group he has is the billionaires. If Venezuelan oil is now suddenly run by American oil companies, they benefit. And I'm not even certain the oil companies want what he's doing. The President is very, very good as a politician in stoking division, but his real loyalty where his policies have consistently been applied is when it comes to enhancing the wealth of the very wealthy. The tax cut bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill went largely to billionaires. When he talks about foreign policy, he talks about getting American companies in Venezuela in on the oil. When he meets with leaders from Middle Eastern countries, they talk about crypto deals or meme coin deals that involve his family. That's an obvious motivator for the President. It's really tough for Vermonters now with health care, with the cost of housing, and our small businesses that are contending with these tariffs that are really punishing their ability to sell their products and compete. They don't have the telephone number of the Secretary of Treasury where they can call up and get an exemption like a lot of Trump friends can. Our job is to get us focused back on the well being of American citizens, of having a fair and square economy where people work hard, and if they do and they have a good product, they can get ahead and their success doesn't depend on whether they're connected to the President or whether they made a big fat campaign contribution.David Goodman  This week marks the fifth anniversary of the January 6 insurrection in which Trump supporters attacked the US Capitol. You were in the Capitol that day. How did that experience change you, and in your view, change the country?Peter Welch  I was shocked, as we all were. I was in the gallery in the House of Representatives about 30 feet from where the shot was fired. I was on the floor above, but it was right below me. I couldn't believe it. And I was there when the mob was breaking the doors down. They were ultimately unsuccessful, but they broke the glass. I was seeing our security people with guns drawn. And what to this day still stuns me is that even though I was there, even though in real time I was hearing the shot, I was seeing the glass being broken, I didn't believe it was happening. It couldn't happen because this is the United States of America, and we've never had an insurrection to stop the peaceful transfer of power. We've been so blessed with this tradition where the winner is certified as the winner, and where violence is not used to change the outcome of an election. That changed that day. And what was also painful was to see these Capitol Police officers who I see every day, and they're just wonderful people that work hard, and they then became vilified, as though they were the attackers and the people who attacked them, who kicked them, who spat on them, who bit them, who tried to rip their helmets off and nearly break their necks -- those people were pardoned for attacking a police officer. That continues to be shocking to me. And you've got President Trump trying to rewrite history. We can't on this fifth anniversary allow that to happen. And I'll be with many of my colleagues who will be on the Senate floor describing what happened that day, what we experienced, and what the true history is of that event.David Goodman  That's such a powerful image of you not believing your own eyes. For decades, you have believed in one kind of American story, and even though it was unraveling in front of you, you couldn't believe it. Do you feel like you still respond that way to some of what you're seeing?Peter Welch  It's changing. Our democracy is under threat with what Trump is doing. There's no question. But here's what is now animating me. I think about those police officers who reported for duty, and then even through what they've been through, they keep coming back. I still look at the Capitol when I walk to work, and I just think about the incredible commitment this country has had in its constitution, in its declaration of independence to the aspiration of equality of all men and women, and how so much of our history has been about the effort to achieve that, to make it more real, to make it more encompassing for more people. That's a worthy goal and it is under assault now. But I think about folks who came before me like John Lewis, and Martin Luther King, and how they devoted their lives to the perfection of our democracy. It'll never be perfect. But isn't it a worthy aspiration, even if it's under assault?David Goodman  Do you think something like January 6 could happen again?Peter Welch  It could happen again. This a jump-ball situation. What's going to be the outcome is not inevitable, and that's why it takes all of us to do whatever it is we can. We're in a very dangerous place in our democracy and what the outcome is going to be, I can't predict. But I can tell you this, we in Vermont are going to do every single thing we can. What Vermont does is (have) fierce debate about how to solve this or that problem, but also a shared sense that we're all in it together and that we have a shared obligation to the future of our state. We need more of that in Washington.

Dr. Zeev Maghen is an Israeli scholar and professor of Arabic and Islamic history at Bar-Ilan University, and a senior fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. He's a leading expert on Revolutionary Iran, Shi'a Islam, and Middle Eastern geopolitics, and the author of books and research on Iran's political and religious dynamics.PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://yishaifleisher.com/podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/YishaiFleisherTVSUPPORT & CONNECT:Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/yishaiFight4Israel: https://fight4israel.givecloud.coTwitter: https://twitter.com/YishaiFleisherLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yishaifleisherFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/YishaiFleisher  Support the show

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela and Iran from 2019 to 2021, joins the show to discuss Venezuela and what might happen next. ▪️ Times 02:04 Snatch and Grab 05:50 Intelligence Operations 12:04 Oil 16:50 Holding the Country Together  24:16 Risks & Mistakes 30:48 Blockade 33:54 Hard To Leave    39:11 Not Iraq 41:48 Cuba 42:21 The Iranian Regime Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

Discover why disciplined due diligence beats FOMO, how to wield AI without losing human insight, why “cash is king” again, and what the rise of lean micro-unicorns means for VCs, family offices, and startups.   In this episode of the Registered Investment Advisor Podcast, Seth Greene interviews Daniel Nikic, Global Investment Specialist and Founder of COHRES, who explains why disciplined due diligence beats FOMO, how AI should augment human insight, and why “cash is king” again. He shares how COHRES tailors research for VCs, family offices, and startups, forecasts durable trends in AI, energy, healthcare, and data, and explores the rise of lean micro-unicorns. Nikic also details the operational pivots behind scaling a boutique firm toward AI-enabled analysis while aligning execution with investor priorities.   Key Takeaways: → How the most expensive errors are chasing hype, skipping time-horizon work, and forgetting that once capital leaves your account, there's no guarantee it returns. → Why ChatGPT-level answers aren't enough for funds. → How big brands will stay big and emerging funds with DPI will struggle to raise. → Why direct on-call collaboration provides guidance when speed matters. → How having a global perspective allows for tailored insights to what each investor treats as a green flag or a deal breaker.   Daniel Nikic is a global investment research expert and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience advising investors, high-net-worth individuals, enterprises, and entrepreneurs. Raised in Canada and now based in Croatia, Daniel specializes in global markets, focusing on the U.S., European, and Middle Eastern financial landscapes. As the founder of COHRES, Daniel has analyzed over 15,000 companies across sectors like AI, software, and data. He delivers high-quality market research, financial management, due diligence, and AI data auditing to empower clients to make strategic, informed decisions. Known for his collaborative approach, Daniel builds long-term relationships rooted in trust and shared success. Daniel is also passionate about mentoring early-stage entrepreneurs, guiding them on market strategies, innovation, and business growth. His expertise in global markets and emerging trends makes him a trusted advisor in the financial sector.   Connect With Daniel:   Website: https://www.danielnikic.com/ https://cohres.com/ X: https://x.com/DNikic87 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Nikic/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-nikic/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

December 31st, 2025 SPECIAL LIVE UPDATE with James Kaddis. So much has happened in the year 2025, and along the way, so much has been revealed to us according to what God has shown us in His Word. Tonight, we will be talking about subjects that range from artificial intelligence to Middle Eastern geopolitics, and every bit of it will be relevant, exciting, and even encouraging. Do not miss this special New Year's Eve service, as it promises to be a remarkable time as we examine the times we are living in through the truth of God's Word.

Denzember concludes as Journalist and host of the Turbulence podcast Séamus Malekafzali returns to the show to discuss Edward Zwick's 1998 geopolitical thriller The Siege, a film about a Muslim terrorist cell wreaking havoc on New York City, the resultant fear it stokes, and the vidictive results of martial law being enforced in an American city. Largely lost to time as an artifact of The End of History, the film nonetheless rings with a startling prescience as a pre-9/11 document of Hollywood's casual anti-Arab sentiments (even among well-meaning liberal sects), and trust in American institutions to disavow bad actors and preserve democracy.We begin by dissecting the films amorphous, byzantine, and *totally fabricated* understanding of Middle Eastern geopolitics, and how its obfuscations function as a tool of propaganda, making the threat of Muslim extremism feel omnipresent and unknowable. Then, we consider how the film contends with imperial blowback, individuating it as mistakes by discrete actors rather than the guiding policy of America's geopolitical meddling across the globe. Finally, we reckon with the film's countless contradictions, its liberal posturing toward the "right" kind of wariness toward extremism, and its unconscious buttressing of the same ideologies that lead to fascist persecution of The Other. Follow Séamus Malekafzali on Twitter.Listen and Subscribe to Turbulence Podcast. Subscribe to Séamus' Substack. Get access to the whole Denzember experience, all of our premium episodes and bonus content, and an invite to the Hit Factory Discord by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our Denzember Theme Song is "Funk" by Oppo.

2025 brought shifts in the Middle East facilitated by the Trump administration. Hostages freed, deals struck with former Middle Eastern enemies & PM Netanyahu forging a partnership with the U.S. Plus. the deadly rise of antisemitism internationally.

The most important Jewish find in recent history was the Cairo Geniza, a massive trove of hundreds of thousands of ancient documents and books that entirely rewrote medieval Jewish and Middle Eastern history. A fascinating discussion about the exciting find and some of the amazing things we learned from it. 

Nothing says Christmas quite like talking about Iranians and drinking. On this Christmas Day edition of Roqe, we revisit one of our most compelling conversations - an exploration of alcohol's long, complicated, and often contradictory place in Iranian and Islamic history. While alcohol is officially forbidden under Islam, it has played a persistent and sometimes conspicuous role across centuries of Persian culture - from ancient wine traditions and mystical poetry, to royal courts, revolutions, and the underground drinking culture of modern Iran. Our guest is Dr. Rudi Matthee, professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of Delaware and a leading authority on early modern Iran. His new book, Angels Tapping at the Wine Shop's Door, examines the hidden, contested, and enduring history of alcohol across the Islamic world. This wide-ranging conversation looks at: The religious prohibition of alcohol and its interpretations Iran's ancient wine culture Alcohol in Persian poetry, art, and mysticism Drinking at royal courts and repeated attempts at prohibition Alcohol before and after the 1979 Revolution Smuggling, homemade wine, and modern contradictions Whether the Islamic world's relationship with alcohol is still evolving A conversation about pleasure and prohibition. Faith and culture. Public rules and private lives. This episode of Roqe is supported by Stellar Law and iWelcome.

Ty Gentile, James Rana, and David Hu share yuletide tales about Christmas carols, Black Santas, and of course, excretory health in our annual winter holidays special for 2025.

Eden Grinshpan is a TV food personality, author of the bestselling cookbook Eating Out Loud, and the creator of the vibrant online platform Eden Eats. Known for her relatability, raw sincerity, playful goofiness, and bold, veg-forward cooking, Eden brings joy and flavor to everything she touches. She earned her culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu in London before eating and adventuring her way across Europe, India, Southeast Asia, and Israel, where she spent summers growing up. Her passion for travel and food led to her breakout Cooking Channel series Eden Eats, which she both produced and hosted. She later went on to host Log On & Eat with Eden Grinshpan and serve as host of Top Chef Canada.Eden currently splits her time between New York and Toronto with her husband, Ido, and their two daughters, Ayv and Romi.Her latest cookbook, TAHINI BABY, is a joyful celebration of Middle Eastern– and Mediterranean-inspired, veg-forward cooking. Bursting with fresh flavors, approachable recipes, and Eden's signature flair, TAHINI BABY makes it easy—and fun—to cook like an It-girl in your own kitchen. From noshes and brunch staples to bold veggie mains and next-level sides, plus vibrant condiments, dips, and pickles, Eden invites everyone to roll up their sleeves, get a little messy, and fall in love with food all over again.We discuss: How Eden sets healthy boundaries with technology and social media to protect her well-being and stay present with her familyThe behind-the-scenes journey of writing her second cookbook, Tahini Baby, and why tahini and sesame seeds are the ultimate flavor enhancersEden's approach to balancing motherhood, marriage, and a thriving culinary career, with grace, humor, and honestyTips for bringing big flavor to every dish using fresh summer produce, pantry staples, and Eden's favorite condimentsReal talk about meal prep, and Eden's favorite ways to keep cooking exciting and stress-freeFollow Eden Grinshpan on Instagram: @edeneatsOrder Tahini Baby: https://www.tahinibabybook.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAae2Q7rqrlp4teTHsLsH0if-JDpr6HReqHWj98QUiOtUsjLDIZE6v5ODkorWUg_aem_o1lGkeiglIKDBU_W6TrpAwLearn more about High Vibration Living with Chef Whitney Aronoff onwww.StarseedKitchen.com Get 10% off your order of Chef Whitney's organic spices with codeSTARSEED on www.starseedkitchen.com Follow Chef Whitney Aronoff on Instagram at @whitneyaronoff and@starseedkitchen

Discover the interconnectedness of peddling and factory work, the surprising origins of the Aloha shirt, and the key role Syrian workers played in major labor actions like the 1912 Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Associate Professor of History at the University of California and author of "Unmentionables: Textiles, Garment Work, and the Syrian American Working Class" Dr. Stacy D. Fahrenthold discusses her work which offers a class-conscious history of the Syrian-American diaspora, a community of about half a million people in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. While the "peddler" is often the central figure and icon of this diaspora's economic history for over a century, Fahrenthold shifts the focus to the new immigrants who came to the U.S. and found work in the textile industries. The conversation explores the hidden role of Syrian-American garment workers, particularly young women, who produced goods like "kimonos", undergarments, stockings, and household textiles. 0:00 Introducing Unmentionables & Shifting the Icon from Peddler to Laborer0:40 Lawrence, Massachusetts: The Second Largest Arab-American Community1:48 Who Was The Syrian American Working Class?2:41 The Gap in Arab-American Diaspora History3:14 Textiles and Garment Work4:50 The Peddler: Icon vs Reality7:12 Labor Experience In The U.S. vs Greater Syria8:50 Skilled Silk Weavers and First-Time Proletarians10:14 Syrian Workers and Global Labor Movements11:27 The Bread and Roses Strike of 191215:09 Dynamite, Arrests and Militarization of the Syrian Neighborhood19:16 Scale of Syrian Immigration Compared to Other Groups22:14 The Majority of Textile Workers Were Women24:43 The Connection to the Silk Industry in Mount Lebanon27:28 A Look Inside a Syrian-American Garment Factory29:04 The Kimono: Branding and Orientalism31:50 The Effacement of Origins in the Marketplace35:36 Economic and Social Mobility For Syrian-American Families39:03 The Legacy of Syrian-American Textile Companies40:01 The Lebanese Origins of The Aloha Shirt43:14 Marghab Linen and Racial Stereotyping44:22 Geographic Dispersion of Syrian Communities47:09 Illicit Activity and Contraband in the Diaspora49:22 Recommended Readings In Arab-American History Stacy Fahrenthold is a historian of the modern Middle East specializing in labor migration; displacement/refugees; border studies; and diasporas within and from the region. Her new book "Unmentionables: Textiles, Garment Work, and the Syrian American Working Class" examines how Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian immigrant workers navigated processes of racialization, immigration restriction, and labor contestation in the textile industries of the Atlantic world. It recently received the Middle East Studies Association's 2025 Nikki Keddie Award for "outstanding scholarly work in religion, revolution, and/or society." Her award-winning first book, "Between the Ottomans and the Entente: The First World War in the Syrian and Lebanese Diaspora" examines the politics of Syrian and Lebanese migration to the Americas during the First World War, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the rise of European Mandates in the Middle East. Fahrenthold is Associate Editor of Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle Eastern and North African Migration Studies. Connect with Stacy D. Fahrenthold

On Episode 227, the conversation with New York lyricist Shah Leezy continues as we dig deeper into the mind, philosophy, and creative foundation behind his music. In this second installment, Shah expands on the themes that define his artistry — spirituality, cultural identity, loyalty, discipline, and the philosophy that shapes his worldview and writing.We explore the stories behind projects like Mohammad Speaks!, ALI BABA!, Shiraz, The London Tape, and the creative evolution leading to his latest album LUNACy! with producer Ezekiel Jordan. Shah breaks down how faith, life experiences, and cultural influence shape his voice, visual direction, and the narratives he brings to hip hop.The conversation also dives into his philosophical interests (including the use of Alan Watts samples), the responsibility of being an independent artist, the reality of being a Middle Eastern MC in today's hip hop landscape, and how he balances artistic integrity with ambition.This is Shah Leezy unfiltered — reflective, sharp, grounded, and intentional.

Show Notes: Noah Feldman,  Harvard Law professor, author, and ethical advisor talks about his career in constitutional law and his experiences in Iraq and Tunisia, sharing stories from his time guiding, and in some cases, establishing, the law of countries in turmoil or collapse. He also talks about the themes explored in his books  and current pursuits. Real World Projects in Constitutional Law Noah describes his academic journey, starting from his early love for school and his decision to pursue academia full-time, with brief interruptions for real-world projects. He shares his experiences as a law clerk for the late Justice David Souter and his role as the senior constitutional advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. Noah discusses his involvement in drafting the Iraqi constitution, starting from scratch, and the unique opportunity it provided to apply his academic knowledge in a real-world scenario. He recounts his work in Tunisia after the Arab Spring, advising the Constituent Assembly on constitutional design.  Oversight on Facebook After writing his book about James Madison, Noah's next step was unexpected involvement with Facebook's Oversight Board, which was inspired by a conversation with Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg. He was in California giving a talk at Stanford. He was thinking about writing a book on free speech in the era of social media. He explained to Sheryl how he had the idea that Facebook would benefit from having a kind of private Supreme Court. And the idea was that all of the companies privately made content moderation decisions could actually be made in a more public and transparent way, according to principles and the doing so would add to the legitimacy of their decision-making process. She loved the idea and introduced him to Mark Zuckerberg, and the outcome was the Oversight Board. Noah explains his ongoing work advising tech companies on governance issues and the complexities of balancing free expression and ethics in the tech industry. A Sideline in Journalism and a Focus on Writing Noah mentions his sideline in journalism, starting with a recommendation from Michael Ignatieff to write for the New York Times. He shares his experience of writing for Bloomberg's opinion section for over a decade. Noah talks about his podcast, Deep Background, which he hosted for three years, and his plans to relaunch it in a slightly different format. He discusses his current book project, The Importance of Being Human, which explores the value of human relationships in the age of AI and technology. Noah elaborates on his book project, focusing on the importance of human relationships in various aspects of life, including work, family, and politics. He expresses his open-mindedness about the potential value of romantic relationships with AI, despite initially holding a different view. Following a Theme of Constitutions When asked about his book choices, Noah explains his organizing theme of constitutions, focusing on Middle Eastern and US constitutional history. Noah outlines his planned book series on the history of the US Constitution, emphasizing the narrative throughline of the people who shaped it. He shares his experiences in Iraq, describing the chaotic and disorganized environment he encountered and the challenges of creating a functioning legal system in the midst of civil disorder. He shares the biggest lesson learned, the importance of order and law, arguing that without de facto control on the ground, it is difficult to establish a functioning legal or constitutional system. He also talks about how militias were formed. Noah discusses his work in Tunisia, highlighting the successful transition to democracy and the role of Islamist political parties in the democratic process. He reflects on the importance of norms and conventions in maintaining a functional constitutional system, using the example of Tunisia's failed Constitutional Court. Norms and Conventions in Maintaining a Constitutional System Noah emphasizes the significance of norms and conventions in the functioning of institutions, including legal systems and constitutional orders. He discusses the role of norms in the US constitutional system, using the example of the impeachment of Donald Trump to illustrate how norms can be changed by actions that challenge them. Noah reflects on the importance of understanding and respecting norms and conventions in maintaining the integrity of legal and constitutional systems. He highlights the need for clear and effective checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power and ensure the rule of law. The Importance of Family Noah shares details about his personal life, including his recent marriage to Julia Allison and his two children, Jamin and Mina, who are pursuing careers in the arts. He describes his relationship with his ex-wife, Jeannie Suk Gerson, and her husband, Jake Gerson, and how they maintain a good working relationship despite being colleagues.Noah reflects on the importance of family and personal relationships in his life, noting the support and encouragement he receives from his family.  Harvard Reflections Noah reminisces about his time at Harvard, highlighting the impact of his mentors and the courses he took. He talks about his mentorship with Robert Nozick and the influence of his work on his current thinking, medieval Islamic and Jewish Studies and his professors there Isadore Turski, Bernard Septimus, and Mohsen Madi. he also mentions Richard Primus, Constitutional Law with H.W. Perry. Noah discusses his involvement with the Program on Jewish and Israeli Law at Harvard Law School and the importance of medieval Jewish and Islamic Studies in his work. He reflects on the value of response papers in developing his skills as a journalist and opinion writer. Timestamps: 03:58: Involvement in Real-World Projects 07:52 Journalism and Media Engagement  13:07: Research and Personal Insights  23:51: Lessons from Iraq and Tunisia  37:46: Impact of Norms and Conventions  42:04: Personal Life and Family  45:08: Influences and Mentorship  Links: Website: https://www.noahfeldman.com/ Email: noah_feldman@harvard.edu @professornoahfeldman Linktree Featured Non-profit The featured non-profit of this week's episode  is brought to you by Anastasia Fernand who reports: "Hi. I'm Anastasia Fernand, class of 1992. The featured non-profit of this episode of the 1992 report is the Rebecca H. Rhodes African Inclusive Literacy Research prize. The African inclusive literacy Research Fund supports African scholars and practitioners undertaking research to identify the best ways of helping children with disabilities become literate as a critical step in reaching their full potential. Rebecca was my roommate throughout college and a member of our class of 1992 Rebecca spent her career proving that every child can learn. Let's make sure her prize keeps proving it for generations to come. And now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode." To learn more about their work, visit: https://www.adeanet.org

As 2025 draws to a close, the fate of the Trump administration's twenty point plan to end the war in Gaza, disarming Hamas and withdrawing Israeli forces, and facilitate good governance, security and reconstruction, has run headlong into harsh Middle Eastern realities. The administration is promising a transition to phase two by the end of the year, but the status of the International Stabilization Force and an on the ground Palestinian governing structure seem more theoretical than real. What are the chances of implementation of the Trump plan, particularly on security? What, or who, will actually govern Gaza? And what of the other U.S. efforts in Lebanon, Syria, and Iran? Join Aaron David Miller as he addresses these issues and others with Carnegie's Marwan Muasher, Israel Policy Forum's Nimrod Novik, and former Palestinian Authority adviser Manal Zeidan, on the next Carnegie Connects. 

In this episode Matt hosts Dick Brogden, a missions leader with decades of experience of church planting amongst Muslims in various countries across Africa and the Middle East. Topics include the power of indirection and compassion, the theology of suffering & survivor's guilt, and effective global partnerships.Questions Dick addresses include: What are some of the key factors that help workers stay long-term in difficult places? What is the difference between calling, assignment and role? How can we respond when Muslims publicly challenge or criticise our faith? How do Arab believers help Westerners to understand bible stories from a Middle-Eastern perspective? Do check out Dick's books at: https://www.abidepublishers.com/shopSupport the show_________________________________________________________________________________Do get in touch if you have any questions for Matt or for any of his guests.matt@frontiers.org.ukYou can find out more about us by visiting www.frontiers.org.ukOr, if you're outside the UK, visit www.frontiers.org (then select from one of our national offices). For social media in the UK:Instagram: frontiers_ukAnd do check out the free and outstanding 6 week video course for churches and small groups, called MomentumYes:www.momentumyes.com (USA)www.momentumyes.org.uk (UK) _________________________________________________________________________________

This week, we begin looking back on some of the most moving moments shared on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio in 2025:          Hope & Nagy have been called by God to live in some very difficult places. They were serving Him in Libya when civil war broke out; they stayed and thrived under the Lord's protection. Then they heard the Lord call them to a new and equally-challenging land.          Jerry Mattix has been banned twice from entering Türkiye, once in 2013 and again earlier this year. Jerry knows God is able to do His work among Turkish people without him in the country.          Nathan and Kari were raised differently, yet the Lord called them to Himself, and to missions, together. In South Asia, they are seeing the gospel on fire, not waiting for foreign missionaries but moving forward through the gospel fervor of national Christians.          John Samara knows the high cost of serving Christ in a place like Syria. He grew up there and continues to serve persecuted Christians in the Middle East and North Africa through Ananias House.          Eric Mock, from Slavic Gospel Association, shares how war between Russia and Ukraine has actually accelerated SGA's ministry as they provide aid and share the gospel with hundreds of thousands of people.          Teaching students in the UK and around the world, Dr. Michael Reeves has a passion for strengthening the faith of persecuted Christians in hostile and restricted nations. He served as a missionary on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.          Ty Scott, leader of VOM's work in east and southern Africa, shares about Christians living in a country that has never been discussed on VOM Radio until this year — Comoros. He also shared how VOM handles Bible distribution in Africa.          Author of the book, Inside Afghanistan, John Weaver, shares what it looks like to be a Christian in Afghanistan today. Believers must carefully plant gospel seeds and seek out people of peace.          Abraham & Sara minister to Muslim refugees in the Middle East who are open to the gospel. They see the hunger to know Jesus, and the Lord is revealing Himself to these refugees through dreams, visions, and the love of Christ, as seen in the example of Abraham, Sara, and their team. After hearing these brief excerpts, you'll want to listen to the entire conversations with these guests from 2025. Click on the links below to listen at VOMRADIO.net or listen in the VOM APP.          Hope & Nagy, gospel workers to Libya and the Middle East          Jerry Mattix, long-time aid ministry worker and pastor in Türkiye          Nathan & Kari, gospel workers in South Asia with the International Mission Board (IMB)          John Samara, Founder and Executive Director of Ananias House          Eric Mock, the Senior Vice President of the Slavic Gospel Association          Dr. Michael Reeves, President of Union School of Theology in the United Kingdom          Ty Scott, VOM's Regional Leader for East and Southern Africa          John Weaver, long-time gospel worker in Afghanistan          Abraham & Sara serve refugees at a church in a Middle Eastern country We thank the Lord for allowing VOM Radio to encourage and challenge listeners all over the world this year. Thank you for faithfully listening and praying for our persecuted family in restricted nations and hostile areas around the world! We'd love to hear from you! Let us know what conversation in 2025 most inspired your faith or equipped you to pray. You can also give online to support persecuted Christians through the work of The Voice of the Martyrs. Next week, we'll have Part II of our look back to the most moving moments of 2025 on VOM Radio.

It's Thursday, December 18th, A.D. 2025. 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 Jonathan Clark Syrian Christians are suffering Christians in Syria are facing new challenges and growth. The Middle Eastern country is now ruled by a transitional government after the autocratic rule of Bashar al-Assad ended a year ago. Freedom of expression seems to be increasing; however, Christians still suffer persecution. Christian students, women, clergy, and business owners face insults and threats in public. Despite this, one pastor told Open Doors, “After all the violence in the country, some non-Christians are now more open to hear about Christianity, because they see that Christianity brings peace, and we hope that God will touch their hearts.” In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Two U.S. soldiers and U.S. civilian interpreter killed in Syria Two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed in an attack in Syria over the weekend. The U.S. military blamed the attack on the Islamic State group.  Hundreds of American troops are in eastern Syria as part of a coalition to fight the Islamic State. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on X, “This was an ISIS attack against the U.S. and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them. … There will be very serious retaliation.” Citizens in 39 countries are prohibited from traveling to U.S. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation further restricting the entry of foreign nationals to the U.S.  Thirty-nine countries are now affected by U.S. travel restrictions. The proclamation added full restrictions and entry limitations on Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents also face full restrictions.  Defense bill gives 4% raise to soldiers The U.S. Senate passed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act yesterday. The $901 billion military spending bill provides support for Europe, Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.  The bill also gives service members a 4% raise and addresses social issues for troops. For example, the bill prohibits men, pretending to be women, from participating in women's sports programs at military academies. And the bill does not expand coverage for in vitro fertilization for military families.  The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill last week, and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it.  Hegseth restores miliary chaplains as moral anchors U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced plans on Tuesday to restore the military chaplaincy to its full strength. Hegseth said chaplains have been minimized by secular humanism to being viewed as therapists instead of ministers. He said, “I have a directive right here that I will sign today to eliminate the use of the Army Spiritual Fitness Guide effective immediately. These types of training materials have no place in the War Department.” Hegseth added, “In well over 100 pages, it mentions God one time. “That's it. It mentions feelings 11 times. It even mentions playfulness—whatever that is—nine times. There's zero mention of virtue.” Listen to other comments from Hegseth. HEGSETH: “There will be a top down-cultural shift, putting spiritual wellbeing on the same footing as mental and physical health. As a first step toward creating a supportive environment for our warriors and their souls, we're going to restore the esteemed position of chaplains as moral anchors for our fighting force.” Will Supreme Court block church's million dollar COVID fine? A church in California is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic. California officials previously fined Calvary Chapel in San Jose over one million dollars. The church simply did not require members to wear masks at services during the pandemic.  Advocates for Faith & Freedom is representing the church. Erin Mersino, vice president of the group, said, “Government officials may not weaponize emergencies to suspend the First Amendment. California imposed some of the most aggressive restrictions on churches in the country, and this case is about ensuring the government never does this again.” When commanded not to preach, Peter and the apostles said in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” 234th anniversary of Bill of Rights And finally, this week is the anniversary of the U.S. Bill of Rights which comprise the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.  The United States of America ratified the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791, two hundred thirty-four years ago. The First Amendment famously protects freedom of religion and freedom of speech. The Second Amendment protects the individual right to keep and bear arms.  The amendments drew from English law to protect the rights of citizens and limit the power of government. Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, December 18th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Episode 222: Tunisian Peinture Sous Verre – A History in Reverse This lecture provides an introduction to reverse glass painting in Tunisia, a predominantly figurative form of Islamic art that is often referred to as a “popular” tradition. As very little archival material and original documentation exists, most of what we know about this painting practice comes from collections, scholarship, and stories told about it from the 1960s and on, over one hundred years after it had already been well established in Tunisia. To highlight this belated epistemology, the presentation follows a reverse chronology of the medium. After briefly introducing the technique and artistic process, it starts from the contemporary moment and moves backwards in time to the post-independence era, the Protectorate period, and earlier. It ends with some speculations about the connections between Tunisian under-glass painting and other historical or regional visual-material practices. Ava Katarina Tabatabai Hess is a PhD candidate in Art History at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Her dissertation focuses on vernacular Islamic art from Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, examining the proliferation of reverse glass painting and chromolithography in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as well as their post-independence recuperations. She conducted fieldwork in Tunisia in 2022 with support from an AIMS grant, and from October 2023 to April 2025 as a FLAS research fellow and a Fulbright-Hays fellow, with additional research undertaken in Algeria, Morocco, and France. She earned her BA from Columbia University in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, and a master's in Visual, Material, and Museum Anthropology from the University of Oxford. Ava is also a curator, a contributing researcher with the Arabic Design Archive, and currently serves as Arts Editor of Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies. This podcast was recorded at the Centre d'Études Maghrébines à Tunis (CEMA) on the 4th of November, 2025. We thank Mohammed Boukhoudmi for his interpretation of “Elli Mektoub Mektoub” for the introduction and conclusion of this podcast. Production and editing: Lena Krause, AIMS Development and Digital Resources Liaison.

A high-level meeting just took place that could change Israel's future overnight. Under President Donald Trump, the United States convened a conference inviting 70 nations to discuss sending foreign troops into Gaza—supposedly to police Hamas. But leaked details reveal something far more alarming: many of these countries may only deploy troops to Israeli-controlled areas, effectively monitoring the IDF instead of stopping terror. At the same time, the U.S. is reportedly in talks to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Middle Eastern nations—moves that could seriously erode Israel's military edge. Israel is furious. Iran is issuing open threats. And foreign forces may soon be operating directly on Israel's borders.

What does the future hold for the Middle East — and the world — in 2026? In this special episode of Conflicted, Thomas instructs Aimen to peer into his crystal ball and offer his forecasts for the year to come. In this episode, Aimen and Thomas discuss: How professional geopolitical analysts make forecasts The impossibility of foreseeing Black Swan events Why an end to the war in Ukraine could reshape Middle Eastern geopolitics The likelihood of a U.S. war against the Houthis in Yemen Renewed hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon The strategic importance of the Gulf states Iran's nuclear programme, proxy network, and the risk of renewed confrontation Add your predictions to your 2026 Forecast Card here: https://forms.gle/sMCbRFmFTBdcfEDd8  Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/  Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Roxxanne Shelaby is a Southern California–based performer, teacher, and producer whose work is rooted in her Lebanese/Brazilian heritage and a lifelong immersion in Egyptian Style Oriental Dance. Raised in her family's legendary nightclubs, Fez and Cascades, she grew up surrounded by live Middle Eastern music and dance, learning directly from iconic artists such as Feiruz Aram, Marie Silva, Sahra C. Kent, and members of Egypt's Komeya Troupe. Roxxanne began performing at age five and professionally at sixteen at the request of Farida Fahmy, later studying with masters including Mahmoud Reda, Fifi Abdo, Aida Nour, and Ahmed Hussein. She spent 11 years performing with and serving as Assistant Director of Sahra C. Kent's Ya Amar! Middle Eastern Dance Company, appearing in major U.S. festivals and international performances. Beyond performing, Roxxanne produces the showcases with live Arabic music, teaches internationally, and is the producer/director of the acclaimed Fez Documentary, preserving the history of belly dance on the U.S. West Coast while honoring its pioneering artists.In this episode you will learn about:- The story of The Fez club in Hollywood and why it changed belly dance history forever- The surprising origin story of the Maya movement term and the dancer it was named after- The journey from “this should be a book” to creating a 90-minute documentary against all odds- The loss of long-form performance and what modern dancers are missing because of it- Why watching other dancers perform is as important as performing yourselfShow Notes to this episode:Find Roxxanne Shelaby on Instagram, Youtube and website. For more information and purchase options, please visit The Fez Documentary website: www.TheFezDoc.comDetails and training materials for the BDE castings 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

So-called activist Jake Lang marched into Dearborn, Michigan, in November waving bacon at Qurans, lighting the same on fire, and trying to provoke Muslim residents with chants of “Christ is King” and calls on City Hall to remove all Muslims from the community, and in fact the country. But Muslims have been present in Dearborn for decades - with increasing numbers in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, largely because of Middle Eastern wars. Yet, locals of all backgrounds have lived in relative peace, with many going online to express their confusion. Now, Jake Lang is back with the same tactics in Plano, Texas. Two major problems exist here: one, if this treatment of Islam were to override the First Amendment, how long do you think it will be before the same war comes for Christianity - has it not already? Two, are you so sure that the rhetoric of Lang even makes sense? A glance at the Quran will demonstrate that it actually teaches peace, not to commit suicide, forbids usury strongly, and the additional sayings of Muhammed call for followers to never kill women or children. We are not making a case for Islam beyond religious freedom, but instead wondering how Jake Lang, born to a Jewish mother, and who performed various rituals in Israel, can project rabbinical law onto Islam, i.e., it is actually the rabbis who believe it acceptable to steal and murder gentiles, and it is the rabbis who condone sex with children less than 3 years old. Words like “intifada,” “infidel,” and “jihad” scare people, but in Arabic they respectively mean “uprising,” “not faithful,” and “effort.” Shariah is not a law, the word means “law,” and it is, according to the Encyclopedia: Ritual practices—such as the daily prayers (ṣalāt), almsgiving (zakāt), fasting (ṣawm), and pilgrimage (hajj). Most of the accusations Lang makes against Islam are actually projections of accusations made against Jews. As the propaganda has failed to secure ongoing American support for Israel from all parties, it has turned to a Christian base that is willing to sell its birthright for a couple Bible verses. Hence, Jesus is the reason for the treason. *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.WEBSITEFREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVE-X / TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMYOUTUBERUMBLE-BUY ME A COFFEECashApp: $rdgable PAYPAL: rdgable1991@gmail.comRyan's Books: https://thesecretteachings.info - EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / rdgable1991@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

The idea of “gay celibacy” on its face sounds like a reasonable idea our guest exposed the deception of it. On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week we spoke to a former gay man who is now on the front lines of this issue who explained the confusion that this idea is creating in the lives of people and why some Christian leaders are buying into this false narrative that discounts God’s clear guidance for feel good teaching that dismiss the truth. The transformation of lives in Iran is still going on and we shared more stories of God at work in that Middle Eastern nation. But these are still dangerous times in that part of the world and we spoke to a man who has served over there for many years as he shared stories of the persecution those who choose Jesus face and despite their persecution, there unwillingness to deny their faith. For many people Hanukkah is considered a “Jewish version of Christmas” because they don’t really understand the significance of the celebration. But just as Christmas focuses on the birth of Jesus, our guest a respected leader in Jews for Jesus, shared the true story of this celebration and how Jesus fits into it. Just as Jesus came once as a babe, He will return to earth but in a much different form with a much different purpose. We spoke to a highly respected pastor who says that believers should not fear His return but use its inevitability as motivation and drive to live out their faith with courage and boldness. From the challenges of A.I. to the dangers of social media, parents have to be vigilant watchmen on the wall for their families. And that requires a clear understanding of God’s guidance through His word. We invite you once again to join us for another examination of the news through the unchanging lens of scripture.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gary & Shannon dive into a wild Weekend Fix that starts with one innocent act of holiday giving… and ends with Shannon getting in hot water for buying a sheep for an Afghani family through a Giving Machine. She explains how a charity founded by Mormon donors, a livestock donation, and a Middle Eastern destination all collided into the most chaotic good deed imaginable.From there, the conversation opens up: PastaThon officially kicked off the season of generosity, the “women’s Viagra” article somehow landed in the show ideas pile, and Shannon shares the story of meeting her biological sister at 39 (perhaps more to come on this story). Then the duo breaks down why December triggers big emotions, the rise of “money dysmorphia,” and how you can always tell when someone grew up poor… because no matter how much they earn now, they never stop saving.A chaotic, heartfelt, deeply human Weekend Fix.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part one of Red Eye Radio with Gary McNamara and Eric Harley, democratic congresswoman Jasmine Crockett announces her bid for senate by her plan to 'turn Texas blue'. Gary is grateful that he will no longer live in her district. Also President Trump unleashes $12B farm rescue as China trade reset hits US growers, SCOTUS to rule on Trump's ability to impose tariffs, Bill Maher and outspoken liberal Ana Kasparian went head-to-head in a fiery clash after he asked her a which Middle Eastern city would tolerate her wearing western clothes and actress Kristen Stewart has claimed that acting is “unmasculine” and “inherently submissive”, and that male actors developed “the method” to compensate. For more talk on the issues that matter to you, listen on radio stations across America Monday-Friday 12am-5am CT (1am-6am ET and 10pm-3am PT), download the RED EYE RADIO SHOW app, asking your smart speaker, or listening at RedEyeRadioShow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SEC Announces It Will Not Respond to Most No-Action Requests for Rule 14a-8 Shareholder Proposals.Government shutdown - the staff claimed they COULDN'T respond because after the shutdown, they had too much other work to do: “current resource and timing considerations following the lengthy government shutdown and the large volume of registration statements and other filings requiring prompt staff attention.” It just happens to coincide with Atkins saying there shouldn't be shareholder proposals, that's just a coincidence.John Cheveddan and Jim McRitchie - let's be honest, if it weren't for Cheveddan and McRitchie over 3 decades, we'd have less shareholder rights, and companies would not be such big whiners about “woke” shareholder proposals. Guys, you ruined it for all of us with your attention to democracy.Woke ESG shareholders like As You Sow, Arjuna, Trillium, and nuns - if we're honest, the nuns and SRI crowd might have been the straw, right? I mean they're putting in proposals that MAKE Exxon sue them! How dare they ask for carbon scope 3 emissions data!Antiwoke shareholders like NCPPR and Jesus - excluding Cheveddan/McRitchie, the highest volume of shareholder proposals have actually been the ANTI-woke filers, asking for things like a report on how companies will stop funding trans conversions (or one actual one where they asked about the reputational risk of NOT supporting un-trans-ing). Some of the proposals are so comically stupid, but the companies have to respond using third party lawyers and do the whole thing - maybe National Legal whatever center for whatever is the REAL straw?ISS and Glass Lewis - this was like 90% of what they did, since they certainly didn't suggest voting against any directors unless an activist was involved. So when Ramaswamy and Musk and DeSantis and Texas declared proxy advisors woke activists, it was hard to deny since they didn't do any work to vote out directors - just offer customers whatever voting pablum they wantedBlackRock and investors who never voted anywayOther - Atkins and Manhattan institute - lobbyists, administrationPepsi to cut product offering nearly 20% in deal with $4 billion activist ElliottPepsiCo said it also plans to accelerate the introduction of new offerings with simpler and more functional ingredients, including Doritos Protein and Simply NKD Cheetos and Doritos, which contain no artificial flavors or colors. The company also recently introduced a prebiotic version of its signature cola..WHO DO YOU BLAME?Pepsi CEO Ramon Laguarta - CEO since 2018, 21% influence, 43% connected to the board (so they're basically all known entities), has overseen basically zero shareholder value increase in the last 5 years, overall .513 TSR batting average - what has he been doing? Did he put a sign on the door begging an activist to come hang?Activist Elliott Management - Paul Singer is notorious as a real foodie… wait, no, sorry, he's known as a “vulture capitalist” who helped oust Jack Dorsey from Twitter because he didn't want him to hang in Africa, but was happy to have Elon Musk (who has five jobs) take it over. In 2021, he did take a 3% stake in Ahold Delhaize, a grocery store owner, so he's probably had a protein shake sprinkled on Doritos before?Pepsi's board - first of all, it's 14 people, which is like 7 people too many. Second - 4 finance types? Two pharma/med types? There are more people who know medicine than food - only ONE agribusiness repped on the board (Bunge) with the only other food production from Pepsi or ex-Pepsi execs? There are three directors on the nom committee with 10+ years on the board, and the other two have.. 9 years. Vasella has been there 23 years - time for some turnover.Roberto P. Martínez (International Chief Commercial Officer and CEO of New Revenue Streams) and Tara Glasgow (Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer) - someone needs to be held responsible for Doritos Protein and Simply NKD CheetosJimmy Kimmel signs ABC extension through 2027Most of Kimmel's recent renewals have been multiyear extensions. There was no immediate word on whose choice it was to extend his current contract by one year.WHO DO YOU BLAME?Bob Iger - he yanked Kimmel to kiss Brendan Carr's ass and the affiliates, then put him back on when subscribers cancelled, then convinced affiliates to re-air, all because Kimmel said conservatives really didn't want Kirk's killer to be conservative? Now Kimmel is EXTENDED? It has to be the dumbest series of events since “Don't Say Gay” bill in Chapek's era, right?Disney's board - these are well known directors in the bag for Iger, and Iger would not even be CEO again if not for them. Susan Arnold, who at the time had more influence on the board than Iger, was chair of the nominating committee, had Mel Lagomasino and Derica Rice on with her, all went with Iger's hand picked choice of Bob Chapek. Arnold left the board, but both Rice and Lagomasino stayed behind to help choose… Bob Iger to return? Then brought on James Gorman, who hand picked HIS successor, to lead succession with Bob Iger again? Is anyone doing a job on this board? ISS - when Nelson Peltz took his Ike Perlmutter borrowed stake in Disney in 2024, ISS sided with Peltz and suggested voting out Mel Lagamasino because she was the longest tenured director and “responsible” for Disney's failed succession. In 2025, after Peltz lost and no one cared, ISS backed Lagamasino. With analysis like that, it's no wonder Disney can bow to the Trump Administration since there's no way ISS will actually suggest changing the board unless an old racist takes a stake.Brendan Carr - is this just a finger in the eye of Carr, the FCC, and the angry conservative affiliates by Iger? Is this Disney's way of being woke now?Other - Baby Doll Dixon, Jimmy Kimmel's agent - should have gotten him a 10 year deal with a player option out. Optically way better, gets bought out if they fire him.Trump says Netflix, WBD deal could be 'problem' as son-in-law Kushner backs Paramount bid“I'll be involved in that decision too,” Trump said days after Netflix agreed to buy WBD's film studiosParamount revealed in a regulatory filing that its hostile bid for WBD bid is being backed by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is a former White House advisor - and every Middle Eastern sovereign fund, as well as over $40bn by Larry Ellison (and David Ellison committed to spend more in a text to co-CEO Ted SarandosWHO DO YOU BLAME?Larry Ellison - without daddy's $40bn (and more - what's $40bn when you have $269bn in net worth and own an island in Hawaii), there is no deal - literally no deal, this is pure nepo - THE OLIGARCHYMiddle Eastern sovereign funds - I mean, they're involved in EVERY major deal of a conservative figure (Musk/Twitter, Musk/Grok, Ellison/Paramount, Ellison/TikTok, Trump/Air Force One) and are backing another consolidation. Is this the greatest capitalist manipulation ever? Dictator capitalism?Robby Starbuck - he claimed “victory” in the Skydance acquisition terms for killing DEI at Paramount, used the opportunity to lick the boot of Brendan Carr, who is almost guaranteed to investigate Netflix given their wokeness. Somehow it's all Robby Starbuck's fault, right?WBD chair Sam Di Piazza - a near lifer at PwC as an accountant until he want to Citi as an i-banker for a stint, served on AT&T's board… an ACCOUNTANT is running the show! No one has heard of him, he's not in any of the news, but ostensibly he (and the board) approved the Netflix deal after dealing with Baby Ellison. The board is the only group that gets all the bids, compares them, and ultimately decides what to agree on and send to shareholders. If they chose Baby Ellison to avoid him throwing a temper tantrum to daddy, there's no hostile takeover and conservatives can rejoice in owning all of media, right? Snap appoints Arlo CEO Matthew McRae to board of directorsPrior to his current role as CEO of Arlo Technologies, which he has held since August 2018, McRae served as Senior Vice President of Strategy at NETGEAR and as Chief Technology Officer at VIZIO for over seven yearsWHO DO YOU BLAME?Evan Spiegel - he owns 53.1% of voting power - there is no one else to blameRobert Murphy - he owns 46.4% of voting power - what if he doesn't like Matt McRae? Do they resort to a thumb war? Who are we kidding, it's still Evan Spiegel's faultInvestors, who, for whatever reason, have OK'ed the idea of dual class shares such that Spiegel and Murphy own 99.5% of the voting power and less than 8% of the economic interest - while Fidelity owns 14.6% of the shares that control 0% of the overall vote. It was banned from index inclusion because the shares had NO voting rights - but somehow Meta is ALLOWED on every index because you have voting rights even if you can NEVER EVER WIN as Zuck owns control. What's the fucking difference??Worst CEOs of the Year Evan Spiegel of Snap

The White House has released a controversial new National Security Strategy (NSS) that marks a major realignment of U.S. foreign policy under the "America First" banner. The document lays out Trump's vision for ensuring America's "dominance" in the Western Hemisphere, cultivating "resistance" within Europe, reestablishing "strategic stability" with Russia, and accepting Middle Eastern leaders "as they are." Current and former European officials are already pushing back against the strategy's assertions regarding European alliances and demographics. SPONSOR: AURA Frames: Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/FIVEMIN. Promo Code FIVEMIN Independent media has never been more important. Please support this channel by subscribing here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g?sub_confirmation=1 Join this channel with a membership for exclusive early access and bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g/join Five Minute News is an Evergreen Podcast, covering politics, inequality, health and climate - delivering independent, unbiased and essential news for the US and across the world. Visit us online at http://www.fiveminute.news Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/fiveminutenews.bsky.social Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/fiveminnews Support us on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/fiveminutenews You can subscribe to Five Minute News with your preferred podcast app, ask your smart speaker, or enable Five Minute News as your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill. CONTENT DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed on this channel are those of the guests and authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Anthony Davis or Five Minute News LLC. Any content provided by our hosts, guests or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything, in line with the First Amendment right to free and protected speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Ron Steslow and Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) break down the newly released Epstein emails, what they show, what they don't and why the national security implications are far bigger than the headlines. They dig into Epstein's attempts to insert himself into global politics including offering Russia “insight” on Donald Trump and the strange connection between Larry Summers and China's Belt and Road Initiative  Then, they walk through why Congress forced the DOJ's hand, why Pam Bondi now controls what gets redacted, and why the lack of institutional trust means any carve-outs will only fuel more conspiracy and chaos. After that, they turn to Poland, where a Russian-backed sabotage attack on a key supply line to Ukraine has triggered a crisis inside NATO.     In Politicology+ they dive into back-to-back Oval Office visits from two Middle Eastern leaders, and what Trump's defense of the Saudi Crown Prince reveals about America's shifting posture in the region.  Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don't miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RON at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬ Listen to The Last Invention: https://bit.ly/4pob891 Follow this week's panel on X (formerly Twitter): https:/x.com/RonSteslow https://x.com/HagarChemali Related Reading:  Politico - Jeffrey Epstein claimed he gave Russians insight into Trump Newsweek - Donald Trump ‘blowing Bubba' message in Epstein emails under scrutiny - Newsweek ABC News - Epstein offered reporter photos of 'donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen': Email - ABC News NY Post - Meet economist Keyu Jin, who Larry Summers asked Jeffrey Epstein advice on how to get 'horizontal' with | New York Post NYT - Poland Blames Russian-Backed Ukrainians for Railway Sabotage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices