Podcasts about middle eastern

Tara breaks down Trump's warning to NATO over Iran, the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, and how U.S. energy independence is taking shape with new refineries. From international oil deals to Democrats' alignment with Iran and media misinformation, this episode exposes the stakes for America, allies, and global markets. SUMMARY In this episode, Tara unpacks Trump's message to NATO allies: help escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz—or face consequences. She explains why the U.S. no longer depends heavily on Middle Eastern oil, how new domestic refineries will make energy cheaper, and why most “dumb” policy decisions strangely benefit China. Tara highlights the geopolitical calculus: Trump is calling out specific allies like China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK, while leaving oil-dependent Asian countries out to facilitate energy deals. She explains how controlling Hormuz allows the U.S. to secure dollar-based oil pricing and prevent China's shadow fleet from dominating trade. The podcast also debunks media narratives that Trump had no plan for Hormuz, showing his decades-long strategy and pre-existing military preparations, including missile strikes on Carg Island. Tara emphasizes the risks for U.S. Marines tasked with securing the island, noting how Democrats and media might exploit casualties to weaken the U.S. position. Finally, she explores the energy and economic impacts, comparing current gas prices with Biden-era highs, and highlights how Democrats' political strategy aligns with Iran's interests, while Trump strengthens America's energy independence and geopolitical leverage. KEY TALKING POINTS Trump warns NATO: show up for Hormuz or face consequences U.S. already militarily and economically decimated Iran New Texas refinery to refine light sweet crude, cutting dependence on foreign oil Allies' inaction exposes weakness of NATO and UN commitments Strategic oil deals with India, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines Importance of controlling the Strait of Hormuz for dollar-denominated oil trade Operation Epic Fury: Carg Island strikes, securing military and oil infrastructure Democrats' messaging aligns with Iran's interests; media spreads misinformation Gas prices and energy independence explained SOCIAL MEDIA BLURB Trump calls out NATO & Iran allies over Hormuz!

Here we find ourselves approaching the fifth spring of the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022.As the rest of the world's geopolitical landscape changes dramatically, Russia's “friend group” shrinks, and Ukraine's friends grow weary and distracted, where is the war moving and where could we expect Russia to adjust for another year of conflict?Returning to Midrats again to discuss this and related issues is Dr. Dmitry Gorenburg, a Senior Research Scientist in the Strategy, Policy, Plans, and Programs division of CNA, where he has worked since 2000.Dr. Gorenburg is an associate at the Harvard University Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and previously served as Executive Director of the American Association of the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS). His research interests include security issues in the former Soviet Union, Russian military reform, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and identity. Dr. Gorenburg is author of Nationalism for the Masses: Minority Ethnic Mobilization in the Russian Federation (Cambridge University Press, 2003), and has been published in journals such as World Politics and Post-Soviet Affairs. He currently serves as editor of Problems of Post-Communism and was also editor of Russian Politics and Law from 2009 to 2016. Dr. Gorenburg received a B.A. in international relations from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University.SummaryIn this episode, we explore the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, marking its fifth spring, and analyze Russia's current military strategy, technological dependencies, economic adjustments, and geopolitical efforts. Our expert guest, Dr. Dmitry Gorenberg, a senior research scientist at CNA, provides insights into Russia's military tactics, technological challenges, and international alliances, painting a comprehensive picture of a pivotal moment in the conflict.Key Topics:The significance of the fifth spring of the Russia-Ukraine war and its implicationsThe role and impact of Starlink and Russian anti-satellite capabilitiesRussian military tactics: steady grinding, troop mobilization, and drone warfareThe Russian psyche regarding prolonged conflict and public sentimentThe influence of repression and government control on information disseminationEconomic resilience: sanctions, oil prices, and support from BRICS nationsRussia's strategic partnerships: Venezuela, Iran, China, and othersThe role of sabotaging NATO and Western countries to weaken collective defenseInformation warfare: Russian propaganda, disinformation, and influence operationsTechnological dependencies: reliance on US-based satellite systems and Chinese componentsRussian military leadership: promotions, strategic updates, and future outlooksThe geopolitics of energy, with focus on shadow fleets and the Straits of HormuzTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction and overview of Russia's fifth spring in the Ukraine conflict02:09 - The impact of cutting off Starlink and communication disruptions on the front lines04:20 - Russian troop mobilization strategies and tactics05:39 - External foreign fighters: North Koreans, North Africans, and recruitment trends08:33 - Russian public perception and cultural narrative about the war's longevity09:29 - The influence of repression, propaganda, and societal attitudes in Russia12:46 - Government control of communications, internet censorship, and surveillance16:15 - Russia's dependence on US satellite systems and Chinese technology17:36 - Russia's technological gap: Satellites, GPS, and domestically developed systems19:10 - Economic impacts: sanctions, oil prices, and Russia's financial resilience 21:25 - Russia's efforts with BRICS and global network of allies to bypass sanctions23:24 - The role of Venezuela, Iran, and other countries in Russia's geopolitical web27:06 - Russia's sabotage operations against NATO and Western nations30:13 - Political influence campaigns, disinformation, and influence operations32:09 - Reflection on Cold War-era propaganda and current information strategies33:38 - The use of media, social platforms, and online influence in shaping narratives37:40 - Historical perspective on propaganda, public manipulation, and media control39:51 - Modern military technology, including missile attacks and Ukraine's defense42:11 - The evolving missile landscape, targeting energy infrastructure and battlefield logistics44:46 - Russia's advanced satellite capabilities: intercepting and maneuvering satellites46:47 - External support for Russia: North Korean, Iranian weapons, and China's role48:00 - Chinese technology and components aiding Russia's military industry50:17 - Russia's long-term concerns about China's rising dominance52:24 - Russia's diplomatic and military support networks in Latin America and beyond54:00 - Shadow tanker ships, oil sanctions, and economic strategies related to energy55:47 - The geopolitical implications of oil sales, shadow fleets, and global markets57:06 - Russia's support to Iran: targeting capabilities and strategic assistance58:21 - Ukraine's recent military developments and regional connections60:59 - Ukraine's defense industrial capacity and regional alliances62:24 - Russia's outreach and support to Middle Eastern countries; strategic intentions64:39 - Future outlook: military promotions, strategic planning, and the war's trajectoryResources & Links:CNA Russia StudiesStarlink by SpaceXRT (Russia Today)RAND Report on Russian SatellitesUS Sanctions and Oil Market DataRussia's Shadow Fleet

STREAMING "THE MAKING OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW" WITH JEFF BLISS 3-13-261959 THE SANDS.This transcript of the John Batchelor Show features a conversation with Jeff Bliss regarding current events primarily focused on California and the West Coast. The dialogue contrasts lighthearted topics, such as the Las Vegas A's stadium progress and the iconic Vegas sign, with more serious concerns like the billionaire migration fleeing high taxes in Washington and California. They discuss the rising national political profile of Gavin Newsom despite his local popularity struggles and the persistent challenges of homelessness and copper wire theft in major cities. The hosts also touch upon the global supply chain vulnerabilities caused by Middle Eastern conflicts, specifically mentioning the sourcing of bromine and helium for technology. Finally, the segment critiques the "woke" rebranding of Disney films and the declining cultural influence of the Oscars due to overt political messaging.

Welcome back to the Reacted History Podcast, in this episode we are tackling a bite sized history lesson on the 1953 Iranian Coup. The United States, with the help of the British, stole Iran's democracy. But why....? This is the first in a several part Middle East Series where we discuss how the United States has treated Middle Eastern countries and how that affects us today. REDACTED HISTORY LIVE SHOW QUESTIONNAIRE: https://forms.gle/qhJFC3wsYTV3ixz6A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ralph spends the whole hour with progressive activist, Corbin Trent, former communications director for Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to discuss the lack of vision and the spineless leadership in the corporate Democratic Party.Corbin Trent is a co-founder of Brand New Congress and former co-director of Justice Democrats, two grassroots organizations working to elect progressive Democrats to Congress. He was the National Campaign Coordinator for the Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign, and recently served as the Communications Director for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He writes about rebuilding America at AmericasUndoing.com.This is a [Democratic] Party that is led by sinecurists and apparatchiks who never look at themselves in the mirror after they lose to the most vicious, cruel, ignorant, anti-worker, anti-women, anti-environment, anti-small taxpayer, pro-war Republican Party. They never look into it. It's always: they blame the Greens or they blame some third party or Independent candidate. And they never ask themselves why as a national party did they abandon half the country, which are now called red states?Ralph NaderThe Democratic Party I think, ultimately, is leaderless because it's visionless. It doesn't really see. I don't think the Democratic Party as an entity or as an ideology has a real vision for how to go forward differently. And, therefore, it's hard to be led. It's hard to lead if you don't have a direction.Corbin TrentThe Democratic Party—like your Chuck Schumers, like your Hakeem Jeffries, and like most of the people that are elected there and in leadership positions at all, look at this system, the system of neoliberalism, and they think that somehow it's going to magically start working again. And the fact is that it's not. They have been unable so far to internalize the depth of the brokenness of this system. And then really unable to, I think, really internalize why Trump was powerful, why his messages were powerful. They want to look at it through this extremely narrow and negative lens of racism, bigotry and fear. As opposed to a complete and utter disdain for the system which is sucking from their lives and extracting from their communities. And I think that spells trouble.Corbin TrentIt's not my job as a voter to inspire myself to vote for you. It's your job as a candidate or as a party or as somebody to build a vision that inspires me to vote.Corbin TrentNews 3/13/26* This week, the New York City Council held a hearing on proposed legislation to carry out Mayor Zohran Mamdani's pledge to repossess property from “landlords who have racked up housing code violations and debt from unpaid taxes and fines.” This bill would empower the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development to turn these buildings over to owners they deem “more responsible.” This would be an update of a program the city has tried to implement before, called “third-party transfer.” However, the council is hesitant to take this step, worrying that it could disproportionately affect small landlords that simply lack the resources to fix code violations or pay fees, as opposed to venture capital backed corporate landlords. Rosa Kelly, chief of staff to the housing commissioner, said the department “views the program as a key part of [their] broader enforcement and preservation toolkit to ensure that housing remains safe and livable for New Yorkers.” This from Gothamist.* In more local news, this week Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released a long-awaited report on congestion traffic pricing in the District of Columbia. According to the Washington Examiner, the study was conducted in 2021 and the Mayor has delayed the release until now. Along with the release of the study, Mayor Bowser sent a letter to D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, wherein the Mayor described the “congestion pricing tax scheme,” which includes a proposed $10 charge for people entering the city, as a “bad idea,” and argued that D.C. could not be compared to Midtown Manhattan, which recently implemented a successful congestion pricing system. Democratic Socialist Councilwoman and leading Mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis-George refused to dismiss the study out of hand, writing “Now that the report is public, the Council has an opportunity to dig into the findings & explore what they could mean for the District—including opportunities to reduce congestion, improve air quality & public health, & strengthen public transit for residents across the city.”* Meanwhile, on the West Coast, a new poll shows incumbent Mayor Karen Bass drawing under 20% of the vote in the upcoming primary for her reelection campaign. While this still puts Bass in the lead, it is clearly a weak showing and would be far below the 50% threshold she would need to win to avoid a November runoff. This poll also finds former reality television star Spencer Pratt in second place with around 10% support, and councilmember Nithya Raman – who has been both endorsed and censured by DSA LA in the past – in third with just over 9%, per KTLA. The LA Mayoral race mirrors the California gubernatorial race, which features ten candidates, none of whom draws over 20% in the polls. At some point, the party will have to step in to pressure underperforming candidates to drop out and endorse more viable alternatives, but June is quickly approaching with little sign of party unity.* Speaking of the Democrats, POLITICO is out with a new story on how red state Democratic parties are undermining their best chances of toppling incumbent Republican Senators – independent populist left candidates. In Montana, former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar has launched an independent bid for Senate, with the backing of former longtime Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester. Bodnar filed on the final day candidates could get on the ballot in the state, and on that same day, three-term incumbent Republican Senator Steve Daines announced he would not run for reelection. POLITICO describes this as “an explicit effort to keep Democrats from fielding a strong candidate of their own.” The state party however shows no interest in stepping aside to clear a path for Bodnar. A similar dynamic is unfolding in South Dakota, with the state party feuding with independent candidate Brian Bengs – who has “raised more than five times his Democratic opponent and more than any non-Republican candidate in the state in 16 years” – while in Idaho, former Democratic state lawmaker Todd Achilles is running as an independent and the state party has played their strategy close to the vest. Only in Nebraska has the state party fully thrown their weight behind the popular independent candidate Dan Osborn, who came within approximately 60,000 votes of longtime incumbent Deb Fischer in 2024 and is polling within a single point of Senator Pete Ricketts this cycle.* In Congress, Republicans have independent problems of their own. Last week, Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley announced he would register as “no party preference,” instead of as a Republican, as he seeks reelection to Congress in his newly redrawn California congressional district. Axios quotes a Kiley spokesperson who said it is “not official yet” whether he will leave the party or the conference, adding: “For now, he's just filing as an independent for his reelection campaign.” If Kiley did leave the Republican conference, it would further imperil the Republicans' razor-thin House majority, which has been continuously whittled down over the course of the 119th Congress.* Turning to foreign affairs, Reuters reports that on Sunday, Colombia held congressional elections which saw the leftist Historic Pact win the most seats in the Senate, but with only 25 out of 102 seats, the Pact will have to compete against the right-wing Democratic Center in order to form a coalition government. Democratic Center, led by ⁠former President Alvaro Uribe, won 17 seats. Ivan Cepeda, the presidential candidate of Historic Pact, called the election results a “categorical ​victory.” In the House, Democratic Center won 32 out of 182 seats, followed by the ‌Liberal ⁠Party with 31, and the Historic Pact with 29. Colombia will choose a new president in May, but according to Ariel Avila, a re-elected senator from the Green Alliance, whether that president is left or right they will likely face a “vetocracy” where “lawmakers block parties ​simply because they come from the opposing side.”* In more news from Latin America, the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) reports the right-wing government of Daniel Noboa in Ecuador has suspended the largest opposition party – the leftist Citizens' Revolution or RC – for nine months. If carried out, RC, led by former leftist president Rafael Correa, will effectively be barred from registering candidates for the 2027 local elections. CEPR Co-Director Mark Weisbrot is quoted saying “The government of President Daniel Noboa, who is strongly backed by President Trump, is trying to accelerate the destruction of what is left of democracy in Ecuador.” CEPR Director of International Policy Alex Main added “Democracy has been under attack since the presidency of Lenín Moreno (2017–2021), with not only the exclusion of political parties, but with persecution by lawfare, the imprisonment or forced exile of political opponents, and Noboa's repeated assumption of ‘emergency' powers and other abuses that have gutted civil liberties.” Recently, President Noboa has been closely collaborating with Trump and the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to carry out joint “lethal kinetic operations” in Ecuador.* Turning to the Middle East, NBC reports Iran is launching its ‘most intense' strikes of the war, firing some of its most advanced ballistic missiles toward Tel Aviv and Haifa and attacking multiple ships attempting passage through the blockaded Straits of Hormuz. Additionally, reports are trickling out through the Israeli press, which operates under military censorship, about high-profile targets being hit inside the country. The Jewish Chronicle confirms Binyah Hevron, son of Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich was wounded by a Hezbollah rocket, with shrapnel penetrating his back and abdomen, while Yahoo News has debunked rumors that an Iranian missile strike killed Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Officially, over 1,200 have been killed by Israeli and American strikes in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, while 570 have been killed in Lebanon. Retlatiatory strikes by Iran have killed 13 in Israel.* Meanwhile, a new wrinkle has emerged in the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Last week, Variety reported that Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have been raising the alarm about financing for this deal coming from Gulf states, including the Qatar Investment Authority, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. This duo have called for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States – an interagency body that reviews foreign investments in American businesses for potential national security risks – to review the deal. Warren told the industry trade publication, “Given the cloud of corruption surrounding the Trump administration's review of this deal from Day One, it's no surprise that Trump's Treasury Department is sticking its head in the sand instead of investigating the national security risks of $24 billion from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds apparently flooding this deal. It's American consumers who will pay the price. Thanks to Donald Trump, a Paramount-Warner Bros. merger could mean higher prices and fewer choices, and might allow foreign actors to control what's on our screens or access our private viewing information.” Ironically, the Trump administration's warlike actions in Iran may have inadvertently solved this problem. Gizmodo reports that the Gulf states are now “reviewing current and future investment commitments in order to alleviate some of the anticipated economic strain from the current war.” It is unclear what would happen if the Gulf states rescinded their financing of this deal, seeing as Paramount is the buyer preferred by the Trump administration and has already paid the $2.8 billion “break-up” fee to Netflix stipulated by their previous agreement with WBD.* Finally, a new Pew poll reveals a troubling reality of contemporary American life. According to the poll, which asked people around the world to rate the morality and ethics of others in their country, 53% of U.S. adults say their fellow Americans have bad morals and ethics. While that may not sound so stark, Pew notes that the United States is the only country they surveyed where more adults described the morality and ethics of others living in the country as bad rather than good, with only 47% saying the latter. Turkey came up second, with 51% saying good and 49% saying bad. Pew is careful to state that they have never conducted a poll on this question before, meaning they cannot say whether this is a reflection of long-held beliefs among Americans or a new phenomenon, but it could be the result of long-term trends related to political polarization and the decline in interpersonal trust over the past several decades. Whatever the reasons behind this fact, it presents a formidable problem for political leaders. How can one unify a country wherein the people do not trust one another or even believe that their neighbors are morally and ethically upstanding individuals? Surely there must be a way forward, but what that is I cannot say.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

In this special "On This Planet" episode, Ophira Edut of The AstroTwins talks to our longtime friend NEDA, a seasoned entertainment executive, former music manager for bands including Bon Jovi and Motley Crue, cultural diplomat and creator of the documentary "Nobody's Enemy: Youth Culture in Iran" (2006). An Iranian American currently residing in Istanbul, Neda's work has consistently bridged East and West through the power of media, music, and storytelling. In "Middle Eastern Misfits," Ophi and Neda discuss:

Max Gokhman thinks Bitcoin is proving its worth as an alternative asset during the U.S./Iran conflict. He believes that Middle Eastern wealth is moving into blockchain rather than gold or equities, propping up prices. He differentiates popular crypto products, comparing Bitcoin vs Solana and other tokens, which are able to offer different things. He notes Bitcoin tends to be the starter asset before traders move further into the sector.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

“It's a cliche to say that everything is in flux, and that there is a great deal of uncertainty across travel economies. But it's true.” The US and Israel's ongoing aerial bombardment of Iran and Lebanon - and the worsening unintended consequences of retaliatory strikes on energy assets and other installations across the Middle East - are raising crisis fears across Asian economies. Travel and tourism are once again in the cross-hairs, and it's starting to feel like Covid 2.0. How are travellers, governments and travel operators responding across South East Asia – and what are the critical issues to prepare for? This week, Gary and Hannah journey through the murky waters of crisis travel economics as wartime uncertainties escalate. En route we discuss energy costs, tour cancellations, refund policies, repatriation costs, booking windows and flight re-routings. We address cost of living increases, inflation, jet fuel, fare spikes, fuel surcharges, energy subsidies, plane leasing and currency volatility. Plus, how important are Middle Eastern and European source markets for different ASEAN visitor economies? Where do Seychelles fit into the equation? And should we plan for a short-term increase of intra-regional travel?

In our latest, Bob talked w/ Fadi Kafeety, a scholar of Arab and Middle Eastern history, about the current crises in the region which have been intensified by the US attacks on Iran and Israel's continued wars of colonialism and expansion. Among the topics discussed were the continued centrality of Palestine and the ongoing genocide there; the intensification of Israeli and American violence in the region; the escalation currently underway after the attacks on Iran; Iran's response in other Gulf states; the damage done to Israel by Iran; the responses of western leftists; how Yemen has fought Israel; and much much more . . . .Bio// Fadi Kafeety is a scholar of Arab and Middle Eastern history. -------------------------

Nearly two weeks into the US and Israel's war with Iran, MEI Senior Fellow Gönül Tol joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to explore the impact of the widening regional conflict on Turkey. On March 9, Ankara announced that NATO air defenses shot down a second Iranian ballistic missile that had entered Turkish airspace since the start of the war and stated it would take all necessary defensive measures. Turkey is now caught in the middle of an escalating conflict that could pose risks to the country's security, economy, and foreign policy. Tol, Taylor, and Czekaj discuss what a prolonged regional conflict could mean for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his regional political objectives, and Turkey's relationship with key Middle Eastern neighbors.   Find Gönül's latest article on Turkey's position amid the Iran war here, and her explainer on what the war means for Turkey here.   Recorded on March 11, 2026.

Fiona Hill — who served on the National Security Council under three presidents and became a household name during Trump's first impeachment — joins the Chuck ToddCast for a deeply alarming assessment of the Iran war now entering its second week, with Operation Epic Fury having metastasized into a multi-front conflict spanning nine countries, oil prices surging past $100 a barrel, and hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded across the Middle East. Hill dismantles the geopolitical chessboard with surgical precision, explaining that while there is no formal alliance between Russia and Iran and that the relationship is deeply transactional, with Iran having provided Russia with Shahed drones and helped build a drone factory. She argues that China is letting the U.S. "rope-a-dope" itself, sitting back alongside Russia to watch America bleed resources and credibility in yet another Middle Eastern quagmire. She flags the glaring double standard in the administration's diplomacy: envoy Steve Witkoff refused to take the Iranians at their word during nuclear negotiations in Geneva but accepted Russian assurances at face value. The conversation turns existential as Hill warns that Trump's adventurism — which never faced serious consequences through Venezuela or the June 2025 strikes that made Iran look like a paper tiger — has now collided with reality. Trump saw the opportunity to kill Khamenei and took it, hoping for either a popular uprising or a pliant successor, but none of those hopes have materialized. Hill calls it an Afghanistan-and-Iraq-level jam with even less global credibility.. They raise the chilling question of whether Xi Jinping might prioritize seizing Taiwan while America is overextended, observes that NORAD doesn't function without Canada and the Nordic countries that Trump has alienated, warns that the damage to America's reputation will last decades, and notes that individual U.S. states are already setting up their own diplomatic representation with foreign countries to fill the vacuum. They close with a striking contrast: unlike Russians, Americans can still vote their way out of tyranny — but the window in which that remains true may be narrowing, as we are likely entering a post-American empire period. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Fiona Hill joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:15 There is no formal alliance between Russia and Iran 02:00 Historically, Russia and Iran clashed over territory 03:45 Iran provided Russia with Shahed drones & helped build factory 04:30 Trump views his relationship with Russia & Putin in a vacuum 05:30 Iran’s relationship with China & Russia is very transactional 06:15 Iran sees itself as a civilization, not just a country 08:00 China is letting the U.S. “rope a dope” itself 09:15 China doesn’t do favors without a cost 10:00 Witkoff didn’t take Iranians at their word but did with Russia 10:30 China & Russia are sitting back and watching what happens in Iran 11:30 Special military operations often become quagmires 12:45 Trump hasn’t thought about the knock-on consequences in Iran 15:00 Administration thinks they can figure it out as they go 15:45 Trump’s adventurism never had serious consequences until now 17:30 9/11 shaped the frame for American thinking for 25 years 18:30 Do you buy that MBS pushed Trump into striking Iran? 19:30 The Chinese didn’t see unintended effects of war in Ukraine 20:30 Russia has 20x casualty rate in Ukraine that USSR had in Afghanistan 22:30 The Israelis are clear that they want regime change 22:45 Outside of eliminating the nuclear program… What's the rest of our aim? 24:15 Without regime change, Iranian and Venezuelan people will turn on Trump 25:15 There’s a large Iranian population is many countries 25:45 Trump is in a Afghanistan/Iraq level jam with no plan 26:30 Gutting of national security council effects on Trump’s planning 27:45 We’ve lost grip of our political system, congress has abdicated 29:00 High oil prices could be a boon to Russia, but shipping is an issue 31:15 Putin doesn’t want to end the war in Ukraine unless its on his terms 32:00 Ukraine has been an incredibly tough fighting force 32:45 The rich & powerful forget that the other 8 billion people have agency 34:15 Ukraine won’t have a peace imposed on it by outsiders 35:00 Trump assumes everyone else is as transactional as he is 36:00 Khamenei is a religious leader, his killing has religious implications 39:00 Asymmetrical war feels unwinnable 41:15 The damage to America’s reputation in the world will last decades 42:15 NORAD doesn’t work without Canada & Nordic countries 44:45 How can a future president try to fix the damage with allies? 45:45 Individual states are setting up representation with foreign countries 47:45 If you’re Xi, do you prioritize seizing Taiwan while Trump’s in office? 49:30 We’re likely in a post-American empire period 50:15 Is there any heir apparent to Putin? 52:30 Next leader of Russia will likely keep the same system in place 54:00 Unlike Russians, Americans can still vote their way out of tyrannySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with a grim inventory of an administration besieged on every front as the Iran war enters its twelfth day with no exit strategy in sight. He then pivots to the SAVE Act — the Republican voting bill that has 50 Senate votes but faces a filibuster John Thune admits he likely can't break. He walks through the details that go well beyond simple voter ID: the bill requires documentary proof of citizenship to register, treats women who change their name through marriage as first-time voters, and Trump is demanding additions including a near-total ban on mail-in voting — turning what polls show is an 80%-popular concept into a toxic package that could disenfranchise millions. He notes that John Cornyn flipped his filibuster position to chase Trump's Texas endorsement, warns that if Republicans nuke the filibuster and Democrats later win the Senate they won't restore it, and argues that Republicans are essentially writing legislation to make Trump's false fraud claims real — while Trump is already setting up the SAVE Act's inevitable failure as his preemptive excuse for midterm losses that have nothing to do with voting rules and everything to do with an unpopular war, a tanking economy, and a completely unserious leader running the Pentagon. Ultimately, he argues that partisan changes to voting rule destroy trust in democracy, whether it be the SAVE Act, or Democrats efforts to pass HR1. Then, Fiona Hill — who served on the National Security Council under three presidents and became a household name during Trump's first impeachment — joins the Chuck ToddCast for a deeply alarming assessment of the Iran war now entering its second week, with Operation Epic Fury having metastasized into a multi-front conflict spanning nine countries, oil prices surging past $100 a barrel, and hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded across the Middle East. Hill dismantles the geopolitical chessboard with surgical precision, explaining that while there is no formal alliance between Russia and Iran and that the relationship is deeply transactional, with Iran having provided Russia with Shahed drones and helped build a drone factory. She argues that China is letting the U.S. "rope-a-dope" itself, sitting back alongside Russia to watch America bleed resources and credibility in yet another Middle Eastern quagmire. She flags the glaring double standard in the administration's diplomacy: envoy Steve Witkoff refused to take the Iranians at their word during nuclear negotiations in Geneva but accepted Russian assurances at face value. The conversation turns existential as Hill warns that Trump's adventurism — which never faced serious consequences through Venezuela or the June 2025 strikes that made Iran look like a paper tiger — has now collided with reality. Trump saw the opportunity to kill Khamenei and took it, hoping for either a popular uprising or a pliant successor, but none of those hopes have materialized. Hill calls it an Afghanistan-and-Iraq-level jam with even less global credibility.. They raise the chilling question of whether Xi Jinping might prioritize seizing Taiwan while America is overextended, observes that NORAD doesn't function without Canada and the Nordic countries that Trump has alienated, warns that the damage to America's reputation will last decades, and notes that individual U.S. states are already setting up their own diplomatic representation with foreign countries to fill the vacuum. They close with a striking contrast: unlike Russians, Americans can still vote their way out of tyranny — but the window in which that remains true may be narrowing, as we are likely entering a post-American empire period. Finally, he answers listeners’ question in the “Ask Chuck” segment and celebrates the start of March Madness. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:30 There’s no easy way for Trump to get out of Iran 05:30 It’s become clear US responsible for bombing Iranian school 06:15 FBI warns California law enforcement of threat of Iranian drone strikes 07:15 The fallout from the war is complicated & Trump can’t just turn it off 08:30 Drone attack that killed US soldiers far more serious than initially reported 09:15 Republicans in congress are demoralized & don’t know what to run on 10:45 Pentagon bars press for publishing “unflattering” photos of Pete Hegseth 12:00 We have a serious war and a completely unserious leader of the Pentagon 12:45 Republican senators knew Hegseth was unqualified & confirmed him anyway 14:15 It’s important to explain the details of the Republican SAVE Act 15:00 John Cornyn flipped position on the filibuster to try to earn Trump endorsement 15:30 Republicans likely don’t have the votes to kill the filibuster 16:15 Contrasting and comparing Democrats HR1 vs Republicans SAVE Act 18:15 SAVE Act requires proof of citizenship to vote 19:00 Trump wants a total ban on mail in voting and all voting on one day 20:00 If GOP kills filibuster & Dems win senate, Dems won’t restore it 20:45 If passed in a partisan vote, SAVE Act would delegitimize democracy 21:45 If rules change based on who’s in power, the public will lose faith in process 23:30 We’re seeing a collision of two partisan visions over who gets to vote 24:30 SAVE Act makes voter registration a “show your papers” event 25:30 There’s a massive gap between bill passed in house & what Trump wants 26:00 Trump is demanding a bill loaded with culture war items 27:30 If Republicans jam through the SAVE Act, it could juice Democratic turnout 29:00 Voter ID isn’t controversial with the public 29:45 There’s 80% support for proof of citizenship when registering to vote 30:15 Republicans believe it should be harder to vote, Dems think it should be easier 31:30 Trump is taking popular ideas and packaging them in a bill that is toxic 32:30 Stability in a democracy doesn’t come from a 51% majority 33:45 34k people in Arizona were barred from state elections, but had federal carve out 35:00 Almost no voter fraud has actually been found 36:00 If you change name or get married, SAVE Act treats you as first time voter 37:30 America already makes life harder on women, SAVE Act makes it worse 38:15 The SAVE Act goes WELL beyond voter ID 39:00 Republicans are writing a bill to make Trump’s bullshit real 39:45 Trump will blame failure to pass SAVE Act for election losses in midterms 41:00 SAVE Act would disenfranchise or add barriers for millions of voters 42:00 Individual citizens have no constitutional right to vote 42:45 State constitutions provide voting guarantees, SAVE Act contradicts that 44:15 Changes to voting rules need bipartisan public consensus 50:15 Fiona Hill joins the Chuck ToddCast 51:30 There is no formal alliance between Russia and Iran 52:15 Historically, Russia and Iran clashed over territory 54:00 Iran provided Russia with Shahed drones & helped build factory 54:45 Trump views his relationship with Russia & Putin in a vacuum 55:45 Iran’s relationship with China & Russia is very transactional 56:30 Iran sees itself as a civilization, not just a country 58:15 China is letting the U.S. “rope a dope” itself 59:30 China doesn’t do favors without a cost 1:00:15 Witkoff didn’t take Iranians at their word but did with Russia 1:00:45 China & Russia are sitting back and watching what happens in Iran 1:01:45 Special military operations often become quagmires 1:03:00 Trump hasn’t thought about the knock-on consequences in Iran 1:05:15 Administration thinks they can figure it out as they go 1:06:00 Trump’s adventurism never had serious consequences until now 1:07:45 9/11 shaped the frame for American thinking for 25 years 1:08:45 Do you buy that MBS pushed Trump into striking Iran? 1:09:45 The Chinese didn’t see unintended effects of war in Ukraine 1:10:45 Russia has 20x casualty rate in Ukraine that USSR had in Afghanistan 1:12:45 The Israelis are clear that they want regime change 1:13:00 Outside of eliminating the nuclear program… What's the rest of our aim? 1:14:30 Without regime change, Iranian and Venezuelan people will turn on Trump 1:15:30 There’s a large Iranian population is many countries 1:16:00 Trump is in a Afghanistan/Iraq level jam with no plan 1:16:45 Gutting of national security council effects on Trump’s planning 1:18:00 We’ve lost grip of our political system, congress has abdicated 1:19:15 High oil prices could be a boon to Russia, but shipping is an issue 1:21:30 Putin doesn’t want to end the war in Ukraine unless its on his terms 1:22:15 Ukraine has been an incredibly tough fighting force 1:23:00 The rich & powerful forget that the other 8 billion people have agency 1:24:30 Ukraine won’t have a peace imposed on it by outsiders 1:25:15 Trump assumes everyone else is as transactional as he is 1:26:15 Khamenei is a religious leader, his killing has religious implications 1:29:15 Asymmetrical war feels unwinnable 1:31:30 The damage to America’s reputation in the world will last decades 1:32:30 NORAD doesn’t work without Canada & Nordic countries 1:35:00 How can a future president try to fix the damage with allies? 1:36:00 Individual states are setting up representation with foreign countries 1:38:00 If you’re Xi, do you prioritize seizing Taiwan while Trump’s in office? 1:39:45 We’re likely in a post-American empire period 1:40:30 Is there any heir apparent to Putin? 1:42:45 Next leader of Russia will likely keep the same system in place 1:44:15 Unlike Russians, Americans can still vote their way out of tyranny 1:48:30 Across the country there’s serious frustration with federal politics 1:50:00 Ask Chuck 1:50:15 How is the psyche of the American people able to handle constant crisis? 1:55:30 Are the war and Epstein files just distracting from importance of midterms? 1:59:00 Have larger sums of money started to become irrelevant in elections? 2:03:00 At what point does fundraising advantage stop matter? 2:07:15 Chances of false flag blamed on Iran to provide pretext to mess with elections? 2:13:00 Thanks for giving me hope while feeling like we’re living through fall of Rome 2:16:30 How can a future president reverse course on tariffs? 2:19:00 Thoughts on March MadnessSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James turn south and east to explore the lesser-known fronts of World War I in 1916 and 1917. From the brutal mountain battles along the Isonzo River and the Italian disaster at Caporetto to Romania’s ill-fated entry into the war and the stagnant Allied front at Salonika, the hosts trace how the war’s southern theaters shaped the fate of nations. They also examine the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Arab Revolt, and the British capture of Aqaba, Gaza, Jerusalem, and other key Middle Eastern sites. Together, these campaigns reveal how the Great War’s reach extended far beyond the trenches of France—and how they set the stage for the world that followed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Theologian Bo Karen Lee joins Ryan McAnnally-Linz to explore how the multiple layers of trauma—pandemic grief, racialized violence, intergenerational wounding, vicarious suffering—can be met by the resources of Ignatian spirituality and contemplative prayer. Writing and teaching at the intersection of Christian formation and social justice, Lee brings both scholarly precision and uncommon personal candor to one of the most urgent conversations in theology today. "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing. So it has the very opposite effect of what is needed for it to be healed." In this conversation, Lee reflects on the spiritual journey from what one author calls "alarmed aloneness" toward becoming beloved—seen, held, and gazed upon with love. Together they discuss the overlapping layers of collective, personal, racialized, and intergenerational trauma shaping contemporary life; attachment theory and its parallels with spiritual formation; the Ignatian tradition of imaginative, contemplative prayer; the still face experiment and the theology of the loving gaze; and why the church has something singular to offer the trauma crisis of our time. Episode Highlights "We are quite sure we're alone in the world and no one really sees us, no one truly cares and no one can be trusted. You're alone, overwhelmed, and helpless." "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing. So it has the very opposite effect of what is needed for it to be healed." "I need to be held, but it's this illusory figure that holds me, because I have shut myself off to the very things that could help me, because no one is to be trusted." "I've seen too much hope, and too much beauty, and too much healing walking through the spiritual exercises that I can no longer despair that trauma has the final word." "Gazing upon the God who gazes upon me with love. That is contemplative prayer." About Bo Karen Lee Bo Karen Lee is Associate Professor of Spiritual Theology and Christian Formation at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she teaches contemplative theology, Ignatian spirituality, and the relationship between prayer and social justice. A leading voice in the integration of trauma studies and Christian formation, she brings the Ignatian tradition into conversation with psychology, attachment theory, and the lived experience of racialized communities. Her work draws on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola to offer resources for healing that are both theologically grounded and pastorally immediate. She directs retreatants in the nineteenth annotation of the Spiritual Exercises and works regularly with spiritual directors trained in the Ignatian tradition. Helpful Links and Resources Bessel van der Kolk, Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society https://www.amazon.com/Traumatic-Stress-Overwhelming-Experience-Society/dp/1572300485 Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother's Hands https://www.resmaa.com/resources Kathy Weingarten, Common Shock: Witnessing Violence Every Day https://www.kathyweingarten.com David Fleming SJ, Draw Me Into Your Friendship https://www.amazon.com/Draw-Me-Into-Your-Friendship/dp/0912422904 Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/ Edward Tronick, Still Face Experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0 Find a Spiritual Director https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/making-good-decisions/find-a-spiritual-director/ Show Notes Trauma defined: "terror triggered by an inescapably stressful event that overwhelms existing coping mechanisms" — Bessel van der Kolk Layers of trauma: collective pandemic grief, personal wounding, racialized violence, intergenerational encoding, vicarious/secondary trauma Global pandemic as collective trauma — threat of death, forced isolation, planetary-scale overwhelm Racialized trauma and AAPI hate incidents — one in five AAPI individuals reported a hate incident in the U.S. in a 15-month window (as of late 2021) My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem — racialized trauma encoded in bodies and communities https://www.resmaa.com/resources Cumulative microaggressions — daily small injuries can produce PTSD-level effects over time; growing body of clinical literature Secondary/vicarious trauma — hearing others' suffering reactivates unresolved wounds in caregivers and companions "Double jeopardy" — Kathy Weingarten's term for caregivers whose own past traumas are reactivated while supporting others Five professions at highest risk: clergy, health workers, teachers, police, journalists — context for the Great Resignation "Alarmed aloneness" — the net effect of trauma: certainty that no one sees you, no one cares, no one can be trusted "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing." The orphan image: a girl in a Middle Eastern orphanage draws a chalk mother around her fetal body — illusory comfort as portrait of traumatic isolation Intergenerational trauma — encoded in DNA; personal testimony about learning her own mother was nearly killed as an infant, its echo across generations Kintsugi as healing metaphor — the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold; grief before repair, not a race to be fixed Robert Stolorow's concept: finding a "relational home" for traumatic suffering — the necessity of being witnessed Ignatius of Loyola — 16th-century Spanish soldier wounded by cannonball; encountered the living Christ through Ludolph of Saxony's Vita Christi during convalescence The Spiritual Exercises: a four-week manual for imaginative prayer — beloved and broken, walking with Christ through ministry, suffering, resurrection https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/ Ignatian contemplative prayer defined: "gazing upon the God who gazes upon me with love" — kataphatic, embodied, not requiring stillness or silence Still Face Experiment (Edward Tronick) — infant distress when a loving mother goes blank; evidence that the gaze of love is neurologically and psychologically foundational https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0 Attachment theory and spiritual formation — earned secure attachment: what unhealthy early bonding cannot provide, sustained relationship with God can "I've seen too much hope, and too much beauty, and too much healing walking through the spiritual exercises that I can no longer despair that trauma has the final word." Personal testimony: AAPI hate crimes, night terrors, contemplative prayer with a spiritual director; a vision of Mary, the wailing women, and the crucified Christ "Bo, they killed me too" — Christ's words in a contemplative vision; solidarity as the beginning of bearable grief Sartre's "hell is other people" reframed — parasitic dependence on others' approval vs. the freedom of knowing how God gazes upon you Resources for beginning: David Fleming's Draw Me Into Your Friendship; finding a spiritual director trained in Ignatian spirituality; Jesuit retreat centers #TraumaHealing #IgnatianSpirituality #ContemplativePrayer #ChristianFormation #SpiritualTheology #MentalHealthAndFaith #RacializedTrauma #AttachmentTheory #ForTheLifeOfTheWorld #YaleDivinity Production Notes This podcast featured Bo Karen Lee Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa Hosted by Evan Rosa Production Assistance by Annie Trowbridge and Luke Stringer A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/about Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

Tara breaks down the latest attacks in the Middle East and exposes how Democrats and mainstream media are spinning the narrative. From Iran's ballistic missile strikes on multiple U.S. and allied bases to CBS suggesting Trump “made it all up,” Tara lays out the facts, the intelligence, and the reality on the ground. She also examines the growing international response, including coordinated Arab strikes and Israeli operations, reshaping the Middle East in ways the transnational elite never expected. SEGMENT SUMMARY: Tara starts with CBS News' claims and Democrat messaging, highlighting Senator Mark Kelly's insistence that Trump fabricated the threat from Iran. She dismantles the narrative by detailing verified intelligence: Iran launched missiles against U.S. bases and allied nations, killing multiple service members. Next, Tara explains how Trump's decisive action disrupted Iran's plans, preventing further strikes while forcing global coordination. Middle Eastern allies, including the UAE and Qatar, have launched retaliatory strikes and taken diplomatic actions against Iran, demonstrating the far-reaching consequences of Iran's aggression. Finally, Tara critiques media spin that dismisses the attacks as “fake” or Trump-invented, exposing the disconnect between liberal narratives and observable facts. She underscores the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy, regional stability, and the importance of credible intelligence. KEY TOPICS: Iran's ballistic missile strikes on U.S. and allied bases Democrats and CBS claim Trump “made it up” Verified intelligence shows missiles, deaths, and injuries Trump's response disrupted Iran's capabilities Arab allies strike Iranian targets in coordination with U.S. & Israel Media misrepresentation vs. actual events on the ground Implications for Middle East geopolitics and U.S. strategy SOCIAL MEDIA POST:

Tara covers it all: from verified Iranian missile attacks hitting U.S. and allied bases, to Democrat and media claims that Trump fabricated the threat, to historic U.S. energy breakthroughs. She exposes how the left is weaponizing the judicial system and jury nullification, while highlighting the first U.S. oil refinery in 50 years, boosting American energy independence. SEGMENT SUMMARY: 1️⃣ Iran Conflict & Media Spin Democrats and CBS claimed Trump “made it all up” about Iran's missile attacks. Verified facts: 223 strikes targeted U.S. bases and allies, with 7 Americans killed and over 140 injured. Middle Eastern allies—including the UAE, Qatar, and Israel—coordinated strikes in response. Tara debunks conspiracy narratives and shows how Trump's actions reshaped regional dynamics. 2️⃣ Judicial System & Left-Wing Threats Tara explains how left-wing activists are using jury nullification to undermine Trump DOJ prosecutions. Examples include past assassination attempts and threats against Trump officials, illustrating how DC's court system is being targeted. Training for liberals to vote “not guilty” on political grounds is expanding nationwide. 3️⃣ U.S. Energy & Manufacturing Independence Historic opening of the first U.S. oil refinery in 50 years in Brownsville, Texas. The refinery will process domestic shale and Venezuelan crude, reducing reliance on foreign refining. Highlights failures of past Democrat energy policy, including the impact of New York's energy laws and grid vulnerabilities. Trump's policy ensures energy independence, strengthens U.S. manufacturing, and protects against global choke points like the Strait of Hormuz. 4️⃣ Geopolitical & Economic Impact Democrats' past Iran policies enabled long-range missiles that threatened U.S. and allied positions. Trump's actions neutralized threats and reshaped Middle East alliances. U.S. refinery and energy policies now prevent foreign dependency, bolster domestic production, and safeguard the economy. KEY TOPICS: Iran missile attacks: 223 strikes on U.S. and allied bases Media and Democrat spin: Trump “made it all up” Middle East response: UAE, Qatar, Israel coordinate strikes Left-wing jury nullification & DC court threats First U.S. refinery in 50 years: Brownsville, Texas Energy independence & domestic refining capacity Impact on U.S. manufacturing and strategic choke points Historical context: Obama & Biden Iran policies Democrat-controlled energy failures & New York blackouts SOCIAL MEDIA POST:

In this episode of Tea and Crumpets, Adam Eagleston and Will Brown examine a rapidly evolving global environment where geopolitics, energy markets, and structural risks in finance are colliding. The discussion begins with the escalating conflict involving Iran and Israel and the immediate shock to global oil markets, where prices surged dramatically before partially retracing. Adam and Will explore how disruptions to Middle Eastern energy infrastructure and shipping routes could tighten global supply, increase inflation pressure, and complicate monetary policy decisions for the Federal Reserve. The conversation then shifts to deeper vulnerabilities within financial markets. The hosts highlight growing concerns in private credit, where opaque lending structures and redemption pressures are beginning to surface across large institutional funds. They discuss how these off-balance-sheet lending vehicles have expanded rapidly and may introduce systemic risk if underlying assets are forced to be repriced. Adam and Will also analyze the economic impact of artificial intelligence, particularly its potential to disrupt employment and reshape the software sector. While AI could improve productivity and corporate margins, it may also accelerate job displacement and create unexpected pressure across industries that rely heavily on knowledge workers. Throughout the episode, the hosts stress the importance of remaining vigilant in a market environment filled with uncertainty—from geopolitical escalation to structural financial stresses. They conclude by discussing what indicators they are watching closely and how investors should think about risk management as events continue to unfold. Learn more about Formidable Asset Management, Will Brown, and Adam Eagleston by visiting www.formidableam.com.

Today on Uncommon Sense, we're tackling the war with Iran that President Donald Trump has pulled the United States into and why I believe Americans should be questioning it.I'll break down why this conflict is happening, why many conservatives who usually support Trump are uneasy about it, and why voices like Charlie Kirk also warned against the United States being dragged into another Middle Eastern war.We'll talk about the geopolitical forces behind this conflict, including the role of Benjamin Netanyahu and the long-discussed concept of “Greater Israel”—the idea of expanding Israel's regional dominance and influence.Is this really about American security?Or are we once again risking American lives, money, and stability for foreign interests and endless wars overseas?Today I'm breaking down the politics, the narratives, and why I believe America should be extremely cautious about where this conflict is heading, because it is most likely (unfortunately) the start of WWIII.--https://www.bible.com/

Iran is activating its doomsday weapon: an economic war and severe damage to oil exports from the Gulf, which account for about 20% of global oil, by moving to block the Strait of Hormuz and paralyzing oil exports. Dr. Yaron Friedman from Haifa University’s Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, says the measures being taken by Saudi Arabia and the UAE are expensive and temporary. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that it was important that Iran’s enemies are not tempted to strike Iran’s oil facilities since it could severely damage attempts to rebuild Iranian economy after the war. (photo: Altaf Qadri/AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump's pulling a “Nixon” and trying to bomb his way to higher approval ratings and political viability will lead to the doubling or tripling of Gas Prices, as he calls his voters and independents “fools” for being upset with $7 or $8 dollar gas prices because he started a ill-conceived war with Iran, and as our alleged Middle Eastern “allies” puts the screws to Trump and the American people by turning off the spigot of oil production. Popok dons his Wall Street lens and explains how, among all his failings, Trump's Iran war and its cutting the fuel line to the US Economy is political suicide. Tushy: Over 2.5 Million Butts Love TUSHY. Get 10% off TUSHY with the code LEGALAF at https://hellotushy.com/LEGALAF Subscribe:  @LegalAFMTN  Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

C1. Guests: Bill Roggio and Ambassador Husain Haqqani Headline: Global Markets Shudder as Oil Surges Past $100 Summary: War in the Middle East has triggered a damaging global economic surge, with oil exceeding $100 per barrel. Panelists discuss Iran's resilient regime and the appointment of late leader's son, Mojtaba Khamenei. (2)2. Guests: Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani Headline: The Myth of Winning Through Air Power Alone Summary: Experts warn that air power cannot achieve lasting regime change and dismiss "boots on the ground" as politically impossible. They emphasize that Iran has historically resisted Western invaders for 2,000 years. (3)3. Guests: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa Headline: A "New Dawn" as Cuba Negotiates with the White House Summary: Shifting dynamics in Latin America see Cuba entering direct negotiations with the Trump administration as Venezuelan oil subsidies end. The region's turn toward right-wing governments signals a major geopolitical transformation. (4)4. Guests: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa Headline: Brazil's Election and the "Shield of the Americas" Summary: The panel analyzes Brazil's upcoming election where Flavio Bolsonaro is gaining ground against President Lula. They discuss how regional anti-crime initiatives and the war in Iran are influencing South American politics. (5)5. Guest: Malcolm Hoenlein Headline: Iran Launches Cluster Bombs Against Israeli Civilians Summary: Malcolm Hoenlein reports on Iran's use of cluster-bomb warheads against Israeli cities like Haifa. Despite the attacks and financial burdens, 93% of Israelis support the effort to end regional threats permanently. (6)6. Guest: Malcolm Hoenlein Headline: Regional Escalation and the Targeting of Energy Infrastructure Summary: Israel expands operations into Lebanon while Iran targets Azerbaijan's critical energy pipelines. China watches closely as its Middle Eastern oil supplies are threatened by the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. (7)7. Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud Headline: Hezbollah's Strategy to Protect the Iranian Regime Summary: David Daoud examines how Hezbollah's attacks aim to divert U.S. and Israeli focus from Tehran. The IDF responds by dismantling Hezbollah's financial institutions and propaganda networks to break their control over Lebanon. (8)8. Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud Headline: Psychological Warfare and the Threat of Drone Swarms Summary: Discussion centers on Hezbollah's use of inexpensive drone swarms and "pin pricks" to destabilize the Israeli psyche. Daoud explains these tactics aim to exhaust Israel's economy by making defense financially unsustainable. (9)9. Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonathan Sayeh Headline: Internal Resistance and the Mindset of Young Iranians Summary: Jonathan Sayeh provides insight into young Iranians who view the conflict as liberation from a 50-year occupation. However, he warns that destroying critical infrastructure risks alienating the population and damaging nationalism. (10)10. Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonathan Sayeh Headline: Monitoring the Fog of War in Tehran Summary: Analysts examine Tehran's internal state, noting that foot soldiers are becoming increasingly alienated. They monitor the Basij and regular military for signs of defection while the regime anticipates a ground invasion. (11)11. Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown Headline: Iran's "Nihilistic" Attacks on Neutral Neighbors Summary: Iran has launched self-destructive missile attacks against neutral neighbors like Qatar, Oman, and Turkey. The panel critiques British indecisiveness and the lack of clearly articulated American war objectives. (12)12. Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown Headline: The Question of Regime Change and "Boots on the Ground" Summary: Experts debate if the Trump administration seeks permanent regime change. They discuss the risks of mission creep and the extreme difficulty of empowering internal Iranian insurgencies without a clear roadmap. (13)13. Guests: Bill Roggio and John Hardy Headline: Zelensky Offers Drone Expertise to Counter Iran Summary: President Zelensky offers Ukrainian assistance to counter Iranian drones using battle-tested technology. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin pledges unwavering support for Iran's new leadership as the conflict increasingly impacts the global stage. (14)14. Guest: Jessica Winkle Headline: Bias and Conflict of Interest in Climate Science Manuals Summary: Professor Jessica Winkle details controversy surrounding the federal judicial manual's climate chapter. She highlights significant conflicts of interest and the use of biased, non-neutral rhetoric intended for judges. (15)15. Guest: Gregory Copley Headline: Assessing the Air War and Global Oil Panic Summary: Gregory Copley evaluates the U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. He notes the potential for the Iranian monarchy's return to rally opposition against the clerical regime. (16)16. Guest: Gregory Copley Headline: Russia and China's Strategic Stakes in the Iran Conflict Summary: The conversation examines how the war impacts Russia's trade corridors and China's primary oil supplies. Copley argues that U.S. air dominance serves as a profound warning to the leadership in Beijing. (17)

Academic and writer Timothy Mitchell joins This Is Hell! to talk about his new book his new book "The Alibi of Capital: How We Broke the Earth to Steal the Future on the Promise of a Better Tomorrow”, published by Verso Books (https://www.versobooks.com/products/3452-the-alibi-of-capital). Mitchell is the William B. Ransford Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Columbia University. His is based in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. We will have new installments of Rotten History and Hangover Cure. We will also be sharing your answers to this week's Question from Hell! from Patreon. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

This week we talk about Khamenei, Trump, and Netanyahu.We also discuss Venezuela, Cuba, and cartels.Recommended Book: Plagues upon the Earth by Kyle HarperTranscriptAli Hosseini Khamenei was an opposition politician in the lead-up to the Iranian Revolution that, in 1979, resulted in the overthrow of the Shah—the country's generally Western government-approved royal leader—and installed the Islamic Republic, an extremely conservative Shia government that took the reins of Iran following the Shah's toppling.Khamenei was Iran's third president, post-Shah, and he was president during the Iran-Iraq War from 1981-1989, during which the Supreme Leader of Iran, the head of the country, Ruhollah Khomeini sought the overthrow of then Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Khomeini died the same year the war ended, 1989, and Khamenei was elected to the role of Supreme Leader by the country's Assembly of Experts, which is responsible for determining such roles.The new Supreme Leader Khamenei was reportedly initially concerned that he wasn't suitable for the role, as his predecessor was a Grand Ayatollah of the faith, while he was just a mid-rank cleric, but the constitution of Iran was amended so that higher religious office was no longer required in a Supreme Leader, and in short order Khamenei moved to expound upon Iran's non-military nuclear program, to expand the use and reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in-country and throughout the region, and he doubled-down on supporting regional proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza, incorporating them into the so-called Axis of Resistance that stands against Western interests in the region—the specifics of which have varied over the decades, but which currently includes the aforementioned Hezbollah and Houthis, alongside smaller groups in neighboring countries, like Shiite militias in Bahrain, and forces that operate in other regional spheres of influence, like North Korea, Venezuela, and at times, portions of the Syrian government.Khamenei also reinforced the Iranian government's power over pretty much every aspect of state function, disempowering political opponents, cracking down on anyone who doesn't toe a very conservative extremist line—women showing their hair in public, for instance, have been black-bagged and sometimes killed while in custody—and thoroughly entangled the functions of state with the Iranian military, consolidating essentially all power under his office, Supreme Leader, while violently cracking down on anyone who opposed his doing whatever he pleased, as was the case with a wave of late-2025, early 2026 protests across the country, during which Iranian government forces massacred civilians, killing somewhere between 3,000 and 35,000 people, depending on whose numbers you believe.What I'd like to talk about today is a new war with Iran, kicked off by attacks on the country from Israel and the United States that led with the killing of Khamenei and a bunch of his higher-up officers, how this conflict is spreading across the region and concerns about that spreading, and what might happen next.—On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel launched a wave of joint air attacks against Iran, hitting mostly military and government sites across the country. One of the targets was Khamenei's compound, and his presence there, above-ground, which was unusual for him, as he spent most of his time deep underground in difficult-to-hit bunkers, alongside a bunch of government and military higher-ups, may have been the rationale for launching all of these attacks on that day, as the attackers were able to kill him and five other top-level Iranian leaders, who he was meeting with, at the same time.This wave of attacks followed the largest military buildup of US forces in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq back in 2003, and while military and government targets were prioritized, that initial wave also demolished a lot of civilian structures, including schools, hospitals, and the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, leading to a whole lot of civilian casualties and fatalities, as well.In response, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, and at US bases throughout the region—these bases located in otherwise uninvolved countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Iranian missiles and drones also hit non-military targets, and in some cases maybe accidentally hit civilian infrastructure, in Azerbaijan, and Oman, alongside a British military base on the island of Cyprus.The Iranian president apologized in early March for his country's lashing out at pretty much everyone, saying that there were miscommunications within the Iranian military, and that Iran wouldn't hit anyone else, including countries with US bases, so long as US attacks didn't originate from those bases.Despite that apology, though, Iranian missiles and drones continued to land in many of those neighboring countries following his remarks, raising questions about communications and control within the now-decapitated Iranian military.This new conflict follows long-simmering tensions between Iran and Israel—the former of which has said it will someday wipe the latter from the face of the Earth, considering its existence an abomination—and long-simmering tensions related to Iran's nuclear program, which the government has continuously said is just for civilian, energy purposes, but which pretty much everyone suspects, with a fair bit of evidence, is, in parallel, also a weapons program.Iran's influence throughout the region has been truncated in recent years, due to a sequence of successes by the Israeli military and intelligence services, which allowed them to hobble or nearly wipe out traditional Iranian proxy forces like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, which have collectively surrounded and menaced Israel for decades.Those menacing forces more or less handled, Israel has become more aggressive in its confrontations with Iran, exchanging large air attacks several times over the past handful of years, and the US under Trump's second term continues to see Iran as the main opposition to their efforts to build a US-aligned counterbalance against Russian and Chinese influence in the Middle East, with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and increasingly entities like Qatar and the UAE playing ball with the West, while Iran and its allies stand firm against the West.Trump has regularly threatened to act in Iran, usually waiting for the Iranian government to do something really bad, like that recent massacre of civilians following those large anti-government protests in late-2025, early 2026, and that to some degree has served as justification for the massing of US military assets in the region, leading up to this attack.Now that the attack has launched, a new war triggered, the question is how big it will get and how long it will last.For the moment, it looks like Iran's government and military is very much on the back foot, a lot of their assets taken out in that initial wave, and they're still scrambling to put someone in charge to replace Khamenei and those other higher-ups who were assassinated at the outset of this war—that'll likely change soon, maybe even before this episode goes live. But whomever takes the reins will have quite the task ahead of them, probably—according to many analysts, at least—aiming to just hold out until the US runs out of ammunition, which is expected to happen within a week or so, at which point Iran can launch surgical attacks, aiming to make this war too expensive, in terms of money and US lives, for the Trump administration to continue investing in, as money and lives are especially expensive in an election year, which 2026 is. So the idea is to grind the US down until it makes more political sense for Trump to just declare victory and leave, rather than allowing this to become a Vietnam or Afghanistan situation for his administration.It's also generally expected that when the US pulls out, Israel probably will too, as they've already made their point, tallied a bunch of victories, and set Iran back in a lot of ways; they could walk away whenever they like and say they won. And Iran would probably be incentivized to, at that point, avoid doing anything that would lead to more punishment, though they would almost certainly immediately begin rebuilding the same exact centralized, militarized infrastructure that was damaged, the only difference being they would have someone else on top, as the Supreme Leader. Relations could be even worse moving forward, but it would probably be at least a few years before Iran could do anything too significant to their regional enemies, which I guess if you're Israel does, in fact, represent a win.But considering the unlikelihood of permanent change in Iran, the big question here, in the minds of many, is what this war, this attack, is even for.For Israel, the main purpose of any attack against Iran is to weaken or destroy an enemy that has made no secret about wanting to weaken and destroy them. For the US, though, and the Trump administration more specifically, the point of all this isn't as clear.Some contend that this is another effort to steal attention and headlines from the increasingly horrifying revelations coming out of the investigation into the Epstein files, which seem to indicate Trump himself was involved in all sorts of horrible, pedophilic sexual assault activities with the late human-trafficker.Some suspect that the apparent victory in grabbing former Venezuelan president Maduro from his own country and whisking him away to the US without suffering any US casualties has emboldened Trump, and that he's going to use the time he's got to take out anyone he doesn't like, and may even specifically target authoritarian leaders who will not be missed—who oppress and kill their own people—because then it's difficult for his political opponents to call him out on these efforts.Most Venezuelans are happy to see Maduro gone, and many Iranians celebrated when Khamenei was assassinated. Trump has publicly stated that he intends to go after Cuba, next, and continues to suggest he wants a war of sorts with Mexican and south and central American cartels, which follows this same pattern of demonstrating a muscular, aggressive, militarized United States doing whatever it wants, even to the point of kidnapping or assassinating foreign leaders, but doing so in a way that is difficult to argue against, because the leaders and other forces being taken out are so horrible, at times to the point of being monstrous, that these acts, as illegal as they are according to internal laws, can still seem very justified, through some lenses.Still others have said they believe this is purely an Israeli op, and the US under Trump is just helping out one of Trump's buddies, Israel's Netanyahu, who wants to keep his country embroiled in war in order to avoid being charged for corruption.The real rationale could be a combination of these and other considerations, but the threat here, regionally, is real, especially if Iran continues to lash out at its neighbors.This part of the world is renowned for its fuel reserves and exports, and every time there's a Middle Eastern conflict, energy prices rise, globally, and other nations that produce such exports, like Russia, benefit financially because they can charge more for their oil and gas for a while—gas prices in the US have already increased by 14% over the past week as a result of the conflict—and those increases also then the raises the price of all sorts of other goods, spiking inflation.Another huge concern here, though, is that this part of the world is highly reliant on the desalination of water just to survive; massive desalination plants, most located along the coast, where they are very exposed to military threats, are at risk if Iran and Saudi Arabia, or Kuwait, or Oman start firing at each other in earnest.About 90% of Kuwait's drinking water comes from these sorts of plants, and about 86% of Oman's and 70% of Saudi Arabia's do, as well.Earlier in this war, a US strike damaged an Iranian desalination plant, and the Iranian foreign minister made a not-so-veiled threat against such plants in neighboring countries, saying the US set the precedent of attacking such infrastructure, not them.Worth noting here, too, is that many desalination plants are attached to power stations, located within the same facility, so attacks on power infrastructure, which are already common in any conflict, could also lead to more damaged desalination plants, all of which could in turn create massive humanitarian crises, as people living in some of the hottest, driest parts of the world find themselves, in the millions, without drinkable water.The potential for a spiraling humanitarian disaster increases with each passing day, then, which would seem to increase the likelihood that someone will stop, declare victory, and move on to the next conflict. But there's always the chance the one or more of the involved forces will clamp down and decide that it's in their best interest to keep things going as long as possible, instead—and in this case, it would likely be Iran playing that role, locking the US and Israel and their allies into a grinding, long-term conflict that no one would actually win.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_of_Resistancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_state_funeral_of_Ruhollah_Khomeinihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacreshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khameneihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Ali_Khameneihttps://www.eurasiareview.com/08032026-strikes-continue-despite-iranian-presidents-apology/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-rejects-settling-iran-war-raises-prospect-killing-all-its-potential-2026-03-08/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/irans-retaliation-began-us-officials-scrambled-arrange-evacuations-2026-03-07/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/mapping-crisis-iran-visual-explainer-2026-03-06/https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-08-2026https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-march-8-2026-f0b20dbffaea9351ae1e54183ffe53ffhttps://apnews.com/article/iran-war-desalination-water-oil-middle-east-12b23f2fa26ed5c4a10f80c4077e61cehttps://apnews.com/video/trump-says-us-will-turn-attention-to-cuba-after-war-with-iran-91c3f239c18349fdb409f901c50b7e71https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03/08/world/iran-war-trump-israel-lebanonhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/us/politics/trump-russia-ukraine-iran-war.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/us/politics/iran-war-first-week.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/03/08/opinion/iran-war-ayatollah.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

SPD chief Shon Barnes says that officers who help ICE violate policy and will face consequences, the Cascades might get a blizzard, and the Washington Supreme Court will get its first justice of Middle Eastern descent. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's EV News Briefly for Monday 09 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDailySCOUT RESERVATIONS SWING TO RANGE-EXTENDED HYBRIDSScout Motors now holds over 160,000 reservations for its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup, with 87% of reservation holders choosing the gas-assisted extended-range hybrid over pure BEV — well above the 60/40 split CEO Scott Keogh originally expected. First customer deliveries have slipped to 2028, with delays attributed to technical challenges in developing a rugged ladder-frame platform with dual powertrains.RIVIAN DROPS $45,000 R2 STARTING-PRICE LINERivian has quietly removed the "$45,000 starting price" reference from its R2 product page, replacing it with a countdown clock ahead of a March 12 reveal at South by Southwest where full pricing and specs are expected. The R2 will launch first as a higher-priced dual-motor variant, with a more affordable single-motor base model to follow shortly after.BEVS NOW BEAT ICE ON COST IN MORE MARKETSAyvens' 2026 Car Cost Index finds BEVs now undercut comparable ICE models on total cost of ownership in a growing number of European markets, with Western and Northern Europe leading the way. In the compact segment BEVs hold a TCO advantage in 19 of 30 markets, and the BMW i4 beats the petrol 3 Series on TCO in 20 of 30 European countries.GLOBAL PUBLIC EV CHARGERS HEAD FOR 9.01M IN 2026Global public EV charging infrastructure is forecast to reach 9.01 million plugs in 2026, up from 7.11 million in 2025, though China alone accounts for 67% of the global total and the top eight countries host 88% of all chargers. Growth is slowing in Europe and losing momentum in the US, while Germany is on track to overtake the Netherlands in installed chargers during 2026.UK SUPPLIERS PULL FIXED DEALS AS GAS SPIKESUK energy suppliers slashed available fixed tariffs from 38 to 17 in a matter of days as wholesale gas prices spiked roughly 75% following disruption to Middle Eastern gas infrastructure, with the cheapest typical annual dual-fuel fixed deal rising from £1,509 to £1,640. EV-specific tariffs were also affected, with EDF pausing some EV tariffs and E.ON briefly freezing one, threatening the cost advantage of off-peak home charging for EV drivers.NEXTSTAR SWITCHES ON CANADA'S FIRST EV CELL PLANTNextStar Energy, a Stellantis and LG Energy Solution joint venture, has opened Canada's first commercial-scale EV battery cell plant in Windsor, Ontario, having already produced over one million cells since production began in November 2025. Beyond supplying Stellantis brands, NextStar aims to expand into stationary energy storage for municipal and provincial grids.STELLANTIS PLANS £50M ELLESMERE PORT VAN LINEStellantis will invest £50 million at Ellesmere Port to add an assembly line for electric Vauxhall Vivaro vans and other midsize zero-emission commercial vehicles from next year, building on the site's existing all-electric output. However, Stellantis warns the plant may not be commercially viable under the UK's ZEV mandate for vans, which carries an £18,000 fine per non-compliant vehicle at a 24% electric sales threshold that the industry is currently only half-meeting.MET SEIZES 52 ILLEGAL E-BIKES AND MOPEDSThe Metropolitan Police seized 52 illegal electric bikes and mopeds across London over two days, using targeted checkpoints in high-pedestrian-risk areas including Harlesden and Cambridge Circus. Officers also made arrests for dangerous driving, weapons possession, and outstanding prison recall warrants, linking illegal e-bikes to phone snatches and broader street crime.MEXICO AUTO PLANTS PIVOT TO HIGHER-VALUE EVSMexico's auto sector is shifting focus from volume to higher-value output between 2025 and 2027, with GM concentrating Cadillac OPTIQ production at Ramos Arizpe and BMW committing its San Luis Potosí plant to build the iX3 — its first Neue Klasse EV — from 2027. Both manufacturers have maintained their Mexican strategies despite ongoing uncertainty from US tariffs and trade policy under President Trump.FARLEY POURS COLD WATER ON ELECTRIC UTESFord CEO Jim Farley says current BEV technology is poorly suited to mainstream ute and pickup buyers who tow heavy loads, calling a large-battery BEV "a really bad tow-er," and Ford has already shelved the F-150 Lightning following weak demand and a $19.5 billion EV writedown. Farley backs extended-range EVs as the near-term bridge solution for work-capable vehicles, while dismissing solid-state batteries and fuel cells as not yet on Ford's product horizon.

On Monday, President Trump declared the war in Iran “very complete” as missile and drone strikes continue. Trump's comments belie the situation on the ground. In its second week, the war in Iran that began with Israeli and US airstrikes has embroiled the Middle East. Iran has hit targets in Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, among other Middle Eastern states. Oil prices have skyrocketed to over $100 a barrel and Iran has appointed a new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the recently killed supreme leader, who many expect to continue his father's hardline tendencies. We'll talk about the war, its impact on international alliances, and what might come next. Guests: Mona Yacoubian, director and senior advisor, Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Dalia Dassa Kaye, senior fellow, UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations; author, "Enduring Hostility: The Making of America's Iran Policy" Nabih Bulos, Middle East bureau chief, Los Angeles Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we look at the impact of the ongoing US–Israel war with Iran on neighbouring Middle Eastern countries. Africans in the region are caught in the crossfire, some have been evacuated by their governments, while others remain stranded. We speak to a young Ghanaian still in Bahrain and a Ugandan who has just returned home.We also explore Lesotho's annual three-day Moshoeshoe Walk, where thousands retrace King Moshoeshoe I's historic route. What began as a tribute to his legacy has grown into a heritage-tourism event celebrating history, wellness and community, while raising funds to support girls' education.Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Ayuba Iliya Technical Producer: Jonathan Mwangi Senior Producer: Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Jacob sets down the grand strategy for a gripping personal story, catching up with his high school friend Avi Swerdlow, who landed in Israel the day before the new Gulf War erupted. Avi recounts waking to sirens, sheltering with his mother, and navigating a closed airspace in a circuitous scramble to get home - a reminder that geopolitics is always personal. Note: If you know anyone in a Gulf or Middle Eastern state who has had to scramble in a similar way, or is experiencing the war on the ground, please connect us! We would love to feature their story. --Timestamps:(00:00) - Hello (01:10) - Meet Avi Swerdlow(01:58) - Siren Wake Up Call(02:57) - Did You See It Coming(05:53) - Flights Canceled Fast(07:57) - Airbnb Safe Room Help(10:29) - Embassy Alerts and STEP(12:29) - Planning Land Escape(14:07) - State Dept Evac Call(16:30) - Airport Chaos and Shelter(22:12) - Boarding DHS Evac Flight(24:08) - Arrival in Athens(24:17) - Athens to Rome Reset(25:25) - Historic Moment Reflections(26:28) - Evacuation Costs and Embassies(27:30) - Inside the DHS Plane(31:26) - Landing in Athens and Relief(34:00) - Fellow Passengers Georgia Detour(35:04) - Would You Go Back(36:27) - Work and Family Back Home(38:06) - Egypt Plan and Risk Tradeoffs(39:46) - Other Routes and Final Wrap--Referenced in the Show:--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe --The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com--Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today's volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--

This week's Frankly is another edition of Nate's Wide Boundary News series, where he invites listeners to view the constant churn of headlines through a wider-boundary lens. In this installment, Nate addresses the U.S. and Israeli military offensive against Iran and traces the reverberating effects that extend far beyond the conflict itself, starting with what the closure of the Strait of Hormuz means for a civilization that routes a massive share of its physical economy through a single maritime corridor. Nate begins with the core misperception that oil registers as roughly 3% of GDP by cost, when in reality it underpins 100% of economic activity. Building off of that, he outlines a series of second- and third-order effects that rarely appear in headline coverage, including hidden dependencies on sulfur, liquefied natural gas, and nitrogen fertilizer that connect the Strait of Hormuz to mining operations, European energy security, and global food systems. He also explains the stock-and-flow imbalance between expensive missile interceptors and cheap drone warfare, and the difficult choices facing aging Middle Eastern oil fields if production is forced to shut in. Finally, Nate considers the religious narratives on all three sides of the conflict, where Christian, Jewish, and Shia Islamic end-times frameworks each cast the war as prophetic fulfillment, short-circuiting the feedback loops that normally slow escalation. What does the exposure of a single shipping corridor reveal about the deep energy dependencies of modern civilization? How might the second- and third-order effects of this conflict, from fertilizer to metals to food prices, reshape the global economy in ways that outlast the war itself? And when all parties in a conflict believe they are fulfilling divine prophecy, where do the off-ramps for de-escalation appear? (Recorded March 9th, 2026)   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

AI chatbots are encouraging violence, social media is hurting kids, and Ottawa is still trying to figure out how to regulate the harms of the internet after two very public failed attempts. Host Noor Azrieh and Taylor Owen, professor and member of the federal task force on AI and online safety, dig into the federal government's latest Online Harms push. Why does regulating the internet, especially its nastier corners, keep proving so hard to actually do?PLUS, we hear from Thomas Juneau, former defence analyst and current professor of Middle Eastern security & intelligence, on what a possible Canadian intervention in the region could look like.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Mia Johnson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Taylor Owen, Thomas JuneauBackground reading:Canada could be the next nation to ban social media for kids – POLITICOOnline harms bill needs framework for reporting threats in AI chats, experts say – The Globe and MailJustin Ling: Canada has studied the problem of online harms enough. Now we need to solve it – Toronto StarThe world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all | Taylor Lorenz – The GuardianCanada's rhetorical support for the war on Iran has an audience of one: Donald Trump– The Globe and MailSponsors: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadalandVisit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz mobile and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data.Buy your next car today with CarGurus at cargurus.ca to make sure your big deal is the best deal.Did you know we have a monthly supporter-exclusive show? We just recorded an episode about rabbit holes, deep dives and obsessions.If you want to hear that (or if you want to catch up on all the great episodes of Off The Record you've missed!), you can listen to these amazing, support-exclusive episodes for cheap RIGHT NOW by going to canadaland.com/join. If you value this podcast, Support us! You'll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You'll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you'll be a part of the solution to Canada's journalism crisis, you'll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By day, Liz Kit is a senior marketing and communications manager in the corporate software world. But when the work day ends, she steps into the spotlight as "Leeza," a professional belly dancer. In this episode of Punch Out with Katie and Kerry, we explore how Liz's childhood fascination with Middle Eastern cultures — inspired by her father's career — blossomed into a lifelong passion for dance. We discuss the unexpected parallels between performing in a crowded restaurant and navigating a high-stakes executive meeting, and why you should never run your silk veil through a customer's hummus. In this episode we learned: Why Liz performs under the name Leeza (and the cultural etiquette behind choosing a stage name). The reality of being a professional belly dancer, from performing at baby showers to Greek restaurants. How belly dancing builds "confidence under scrutiny," a skill that is surprisingly useful when presenting to top executives. The "Rule of Two" for beginners: 1. Have fun, and 2. Don't fall down. Why spatial awareness (and depth perception) is the difference between a graceful performance and accidentally kicking a toddler. Want to know more about Liz? You can find her at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmkit/ Instagram: @leeza_bellydance Focus Areas: Corporate Communications, Growth Storytelling, and Cultural Art.   This episode is sponsored by  Chloë Forbes-Kindlen. Chloë helps teams like yours build and manage their business operating system in Notion. Head to businessops.co/punchout to access your free starter kit.   Punch Out with Katie and Kerry is the show that dives deeper into topics you care about. We don't ask the questions everyone else does. We get to the real insights (and the weird hobbies, the guilty pleasures, the secret side hustles...the good stuff)! We find out what really makes your favorite folks tick. Punch out with Katie and Kerry! Have a cool hobby or side interest you want to talk about on Punch Out with Katie and Kerry Let us know:  Website: www.punchoutwithus.com Email: punchoutwithus@gmail.com Hosts: Kerry O'Shea Gorgone (@KerryGorgone) & Katie Robbert (@katierobbert)

Matt Dolgin and Kenneth Suh cover the latest on the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) saga as Paramount Skydance (PSKY) emerges with the winning bid. Matt thinks this is great for Paramount, arguing its business needs a “shot in the arm.” He adds that consumers will benefit from having more content with less subscriptions. Kenneth points to the gains for advertising and data, noting they gain Oracle (ORCL) infrastructure with “much stronger tools.” The two also discuss the implications of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds helping finance the deal.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Here is a bonus episode of the Check Your Brain podcast with Tony Mazur.   Six months ago today, we lost Charlie Kirk to the biggest political assassination in most of our lifetimes. What has improved since then? Have goods and services become more affordable? Has the Trump administration continued their outreach to the young people? Has the American Dream returned to sight? The answer to all is no, nada. Since Charlie's death, the messaging on the right is all over the place, their support of Israel has become psychotic, and we're now in another Middle Eastern regime change war.    Be sure to subscribe to Tony's Patreon. $3 gets you just audio, $5 gets video AND audio, and $10 has all of the above, as well as bonus podcasts per week. Visit Patreon.com/TonyMazur. Tony is also on Rumble! Go find his video podcasts over there for free.   Cover art for the Check Your Brain podcast is by Eric C. Fischer. If you need terrific graphic design work done, contact Eric at illstr8r@gmail.com.

What happens to dairy markets when one of the world's busiest shipping lanes suddenly gets disrupted? With the Strait of Hormuz under pressure and trade routes across the Persian Gulf in question, exporters are scrambling to figure out how to move product. What does all this mean for global dairy demand? In this episode of The Milk Check, host Ted Jacoby III sits down with the Jacoby trading team to talk through what happens when geopolitics collides with global dairy trade. We dig into: How exporters may reroute product through alternate ports like Jeddah Why trade flows could shift between the U.S., Europe, Oceania and Southeast Asia How energy prices and freight disruptions could ripple through dairy markets Whether this disruption boosts demand in the short term or destroys it if it drags on Find out how one shipping lane could reshape the global dairy trade. Listen to The Milk Check episode 95: The Strait of Hormuz: What the Iran Conflict Means for Dairy Trade. Click below to listen or find us on Spotify, YouTube,  Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check Ted Jacoby III: [00:00:00] Coming up on The Milk Check. The Strait of Hormuz is closed. The port of Dammam is closed. Joe Maixner: There’s definitely product that’s stuck, can’t get to its destination. Ted Jacoby III: Welcome to the Milk Check from T.C. Jacoby and Company, your complete guide to dairy markets, from the milking parlor to the supermarket shelf. I’m Ted Jacoby. Let’s dive in. Today we’re gonna talk about what’s going on in the dairy market, specifically global trade. We’re recording this on March 6th, 2026, and seven days ago the U.S. bombed Iran.  As we [00:00:30] speak, the Strait of Hormuz is closed. The port of Dammam is closed, and trade flows are getting rearranged as we speak. Today with me, we have Joe Maixner, head of our butter trading book. We have Josh White, we have Diego Carvallo, and we have Mike Brown. And we thought it would be appropriate to discuss what’s going on in the Middle East, specifically how it’s affecting the dairy industry, and what its short-term and long-term effects will be on dairy demand. We’re gonna start with Joe. Joe, what are you hearing out there right [00:01:00] now? Joe Maixner: There’s definitely product that’s stuck, can’t get to its destination. Both going into Port of Dammam and other Middle Eastern ports for that matter. With butter’s moves over the past year, the Middle East market had been probably the largest growth opportunity for us in global exports for butter. Fortunately, this all happened after the rush for Ramadan to get everything in. So, I would say that it’s not as bad as it could be right now, but there is certainly product that’s stuck on the water looking for [00:01:30] alternative options to get to land. And there’s quite a bit of product that still is waiting to leave the U.S. that we’re not quite sure if and when it will actually leave. A lot of it’s still up in the air. Nobody really knows, what to do yet. I think it’s still too early to tell. Nothing’s been canceled per se, but the longer that this drags on, we’re certainly going to have some effects from it. Ted Jacoby III: There’s a lot of talk that maybe this war is gonna be a five to six week war. If the Strait of Hormuz is closed for five to six weeks, as is the [00:02:00] Port of Dammam, is that enough to cancel orders? Is that too long? Joe Maixner: I would say it should probably cancel some orders. I wouldn’t say it would cancel everything, but they’re gonna have to get product at some point from somewhere, They can’t completely stop. People are gonna have to eat. Production will still have to continue, and they’re gonna have to source product from somebody. And if we can’t get it there, they’ll find it from somewhere else. Ted Jacoby III: I’m hearing that one of the things that they’re exploring is shipping into Jeddah, which if you look at a map of the Middle East, Dammam is in the Persian Gulf on [00:02:30] one side of the peninsula. Jeddah is basically on the exact opposite side of Peninsula on the Red Sea. So they’re talking about shipping into Jeddah and then shipping it across the land to where it might need to go. The first thing that occurs to me is Dammam, I believe, is a bigger port than Jeddah. And so if you take all those container ships going into Dammam and send them to Jeddah instead, there’s not gonna be enough room to unload ’em all. And so, at the very least, the traffic’s gonna be pretty horrific. Are you guys hearing people working on that too? Joe Maixner: Yes, they’re looking at alternate ports of [00:03:00] entry and moving the product around. Jeddah is one. Casablanca is one. Going into Egypt is one. There are options. All of ’em are more expensive and it’s just gonna depend on how desperate the end user is to get the product. Josh White: We’ve got some experience dealing with trade disruptions over the past decade, and we tend to see the playbook similarly each time. And then when we talk about what’s specifically happened in our markets now, I think We can watch for some warning signs. Number one is in these type of situations, we start worrying about trade [00:03:30] flows, energy, freight, congestion, those type of things, all impacting markets and trade. Additionally, when we think about this conflict, there’s maybe three different scenarios to talk about. It’s very intense right now. Does that intensity continue for a very long time? What does that mean for our trade? It’s very intense right now for, but after, four to six weeks, maybe it continues on, but it’s more stable or consistent and the world learns how to trade around it. And then the third one is the one you [00:04:00] outlined earlier, which I think is a bit optimistic, usually these things don’t just go away that quickly, is that it’s over in a short amount of time. That’s the easiest one for us to project. That just creates a short-term concentration pent-up demand, pent-up shipments, and we just gotta work our way through that bubble. I think the middle one’s more likely. Not because I’m an expert on these things, but we’ve seen what happened in different conflicts in different situations. The middle one being it’s intense for a bit, then it becomes more consistent and normalized, and we just learn how to work [00:04:30] around it. What does that mean? And to me, that redirects trade flows. For instance, the U.S. has been very competitive in the Middle East for butter and cheese. It’s not the first time we’ve been competitive. We were competitive 15 years ago or so at a pretty good rate where we were an net exporter of butterfat, cheese I think we’ve been fairly consistent throughout, but it takes time to get there. Our biggest obstacle in doing business with that market versus Europe as a competitor, is the transit time. We inflate the freight rates, we increase transit [00:05:00] time, there’s concern of access to supply because of turbulence or stability, our price could be fine, and we could still miss some business because you have to buy now or you’ve gotta get product in now, or you just don’t have time to wait the, what, six weeks from order at minimum, probably more like a quarter, oftentimes, to get the product. That’s maybe our biggest obstacle right now is redirected trade lanes, not price. Joe Maixner: All of these trade disruptions create opportunity elsewhere. If our price comes off, [00:05:30] as it has, butter shot up earlier this week, it’s come back off here at the end of the week. It’s created opportunity for trade into other export markets. Where one door closes, another opens. Ted Jacoby III: How do you think those trade flows change? What comes, what goes, what are the changes that you think will happen? Let’s assume that the Persian Gulf is off limits for two or three months. What does that mean for dairy? Josh White: Lost demand, if it’s that long.  That’s lost demand. Now if we assume that we’re able to redirect product to [00:06:00] maintain the same demand, you’re gonna have trade lanes shift, right? What are the options? Ted Jacoby III: Let’s articulate this a little bit more for our listeners. When we’re talking about trade lanes shifting, right now there’s product on the water trying to head there that can’t. What’s gonna happen to those ships? That’s one. Two, there’s product that was sitting in the port about ready to ship. I think there were a lot of calls this week. I think we know of quite a few calls this week where they basically said, “Let’s sit on it. Let’s wait for this all to calm down before we actually ship it.” And three, [00:06:30] there’s product that maybe was scheduled to ship in a month or two. I think it’s fair to say, people probably have to figure out immediately what are they gonna do with the product that’s on the water right now. And I think the other two, they may be able to give it a little bit of time, decide whether or not they’re gonna cancel any orders and redirect it. Diego, the product that’s on the water right now, what do you expect happens to it? Diego Carvallo: Ted, I’ve been internally debating this for a while and even with the team. I think a few things are happening, but I don’t know which one has a bigger magnitude. Supply chains used to be very thin [00:07:00] for skim milk powder for the past year or two years. They are gonna have to build more inventory for those supply chains because product might take 60 days instead of 30 days to ship it. Product is gonna get stuck at the port of entry, port of shipment, in transit, et cetera. So, I think that bumps up demand artificially. Yeah. But there’s more product that’s gonna be stuck in the supply chain. That’s the first thing that comes to mind short-term, if this doesn’t continue to escalate. But if things continue to [00:07:30] escalate, and three weeks from now or a month from now, we’re still not being able to ship product to those destinations, product is gonna start backing up at ports of loading, right? So we’re gonna start hearing from the California manufacturers that they have a 100, 200 loads at port, and that prospects are not great for shipping, and that we should find new homes for that, right? I think if this gets solved the short-term, it’s positive for demand. It’s bullish market, but if it goes more long-term, you start killing demand, and you start needing to [00:08:00] find homes for additional product. But I know that everybody, at least on our team, has different takes on the whole situation. Ted Jacoby III: I would agree with that. I tend to lean to the side that, politically, the Trump administration can’t afford for this to go on too long, and the longer the strait is closed, the more political pressure they’re gonna have to resolve things. It’s realistic to consider that there’s a possibility that this thing goes on for a really long time, and that strait is closed for a really long time. Diego Carvallo: The second topic that I think we should talk a little bit about is what is a [00:08:30] psychological implication that this has on buyers? For example, on Chinese buyers who depend on products that go through that canal. That’s why I lean towards supply chains are gonna have to increase the amount of product they have, and end users are gonna change a little bit their procurement practices to increase their stocks. Yeah. Josh White: That happened post COVID, right? And didn’t last very long. Ted Jacoby III: I’d say it lasted two years. Josh White: But my point wasn’t that two years wasn’t a long time. It [00:09:00] was more of: they reverted back to the just-in-time model once things stabilized. Ted Jacoby III: Yes. That is a good point. I do agree with that. But you know what, even though they reverted back to the just-in-time model, two and a half months ago, prices were low enough that I think there were people trying to rebuild their stocks because they felt that prices were low enough to do that. I don’t know if they actually succeeded. My gut, based on what we’re hearing from customers right now, is they didn’t, but there was certainly a willingness to build back inventory levels if the price was right. In the [00:09:30] meantime, we’re dealing with disrupted trade flows. And so my second question for you guys is, we talk about disrupted trade flows, but let’s put some examples under that so our listeners understand what we’re talking about. How will these trade lanes shift? Where will product flows change? Will we see maybe more U.S. product going into Southeast Asia, more European product going into the Middle East, because perhaps they can put it on a truck and ship it through Istanbul by rail or by truck all the way there? I don’t know. Josh White: Yeah, I [00:10:00] think that’s a super good point, and it goes into what Diego said, which I don’t think is limited to nonfat, by the way, or milk powders. I think customers need to buy, and are used to getting what they need quite easily, and they’ve run their structural days in inventory down quite a bit to where that’s going to require people to buy from where they can get it quickly. This disruption has served as a bit of a catalyst to something I think was already materializing or happening. And now if you inflate freight rates a little bit more, that’s only gonna make it that [00:10:30] much more pronounced: that you need to buy from who’s close. New Zealand’s having a good back shoulder of their season, too, and I believe that there’s quite a bit of New Zealand product that is on its way or destined to go to the Middle East and North Africa. So when we think about what happens, I think everyone goes back to their closest trade partner. That takes the Oceana product to Asia. It takes the U.S. product, obviously, to Mexico. There’s at least some risk that European product was gonna come to Mexico. This is making that more difficult, I imagine, as [00:11:00] well. And I guess they’re gonna have to problem solve if that demand holds under the scenario we talked about earlier: that Europe’s got a lot of product right now. There’s a lot of milk, and they’re making a lot of everything. And thus far, it’s been okay because exports have been reported to be good. Maybe we’re talking about how this impacts the Americans, but I imagine that the impact might be a little bit more extreme for the Europeans. There’s another impact in there that I think Diego touched on. When you have commitments for product [00:11:30] and that product takes longer to get to you, and you’re running your supply chain thin, you reach out then and buy other product at a higher price, often, to fill your immediate demand. And once everything stabilizes, you actually are structurally oversupplied. We experienced that within recent history. Ted Jacoby III: Oh, absolutely. Josh White: And so that creates that air pocket in demand that will eventually arrive. We just don’t know when. Ted Jacoby III: What I imagine is, those boats that are on the water that were heading to Dammam when all this [00:12:00] started, they’re either parked right now, waiting to see if everything clears up, or they’re getting themselves rescheduled into Jeddah to try and figure out how to get there another way.  I would assume the product that hadn’t been loaded onto a ship yet is backing up at the port for a little while. How long do you think it takes? How long do we need to be watching this conflict continue to go on, watching the Strait of Hormuz continue to be closed, how long will it take before do you think they’ll start selling that product elsewhere? Canceling contracts and selling it elsewhere? A [00:12:30] month, two months? Because my gut tells me that’s when you really start seeing the market shift around. Right now, everybody’s just in a waiting period. Right now everybody’s just wondering if this thing’s gonna last a long time or a short time, and they don’t wanna overreact just for everything to clear up in the next week or two, even if the possibility is low. Josh White: Nonfat futures are inverted, so I would imagine, not very long at all, but I don’t think nonfat is the most impacted product here.  The curve on the butter futures has really flattened out as well. There’s not a long time window there either if we don’t put [00:13:00] a decent carry back in the market. Ted Jacoby III: So the market is already pricing in the possibility of this going on a long time, but the cash markets haven’t really fallen yet because there’s still hope. Maybe that’s a good way to put it. Josh White: It’s only been a week, one business week. That’s a big conclusion that our team had, earlier today, is that we came in Monday, following the announcement, and we’re like, okay, what happened to dairy? And the reality is everyone’s trying to figure it out and it’s gonna take some time. So I don’t think we’ve seen the reaction or response to the [00:13:30] situation actually materialize yet. Ted Jacoby III: Do you think that the question everybody should be asking is how long is it gonna take for the Strait of Hormuz to open? Joe Maixner: That’s a big caveat in this whole situation, right? Once that opens and trade flows resume, that clears a lot of things up. Regardless, it’s gonna take time to clear up, right? Because you’re gonna have a backlog, but the sooner that reopens, the sooner things pseudo get back to normal. Mike Brown (2): So much energy flows out to that strait to the rest of the world, particularly to Asia that it could affect incomes effect ability to [00:14:00] purchase products as well. It isn’t just bringing things in, it’s how they get the oil out. Question for Diego, Iran certainly makes some SMP. Do you think that has any impact at all? Diego Carvallo: That’s a really good point you’re bringing up, Mike. Iran had for the past five years ramped up their SMP experts significantly, so I believe, if I’m not wrong, in 2025, they exported something like 120,000 metric tons of skim milk powder. It’s obviously not [00:14:30] one of the biggest exporters in the world, but it’s a significant exporter. The most important takeaway is that they would supply those markets that are being affected by these interruptions the most. It’s not only that region has fewer access to European and American and even New Zealand sources, but also one of their main providers has an active block on food exports as of right now. Both things tell me it’s gonna be harder for demand to [00:15:00] get access to the product. If it extends this issue in time, this is definitely gonna kill demand. Ted Jacoby III: Let’s talk this through. The longer this goes on, what are the countries that are really gonna start seeing drops in demand because their revenue is dropping. Obviously Iran, I think you gotta include Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE. Joe Maixner: Yep. Ted Jacoby III: I think China, too, because they don’t have the access to energy. And maybe some of the other major importers of Middle East oil. Now, some of it will switch, probably go [00:15:30] outta Jeddah, but I don’t think there’s a lot of oil exports leaving Jeddah. I think it’s all in the Gulf. Joe Maixner: What does it do for European product though, given the fact that this is going to cause a spike in natural gas pricing. This is gonna cause a spike in all energy pricing.  When the whole Ukraine situation escalated and Europe lost access to gas, it would cost something like $500 per metric ton just to dry the product because of [00:16:00] the increased cost of gas. That put a lot of pressure onto the skim milk concentrate, and it gave a lot of support to skim milk powder. Diego Carvallo: I think something similar is gonna happen in the coming weeks because we all heard the news about if I’m not wrong, it was Qatar that just shut down the world’s biggest LNG plant. And it takes, I believe it’s 40 days for it to be back online at full operations. It’s not a one or two day interruption. It’s a [00:16:30] substantial interruption in the energy supply at a worldwide level. Ted Jacoby III: The one big difference between when we’ve seen gas prices spike in the past, and this time is in the past, when energy prices spiked, demand in the Middle East would actually go up because they’d have more revenue and more income. They don’t this time around because it’s spiking because they can’t be the exporters and make those sales. I think that’s important to take into account. You’ve got a scenario where if this goes [00:17:00] on long enough, I think there’s some real negative effects on demand that we’ve gotta start coming to terms with, I don’t think that matters if everything opens up within the next two to four weeks. We’ll see if that happens. Mike Brown (2): Generally, this administration has responded to economic pressure. We see what’s happening in the stock market and we see what’s happening with energy costs, they’re gonna be rethinking hard on how long they want this thing to stretch out, regardless of what maybe some of our partners would like it to be. There’s gonna be some strong economic pressure internally. Even the Senate, who voted to support [00:17:30] continuing the fighting in Iran did say, we’re good for now, but we’ll revisit this if we need to.  That pressure by the day is gonna keep going up. Ted Jacoby III: I’m a hundred percent in agreement with you, Mike, and that’s why my hunch is you’re not gonna see the strait shutdown for an extended period of time. But we don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. Hey, thanks guys. That was a great discussion today. It remains to be seen how this plays out. This is something that absolutely bears watching because it clearly is going to have some effect on dairy demand. We will see. [00:18:00]

Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:1) President Trump on Monday said the US and Israel were making significant progress in their war on Iran and could end the conflict “very soon,” curtailing an oil-price surge. Trump said he didn’t believe the fighting would be over this week, but insisted the operation was ahead of schedule. The US Navy will escort tankers out of the Middle East to maintain a steady oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, he added. The effective closure of the strait, vital to the world’s flow of petroleum and to container shipping, has caused oil and natural gas prices to soar, and stoked fears of inflation. Brent crude, having climbed to almost $120 a barrel early Monday, is back down to $91.50, but is still up more than 50% this year on the US-Iran tensions. There’s as yet little sign Hormuz can be opened quickly, with Iran continuing to retaliate with drone and missile strikes across the region.2) Stocks rose and crude oil fell as President Trump signaled the Iran war may be nearing an end, helping boost sentiment after Monday’s selloff in risk assets. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 3.1%, with technology shares leading gains. European stocks were also set to advance with contracts indicating a 1.4% jump at the open. However, equity-index futures for the S&P 500 Index slipped 0.2%, indicating the recovery that started on Wall Street on Monday may be running out of steam. The rebound in sentiment for markets came as Trump said the war with Iran would be resolved “very soon.” Even so, from the UAE to Bahrain to Kuwait, several Middle Eastern countries announced missile threats, sounded sirens or intercepted drones on Tuesday. Trump said he didn’t believe the conflict would be over this week.3) Kevin Warsh will meet with senators this week as he seeks their approval to become chairman of the Federal Reserve, according to three people familiar with the plans. The customary meetings with senators before his expected hearing mark the next stage in Warsh’s quest to replace Jerome Powell as the head of the national monetary system. One of the senators on Warsh’s schedule is Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), according to two of the people. Tillis has said he likes Warsh as a potential chairman but opposes moving the nomination until the Justice Department halts its investigation of into the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion renovation of its headquarters. Tillis has warned the probe amounts to inappropriate pressure on Powell to lower interest rates. Trump formally nominated Warsh last week in hopes of replacing Powell before the incumbent’s term expires May 15. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said he expects Warsh to get a hearing, notwithstanding Tillis’s blockade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6. Guest: Malcolm Hoenlein Headline:Regional Escalation and the Targeting of Energy Infrastructure Summary: Israelexpands operations into Lebanon while Iran targets Azerbaijan's critical energy pipelines. China watches closely as its Middle Eastern oil supplies are threatened by the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. (7)1933 TEHRAN

Note from Adam - This episode was prerecorded on January 26, 2026 as noted with the conversation about the snow storm. A lot as happened in the Middle East since this recording. There are some very powerful segments like this one about the importance Benita places on bridging cultural and political differences around the table:Enjoy the episode!

The global situation is rapidly escalating as President Donald Trump unleashes unprecedented military force in response to rising tensions with Iran.In this discussion, political commentators break down several major developments shaping the conflict:• Trump's reported decision to remove Kristi Noem while giving her a “soft landing” politically• Rising oil prices and global economic impacts following the conflict• Major military milestones in the Middle East, including new deployments and advanced weapon systems• The first use of certain combat tactics and technologies in the current war• Reactions from global powers like Xi Jinping in China and Vladimir Putin in Russia• The potential impact on Taiwan Strait tensions and the Ukraine war led by Volodymyr ZelenskyySupport from several Middle Eastern countries, including Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain is also being discussed as alliances shift in real time.Is this a decisive moment in global geopolitics?Or the beginning of a much larger global conflict?Watch the full breakdown and analysis.#trumpadministration #IranWar #USMilitary #MiddleEastConflict #BreakingNews #Geopolitics #WorldNews #MilitaryStrategy #GlobalPolitics#TrumpAdministration #NewsAnalysis #InternationalRelations➡️ Join the Conversation: https://GeneValentino.com➡️ WMXI Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NewsRadio981➡️ More WMXI Interviews: https://genevalentino.com/wmxi-interviews/➡️ More GrassRoots TruthCast Episodes: https://genevalentino.com/grassroots-truthcast-with-gene-valentino/➡️ More Broadcasts with Gene as the Guest: https://genevalentino.com/america-beyond-the-noise/ ➡️ More About Gene Valentino: https://genevalentino.com/about-gene-valentino/

In this episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys shares the unbelievable true story of Eddie Haymour, a Lebanese-Canadian businessman who tried to build a Middle Eastern–themed mini theme park—complete with pyramids, mini golf, restaurants, and a giant camel—on tiny Rattlesnake Island in British Columbia. After years of obstruction, permit battles, and discriminatory treatment from provincial authorities, Eddie's life collapses: his finances are ruined, his marriage ends, his house burns down, he's confined to a psychiatric hospital, and the government seizes his island—later ruled illegal by the courts. Pushed to the brink, Eddie's next move was impossible to see coming.For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Moe & Javaid as they analyze the markets as the conflict in Iran continues to escalate. How will the markets react to a prolonged conflict in Iran? Did any sectors perform well last week? What are some of the key indicators to watch for? Listen now to get the answers to these questions and more!  Want to see the charts Moe & Javaid are discussing? Check out the Compak YouTube channel! http://www.compak.com/youtube

Thierry Wizman thinks traders still see the U.S. market as the safest place to invest, because the U.S. is a big energy producer that doesn't rely as heavily on Middle Eastern oil. However, global inflation is expected to rise, and Asian markets are being hit hard because of their reliance on that energy. “I think we're going to have to live with this” until we get clarity around the war, he says. He adds that supply shocks “tend to be nightmares for central banks.”======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:1) Iran named the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as its new supreme leader and President Trump called $100 oil a “small price to pay,” with neither side showing any sign of deescalating a war now entering its 10th day. Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, won a “decisive vote” in Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Sunday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, one of Iran’s most powerful and feared organizations, pledged full obedience to the new leader in a statement. Trump, meanwhile, said the US and Israeli military campaign against the Islamic Republic was worth any near-term pain because it would bring long-lasting benefits.2) Equities tumbled as deepening turmoil in energy markets sent oil above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022. Bond losses accelerated while the dollar hit the highes level in nearly two months. Futures for the S&P 500 fell 1.5% as the opposing sides in the US-Israeli war against Iran showed little sign of backing down after more than a week of conflict. Brent soared 15% after Middle Eastern producers cut output, stoking fears of an inflation shock that pushed the 10-year Treasury yield five basis points higher to 4.19%. Selling swept across regions and asset classes as the geopolitical flareup added fresh stress to markets that are already under pressure from AI disruptions and worries about the potential for cracks in credit markets.3) Authorities are investigating potential terrorism links to two suspects in custody over what New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said was an improvised explosive thrown near Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence, people familiar with the investigation said. While Tisch did not elaborate on the investigation, people familiar with the investigation said the suspects — identified as Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi by the commissioner — told detectives they believed the leader of an anti-Muslim protest near Mamdani’s residence had insulted their religion and described the devices as retaliation. Investigators also found the men had watched Islamic State propaganda videos before the protests, the people said. Authorities on Saturday arrested a total of six people connected to the broader unrest stemming from the anti-Muslim demonstration outside the residence near East End Avenue and East 87th Street starting at about 11 a.m. local time. Mamdani is the city’s first Muslim mayor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TRUMP'S War? (Part 1) Black Spy Podcast number 236, Season 24, Episode 0005 This week's Black Spy Podcast examines the growing malaise within the United States government during the Trump era and explores the complex web of political, ideological, and financial pressures shaping American decision-making. The programme analyses how competing interests — from domestic political survival to international alliances — have placed Donald Trump at the centre of a series of contentious power struggles. A key focus of the discussion is the strategic relationship between the United States and Israel, including the influence of both Jewish Zionist political movements and the powerful network of Christian Zionists in the United States who interpret Middle Eastern politics through an "End of Days" theological lens. The episode explores how these overlapping ideological and political agendas can influence policy priorities in Washington. The podcast also considers the broader ecosystem of influence surrounding Trump, including wealthy donors, lobbying organisations, and political patrons such as Marion Anderson, alongside the role of business figures and intermediaries operating close to the administration. Particular attention is given to the way personal networks — including Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and long-time associate Steve Witkoff — intersect with diplomacy, business interests, and geopolitical strategy. From controversies surrounding Jeffrey Epstein to questions of oil politics and campaign funding, the programme asks whether these pressures help explain the confrontational posture that has defined much of Trump's political trajectory. As usual please don't be afraid to contact the Black Spy Podcast and put any questions you might have to any of the team regarding this, or any other of our episodes. Moreover, if you want to continue learning whilst being entertained, please don't forget to subscribe to the Black Spy Podcast for free, so you'll never miss another episode. To contact Firgas Esack of the DAPS Agency go to Linked In To contact Carlton King by utilising any of the following: To donate - Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Email: carltonking2003@gmail.com Facebook: The Black Spy Podcast Facebook: Carlton King Author Twitter@Carlton_King Instagram@carltonkingauthor To read Carlton's Autobiography: "Black Ops – The incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent" Click the link below: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/BO1MTV2GDF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_WNZ5MT89T9C14CB53651 If you are interested in the Male Menopause or fear you or a loved one is suffering for unknown reasons please consider reading Dr Rachel's & Carlton's book on the how the Menopause effects men - search Amazon Books for: The Male Menopause - The Hidden Crisis (ASIN: B0G5M78PSZ)

Uncover the biblical signs pointing to the imminent return of Jesus — and why understanding prophecy is crucial for every believer right now. Are current events aligning with end-times scriptures? Find out how geopolitics, Israel, and the rise of nations like Persia (Iran) fit into God's prophetic timeline, and learn the key reasons the church won't be here for the coming war. This episode explores the fascinating connection between modern politics and biblical prophecy, from the Ezekiel War to the future Gog and Magog conflict. Discover how events in the Middle East—like Iran's actions and Israel's pivotal role—are clues that point toward prophetic fulfillment. You'll learn why the United States' absence from specific scriptures could indicate a major world shift post-Rapture, and why Christians should stay alert yet grounded in humility.Angie and Stevens break down:• The significance of Ezekiel 38 and the prophecy of Iran (Persia), Russia, and the surrounding nations attacking Israel.• How the rapture could trigger the collapse of America's influence and spark the final Middle Eastern war• The importance of Israel in biblical history and future prophecy, and why its safety is a divine priority• Why the church is unlikely to witness these events firsthand and how believers can live with hope and readiness• How to interpret current news through a biblical lens without sensationalism• If you're a Christian seeking to understand current geopolitics in light of biblical prophecy, or you're hungry for hope amid chaos, this episode is essential. It's perfect for believers eager to deepen their understanding of end-times scriptures and discern the signs of Jesus' soon return. Join us as we explore the exciting and sobering reality of prophecy fulfilled and unfolding before our eyes. Trust that, despite the chaos, God's plan is moving toward perfect fulfillment—are you paying attention? Spiritual insight, practical understanding, and a call to stay vigilant—this is your guide to navigating the end times with faith and clarity.Why this works:This episode grabs the listener with a compelling hook about current events aligning with biblical prophecy, appealing especially to Christians wanting clarity and hope. It offers specific insights on well-known scriptures and prophetic frameworks, sparking curiosity without revealing the climax. The language is urgent yet comforting, encouraging believers to stay alert and grounded. The approachable tone invites both new and seasoned believers to engage deeply with prophetic truths, maximizing engagement and shareability.Give Now: www.christalonenetwork.com/giveFeatured Ad: www.renewedmindsets.comQuestions/Suggestions: www.christalonenetwork.com/contactPrayer Request: www.christalonenetwork.com/prayerImmediate Contact: call/text 407-796-2881

1. Iran’s Regional Escalation Iran launched missiles, drones, and attacks on multiple Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan), pulling them into alignment with the U.S. and Israel. Commentary emphasizes Iran’s willingness to target anyone, showing “suicidal” or “homicidal” motives. Raises the danger of Iran possessing nuclear weapons. Discussion clarifies Trump’s position as opposing “forever wars,” not all military action. No expectation of U.S. ground troops in Iran. Military strikes are preemptive self‑defense due to Iran’s history of killing Americans. Critique of left‑wing politicians and activists who oppose U.S. involvement in Iran. Statement from Comrade Mamdani criticized as sympathetic to Iran’s regime. Contrast drawn between American leftist protesters and Iranian citizens protesting against the Ayatollah. The area may have been mined by Iran; shipping and air traffic are restricted. Mine‑sweeping operations expected before reopening. 2. DHS Leadership Shake‑Up Kristi Noem removed as DHS Secretary; replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Noem’s controversial $220M ad spending questioned in Senate Judiciary hearing—described as the catalyst for her removal. Senator John Kennedy’s cross‑examination highlighted as pivotal. Administration criticized for rhetoric after police-involved shootings in Minneapolis. Said to have contributed to Noem’s ousting. 3. Texas Election Outcomes Several candidates endorsed by the speaker (Cruz) won key primaries. Notable upset: Dan Crenshaw lost his House seat to Cruz‑backed Steve Toth. Personal conflict between Cruz and Crenshaw described, including a heated confrontation on a plane. Runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas AG Ken Paxton. Both candidates are longtime allies of the speaker; race expected to be bruising and expensive. Trump expected to endorse but hasn’t yet. 4. Democratic Challenger – James Talarico Described as an “extreme but polished” candidate. Concerns raised about his ability to appear moderate while holding left‑wing positions. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim is joined by journalists Ryan Grim and Jeremy Scahill to discuss the chaotic conflict in Iran, how Israel may have influenced US action in the region, the economic impact of a Middle Eastern war, and what the end game of this situation may look like. Live Dates:

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Chinese-made air defense systems are facing intense scrutiny after appearing to fail during the opening phase of the U.S. and Israeli strike campaign against Iran. Beijing has long marketed these systems as rivals to Western technology, but the results on the battlefield are raising serious questions about their real-world performance. Israel continues its operations against Hezbollah as Lebanon's government announces that members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operating inside the country will now face arrest and deportation. The move signals rising pressure on Tehran's network in Lebanon as the regional conflict intensifies. After years of defending against Iranian-made drones in its war with Russia, Ukraine is now sharing that battlefield knowledge with the United States and several Middle Eastern partners looking to improve defenses against Tehran's growing drone arsenal. President Trump announces a major leadership change at the Department of Homeland Security, replacing Secretary Kristi Noem with Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.  YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Sundays for Dogs: Upgrade your dog's food without the hassle—try Sundays for Dogs and get 50% off your first order at https://sundaysfordogs.com/PDB50  or use code PDB50 at checkout. Stash Financial: Don't Let your money sit around. Go to https://get.stash.com/PDB to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase and to view important disclosures. QUO: Make this the season where no opportunity slips away. Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to https://Quo.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The U.S. went to war in Iran because Iran made itself a Chinese weapon,” argues policy analyst Zineb Riboua, a research fellow at Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East.Riboua is the founder of the “China in MENA Project,” which tracks communist Chinese expansion and influence across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).Is there a bigger dimension to the Iran war that people are missing?“We have this tendency to just look at the countries involved ... but there's a big player, and the big player here is China,” she says. “China has been investing immensely in the region in the last two decades, in courting, in coordinating, in cooperating with Gulf countries, with Iran itself, and also with its proxies.”And why, I ask her, has China been so keen on gaining strategic influence over the Middle East?It's because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) understands that “China cannot rise without having the United States weakened in one of the most important regions in the world,” she said.“Iran has been that tool. China has built Iran's military arsenal. It has collaborated extensively with Iran's proxies, especially the Houthis.“And reversing that calculus is what Operation Epic Fury is doing.”In our interview, we delve deep into the symbiotic relationship between the two countries—why China needs Iran and why Iran needs China:Which role does Iran play on China's geopolitical chessboard?Why did China turn Iran into one of its strategic allies, and how did the Islamic Republic benefit?How dependent is the Iranian regime on China's military support and surveillance infrastructure?How dependent is China on Iran's oil?The goal of America's military operation, Riboua believes, is to dismantle the whole structure of the Islamic Republic. “The United States is destroying ... every single launcher, every single missile facility. Their whole Navy has been absolutely crushed. ... It's 2,000 targets so far, and they're hitting even more.”We also discuss what the Chinese regime will do if the Islamic Republic disappears.How will its geopolitical strategy be impacted? What will happen to the CCP's Belt and Road initiative, in which Iran played a central role? And how will China's economy and its relationships with its Middle Eastern and North African proxies be affected?Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

1. Major U.S.–Israel Strike on Iran President Trump ordered a large-scale coordinated U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign on Iran. Over 900 U.S. airstrikes and ~1,200 Israeli strikes occurred within the first day. The attack reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and several senior Iranian officials. The hosts emphasize that intelligence was “exquisite,” enabling targeted strikes on leadership meetings. 2. Rationale for the Attack (as described by the speakers) Iran is portrayed as: Leading state sponsor of terrorism for decades. Responsible for killing ~1,000 Americans historically. Financing Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Claims that Iran’s nuclear program was being rebuilt after earlier strikes. Trump reportedly consulted senators on Air Force One before the strike. The speakers describe Iran as militarily weakened from a previous “Twelve-Day War.” 3. Expected Global and U.S. Consequences Escalation risk is stressed, particularly: Terror attacks from Iran-backed proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis). Possible retaliation within the U.S. Middle Eastern airspace and the Strait of Hormuz were reportedly shut down amid fears of mines and missile activity. 4. Austin, Texas Mass Shooting Separate event discussed as possibly terrorism-related, though not confirmed. Shooter: 53‑year‑old naturalized U.S. citizen from Senegal. Wore clothing with “Property of Allah” and an Iranian flag underneath. Fired into a crowded bar district; killed 2 victims and was shot by police. Authorities had not yet confirmed motive at the time of reporting; investigation is ongoing. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.