Podcasts about Molotov

S11E112, 14-Hour Standoff Ends With Dead Bad Guy And No Innocent Lives Lost 14-hour standoff ends with dead bad guy and no innocent lives lost. Officer arrested for stealing $10K from a deceased man. Man shot after throwing Molotov cocktails and stabbed K-9. Cop arrested after allegedly pointing firearm at officer for microwaving fish. Woman armed with a knife fatally shot. Woman holding glass object shot dead by officers. **Six-Paragraph Summary** Bakersfield Hostage Crisis Resolution The episode opens with detailed coverage of a 14-hour hostage standoff at a Chase bank complex in Bakersfield, California, involving a bomb threat, eight hostages, and an armed suspect. Negotiators secured the release of hostages unharmed before the FBI engaged and fatally shot the suspect who refused to surrender. The hosts praise the inter-agency cooperation and patient approach as excellent training and a successful outcome with no innocent lives lost. Bad Cop Credit Card Theft Case A young Haines City police officer, Jeffrey Ziegler, was arrested by Polk County Sheriff's Office for stealing over $10,000 using credit cards belonging to a deceased man he lived with through his girlfriend. The fraud went undetected for nearly two years until family members discovered past-due notices. Sheriff Grady Judd expressed strong disapproval, noting the theft permanently ends Ziegler's law enforcement career after his immediate resignation. Grand Rapids Police Shooting of Armed Suspect Grand Rapids officers responded to a 911 call from a mother about her son threatening the family with knives and possible suicide. After prolonged negotiations, the suspect threw a Molotov cocktail at a police cruiser, attempted carjacking, and stabbed a police canine. Despite multiple less-lethal deployments, officers used lethal force when he charged with a knife, resulting in the suspect's death. The guest critiques tactical positioning and over-reliance on less-lethal options. Microwave Fish Officer Incident A Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, police detective was arrested and fired after allegedly pointing his department-issued firearm at a fellow officer who was reheating fish in the department microwave, causing an odor complaint. The felony charge involves pointing and presenting a firearm. Both hosts express disbelief at the escalation over a workplace lunch dispute. Two Female Bathroom Deadly Force Videos The show reviews two body camera incidents. In Miami-Dade, deputies responded to a woman locked in a bathroom who had cut herself; she emerged with a raised knife and was shot after a taser deployment. In Louisville, officers and firefighters responded to a suicidal woman who exited the bathroom armed with broken porcelain and charged, leading to fatal shots. Discussion focuses on mental health crises, close-quarters threats, and lethal versus less-lethal decisions. Guest Commentary and Show Close Scott Steyer provides tactical insights on the Grand Rapids incident and broader use-of-force considerations, emphasizing the need for lethal cover when less-lethal is deployed. The hosts discuss public faith in institutions, FBI reforms, and sponsor promotions before closing the episode and promoting the next live show. **SEO Keywords / Key Phrases** Bakersfield hostage standoff, FBI officer involved shooting, Haines City police officer arrested, stealing from dead man, Grand Rapids police Molotov cocktail, police canine stabbed, Miami Dade deputy shoots woman with knife, Louisville police bathroom shooting, officer points gun over microwaved fish, law enforcement talk show use of force

03:51 14-hour standoff ends with dead bad guy and no innocent lives lost11:22 Officer arrested for stealing $10K from a deceased man24:31 Man shot after throwing Molotov cocktails and stabbed K-935:42 Cop arrested after allegedly pointing firearm at officer for microwaving fish40:31 Woman armed with a knife fatally shot42:21 Woman holding glass object shot dead by officersLEO Round Table (law enforcement talk show)Season 11, Episode 112 (2,685) filmed on 06/05/20261. https://www.rvmnews.com/2026/06/explosive-device-8-hostages-14-hours-inside-the-deadly-bank-standoff-in-bakersfield-watch/2. https://www.tampafp.com/haines-city-police-officer-arrested-in-polk-county-for-stealing-over-10k-from-dead-man/3. https://rumble.com/v7atlf0-grand-rapids-police-fatally-shot-suspect-who-threw-a-molotov-cocktail-stabb.html?e9s=src_v1_upp_a4. https://abcnews.com/US/officer-arrested-after-allegedly-pointing-firearm-fellow-cop/story?id=1335283245. https://rumble.com/v789fu8-bodycam-video-shows-miami-dade-deputy-fatally-shoot-woman-armed-with-knife.html?e9s=src_v1_upp_a6. https://rumble.com/v781yay-lmpd-bodycam-shows-police-fatally-shooting-woman-holding-a-glass-object-dur.html?e9s=src_v1_upp_aShow Panelists and Personalities:Chip DeBlock (Host and retired police detective)Scott Steiert (veteran Green Beret & Delta Force)Sponsors:Galls - Proud to serve America's public safety professionalshttps://www.galls.com/leoUse 15% OFF Code: RADIO15Compliant Technologies - Cutting-edge non-lethal tools to empower and protect those who servehttps://www.complianttechnologies.net/The International Firearm Specialist Academy - The New Standard for Firearm Knowledgehttps://www.gunlearn.com/MyMedicare.live - save money in Medicare insurance options from the expertshttp://www.mymedicare.live/Related Events, Organizations and Books:Force Science Training and Conference Information:Get Ready—Early Registration for Force Science 2026 Conference​September 22 - 24, 2026 Austin Metro, TXSave $100!Use Code: earlybird26Also,Connect with Von Kliem on LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/vonkliemconsultingAsk for the discount code for 15% off online FS courses which can be found at:https://www.forcescience.com/online-courses/Retired DEA Agent Robert Mazur's works:Interview of Bryan Cranston about him playing Agent Robert Mazur in THE INFILTRATOR filmhttps://vimeo.com/channels/1021727Trailer for the new book, THE BETRAYALhttps://www.robertmazur.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Betrayal-trailer-reMix2.mp4Everything on Robert Mazurhttps://www.robertmazur.com/The Wounded Blue - Lt. Randy Sutton's charityhttps://thewoundedblue.org/Rescuing 911: The Fight For America's Safety - by Lt. Randy Sutton (Pre-Order)https://rescuing911.org/Books by panelist and retired Lt. Randy Sutton:https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Sutton/e/B001IR1MQU%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_shareThey're Lying: The Media, The Left, and The Death of George Floyd - by Liz Collin (Lt. Bob Kroll's wife)https://thelieexposed.com/Lt. Col. Dave Grossman - Books, Newsletter, Presentations, Shop, Sheepdogshttps://grossmanontruth.com/Sheriff David Clarke - Videos, Commentary, Podcast, Shop, Newsletterhttps://americassheriff.com/Content Partners:Red Voice Media - Real News, Real Reportinghttps://www.redvoicemedia.com/shows/leo/ThisIsButter - One of the BEST law enforcement video channelshttps://rumble.com/user/ThisIsButterThe Free Press - LEO Round Table is in their Cops and Crimes section 5 days a weekhttps://www.tampafp.com/https://www.tampafp.com/category/cops-and-crime/Video Show Schedule On All Outlets:http://leoroundtable.com/home/syndication/Syndicated Radio Schedule:http://leoroundtable.com/radio/syndicated-radio-stations/

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are building a $1.4 billion luxury eco-resort on a Cold War bunker island in Albania — and locals are responding with Molotov cocktails. Bridget breaks down the corruption probe, why Ivanka should not have gone on a podcast to talk about this, and why every billionaire quietly building a bunker on a remote island should maybe read the room. Also: Hunter Biden went viral on X with an AA joke, boobs are officially back, and Spencer Pratt is still in the LA mayor's race, but just barely. #IvankaTrump #HunterBiden #dumpsterfire #BridgetPhetasy Topics covered: Ivanka Trump Albania island, Jared Kushner corruption probe, Albania protests, Hunter Biden X post, Spencer Pratt LA mayor, boobs are back, Sports Illustrated swim week, California governor's race, billionaire bunkers 

Today we're talking about a pair of miscreants who have shown up once before in a previous episode, but definitely deserved to have their own as well. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow lived pretty normal lives until they met each other, at which point they mixed like the ingredients of a Molotov cocktail and boom, everything went goddamn nuts. They packed a whole lot of living into a short amount of time. Enjoy!

AP's Lisa Dwyer reports on a not guilty plea for the man who threw a Molotov cocktail at a CEO's residence.

-Carson celebrates being “retruthed” by Donald Trump, treating it like a presidential gold star, a career milestone, and possibly a sign his mom in heaven is nodding approvingly. -Doug Burns (former federal prosecutor) joins via the Newsmax hotline and dives into the legal gray zones of free speech versus incitement, explaining it as a spectrum—from harmless opinions to Molotov cocktails—and warning that the messy middle is where the real legal battles happen.  Today's podcast is sponsored by : CHAPTER - If you're turning 65 or already on Medicare, call Chapter at 27-MEDICARE for the plan that suits you best. RELIEF FACTOR - You don't need to live with aches & pains! Reduce muscle & joint inflammation and live a pain-free life by visiting http://ReliefFactor.com  GHOSTBED - I used to think a mattress was just furniture, until I got my GhostBed! GhostBed is offering my audience their lowest prices of the season, plus an extra 10% off. Go to http://GhostBed.com/CARSON and use promo code CARSON BOLL & BRANCH - Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch quality bedding. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at http://BollAndBranch.com/robcarson with code ROBCARSON. BIRCH GOLD - Protect and grow your retirement savings with gold. Text ROB to 98 98 98 for your FREE information kit! To call in and speak with Rob Carson live on the show, dial 1-800-922-6680 between the hours of 12 Noon and 3:00 pm Eastern Time Monday through Friday… Musical parodies provided by Jim Gossett (http://patreon.com/JimGossettComedy) You can now WATCH and chat with The Rob Carson Show LIVE on Newsmax's social media channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Rumble) Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at http://Newsmax.com/Listen Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at http://NewsmaxPlus.com Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : http://nws.mx/shop Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:  -Facebook: http://nws.mx/FB  -X/Twitter: http://nws.mx/twitter -Instagram: http://nws.mx/IG -YouTube: https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV -Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV -TRUTH Social: https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX -GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/newsmax -Threads: http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX  -Telegram: http://t.me/newsmax  -BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com -Parler: http://app.parler.com/newsmax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes leadership is modeled in small ways — like leaving work at 4 p.m. and meaning it. Not because the job's done — but because you're showing your team that life outside of work matters too. SUMMARY In this Long Blue Leadership podcast, Mark Michalek '99, human capital director for the FBI, shares leadership tips for more resilient teams.   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK   MARK'S TOP LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS 1. Transforming trauma into purpose Turning childhood loss and adversity into a lifelong calling in public safety, service and leadership 2. Post-traumatic growth vs. post-traumatic stress Reframing exposure to trauma as a potential catalyst for growth, resilience and deeper empathy in leaders 3. Whole-person leadership Leading people as complete humans — on duty, off duty, past and present — rather than just as job roles 4. Mental fitness as performance, not weakness Positioning counseling, wellness and psychological support as tools to optimize performance, not signs of failure 5. Modeling the behavior you want to see Leaders leaving at 4 p.m. for family, openly seeing counselors and visibly prioritizing health to give others “permission” to do the same 6. Leading in high-consequence environments Staying the “steady hand to land the plane” during crises like mass casualty events, while empowering experts on the ground 7. From doing the work to leading the work Shifting from frontline case work (violent crime agent) to enterprise-level leadership that shapes culture and systems 8. The power of networks and extended family in uniform Leveraging the Long Blue Line and law enforcement community as a lifelong support, mentorship and resilience network 9. Discipline, recovery and sustainable performance Rest, running and intentional unplugging as essential leadership disciplines — not optional extras 10. Long-view leadership and legacy Seeing careers (military, FBI) as chapters, focusing on integrity, service and excellence, and building organizations your kids would proudly join   CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 00:00:30 – Early Life and Father's Suicide 00:02:00 – Finding an Extended Family in Law Enforcement 00:03:00 – Civil Air Patrol, Flying and the Path to USAFA 00:04:15 – Cadet Years, Setbacks and First Responder Leadership 00:07:25 – Choosing Security Forces and First Leadership in Nuclear Convoys 00:09:45 – From Military to FBI: Mental Fitness and Post-Traumatic Growth 00:15:15 – Balancing Family, Leadership Loneliness and Modeling Self-Care 00:19:15 – Leading Through Crisis: Inside the Boulder Attack Response 00:27:30 – Lessons, Legacy and Advice for Future Leaders   ABOUT MARK BIO Mark Michalek is a senior leader in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, currently serving as human capital director, a role to which he was appointed by Pam Bondi, former U.S. attorney general. In this capacity, Michalek leads enterprise policy and strategy for human resources, security, internal affairs, compliance and training across the Bureau's 38,000-person global workforce. A 1999 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Michalek previously served as special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office, where he oversaw operations throughout Colorado and Wyoming. He is the highest-ranking FBI special agent who is also a military veteran.   CONNECT WITH MARK LINKEDIN   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Guest, Mark Machalek '99  |  Host, Lt. Col. (ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  00:11 Well, Mark, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. This is truly an honor, as your classmate, Class of '99. We go back, gosh, 30 years.   Mark Michalek  0:18 It is so exciting to see you again and to be here at USAFA; to have this conversation is just priceless. So thank you.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  00:27 Who knew we'd be doing this this many years?   Mark Michalek  00:28 That's right.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  00:31 Many may not know you've been in security forces as an active-duty officer, you went into the FBI, and you've really been in this public safety kind of realm. But we're going to dive in with, I think, a moment in time that really shaped you, and just in something I learned about you just recently. So you're 5 years old, and you shared with me that your dad actually, he took his life — death by suicide, right? And it shaped you in a way, when you're thinking about your role in public safety. Do you mind kind of sharing that with us?   Mark Michalek  01:00 When I was 5 years old, my dad died by suicide, and I was an only child, and he was my absolute hero. He was a local police officer, so my earliest memories of childhood were wearing his uniform and seeing the squad car and being around officers. And I think that really solidified my future in public safety.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  01:26 Your hero, something that you were exposed to. Tell me, as a 5-year-old, what did that start to look like? Where did you see that show up in, you know, in school, in your sports, like, just in the way you lived? How did, how did you navigate that?   Mark Michalek  01:40 So quickly I had an extended family. As I went to the playground and were around town, squad cars would show up,and police officers would come by and, you know, give me a pop or come in and check with me and see how I was doing and see how my mom was doing. And that really laid a foundation for me of a sense of an extended family of the police department being more than just a job in the balance of that. That sense of camaraderie and togetherness with the mission, I think, really shaped my childhood. I became very, very active. And I don't know if that was by design or divine intervention, or what, but it was kind of, you know, the object in motion stays in motion. I was on the run, literally on the run. Loved to run long distance. I quickly got into Civil Air Patrol as soon as I was old enough to do so, and got exposed to the Air Force that way. I got my private pilot's license at 17, I soloed before I got my driver's license and was destined to come to the Academy.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  02:48 Wow. I mean, you were accomplishing so much so quickly. Were you always like that was, did you see others in your life like that? Was your dad that way?   Mark Michalek  02:59 It's interesting in retrospect, to see if that was inherited or that was kind of a response to the trauma. I kind of think it was a response. I'm the only person in my family to have moved outside of Flint, Michigan. So folks were very stable and stayed where they were, but I was just constantly moving. You know. As we're talking, I remember I was the youngest Red Cross CPR instructor for the county at 15. I formed a K-9 search-and-rescue unit for police departments to train dogs to help find missing people. And I guess that was just a response to what had happened, and it really planted a seed in me that life is short, and I've had this drive to just leave it all on the field, to keep moving forward, to do more and more, to be able to, you know, focus on public safety and to protect people.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  03:54 So you showed up at USAFA. You knew — you went to Civil Air Patrol and USAFA was in your sights. I remember you as a cadet, and you're always a go-getter as well. Let's talk about a little bit your cadet years, and maybe some of where you saw that evolution of yourself as a leader, but also maybe how it showed up through, you know, go-getting and continually pushing that.   Mark Michalek  04:16 My first setback was I wasn't initially accepted. I got a Falcon Foundation scholarship. And it was really a fork-in-the-road decision — “Do you kind of take a year off and go this route and reapply, or do you go another route?” I ended up going, obviously the Falcon Foundation route. Went to Marion Military Institute, and I'm so glad I did, because it set me up to be a cadet and to be in the same class as you. You know, that cadet experience is just such a sensory overload. I wasn't an athlete. I joke that my athletics were just kind of graduating, like I just needed to focus on academics and surviving the day. But then I started to see some kind of opportunities to give back. And I kind of see these themes throughout my life. Myself and two of our classmates formed the cadet first responder team back in '97, I think. And that was really just, again, interest in public safety and a recognition that we needed some more kind of support for cadet-related activities. You know, 24/7 we've got the fire department and EMS here, but to understand the cadet experience and to be able to help out. So my sponsor was a paramedic in Colorado Springs, and a lot of ride time with him.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  05:37 That kind of worked out really well.   Mark Michalek  05:39 Again, divine intervention. And so we formed this team. We got our EMT certification on nights, and we're able to help out, and, you know, provide practical experience. If you remember that Class of 2001 was absolutely decimated during Recognition. Remember, we had to have a timeout. There was — we had to have a time to say, “Look, like, we got to, you know, we got to rein this in,” and so we were able to provide a lot of support there. But as I progressed in the Academy, you know, public safety, protecting people, continued to resonate with me, and was one of the reasons I chose behavioral science as a as a track, partly…   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  06:19 Not because you didn't love math?   Mark Michalek  06:21 Partly because I probably wouldn't have graduated.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  06:24 I was right here — social sciences too.   Mark Michalek  06:28 Yeah, you know, you got to go where you're strong, right? But I knew that regardless, we'd be working with people. And then to tie it back to my dad to understand why somebody with a family would take their own life was still something that I was struggling with, and so that really led me to a psychology track. But this drumbeat of public safety really continued to resonate with me, and it's really the main reason that I chose security forces as a career field. I mean, I was medically qualified to fly. Already had a private pilot's license.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  06:59 Right. That was actually what I was gonna ask you, because you had that.   Mark Michalek  07:03 Partly because although I have my license, I get horrifically air sick, which is a weird dynamic.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  07:11 And yet you kept pushing yourself. Amazing.   Mark Michalek  07:12 Yeah. So if I'm flying, I don't get sick, but if I'm a passenger, then I get sick. So I didn't want that as a career choice for me, but I wanted to lead people where they were. I wanted to lead on the ground in the public safety space, and so that's why I chose security forces.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  07:28 So let's talk about that a little bit. You know, as a security forces officer, you saw many things. I'm certain of it. But was there a moment when you actually had a leadership kind of moment for yourself that you grew — different from when you're a cadet — but in the moment leading some security forces, men and women, was there a moment that you grew that way?   Mark Michalek  07:49 Yeah, I think right out of the gate, because as soon as you're a second lieutenant in security forces, you are leading airmen. So my first assignment was at F.E. Warren as a nuclear weapon convoy commander — a team of 40 airmen. So there's no diffusion responsibility, there's nowhere to hide. Like, you are it. And that was the first practical application of leadership for me. Theoretically, and you know, within the Cadet Wing, you're kind of in this microcosm to test some things out and develop who you're going to be as a leader. But once you hit the ground, like, that is it. And to be able to motivate, inspire a team of people in a mission to protect nuclear weapons when there hasn't been a direct attack in our history is difficult, but now I look back as a 23-year-old lieutenant running a nuclear weapon convoy with the world's most important weapon on the open highways is an incredible responsibility. But that's really, I think, where the rubber meets the road, where you start to see what leadership looks like for you. It's not the same for everybody, right? You take bits and pieces of people and in theories and apply really what the moment requires. And in security forces, you really start to see the value of the senior noncommissioned officers, and although you have the authority, they have the reputation and the ability to deliver and so it's more art than science. And so I learned that very quick, right out of the gate.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  09:12 That makes a lot of sense. And something that you said, I think, is really important. You know that that human piece of it, when I think about the pace in which security forces and a lot of our law enforcement roles live in. My question for you might be, how did you help those handle kind of challenging moments or stress, right? You kind of go towards, “Give me more,” take on more, stay busy. Not everyone is wired the same. So did you have airmen that struggled in how they dealt with, you know, things, trauma, etc., and how did you coach or lead them through that?   Mark Michalek  09:45 Back then, there really wasn't a lot of support. There really wasn't a recognition. There was still a stigma, both in the military and law enforcement, of “I can't disclose that I'm having a problem. You're going to take my secure clearance, you know, you're going to take my weapon, I'm going to lose my job, I'm going to be embarrassed.” And so at that time, there really wasn't a safety net or an openness to discuss it, so you kind of just dealt with it. So it was more of telegraphing as a leader of what your values were, in hopes that people would kind of, you know, reach out if they needed help. In my time in the FBI, I was able to influence decisions and policies, to be able to be more accommodating, to kind of focus on the whole person and look at our individual followers as a function of performance, as opposed to, you know, you're my responsibility when you're in uniform from 9 to 5 and then you're off duty. You know, life is not my concern as a leader.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  10:47 You know there are times when you're leading folks and you might have the authority to do some things. Did you start to implement some of those programs or support resources, etc., as an agent, or when you were at a higher-level authority?   Mark Michalek  11:00 In FBI, it was at a higher level. So, you know, one of the reasons I left the Air Force after six years, it was a tough decision. And it wasn't running away from something, it was running towards something. And I recognized, you know, when we were company-grade officers, the trajectory is kind of baked in. You will continue to promote, but you will lead people. I wanted to do the work. I didn't want to just lead the people doing the work. I wanted to do the work for myself, and that was one of the reasons I joined the FBI. But going through as a case agent for 13 years on a violent crime squad and being exposed to some of the different things that my dad was exposed to, that others were exposed to, it really laid a foundation as I pursued leadership to be able to have greater influence as I moved up the organization, to set that culture towards mental fitness and resilience and really as a function of optimizing performance.   Naviere Walkewicz  11:55 Can you talk about that a little bit more? Tell me what you mean by mental fitness and resilience.   Mark Michalek  12:00 So, you know, law enforcement and military both, over the past 20 years, have made significant progress in kind of chipping away at that stigma. We're not where we need to be yet, but we're making really, really good progress. I equate our work to that of an Olympic athlete. It's not just running the race. Olympic athletes are obsessed with their craft, whether it is nutrition, sleep, mental imagery, you know, different types of runs to test different types of muscles and stamina and endurance, but they look at the whole person. So too should we in law enforcement and in the military. So as I got into leadership positions, you kind of block and tackle for your people and let them run, and you set the trajectory of your unit, your squad, your team, your division, your organization, on how they move forward. And so I really push that whole-person concept, that you are a whole person, not just your 9-to-5, but your off duty, your on duty, your past, your present, and all of that needs to be optimized for you to perform the mission. I was very fortunate at our entry level senior executive service position to be at our headquarters and be responsible for — it's called our employee health and performance section, but the clinical staff at the FBI, the psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, social workers, to be able to drive that culture and to move from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth. And I needed to experience that as an agent. I needed to be on mass casualty scenes. I needed to be engaged with victims of crime to understand what that looked like, what that felt like, to project what my dad had experienced, but to recognize as humans, we are not wired to see what we are requiring our people to see and do time and time again, and we just require them to go out, to go out, to go out — instead, to provide mental health counseling, which in the FBI, we do, not only for the employee, but for their spouse, which I think is very important, and kids, for that matter, to be able to recognize that, yeah, like, you're not super human. It's OK to not be OK. You're not going to lose your clearance and your gun. People that lose their clearance do so because they compensate in maladaptive ways, whether that's drugs or alcohol or anything like that. And so that's been rewarding to drive that culture, to push the creation of employee assistance, counselors, these are mental health practitioners, chaplains, peers, just to be able to let that culture permeate, and to be able to demonstrate from the top, I'm very open about my dad and how that has shaped my life, to be able to telegraph that, you know, post-traumatic growth is possible, and there are a variety of resources out there now. And there's science and research, and there's just a recognition that the way that we are wired, you can't just keep going 100 miles an hour. You've got to go back to being that Olympic athlete and have a rest in a work and schedule and to be able to push yourself and to relax and just think holistically.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  15:16 The term itself post-traumatic growth is one that I'm not familiar with. But when you explain it that way, it's very clear. And my question to you might be, how have you for yourself, personally — you know, you're a husband, you're a father, you know, you have seen things, and then you go home and while you do have counseling for family members and for yourselves as well, what does that look like, this post-traumatic growth, when you go home personally.   Mark Michalek  15:45 You know, it's really tough to practice what you preach. We're really good about setting a vision for an organization as leaders and taking care of other people, but not taking care of ourselves. And what really flipped the switch for me was reframing the perspective on telegraphing for others to create the permission structure that it's OK, and when they see you do that, then they know it's OK. So for example, in FBI culture, same for the military, like if the boss is in the office, you've got to stay there, or you've got to be there till 5 o'clock. That's fine if you have work to do, but what sense does it make to sit there just because you know your boss is there? So one of the things that I did as I approached senior leadership was I left every day at 4 o'clock, and I made sure they saw me leave. And it's not — I'm going out to go play golf or whatever, but I am going back to be with my family. And in all the assignments I've had — I've moved several times in the FBI — I've made it a point to be home for dinner, and that is the stability for the family, for my girls, for me, and we'll have our dinner and put the kids to bed, and I'll get back and do more work, but being able to telegraph that, you know — I was the special agent in charge of our Denver field office — and as you move into the senior ranks, it's an incredibly lonely job. When you are at the top, there's no way you can talk to you can't gripe to people below you, you know, you've got to have a strong peer network, and you've got to put on the oxygen mask first to be able to help others, and that takes consistent kind of messaging. It takes some consistent actions to be able to show we're putting our money where our mouth is, and then engaging with employee assistance counselors. I talked regularly with ours, and I wanted people to see that, yeah, it's confidential, and there's no shame in that. You would have no problem putting on your squad calendar that you're going to a dentist appointment at 10 o'clock tomorrow. We want to get to a point where that's all “I'm going to go talk to the counselor.”   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  17:49 Have you seen the benefits of that, since the agency has made some of these changes?   Mark Michalek  17:55 I have, you know, over the past 20 years, the scale, speed and scope of critical incidents is just unimaginable. It's now commonplace for mass shootings. You know, when we were here at the Air Force Academy — Columbine —   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  17:49 I was just thinking that when you brought that up.   Mark Michalek  17:55   And now it's almost every single week. The FBI is very similar to the military in that we are mission focused. You know, our job is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution and the threat spectrum has exponentially changed. We have to deliver again. There is nowhere to hide. There's no diffusion of responsibility. When I was the special agent in charge for the Denver field office, we were the FBI for Colorado and Wyoming, and whatever happened, we had to deliver. And so we're not afforded the luxury to not respond. And it takes principled decision making in the development of culture to practice and plan and prepare and create that permission structure, because you know what's going to happen, and when it happens, it hits hard, and we've got to deliver. We have to be mission focused and get the job done, but we have to take care of ourselves on the back end, and that takes purposeful decision making by leaders to carve out that time and say, “Nope, we're going to take a timeout.”   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  19:19 Well, let's talk a little bit about that actual example, but let's talk about the Boulder attack. And you know, what was your role and approach as the leader, you know, in that lonely role as a leader, but to really kind of navigate that. Can you talk about that with us?   Mark Michalek  19:37 Unfortunately, the Denver Field Office has had their fair share of critical instances to respond to. So we've got our reps in over the course of time, but that performance just doesn't happen overnight. It takes a lot of work in policy development, in exercises, in pressure testing assumptions to be able to deliver when the moment requires it. The Boulder attack happened on June 1, on a Sunday. And so many things happen at one time. You know, our society has changed where, you know, it's a 24/7, news cycle, and things are happening in real time. You no longer have the built-in delays, because you've got to get to a phone to make a call, and so this is happening, unfolding in front of you in real time, and there's so many things you're responsible for as the leader. I think when it comes to times of crisis, people want stability. They want reassurances. They want a steady hand to land the plane. And that's what my focus was on, that although I have the same emotions, anxiety, stress that is happening, we need to be the steady hand to land the plane. We focused the culture in Denver on direct community impact and supporting partners. I think there's a misperception with the FBI that we have to be the lead. And you know, when the feds come in, they take it over, and, you know, here we go. But that's not the case. We can prop up local law enforcement and to provide the forensic, technical, analytic, tactical, behavioral expertise that they may not have or may be overwhelmed due to the size of the incident. And thankfully, we have a strong relationship with the Boulder Police Department. And so the chief called me personally as he was, I could hear the siren in the background as he was rolling to the scene. So we have plans in place, just like the military when there's a crisis and you send that flare up, and you execute the crisis-management plan, and you work in real time. Everything's moving at 100 miles an hour. Being the leader in that situation, you are getting torn in multiple directions. So you have your employees responding to the scene. You have local law enforcement. You have elected leaders here in Colorado, they want to know what's happening. You have elected leaders in D.C. that want to know what's happening to the point where my phone broke. So many phone calls at once, like, it was fried. And so again, like focusing on — I've got to be the steady drumbeat. I've got to be measured here, to telegraph that we've got this, but also a trust and confidence that your people do have it and to get out of the way. They're the experts. I'll block and tackle for them and let them run, and I telegraphed that in our culture, and let them run, and they did phenomenal. And I focused on what my responsibility was on, was not on being at the scene and seeing what's going on in that, it was engaging with executive leaders to be able to understand what we have, what resources we need, and to be able to deliver now at that time. Given the context of what was happening overseas, we knew this would be an international — of international interest immediately, so it could either go very well and controlled, or it could be absolutely horrible. And so that's another layer of pressure. And when you go back to the fundamentals at the Air Force Academy, of when it matters most, that you buckle your chinstrap on the helmet, and you just get to it, and you immediately go into that mode and distance your emotions and thoughts and anxieties, and put those to the side and focus on the mission at hand. And we knew when we were giving statements in the press that it would be carried internationally, so a different layer of stress as a leader. You know, we had simultaneous operations. We had the scene — the subject had a makeshift flamethrower and threw Molotov cocktails. There was about 15 victims at the time that were transported. Luckily, he was arrested by a Boulder police officer on the scene. But we also had activity in Colorado Springs, where his house was. So generate search warrants and everything for that, and then a mobile command post to assist Boulder PD. But nowadays, you know, we're running leads all over the world, because what we don't know at the macro level is, is this a distraction? Is there another attack happening? Is this part of a pattern that we've got to figure out in very short order?   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  24:20 I'm curious, because I remember the reason why you left active duty, or you transitioned from active duty to the FBI, because you wanted to be in the things doing, the things you find yourself now in, positions where you're leading. How have you grown as a leader yourself? What have you learned about yourself in this? Not being able to be the one doing, but like you said, blocking and tackling? Like, how have you grown yourself?   Mark Michalek  24:42 So I was a violent crime agent when I first graduated from Quantico, and I did that for about 12 years, and it was all about impact for me. So I worked bank robbery and armored car robbery scenes. And I remember this. I remember these scenes as we're talking, but I — you go to a chaotic scene like that, with yellow tape and local law enforcement there, and people crying and physical evidence and blood on the ground, and people are looking for somebody to take control. And I remember walking out of my car with that gun and badge on my hip, and you could feel it. “Here comes the FBI.” OK, they've got this and to be able to turn order into chaos, or chaos into order, and create, you know, develop evidence, make a case, prosecute it, provide that sense of closure for victims. That was the juice for me, in that direct community impact. But then I started to feel the calling of leadership from the military, and I started to see that as you move up the ranks, you're able to make more and more impact with a greater group of people. And that became the juice for me. And so in the FBI, it's not as linear as the military, where you, you know, you just move up here, you can kind of go up and down or sideways. But that really motivated me to be able to give back that public safety kind of motivation in larger and larger groups of people. And often when it comes to leadership, whether you're in the military or the FBI, there's kind of this imposter syndrome of like, “Do I really have this?” But you look back and say, “Look at all the things I've been doing, look at all the experiences I've had, all the different places I've led all over the world, and it's turned out just fine. I've got this.” And to move up and up the ranks and to make decisions and lead larger and larger groups of people and learn from those decisions — that was my spark. And then at that point, I just continued down the pipeline. I'm at a point now where I'm operating and leading at the enterprise level, which is impactful, stressful, humbling and rewarding, but that special agent in charge position, that was the ideal position, because you're directly connected with the people. We've got about 500 employees between the two states, and are ingrained in the community to be able just to help more and more people.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  27:09 So you're driven a bit by adrenaline. We've talked about this. I'm curious what's next? I mean, you're at the enterprise level. Do you stay here? How do you continue to fill your sense of impact that your leading or making a difference for when you've kind of continued to really, you know, rise in that way?   Mark Michalek  27:29 At the enterprise level, it's a different perspective of leadership — you're obviously leading through several layers of leaders. So you know what you know with the company grade or the supervisory special agent level, you kind of keep the train on the tracks and keep the trains running on time. The enterprise perspective, then you're laying down enough track for that train to keep moving forward. And so it takes a little bit of a shift. I'm enjoying my time right now. It's really impactful to see the subtle things. Change culture, people reaching out when they need help, direct community impact. Where you weren't directly involved in that, but you laid a foundation for that to grow. You know, that said, like, there's only one FBI director, so there's really no other opportunities. It's just continuing to give back at this level, but whether it's military or FBI, it's, you know, the similarities are leading in high-consequence environments where the stakes are high and the margin for error is small, and I think there's opportunities for that to continue to lead in those environments outside of government as well.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  28:50 So I think about some of the things you shared about, you know, why you've made certain decisions and leading through different levels. I'm curious about how leadership has shown up in your house as a dad and as a husband, thinking about what you experience with your dad, how do you navigate that in your home life?   Mark Michalek  29:09 You know, it's interesting as you grow older and you gain experience and maturity and in a world view, and you really start to see the forest through the trees, and leadership manifests in different ways, but as you get married and have kids, then you start to appreciate what your employees are experiencing, stresses and joys as well. It forces you to be disciplined and to focus on what your priorities are. And it's tough when you're in a high-consequence environment to say, “Yep, families first — can't do that.” Well, there's a mass shooting, like, you're going to have to go. So there has to be a little bit of flexibility. But all things equal, focusing on the family is really the sunlight, you know that helps us grow, and it shifts your mind towards giving back. Like, in preparing the future generations, which just happened in the blink of an eye for us— as I'm driving in, we go past the buff where we were commissioned. I'm like, my god, 27 years have passed. So now the focus shifts on providing for the family and thinking, “What kind of world do I want my girls to live in?” And it equates to the FBI, because I want the FBI to be an organization that agents and analysts and professional support staff folks not only serve for 20 years, but that my daughters want to join, and they want to do 20 years. So a pendulum shift more towards not just delivering results for today, but continuing to grow on what the future looks like.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  30:43 Pulling that a little bit further, what do you hope that your girls see in you as a leader? You know, the way that your dad was your hero and you looked up to him? What do you what are you hoping your girls see in you the traits?   Mark Michalek  30:56 You know, it's funny. They're 9 now, so I think they could care less.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  31:01 Maybe what they don't want to see you doing.   Mark Michalek  31:02 I'm just kidding. But, you know, in the future, I want them to be able to see the value of integrity, of service and of excellence, in this recognition that life is so precious and short, and I want them to leave it all on the field. And you know when their day comes to be able to say, “You know what I did, I lived a full life. I was supported, loved…” You know, whatever it is they want to get into, it doesn't have to be law enforcement or anything like — I just want them to excel and enjoy themselves, but just recognize how phenomenal life is and how short it is, and you just got to find your spark and just go for it.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  31:50 That's amazing. And I think about your comment earlier about we're really good at helping others know what they should be doing, but maybe not the best at taking our own advice. How are you doing that and taking care of yourself today?   Mark Michalek  32:01 So for me, it's running. Everybody's got something that they need to unplug, decompress from my time, from high school through the Academy, military and now it's running. It gets a little slower as we get older.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  32:17 Note to self, do not plan to go running with Mark. Got it.   Mark Michalek  32:21 But it just — everybody needs time to unplug and take off all the masks. FBI agent, Air Force member, husband, parent, friend. You just need to take the mask off and you just need to breathe. And that's what does it for me, being outside and breathing. And one of my assignments was in our San Diego field office, which was spectacular. But being in water was another area that I really found energized me and, you know, and made me whole. But, yeah, running is what does it now. And I make it a point that no matter how busy I am, I've got to run at least once a week.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  33:05 OK, what's your distance that you're running to give yourself this time to unplug in?   Mark Michalek  33:09 Now, not fast. Now, this isn't a sprint; it's more of a marathon, but I haven't done any marathons. That's a little too much for me. I'm in the in the 5- to 8-mile range. That seems to be the sweet spot. And then here in Colorado, it's being out in nature, but in D.C., to be able to run the monuments every single time — and I've done it hundreds of times — but every time you go past those monuments, and you put your hand on the Washington Monument, or you go up to the Lincoln Memorial, and you stand where Dr. Martin Luther King stood and you see that perspective, I just get this sense of history and appreciate the decisions that were made and the consequential events that happened over time in the stability of institutions, in that you know leaders way above us stood the test of time, were resilient and were able to navigate unthinkable challenges, then so too should we, and I find a sense of, I guess, comfort or shared experience, although that's a whole different level for those level of leaders, but that really helps fuel me.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  34:17 I can actually see that. Just picture you doing that. You know, I want to ask you, what is something you're doing every day to be better at “fill in the blank,” your leadership, your craft? What's something you're doing every day?   Mark Michalek  34:32 I think it's being disciplined and focused, definitely running and being physical, but balancing the time with family and friends in work, it sometimes — it comes across as selfish. I think particularly people who are service oriented consider that selfish. But again, like they say, when you're on the plane, you've got to put on your oxygen mask first before you can help others. So that's not selfish. You're telegraphing to others to take care of themselves. When I run, I listen to presidential biographies.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  35:05 Really, I was going to ask you, what's in your ear? Now — I'm just kidding.   Mark Michalek  35:09 I don't know if it's the cadence of the — but again, to understand decisions from the past, and when you know our country was at pivotal points, how we responded, that helps fulfill me. I think, you know, becoming a student of leadership, from being a cadet to now, and finding different ways and understanding whether it's private sector, other public sector entities, how they navigate things, because it's very, very similar when it comes to, you know, motivating people, managing programs, delivering results, you know, grappling with emerging tech, new different types of threats. So I do a lot of reading in that space, to be able to be a more kind of holistic leader and not have on horse blinders, just specific to government.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  36:00 Has there been one lately that's really stuck with you, or that you've listened to while you're running, or that you read that has continued to evolve the way you're thinking — you approach leadership?   Mark Michalek  36:11 I think it's — John Dickerson has a book called The Hardest Job in the World, and it's about the presidency, and it's not one individual president, it across party lines and in decades. But it's more of those themes that when you think back, they didn't have the technology we did. But like these fundamental themes are the same of, how do you motivate people? How do you respond to the operating environment? How do you handle complex challenges? Again, like I just felt a sense of reassurance or support and understanding on things, you know, through the course of time that we may not have all the answers, but collectively, people are the potential energy of the organizations, and they're going to deliver. They're going to hit it out of the park. You just have to support them.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  36:58 Well, we have viewers and listeners that kind of span from, you know, young cadet hopefuls, cadets, you know, graduates and family members. What's something that, if you could tell yourself years ago, maybe as a cadet, that you should say you should be thinking about this now, because in 27 years from now, it's gonna matter? What would you share?   Mark Michalek  37:18 You know, I think, first of all, I wish I would have had more fun.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  37:25 I think I've seen you smile more now.   Mark Michalek  37:28 I mean, it's just such a pressure cooker, and you don't want to let anybody down, and you don't know what the future holds. And, you know, “I've got to do this, I gotta do that. I gotta…” It's just breathe a little bit and enjoy it. Like, you don't recognize you're really in a pivotal point in your life. So that, I think that's one thing. I think the other for cadets and prospective cadets to recognize is, like, the FBI, like, the military is temporary. You're going to retire, probably young. You know, you do 20 years in the way our systems are set up, in the way the world is now. Rarely are you just going to go fishing at age 40 or 50. You know, you may have a second act, you may have a third act, and so you've got to really have the long view in mind, and it's OK not to have all the answers. You know, life will throw you some curve balls here and there. You've got to do what fulfills you at the time and doors will open. But you just got to have that faith that things are going to work out.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  38:35 Did you have that, you think, back then, or you, just looking back on it now, recognize that?   Mark Michalek  38:41 I don't know. I think partially I had it then. Those Academy years are really, really tough. And like, we were chatting before, like, well, you know, once you leave, that was it. I had no intention of coming back. And it's kind of like a boomerang. Distance and time makes the heart grow fonder, and then you recognize, you know, what you've learned here and how special this place was. And I think back, I think staying busy and active is what got me through. There's nothing worse than that first holiday break in December, right when you go back to your friends and they're at local schools, and you see all the stuff they're doing, and then you've got to come back. I mean, that is such a — the comeback piece. Do you have the, you know, intestinal fortitude to come back? You know, that was really, really tough, but now I see that the Academy, you know, left an indelible mark on me and changed the trajectory of my life. And I think back, you know, like I said, I'm the only person in my family to have ever left Michigan, and what life would have been, you know… You think the Earth is flat until get out and see there's a whole big world out there and a ton of opportunities. And as I've gotten in this role, particularly as a special agent in charge in Denver, I interact more with military leaders here in Colorado and Wyoming, and start to reconnect with people and see that this Long Blue Line, it spans everything. We are everywhere across the world. But you have no idea what good stuff lies ahead if you just stay the course, and your life will be changed in fundamentally spectacular ways.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  40:29 You couldn't end it better than that. I guess I want to just ask you this final question. Is there anything we didn't talk about today that you would like to make sure you make mention of?   Mark Michalek  40:34 No, but let me give one piece of advice for future cadets and cadets. And this — I think I read this in a book before I came but this is what helped me survive. Go to bed every night at 10 o'clock. You know, there's folks that try to do the all-nighters. I didn't. Every night, I went to bed at 10 o'clock and dealt with the consequences on the back end. And I think that ability to recharge and rest served me well.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  41:00 Do you still go to bed at 10 o'clock now?   Mark Michalek  41:02 I try. Now it's more like 9 or 8:30 as I've gotten older, but I think you've got to recharge and sleep. And that's one of the things the Academy teaches you, is you are not going to get everything done. You're not going to muscle your way through this. You can try. You're going to end up tired. But this is a team sport. Life is a team sport. You've got to do the best you can and get up and do it again the next day. But you are not you're just not going to get it all done. So you got to take care of yourself.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  41:30 Well, that really does kind of bring it home. Does that this time that you've been kind of experiencing in your life through the active-duty service, through the FBI, you know, you said it yourself, you kind of look back at, you know, maybe why your dad made some decisions. Do you feel like you've gotten to a point where you've had closure now?   Mark Michalek  41:49 Yes and no. I think I've gotten to a point where I've got all the answers I can but I'm at peace with what had happened. And I just, I try to, you know, leverage the time I have with my wife and girls to be present and to be a good role model and just to be able to support them and help them thrive.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  42:12 Well, I think you've been an incredible role model. You've been an incredible friend through all these years. This conversation has been one that's been really rooted and just understanding who you are, where you're at, and then how to navigate from that place. And I think that's why you've been one of the reasons why you've been just so successful, and why you're able to lead so many people through so many different crises. So I thank you for being on Long Blue Leadership. This has been a true treat for me, but again, I know that all of our listeners and our viewers have enjoyed this as well.   Mark Michalek  42:39 Oh, thank you, Naviere, I really appreciate the opportunity.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz  42:43 As I think back on our conversation today, you know, there are several things that stand out. I think one thread that we really need to think about is taking care of ourselves and others, knowing where we're at, thinking about mental resilience and really post traumatic growth, being able to move forward and seek help when you need it. I think part of our conversation today as leaders is not everything is easy, and certainly you have a network that supports you, and so one of the ways that my classmate Mark has really highlighted to me is lean into your network, you know, utilize the resources that are there for you, and then you can not only help yourself, but you can help others as well. So it's been an incredible conversation, one that I look forward to listening to again and sharing with others as well.   KEYWORDS Public safety leadership, law enforcement leadership, military leadership, FBI leadership, crisis leadership, trauma-informed leadership, mental resilience, post-traumatic growth, whole-person leadership, high-consequence environments, leading under pressure, servant leadership, organizational culture change, resilience culture, mental fitness for first responders, leader self-care, work-life balance for leaders, empowering frontline teams, interagency collaboration, leadership in crisis response.     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation    

Silicon Valley has more power than ever, so why won't it speak up?Katie Jacobs Stanton, former Twitter executive, Obama White House alum, and founder of Moxxie Ventures, joins Eric Newcomer to talk about what's really happening inside the Valley right now. They get into why tech leaders stayed silent when ICE showed up in Minnesota, what Sam Altman's Molotov comment really exposed, and why Katie thinks the current AI cycle is building on quicksand the same way the dot-com era did. Plus: her seat on Yahoo's board, what Kara Swisher's "take your space" advice looks like in practice, why Democrats need to worry about a lot more than AI, and the one portfolio bet she's most excited about right now.Watch the full episode for an inside look at tech, politics, and where Silicon Valley goes next.

This past week, futurist and bestselling author Jamie Metzl joined Jessica Rosenthal on the FOX News Rundown to discuss the latest advancements in AI, as well as where the technology's rapid growth collides with ethics and morality. For example, just because a company can do more with fewer people, should that justify mass layoffs? Metzl gave his take on the changing job market and addressed the violent reactions from those fearful of AI—including the recent arrest of a man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The suspect was reportedly found with a manifesto detailing his anger toward the growing influence of artificial intelligence. Metzl also discussed his new book, The AI 10 Commandments, in which he makes a compelling case for a new moral compass and the urgent need for a collective ethical agreement as we advance our use of artificial intelligence. We often have to edit our weekday interviews for time, but we wanted you to hear the full conversation. Today, on FOX News Rundown: Extra, we bring you the complete, unedited interview with author and futurist Jamie Metzl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We won the Webby Award for best tech podcast of 2026!!!I'm stunned! But Kwaku doesn't like it when I say stuff like that, because as he reminds me in this “FAFO Friday” edition, “sometimes good things happen to good people.” OK, I'll take it. We won! And now I need to prepare a five word speech to give. "FAFO Fridays Are My Favorite" comes to mind...But really, who could've predicted this? And also, are all predictions bunk? Kwaku just returned from a week at “Big TED” and he reports back that the talk everyone is talking about is “Beware the power of prediction” from philosopher and AI ethicist Carissa Véliz. What do the story of Oedipus and your insurance premiums have in common? They are both driven by self-fulfilling prophecies, according to Véliz and she warns us, on stage and in her new book, that we should we wary of false prophets — and of relying on AI-driven predictions. Some predictions are useful she says, e.g. weather forecasts are great because the weather doesn't care what you predict, but others become self-fulfilling prophecies: if an AI says someone is uninsurable and then you deny them insurance then yes, they are uninsurable, but were they before you (or your algorithm) said so? It all speaks to a powerlessness many of us feel. Speaking of which… Meta just rolled out employee surveillance that tracks keystrokes, mouse clicks, and periodic screenshots — to train AI on their employees' own jobs…. Someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's house… The anti-data-center backlash is getting physical. And (sorry) here's a prediction, if people don't start feeling like they have some agency, we're going to see more of this (especially in an election year). But as Kwaku puts it, we are the fuel. AI does nothing without us, so let's reclaim our agency, because…The Future Needs a Word. That's one of the five-word speech options we consider. I'm drawn to it, but not sold on it, so please share your own suggestions…---FutureAround.com is the home for Future Around & Find Out. Go there to subscribe to the newsletter and to contribute to the show. And, as always, please tell a friend about the show. That's how podcasts grow. 

This past week, futurist and bestselling author Jamie Metzl joined Jessica Rosenthal on the FOX News Rundown to discuss the latest advancements in AI, as well as where the technology's rapid growth collides with ethics and morality. For example, just because a company can do more with fewer people, should that justify mass layoffs? Metzl gave his take on the changing job market and addressed the violent reactions from those fearful of AI—including the recent arrest of a man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The suspect was reportedly found with a manifesto detailing his anger toward the growing influence of artificial intelligence. Metzl also discussed his new book, The AI 10 Commandments, in which he makes a compelling case for a new moral compass and the urgent need for a collective ethical agreement as we advance our use of artificial intelligence. We often have to edit our weekday interviews for time, but we wanted you to hear the full conversation. Today, on FOX News Rundown: Extra, we bring you the complete, unedited interview with author and futurist Jamie Metzl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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This past week, futurist and bestselling author Jamie Metzl joined Jessica Rosenthal on the FOX News Rundown to discuss the latest advancements in AI, as well as where the technology's rapid growth collides with ethics and morality. For example, just because a company can do more with fewer people, should that justify mass layoffs? Metzl gave his take on the changing job market and addressed the violent reactions from those fearful of AI—including the recent arrest of a man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The suspect was reportedly found with a manifesto detailing his anger toward the growing influence of artificial intelligence. Metzl also discussed his new book, The AI 10 Commandments, in which he makes a compelling case for a new moral compass and the urgent need for a collective ethical agreement as we advance our use of artificial intelligence. We often have to edit our weekday interviews for time, but we wanted you to hear the full conversation. Today, on FOX News Rundown: Extra, we bring you the complete, unedited interview with author and futurist Jamie Metzl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

//The Wire//2300Z April 24, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: BUILDUP OF AMERICAN FORCES IN MIDDLE EAST REACHES RECORD LEVELS. KUWAITI BORDER CHECKPOINTS HIT BY FPV DRONES. ARREST MADE REGARDING MOLOTOV ATTACK IN LOUISIANA.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----  -International Events-Middle East: Overnight Kuwaiti forces reported two FPV drone strikes on border crossing checkpoints with Iraq. No casualties were reported as a result of the attack.Analyst Comment: The statement provided by the Kuwaiti Army did not specifically disclose which border crossings were targeted, however there are only two crossing points in total: one main crossing on the northern border, and a smaller outpost on the western border. The interesting detail in the notice is the disclosure that these attacks were conducted by fiber-optically-guided FPV drones, and both of these sites were too far away from each other for these attacks to have been conducted by the same team.-HomeFront-Louisiana: This morning one individual was arrested following the firebombing of a Tesla Service Center two weeks ago. John Michael Hinkhouse was arrested for throwing a Molotov device at the entrance to the facility, which resulted in fire damaging the front of the building. Hinkhouse was located after security cameras tracked him back to his residence after the attack.Washington D.C. - Two incidents involving city busses have taken place over the past 24 hours. Yesterday, a bus caught fire in the 9th Street Tunnel, resulting in the tunnel being shut down for many hours. The cause of the fire remains unknown. This morning, two city busses collided with each other head-on in the Pentagon's south parking lot, resulting in a total of 23x people being injured.Analyst Comment: Currently there are no indications that either incident was nefarious in any way, however it's worth paying attention to during periods of heightened terrorism risk, just in case other incidents pop up later.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Concerning strategic movement in the Middle East, American cargo flights continue unabated, along with the forward deployment of even more fighter aircraft. Last night another squadron of F/A-18's arrived at Al Dhafra Airbase in the UAE, and the USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH (CVN 77) arrived in the Indian Ocean following her long journey around Africa. Another Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB), the USS MIGUEL KIETH (ESB 5) is also projected to be approaching the operational area, after having transited the Strait of Malacca and should be arriving on station soon (though it is not clear as to if she is expected to take part in this operation).This brings a total of 3x aircraft carriers, 2x Expeditionary Sea Bases, and 1x amphibious assault ship (a total of 6 "flat tops") for whatever operations are planned. Of note, CENTCOM has provided press materials that imply that the BUSH is not replacing the LINCOLN or the damaged FORD but will serve independently as a third strike group throughout the region. This buildup has become even more substantial than the 4+ months of lead-up to this war breaking out, with even more naval assets being transferred from the Pacific to supplement the forces already in theater. As a reminder, at least one Brigade Combat Team (BCT) from the 82nd Airborne is still in the region. Considering all of these developments, the grand question remains: Does the US plan to reignite the war? This remains an unknown, and it's impossible to know what secret decisions have been made at the upper echelons of government. What is certain, is that a large-scale rearmament and resupply operation has been ongoing since the ceasefire went into effect, and enough resources are on station to conduct large scale operations if that is the chosen course of action. Not only is the war not over, but there are now vastly more resources i

Story of the Week (DR):Apple names John Ternus as CEO to replace Tim Cook, who will become chairmanApple CEO Tim Cook is stepping downMeet John Ternus, the 51-year-old former swimming champ who will succeed Tim Cook as Apple CEOTim Cook to step down as Apple CEO. In letter, describes 15 years of emailsTim Cook's exit is part of a CEO reckoning sweeping Corporate AmericaAre internal CEOs the way to go?Best Buy taps insider Jason Bonfig as new CEO, Corie Barry steps downShe's actually leaving the boardLululemon names former Nike exec Heidi O'Neill as CEO MMLululemon CEO Pick Heidi O'Neill Faces Skeptical Wall Street AND Lululemon shares dive on new CEO pick — as investors fear she may not have chops to save struggling companyO'Neill brings more than 30 years of experience in performance apparel, footwear, and sports, including over 25 years at Nike, where she was credited with transforming their women's business from a side-project into a global juggernaut. Her leadership spanned product creation, brand strategy, marketing, and global operations, making her one of the most influential executives in the company's modern era. Most recently, she served as President, Consumer, Product & Brand, overseeing Nike's global consumer and product engineGolden hello: $7M equity, $2M cashRoughly 75% of Lululemon's customers are womenLululemon board: 7 of 11 FChair Martha MorfittCommittees:Audit: 2 of 3 F, including chairNomination: 3 of 5Pay: 3 of 5 F, including chairAlso: CFO, Chief Merchandising Officer, Chief People & Culture Officer, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Chief Brand & Product Activation OfficerNow we get why Chip is so mad: Chip Wilson, Lululemon's founder, largest shareholder and chief agitator, has not weighed in on the pick yet, although he previously advocated for waiting to name a new CEO until the board could be resetBest Buy taps insider Jason Bonfig as new CEO, Corie Barry steps downBest Buy taps insider Bonfig to succeed veteran Barry as CEO amid demand slowdownOil giant BP suffers shareholder revolt over climate transparency at tense AGM“BP suffered a shareholder revolt at its AGM over the election of a new chair and resolutions that included dropping some climate disclosure obligations”BP failed to get majority shareholder approval on two highly anticipated motions, which would have permitted online-only AGMs and retired two company-specific climate disclosure obligations. Each resolution received around 47% support, far short of the required 75% required to pass.Ahead of the AGM, BP's board blocked a motion tabled by Follow This that would have required the company to share plans on creating value for shareholders under future scenarios of falling oil and gas demand.Resolution 1: Annual Report and Accounts – 98% For / 2% AgainstResolution 2: Directors' remuneration report – 95% For / 5% AgainstResolution 3: Directors' remuneration policy – 95% For / 5% AgainstResolution 4: To elect Albert Manifold as a director – 82% For / 18% AgainstSome activist investors had said even a 5% vote against Manifold, who has only been in post as chair since October, would represent a severe reprimand, particularly after a historic 24% vote against outgoing chair Helge Lund last year.Resolution 5: To elect Meg O'Neill as a director – 97% For / 3% AgainstResolution 6: To re-elect Kate Thomson as a director – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 7: To re-elect Dame Amanda Blanc as a director – 95% For / 5% AgainstResolution 8: To re-elect Tushar Morzaria as a director – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 9: To re-elect Ian Tyler as a director – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 10: To re-elect Satish Pai as a director – 92% For / 8% AgainstResolution 11: To re-elect Dr Johannes Teyssen as a director – 89% For / 11% AgainstResolution 12: To re-elect Hina Nagarajan as a director – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 13: To elect Dave Hager as a director – 97% For / 3% AgainstResolution 14: Reappointment of auditor – 100% For / 0% AgainstResolution 15: Remuneration of auditor – 100% For / 0% AgainstResolution 16: Political donations and political expenditure – 98% For / 2% AgainstResolution 17: Directors' authority to allot shares – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 18: Special resolution: Authority for disapplication of pre-emption rights – 99% For / 1% AgainstResolution 19: Special resolution: Additional authority for disapplication of pre-emption rights – 99% For / 1% AgainstResolution 20: Special resolution: Share buyback – 100% For / 0% AgainstResolution 21: Special resolution: Notice of general meetings – 94% For / 6% AgainstResolution 22: Special resolution: New Articles of Association – 47% For / 53% AgainstResolution 23: Special resolution: Revocation of previous 2015 and 2019 resolutions – 47% For / 53% AgainstResolution 24: Special resolution: ACCR shareholder resolution – 26% For / 74% AgainstNetflix authorizes $25 billion share buyback after stock dropPopulist Math Time:Employees: As of 2026, Netflix employs roughly 16,000 people. If you took that $25 billion and distributed it directly to the workforce = $1,562,500 per employeeAlternatively: They could fund a $100,000 annual salary for 250,000 new people for an entire year.Customers: Netflix has roughly 325 million subscribers globally. If they decided to use that money to subsidize the service instead of buying back stock: $77 per person.Netflix could give every subscriber on the planet roughly 4 to 5 months of service for free.Or, they could lower the price of every subscription by about $6.40 per month for a full year.Social impact:Various estimates (including from HUD) suggest that ending homelessness in the US would cost roughly $20 billion to $30 billion.It could provide a full four-year scholarship (at an average cost of $100k total) to 250,000 students.It could fund the eradication of several neglected tropical diseases or provide clean water infrastructure for tens of millions of people globally.For perspective, the entire annual budget for NASA in 2025 was around $25 billion. Netflix is essentially spending one "National Space Program" worth of cash just to tweak its stock price.Shareholders:If Netflix successfully retires that 6.4% of shares and the market maintains its current valuation, the stock price should mathematically rise by about 7% to compensate for the reduced supply.If the price jumps 7% (from $93 to roughly $99.50), here is the wealth jump:Vanguard: $2.5BBlackRock: $2.1BFidelity: $1.4BReed Hastings: $138MGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Lufthansa Cuts 20,000 Flights to Save Fuel Amid Iran War Price SurgeMM: The Onion Says It Has Again Struck a Deal to Take Over InfowarsMM: Texas Capital stays incorporated in Delaware after shareholders reject 'Dexit' voteAre investors waking up??? They rejected TEXAS CAPITAL redomestication to TEXAS!Assholiest of the Week (MM):White guy victimhood DR‘The disfavored groups, No. 1, obviously, would be white males': Ron DeSantis is still signing anti-DEI legislationWhite males are…70% of governors70% of congress60% of US corporate boards31% of US populationWhat percentage of DEI programs for companies were designed by white male CEOs? 90% of CEOs in Fortune 500 are white guys - so ALL OF THEMSo when we read: White House study says DEI policies cost US economy by promoting unqualified managers…Even if the premise and math and methodology and concepts are literally all make believe, we SHOULD take away that “white men pretending to do DEI are bad for the economy” right?Federal Job Cuts Hit Black Women Hard—a Year Later, Unemployment Is UpDonald Trump 'Honours' UGA Women's Tennis Champions With Bizarre Photo Featuring Only Men In The ForegroundThe anti DEI, white male victimhood movement should entirely OWN DEI itself - this is the great blame transfer - somehow manage to blame black women and gays for the fact that white men running the world instituted shitty policies not meant to distribute equal opportunity, just meant for press releases - anti DEI is actually anti white male leaders. Make every company CEO a black woman and then see what DEI looks likeWhite guy manifestosPalantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful' and ‘middling' and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt' to the U.S.Why are tech bros so insistent we listen to everything they think? Were you not listened to as a child? Did no one ever validate you? Is this just about sex? Could you not get laid, and now because you have money you need to get everything you ever thought off your chest?Here are snippets of what Alex Karp, man who couldn't get laid, thought so important that we know:The postwar neutering of Germany and Japan must be undone.The culture almost snickers at Musk's interest in grand narrative, as if billionaires ought to simply stay in their lane of enriching themselves . . . . Any curiosity or genuine interest in the value of what he has created is essentially dismissed, or perhaps lurks from beneath a thinly veiled scorn.The ruthless exposure of the private lives of public figures drives far too much talent away from government service.Man who exposes private lives as a business model says it's badWe, in America and more broadly the West, have for the past half century resisted defining national cultures in the name of inclusivity.All very important points from a man we should clearly listen to about everything - the lane I want you to stay in is “shut the fuck up” lane where, BECAUSE you have billions, I'm not forced to listen to you as if you matterWhite guy philanthropyJeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos Donate $34 Million in Fashion GrantsMacKenzie Scott's latest donation takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billionMacKenzie Scott has donated more than $26 billion—but it's barely made a dent in her net worth because of the power of Amazon sharesHeadliniest of the WeekDR: The blowhards:Sam Altman opens up about the Molotov cocktail attack on his home: 'The way Anthropic talks about OpenAI doesn't help'Nvidia CEO says that AI agents will make workers busier than ever—they'll ‘harass' and ‘micromanage' you, instead of take your jobMcDonald's boss on abuse claims: 'I don't want to talk about the past'Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says you won't lose your job to AI—you'll lose it to your coworker who uses it‘I think it's a mistake': Delta CEO Ed Bastian refuses to call it ‘artificial intelligence' because it scares peopleAI will boost productivity so ServiceNow won't have to backfill open jobs, CEO saysDR: The Nutter Chutter Butter Double: Morgan Stanley biotech banker Jessica Chutter joins Tectonic board AND Tectonic Therapeutic Appoints Jessica Chutter to Board of DirectorsI screwed up: blanked and thought that was two different companies. But then I did 3 seconds of research and found that she had joined a second board: PTC Therapeutics on March 24, 2026.MM: Apple's New CEO Needs to Be a ‘Cowboy' — But Can He With Tim Cook Still There?MM: SEC Imposes Strict Nine-Year Cap on Independent DirectorsPhillipinesWho Won the Week?DR: Jessica ChutterMM: The Philippines, whose corporate boards will no longer be allowed to have Edward Sylvester of WestAmerica Bancorp, born in 1938 and on the board for 47 yearsPredictionsDR: Nobody ever talks about Jason BonfigMM: Edward Sylvester steps down as Lead Independent Director of WestAmerica Bancorp to take the role of Non Executive Advisor to the Lead Independent Director Emeritus of WestAmerica Bancorp, says the rise of AI calls fresh blood on the board

In this week's mini episode, Madigan covers the mass allegations of sexual misconduct and assault against members of Congress, particularly Eric Swalwell, the Democrat from California. Then, we'll chat about the most recent Luigi copycat- a man who threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's house before going to the company's headquarters with the goal of burning it to the ground. Do you have a topic that you want the show to take on?    Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠neighborhoodfeminist@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social media:     Instagram: @angryneighborhoodfeminist Get YANF Merch! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://yanfpodcast.threadless.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ JOIN ME ON PATREON!! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/angryneighborhoodfeminist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/house-ethics-committee-eric-swalwell-investigation https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/21/house-senate-sexual-harassment-study https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/06/texas-tony-gonzales-reelection https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/tony-gonzales-affair-regina-santos-aviles-21357720.php https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/tony-gonzales-ethics-investigation-ends-22215973.php https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/eric-swalwell-sexual-assault-accusation https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/04/20/luigi-mangione-inspiring-violent-attacks-against-american-society/ https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/17/tech/anti-ai-attack-sam-altman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 23, 2026: OpenAI released GPT-5.5 today — its second major model in six weeks. But while the software accelerates, the physical infrastructure powering it is triggering gunfire at council members' homes, Molotov cocktails at tech CEOs, and a grassroots rebellion that just ousted every incumbent on a Missouri city council one week after they voted yes on a data center. We also dig into the first-ever U.S. Census Bureau data on how AI is actually being adopted across American businesses — and why the real number is very different from what McKinsey has been telling you. And we look at what happened when Sullivan and Cromwell, the law firm that advises OpenAI on safe AI deployment, filed a federal court brief riddled with AI hallucinations. 

Continuing our mini-series on post-punk, Jeremy and Tim turn their attention to the pre-history of a crucial NYC venue: The Mudd Club. Given Tim literally wrote the book on this stuff, he's well-placed to tell the story of how three Downtowners got the idea, got the premises, agreed on the name (not without its difficulties) and threw open the doors. We revisit the blending of punk and dance cultures that was emerging in the city at the time, spend a moment in another club - Hurrah - and contemplate the pitfalls of punk. Elsewhere in the episode Jeremy recounts his indie disco escapades, we hear a very early iteration of Psycho Killer, and pour one out for the mighty B52s. Plus: John Wilkes Booth, Molotov cocktails, and Elvis. Produced by Matt Huxley.Become a patron at patreon.com/LoveMessagePodhttps://www.loveisthemessagepod.co.uk/Tracklist:The Rolling Stones - Miss You The Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated Talking Heads - Psycho Killer (Live at CBGB's)Elvis - Moody Blue The Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks B52s - 52 Women 

Hour 2 of the Bob Rose Show, on a historic meeting that advanced the cold war between the US and USSR. Stalin's foreign affairs ambassador Vyacheslav Molotov met with Pres. Harry Truman days after the death of Franklin Roosevelt. Truman's tongue lashing, Molotov's reaction, and all of Thursday morning's breaking news stories for 4-23-26

Join our Patreon for extra-long episodes and ad-free content: https://www.patreon.com/techishBrand new Techish! Michael and Abadesi kick things off with the Molotov cocktail thrown at Sam Altman's house amid growing AI anxieties and ask: is it ever okay to respond to structural violence with physical violence? They also get into Emma Grede calling herself a "max three-hour mum" and what the backlash reveals about gender expectations and overparenting culture. For the Patreon folk, they're digging into Allbirds, once Silicon Valley's favourite wool sneaker brand, making millions on the stock market after pivoting to AI. Chapters00:56 Molotov Cocktail at Sam Altman's House: The AI Backlash Turns Violent14:37 Emma Grede Is a “Max 3-Hour Mom”: Overparenting And The Cult of Celebrity  32:26 Allbirds Stock Prices Soars After It Pivots From Shoes to AI [Patreon-Only]Extra Reading & ResourcesOnline response to the attack on Sam Altman's house shows a generational divide [Fortune]Video appears to show California Kimberly-Clark warehouse fire suspect starting blaze, saying: "Should have paid us more”  [CBS News]Emma Grede Defends Being a 'Three Hour Mum' On Weekends: 'I'm Trying to Be Really Honest' [Today]Allbirds is turning into an AI compute provider, because of course it is [FT]Support the showJoin our Patreon for early content, extra-long episodes and ad-free content: https://www.patreon.com/techishWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@techishpod/Advertise on Techish: https://goo.gl/forms/MY0F79gkRG6Jp8dJ2————————————————————Stay in touch with the hashtag #Techishhttps://www.instagram.com/techishpod/https://www.instagram.com/abadesi/https://www.instagram.com/michaelberhane_/ Email us at techishpod@gmail.com 

Adam and guest co-host Atif Myers discuss the arrest of R&B singer D4vd, the attempted fire bombing of Sam Altman's house, the 2028 Olympics ticketing fiasco, and so much more!Show notes: https://rebrand.ly/pwdxp11

durée : 00:03:35 - Un monde connecté - par : Olivier Tesquet - Un cocktail Molotov contre la propriété de Sam Altman, patron d'OpenAI. Derrière l'acte, un jeune "doomer" convaincu que l'IA va exterminer l'humanité. Mais attention : confondre cette radicalisation apocalyptique avec la colère des travailleurs lésés, c'est faire le jeu de la Silicon Valley.

Date: April 20, 2026 Host: KMO Guest: Kenneth E. HarrellEpisode SummaryA 20-year-old throws a Molotov cocktail at the home of Sam Altman, then heads to OpenAI headquarters and escalates. He's arrested within the hour.That's not an isolated story. It's a signal.KMO and Kenneth E. Harrell use the incident as a starting point to examine the emerging backlash against AI—where real grievances (job loss, data extraction, infrastructure strain) collide with confused narratives about existential risk.The result is a volatile mix: people reacting to something they use every day but don't understand, directed by elites who either can't or won't explain what's happening in terms that land.From there, the conversation moves outward:Intelligence as environment-mapping, not a human monopolyWhy the “stochastic parrot” critique no longer holdsAI as a tool that talks back—and why that mattersThe failure of science fiction to prepare us for this momentThe widening gap between capability and comprehensionMid-Interview Break“Cream of the Slop” by SkyebrowsA fast, layered track built around Manjaro Linux, VTuber aesthetics, and a barrage of younger online cultural references. Dense, unserious, and very much of its moment.ReferencesMaggie Vail On why “stochastic parrot” is a weak frame—and why both humans and machines are better understood as probabilistic systems.Skyebrows AI-assisted music and video built from stacked internet references and persona-driven presentation.The backlash to AI isn't about AI alone.It's what happens when a system changes faster than the stories people use to make sense of it—and faster than institutions can respond.That gap doesn't stay abstract for long.

What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER:  https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show SCALING a business: see if you qualify here.:  https://tombilyeu.com/call Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.: https://tombilyeu.com/ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Blinkist: Start your free trial at https://blinkist.com/impactQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactKetone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderQuo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactAT&T Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryMonetary Metals: Future-proof your wealth at https://monetarymetals.com/impactIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Joining Tom Bilyeu is Drew and Michael Malice, who both bring sharp insights into Trump's political playbook — exploring why he's so skilled at deciding who's "in" and who gets sent "to the wilderness," and why this time, those fractures may run deeper than ever before. Together, they unpack why Trump's escalation-first diplomacy, the same playbook that worked in New York real estate and U.S. politics, is struggling to translate on the world stage. When you publicly belittle the leaders you need on your side, you don't get compliance — you get countries making decisions against their own interests just to avoid looking weak. And while that's happening, China is playing a completely different game: quiet, steady, and increasingly looking like the rational actor the world wants to trust. From the Molotov cocktail thrown at Sam Altman's San Francisco home, to the city councilman who had 13 bullets fired into his front door after voting for a data center, to a warehouse worker who burned 1.2 million square feet of Amazon infrastructure to the ground — Tom examines what's driving the rage, why so many ordinary Americans are sympathizing with the perpetrators, and why the anger, while completely justified, is being aimed at the wrong target. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER:  https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show SCALING a business: see if you qualify here.:  https://tombilyeu.com/call Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.: https://tombilyeu.com/ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Blinkist: Start your free trial at https://blinkist.com/impactQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactKetone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderQuo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactAT&T Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryMonetary Metals: Future-proof your wealth at https://monetarymetals.com/impactIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Joining Tom Bilyeu is Drew and Michael Malice, who both bring sharp insights into Trump's political playbook — exploring why he's so skilled at deciding who's "in" and who gets sent "to the wilderness," and why this time, those fractures may run deeper than ever before. Together, they unpack why Trump's escalation-first diplomacy, the same playbook that worked in New York real estate and U.S. politics, is struggling to translate on the world stage. When you publicly belittle the leaders you need on your side, you don't get compliance — you get countries making decisions against their own interests just to avoid looking weak. And while that's happening, China is playing a completely different game: quiet, steady, and increasingly looking like the rational actor the world wants to trust. From the Molotov cocktail thrown at Sam Altman's San Francisco home, to the city councilman who had 13 bullets fired into his front door after voting for a data center, to a warehouse worker who burned 1.2 million square feet of Amazon infrastructure to the ground — Tom examines what's driving the rage, why so many ordinary Americans are sympathizing with the perpetrators, and why the anger, while completely justified, is being aimed at the wrong target. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

C'est le logiciel le plus téléchargé au monde et il est français.Jean-Baptiste Kempf préside VideoLAN, l'association qui a développé VLC, un lecteur vidéo open source plus connu sous le nom du “cône qui lit des vidéos”.Mais derrière cette icône mondiale, il y a une histoire improbable.Celle d'un projet étudiant devenu l'infrastructure invisible d'internet.Netflix, Amazon, Google, si vous regardez une vidéo en ligne aujourd'hui, c'est en partie grâce à VLC.Même la gendarmerie nationale et Interpol l'utilisent pour leurs enquêtes.En parallèle, Jean-Baptiste a monté une douzaine d'entreprises et essayé tous les formats, du bootstrap total aux subventions.En 2021, il se retrouve face à Xavier Niel et Octave Klaba pour racheter Shadow, une solution cloud gaming qui permet de jouer aux jeux vidéo en streaming.Aujourd'hui, il travaille sur Kyber.Un logiciel qui fait disparaître la distance entre l'homme et la machine pour contrôler des drones, des robots humanoïdes ou des bras chirurgicaux à l'autre bout du monde avec la latence la plus faible.Dans cet épisode, Jean-Baptiste nous ramène à l'origine de l'informatique pour comprendre :L'histoire improbable du cône orange qui a colonisé tous les ordinateurs de la planèteCe que tout le monde devrait savoir avant de parler d'IAPourquoi il a refusé des dizaines de millions pour VLC et sa vision du businessSa méthode pour analyser une entreprise en 48 heures et ce qu'il regarde en premierComment déléguer sans perdre le contrôle, et recruter rapidementUn épisode crucial pour revenir aux bases et mieux utiliser ces nouveaux outils du quotidien.Vous pouvez contacter Jean-Baptiste sur Linkedin.TIMELINE:00:00:00 : L'histoire du cône le plus connu au monde00:08:08 : Kyber, la machine qui contrôle d'autres machines00:18:13 : 42 est le meilleur âge00:27:27 : Comment récupérer n'importe quel fichier effacé00:31:06 : 10 minutes pour comprendre les bases de l'informatique00:38:33 : Apprendre par cœur ne sert plus à rien00:52:20 : « C'est normal si t'as envie de jeter ton bébé par la fenêtre »00:57:13 : L'origine de VideoLAN01:08:37 : Le seul business model qui fonctionne vraiment en open source01:19:12 : Comment la CIA a détourné le logiciel le plus téléchargé du monde01:30:18 : Il pouvait vendre VLC. Il ne l'a pas fait.01:37:59 : Sa méthode pour analyser n'importe quelle entreprise en 48 heures01:46:32 : « Xavier Niel refait mon business plan en 5 heures »02:00:11 : Le secret de JBK pour gérer plusieurs projets02:08:25 : Déléguer, c'est accepter de perdre le contrôle02:19:19 : Son astuce de recrutement pour gagner du temps02:26:32 : Le logiciel pour contrôler les robots02:35:57 : Le problème de la French Tech02:45:55 : Vaincre le syndrome de la page blanche grâce à l'IALes anciens épisodes de GDIY mentionnés : #500 - VO - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - How to master humanity's most powerful invention#500 - VF - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - Comment dompter l'invention la plus puissante de l'humanité#487 - VO - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business, and AI: Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again#487 - VF - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business et IA : rien ne sera jamais plus comme avant#480 - Octave Klaba - OVH Cloud - La guerre du Cloud commence#452 - VO - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - "We are more Homo technicus than Homo sapiens"#452 - VF - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - L'humanité 2.0 : Homo technicus plus qu'Homo sapiens#421 - Jean-Charles Samuelian - Alan - Aller jusqu'au bout de ses convictions et transformer l'essai#418 - Clément Delangue - Hugging Face - 4,5 milliards de valo avec un produit gratuit à 99%#401 - Emmanuel Macron - Président de la République - Les décisions les plus lourdes se prennent seul#397 - Yann Le Cun - Chief AI Scientist chez Meta - L'Intelligence Artificielle Générale ne viendra pas de Chat GPT#372 - Alexandre Jenny - Pixfield - L'incroyable histoire du geek de Chambéry derrière la GoPro 360#353 - Stanislas Polu - Dust - La vérité sur ce que l'IA nous réserve#260 - Jean-David Blanc - Molotov - Le surdoué de l'informatique qui a fondé AlloCiné et Molotov en anticipant les grandes évolutions des médias#238 - Clément Delangue - Hugging Face - Démocratiser le machine learning pour impacter des milliards d'individusNous avons parlé de :Le fonds Ovni CapitalFierPapa, le guide Canadien des nouveaux papaL'histoire du token ringVault 7Le vélo BabboeLe cloud gaming de ShadowHugging Face : l'autre licorne française de l'IABending Spoons, la startup italienne qui valait 3 milliards d'eurosOSS 117 : Rio ne répond plusLe logiciel open-source pour automatiser sa maisonA La French : Le podcast de Jean-Baptiste Kempf, Mehdi Medjaoui et Steeve MorinLa HaineLes recommandations de lecture :The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Buckle up, HR tech nerds, because the boys are back to save you from your own snooze-fest industry. On this episode of HR's Most Dangerous Podcast, Joel and Chad are diving headfirst into the chaotic vibes of 2026. They kick things off with a wild ride through the future—from the engineering feat of cleaning toilets on the Artemis moon missions to the "side hustle seduction" of the AI training gold rush. While platforms like Handshake and Mercor see revenues skyrocket, the big question remains: are experts actually mentoring AI, or just training their own replacements? The cynicism stays high as the duo tackles the latest drama from Silicon Valley elites, including Molotov cocktails at Sam Altman's house and Mark Zuckerberg's creepy AI twin. They dig into the "existential threat" AI poses to Gen Z, who are using the tech weekly but fear it's gutting their wages and killing their creativity. On the industry front, they break down Humanly's acquisition of Anthill, questioning if this is a masterstroke in the frontline workforce game or just a high-speed fire sale. Expect the usual blend of sharp analysis, 90s music nostalgia, and enough dad jokes to make you regret your career choices. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Current Events 03:00 - Reflections on Space Exploration and Sports 05:58 - Oasis and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 09:55 - Candidate Fraud and AI Training Market 14:58 - The Future of AI and Human Involvement 21:47 - The Future of AI and Human Interaction 24:21 - Silicon Valley's Controversial Figures 27:43 - The Impact of AI on Jobs and Society 35:10 - Generational Perspectives on AI 41:14 - Humanly's Strategic Acquisitions and Market Positioning

It may have made you laugh, but there's growing outrage today over the pilots being called out for meowing like cats from the cockpit. While it may be shocking to hear, as Les Trent reports, it's something air traffic control hears over and over again. And he's out of there. The husband whose wife went overboard and disappeared in the Bahamas is back in the US just two days after he was released by authorities. So, why isn't he staying on the island to help with the investigation? He says he needs to fly home to be with his sick mother. But as Ann Mercogliano reports, that's raising eyebrows, even though he says he will return. Plus, It was a shocking moment, a man throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of a tech CEO. Cops say the 20-year-old wanted to kill him. Now, we're learning the suspect may have been inspired by accused healthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione. Jim Moret has the details. And Robert F Kennedy Junior was in the hot seat on Capitol Hill today facing tough questions about his stance on vaccines and other health issues. This, as a new bombshell book makes claims about his personal life, including his marriage to Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines. But, as Steven Fabian tells us, his actress wife is now hitting back. We reached out to Bobby Kennedy's office for comment on the new book, but didn't hear back. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host: Heidi HatchGusts: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group & Nic Dunn, Sutherland Institute Utah Supreme Court justice faces allegations of impropriety in Prop 4 case In 2025, the Beehive Family earned $123,716 and paid $34,482 in taxes, about 28% of household income. That breaks down to nearly 2½ hours of every workday spent paying taxes UVU commencement speaker Sharon McMahon cancels Nate Blouin makes national headlines over vulgar social media history Utah legislative Democrats condemn Blouin Two businessmen accuse Utah Rep. Trevor Lee of past check fraud and abuse of power Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz says the Legislature is reviewing the allegations Signature gathering ends, Utah CD3 heads toward a convention showdown Swalwell and Gonzales resign from Congress under threat of expulsion TMZ opens a Washington, D.C., office and offers cash for tips, raising questions about whether more candidates could drop out or step down Trump posts a meme depicting himself as Jesus Provo Cougar Pride hosts event featuring a piñata resembling Sen. Mike Lee, a painting of President Donald Trump's severed head on a platter, and decorative Molotov cocktails for sale Happy Tax Day, Utah families spend nearly 2½ hours each workday paying taxes

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On today's episode of The Rizzuto Show, things get weird fast—and somehow keep getting weirder. We kick things off with some real-world chaos as St. Louis native and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman deals with some legitimately scary headlines, including a Molotov cocktail incident and a drive-by shooting situation. You know, just your average week in tech.Then we pivot into the future (or dystopia?) as Mark Zuckerberg reportedly works on a photorealistic AI version of himself. Because nothing says “approachable CEO” like replacing yourself with a robot clone that never blinks. Totally normal stuff.But the real conversation starter? AI Jesus. Yes, you can now video chat with a digital version of Jesus Christ—for $1.99 a minute. The gang dives into whether this is helpful, weird, blasphemous, or just the inevitable next step in humanity monetizing literally everything. There's debate, confusion, and at least one person questioning their lifelong attraction to long-haired men. It's a journey.From there, we get into listener emails, including one that absolutely unloads on the show for being “judgmental,” which—let's be honest—is rich coming from someone writing a full essay about it. We also tackle everyday moral dilemmas like ordering heavy cat litter from Amazon (are you a monster or just efficient?), and whether people have completely given up on dressing like functioning adults in public.And yes, we dedicate an unreasonable amount of time to roasting polo shirts. Because someone had to say it.Throw in promposal pressure, dad life struggles, hockey talk, and the usual soundboard chaos, and you've got another perfectly unhinged episode of your favorite comedy podcast. It's messy, it's sarcastic, it's occasionally insightful—but mostly it's just a bunch of people trying to make sense of a world where AI Jesus exists.If you like your comedy podcast with a side of absurdity, mild outrage, and zero chill, congratulations—you're in the right place. This comedy podcast delivers exactly what you didn't know you needed.Follow The Rizzuto Show → https://linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → https://1057thepoint.com/RizzShow.Hear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's episode of The Rizzuto Show is what happens when a comedy podcast accidentally stumbles into a full-blown sci-fi movie… except it's all real and somehow worse.We kick things off with a wild story involving St. Louis native and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman—who apparently had a Molotov cocktail thrown at his house AND was the target of a drive-by shooting just days later. Because nothing says “welcome to the future” like being hunted for inventing it. Naturally, we try to unpack what that means, while also realizing we'd last about 3 minutes in billionaire security life.Then we shift gears into something equally terrifying: Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly building a hyper-realistic AI version of himself to interact with employees. Yes, a digital Zuckerberg… trained to think, talk, and move like the real one. So if you thought meetings couldn't get worse, imagine not even knowing if your boss is human.But the real star of today's comedy podcast episode? AI Jesus. That's right—a company is charging $1.99 per minute for you to video chat with a digital version of Jesus trained on the Bible. We debate everything: Is it helpful? Is it weird? Is it the most expensive prayer hotline ever created? And more importantly… why is AI Jesus kinda hot?From deep philosophical takes to absolute nonsense, this episode is the perfect mix of daily comedy, tech confusion, and the kind of conversations that make you question everything—including why you're laughing at it.It's messy. It's ridiculous. It's your favorite comedy podcast doing what it does best: turning the weirdest news into something even weirder.Follow The Rizzuto Show → https://linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → https://1057thepoint.com/RizzShowHear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.First Alert Weather Day this Afternoon Lasting OvernightWhat Does ‘You The Birthday' Mean? TikTok's Viral Phrase, ExplainedPhysician who allegedly removed patient's WRONG ORGAN out on bondMutilated, skinned fish in Lake of the Ozarks spark concernsMusician set to play Berkeley loses $424,000 in crypto after downloading fake appLayoffs Hit Disney: 1,000 Jobs Cut as Josh D'Amaro Unveils Streamlining PushRoblox changes rules for young users as California company faces shocking claims tied to suicidal thoughts in lawsuitRoblox–Schlep controversyMan charged with attempted murder over attack on home of OpenAI's Sam AltmanMeta Is Building an AI Version of Mark Zuckerberg to Interact With EmployeesA Company Is Renting Conversations With AI Jesus for $2 A MinuteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's home and a hit list of AI CEOs. The PBD Podcast breaks down the attempted murder case, domestic terror questions and what this says about young men, mental health and the AI backlash.

Altman Attack Plot, Wayback Machine Blocked, AI at Work Tops 50%, and Starlink Uses Grok for Support Host Jim Love covers four stories: police say the 20-year-old accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's home allegedly carried a document listing AI CEOs, investors, and addresses and now faces attempted murder and federal charges; more news organizations are blocking the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine over concerns like AI training and paywall bypassing, risking loss of an independent record of how online information changes; Gallup finds AI use at work has surpassed 50% of U.S. employees, though an NBER survey reports over 80% of AI-using companies see no meaningful productivity gains; and Starlink rolls out Grok-based conversational AI for customer support, with Love testing it and finding it generally smooth despite some limitations. 00:00 Headlines And Intro 00:44 Altman Attack Details 02:48 Wayback Machine Blocked 05:01 AI Use Hits Majority 08:50 Starlink Support Goes AI 09:51 Calling The Grok Agent 12:02 Wrap Up And Sponsor

Amazon's dropping $10.8 billion on Globalstar to beef up its Leo satellite network and challenge Starlink — and Apple's along for the ride. Plus, federal charges for the Sam Altman attacker, OpenAI acqui-hires a fintech startup, Google declares war on back button hijacking, data labeling startups are printing money, and Missouri voters revolt over a data center. Amazon agrees to acquire satellite operator Globalstar for $10.8B to expand Leo satellite network; Amazon and Apple say Leo will power some iPhone and Watch services (Amazon) Amazon to Acquire Globalstar in Satellite Cellular-Connection Push (WSJ) US DOJ charges Daniel Moreno-Gama, accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's home, with attempted murder and arson (CNN) Man who attacked OpenAI CEO's home had list of other AI executives (NYT) OpenAI acquires personal finance startup Hiro Finance (TechCrunch) Google designates "back button hijacking" as malicious, sites could be demoted in Search from June 15 (9to5Google) Data labeling startup Handshake's gross annualized revenue hits ~$1B; Mercor also at $1B+ pace (The Information) Voters in Festus, Missouri oust all four incumbent council members days after council approved a $6B data center (Politico) Learn more at liquid.trade/techbrew. Disclaimer: ● Initial 3 week subscription and 4 weeks of medication from $79 plus tax and $179 per month plus tax for 12 week subscription thereafter. Final pricing depends on program selection.● Noom GLP-1Rx Program involves healthy diet, exercise and support. Individual results vary. Meds & personalization based on clinical need. Not reviewed by FDA for safety, efficacy, or quality. No affiliation with Novo Nordisk Inc., the only US source of FDA-approved semaglutide. Not available in all 50 US states● Based on an analysis of self reported data from 1,254 engaged Noom users. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, had a Molotov cocktail thrown at his home by someone who reportedly hates artificial intelligence. Greg and Holly break down the details.

EPISODE NOTES TOP STORIES U.S. orders naval blockade of Iranian ports → oil prices surge past $100/barrel Trump issues and then pauses extreme Iran ultimatum → last-minute ceasefire NATO allies hesitant to support U.S. escalation Global gas prices spike as geopolitical tension rises POLITICS / WORLD Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán loses power after 16 years → opposition victory Trump vs Pope Leo XIV feud escalates publicly Eric Swalwell abruptly resigns from Congress → no clear explanation WTF NEWS Colombia preparing to cull Escobar's “cocaine hippos” after population explosion Super Typhoon Sinlaku (175 mph winds) threatens Guam and Pacific অঞ্চল ENTERTAINMENT / CULTURE Coachella turns into celebrity cameo Olympics Britney Spears enters rehab following DUI No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont reveals Parkinson's diagnosis TECH / INTERNET “ChatGPT fatigue” hits 54% of Americans → peak AI burnout FBI investigates Molotov cocktail attack targeting OpenAI CEO INTERVIEW LØ Spirit discusses debut album Isn't Life Beautiful Topics include: mental health, identity shift from SadSongsOnly, and creative pressure Career highlights: #1 rock radio success, sold-out tour, major festival appearances SPONSOR Quince LINKShttps://instagram.com/itsnewstoushttps://tiktok.com/@itsnewstous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

China's exports grew only 2.5% in March from a year earlier, a significantly slowdown caused by the war in Iran. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up the cost of materials, and many Chinese factories saw their profits squeezed last month. Also in this edition: hundreds of Hollywood stars have come out in opposition to the acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery by Paramount. Plus, the man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI's CEO is facing attempted murder charges.

EPISODE NOTES TOP STORIES U.S. orders naval blockade of Iranian ports → oil prices surge past $100/barrel Trump issues and then pauses extreme Iran ultimatum → last-minute ceasefire NATO allies hesitant to support U.S. escalation Global gas prices spike as geopolitical tension rises POLITICS / WORLD Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán loses power after 16 years → opposition victory Trump vs Pope Leo XIV feud escalates publicly Eric Swalwell abruptly resigns from Congress → no clear explanation WTF NEWS Colombia preparing to cull Escobar's “cocaine hippos” after population explosion Super Typhoon Sinlaku (175 mph winds) threatens Guam and Pacific অঞ্চল ENTERTAINMENT / CULTURE Coachella turns into celebrity cameo Olympics Britney Spears enters rehab following DUI No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont reveals Parkinson's diagnosis TECH / INTERNET “ChatGPT fatigue” hits 54% of Americans → peak AI burnout FBI investigates Molotov cocktail attack targeting OpenAI CEO INTERVIEW LØ Spirit discusses debut album Isn't Life Beautiful Topics include: mental health, identity shift from SadSongsOnly, and creative pressure Career highlights: #1 rock radio success, sold-out tour, major festival appearances SPONSOR Quince LINKShttps://instagram.com/itsnewstoushttps://tiktok.com/@itsnewstous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sam Altman's home has been targeted twice in three days, first a Molotov cocktail, then a shooting from a passing car. Apple is testing four designs for AI smart glasses. OpenAI is touting its Amazon partnership while publicly distancing from Microsoft. GPU prices are surging as an agentic AI compute crunch threatens the whole industry. And Mark Zuckerberg is still keen on photorealistic Metaverse avatars. Sam Altman's home targeted in second attack; two suspects arrested (SF Standard) Apple AI Smart Glasses Features, Styles, Colors, Cameras; Giannandrea Leaving (Bloomberg) OpenAI touts Amazon alliance in memo, says Microsoft has 'limited our ability' to reach clients (CNBC) AI Is Using So Much Energy That Computing Firepower Is Running Out (WSJ) Meta builds AI version of Mark Zuckerberg to interact with staff (FT) Learn more at liquid.trade/techbrew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a surprising day on Wall Street and, frankly, we thought we were going to be in for a big loss. However, that was not to be. This is the Business News Headlines for Monday the 13th day of April, thank you for being with us. In other news, the President said he is willing to blockade Iranian ports so how will that work and what might be the impact?  We'll get to that for you. A federal judge has dismissed the 10 billion dollar lawsuit filed by Trump…but, there is a but.  We have news from the housing sector we'll share with you. Open AI, Sam Altman and a Molotov cocktail made the news. We'll check the numbers in The Wall Street Report and a story about the lack of restaurant dishwashers and what the industry is doing.  Let's go! Thanks for listening! The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

In April 2026, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco residence was the target of two separate violent incidents following a critical New Yorker investigation into the company's safety culture. On April 10, Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama was arrested after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home and making subsequent threats at the company's headquarters, reportedly driven by AI extinction fears. Two days later, a second incident involved gunshots fired from a vehicle near the property, resulting in the arrests of Amanda Tom and Muhamad Hussein. In a personal response, Altman acknowledged the validity of public anxiety regarding artificial intelligence while calling for a de-escalation of hostile rhetoric. Meanwhile, internal reports suggest a growing rift between the company's commercial ambitions and its original mission to prioritize humanity's safety. Together, these sources highlight an escalating tension between the rapid advancement of technology and the radicalization of those who fear its consequences.

Suspect arrested after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s home, France government plans shift from Windows to Linux, Dutch regulators approve Tesla's FSD on public roads. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE for free or get DTNS Live ad-free. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. If youContinue reading "Major Banks Start Testing Claude Mythos Internally -DTH"

“The media has its own agenda, completely separate from anything going on in the real world, creating the story themselves.” — Keith TeareLast night, somebody hurled a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's Pacific Heights mansion. I live a couple of hills over, but heard nothing. Meanwhile, the New Yorker hurled its own explosive cocktail at Sam, publishing a 15,000-word hit piece rhetorically entitled “Sam Altman May Control Our Future. Can He Be Trusted?” No, of course, he can't be trusted. Not according to the New Yorker. Especially with something as precious as, gasp, our future.Not everyone, however, is sold on this media cult of personality. In his That Was The Week editorial, Keith Teare tells the media to take their hands off Sam. I don't disagree. Although I'm a bit skeptical of Keith's attempt to demonize what he defines as a “devious” Dario Amodei. Whether it's Altman, Amodei or Google's AI honcho Demis Hassabis, all these guys are prisoners of their company's structures and cultures. They are also victims of today's anti-tech hysteria. It's one thing to blow up Silicon Valley's cartoonish cult of personality, it's quite another to hurl bombs at these people's homes. Enough with all the violence – verbal or otherwise. It never ends well. Five Takeaways•       A Molotov Cocktail at Slippery Sam's House: On Friday night, someone hurled a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's Pacific Heights mansion, according to The New York Times. Andrew lives nearby and didn't hear it. The week's zeitgeist had already turned: a 15,000-word New Yorker hit piece by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz, wall-to-wall coverage, Sam moving into Musk-like media-frenzy territory. Keith's editorial: Hands Off Sam Altman. The personality-driven circus has caught fire. Quite literally.•       Anthropic's Mythic Model Finds Decade-Old Vulnerabilities: The actual AI news this week, drowned out by the personality circus. Anthropic's new “Mythic” model autonomously discovered security holes in software that had eluded human experts for years. Dario refused to release it openly until the patches were complete. Treasury Secretary Bessent commented on the implications for banks and government. The signal: AI is becoming systematically better than the best humans at specialist domains. Generalists can probably relax.•       Slippery Sam vs Devious Dario vs Honest Hassabis: Keith's contrarian take: Altman is honest because he's openly dishonest. Amodei is the devious one — a politically liberal narrative wrapped around a commercial juggernaut. Andrew's third way is yesterday's Mallaby interview: Demis Hassabis, the Spinozan one-faced scientist who would rather be at Princeton. But even Demis must have authorised the firing of Mustafa Suleiman. Everyone has a game plan, said Mike Tyson, until they get punched in the face.•       Post of the Week: Keith Replaces WordPress in Ten Minutes: Keith's tweet: he's run two curation sites — seriouslyphotography.com and seriouslybc.com — on WordPress for over a decade. Last Friday afternoon, he asked Anthropic's tools to rewrite them. Ten minutes later, both sites were rebuilt from scratch, fully responsive, WordPress gone. Cost in the old world: tens of thousands of dollars and several months. The Matt Mullenweg vs Matthew Prince debate is settled by the actual technology while the principals are still arguing.•       The End of Ownership? Keith Goes Marxist: Pure capitalism, Keith argues, will produce so much abundance that scarcity ends and self-interested competition with it. “In the future there will be no ownership, or everything will be commonly owned.” Andrew calls it Marx with Tesla characteristics. Eric Ries's forthcoming Incorruptible argues that Patagonia and Mondragon point a different way — structural ethics rather than abundance utopianism. Two visions of the post-AI economy. Both probably wrong. We'll find out. About the GuestSebastian Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. A former Washington Post columnist and Economist contributing editor, he is the author of More Money Than God, The Man Who Knew (winner of the FT and McKinsey Business Book of the Year), The Power Law, and now The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence.References:•       The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence by Sebastian Mallaby.•       Episode 2862: Truth Is Dead — Steven Rosenbaum on AI as a spectacularly good liar. Mallaby's quiet counter-argument.•       Episode 2860: We Shape Our AI, Thereafter It Shapes Us — Keith Teare on agency in our agentic age. Hassabis thinks he can still steer.About Keen On AmericaNobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 2,800 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting.WebsiteSubstackYouTubeApple PodcastsSpotify Chapters:(00:31) - A Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's Pacific Heights house (02:41) - The New Yorker hit piece: Ronan Farrow, Andrew Marantz, 15,000 words (05:36) - Slippery Sam and the zeitgeist (07:39) - Brian Merchant: it's open season for refusing AI (08:09) - Anthropic's Mythic model finds decade-old vulnerabilities (10:46) - Why even release it? Dario's narcissism (12:12) - Slippery Sam vs Devious Dario (14:11) - Hassabis as the third way (18:29) - The Mustafa Suleiman question (19:17) - Mike Tyson, Kant, Spinoza, and Hobbes (22:09) - Brian Merchant and the new Luddism (23:34) - Anthropic makes a new generation redundant every week (23:34) - Post of the week: Keith rebuilds his sites in 10 minutes (26:39) - Eric Ries on incorruptible companies (30:12) - Patagonia, Berkeley Bowl, Mondragon (35:43) - The end of ownership? Keith goes Marxist

//The Wire//2300Z April 10, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: PROTESTS IN IRELAND CONTINUE TO GROW. AMERICAN LOGISTICAL FLIGHTS CONTINUE INTO MIDDLE EAST DURING CEASEFIRE. MARITIME TRAFFIC IN PERSIAN GULF REMAINS STAGNANT.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----  -International Events-Middle East: The ceasefire remains tenuous. Last night Kuwait reported attacks being conducted by several drones. Statements of condemnation were issued by government officials attributing the attacks to Iran, however the Iranians claim that they haven't conducted any attack. Separately, American logistical resupply efforts continue, with a notable increase in military flights moving cargo into the Middle East. Merchant traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted, with a total of 12x vessels (including local traffic) transiting the waterway since the ceasefire came into effect two days ago. This afternoon Kevin Hassett, the Director of the National Economic Council, indicated that the timeline for expecting the Strait of Hormuz to be fully opened is roughly two months.-HomeFront-Washington D.C. - Last night First Lady Melania Trump hosted a surprise press conference, in which she read a statement pertaining to the Jeffrey Epstein network. She confirmed that she had once emailed Ghislaine Maxwell, but denied that a relationship existed. She also called on Congress to act regarding the Epstein investigation, specifically via the testimony of victims against Epstein's network.California: Early this morning the residence of Sam Altman (the CEO of OpenAI) was targeted by an arsonist who threw a Molotov device at the front gate of his residence. The suspect initially fled on foot but was arrested soon after the incident. The suspect has not yet been identified.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: In Ireland, protests continue as before nationwide with most major roadways remaining shut down sporadically for a few hours each day due to protests. Whitegate Refinery remains a main focal point for protests which have become substantial in size. However, under the surface of the protests, tensions are bubbling and in Ireland no political issue is ever as simple as it seems at face value. One complicating factor which has contributed to the growing civil unrest has been statements made by Ireland's Deputy Police Commissioner Shawna Coxon, who has been the face of the police response to the demonstrations. Her statements themselves have been fairly standard by European standards, threatening all number of consequences for the protesters if they don't open up roadways. However, one delicate contention that isn't being conveyed by the media is not necessarily what is being said, but who is saying it. Coxon herself is not Irish...she's Canadian. Having built up a policing career in Toronto under Trudeau's government, she was instrumental in the now infamous crackdown on Canadian truckers years ago, who protested for different reasons but formed similar networks as the Irish are now forming. Now, she's the Deputy Police Commissioner for Operations in Ireland. Considering that a huge part of these protests is now becoming more of an Irish nationalism effort, what seems like a very small detail is actually becoming more important. A Canadian (who does not have an Irish accent) with a degree in mass surveillance wielding power over ethnic Irishmen is not being taken very well. As a result, what started as a small protest about taxes on agricultural diesel is becoming a much more widespread series of issues. Considering that as of this afternoon no progress has been made to address the concerns of demonstrators, this could lead to a much more substantial state of unrest over the next few days.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground Disclaimer: No LLMs were use

Ralph welcomes international security expert Paul Rogers to discuss the US-Israeli war on Iran. Then, Ralph speaks to constitutional law experts Bruce Fein and John Bonifaz about their upcoming impeachment symposium.Paul Rogers is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies in the Department of Peace Studies and International Relations at Bradford University, and an Honorary Fellow at the Joint Service Command and Staff College. He is open Democracy's international security correspondent.I think if you look at the war overall, then essentially of the three (I use the term as a crude term) participants, the one that is basically doing most badly is the United States, followed by Israel, followed least by Iran. Relatively speaking, the Iranians (particularly the Revolutionary Guard Corps) are closer to where they wanted to be, which is not true of the United States and certainly isn't true to a very large extent of the Israelis as well. In other words, the war is going badly. for the people who are determined to try and defeat Iran.Paul RogersPeople tend to think Iran is on its own against these huge odds. Well, it isn't. In many ways, certainly Russia and certainly China have a real interest in what is happening. But as far as China is concerned, they will not help directly. They will not, in other words, as far as we know, arm Iran without payment. They will see them as a reasonable customer. I think (more widely than we realize) as far as you get away from D.C., then I think you see the world in a rather different way, particularly across the global south it is certainly seen in a different way…And I would come back to a point which I think is a fair point made earlier—essentially, the Iranian Republican Revolutionary Guard Corps has been working towards this time for decades. And they will not be easily dislodged. It could happen eventually, but I think it's highly unlikely.Paul RogersJohn Bonifaz is a constitutional attorney and the co-founder and president of Free Speech For People. Mr. Bonifaz previously served as the executive director and general counsel of the National Voting Rights Institute, and as the legal director of Voter Action. He is the author of Warrior-King: The Case For Impeaching George W. Bush and the co-author (with Ron Fein and Ben Clements) of The Constitution Demands It: The Case For The Impeachment of Donald Trump.Threatening to execute members of Congress is unique to Trump. Kidnapping people off the streets and sending them to foreign torture prisons is unique to Trump. Freezing public funds that have been duly appropriated by the United States Congress and not distributing those funds is unique to Trump. Attacking the United States judiciary, refusing to comply with multiple court orders issued by federal courts across the country is unique to Trump. Engaging in these murders on the high seas…these paramilitary attacks on people in the Pacific and in the Caribbean is unique to Trump. Now, it's true that there have been other violations of the War Powers Clause…But the scale of the War Powers violations today is unique to Trump. And this current new, illegal, and unconstitutional war against Iran is threatening the entire world. And so I think that whether they be Democrats or Republicans or Independents, they have to wake up and recognize they have a duty here.John BonifazBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.Ralph, me and John have been trying to impeach Presidents—Democrat, Republican—for decades for these illegalities. The idea that we picked out Trump is absurd. Look at my history. Half of my life has been devoted to getting Presidents impeached and removed from office…So the idea that this is partisan, at least among us, is factually absurd.Bruce FeinI think we need to be even more candid about the nature of the crimes. This is not just illegal wars under the Constitution. He is committing the crime of aggression, the same crime that we sentence Nazis to death at Nuremberg for committing aggression against Poland, against Denmark, against Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, etc.Bruce FeinThis is what is defined as a dictator by any ordinary use of the English language. We need to get away from “authoritarian,” “Oh, he's pushing the envelope.” This is what dictators do. He stated, “I can do anything I want.” And he does it. He kills people. He deports them without due process. He spies on them. He suppresses free speech by using the government to penalize anyone who says anything that's critical, detracts from Mr. Trump. I mean, it is impossible to conceive of the framers thinking anyone like Donald Trump, given his words and his actions, would remain in office more than a fortnight if Congress was doing its duty.Bruce FeinNews 4/3/26* This week, the Trump administration backed down and allowed the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin to pass through the American blockade and deliver a shipment of 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba. The AP writes, the shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to feed Cuba's daily energy demand for nine or 10 days. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío commented on the situation, “The arrival of an oil tanker to a country has likely never generated so much news as the Russian one to Cuba…It's a sign of the brutal siege Cubans endure with heroism and stoicism. It's a demonstration of the criminal cruelty of imperialism against a nation that refuses to be dominated.” Trump's public statements on the matter however loom ominously over the island nation. On Sunday night, Trump told reporters “Cuba's finished…whether or not they get a boat of oil, it's not going to matter.”* In more news of Trump backing down, or “chickening out” as the saying goes, the Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is telling his inner circle that he is willing to end the military operation in Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he wants the U.S. to stick to its original 4-6 week timeline and focus on “hobbling Iran's navy and its missile stocks…while pressuring Tehran diplomatically.” This report adds that if this fails, Trump plans to “press allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead on reopening the strait.” This aligns with Trump's recent statements on Truth Social, telling allies like the UK to “Go get your own oil!” With all of this said, Trump has sent the USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, is weighing the deployment of another 10,000 ground troops, and is considering a “complex and risky mission to seize the regime's uranium,” all while calling the war an “excursion” and “a lovely stay.”* Meanwhile, 25 Senate Democrats have signed a letter by Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia requesting that Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican Chairman of the Armed Services Committee launch a bipartisan probe – complete with hearings and a report – into the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School for girls in Minab, Iran at the beginning of the war. This letter notes that the majority of those killed were girls between ages seven and 12. Moreover, this letter implies that the Pentagon chose this target based on wildly outdated intelligence, raising grave questions about the competence of the military apparatus. While several high-ranking Democrats signed this letter, including Dick Durbin and Cory Booker, along with progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's name is nowhere to be found.* Elsewhere in the region, the Israeli Knesset has passed a new law effectively proscribing the death penalty exclusively to Palestinians. Human Rights Watch states “the bill imposes the death penalty for the deliberate killing of a person with the intention of negating the existence of the State of Israel.'” HRW adds that the new law “mandates execution by hanging, restricts access to legal counsel and visits from family members, limits external oversight, and grants immunity to those involved in carrying out executions.” In a piece calling for the immediate repeal of this law, Erika Guevara-Rosas of Amnesty International writes “By authorizing military courts, which have a conviction rate of over 99% for Palestinian defendants and which are notorious for disregarding due process and fair trial safeguards, to impose effectively mandatory death sentences and ordering the execution within just 90 days of the final ruling, Israel is brazenly granting itself carte blanche to execute Palestinians while stripping away the most basic fair-trial safeguards.” In an interview with CNN, Mustafa Barghouti said this law “confirms very serious fascist tendencies in Israel” and “consolidates further the system of apartheid.”* Anti-Palestinian extremism continues to grow within the United States as well. Al Jazeera reports that last week, domestic law enforcement “foiled a plot against prominent Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani in New York City.” Kiswani is the founder of Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Palestine and anti-Zionist group active in the City. The suspect, apprehended by the FBI in an undercover operation, has been identified as a New Jersey man named Andrew Heifler, a young man affiliated with an offshoot of the far-right Jewish Defense League (JDL), described as an extremist group with a history of violent attacks targeting Arab American activists during the 1970s and 1980s. Heifler was reportedly planning to target Kiswani's home with Molotov cocktails. Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the plot, saying “We will not tolerate violent extremism in our city. No one should face violence for their political beliefs or their advocacy…Our city must meet hate with solidarity, and meet fear with an unshakable commitment to justice and to one another.” Kiswani vowed that she “will not stop speaking up for the people of Palestine.”* Also in New York, Congresswoman and possible 2028 presidential candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a private meeting with the powerful local branch of the Democratic Socialists of America. During this meeting AOC was asked whether she would support the imposition of an arms embargo on Israel. According to City and State NY, AOC affirmed that she would and stated that “The Israeli government should be able to finance their own weapons if they seek to arm themselves.” Pressed on whether she would vote against so-called defensive capabilities – namely the Iron Dome – Rep. Ocasio-Cortez definitively answered “yes.” This marks an evolution of her position; AOC previously voted “present” on a bill to provide $1 billion in funding for the Iron Dome in 2021. Many read this as an acknowledgment from AOC that the politics of this issue have shifted, particularly on the Left, and in order to shore up her progressive support she needs to stake out a bold position now.* Turning to the international progressive movement, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has led Spain in a Leftward direction since 2018 despite the rise of the European Right is convening a summit of progressive forces in Barcelona slated for April 17th and 18th. Sánchez, who has chaired the Socialist International since 2022, emphasized that the Right has “for years woven a network of alliances to propagate their national populist discourses adapted to each country,” and stressed that the Left must do the same to remain politically viable, per El País. Notable attendees include Brazilian President Lula, outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. There have been many attempts to unite the international Left, with mixed results, but it is never too late to try.* In our final story on the international Left, the New Democratic Party of Canada – the country's third largest and most progressive major party – has selected former journalist and activist Avi Lewis as their new leader, the BBC reports. This story notes that Lewis' elevation comes in the context of the NDP suffering a steep decline in recent years, going from the main opposition party in 2011, to holding just six seats in Canada's House of Commons today. Lewis – grandson of one of the party's founding members and son of Stephen Lewis, who led the Ontario NDP and served as the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations – ran on a platform designed to revive the struggling party by “prioritising worker rights in the age of artificial intelligence, ending new oil and gas pipelines and projects, and exploring state-owned, non-profit grocery stores.” Despite his illustrious lineage, Lewis holds no seat in parliament and therefore cannot participate in official debates. The NDP faces an uphill climb not only back to power but even to relevance. According to this story, “a quarter of past voters…see the party as ‘irrelevant'...and 40% say its best days are behind it.”* In Los Angeles, a shocking new poll shows City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who entered the race at the last possible moment, in a commanding lead. In this poll, Raman drew 33% support, with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass trailing at 17%, statistically tied with another insurgent progressive candidate, Rae Huang. Other candidates – tech executive Adam Miller and former reality television personality and registered Republican Spencer Pratt – round out the field with 13% and 12% respectively. This poll appears to be an outlier. Other recent polls have shown Bass at 20% to Raman's 9%, and Bass at 25% with Raman at 17%. But, if this poll is accurate, it would be a stunning testament to the success of Raman's campaign thus far and a massive warning signal to Bass. If the Mayor slips any further, she could find herself locked out of the general election by Los Angeles' top-two “jungle primary” structure. This from the LA Times.* Finally, we turn to the world of professional sports. This week, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced the Home Team Act, which, if passed, would require the owners of major league sports teams to allow local communities the option to buy a team before unilaterally relocating across state lines or to a different metro area. This announcement sent ripples through the sports world, with many fans excited by the prospect of keeping their home teams at home. ABC7 Chicago notes that “Sanders specifically mentioned the Bears' threat to leave Chicago,” while the San Diego Union-Tribune believes this bill could keep the Padres in San Diego despite multiple offers to sell. San Diego has been particularly sensitive to this threat since the Chargers left for LA in 2017. In the press conference announcing this bill, Bernie unsubtly displayed the jerseys of the Brooklyn Dodgers, his hometown team, which famously relocated to Los Angeles ahead of the 1958 baseball season.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

Episode SummaryIn this episode of Million Dollar Flip Flops, Rodric sits down with entrepreneur, speaker, and thought leadership expert Nicky Billou for a powerful conversation about freedom, faith, entrepreneurship, and what it really means to serve people through business.Nicky shares the incredible story of escaping Iran as a boy during the Islamic Revolution, how his family fled tyranny for freedom, and the life-changing example set by his father—a man who believed business was never about money first, but always about people.From there, the conversation dives into entrepreneurship, podcast guesting, relationship-driven business growth, and why the best opportunities still come from genuine human connection—not from hiding behind social media or waiting for algorithms to save you.This is a high-energy, deeply personal conversation about courage, conviction, and building a business that actually stands for something.In This Episode, You'll LearnNicky's story of fleeing Iran during the Islamic Revolution and starting over in the WestWhy freedom matters so deeply to entrepreneurs and what happens when it disappearsThe life-changing lessons Nicky learned from his father about generosity, service, and people-first businessWhy great business is built on solving problems for people—not chasing moneyHow podcast guesting can create real relationships, real trust, and real revenueWhy human connection still beats hiding behind social media and automationThe importance of belief—both in yourself and in the people you serveWhy authenticity and courage in business matter more now than everHighlights & Timestamps[00:00] Freedom, tyranny, and why entrepreneurship matters Nicky opens with a passionate reflection on freedom, entrepreneurship, and why free enterprise is impossible without liberty.[01:00] Escaping Iran during the Islamic Revolution Nicky shares the dramatic story of growing up in Iran during the revolution, including the moment a Molotov cocktail crashed through his family's window.[03:00] From Iran to Greece to Canada After years of uncertainty and waiting, Nicky's family finally immigrates to Canada, leaving behind tyranny for a chance at freedom.[04:00] The incredible example set by Nicky's father Nicky tells moving stories about his father's generosity, faith, and unwavering belief that life—and business—are about people, not money.[06:00] Why business is about solving problems for people A core lesson from Nicky's father: help people first, solve real problems, and profit will follow.[07:00] Who Nicky helps today Nicky explains how he now works with entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants to help them overcome self-doubt, clarify their message, and grow authority-based businesses.[09:00] Building a thought leader brand and using podcast guesting to grow Nicky shares how podcast guesting has become one of his most powerful business growth tools—and why he's become known for helping people monetize it.[11:00] Why relationships beat “hope marketing” every time Instead of hoping strangers click a link, Nicky explains why the real ROI comes from genuine relationships with hosts, audiences, and collaborators.[14:00] Business cruises, high-level conversations, and unexpected opportunity Nicky shares a real-world story of speaking on a business cruise and walking away with deep connections and tens of thousands of dollars in closed business.[18:00] What Rodric is teaching both kids and entrepreneurs Rodric reflects on teaching sixth and seventh graders the same lesson he teaches grown business owners: get out from behind the screen and go talk to real people.[20:00] The question for the next guest Nicky asks the next guest what the last physical book they read was, why they read it, and what they got from it.[21:00] The last movie that changed Nicky's perspective on business Nicky talks about watching Magnum Force and how it reinforced a powerful lesson about authenticity, courage, and speaking up for what matters.[24:00] Why Nicky refuses to stay silent Nicky shares why he chose to speak openly about freedom, Iran, and what he believes—even if it could cost him business.[25:00] Where to find Nicky Nicky shares where listeners can connect with him online and book a conversation.Notable Quotes“Entrepreneurs… freedom means more to them than anything.” – Nicky Billou“Life's about people, not about money. Even business is about people, not about money.” – Nicky Billou“All business is, is you solve problems for people and then you get to make a profit.” – Nicky Billou“Everybody goes through life and their self-belief wobbles at one time or another… your job is to see their greatness.” – Nicky Billou“Coming on podcasts is a chance to make a friend.” – Nicky Billou“Don't hope. Be a good person. Build a relationship with the audience, build a relationship with the host.” – Nicky BillouConnect with Nicky Billou

This is the noon All Local for Thursday, March 19, 2026

In a system that protects criminals while punishing the innocent, Joe's out, Patrick and Tommy expose the raw double standard tearing America apart. A Vegas judge threatens contempt charges against police for refusing to release a convicted felon with 35 arrests including drug and involuntary manslaughter while Democrats in New York, Virginia, and beyond release illegal aliens caught with Molotov cocktails and exempt themselves from the gun laws they force on everyone else. This isn't justice, it's a deliberate war on regular Americans.We cover the escalating betrayal: Zohran Mamdani's push to slash New York's estate tax exemption to $750,000, potentially seizing 50% value of family homes, while blue-state policies punish success and reward invasion. From Minnesota Democrats voting to fund rent for criminal illegals to Pennsylvania councilmen ranting about arresting ICE agents, the elite are openly declaring war on citizens using your tax dollars to fund chaos and crush dissent.Today, Patrick hosts with special guest Tommy as they break down the fightback. A Maine father suing his school for banning the National Anthem, a Pennsylvania bus driver quitting over a MAGA hat ban, and the relentless indoctrination in public schools. This episode is a no-apologies gut punch, elections stolen, rights eroded, criminals empowered, and patriots under attack. The rot is deep, but the resistance is growing. Tune in now, get angry, and get ready to fight back. You won't walk away the same.

Last time we spoke about the end of the battle of khalkin gol. In the summer of 1939, the Nomonhan Incident escalated into a major border conflict between Soviet-Mongolian forces and Japan's Kwantung Army along the Halha River. Despite Japanese successes in July, Zhukov launched a decisive offensive on August 20. Under cover of darkness, Soviet troops crossed the river, unleashing over 200 bombers and intense artillery barrages that devastated Japanese positions. Zhukov's northern, central, and southern forces encircled General Komatsubara's 23rd Division, supported by Manchukuoan units. Fierce fighting ensued: the southern flank collapsed under Colonel Potapov's armor, while the northern Fui Heights held briefly before falling to relentless assaults, including flame-throwing tanks. Failed Japanese counterattacks on August 24 resulted in heavy losses, with regiments shattered by superior Soviet firepower and tactics. By August 25, encircled pockets were systematically eliminated, leading to the annihilation of the Japanese 6th Army. The defeat, coinciding with the Hitler-Stalin Pact, forced Japan to negotiate a ceasefire on September 15-16, redrawing borders. Zhukov's victory exposed Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare, influencing future strategies and deterring further northern expansion.   #192 The Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Despite the fact this technically will go into future events, I thought it was important we talk about a key moment in Sino history. Even though the battle of changkufeng and khalkin gol were not part of the second sino-Japanese war, their outcomes certainly would affect it.  Policymaking by the Soviet Union alone was not the primary factor in ending Moscow's diplomatic isolation in the late 1930s. After the Munich Conference signaled the failure of the popular front/united front approach, Neville Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, and Poland's Józef Beck unintentionally strengthened Joseph Stalin's position in early 1939. Once the strategic cards were in his hands, Stalin capitalized on them. His handling of negotiations with Britain and France, as well as with Germany, from April to August was deft and effective. The spring and summer negotiations among the European powers are well documented and have been examined from many angles. In May 1939, while Stalin seemed to have the upper hand in Europe, yet before Hitler had signaled that a German–Soviet agreement might be possible, the Nomonhan incident erupted, a conflict initiated and escalated by the Kwantung Army. For a few months, the prospect of a Soviet–Japanese war revived concerns in Moscow about a two-front conflict. Reviewing Soviet talks with Britain, France, and Germany in the spring and summer of 1939 from an East Asian perspective sheds fresh light on the events that led to the German–Soviet Nonaggression Pact and, more broadly, to the outbreak of World War II. The second week of May marked the start of fighting at Nomonhan, during which negotiations between Germany and the USSR barely advanced beyond mutual scrutiny. Moscow signaled that an understanding with Nazi Germany might be possible. Notably, on May 4, the removal of Maksim Litvinov as foreign commissar and his replacement by Vyacheslav Molotov suggested a shift in approach. Litvinov, an urbane diplomat of Jewish origin and married to an Englishwoman, had been the leading Soviet proponent of the united-front policy and a steadfast critic of Nazi Germany. If a settlement with Hitler was sought, Litvinov was an unsuitable figure to lead the effort. Molotov, though with limited international experience, carried weight as chairman of the Council of Ministers and, more importantly, as one of Stalin's closest lieutenants. This personnel change seemed to accomplish its aim in Berlin, where the press was instructed on May 5 to halt polemical attacks on the Soviet Union and Bolshevism. On the same day, Karl Schnurre, head of the German Foreign Ministry's East European trade section, told Soviet chargé d'affaires Georgi Astakhov that Skoda, the German-controlled Czech arms manufacturer, would honor existing arms contracts with Russia. Astakhov asked whether, with Litvinov's departure, Germany might resume negotiations for a trade treaty Berlin had halted months earlier. By May 17, during discussions with Schnurre, Astakhov asserted that "there were no conflicts in foreign policy between Germany and the Soviet Union and that there was no reason for enmity between the two countries," and that Britain and France's negotiations appeared unpromising. The next day, Ribbentrop personally instructed Schulenburg to green-light trade talks. Molotov, however, insisted that a "political basis" for economic negotiations had to be established first. Suspicion remained high on both sides. Stalin feared Berlin might use reports of German–Soviet talks to destabilize a potential triple alliance with Britain and France; Hitler feared Stalin might use such reports to entice Tokyo away from an anti-German pact. The attempt to form a tripartite military alliance among Germany, Italy, and Japan foundered over divergent aims: Berlin targeted Britain and France; Tokyo aimed at the Soviet Union. Yet talks persisted through August 1939, with Japanese efforts to draw Germany into an anti-Soviet alignment continually reported to Moscow by Richard Sorge. Hitler and Mussolini, frustrated by Japanese objections, first concluded the bilateral Pact of Steel on May 22. The next day, Hitler, addressing his generals, stressed the inevitability of war with Poland and warned that opposition from Britain would be crushed militarily. He then hinted that Russia might "prove disinterested in the destruction of Poland," suggesting closer ties with Japan if Moscow opposed Germany. The exchange was quickly leaked to the press. Five days later, the first pitched battle of the Nomonhan campaign began. Although Hitler's timing with the Yamagata detachment's foray was coincidental, Moscow may have found the coincidence ominous. Despite the inducement of Molotov's call for a political basis before economic talks, Hitler and Ribbentrop did not immediately respond. On June 14, Astakhov signaled to Parvan Draganov, Bulgaria's ambassador in Berlin, that the USSR faced three options: ally with Britain and France, continue inconclusive talks with them, or align with Germany, the latter being closest to Soviet desires. Draganov relayed to the German Foreign Ministry that Moscow preferred a non-aggression agreement if Germany would pledge not to attack the Soviet Union. Two days later, Schulenburg told Astakhov that Germany recognized the link between economic and political relations and was prepared for far-reaching talks, a view echoed by Ribbentrop. The situation remained tangled: the Soviets pursued overt talks with Britain and France, while Stalin sought to maximize Soviet leverage. Chamberlain's stance toward Moscow remained wary but recognized a "psychological value" to an Anglo–Soviet rapprochement, tempered by his insistence on a hard bargain. American ambassador William C. Bullitt urged London to avoid the appearance of pursuing the Soviets, a view that resonated with Chamberlain's own distrust. Public confidence in a real Anglo–Soviet alliance remained low. By July 19, cabinet minutes show Chamberlain could not quite believe a genuine Russia–Germany alliance was possible, though he recognized the necessity of negotiations with Moscow to deter Hitler and to mollify an increasingly skeptical British public. Despite reservations, both sides kept the talks alive. Stalin's own bargaining style, with swift Soviet replies but frequent questions and demands, often produced delays. Molotov pressed on questions such as whether Britain and France would pledge to defend the Baltic states, intervene if Japan attacked the USSR, or join in opposing Germany if Hitler pressured Poland or Romania. These considerations were not trivial; they produced extended deliberations. On July 23, Molotov demanded that plans for coordinated military action among the three powers be fleshed out before a political pact. Britain and France accepted most political terms, and an Anglo-French military mission arrived in Moscow on August 11. The British commander, Admiral Sir Reginald Plunket-Ernle-Erle-Drax, conducted staff talks but could not conclude a military agreement. The French counterpart, General Joseph Doumenc, could sign but not bind his government. By then, Hitler had set August 26 as the date for war with Poland. With that looming, Hitler pressed for Soviet neutrality, or closer cooperation. In July and August, secret German–Soviet negotiations favored the Germans, who pressed for a rapid settlement and made most concessions. Yet Stalin benefited from keeping the British and French engaged, creating leverage against Hitler and safeguarding a potential Anglo–Soviet option as a fallback. To lengthen the talks and avoid immediate resolution, Moscow emphasized the Polish issue. Voroshilov demanded the Red Army be allowed to operate through Polish territory to defend Poland, a demand Warsaw would never accept. Moscow even floated a provocative plan: if Britain and France could compel Poland to permit Baltic State naval operations, the Western fleets would occupy Baltic ports, an idea that would have been militarily perilous and diplomatically explosive. Despite this, Stalin sought an agreement with Germany. Through Richard Sorge's intelligence, Moscow knew Tokyo aimed to avoid large-scale war with the USSR, and Moscow pressed for a German–Soviet settlement, including a nonaggression pact and measures to influence Japan to ease Sino–Japanese tensions. On August 16, Ribbentrop instructed Schulenburg to urge Molotov and Stalin toward a nonaggression pact and to coordinate with Japan. Stalin signaled willingness, and August 23–24 saw the drafting of the pact and the collapse of the Soviet and Japanese resistance elsewhere. That night, in a memorandum of Ribbentrop's staff, seven topics were summarized, with Soviet–Japanese relations and Molotov's insistence that Berlin demonstrate good faith standing out. Ribbentrop reiterated his willingness to influence Japan for a more favorable Soviet–Japanese relationship, and Stalin's reply indicated a path toward a détente in the East alongside the European agreement: "M. Stalin replied that the Soviet Union indeed desired an improvement in its relations with Japan, but that there were limits to its patience with regard to Japanese provocations. If Japan desired war she could have it. The Soviet Union was not afraid of it and was prepared for it. If Japan desired peace—so much the better! M. Stalin considered the assistance of Germany in bringing about an improvement in Soviet-Japanese relations as useful, but he did not want the Japanese to get the impression that the initiative in this direction had been taken by the Soviet Union."  Second, the assertion that the Soviet Union was prepared for and unafraid of war with Japan is an overstatement, though Stalin certainly had grounds for optimism regarding the battlefield situation and the broader East Asian strategic balance. It is notable that, despite the USSR's immediate diplomatic and military gains against Japan, Stalin remained anxious to conceal from Tokyo any peace initiative that originated in Moscow. That stance suggests that Tokyo or Hsinking might read such openness as a sign of Soviet weakness or confidence overextended. The Japanese danger, it would seem, did not disappear from Stalin's mind. Even at the height of his diplomatic coup, Stalin was determined not to burn bridges prematurely. On August 21, while he urged Hitler to send Ribbentrop to Moscow, he did not sever talks with Britain and France. Voroshilov requested a temporary postponement on the grounds that Soviet delegation officers were needed for autumn maneuvers. It was not until August 25, after Britain reiterated its resolve to stand by Poland despite the German–Soviet pact, that Stalin sent the Anglo–French military mission home. Fortified by the nonaggression pact, which he hoped would deter Britain and France from action, Hitler unleashed his army on Poland on September 1. Two days later, as Zhukov's First Army Group was completing its operations at Nomonhan, Hitler faced a setback when Britain and France declared war. Hitler had hoped to finish Poland quickly in 1939 and avoid fighting Britain and France until 1940. World War II in Europe had begun. The Soviet–Japanese conflict at Nomonhan was not the sole, nor even the principal, factor prompting Stalin to conclude an alliance with Hitler. Standing aside from a European war that could fracture the major capitalist powers might have been reason enough. Yet the conflict with Japan in the East was also a factor in Stalin's calculations, a dimension that has received relatively little attention in standard accounts of the outbreak of the war. This East Asian focus seeks to clarify the record without proposing a revolutionary reinterpretation of Soviet foreign policy; rather, it adds an important piece often overlooked in the "origins of the Second World War" puzzle, helping to reduce the overall confusion. The German–Soviet agreement provided for the Soviet occupation of the eastern half of Poland soon after Germany's invasion. On September 3, just forty-eight hours after the invasion and on the day Britain and France declared war, Ribbentrop urged Moscow to invade Poland from the east. Yet, for two more weeks, Poland's eastern frontier remained inviolate; Soviet divisions waited at the border, as most Polish forces were engaged against Germany. The German inquiries about the timing of the Soviet invasion continued, but the Red Army did not move. This inactivity is often attributed to Stalin's caution and suspicion, but that caution extended beyond Europe. Throughout early September, sporadic ground and air combat continued at Nomonhan, including significant activity by Kwantung Army forces on September 8–9, and large-scale air engagements on September 1–2, 4–5, and 14–15. Not until September 15 was the Molotov–Togo cease-fire arrangement finalized, to take effect on September 16. The very next morning, September 17, the Red Army crossed the Polish frontier into a country collapsed at its feet. It appears that Stalin wanted to ensure that fighting on his eastern flank had concluded before engaging in Western battles, avoiding a two-front war. Through such policies, Stalin avoided the disaster of a two-front war. Each principal in the 1939 diplomatic maneuvering pursued distinct objectives. The British sought an arrangement with the USSR that would deter Hitler from attacking Poland and, if deterred, bind Moscow to the Anglo–French alliance. Hitler sought an alliance with the USSR to deter Britain and France from aiding Poland and, if they did aid Poland, to secure Soviet neutrality. Japan sought a military alliance with Germany against the USSR, or failing that, stronger Anti-Comintern ties. Stalin aimed for an outcome in which Germany would fight the Western democracies, leaving him freedom to operate in both the West and East; failing that, he sought military reassurance from Britain and France in case he had to confront Germany. Of the four, only Stalin achieved his primary objective. Hitler secured his secondary objective; the British and Japanese failed to realize theirs. Stalin won the diplomatic contest in 1939. Yet, as diplomats gave way to generals, the display of German military power in Poland and in Western Europe soon eclipsed Stalin's diplomatic triumph. By playing Germany against Britain and France, Stalin gained leverage and a potential fallback, but at the cost of unleashing a devastating European war. As with the aftermath of the Portsmouth Treaty in 1905, Russo-Japanese relations improved rapidly after hostilities ceased at Nomonhan. The Molotov–Togo agreement of September 15 and the local truces arranged around Nomonhan on September 19 were observed scrupulously by both sides. On October 27, the two nations settled another long-standing dispute by agreeing to mutual release of fishing boats detained on charges of illegal fishing in each other's territorial waters. On November 6, the USSR appointed Konstantin Smetanin as ambassador to Tokyo, replacing the previous fourteen-month tenure of a chargé d'affaires. Smetanin's first meeting with the new Japanese foreign minister, Nomura Kichisaburö, in November 1939 attracted broad, favorable coverage in the Japanese press. In a break with routine diplomatic practice, Nomura delivered a draft proposal for a new fisheries agreement and a memo outlining the functioning of the joint border commission to be established in the Nomonhan area before Smetanin presented his credentials. On December 31, an agreement finalizing Manchukuo's payment to the USSR for the sale of the Chinese Eastern Railway was reached, and the Soviet–Japanese Fisheries Convention was renewed for 1940. In due course, the boundary near Nomonhan was formally redefined. A November 1939 agreement between Molotov and Togo established a mixed border commission representing the four parties to the dispute. After protracted negotiations, the border commission completed its redemarcation on June 14, 1941, with new border markers erected in August 1941. The resulting boundary largely followed the Soviet–MPR position, lying ten to twelve miles east of the Halha River. With that, the Nomonhan incident was officially closed.  Kwantung Army and Red Army leaders alike sought to "teach a lesson" to their foe at Nomonhan. The refrain recurs in documents and memoirs from both sides, "we must teach them a lesson." The incident provided lessons for both sides, but not all were well learned. For the Red Army, the lessons of Nomonhan intertwined with the laurels of victory, gratifying but sometimes distracting. Georgy Zhukov grasped the experience of modern warfare that summer, gaining more than a raised profile: command experience, confidence, and a set of hallmarks he would employ later. He demonstrated the ability to grasp complex strategic problems quickly, decisive crisis leadership, meticulous attention to logistics and deception, patience in building superior strength before striking at the enemy's weakest point, and the coordination of massed artillery, tanks, mechanized infantry, and tactical air power in large-scale double envelopment. These capabilities informed his actions at Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, and ultimately Berlin. It is tempting to wonder how Zhukov might have fared in the crucial autumn and winter of 1941 without Nomonhan, or whether he would have been entrusted with the Moscow front in 1941 had he not distinguished himself at Nomonhan. Yet the Soviet High Command overlooked an important lesson. Despite Zhukov's successes with independent tank formations and mechanized infantry, the command misapplied Spanish Civil War-era experience by disbanding armored divisions and redistributing tanks to infantry units to serve as support. It was not until after Germany demonstrated tank warfare in 1940 that the Soviets began reconstituting armored divisions and corps, a process still incomplete when the 1941 invasion began. The Red Army's performance at Nomonhan went largely unseen in the West. Western intelligence and military establishments largely believed the Red Army was fundamentally rotten, a view reinforced by the battlefield's remoteness and by both sides' reluctance to publicize the defeat. The Polish crisis and the outbreak of war in Europe drew attention away from Nomonhan, and the later Finnish Winter War reinforced negative Western judgments of Soviet military capability. U.S. military attaché Raymond Faymonville observed that the Soviets, anticipating a quick victory over Finland, relied on hastily summoned reserves ill-suited for winter fighting—an assessment that led some to judge the Red Army by its performance at Nomonhan. Even in Washington, this view persisted; Hitler reportedly called the Red Army "a paralytic on crutches" after Finland and then ordered invasion planning in 1941. Defeat can be a stronger teacher than victory. Because Nomonhan was a limited war, Japan's defeat was likewise limited, and its impact on Tokyo did not immediately recalibrate Japanese assessments. Yet Nomonhan did force Japan to revise its estimation of Soviet strength: the Imperial Army abandoned its strategic Plan Eight-B and adopted a more defensive posture toward the Soviet Union. An official inquiry into the debacle, submitted November 29, 1939, recognized Soviet superiority in materiel and firepower and urged Japan to bolster its own capabilities. The Kwantung Army's leadership, chastened, returned to the frontier with a more realistic sense of capability, even as the Army Ministry and AGS failed to translate lessons into policy. The enduring tendency toward gekokujo, the dominance of local and mid-level officers over central authority, remained persistent, and Tokyo did not fully purge it after Nomonhan. The Kwantung Army's operatives who helped drive the Nomonhan episode resurfaced in key posts at Imperial General Headquarters, contributing to Japan's 1941 decision to go to war. The defeat of the Kwantung Army at Nomonhan, together with the Stalin–Hitler pact and the outbreak of war in Europe, triggered a reorientation of Japanese strategy and foreign policy. The new government, led by the politically inexperienced and cautious General Abe Nobuyuki, pursued a conservative foreign policy. Chiang Kai-shek's retreat to Chongqing left the Chinese war at a stalemate: the Japanese Expeditionary Army could still inflict defeats on Chinese nationalist forces, but it had no viable path to a decisive victory. China remained Japan's principal focus. Still, the option of cutting Soviet aid to China and of moving north into Outer Mongolia and Siberia was discredited in Tokyo by the August 1939 double defeat. Northward expansion never again regained its ascendancy, though it briefly resurfaced in mid-1941 after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany's alliance with the USSR during Nomonhan was viewed by Tokyo as a betrayal, cooling German–Japanese relations. Japan also stepped back from its confrontation with Britain over Tientsin. Tokyo recognized that the European war represented a momentous development that could reshape East Asia, as World War I had reshaped it before. The short-lived Abe government (September–December 1939) and its successor under Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa (December 1939–July 1940) adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude toward the European war. That stance shifted in the summer of 1940, however, after Germany's successes in the West. With Germany's conquest of France and the Low Countries and Britain's fight for survival, Tokyo reassessed the global balance of power. Less than a year after Zhukov had effectively blocked further Japanese expansion northward, Hitler's victories seemed to open a southern expansion path. The prospect of seizing the resource-rich colonies in Southeast Asia, Dutch, French, and British and, more importantly, resolving the China problem in Japan's favor, tempted many in Tokyo. If Western aid to Chiang Kai-shek, channeled through Hong Kong, French Indochina, and Burma could be cut off, some in Tokyo believed Chiang might abandon resistance. If not, Japan could launch new operations against Chiang from Indochina and Burma, effectively turning China's southern flank. To facilitate a southward advance, Japan sought closer alignment with Germany and the USSR. Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka brought Japan into the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, in the hope of neutralizing the United States, and concluded a neutrality pact with the Soviet Union to secure calm in the north. Because of the European military situation, only the United States could check Japan's southward expansion. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared determined to do so and confident that he could. If the Manchurian incident and the Stimson Doctrine strained U.S.–Japanese relations, and the China War and U.S. aid to Chiang Kai-shek deepened mutual resentment, it was Japan's decision to press south against French, British, and Dutch colonies, and Roosevelt's resolve to prevent such a move, that put the two nations on a collision course. The dust had barely settled on the Mongolian plains following the Nomonhan ceasefire when the ripples of that distant conflict began to reshape the broader theater of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The defeat at Nomonhan in August 1939, coupled with the shocking revelation of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, delivered a profound strategic blow to Japan's imperial ambitions. No longer could Tokyo entertain serious notions of a "northern advance" into Soviet territory, a strategy that had long tantalized military planners as a means to secure resources and buffer against communism. Instead, the Kwantung Army's humiliation exposed glaring deficiencies in Japanese mechanized warfare, logistics, and intelligence, forcing a pivot southward. This reorientation not only cooled tensions with the Soviet Union but also allowed Japan to redirect its military focus toward the protracted stalemate in China. As we transition from the border clashes of the north to the heartland tensions in central China, it's essential to trace how these events propelled Japan toward the brink of a major offensive in Hunan Province, setting the stage for what would become a critical confrontation. In the immediate aftermath of Nomonhan, Japan's military high command grappled with the implications of their setback. The Kwantung Army, once a symbol of unchecked aggression, was compelled to adopt a defensive posture along the Manchurian-Soviet border. The ceasefire agreement, formalized on September 15-16, 1939, effectively neutralized the northern front, freeing up significant resources and manpower that had been tied down in the escalating border skirmishes. This was no small relief; the Nomonhan campaign had drained Japanese forces, with estimates of over 18,000 casualties and the near-total annihilation of the 23rd Division. The psychological impact was equally severe, shattering the myth of Japanese invincibility against a modern, mechanized opponent. Georgy Zhukov's masterful use of combined arms—tanks, artillery, and air power—highlighted Japan's vulnerabilities, prompting internal reviews that urged reforms in tank production, artillery doctrine, and supply chains. Yet, these lessons were slow to implement, and in the short term, the primary benefit was the opportunity to consolidate efforts elsewhere. For Japan, "elsewhere" meant China, where the war had devolved into a grinding attrition since the fall of Wuhan in October 1938. The capture of Wuhan, a major transportation hub and temporary capital of the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek, had been hailed as a turning point. Japanese forces, under the command of General Shunroku Hata, had pushed deep into central China, aiming to decapitate Chinese resistance. However, Chiang's strategic retreat to Chongqing transformed the conflict into a war of endurance. Nationalist forces, bolstered by guerrilla tactics and international aid, harassed Japanese supply lines and prevented a decisive knockout blow. By mid-1939, Japan controlled vast swaths of eastern and northern China, including key cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, but the cost was immense: stretched logistics, mounting casualties, and an inability to fully pacify occupied territories. The Nomonhan defeat exacerbated these issues by underscoring the limits of Japan's military overextension. With the northern threat abated, Tokyo's Army General Staff saw an opening to intensify operations in China, hoping to force Chiang to the negotiating table before global events further complicated the picture. The diplomatic fallout from Nomonhan and the Hitler-Stalin Pact further influenced this shift. Japan's betrayal by Germany, its nominal ally under the Anti-Comintern Pact—fostered distrust and isolation. Tokyo's flirtations with a full Axis alliance stalled, as the pact with Moscow revealed Hitler's willingness to prioritize European gains over Asian solidarity. This isolation prompted Japan to reassess its priorities, emphasizing self-reliance in China while eyeing opportunistic expansions elsewhere. Domestically, the Hiranuma cabinet collapsed in August 1939 amid the diplomatic shock, paving the way for the more cautious Abe Nobuyuki government. Abe's administration, though short-lived, signaled a temporary de-escalation in aggressive posturing, but the underlying imperative to resolve the "China Incident" persisted. Japanese strategists believed that capturing additional strategic points in central China could sever Chiang's lifelines, particularly the routes funneling aid from the Soviet Union and the West via Burma and Indochina. The seismic shifts triggered by Nomonhan compelled Japan to fundamentally readjust its China policy and war plans, marking a pivotal transition from overambitious northern dreams to a more focused, albeit desperate, campaign in the south. With the Kwantung Army's defeat fresh in mind, Tokyo's Imperial General Headquarters initiated a comprehensive strategic review in late August 1939. The once-dominant "Northern Advance" doctrine, which envisioned rapid conquests into Siberia for resources like oil and minerals, was officially shelved. In its place emerged a "Southern Advance" framework, prioritizing the consolidation of gains in China and potential expansions into Southeast Asia. This pivot was not merely tactical; it reflected a profound policy recalibration aimed at ending the quagmire in China, where two years of war had yielded territorial control but no decisive victory over Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists. Central to this readjustment was a renewed emphasis on economic and military self-sufficiency. The Nomonhan debacle had exposed Japan's vulnerabilities in mechanized warfare, leading to urgent reforms in industrial production. Tank manufacturing was ramped up, with designs influenced by observed Soviet models, and artillery stockpiles were bolstered to match the firepower discrepancies seen on the Mongolian steppes. Logistically, the Army General Staff prioritized streamlining supply lines in China, recognizing that prolonged engagements demanded better resource allocation. Politically, the Abe Nobuyuki cabinet, installed in September 1939, adopted a "wait-and-see" approach toward Europe but aggressively pursued diplomatic maneuvers to isolate China. Efforts to negotiate with Wang Jingwei's puppet regime in Nanjing intensified, aiming to undermine Chiang's legitimacy and splinter Chinese resistance. Japan also pressured Vichy France for concessions in Indochina, seeking to choke off aid routes to Chongqing. War plans evolved accordingly, shifting from broad-front offensives to targeted strikes designed to disrupt Chinese command and supply networks. The China Expeditionary Army, under General Yasuji Okamura, was restructured to emphasize mobility and combined arms operations, drawing partial lessons from Zhukov's tactics. Intelligence operations were enhanced, with greater focus on infiltrating Nationalist strongholds in central provinces. By early September, plans coalesced around a major push into Hunan Province, a vital crossroads linking northern and southern China. Hunan's river systems and rail lines made it a linchpin for Chinese logistics, funneling men and materiel to the front lines. Japanese strategists identified key urban centers in the region as critical objectives, believing their capture could sever Chiang's western supply corridors and force a strategic retreat. This readjustment was not without internal friction. Hardliners in the military lamented the abandonment of northern ambitions, but the reality of Soviet strength—and the neutrality pacts that followed—left little room for debate. Economically, Japan ramped up exploitation of occupied Chinese territories, extracting coal, iron, and rice to fuel the war machine. Diplomatically, Tokyo sought to mend fences with the Soviets through the 1941 Neutrality Pact, ensuring northern security while eyes turned south. Yet, these changes brewed tension with the United States, whose embargoes on scrap metal and oil threatened to cripple Japan's ambitions. As autumn approached, the stage was set for a bold gambit in central China. Japanese divisions massed along the Yangtze River, poised to strike at the heart of Hunan's defenses. Intelligence reports hinted at Chinese preparations, with Xue Yue's forces fortifying positions around a major provincial hub. The air thickened with anticipation of a clash that could tip the balance in the interminable war—a test of Japan's revamped strategies against a resilient foe determined to hold the line. What unfolded would reveal whether Tokyo's post-Nomonhan pivot could deliver the breakthrough so desperately needed, or if it would merely prolong the bloody stalemate. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In 1939, the Nomonhan Incident saw Soviet forces under Georgy Zhukov decisively defeat Japan's Kwantung Army at Khalkin Gol, exposing Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare. This setback, coupled with the Hitler-Stalin Nonaggression Pact, shattered Japan's northern expansion plans and prompted a strategic pivot southward. Diplomatic maneuvers involving Stalin, Hitler, Britain, France, and Japan reshaped alliances, leading to the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact in 1941. Japan refocused on China, intensifying operations in Hunan Province to isolate Chiang Kai-shek.