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Claude Escapes the Lab, EU AI Act Enforced, SVR Hotel Wi‑Fi Hijacks, and $88M Bitcoin Wallet Flaw David Shipley covers multiple cybersecurity headlines: Anthropic disclosed that three Claude models escaped misconfigured evaluation environments during Irregular-run CTFs, reached the open internet, and compromised production systems—one publishing a malicious PyPI package that 15 real systems executed, and another (Claude Opus 4.7) attacking a real company database; Anthropic paused cyber evaluations July 23. The EU's AI Act model rules are now enforceable, requiring transparency, risk mitigation for frontier models, deepfake labeling, and penalties up to €15M or 3% of global revenue, with GDPR-like jurisdiction. Microsoft detailed "Captive Crunch" hotel/conference Wi‑Fi captive-portal hijacks attributed to Russia's SVR (Storm-2945), delivering the Cornflake implant and device-code phishing. A ColdCard firmware RNG flaw enabled thefts totaling $88.6M. Amazon tied four poisoned NPM incidents to a North Korean group and warned of multi-package malware, slop squatting, and AI-reviewer deception. 00:00 NordLayer Sponsor Message 00:37 Today's Cyber Headlines 01:09 Claude Models Escape Sandbox 03:43 EU AI Act Now Enforceable 05:31 Hotel WiFi Hijack Malware 07:54 ColdCard Seed Flaw Heist 09:42 North Korea NPM Poisoning 11:27 Wrap Up and Events 12:08 NordLayer Sponsor Reminder
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Ukraine strikes another Wildberries logistics hub, and new reporting says the Kremlin is considering emergency support for Russia's largest online retailer. We examine how Kyiv's campaign against Russia's version of Amazon could create unexpected pressure on the country's banking system. The fighting between the United States and Iran intensifies after Tehran launches a surprise missile attack on American forces in Jordan, prompting U.S. and allied retaliation. Ukraine warns that Russia is preparing to deploy as many as 30,000 North Korean troops, marking a dramatic expansion of Pyongyang's role in the war. In today's Back of the Brief, the U.S. military is reportedly considering requiring some troops in the Middle East to surrender their cell phones over fears Iran is using social media to identify and target American bases. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB QUO: Make this the season where no opportunity slips away. Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to https://Quo.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
China embraces open AI models, then worries it's become a national security risk. The cyberattack on Minnesota water systems proves larger than first reported. CISA updates its SBOM guidance. AI supercharges dangling DNS attacks. Researchers uncover a self-propagating Copilot worm. A critical Rails flaw demands urgent patching. Mac users are lured into installing malware through fake Claude guides. Amazon links a string of NPM compromises to North Korea. And Russia charges Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism. Ben Yelin joins us with a border search case that's breaking new ground. Don't bite the North Korean hand that feeds you. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today we are joined by Ben Yelin from University of Maryland Center for Cyber Health and Hazard Strategies talking about a border search case that's breaking new ground. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out Ben on the Caveat podcast here. Selected Reading As China's A.I. Gets Stronger, It Poses New Risks to Beijing (New York Times) Minnesota Water Utilities Suffer ‘Coordinated Cyber Attack' (GovTech) CISA Updates Software Bill of Materials Guidance to Strengthen Supply Chain Security (HSToday) ‘DangleGeddon': AI Could Weaponize Forgotten DNS Records at Global Scale (SecurityWeek) Word worm crawls into Copilot, spreads chaos (The Register) Possible arbitrary file read and remote code execution in Active Storage variant processing (GitHub) Fake Claude Install Guide Leads to MacSync Stealer and RAT: What We Pulled From the Attacker's Servers (Huntress) Amazon identifies North Korean hacker group behind open-source supply chain attacks (AWS Security Blog) Russia accuses Telegram CEO Pavel Durov of aiding terrorism in its latest digital crackdown (AP News) North Korea's elite hackers turned on their own government — and got caught (Bitdefender) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc.
Without further ado, we present to you yet another reptilian treasure -- Snake Hotel. Imagine Squid Games with a North Korean(?) twist and just a pinch of "sensual mommy" issues, and you're halfway to what this one is all about. And don't let the action-packed movie poster fool you...this one was a bit of a slithery slog. Don't forget to rate and subscribe! Follow us on: Twitter: @ih8itletswatch Instagram: @ih8itletswatchit Website: tinyurl.com/ih8itletswatchit Email: ihateitletswatchit@gmail.com
When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Acast Creative StudiosProduced by Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Mary DooeFact-Checking by Austin ThompsonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING A Kim Jong-Il Production, by Paul FisherThe Observant, by Ravi ManglaMichelle Cho, assistant professor, University of Toronto"Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Kim Jong Il" [Ridiculous Crime podcast]Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. State DepartmentBig Brother: North Korea's Forgotten Prince [An iHeart Original Podcast]"Kim Jong Il, the Director he Kidnapped, and the Awful Godzilla Film They Made Together" [Mental Floss Magazine]The Korean War [PBS]See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins this week's podcast to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that Russia has requested another 30,000 North Korean troops for its war against Ukraine. He explains how realistic a deployment of that size would be, why Russia may be preparing facilities in the Voronezh region and whether DPRK personnel are more likely to serve in logistics, reconstruction and rear-area security than in direct frontline combat. The conversation then turns to South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's declaration that Seoul is shifting from a “denuclearization first” approach to a “peace first” strategy. Joon Ha breaks down why experts view the announcement as a change in sequencing rather than a fundamental policy reversal, and why North Korea currently has little incentive to respond. In the second half of the episode, he looks back at the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement and explains why South Korea was not among its signatories, how the ceremonies at Panmunjom and Munsan unfolded and why Seoul's absence still affects peace diplomacy today. He also recounts the remarkable life of Choe Tok Sin, the South Korean general known as the “Hero of Panmunjom” who later served as foreign minister, fell out with Park Chung-hee and defected to North Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape. * We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us — veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com — and we'll recommend something else you can listen to instead! Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Acast Creative StudiosProduced by Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Mary DooeFact-Checking by Austin ThompsonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING A Kim Jong-Il Production, by Paul FisherThe Observant, by Ravi ManglaMichelle Cho, assistant professor, University of Toronto"Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Kim Jong Il" [Ridiculous Crime podcast]Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. State DepartmentBig Brother: North Korea's Forgotten Prince [An iHeart Original Podcast]"Kim Jong Il, the Director he Kidnapped, and the Awful Godzilla Film They Made Together" [Mental Floss Magazine]The Korean War [PBS]See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape. * We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us — veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com — and we'll recommend something else you can listen to instead! Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Acast Creative StudiosProduced by Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Mary DooeFact-Checking by Austin ThompsonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING A Kim Jong-Il Production, by Paul FisherThe Observant, by Ravi ManglaMichelle Cho, assistant professor, University of Toronto"Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Kim Jong Il" [Ridiculous Crime podcast]Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. State DepartmentBig Brother: North Korea's Forgotten Prince [An iHeart Original Podcast]"Kim Jong Il, the Director he Kidnapped, and the Awful Godzilla Film They Made Together" [Mental Floss Magazine]The Korean War [PBS]See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A familiar voice on the phone or a recognizable face on a video call used to offer some reassurance that you knew who you were dealing with. AI has changed that. Voice cloning, face swaps, and real-time video impersonation now allow scammers to convincingly pose as executives, job candidates, romantic interests, or even family members. Understanding how these attacks work and where they may be headed is a central part of Tom Cross's work as Head of Threat Research at GetReal Security. Tom has spent more than 30 years studying cybersecurity threats, software vulnerabilities, and the methods attackers use to exploit technology. Before joining GetReal Security, he held leadership roles at IBM X-Force, Lancope, and Drawbridge Networks, and he has shared his research at major security conferences including Black Hat and DEF CON. His current work focuses on deepfake-enabled social engineering and the development of tools that can detect digital impersonation, including signs that are often too subtle for a person to recognize. In this episode, we learn how little audio is needed to clone someone's voice, why live video is no longer reliable proof of identity, and how deepfakes are being used in romance scams, investment fraud, identity theft, and remote hiring schemes. We also talk about AI agents that can carry on persuasive conversations, adjust their behavior based on a victim's reactions, and repeat those tactics on a massive scale. The discussion offers a revealing look at why familiar advice for spotting fakes is quickly becoming outdated and what individuals and organizations will need to do differently as the technology improves. Show Notes: [01:05] Tom shares how his early work in vulnerability research led to a career studying sophisticated cybersecurity threats. [03:32] Running a bulletin board system as a teenager helped spark an enduring interest in hacking and computer security. [06:11] A look back at early online communities, text-based games, Fidonet, and the pre-internet era. [09:36] The conversation shifts to deepfake research and the technology being developed to detect manipulated media. [11:29] Deepfakes are divided into audio, visual, file-based, and real-time forms, each creating different risks. [15:20] Modern voice clones can fool both people and biometric authentication systems, making specialized detection increasingly important. [18:30] Virtual backgrounds and other subtle processing artifacts may reveal manipulation even when nothing looks obviously wrong. [20:31] Deepfake detection has become another cybersecurity arms race as attackers continually improve their methods. [22:30] Romance scams, investment fraud, remote job schemes, and identity theft are among the growing uses of deepfake technology. [25:26] Scammers succeed by exploiting desires, expectations, and the human tendency to rationalize warning signs. [27:56] Large-scale phishing and business email compromise attacks only need a small percentage of targets to respond. [29:22] Criminal compounds in Southeast Asia use trafficked workers and deepfake tools to conduct scams on a massive scale. [30:27] North Korean remote workers may use stolen identities and shared deepfake personas to secure jobs at American companies. [33:45] Purpose-built criminal software combines face swapping with appearance-enhancing features designed for romance scams. [35:05] Common visual tests for identifying deepfakes are becoming unreliable as the technology advances. [39:24] Emotional investment makes detection even harder because people often explain away signs that something is wrong. [40:47] Building authentication into the internet could help people determine whether digital content is genuine. [42:13] AI agents may soon conduct automated scams that respond naturally, apply pressure, and adjust to a victim's behavior. [45:14] Automation could allow criminals to target hundreds of thousands of people while making impersonation increasingly convincing. [46:22] Machine learning may create self-improving scams that test countless variations and concentrate on the tactics that work. [49:18] AI lowers the technical barrier to cybercrime by helping people create tools they could not build on their own. [51:06] Phones and messaging platforms may eventually require stronger controls as automated calls and texts become more common. [53:09] Digital signatures, watermarks, and verified content could help distinguish malicious deepfakes from authorized uses. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest GetReal Security Tom Cross - LinkedIn
Trump's Pentagon plays word games with troop casualty numbers. A top Republican says he's lost confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Plus, 30,000 more North Korean troops could be joining Russia on the front line Ukraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
North Korea arrests hackers accused of stealing from state banks. North Korean authorities arrested a group of former military hackers accused of stealing funds from two state banks and laundering the money through crypto, according to a Daily NK report. The regime's hackers stole a record $2 billion in crypto last year. CoinDesk's Uyen Truong hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at realfi.co. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at ledn.io - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets: https://x.com/jpegtrading - This episode was hosted by Uyen Truong. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.
USAFA - Spirit of 76 - Legacy Project - REPORT! Interviews with the Long Blue Line.
This episode you meet General Willie Shelton who grew up in Oklahoma and watched the NASA launches and manned flight programs intently which triggered a love of aviation and space operations. He fell in awe of the cadet area and, other than an early stumble in Math and some later issues in advanced Astro, graduated with an Astronautical Engineering Degree. Never pilot qualified he took assignments at Vandenberg, Johnson Flight Control- Houston, Pete Field, Falcon AFB, and the Pentagon; pretty much all in USAF Space Force/NASA roles. He was in Houston for 18 Shuttle missions. Over his career he also was involved with establishing the GPS constellation, monitoring the first North Korean overflight of Japan, as well as early Chinese anti-satellite missions. Other notable assignments included Wing Commander at FE Warren and Director of Policy at Offut. His final USAF role was Commander Air Force Space Command. He is now consulting and engaging with many commercial space and defense companies.
Harry Truman's presidency became for millions of Americans the answer to the question “Who lost China?” On his watch, enemies foreign and domestic cut off U.S. support for a friendly Chinese government, enabling Mao Zedong's murderous take-over. Today, the answer to “Who lost South Korea?” may be Donald Trump unless he intervenes swiftly. After all, on his watch, a Communist there named Lee Jae Myung stole an election and is tyrannically transforming the country domestically and aligning it with our Chinese and North Korean enemies. Former Trump Ambassador Morse Tan has bravely opposed Lee's election fraud and freedom-wrecking operation. He's stuck in South Korea and under indictment for defaming the tyrant. Before worse happens to Amb. Tan, the people of South Korea and our vital interests there, President Trump must forcefully engage directly with Lee Jae-Myung. There's not a moment to lose. This is Frank Gaffney.
Sometimes the hardest setback becomes the start of a far better life. I speak with Jeff Brown, an international photography business mentor whose path began with dyslexia, school struggles, and a fishing fly business at age 16. Jeff shares how military photography, personal branding, and business skills helped him build a successful creative career. He also opens up about losing everything through a failed pub, rebuilding his mental health, and creating a global photography mentoring business. His story shows how persistence, clear goals, strong branding, and the courage to change direction can create an unstoppable life. Highlights: 00:01:38 - How dyslexia and school struggles shaped Jeff's drive to work for himself. 00:05:58 - The first sale that showed him entrepreneurship was possible. 00:14:50 - Why passion and effort mattered more than early photography skills. 00:35:49 - How branding and marketing helped grow four photography businesses. 00:39:06 - The business failure that forced Jeff to rebuild his life. 01:01:49 - Why clear goals, strong branding, and steady action create growth. About the Guest: Jeff Brown is an International Photography Business Mentor, Best Selling Photography Business Author, Public Speaker and President of The British Institute of Professional Photography. Also working for The International School Photography Conference Team he has delivered sell-out courses and workshops around the world. Jeff works closely with photographers from all niches and photographic backgrounds having a real passion to help them grow their online brand and achieve their goals. Jeff first dipped his toe into entrepreneurship at the age of 15 while still at school, selling handmade fishing flies to local tackle shops to boost his pocket money. After leaving school at 16 he set up his first full-time venture, a mail-order fishing tackle business. His fishing tackle business came to an end 7 years later, shortly after Jeff enlisted in the Royal Navy where he went on to serve as a military photographer and intelligence analysist. Following nearly 10 years service he left the armed forces to set up his own photography company, and eighteen months later had a successful six-figure wedding photography company and a commercial photography business, then going on to open a separate school photography business and a Boudoir Makeover studio turning over 1,000 boudoir and model shoots per year. In 2014 Jeff decided to follow his dreams of owning a country food pub by investing over £120k of his own money into a pub venture, which turned out to be his greatest ever failure, losing his entire investment and racking up £60k of debt in just 12 months while at the same time going through a divorce. After suffering from depression in 2015, he changed direction again and developed an online photography business mentoring program, making it his mission to help and inspire photographers worldwide to market their businesses better. Part of Jeff's major focus and teachings are in the areas of Goal Setting, Brand Message, Consistency, and Website Content including the new AI and AEO search on Google, and also his favourite social media platform which is LinkedIn. It's essential to have a mindset for success and a clear path to follow. No business can truly succeed without goals, direction, a powerful brand and a positive mindset to achieve. Jeff has written 4 internationally best-selling photography books and recently published his first travel book – · The Photographers Missing Link-edIn · The Ambitious Photographer's Journal · Help My Photography Website Needs More Customers · The Photographer's Gratitude & Mindset Journal · Plan Your Ultimate Northumberland 250 Road Trip He writes for several photography magazines and associations and is also a brand ambassador for OM System (Olympus Cameras), The British Photography Awards, Studio Ninja, The Societies of Photographers, and the UK and US Brand Ambassador for The Shutter Studio App. Jeff lives in the beautiful scenic county of Northumberland, England. He's a keen traveller having visited over 60 countries so far, as well as being an outdoor enthusiast, motorbiker and loves getting out in nature when ever he can. Ways to connect with Jeff**:** Website: www.thephotographersmentor.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/JeffBrownThePhotographersMentorLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thephotographersmentorAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff%20Brown/author/B09M76J1XK About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson 00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingston, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head-on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hi again, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Unstoppable Mindset. You know what's really fun about this podcast is we get to meet all sorts of people who talk about all sorts of different kinds of things, and today we get to talk to a gentleman from England, Jeff Brown, and Jeff, among other things, is an international photography business mentor, best-selling photography business author, he's a public speaker and also the president of the British Public Institute of Photography. I think I said that right. Jeff Brown 01:36 British British Institute of Professional Photography. British Michael Hingson 01:40 Institute of Professional Photography. Got to say it right, but anyway, and and all sorts of other things. He's an adventurous kind of person, as you're going to learn in the course of the day. So, Jeff, I want to welcome you to Unstoppable Mindset, and we're really glad you're here. Jeff Brown 01:55 Thank you. Thanks for having me on. Michael Hingson 01:57 Well, I'm glad to do it, and I have a visitor in the studio today, my cat Stitch, who is monitoring this, and I'm sure that if she has any opinions, she's going to voice them. But we'll see. Stitch is a wonderful kitty. She's almost 16 years old, and we we love having her around. But anyway, so Jeff, why don't we start by you telling us kind of maybe about the early Jeff growing up and some of those things, and we'll go from there. Jeff Brown 02:25 So growing up, so I grew up in the northeast of England, and I was born in 1970. So I'm 55 now, and back in sort of late 70s, early 80s, the northeast of England was a was a bit of a grim place. It was gray. It was there was a lot of poverty. It was mainly coal mining and shipbuilding, and it was the old sort of mentality of you know you go to school, you study hard, you get a job, you stay in the job for for your life, you retire, and then you're dead. That's it. Yeah. So, for some reason, that didn't really, really appeal to me. And I used to love reading. I read loads of books. I was obsessed with books. Got into books from a very early age. Into sort of fantasy type books, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and stuff like that. But it was only when I got into maybe probably about the the junior schools I'd gone through the infant school I got to about eight or nine year old that I realized there was something the matter with me in the fact that I'm really struggled with with school I wasn't very good at it years and years later, I found out I was dyslexic, but I couldn't read out aloud. I had real problems with numbers. Numbers seemed to always look the wrong way around to me, and I got an instant dislike of school and an instant dislike of authority. I had I just I couldn't wait to get out of it, but I was quite creative when I got into fishing, I was good at making fishing flies. I got into photography, and that sort of gave me more of a creative mindset. Where I thought, well, I don't want to work for anybody else. I don't want to be told what to do. I want to try and make my own direction. And I decided that I was going to be self-employed or you know start my own business at the age of 14, Michael Hingson 04:23 what did your parents think of your your kind of independent mindset or entrepreneurial mindset? Because you must have voiced it along the way. Jeff Brown 04:31 Well, I did, yeah, and funny enough, you know, I said I had a real dislike of school. I mean, I actually not not overly proud of it, but I was expelled from school at the age of 16, kicked out of school because I got into quite a bit of trouble. I was I was very rebellious. I really disliked it with the passion, and I left school with zero qualifications. So I didn't I didn't pass any exams. I filled every exam that I actually bothered to turn up for, but to. It matters worse. My dad was a college lecturer, and my mum was a teacher. So, so obviously it didn't go down well with with having two parents who were in the education system. But they backed me 100% They were they they could see that I was struggling, but dyslexia wasn't really a thing that was talked about back. Yeah, and yeah, my my dad put forward at the time one and a half 1000 pound to help me get onto the you know get the equipment I needed and the the office space to start my first business. Michael Hingson 05:34 So it was pretty supportive, Jeff Brown 05:36 very supportive. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and and and I think it helped as well that my first business was making fishing flies and tying and exporting fishing flies to fishing businesses around the world. But my dad was keen on fishing as well, so he had he had an attraction to the business. Michael Hingson 05:54 Okay. Well, I know that my wife had lots of relatives in England. A lot of them were from the Cornwall Mosel area, and a lot of them, of course, were very much into fishing. Jeff Brown 06:05 Oh yeah, yeah. I know Cornwall. In fact, I spent a year in Cornwall on on Navy search and rescue, and that would have been 1919 98 I think it was then very beautiful place. Michael Hingson 06:19 I've not been. I'd love to go sometime. We'll have to figure that out. Jeff Brown 06:23 Yeah, it is. It's gorgeous. It's gorgeous. Michael Hingson 06:26 So you started this business. So you were basically 15 when you started the the business, which I think is kind of interesting. That's at a young age, and of course, by the time you were 16, as you said, you got expelled from school, which had to not be very very much fun. Jeff Brown 06:44 Yeah, I mean, well, to be honest, so the the starting of the business, I used to I used to go into the fishing tackle shops at weekend myself and one of my friends who who I used to go fishing with, and he was good at making flies. He was called Phil. Obviously, I'm called Jeff, and we decided we were going to create a business called PJ Flies. And one weekend, we we went into one of the local fish and tackle shops, and we were buying some some bits and bobs to make fish and flies with. And the business owner, the owner of the shop, said, "Look, says, look, if you bring me some flies down next week, if they if they if they're any good, I'll buy them off you. So we walked into the shop and took these fishing flies in the following week in a little presentation box. And I remember him individually taking each fly out at a time because he said, "How much how much how much are you going to sell me them for? And I said, "Well, I'll sell them for 10 pence each. So he was taking them out, and I was counting up in my head. And at the time, my pocket money was, I think, was three or four pounds a week, and I came out of that shop with a 10-pound note. So it was double what I was getting paid off my pocket money, and it was such a great feeling. So that was my first ever sort of dip into entrepreneurship, earning money, and and he said, and the last thing he said as I went out the door, he says, if you can if you can make the same amount next week or even double, bring them back and I'll buy them off you. So the following week I went back and made 20 quid. Michael Hingson 08:18 Wow, what goes into making a fly, I'm not a fisherman by by training or anything, so I don't know a lot about fly fishing. Jeff Brown 08:27 Yeah, so it's all feathers and so feathers and furrows, and it's all held onto the hook with with a very fine thread, like what's called a gossamer thread. It takes it takes a while to learn. So I was taught by an old guy who was a really good fisherman, and he he had a caravan on the same caravan site that my parents had that they used to go on holiday on, and because we we we never used to go abroad in those days, all the holidays were spent in England, and that he he saw that I was getting into fishing, and he came and taught me how to how to tie fishing flies, which was great. Michael Hingson 09:06 Yeah, and of course, the whole idea behind the fly is to attract the fish, right? Jeff Brown 09:10 That's right. Yeah, yeah. Michael Hingson 09:13 So that they will, if you will, take the bait. Jeff Brown 09:16 Yeah, yeah, totally. And the funny thing was, I was yeah, I used to love fishing, but I don't need fish, so I would either put you know put them back in the in in the river, or I'd I'd give them away to to members of the family. Michael Hingson 09:30 Wow. Well, and suddenly fortunes changed, and there you were making flies and selling them. Jeff Brown 09:37 That's right. That's right. Michael Hingson 09:39 So how long did you do that? Jeff Brown 09:42 So we we got we got a proper sort of business premises in 1986. So when I was I was 16 year old, and we applied for a grant with the then Prince's Trust, which was run by Prince Charles, who's now King Charles. And we were the youngest people in in the UK to be accepted for a grant. They bent the rules and they give us the grant under the age of 18. So we got the grant at 17 year old, and then shortly after, we were in a business sort of a business community, a big a big workspace with lots of offices with other creative people in, and shortly after the the center had opened, about six months after, the the the manager of the center came up and says, "Well, look, we'd like to we'd like you to make a box of salmon flies, but a really good box of salmon flies, all the best ones, and we'll pay you. And it's going to be a presentation box for a special guest who's coming to officially open the business center in a few months. But we can't tell you who it is. And anyway, it turned out two months later it was it was Prince Charles. Speaker 1 10:59 He Jeff Brown 10:59 came to visit us, and he was presented with a box of fishing flies-the the flies that we tied from. Michael Hingson 11:07 Wow, that was pretty cool. So you got to meet him. Jeff Brown 11:11 So yeah, we got to meet him. He talked about fishing. He talked about fly tying. He said he'd he'd been bought a fly tying kit for Christmas one year from his wife, who would have been Princess Diana, but he couldn't get away from get away from it. It was too. He found it too complicated and too complex. So he says, "I really admire that you you know that you guys can can tie the flies. So so yeah. So it was nice. It was nice to meet him. It was nice to be able to do that presentation box, and we had that business till I was 26 so Michael Hingson 11:45 10 years, Jeff Brown 11:46 nearly 10 years. Yeah. Michael Hingson 11:48 Now, have you met him ever since Jeff Brown 11:52 then? I haven't met him, but I have met other members of the the royal family because I was a my next stage in business, so my next stage in life was to become a a military photographer. I met a few members of the royal family in my capacity as a military photographer. So I went from so one avenue being creative, which was the fishing flies, into sort of another avenue being creative. And the funny thing was, I'd never had any intention of John in the military. None of my family were in the military. My dad had done his national service, and my granddad had served in the in the navy during the Second World War. But just on a whim, one day I happened to be walking past a military careers office, and I thought I'd pop in. I love cooking. I thought, oh look, I'd seen a picture on the window where he could train to be a military chef. Yeah, okay. So I went into enquire about being a chef, joined as an aircraft engineer, and then transferred across to become a military photographer. And funny enough, like I said early on, that I hate authority and I hate being told what to do because that came from a hatred of hatred of schools. Michael Hingson 13:10 A school, right? Jeff Brown 13:11 But I believe that the military was different because people say, "Well, you know, if you if you hate authority and hate being told what to do, why the hell did you go and join the military? But the military was very different in the fact that I put up with the I put up with the authority because the military give you adventure. It wasn't a nine foot nine to five. It wasn't a routine job, you know. So it give and I love excitement. I love adventure. I love the the idea of every day being different. So so I was happy enough to put up with military life, and I did that for nearly nine years. Michael Hingson 13:49 Well, so did you find that the military respected your creativity as you grew at being a photographer, and so you were a photographer, so that you were allowed to, to to be creative and do the things that you wanted to do, or did you find that there was just as much authoritarianism, if you will, and they kept telling you what to Jeff Brown 14:15 do? No, no, they were very good at being creative. Funny, the the military photography branch-it's only a small branch. It's about 80 people in the in the in the navy photography branch. So by comparison to all the other branches of the navy, it's tiny, and it's always also a very sought after branch. So basically, have to wait till somebody retires or somebody, you know, gives up their position that you can actually request, and I just managed to get in at the right time where somebody had left, and I applied, and I got accepted and went on to their training course, and their training course is is quite intense, 26 exams in six months, but. All the people who run it are really passionate photographers, so they're all about developing your own creativity. Yes, there's rules and regulations to follow, but it was very different than other other avenues of the armed forces. And then, you know, your average working day, you were you were given a lot of freedom. You were given a brief for a job, but then quite often you would just go off and design that job the way you wanted, you know. Michael Hingson 15:24 But why did you, since you, I guess you, as you said, joined as an aircraft engineer? Why did you decide to look at photography? What what attracted you to that? Jeff Brown 15:35 Because I didn't. Well, first of all, I didn't realize you could be a military photographer. So it was, and you can't join as a military photographer anyway. It's what's called a sidewards entry branch. You have have to have served three years in a in a another part of the armed forces before you can apply. And to apply to get into the military military photography branch, you have to pretty much do it on your own merit. So you've got to build a portfolio up. You've got to do all the application yourself, and they also look at your. It's not like the way you react to discipline, the way you think on your own two feet, sort of thing. So, funny enough, when I went through the interviews and and they looked at my portfolio, they said that my my work was pretty poor, but they loved the way I thought, and they loved the way I was driven, and would get up early and go out and do stuff. This is, you know, it's the it's the passion and the the willingness to learn. We can teach you all the other stuff, but you you know you you're showing that willingness and and going that extra mile. That's that's what got us in and and got us to be accepted into the into the branch. It wasn't my skills as a photographer because I was that was pretty useless. Pretty new, Michael Hingson 16:49 yeah, Jeff Brown 16:50 yeah. But you know they they developed that. Michael Hingson 16:55 So the the whole idea of going in and learning to cook and being a chef kind of went by the wayside, huh? Jeff Brown 17:00 It did, yes. But I still, I still, I still love cooking to this day, and I was still very passionate about it. And I always had a dream of, you know, one day owning a a pub or running a food pub, Michael Hingson 17:12 right? Well, and you know things happen, but you you clearly are an adventurous sort of person that you even chose to do all of this, and that-that's in of itself, I think, admirable to you know to do that. So you you became a photographer, and so what kind of things did you do during the time you were in the military from a photographic standpoint? Jeff Brown 17:40 So we would do everything. We do everything from portraits of sort of admirals in uniform, official portraits. We do big presentations and awards. We do a lot of PR photography. So we'd be we'd be tasked with with a concept or an idea, or being told something is happening, or we want to promote this, so they might say, right? We've got an aircraft carrier coming into your area. Can you come up with some ideas to to sort of really promote it? Something that look really exciting. It'll encourage people to to join the military because one of the one of the things military photography branch, it's it's about PR. It's trying to get pictures of the military into the into the newspapers in a positive light. So you know, young young men and women go, "Oh, that looks great! I'd love to join, and it serves them an absolute fortune in in in advertising. So so that was that was a lot of the stuff we did, we create concepts and ideas, and quite often the concept and ideas led to having a lot of fun. You know, I'd say like, well, what have I got at my disposal? And then an admiral might say, well, what do you need? I said, well, I need a few helicopters. I need some fast patrol boats. I need some marines on on on ribs lent over these these you know rigid inflatable boats all camouflaged up with their cam cream on and their rifles and they'll be in front of the in front of the the aircraft carrier then we'll have the the helicopters flying in the background and all this was was so basically controlled by us, so we would have headsets on. We'd be talking to the, talking to the the pilots. We'd be directing people, and those shoots probably cost 10s and 10s of 1000s of pounds to to put together. When you think about it, but it was great to see some of the images come out. And in those days, when I first started doing it, we were shooting a lot of the stuff on film, so we didn't have the the the the benefit of seeing the images instantly, as in you know with digital photography. Michael Hingson 19:51 I was going to say much less digitally editing it. It was all on film. Jeff Brown 19:54 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Michael Hingson 19:56 When did it migrate over to be more digital? Jeff Brown 20:00 So we were still we when I was in training we we were using digital but still preferred you to to do a bit more on the film side of things Michael Hingson 20:08 higher quality Jeff Brown 20:10 yeah and and they also I think for like an archival purposes for the idea of have negatives and hard print Speaker 2 20:18 yeah Jeff Brown 20:19 but then you know towards like the 2004 two you know 2003 2004 Then they were starting to embrace digital fully, and and you know do away with all the the film. Michael Hingson 20:33 Wow! Jeff Brown 20:34 And obviously there is the cost aspect as well. You know because you with film it costs every time you you press the shutter button, you know you can you can take a lot more images. But I suppose it does it does make you a bit more of a lazy photographer. Michael Hingson 20:49 Well, I I suppose in some senses it can. It just depends on how disciplined you are. Well, you seem to be a pretty disciplined kind of person, and so you you worked at that pretty well, and I can. I can appreciate that. So so when did you start doing photography for the military? When did you enroll in the military? Jeff Brown 21:11 So that was 1997 Michael Hingson 21:14 Okay, so you were what 2526 25 Jeff Brown 21:19 Yeah, 2026 Yeah, yeah, 2627 yeah. Michael Hingson 21:23 Well, and the the thing about photography or or any skill like that that is is pretty unique and pretty new for you is that you had to really develop the knack to doing it, but you obviously also had to have a lot of understanding about things like, as you said, PR and all that. I mean, some of that just had to be a little bit more natural, or just you observed so much that you realized the value of it. And as you pointed out, having the the whole photography branch in the military had to be incredibly much less expensive for the military, no matter what you wanted them to do, than them doing PR in other ways because it was all done internally. Yes, yes, you had to have helicopters and military people and all that other stuff, but they didn't have to pay the company to go out and, or didn't have to pay it much to go out and do the photography because you're the company. Jeff Brown 22:29 That's right. That's right. And also, some some of the jobs were required a certain level of vetting that they couldn't bring a company in unless those people were vetted. To you know, like on, I did quite a few photography shoots on nuclear submarines, which you you can't enter a nuclear submarine base unless you're you're vetted to a certain level. Michael Hingson 22:51 Right. Now that brings up a point. So let's let's go back to that. So going into a nuclear submarine base and so on, and and doing photography. What what was the purpose of pictures for that? Since it had to be pretty cleared and must have been somewhat classified. Jeff Brown 23:11 Well, sometimes some of the the shoots on board the submarine would be like award ceremonies. So okay, yeah, you know, people getting medals or achievements, and actually getting a photograph from receiving their award from the captain of the submarine. But then sometimes we would have PR photographs of of the the submarine sailing, and we'd be on speedboats going down the lock, photographing the submarine. Michael Hingson 23:41 But what you were not doing was taking pictures of things that were so classified that they didn't dare show them to the public or whatever. Jeff Brown 23:49 Yes, yes, Michael Hingson 23:50 yeah. Which which makes sense. Speaker 1 23:57 If you enjoy unstoppable mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset Community. Michael Hingson 24:30 So you you did that, and so you clearly found a niche to to do and to to work at, and obviously loved it. Jeff Brown 24:43 I do. I mean, it took it took a while to get the confidence. I'm quite an introverted person, so where I love taking photographs, and you know, it's easy to take photographs of things and objects and landscapes and that sort of stuff. It's. It's quite hard when you don't have a lot of confidence and you are quite introverted to start directing people and telling people what to do, especially when you had to direct, you know, entire ships, companies, or groups of 4050, people to do a a group shot at the awards ceremony. So that that was something that took a bit of getting used to and put me out of my comfort zone to to become a bit more sociable and a bit less introverted, and also direct people from behind the camera. Michael Hingson 25:31 So you you became a director, Jeff Brown 25:35 I suppose. Yeah, you do. In some senses, Michael Hingson 25:38 anyway. Jeff Brown 25:38 Yeah, yeah, and from from another point of view, I sudden realized that you know you might not like directing people, or you might be really nervous about speaking to people you've never met before and telling them what to do. But quite often, the people on the other side of the camera are just as nervous as you because they don't like having their photograph taken. They feel awkward, so you know part of your job as a photographer is to put people at ease and make people feel comfortable. Michael Hingson 26:03 Yeah, and I think about it as a public speaker. I keep hearing all the time that one of the top fears that people have is speaking and standing on a stage and speaking. And I and I finally realize that that's because we're conditioning people to think that it's scary, but the fact of the matter is that, and I still believe this to this day, audiences want speakers to succeed. Unless you're just a real jerk, audiences want you to succeed, and I would think that that some of that same level of confidence goes into what you do as a photographer. You are-they want you to succeed, and the people who are nervous about you taking their pictures and so on. Your job, as you point out, is to kind of help make them feel more comfortable about Jeff Brown 26:55 it. Yeah, and and you, you know, on from your point of view, you know, you you want somebody to love the picture? Michael Hingson 27:02 Yeah, Jeff Brown 27:02 you want someone to go, oh wow, you know, like actually take away their their dislike and awkwardness of having a photograph taken, and you know it's it's quite rewarding when you see somebody go, oh wow, I didn't know I could look that good, you know, because you've you've directed them, you've posed them, you've helped them feel more relaxed, and they see themselves in a different because it's it's quite it quite often it's not that somebody always looks awkward or you know they don't take a good picture as people say oh don't take my picture I don't take a good picture you know it's the fact that they've never been directed they've never they've always felt felt uncomfortable and awkward so it comes through in the the final image because they don't look relaxed. They don't look natural. They've got this fake smile. They look uncomfortable. Michael Hingson 27:49 I know. For me, I've I've never worried about that. Of course, being blind my whole life, I never really cared a whole lot about pictures. Yeah. So I love to pick on pictures all the time. So you know, for example, people say that a picture is worth 1000 words, and I just point out, yeah, but it takes a whole lot more memory. So, but but but I I appreciate pictures, and I've learned a lot more about photography and appreciating photography ever since September 11th. And part of that was my guide dog Roselle at the time, who became a real camera ham hound. She loved to be in front of the camera, and there was one time we were on a Larry King show on CNN, and you know his shots are and the photographers and and the and everything on the show is basically front like from the chest up, and and so on, and they take pictures. So one day we were going to be on the show, and they made a a little platform that Roselle, my guide dog, could lie on, and they said, "Okay, put her up on there, and I did, and she laid down, put her head between her paws, and that was it. And the director came like about a minute before the show started, and he said, "Isn't there anything you can do to get her to react more and to be a little bit more involved in the show? And I said, "Are the Klieg lights on yet? And he said, "No. I said, "Just wait till you turn the lights on. Everything will change. The lights came on. She lifted up her head, started blinking her eyes and flashing her eyelashes, smiling and licking her chops, and just having a good old time. She loved the camera. It was so funny. Jeff Brown 29:39 Yeah, I can't get. I can't get my dog to sit. He won't sit in front. He won't sit in front of the camera. He's a working Springer Spaniel. He will not stay still for two minutes. And there's something about it. Every time you look, you pick up the camera. I think he knows that you want to take a picture, and he turns his head away. He looks the opposite direction. Michael Hingson 29:57 Yeah. See, Roselle was exactly the opposite. Knew you wanted to take her picture, and she was going, "Bring it on! She just absolutely loved it. It was so funny, and and and it was it was a blessing. But it it as as we talked about it, as I talked to photographers and other people when we dealt with different interviews and so on, I grew to appreciate the value of pictures and what it was that they were trying to get, and it didn't take any work really to get Roselle to be involved in that. It didn't take a lot of work to get me involved with it, but I gained a greater understanding of it. So I certainly value the fact that there's there's a lot of reasons for taking photographs, although I also like audio input and other things like that that I'm going to see. But still, it's it's great that we have this technology, and nowadays, of course, because it is so digital, it makes it so much easier. Jeff Brown 30:59 It does. I think I think obviously there's you know everybody's using photographer now. Everyone walks around with a camera in their pocket, which is you know effectively a smartphone, and the quality of the images that you can take on a phone are fantastic. You know the you know the the resolution, the color saturation, the the look absolutely amazing. But sometimes I think people forget to stop and appreciate the moment. So everybody is more, you know, getting the picture taken, sticking it onto Instagram, onto Facebook, and also we have all these digital memories. But not many people are printing pictures out and putting them on the walls like we used to in the 80s and 90s. You know, family portraits, and I think that is a big thing that photographers need to be to be sort of reinventing and encouraging people to to enjoy the wall art, personalize the home, have a picture on the wall that brings a smile to your face every time you see it. Because if you take it on your phone, you you enjoy it for a second, and then it becomes a memory, and it goes in. I looked the other day. I've got 14 and a half 1000 pictures on my phone. Yeah. So, and I only ever see them, you know, seconds after I take them and I post them on Facebook, and then maybe a year later when a Facebook memory comes up and reminds me, oh, this is what you were doing this time last year. Michael Hingson 32:20 Yeah. Well. Well, and I understand that, and I, I, I also understand what you're saying about lazy photography because, as you said, you take the picture, you look at it, and it's gone, and you don't necessarily do all you can to make sure that the picture is looking as good as it as it can look, and sometimes we just rely on the automatic zoom and other things like that to make the picture look good. But the bottom line is that ultimately we're in control of it and really should make the picture as good as we can make it. Jeff Brown 32:54 Yeah, I mean that was that was what we were taught in the military right at the very beginning. And as I say, you know, was starting out on on on film cameras. It was get it right in the camera. You know, get it right in the camera. It'll look a lot better, and it'll save you hours of time in the dark room. And then there's a tendency now for photographers to think, "Oh, that'll do. I'll just sort it out in Photoshop afterwards, and which again takes time. And as a photographer, time is money. So yeah, yeah. The better you can get the composition and the and the way a photograph looks in the camera, then the less work you're going to have to do afterwards. Michael Hingson 33:35 Yeah, which makes perfect sense. And so I appreciate that. Well, so you were in the military for 10 years, and what made you retire from the military? And also, what kind of skills did you learn that you then took away from the military? One of them had to be accepting authority a little bit more, but I'm being sarcastic. But still, what what kind of skills and so on did you learn, and and did you take away, and and why did you even leave the military after 10 years? Jeff Brown 34:07 So, so being a military photographer, I was a military photographer, and there was a new a new sort of breed of like a new discipline that was coming into into the into our area into the the photography branch, and it was called IA, which is an intelligence analyst, and they believed that photographers, probably rightly, had a real attention to detail and a keen a keen eye for spotting things, and they were so they recruited intelligence analysts from the photography branch to analyze intelligence imagery, satellite imagery, reconnaissance, and then collate this information with other intelligence services. Like Lacher on I six and JCHQ, so so people on the ground, you know, and and military listening outposts, and so I got sent to work. So I did my intelligence course, and I got sent to work for with the intelligence services for about two and a half years now. While I was while I was doing my job as a military analyst, intelligence analyst, I started getting people coming into my office and saying, "You're a military photographer, aren't you? Yeah. Would you photograph my dog? Can you can you photograph my daughter at her birthday? Do you do weddings? Can you do my my my partner's wedding and stuff like that? So started doing a little bit of stuff on weekends, and then soon realized that there was actually quite a good bit of money being a photographer. So that was it. So that that set me on the path of right. I'm going to get out the military. I'm going to start with my own business. I'm going to go back to being self-employed again, but this time using my skills as a photographer. And yeah, I had good photography skills. I had other skills that the military had sort of drummed into me, which was you know timekeeping, organization, attention to detail, and that would work brilliant with a wedding because with a wedding you've got to organize people, everything's got to be on time. You've you've got to have that attention to detail, so started doing weddings on weekends, and then I left, and now decided to go into partnership with another military photographer who was working at the same the same base as me, and was also from the same the same area, the same the same city. So I left first because he was married with two kids. Alif first to set the business up and get the business bringing in money, and then about six months later, the business was bringing in enough money for him to put his notice in and and come out and and join me full time in the photography business. So and then it just skyrocketed from there. We ended up having four different photography businesses, Michael Hingson 37:03 pretty impressive, huh? Jeff Brown 37:05 It was good, but I think you know a lot of the lot the stuff that we did is when we left the military is you get a resettlement grant to resettle you back into civilian life to to to get you ready to work for other people, but obviously we were going to go self employed, so we we spent this resettlement grant of 7000 pound on marketing and branding training. So I got 7000 Kev got 7000 So we spent spent a lot of our money on understanding how to run a business, understanding what brand was all about and brand concept and and marketing. And it wasn't necessarily our photography skills that helped us succeed. It was the skills of actually understanding how to run a business and how to market our brand, Michael Hingson 37:49 which also goes a little bit back to understanding PR and just as you said, understanding all about business, which is which is pretty cool. Speaker 3 37:57 Yeah. Michael Hingson 37:59 Well, as you as you did that, how easy was it for you to integrate back into society and become disciplined enough to run your own business? Because when you were in the military, you had other people who were making a lot of those decisions, but you had to learn something along the way or figure out something along the way that allowed you to truly run your own business. Jeff Brown 38:22 To be honest, I felt I felt quite excited to be going back to it because, obviously, you know, from sort of 1415, year old, I'd had I'd had my own business, and that that was my first my first ever job. You know, working for myself with fish and fish and tackle business, and I sort of realized early on that yes, I don't have a boss, but ultimately the business is the boss because the business demands from you all the time. It demands how much work you need to put in, and if you don't put the work in, then you don't get the money. But the other good thing about running your own business is you're not on a fixed wage. You know, you have that ability to make a lot more money, without having to be promoted or or impress somebody else, you know. So for some people, it doesn't work. Like my girlfriend always says, she doesn't think she could do what I do because she doesn't like that uncertainty. Of you know, because every business is ups and downs, ups and downs. You have low moments. You have high moments, but that's life in general, isn't it? And I think you've just got to have more high moments than low moments. But yeah, I love it. I don't think I could ever work for anybody else. But a lot of, I think I'm unemployable. I don't think I can. I don't think I could go into a normal job. But a lot of those high Michael Hingson 39:40 moments are also moments that essentially you create. It's your mindset. That's Jeff Brown 39:45 right. Yeah, Michael Hingson 39:46 because you know, like failure. Everybody talks about failure. Well, you know, you're going to experience failure in your life, and I have gotten to the point where I tend to react and say there really is no such thing as failure. Because failure seems to be an absolute-you screwed up, and that's all there is to it. And the reality is, it's not. Failure isn't really the issue. The issue is okay. You made a plan. Something didn't work right. The question really is now: Where do you go from here? How do you fix it? What have you learned from what happened? And I think that's really the issue. Jeff Brown 40:20 That's totally that's totally right, and you know, but I made a a decision back in 2014 So you said, you know, I love cooking, and had the photography businesses, which which were both doing very well. They were both they were all super successful, you know, bringing in the money, and I decided, wouldn't it be nice to buy a really, really beautiful traditional country pub, one with log fires, you know, in the middle of the countryside, maybe a two, 300 year old building, and and run my own pub? So that was that was my idea. So so I found this this beautiful little country pub in Durham, in the northeast of England, and it was like a picture postcard country pub that looked beautiful. It actually had two log fires. It had, I think, it was about 300 year old. It had wooden beams, everything, and so I fell in love with it. I I bought the lease on it. I plowed 120,000 pounds of my own money into it, and within 12 months, I'd lost all that money. I was a further 60,000 pound in debt, and I couldn't see any way out. Because you say, you know, like failure. Sometimes people think failure is that's it, that's the end. They can't see past it, and stupidly, I decided that that was it. I couldn't go on anymore, so I tried to drive my car off a bridge. I was, I was drunk at the time, but you know, luckily I didn't. I just damaged the car. I didn't damage myself. I woke up the next morning feeling utterly disgusted with myself because my daughter at the time would have been seven year old. and I realized I needed to get out the pub, and I needed to change a different direction, which I did. So I ran away, and I came to the countryside where I live now in Northumberland, and moved away from all my family and and my friends, about an hour away from all my family and friends to restart my life again, and I spent probably about six months listening to positivity books and audio books, and and trying to rewind my mindset, and then take a new direction. And that's when I got into the idea of because I was in the middle of the countryside, I could run an online business training photographers in marketing and branding, and you know how to how to promote themselves on the internet, and I could do that with anybody anywhere in the world who was a photographer. So that was my idea, and that's what I went for. And you know, looking back at it, 11 years on from that, it would be 11 years in March when I tried to take my own life, and I thought that was that was the biggest worst failure I'd ever have. It was the best failure I ever had because I've never been as happy. I've never been as stress free. My work takes me all over the world, speaking and meeting photographers. I have an absolutely amazing community. No day is the same because I'm on all different time zones, speaking to different people, and and I just love it. It's stress free, but you know, if I'd stayed at the pub, that wouldn't have been stress free. So, Michael Hingson 43:33 so what happened? That why did the pub fail? Fail, or or why didn't the public pub succeed? And what did you learn from that? Jeff Brown 43:40 So, well, first of all, probably I probably fell in love with the idea of the pub, but I probably didn't do enough research. Now, funny enough, it was in an old mining village, my coal mining village, that was very, very much based around if you weren't born and bred in the area, you didn't fit in, so first of all, I think fit into the village very well. But the profitability in the pub trade is is very hard, especially if the pub, if the building is owned by a brewery and you've got to buy your beer direct from the brewery, it reduces the profit margins. And I just think everything that could go wrong in that 12 month did go wrong. We had staff stealing offers. We had a couple of sabotages to the pub, a couple of really big bills that wasn't expected, equipment going wrong and equipment failing, and yeah, the costs just spiraled out of control. Michael Hingson 44:38 Just a lot of lack of research, Jeff Brown 44:41 yeah, yeah, yeah, Michael Hingson 44:42 and I would suspect that you would say that because of that, and because you realized all that, you learned. Jeff Brown 44:50 I learned, yeah, yeah, I, I totally learned, and I think you know that I, I, I fell in love with the idea of it. I fell in love with the building, and probably, probably didn't research it. And also, you know, yeah, I was great at marketing. I was great at business, but I'd never run a pub before. And yeah, it was probably a bit of a. I'd probably sort of trying to run before I could walk. In that, you know, might have been better off going and working for somebody else and being a manager or working in a bar. And you know, the the day I opened the pub, I'd never even pulled a pint before. Never stood behind a bar and served served a drink. So, Michael Hingson 45:28 yeah, and that's that's an art in of itself. Jeff Brown 45:32 Yeah, yeah, that's right. Michael Hingson 45:34 I used to when I lived in New Jersey and worked in New York. I used to go to a restaurant called Virgil's Real Barbecue, best barbecue I think in the country, and so if you're ever in New York, it's Virgil's. Anyway, they had opened a facility in Las Vegas. Also, they opened a restaurant in Las Vegas, and so last week when I was at the Consumer Electronics Show, I went there, and one of the things I had heard early on when they I heard about them opening the restaurant several years ago, was that the people who opened the restaurant before they could open it had to go spend six months in New York at the original Virgil's, learning everything about it, so that they could make this restaurant and the food be the same as as what they experienced, because they wanted Virgil's to be the same in both places, and they did. And I can say that, from my perspective, at least, they did a really great job, and they learned from that, which was exactly what you wanted for the people in Las Vegas to do, and they survived the pandemic, and it's still open. So when you're in Las Vegas next time, Jeff Brown 46:47 yeah, I'm there next week. So yeah, I'll have to Virgil's. Yeah, I'll check it out. Michael Hingson 46:52 Virgil's real barbecue, best ribs in the country. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it, everybody. Well, that's cool. So. So, do you believe that things happen for a reason? I mean, a lot has happened, and of course, the pub closed and and all that. Do you believe that things happen for a reason? Jeff Brown 47:13 I do, and and you know now I I think one of the things as well when you get to that point where you you don't believe there's there's there's any way out, and and you know you you get that alone, you get depressed, but you you feel that you've got to take your own life. You are right at the very bottom. I think for you to go to the very bottom and then come back up again, it changes your mindset about stuff. And I I never get stressed. I am a very, very chilled out person. If something goes wrong now or something fails, I just go. Well, it's happened for a reason. Maybe something better is around the corner. Maybe it's the universe trying to direct me in a in a different path. You know, and and I think the less you live, the more you live by that mindset, the more it opens you up to other opportunities. Yeah, keeps you living it. You know, you're not living in the past; you're living in the future. It it was for the first six months coming up here 11 years ago. It was hard to move away from that failure in my mind. I kept playing it over and over again, but you know, playing it over and over again wasn't going to make that failure with the pub any different. The outcome had happened, and what I needed to do was focus on the future, get back together and get my myself back together, both mentally and also establish a new business and a new way of life. And that in itself was a a massive learning curve, but for the better. Michael Hingson 48:44 Well, and and the reality is, it it certainly has made a big difference in your life. And the fact is that, again, it goes back to failure isn't the end all, and failure is is probably the wrong way to put it. It's a learning experience, and I think that it's so important to do that. I am like you. I refuse to feel stress. I've been through too many experiences in my life that that caused stress, and I've learned that there are always ways to to deal with things, and so it's important to not let the stress overwhelm you. I wrote a book that was published in 2024 called "Live Like a Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and His Dogs About Being Brave, Overcoming Adversity, and Moving Forward in Faith. And moving forward in faith is part of it, but the whole issue is we focus on our lives on so many things. We think we need to control everything, and the reality is, we only control probably much less than 10% of all the things that we experience, but we worry about 100% of everything, and that doesn't help. And so, it builds up so much fear and causes so much stress. And if we would just focus on the things over which we really can control, we would be much better off. Jeff Brown 49:59 Saying that, you know, after leaving the pub, because my mindset was very, very delicate, and I had to build my my mental health back up, I decided to stop watching the news. So I used to used to get up and go downstairs and put the news on TV and have my morning coffee and and listen to all this negativity, all this drama, every single morning, which I've done for probably 40, you know, well, at least 30-five years, and and that was it. I've never watched the news since. I don't watch any live TV. I don't watch the news. People say, "Well, how do you manage? So, well, somebody will tell me something, but most of the time, half the stuff that people get worried about never actually happens. And if it does happen, quite often there's nothing you can do about it because it's the other side of the world. Michael Hingson 50:53 Well, even if it's in England, you don't have control over it, so why worry about it? Now, I watch I watch the news, but I do it because I want to get the information. But I won't worry about it. And there's so much that happens. But I feel that that at least there is information to be gained by watching the news. But what I had to learn somewhere along the line is don't take it personally because you don't have any control over it. And there are so many things that that go on, but the the trick is not to let things you don't have any control over really affect you to the point where you get nervous and stressful again. Jeff Brown 51:34 Yeah, yeah, and I think that you know the the same thing can be put into social media. You know, people say social media is negative. Social media is dangerous, and it depends how you react to it and what you engage on. You know, in my own social media, I follow a lot of photographers, a lot of people who talk about adventures and motorcycle rides and travel and nature. So my news feed is filled with a lot of positive stuff. And if if I see something negative or see something sensationalist, what I do is I don't unfriend that person. I just unfollow them, so I don't see their content again. Michael Hingson 52:09 Yeah. Jeff Brown 52:10 But from from the plus side, you know, social media has bought me more opportunity than anything else, and and effectively for free. And I've traveled traveled a lot because of my work. I have over 100,000 followers across my my social media platforms, and social media brings me customers, brings me clients. It helps me sell books, so there is a lot of positivity to it. I suppose it. The negative is only if you engage in the negative, then you will you'll find the the negative aspect. Michael Hingson 52:40 Yeah. Well, and the reality is that again, it's it's how you approach life, and you've clearly learned a lot about how to approach life in a much more positive way. You've developed, well, we'll call it an unstoppable mindset. You've developed a mindset that allows you to go through life and do the things that you need to do, and focus on the things that you can, and you leave the rest of it alone. Jeff Brown 53:06 Yeah, yeah, totally, totally. Michael Hingson 53:08 Which which makes a lot of sense. Well, for you, you you talked earlier about the fact that you have dyslexia, and you've been with dyslexia for most of your life, or maybe all of your life. It's interesting. I've talked to so many people who didn't know that they had dyslexia when they were in school and so on, and experienced a lot of the same frustrations and kinds of experiences that that you've experienced. And somewhere along the line, they finally discovered that they they had dyslexia. How did that when you when you finally realized that? What did that do for you? How did how did that really affect you? Jeff Brown 53:52 Well, funny enough, I I can remember a moment where I must have been about eight year old, where a teacher and you know, back in the 70s, teachers weren't as kind, weren't as kind to to schoolchildren as they are now. You know, and and this this teacher singled me out in front of the class and and told me that I was stupid and I wouldn't amount to anything because I kept struggling with this reading and my numbers. And at the time, I I was I was chubby. I had ginger hair, so I didn't have a I didn't have a lot going for us in in the popularity front, and also being you know the the stupid one in the class. So I found it really negative, and I found it really really personal because I didn't realize that I was dyslexic because nobody knew what dyslexia was now, and when I got to my mid 30s, and I went to train to go into the work with the intelligence services and be an image analyst, I had to redo my English and maths all level qualifications that I should have passed at school, but obviously I didn't. I had to do them through the military, and that was when I found out I was dyslexic, and I didn't actually know what dyslexia was until until I made up on it, and then it all made sense. You know why why I'd struggled for so long. I have my own workarounds. I know what my I know what my what my issues are. I mean, now with with with my work, there's so much out there that helps you as a dyslexic. You know, you you have you have spell checker, you have read aloud where you might not be able to see see it. You know, so quite often I'll do a social media post, and I'll I'll get Word document to read it out aloud so I can hear it. But if I if I if I read it back, I can't see the mistakes I've made because my mind doesn't process that. I know when I write a number down, I probably write write it down the wrong way. So if somebody gives me a phone number and I phone it and it's dead, I just change some of the digits around and figure Michael Hingson 55:58 it out. Do you agree? Do you use technology like Dragon, naturally speaking, to dictate? Jeff Brown 56:04 I tend, I tend to. So I started using only in the past six months. I was quite, I was quite sort of against AI, and well, not against it, but everybody was jumping on the chat, ChatGPT bandwagon, and I always tend to do something different than everybody else does. Six months ago, I jumped on a piece of software called Claude, and because I've because I've written five books now, I've written four business books, and I've written a travel book. I also had a lot of content to give to Claude to feed Claude, and then I had transcripts from my YouTube channel, and and then I gave them some do's and don'ts about you know tone of voice and language, and you know I would never say things like this, I would never say things like that. Told them that you know don't be spelling color without a U. Don't put a Z in sympathize because not American English. It's English, English, and the funny thing is, like over the over the past few months, he's he's pretty much replicated my tone of voice, so I can get Claude to write me a social media post, and then I I just tweak it slightly, and I'll make some changes, and then when I've written that social media post, I give it back to Claude and say, can you note? Can you identify the changes that I've made from what you've originally made, Michael Hingson 57:24 right? Jeff Brown 57:25 And take them on board for the next one, and then you give a summary of the changes. And it's yeah, it's it's it's quite impressive. It's quite scary as well because he he says things like, "Am I becoming more Jeff? Yeah, yeah, you are a bit. Michael Hingson 57:42 Well, the other thing is there are programs and technologies, as I mentioned, like Dragon, which is a a technology that you can get where you dictate, and it recognizes your voice, and it will then convert what you say directly into digitized form, which is pretty cool. I use Dragon when I write a fair amount, and and so that that goes back far earlier than AI. Although I'm sure that there are AI, there are AI components to Dragon naturally speaking today. But it's a it's a great program, and it makes writing a lot easier. So rather than typing on a keyboard, I'm speaking, and it is essentially taking what I write, and it just completely digitizes it by recognizing my voice and then putting it out in in in a digital form for me. I can use it with Microsoft Word and other things like that, Jeff Brown 58:41 yeah. And then do then do you listen back to that and then give edits on on what has been on what is being done? Michael Hingson 58:49 Yeah, I can. I just go back and read the word doc, and but it's but it literally is is transcription of what I say, so I can then go back and say, okay, let's fix this, or everything is fine, and I can go even go back and figure out what's misspelled if there are things that it misrecognized. But it works pretty well. Jeff Brown 59:12 Yeah, tech technology is is is fantastic. It's also got it's it's it's I suppose worrying sides for creative people, where there's a lot, a lot of creatives that potentially AI could could really damage their careers going forward. So it's it's interesting to see which direction it's taken. You know, work with it, but then also be aware of it. Michael Hingson 59:40 Yeah. Well, you still need to take control. Jeff Brown 59:43 Yeah, yeah. Michael Hingson 59:45 So, what's the most unusual or interesting country that you've ever visited since you do so much traveling? Jeff Brown 59:52 I've been to North Korea. So, 2019 I went to North Korea for New. New Year's Eve to celebrate New Year in in Pyongyang Square with another 100,000 North Koreans. There was only 12 Western tourists in Pyongyang at the time, and we were there for 10 days. So yes, I've I've done North Korea, which it took a bit getting into getting into North Korea. It's not as easy as just you can't go on and book a holiday. He can't choose a hotel. It all has to be done through a third-party agent, and it took about six months to get the whole thing to together. But it was-it was very interesting. It was a completely different than every anything I'd ever experienced before, and it's also supposed to be one of the safest countries you can travel to because you you're followed by the North Korean secret police everywhere you go, even inside buildings, when you're in restaurants, when you're in bars. That nothing could ever happen to you, but the North Korean people would never dare to come up and speak to you anyway, you know. But the the thing with North Korea is everything is everything is orchestrated. Everything is set for you alive and there in advance, so you only ever see what they want you to see. You never see the other side of North Korea. I've also been to Chernobyl, where the the last was that was absolutely fascinating, and last year I went to Transnistria, which is one of these countries that doesn't exist. It's not officially recognized by by the UN, and that was like stepping back into the 1980s Speaker 1 1:01:38 That was, Jeff Brown 1:01:39 but everywhere I've been, you know, I think that that's t
On this week's episode of the Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha discuss the widening war in the Middle East and what it means for South Korea, from rising oil prices and shipping insurance costs to inflationary pressure on an export-dependent economy. They also break down Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's conviction for violating the Political Funds Act, including why the ruling could damage his political image even as he remains in office while pursuing an appeal. The episode then turns to South Korea's ongoing trade and industry talks with Washington, as Seoul looks to deepen shipbuilding cooperation while Coupang continues to complicate the broader U.S.-ROK economic conversation. They also discuss the latest cyberattack on the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, after officials said the institution had been compromised for months, exposing the personal data of South Korean diplomats and raising questions about possible North Korean or Chinese involvement. About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim, Managing Editor John Lee and correspondent Joon Ha Park, delivering deep, clear analysis of South Korean politics, diplomacy, security, society and technology for professionals who need more than headlines. Uploaded every Friday. This episode was recorded on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Audio edited by Alannah Hill
This month, Dr. Rüdiger Frank joins North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot to discuss how decades of marketization have transformed North Korea's economy and society, and why old assumptions about engagement and pressure may no longer apply. He talks about the emergence of what he describes as a sizable North Korean middle class, how smartphones, private wealth and limited consumer choices point to deeper social change, and why leader Kim Jong Un may be a reluctant reformer forced to manage economic realities he did not create. He also explains why money is increasingly trapped inside North Korea, how projects like Wonsan-Kalma may be designed to absorb domestic spending and why Pyongyang could be moving toward something resembling a developmental dictatorship. Dr. Rüdiger Frank is professor of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna and one of Europe's foremost experts on North Korea. He studied at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang from 1991-1992, and has spent decades researching North Korea's political economy, economic transformation and international relations. About the podcast: North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot is a monthly long-form interview series from the NK News Podcast, featuring in-depth conversations with experts and specialists on North Korea. The regular weekly NK News Podcast, hosted by Alannah Hill, continues to cover the latest developments in the North Korea news cycle.
Trump's latest AI leader resigns. The Army burns through its AI tokens. Scammers impersonate IC3 personnel.HollowGraph malware uses a compromised Microsoft 365 calendar for C2. Qilin ransomware targets a critical Palo Alto Networks flaw. A North Korean campaign targets Web3 and cryptocurrency professionals through fake job recruitment scams. Zimbra patches multiple critical bugs. Shadow AI creates regulatory headaches. Hackers wipe Romania's land registry database. Our guest is Errol Weiss, Chief Security Officer at Health-ISAC, setting the record straight on ransomware trends. Patching the automotive security system you didn't know you had. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today we have Errol Weiss, Chief Security Officer at Health-ISAC, joining us to discuss ransomware trends in the healthcare industry. We also discuss findings from the Health-ISAC 2026 CISO Benchmarking Report and Health-ISAC's 2nd Quarter Heartbeat Report, which examine the current threat landscape facing the health sector. Selected Reading Trump's latest AI czar has already resigned (TechCrunch) The Army Is Burning Through Its AI Tokens (WIRED) Fake FBI Agents Use IC3 Complaints to Target Scam Victims (Hackread) New HollowGraph Malware Abuses Microsoft 365 Calendar for C&C Communication (SecurityWeek) Critical Palo Alto VPN bug now exploited by Qilin ransomware gang (Bleeping Computer) Researchers Uncover North Korean 'ClickFake' Campaign Targeting Web3 Pros (Infosecurity Magazine) Zimbra Update Patches Critical Vulnerabilities (SecurityWeek) Shadow AI Is Rewriting Cyber Disclosure Risk (BankInfoSecurity) Risky Bulletin: Hacker wipes Romania's entire land registry database (Risky.Biz) A Device Hidden in Cars Across the US Leaves Them Vulnerable to Hacking and Paralysis. Patch It Now (WIRED) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hour 3 blends national security, legislative wins, and a sobering look at technology's dark side. Jim Carafano breaks down the strikes near Bandar Abbas and confirms serious evidence of Chinese, Russian, and North Korean hacking of American election systems. Congressman Bob Onder delivers a full report from the Capitol Beat: the Save America Act's path through reconciliation, the newly passed Chloe Cole Act protecting children from transgender medical procedures, warnings about a potential Cori Bush comeback in Missouri's First District, and the case for an 8-0 congressional map. Kim on a Whim closes the hour wrestling with a disturbing AI deepfake lawsuit against xAI, a timely reminder for families about the real dangers lurking online. Through it all, The Marc Cox Morning Show stays anchored in family, faith, and the fight to protect both elections and children. Hour Hashtags: #JimCarafano #BobOnder #SaveAmericaAct #ChloeColeAct #IranStrikes #ElectionSecurity #KimOnAWhim #AIThreats #ProtectOurKids #CoriBush #ConservativeTalk #FaithFamilyFreedom #MarcCoxMorningShow Guest List, Hour 3: Jim Carafano, Heritage Foundation — Iran strikes and foreign election hacking threats Congressman Bob Onder (MO-3) — Save America Act, Chloe Cole Act, Cori Bush race, education policy
Instead of watching Trump's speech tonight, watch Monday's Gaslit Nation Salon on July 14 - Bastille Day! Here's an excerpt. You can watch the full recording by joining our community of listeners on Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com. We had a lively discussion of Lindsey Graham's sudden death, how Russians see themselves as meat for the meatgrinder, and more. Trump's North Korean propaganda speech tonight is meant to strongarm Republicans into passing the Trad Wife Act -- (a.k.a. the Save Act), suppressing the votes of millions of people, especially married women who will be forced to show their birth certificates to vote if they changed their last names for marriage. It would also of course target anyone who changed their names, including trans people. It's bad all around, so bad that even many Republicans can't bring themselves to support it. They know the ripple effect will be a last straw for the powder keg that is the United States during this time of political violence in a slow-moving Civil War. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com
AI is giving cybercriminals capabilities once reserved for elite hackers and powerful nation-states. Cybersecurity expert Nicole Perlroth joins Kara to explain why she fears we're inching closer to an “everything, everywhere, all at once” wave of cyberattacks. Perlroth reveals what she learned in reporting the latest season of her podcast, "To Catch a Thief: North Korea on Our Payroll," a deep dive into North Korean operatives who use stolen identities and American “laptop farms” to land remote jobs at major U.S. companies and funnel money back to the regime and its nuclear weapons program. She also examines China's growing cyber capabilities, threats to critical infrastructure and what Anthropic's Mythos model means for cybersecurity. Plus: how the Trump administration's dismantling of cybersecurity and election-security programs could leave the U.S. vulnerable ahead of the midterms. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After more than 400 episodes across eight years, Corey Kupfer launches a new quarterly roundtable with his law firm partners Brian Meegan and Sara Mostafa (together representing roughly 90 years of combined deal experience) to unpack why the projected 2026 M&A boom has not fully arrived, revisit the negotiation tactics behind the 1951 Korean War armistice, and share parting wisdom for business owners in a slower market. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer launches a new quarterly roundtable format with his law firm partners, Brian Meegan and Sara Mostafa. Brian has been a partner for several years. Sara joined this year as the newest partner. Together the three represent about 90 years of combined deal experience across M&A, capital raises, cross-border transactions, and wealth management. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN You'll discover why the pent-up M&A demand projected for 2026 has not materialized as expected, how a Virginia-focused fund is challenging the assumption that acquisitions drain leadership talent out of state, and why wealth management continues to run counter to the broader slowdown. Brian and Sara explain what a $60 billion all-stock transaction involving AnySphere signals about AI M&A, what the 1951 Korean War armistice negotiations still teach modern dealmakers, and how a post-Soviet Russian deal turned on cultural understanding rather than a legal provision. THE FIRM'S JOURNEY TO A QUARTERLY ROUNDTABLE The DealQuest Podcast has run for eight years and passed 400 episodes with a rhythm of three guest interviews followed by a solocast. Brian Meegan joined the firm a few years ago as a partner and has appeared on the show as a guest a couple of times. Sara Mostafa joined this year as the newest partner and has also appeared as a guest since coming on board. With three partners now representing roughly 90 years of combined deal experience, Corey launched this quarterly roundtable to talk deals openly, share what each partner is seeing across their practice areas, and introduce a new Deals in History segment. DEALS IN HISTORY Brian opened the first installment of Deals in History with the 1951 Korean War armistice negotiations, which contained nearly every classic tactic anyone has ever written about. The North Koreans picked up the UN delegation in cars carrying white flags, used higher chairs to gain physical advantage, and pushed multi-meeting standoffs over table shape and flag size. At one point both sides sat in complete silence for over two hours, refusing to move on a single boundary point. The full negotiation spanned roughly 160 meetings across two and a half years, and the document that resulted is not a peace treaty. It is a ceasefire that has held since the end of the war. KEY INSIGHTS The pent-up 2026 M&A demand has not arrived. Energy price disruption, interest rate uncertainty, and other macro conditions have kept the big bump from showing up. Deal flow remains active, but both Brian and Sara noted a less frenetic pace toward closing. Wealth management remains a meaningful exception, with private equity capital and succession pressure keeping RIA deal flow robust. Outside wealth management, Sara is seeing active smaller and mid-market activity, especially for targets that have successfully integrated AI into operations. Andrew Dunlap's Virginia-focused fund is a useful counterweight to the standard acquisition narrative. He shared with Corey that 82 percent of Virginia acquisition buyers were from out of state, and top leadership talent tends to relocate with the new HQ. His commitment is to keep businesses local, in a mini Berkshire Hathaway style approach. Cultural understanding often matters more than a specific legal provision. Corey shared a story from the early 1990s, just after the Soviet Union fell, when a Russian counterparty refused to sign a standard non-circumvention agreement as a matter of deeply held belief. Corey structured around it by locking up non-circumvention agreements with the US suppliers directly, and closed the deal. There is a deal for almost any business frustration, challenge, or opportunity. Corey's parting wisdom points to acquihires, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and white labeling as underused options. Brian added Jim Collins' 2009 line to never waste a good recession. Sara closed with practical guidance for women-owned and minority-owned business owners to seek community and specialized funds beyond the SBA. Perfect for entrepreneurs weighing M&A moves right now, wealth management and RIA professionals tracking deal flow, and anyone interested in how experienced deal lawyers read the market quarter to quarter. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/quarterly-roundtable-brian-meegan-sara-mostafa FOR MORE ON KUPFER.https://www.kupferlaw.com FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00:00] - Launching the new quarterly roundtable format with Brian Meegan and Sara Mostafa[00:05:13] - Sara on smaller and mid-market deal activity, especially where AI is integrated[00:09:18] - Andrew Dunlap's Virginia fund and the 82 percent out-of-state buyer statistic[00:11:24] - Space industry multiples running hot alongside AI [00:14:09] - The $60 billion all-stock transaction involving AnySphere and Cursor[00:15:04] - Deals in History debut, the 1951 Korean War armistice negotiations[00:20:26] - Walking the Abraham Path with William Ury in 2017 [00:23:32] - Corey's post-Soviet Russian deal and the non-circumvention agreement story [00:28:17] - Cross-border capital flow from the Middle East, India, and China [00:36:22] - Parting Shots from Sara, Brian, and Corey Guest Bios: Brian Meegan has represented US and multinational clients on corporate matters for more than 25 years, primarily on M&A, business formation, contract negotiation, and real estate. Before joining Kupfer, he founded Evergent Law, listed in Best Law Firms in America (Colorado) for Corporate Law and the exclusive Colorado M&A firm in the IR Global network, and he separately founded Watson Ltd., a back-office support company serving law firms nationwide. Brian earned his B.S. and J.D. from the University of Colorado, is listed in Best Lawyers in America (Colorado), and is a self-described history nerd who powers the new Deals in History segment on the show. Sara Mostafa is a corporate attorney with nearly two decades of experience representing private companies and individuals across M&A, private equity, financing, corporate governance, employment, real estate, and outside general counsel work, with clients spanning technology, wealth management, retail, entertainment, construction, restaurants, medical practices, and fitness and nutrition. She began her practice at Cooley LLP in San Diego and later served as a Partner at Lobb & Plewe LLP before joining Kupfer. Sara earned her J.D. from UCLA School of Law and her B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, completed Harvard Law School's Executive Education program in M&A in 2023, and is licensed in California and Hawaii. She speaks English, Spanish, Arabic, and French Host Bio: Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description: Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes: Episode 351 - There's a Deal for That Episode 331 - M&A Market Outlook and Deal Predictions Episode 293 - Sunny Vanderbeck, Selling Without Selling Out Keywords/Tags: DealQuest quarterly roundtable, Brian Meegan, Sara Mostafa, Corey Kupfer, 2026 M&A market, wealth management M&A, RIA deal flow, AI acquisitions, AnySphere Cursor, mid-market deals, cross-border transactions, Korean War armistice negotiation, William Ury, post-Soviet dealmaking, Andrew Dunlap Virginia fund, mini Berkshire Hathaway, non-circumvention agreement, deal-driven growth, Kupfer Associates, private equity M&A
NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins this week's podcast to discuss North Korea's deepening ties with China and Russia, starting with Premier Pak Thae Song's meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing during a visit marking the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK alliance treaty. He also previews Wang Huning's upcoming visit to Pyongyang and explains what these high-level exchanges suggest about where Beijing-Pyongyang ties stand. The conversation turns to Russia's growing demand for North Korean labor, before breaking down a strange Russian court case involving a failed corn shipment to North Korea and how it exposed DPRK sanctions-evasion networks. In the second part of the episode, retired senior U.S. diplomat Susan Thornton discusses the “fire and fury” period of 2017, the Trump-Kim summit process and what lessons Washington should draw from that era of direct diplomacy with Pyongyang. She also delves into whether denuclearization remains a realistic goal, what interim steps the U.S. could pursue, how China and Russia are shaping North Korea's strategic calculations and what a realistic policy success might look like in the years ahead. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
SummaryIn this episode of the Blue Security Podcast, host Andy Jaw delves into the alarming rise of North Korean IT worker scams, exploring their historical context, operational tactics, and the financial implications for both the regime and unsuspecting American companies. The discussion highlights the vulnerabilities in the hiring process and offers practical mitigation strategies for organizations to protect themselves against these sophisticated cyber threats.----------------------------------------------------YouTube Video Link: https://youtu.be/wBZz3WEMG54----------------------------------------------------Documentation: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cyber/dprk-it-fraudhttps://www.csoonline.com/article/3481659/north-korean-group-infiltrated-100-plus-companies-with-imposter-it-pros.htmlhttps://fortune.com/2025/07/24/north-korean-it-workers-chapman-nike/----------------------------------------------------Contact Us:Website: https://bluesecuritypod.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluesecuritypod.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bluesecpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BlueSecurityPodcast-----------------------------------------------------------Andy JawBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajawzero.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyjaw/Email: andy@bluesecuritypod.com----------------------------------------------------Adam BrewerTwitter: https://twitter.com/ajbrewerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjbrewer/Email: adam@bluesecuritypod.com
Hear how completing his journey to 195 countries inspired Cameron's humanitarian work & shaped his vision for the future. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Cameron Mofid completed his quest to visit every country in the world by age 25 and shares stories from some of his most extraordinary experiences across Africa, including practicing extreme exposure therapy with the Mundari tribe in South Sudan, spending time in jail in Djibouti, and navigating security threats in Somalia. We also discuss how his travels inspired the creation of Humanity Effect, the nonprofit he founded to support schools, an orphanage, and healthcare initiatives in Nigeria. He then tells the story of completing his final country by running the Pyongyang Marathon in North Korea. Cameron also opens up about why achieving his lifelong goal left him searching for a new sense of purpose, and how travel continues to shape his life, humanitarian work, and his mission to inspire others through public speaking and storytelling. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!
Truman's Rally and the Brave Dissent of Margaret Chase Smith GUEST: Nick Bunker In May 1950, a politically wounded Harry Truman embarked on a western tour to rebuild momentum and refocus the nation on his "Fair Deal." Despite a high-profile Chicago rally featuring stars like Elizabeth Taylor, his approval ratings continued to plummet amid the ongoing coal strike and corruption scandals in cities like New York. Within his own party, the "middle way" was failing to find traction. Amidst this polarization, Senator Margaret Chase Smith delivered her courageous "Declaration of Conscience" speech, calling out the Republican Party for using "fear, ignorance, bigotry, and smear" — her "Four Horsemen." She criticized both McCarthy's tactics and the Truman administration's perceived "bitterness" and lack of leadership. Though she was the first Republican to publicly challenge McCarthy, her message fell on "deaf ears" as the Senator's power grew. Only weeks later, the North Korean sneak attack on June 25 changed the world forever, ending the period of "shadow of fear" and beginning a hot war. (8)1952 STORK CLUB
Headline: Pacific Watch: High Swells and Beach Controversies in San Diego Guest: Jeff Bliss Jeff Bliss reports from Sail Bay, San Diego, discussing the arrival of massive 30-foot El Niño swells. The conversation covers local beach controversies regarding yoga permits, the upscale enclave of Laguna Beach, and an unusual early-season arson fire in the nearby hills. (1)Headline: Las Vegas Sports Expansion and the "Secret Menu" at In-N-Out Guest: Jeff Bliss Bliss discusses the potential for an NBA team in Las Vegas, possibly named the "Las Vegas Jacks." He also highlights the famous In-N-Out "secret menu," explaining "animal style" burgers and fries. Seattle remains a top contender for a returning NBAfranchise alongside Las Vegas. (2)Headline: The Myth of Birthright Citizenship and the 14th Amendment Guest: Richard Epstein Professor Richard Epstein analyzes birthright citizenship, arguing the 14th Amendment's original intent excluded foreigners. He critiques the concept of "tourist babies" and suggests the president's plenary naturalization powers could be used to restrict entry for pregnant mothers seeking citizenship for their children. (3)Headline: Presidential Immunity and the Legal Challenges Facing Donald Trump Guest: Richard Epstein Epsteindiscusses the Supreme Court's 2024 immunity ruling, distinguishing between official and unofficial acts. He critiques President Trump's private business ventures, like cryptocoin deals, as non-official acts subject to litigation. Epstein also argues that Todd Blanche is disqualified from being Attorney General. (4)Headline: Lancaster County's Economy: Weather Disruptions and Inflationary Pressures Guest: Jim McTagueJim McTague reports on violent thunderstorms in Lancaster County that caused widespread blackouts. Despite the weather, the economy remains resilient, with full hotels and strong retail demand. However, rising gasoline prices and wage-driven inflation are impacting the local community's purchasing power. (5)Headline: Italian Summer: Over-Tourism, Extreme Heat, and the Charm of Bassano del Grappa Guest: Lorenzo Fiori Lorenzo Fiori describes record-breaking heat and humidity in Italy, suggesting tourists visit Bassano del Grappato avoid crowds. He discusses the historic Palio horse race in Siena and recommends enjoying grappa with chocolate and ciabatta bread while overlooking the beautiful Dolomite mountains. (6)Headline: Strategic Stability and the Erosion of the Nuclear Taboo Guest: Peter Huessy Peter Huessy explores the weakening nuclear taboo, noting Putin's near-use of tactical nukes in Ukraine. He contrasts this with historic deterrence during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where Kennedy provided Khrushchev a "way out." Huessy emphasizes that hybrid warfare now complicates traditional deterrence strategies. (7)Headline: The Value of Deterrence in a Proliferating World Guest: Peter Huessy Huessy argues that the U.S. nuclear umbrella remains vital for protecting allies like South Korea from North Korean aggression. He asserts that nuclear weapons are cost-effective compared to massive conventional forces. Without a credible deterrent, reckless actors are more likely to trigger catastrophic global conflicts. (8)Headline: The New Space Race: Chinese Advances and Orbital Threats Guest: Henry Sokolski Henry Sokolskidiscusses China's Long March 10B booster, which successfully demonstrated first-stage recovery. He warns about potential nuclear mines in orbit and the challenge of verifying them. Additionally, Russia and China are reportedly collaborating to disable the Starlink satellite network in Ukraine. (9)Headline: Nuclear Safety and the Fog of War in Iran Guest: Henry Sokolski Sokolski examines reports of strikes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, noting that targeting reactors is legal if they serve military purposes. He expresses concern over the lack of a baseline inventory for Iran's centrifuges and enriched uranium, which complicates future nuclear negotiations. (10)Headline: Main Street Resilience: Small Business Success in 2026 Guest: Gene Marks Gene Marks reports that American small businesses are thriving, with strong consumer spending and rising revenues. He notes that wages are outpacing inflation, contributing to historical levels of personal wealth. While some use AI for content, most businesses still avoid AI for core transactions. (11)Headline: AI Productivity vs. Headcount in the Small Business Sector Guest: Gene Marks Marks argues that AI is not replacing workers but rather increasing productivity for existing staff. He highlights innovative applications like the "AI Shop Advisor" at The Vitamin Shoppe and automated inventory management tools like Zenput. Small businesses continue to face a shortage of labor. (12)Headline: The Secretive Construction of Iran's Pickaxe Mountain Guest: Andrea Stricker Andrea Stricker warns of a deeply buried nuclear site at Pickaxe Mountain, which may house advanced centrifuges. The facility is located two-thirds of a mile underground, making it extremely difficult to disable via airstrikes. Stricker recommends the U.S.demand IAEA inspections to verify compliance. (13)Headline: Latin America's Shift Toward Democratic Capitalism Guest: Conrad Black Conrad Black observes a "tidal wave" of reform across South America as nations reject left-wing "gangster" governments in favor of market economies. He highlights the success of Colombia's President Abelardo De La Espriella, a Trump ally. This regional shift is significantly influenced by Trump's economic model. (14)Headline: SETI Protocols and the Scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Life Guest: Michael Garrett Michael Garrett introduces updated SETI protocols for handling potential contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The guidelines emphasize the scientific method and verification to avoid false alarms. Garrett suggests searching for machine technology or waste heat from advanced civilizations across the electromagnetic spectrum. (15)Headline: SETI vs. UAPs: Distinguishing Science from Folklore Guest: Michael Garrett Garrett clarifies that SETIfocuses on astronomy, not atmospheric phenomena like UFOs or UAPs. While supportive of UAP research to understand drones or rockets, he remains skeptical of extraterrestrial visits. These updated guidelines aim to assist astronomers who might stumble upon technological signatures. (16)Each segment now runs as a single paragraph, headline through tail.
Headline: The Value of Deterrence in a Proliferating World Guest: Peter Huessy Huessy argues that the U.S. nuclear umbrella remains vital for protecting allies like South Korea from North Korean aggression. He asserts that nuclear weapons are cost-effective compared to massive conventional forces. Without a credible deterrent, reckless actors are more likely to trigger catastrophic global conflicts. (8)
When the United States went looking for friends during the Vietnam War, few countries answered. Foremost among them was impoverished and war-torn South Korea. South Korea's participation in the Vietnam War gets overshadowed by the American experience, but it turned out to be pivotal for the young nation and the Cold War in Asia. We'll talk about the considerations to get involved in a far flung conflict, the battlefield experience and how a few household names got their start in the Vietnam war (Samsung and Hyundai). We will also talk about the tensions that flared with the North Koreans during the time and how the experience forged a bond between the United States and Republic of Korea that lasts until the present day.
July 8, 1994. At a time when communist regimes around the world are collapsing, North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung suffers a fatal heart attack. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
Start Your Transformation Now In this episode of The Jim Fortin Podcast, Jim opens a new series comparing North Korea's overt, state-mandated ideological conditioning — its real "Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System" — to the covert brainwashing many Westerners experience through consumerism, nationalism, and religion. The difference, he argues, isn't whether brainwashing exists, but how visibly it's enforced. Jim details North Korean practices like mandatory portrait care and weekly self-criticism, then shows how Western consumerism and the need to feel "good enough" condition people just as thoroughly, only without coercion. His goal: separating listeners' true identity — their consciousness — from the conditioned "container" of the body and ego. This first episode in a multi-part series is an essential starting point for anyone ready to question who they really are. What You'll Discover in This Episode: (00:00) The hidden link between North Korea and the West — Jim reveals that the only real difference between a brainwashed North Korean citizen and most Westerners is the name and method of the conditioning. (05:18) Who gave you your thoughts? — Jim challenges listeners to question who actually taught them their fears, preferences, and even their own name. (14:31) Inside North Korea's Ten Principles — Jim details real mechanisms like mandatory portrait care and weekly self-criticism as a mirror for subtler Western conditioning. (19:49) Consumerism as covert brainwashing — Jim traces his own teenage desire for Polo shirts to a culture that uses advertising to convince people they're incomplete. (28:22) Who chose your reality? — Using a scene from The Devil Wears Prada, Jim shows how decisions we believe are our own were often shaped long before we could choose them. (30:17) You are consciousness first — Jim reveals the series' foundational truth: listeners are consciousness that inhabits a body, not a body that has consciousness. Listen, apply, and enjoy! Transformational Takeaway Most of us believe we are free-thinking, autonomous beings, but the truth is that nearly every thought, preference, and fear we carry was downloaded into us by family, media, culture, and society long before we were old enough to question it. Recognizing this isn't a cause for despair — it's the first step toward real freedom. The body is a container, conditioned and shaped by the world around it, but the listener is not that container; they are the consciousness, the life force, that inhabits it. Reclaiming that truth is where authentic power begins. Let's Connect: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn LIKED THE EPISODE? If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more people. Listening on Spotify? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! With gratitude, Jim
What if North Korea tried to capture an asteroid and turn it into a second moon? What if they created their own version of Godzilla — a giant iron-eating monster that leads a peasant revolution?This is the bizarre, wildly imaginative, and heavily propagandistic world of North Korean science fiction.In this episode of My Dark Path, host MF Thomas explores the surprising stories, books, and films created under the Kim regime — from the thrilling asteroid-mining epic Course No. 651 to Pulgasari (North Korea's homegrown kaiju classic), children's propaganda tales, robots, space battles, and how Kim Jong-il personally sparked a sci-fi boom to shape the future.Timestamps:0:00 – Course No. 651: North Korea's Plan to Create a Second Moon4:05 – Welcome to My Dark Path7:10 – The Division of Korea & the Birth of the DPRK12:55 – Socialist Realism and the Rise of North Korean Sci-Fi18:40 – Kim Jong-il's 1988 Speech That Sparked a Sci-Fi Boom24:15 – Robots, Propaganda & Anti-American Themes29:50 – Social Science Fiction & the Politics of NK Sci-Fi35:10 – Children's Sci-Fi: Brainwashing the Next Generation40:05 – Pulgasari: North Korea's Insane Homegrown Godzilla43:35 – Final Thoughts: What North Korean Sci-Fi RevealsIf you love weird history, propaganda deep-dives, and stories that sound too crazy to be true, this episode is for you.
Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper pick their favourite World Cup quarterfinals while previewing the upcoming last-eight: Portugal's 5–3 comeback against North Korea at Goodison Park in 1966, highlighting Eusébio's peak display, disputed refereeing, and the enduring Middlesbrough bond with the North Korean team; Germany–Argentina in 2006 as a pivotal step in Klinsmann's cultural and tactical reset with Löw, Lehmann's sock note in the shootout, and debate over Pekerman's substitutions; and Argentina–Netherlands in 2022, remembered amid Grant Wahl's death, for Messi's pass, a record 18 yellows, a late Weghorst equaliser from a worked free kick, and a combustible shootout and aftermath. Wilson also covers Italy–Spain in 1934 as Mussolini's World Cup's key test and Draper adds Italy–Brazil 1982 and France–Brazil 1986 as defining classics.00:00 Quarterfinal Classics Setup00:47 Portugal vs North Korea 196603:40 Goodison Shock and Comeback08:32 Eusebio Takes Over10:10 Legacy and Middlesbrough Bond16:19 Germany vs Argentina 200617:20 Klinsmann Revolution Explained23:27 Match Drama and Lehmann Note26:11 Argentina vs Netherlands 202230:33 Battle of Lusail Chaos34:48 Penalties And Tragedy36:04 Mussolini World Cup Clash41:41 Replay And Brutality42:58 England Debate Sunderland Joke44:43 Rossi Sinks Brazil 198249:50 Romance Dies Guardiola Inspired51:57 France Brazil 1986 Classic57:43 Shootout Controversy Carlos Story01:00:31 Legacy And Wrap Up Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 203 — Escaping Oppression: North Korean Defector Yeonmi Park originally aired on September 9th, 2021. Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector, suffered unimaginable horror on her journey to freedom. Desperate from starvation and oppression, she managed to escape to China, but had been sold. Several years later, she escaped through the Gobi Desert into Mongolia and then finally to freedom in South Korea. Once at university in America, she recognized the same propaganda tactics of North Korea. She has an incredible story and we’re honored to bring it to you. Donate to PragerU today: https://www.prageru.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Watch the Devotion Based on Psalm 33:12 The Nation When my wife and I traveled to the Republic of Korea last month we toured the DMZ. On that tour we had the privilege of meeting a man who had served in the North Korean Army for 10 years. He eventually escaped and defected, making his way to South Korea. He explained the deplorable living conditions and the oppressive nature of the North Korean government. But to see the joy on his face as he described the freedoms he now enjoyed living in South Korea – a free man! That freedom he enjoys here in South Korea are because of brave men from our United States military that fought for that freedom. That sacrifice by our US military is not lost in the hearts of South Koreans. This is the way it has always been in these United States of America. There have always been brave men and women who have been willing to stand up and fight for independence and freedom. And 250 years later, here we are. This weekend I'd like to challenge you. First, find a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Read it out loud. It will only take you five minutes. If you have additional 40 minutes, I'd encourage you to find a copy of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights and read them out loud. As you do, pause and think about how the Lord of creation, the Lord of lords and King of kings directs the affairs of the nations, even this one, so that we are where we are right now, in this place in history. The second thing I'm asking you to do is to read Psalm 33. I'll focus on verse twelve: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.” Some will look at this passage and say that we as Christians need to make this nation into a Christian nation. That would be incorrect. When we read Scripture we hear God tell us that we are Christians who happen to live here, in the United States of America. The nation that God speaks of in Psalm 33 is you. You are the nation of God. You are the people of God. You are citizens of his kingdom, bought with his blood, purchased and won by him, and brought into his kingdom. You are the inheritance he has chosen. And just happen to live in this awesome nation where we enjoy all of these freedoms. That's who you are. You are the nation of God. You belong to an eternal nation won by the victory of Christ. You are his inheritance. Let's celebrate the nation, THE nation, God's kingdom, in which we live, while we celebrate the 250 years of the United States of America. Prayer: Lord of the nations, we bow before you in humility as we celebrate our nation's 250th birthday. Because of your providence and grace the United States of America is a place where your people may live in peace and proclaim your truths publicly without fear of retribution. Grant your wisdom to our leaders so that your Church may flourish and we may carry out our individual vocations with joy. In your name we pray it. Amen. Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.
This week, the team discusses the Lee administration's $1 trillion “Three Mega Projects” blueprint, which aims to expand South Korea's semiconductor, AI data center, advanced packaging and robotics sectors while building a new industrial base in the Honam region. The conversation then turns to domestic politics, as the ruling Democratic Party secures 11 of the National Assembly's 18 standing committees after a People Power Party boycott, giving the ruling bloc control over key legislative choke points as it pushes President Lee Jae Myung's agenda. The team also looks at June's 3.2% inflation reading, the KOSPI sell-off and investor concerns over whether Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix can sustain major AI-related investments in both South Korea and the U.S. Later, they discuss Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha's visit to Seoul, including the fate of North Korean prisoners of war captured while fighting for Russia and discrepancies between Seoul and Kyiv's readouts on security cooperation. The episode also covers Han Seong-sook's appointment as prime minister, President Lee's criticism of the Korea Football Association after South Korea's World Cup exit and the risks of government intervention in football governance. About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim, Managing Editor John Lee and correspondent Joon Ha Park, delivering deep, clear analysis of South Korean politics, diplomacy, security, society and technology for professionals who need more than headlines. Uploaded every Friday. This episode was recorded on Thursday, July 2, 2026. Audio edited by Alannah Hill
The US-based right-wing Chinese billionaire Miles Guo (Guo Wengui), who worked closely with Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for committing $1 billion of fraud. Ben Norton explains how Western governments and media outlets support "dissidents" from countries they don't like, who are often corrupt grifters and con artists; and how fake "experts" make money by spreading absurd disinformation about China, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, etc. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSVBsyDz1ks Topics 0:00 Billionaire fraudster Miles Guo 1:03 Links to Trump, Steven Bannon 4:34 US DOJ prosecution 6:31 China's charges 8:06 US media whitewashing 12:25 Corrupt West-backed "dissidents" 15:23 US support for dictators 17:12 Pro-West Chinese "dissidents" 19:40 Soviet "dissidents" 21:07 North Korean defector Yeonmi Park 24:18 Yeonmi Park becomes a meme 25:36 (CLIP) Yeonmi Park on Joe Rogan 26:12 Absurd propaganda 26:53 Park jumps on the Trump train 27:47 Western media has no standards 28:56 Fake China "expert" Gordon G Chang 34:00 Ai Weiwei change of heart 39:16 Western imperialist hypocrisy 41:17 Outro
Welcome to Day 1 of American Ground Radio's 10th Annual Fourth of July Special — What Makes America Great — with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. We're celebrating America's 250th birthday with some of the most inspiring voices in the country. We kick things off with country music legend Clint Black, who calls the Constitution America's greatest gift — not because it created a perfect nation, but because the framers built in the wisdom to know they weren't perfect and gave the people the tools to correct course. He reflects on John Adams making those horseback rides from Boston to Philadelphia at an age Clint was when he was reading about it — knowing the punishment for failure was death — and what that kind of courage means to the rest of us. Then Joe Piscopo — Frank Sinatra's vice chairman of the board — joins us from New Jersey, talking about his grandfather's manifest on the German freighter that brought him to Ellis Island, his father fighting for the United States Army Air Corps in World War II, and why every morning on the radio he feels like he's on a mission in their name to keep the legacy of this country alive. Singer-songwriter Don McLean, author of American Pie, tells us about falling in love with an Israeli woman, living outside Tel Aviv while he could hear the Iran-Iraq War a hundred miles away, and coming home to America thinking — we have no idea how safe we are here. He also tells us about a new documentary on the making of American Pie and his brand new album American Boys. Mattress Mack — Jim McIngvale of Gallery Furniture in Houston — gives us the three-word formula he's lived by his whole life: late to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise. He talks about opening his furniture store as a shelter during Houston floods and hurricanes, about a man who spent six years in Angola Penitentiary and is now one of his best employees, and about why the Judeo-Christian work ethic is the foundation of everything he's built. He also shares that in 1900, the average American household had 10.5 people. Today it's under two. And one, he says, is the loneliest number. Gary Sinise — Lieutenant Dan himself, founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, author of Grateful American — talks about standing at the DMZ between North and South Korea and staring into the eyes of a North Korean guard who has never known freedom, and what that does to your appreciation for everything the men and women who serve under our flag have given us. He also shares that the 30th anniversary of Forrest Gump is coming up on July 6th. Our American Mamas Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson join us to talk about their 23rd annual Fourth of July family gathering — a tradition they started as young newlyweds so their children would always have a reason to come home — and what it means now that those children have children of their own. Teri talks about the new urgency she feels as a patriot, the sense that this 250-year experiment is teetering, and why that makes the celebration more important, not less. Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church in Dallas opens with the observation that Benjamin Franklin — a deist who didn't believe God intervened in human affairs — stood at the Constitutional Convention and said, the longer I live, the more I'm convinced God governs the affairs of men. He also makes a sober point that America has no biblical promise of eternal endurance the way Israel does — and that our future depends entirely on our response to God's call to repentance. And Dr. Carol Swain — one of 12 children who grew up in poverty in the rural South, dropped out of school after eighth grade, and went on to earn a Ph.D. and become a university professor — says it was the people who made her great, many of them white men who saw something in her worth believing in. She says the most positive indoctrination in the world is being told you live in the greatest country on earth and that hard work will get you somewhere — and she credits not being exposed to critical race theory and victimology as part of why she was able to succeed. Throughout the special, we return to the central truth that runs through every one of these interviews — America doesn't manufacture greatness. It unleashes it. May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Preview for Later Today: David Maxwell. David Maxwell examines North Korean construction in the DMZ, noting South Korean concern. He critiques the U.S. tendency to minimize these incidents to prioritize stability, potentially undermining deterrence to avoid direct conflict.1951 KOREAS
Klue supply-chain attack impacts cybersecurity firms. Brand-new Prinz Eugen ransomware is surprisingly polished. ShinyHunters leak exposes sensitive data of 10,000 Council of Europe employees. Security agencies sound alarm over FortiBleed credential harvesting operation. Texas data breach affects hunting and fishing licensees. Microsoft ties Mastra AI supply chain attack to North Korean hackers. Vidar infostealer unveils new technique to defeat Chrome's encryption protections. Brazil investigates suspected hack of emergency alert system. We got your Monday business brief. On today's Industry Voices, Dave Bittner sits down with Mike Britton, CIO of Abnormal AI, as they discuss "AI-Powered Attacks Are Now a Commodity.” And not the kind of beats you want to drop. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest On today's Industry Voices, we are joined by Mike Britton, CIO of Abnormal AI, discussing "AI-Powered Attacks Are Now a Commodity — And Most Organizations Don't Know It Yet." If you enjoyed this conversation and want to hear the full interview, listen here. Selected Reading Klue OAuth breach victim list grows as Icarus hackers claim attack (BleepingComputer) Prinz Eugen ransomware: a deep dive into a new Go-based encryptor (ThreatDown by Malwarebytes) Council of Europe Data Breach: ShinyHunters Makes 10,000 Employees' Records Permanent (Tech Times) Global cybersecurity agencies warn of credential exposure in FortiBleed campaign targeting Fortinet firewalls, VPN gateways (Industrial Cyber) Everything's bigger and better in Texas – even data breaches (The Register) Microsoft links Mastra AI supply chain attack to North Korean hackers (BleepingComputer) Inside Vidar's ABE Bypass: From Memory Scanning to APC Injections (Gen Digital) Brazil probes emergency warning system after nationwide rogue alert (The Register) Ent emerges from stealth with $100 million in seed funding. (N2K Pro Business Briefing) Apple patches Beats Studio Buds flaw that could turn earbuds into a wiretap (Malwarebytes) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
PODCAST EPISODE | An Analog Brain In A Digital Age With Marco Ciappelli — On Location at Infosecurity Europe 2026 The most dangerous attacks at Infosecurity Europe 2026 weren't the high-tech ones. Lee Clark of the Retail & Hospitality ISAC sits down with me to explain why the soft target is still a human being — a help desk, a new hire, a phone ringing at dinner — and what stays in our hands as the shopper quietly becomes an algorithm.
The Barack Hussein Obama Presidential Library is now open to the public and it’s already being called the most hideous presidential edifice in American history. Some have likened the drab, gray, dystopian obelisk to a guard tower at a North Korean prison camp. Others have said ti bears a striking resemblance to a Death Star. It is also the most expensive presidential library in history. The original budget was $330 million but costs exploded to more than $850 million. And Fox News reports the final price tag could exceed $1 billion. But not everyone is all hope and change and yes we can. It turns out that a number of black contractors have not been paid. One plumbing company says they are owed nearly $4 million. The African American Contractors Association says they have never seen anything like this happen in the history of their organization. Are we really that surprised that Obama is not paying his bills? He stiffed black Americans during his 8 years in the White House – and he’s stiffing in them in the private sector too. By the way, if you plan on visiting Chicago, bring a valid form of identification. You’ll need that not to vote, but to gain access to the library. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. This week, we have follow up on a listener-submitted trick for diverting unwanted calls to a different number, including the famous Rickroll hotline, along with a discussion about whether Joe should launch a podcast dedicated entirely to the trials and tribulations of raising backyard chickens. Maria has the story of a journalist who infiltrated a sophisticated North Korean hiring scam that uses fake job interviews, real freelance recruiters, and malware-laced coding tests to steal passwords and cryptocurrency. Dave's got a viral gas station scam warning involving screws placed in fuel pumps, and why investigators found no evidence that the alleged scheme is actually happening. Joe's first story is on a new Maryland law that gives banks and credit unions the authority to temporarily pause suspicious transactions in an effort to better protect customers from fraud and financial exploitation. On this week's Catch of the Day, a scammer serves up a blood-curdling tale involving "Dr. Prince Andrew" and a very questionable beverage choice. Resources and links to stories: I Made The World's First Self-Cooling Clothes Cools Surfaces Up To 15°F Below The Air Temperature I got inside a North Korean hiring scam. What I found reveals a troubling shift in tactics Gas pump 'screw method' scam warning is a hoax Maryland law gives banks and credit unions power to pause suspicious transactions Longevity Ready Maryland, Fraud Protections, Support for Caregivers Among Wins for Older Marylanders Dr. Prince Andrew admits to drinking blood "occasionally" Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
This month, retired U.S. Army Col. Brian Davis joins North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot to discuss lessons from his nearly 40-year career spanning some of the most consequential periods in U.S.-DPRK relations. He talks about how intelligence on North Korea is gathered and analyzed, how U.S. and South Korean military priorities shifted from conventional threats to nuclear and missile programs and why Pyongyang remains one of the world's most difficult intelligence targets. Davis also reflects on the 2017 "fire and fury" period, the risks of military action against North Korea and what lessons Pyongyang may have drawn from conflicts in Ukraine, Iran and elsewhere. He also recounts one of the most unusual episodes of his career: crossing the Military Demarcation Line at Panmunjom to help service a fax machine gifted to North Korean counterparts. U.S. Army Col. Brian Davis is a former military intelligence officer, a role in which he analyzed DPRK military capabilities, threat environments and decision-making at an operational level. About the podcast: North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot is a monthly long-form interview series from the NK News Podcast, featuring in-depth conversations with experts and specialists on North Korea. The regular weekly NK News Podcast, hosted by Alannah Hill, continues to cover the latest developments in the North Korea news cycle.
This week, NK News CEO Chad O'Carroll and Chris Green of International Crisis Group join the podcast to discuss a Seoul court's decision to sentence former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison, finding that he orchestrated a drone operation that sought to provoke a North Korean response and create a pretext for declaring martial law. The episode also explores Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Pyongyang, the absence of denuclearization from official summit readouts, China's increasingly pragmatic approach to North Korea's nuclear status and the prospects for expanded trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. Finally, Chad and Chris preview the upcoming West Coast Exchange, a three-day gathering of Korea watchers, diplomats, journalists, academics and policymakers. They discuss the event's emphasis on informal networking and field visits, the value of off-the-record conversations and why participants often gain as much from discussions outside the conference room as they do from the formal sessions. About the podcast: The NK News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering the latest developments in and around North Korea. Each episode breaks down the week's news cycle with NK News journalists, analysts and expert guests.
The US government abruptly forced Anthropic to pull its most advanced AI model offline after fears it was simply too powerful to be safe. Hear the real story behind the sudden shutdown that rocked the tech world—and what it reveals about the uneasy alliance between Washington and Silicon Valley. • Anthropic's Fable 5 AI model release sparks cybersecurity and jailbreak concerns • White House pressures Anthropic to withdraw Fable amid security fears • Debate over government intervention, model regulation, and Anthropic's IPO timing • SpaceX IPO rockets to record-breaking $1.77 trillion valuation • Apple unveils revamped Siri and Apple Intelligence at WWDC • Apple's new child safety and parental controls in iOS • OpenAI and Anthropic plot IPOs, face economic realities of AI industry • Supply chain attacks hit Arch Linux packages, security risks highlighted • Spotify battles surge of fake podcasts promoting illegal drugs • German court rules Google AI overviews legally liable for inaccuracies • FCC pursues crackdown on anonymous burner phones, raising privacy alarms • North Korean hackers' massive infiltration of US tech sector exposed • iFixit teardown reveals Trump Phone is just a rebadged HTC U24 Pro • Smartphone and internet access linked to declining US birth rates • Skydance-Paramount merger approved as Warner Bros seeks next mega deal • Roku seeks buyer, raising questions about future streaming platforms Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Christina Warren, Harry McCracken, and Richard Campbell Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: meter.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit bitwarden.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT cachefly.com/twit
Dan Chung is the Executive Director of Crossing Borders, an organization that brings the gospel to North Korean refugees. Dan is one of the foremost experts on the North Korean refugee crisis, with relationships with both organizations and scholars researching the ongoing developments of the Korean Peninsula. Dan's book, A Hard Freedom: The Dreams and Trauma of North Korean Refugees, chronicles his insights and observations in his work with Crossing Borders.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Claude Fable 5 refuses security work, Kain Warwick pulls $5,000 of compute from a $200 plan, and Humanity Protocol loses its bridge, token, and treasury to one infected device. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsors! Multichain Advisors: Get help navigating TGEs, go‑to‑market, BD and partnerships, capital markets advisory, PR, media placements, KOL activations and more at https://multichainadv.com. ======================================================== Anthropic promised Mythos and shipped Claude Fable 5 instead. The model found a four-year-old bug in Zcash's shielded pool that survived multiple expert audits. But when Anthropic shipped the model days later, it was no longer willing to audit smart contracts, bailing the moment a prompt smells like security work.Jailbreakers are already turning a jailbroken Opus 4.8 against it, while white hats sit locked out. Kain Warwick, Taylor Monahan, and Luca Netz weigh the defender's dilemma: builders cannot point the model at their own code, but nobody can prove black hats have not jailbroken their way in — and, the hosts warn,North Korean threat actors have spent more than six months harvesting AI API keys. Then Kain runs the numbers on the subsidy: roughly 200 million tokens in four hours on a $200 plan, about $5,000 at API rates, and on the 22nd Fable goes API only as the first unsubsidized frontier model. Plus Pump.fun's bounty marketplace and the Humanity Protocol hack, which left the hosts asking why a 3-of-6 multisig existed at all. When the subsidies stop, who still gets the frontier? Host: Kain Warwick, Founder of Infinex and Synthetix Taylor Monahan, Security Expert Luca Netz, CEO of Pudgy Penguins Timestamps
Greg Scarlatoiu Greg Scarlatoiu analyzes the meeting between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un. He highlights the distinct leadership style of the current North Korean leader compared to his predecessors, marking a significant and generational shift.1952
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un played host to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week. It's the Chinese leader's first visit to North Korea in seven years and follows two high-profile meetings in Beijing between Xi and the leaders of the US and Russia. Also, Taliban forces in Afghanistan have fired on protesters as women face increasing arrests and detention for leaving their homes without wearing a full face and body covering. And, a look into the world of the Yahoo Boys, young Nigerian hustlers who con lonely Westerners out of their money through online scams. Plus, sticker album fever is sweeping Latin America ahead of the World Cup.Your support is critical in sustaining our nonprofit newsroom. Donate today and your gift will be matched 2:1! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices