Large artificial waterway in the Republic of Panama, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
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Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, for Friday's Headline Brief. Today's episode delivers rapid-fire coverage of the top global and domestic developments shaping America and the world. FBI Monitors Iranian Sleeper Cells as War with Israel Escalates The FBI increases surveillance of suspected Hezbollah operatives inside the U.S., fearing possible terror plots as Israel continues strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The false report of a hit on Iran's Bushehr plant sparked regional panic, though other key nuclear sites have been damaged. Israel Eyes Fordow Strike as U.S. Prepares Stealth Bomber Option Israeli commandos may attempt a daring assault on the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility. Meanwhile, the U.S. considers launching B-2 stealth bombers from Diego Garcia. The base's new lease with China-friendly Mauritius complicates disclosure requirements, raising diplomatic concerns. Peace Talks Stall as Trump Warns Iran and Public Opinion Backs Action Trump's updated peace offer was rejected by Iran. Polling shows 75% of Americans support preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, even if force is necessary. However, some polls show less support for direct U.S. involvement. Trump Withdraws More U.S. Troops from Syria American forces are being consolidated to a single base, with local allies stepping in to fill the gap. The reduction reflects Trump's goal of letting regional players secure their own territory. Panama Sides with China on Canal Ports A Chinese state-owned consortium will take over port operations on both ends of the Panama Canal, rejecting a U.S.-backed bid. The White House is expected to respond next week to this strategic setback. Trump Extends TikTok Sale Deadline in Violation of Law Despite a congressional mandate, Trump grants another 90-day extension for ByteDance to sell TikTok. Legal challenges are expected, though both parties are hesitant to anger young voters. Democrat Governors Cut Off Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants Budget overruns in California, Illinois, and Minnesota are forcing Democrat leaders to scale back health coverage for undocumented migrants. The cuts reveal higher-than-expected migrant numbers and usage, raising questions about official immigration estimates. Portland Decline Mirrors Leftist Unrest Antifa violence continues in Portland, with attacks on ICE facilities and widespread downtown decay. Court documents cite homeless encampments and drug use inside landmark buildings like the U.S. Bancorp Tower, now for sale at an 80% loss. Poll: Democrats Losing Christian Voters Nationwide A new poll shows Christians across denominations overwhelmingly reject the Democratic Party. While Black Christians remain a core base, overall trust is eroding fast, especially in light of cultural and moral concerns. Trade War Hits Canada, Spares Mexico U.S.-Canada trade fell by 10.5% in May, while Mexico saw only a 2.8% drop. Analysts point to Mexico's more diplomatic tone with Trump compared to Canada's confrontational approach. New U.S. Battery Could End Dependence on China A Boston firm, Pure Lithium, is developing a battery that avoids Chinese-dominated minerals and uses lithium from Arkansas. The company could receive $300 million in federal backing to scale production. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." – John 8:32 Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code TWR using the link or at check-out and get 60% off an annual plan: Incogni.com/TWR
Mark Sinclair returns to the podcast, live from FALKEN's cockpit in Nuku Hiva! Andy caught up with Mark after FALKEN & COCONUT have been shadowing each other across the Pacific - they even shared a raft-up through the Panama Canal! Mark is midway through his fourth circumnavigation attempt since the first GGR in 2018, this time following the Mini Globe Race fleet. We covered a lot of ground in this one, from Mark's career and philosophy to sailing to GGR founder Don McIntyre and more! -- This season of ON THE WIND is sponsored by Weather Routing Inc., aka 'WRI', 59º North's longtime weather routing & forecasting friends. To learn more and sign up for WRI, go to wriwx.com and tell them that 59º North sent you. -- This season of ON THE WIND is also sponsored by Boat How To, an educational website co-founded by longtime friend of the pod & sailing tech guru Nigel Calder. Check out the courses at BoatHowTo.com.
Service excellence emerges when businesses solve problems others avoid tackling. This week I spoke with Zohra Shroff from Sealink Logistics, a freight forwarding company that started in 2005 from a one-bedroom apartment in LA. Zohra joined the family business in 2006 and has helped grow it into a comprehensive logistics provider. Our conversation walked through the complete journey of shipping a container from Houston to India. Zohra detailed every step of the freight forwarding process, from initial customer vetting through final container return at destination. Their technology platform allows customers to book shipments, track cargo, and manage payments through their mobile app, maintaining this edge for over six years with live tracking and monthly rate updates. Their approach evolved from simply moving freight to becoming a complete logistics partner handling sea freight, air freight, and domestic transportation under one portal. When customers face problems like container mix-ups or space constraints, Zohra's team works directly with steamship lines to resolve issues rather than leaving customers stranded. This service model applies to any business where customer problems become your competitive advantage. When others walk away from complex situations, stepping in to solve them builds lasting relationships and premium pricing power. The freight forwarding industry reminded me that behind every simple transaction sits a web of coordination most people never see. Zohra's passion for helping customers navigate these complexities shows why service businesses thrive when they embrace the hard parts.     SHOW HIGHLIGHTS I explore Sealink's journey as a logistics company founded in 2005, emphasizing its deep family roots and innovative approach to the shipping industry. I discuss the complexities of the international shipping process, including filing shipping instructions with US Customs and securing an AES number. We highlight the challenges and financial implications for shippers when consignees refuse to pick up shipments, emphasizing the importance of financial due diligence. In our conversation, we examine the role of freight forwarders and the critical importance of service levels and customer support in the logistics industry. We delve into Zohra's entrepreneurial journey, from the jewelry industry in India to co-founding Sea Link in the U.S., illustrating the courage and determination required for such ventures. She provides insights into maritime routes and their impacts on transit times, including the choice between the Panama Canal and the Cape of Good Hope.   Contact Details LinkedIn - Zohra Shroff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/zohra-shroff-383276172/) LINKSShow Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Sealink International Inc GUEST Zohra ShroffAbout Zohra TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dave: Good morning Zohra. How are you today? Zohra: Good morning, I'm well. How are you I? Dave: am good Now. Are you calling in from San Francisco, or is that just a background you have? Zohra: No, it's just a background I have. Dave: Where are you calling in from? I am San. Zohra: Antonio Texas. San Antonio Texas. Dave: Yeah, soft spot for me. I went to high school in a suburb of San. Zohra: Antonio, oh, that's really nice. It's a great city, you know, small growing, not too big yet, but I guess eventually getting there. Dave: Yeah, Now are you a native of San Antonio. Zohra: I've been here almost 22 years now, so I think I am. Dave: Okay, and what about originally when? Zohra: are you from? Originally from India, Migrated to the US in the early 2000 and came into Jersey. Stayed there for a couple of years and then moved to San Antonio, Got married and moved to San Antonio. Dave: That's awesome. Zohra: So been here since then. Yes, so it's home now. Dave: That is great. So my wife is a native Texan. I'm what I choose to call a naturalized Texan. We have a saying. I got here as quick as I could. Zohra: I think I can say that now too. You know it's been wonderful, and it's home now. So yeah, it's great. Dave: That is great. So tell me about SeaLink. When did the company start? What prompted it to start? Who started it? Kind of a whole story. Zohra: Sure, sure, definitely. So. Sealink was started by Shaizad. He is my cousin and the forwarding business has been in our family for three generations now. Okay, india. And then my father took it over in the early 80s and 90s and then Shaizad joined him as well after he graduated from college. So he worked in the Indian market on at that point we used to do a lot of brick bulk vessels and we used to do containerized vessels as well. So that's how it all began. And then when Shaizad moved to the US I want to say in 2001, he was working for one of the forwarders and stuff for a few years and then he decided that we should, that he should start on his own. So he started Sealink in 2005 from LA, from his one bedroom apartment, just handling freehand cargo that our sister company back in India was anyways consigning to different agents in the US. And so then we took over that business and that's how we started. And then from there we are here today, grown to a fully export plus import oriented forwarder. So I think that's awesome. Dave: And when did you join the company? Zohra: I joined very early on 2006. So it was yeah, not very late on, so started in 2005. I joined in. I think we were September 2005,. If I'm not mistaken, I think I joined March 2006. Dave: Okay, so Shaizad gets credit for the first six months. Zohra: Yes, Shaizad gets credit for it. Dave: But you get credit for all the growth starting in 2006, right? Zohra: I wish I could take all the credit, but he is a visionary. He is a visionary and without his vision or without his farsightedness on you know what like, we don't want to just be called a forwarder. I don't like saying Sealink is just a forwarder. Because of that, because of his vision, I think we are so ahead of the market in terms of our competitors also and in terms of our vendors also, like overall, I think, for the shipping industry. I think we have it one notch up at, I think, at any given point. You know, just because we have because of his vision. I should again say that, because of Shaizad's vision of not only moving freight but making sure that we are giving service with the service industry and also making sure that we are making sure that we are giving the standard of service with the competitive rates at all time, and I think that is one thing that puts Seelink above. Of course, our technology is our greatest selling point. We've had our app I think so for over six years now six to seven years and you can do everything on our Seelink app you can book, you can give your documents, you can download an invoice, you can download an invoice, you can pay an invoice. You can track and trace your cargo. You can do everything on that app so you are not stuck to see that. Okay, what is going on on my shipment? You know where is my shipment. Why do I need to like hassle bustle and call somebody and someone's not answering the phone? So we have live tracking and tracing that shows on your website that your that your shipment has been delayed or there is a vessel delay or there is a longer transshipment hold. All of that information is available on our app, ready to go. Every month we update our rates so the customers know that in February, if my rate from place A to place B was $500, then we know that March 1st that rate is either going to be $400, depending on the market, or $600. So they have visibility of all of this, which is giving them ease of business. They can make their deals. They can look and then get a figure that, okay, you know what, my freight is going to be so much and my material is going to cost so much. This is what I need to do and this is how I can sell. So we give them all that information. Also, not only we are providing a sea, water services or sea services, we are even providing air freight, we are providing domestic, we are providing trade services. So, for example, if I have a customer who wants to move from Atlanta, atlanta into into Moondra, so I have a rate through the vendor from Atlanta to Moondra to Mundra, so I have a rate through the vendor from Atlanta to Mundra. But if he has a facility in Duluth, atlanta, and then wants to get into on the rail, so we provide that drage service as well. So he can put in his zip code that I need to pick up from so and so zip code, take it to the rail and then it'll go out, you know. So we provide that part of draGE as well, which is really helpful for our customers if they want to go ahead and offer that to their suppliers or to their clients as well. So everything is under one portal and easy access. That's what I can say. Dave: That sounds great. So even though I've been in this business for 20 years, working with exporters, I never really understood how the freight moved. So what I would love for you to do is let's imagine that I'm a brand new scrap broker, scrap metal broker, and I have my first load ready. It's in a container and it's at the Port of Houston. And so let's just imagine like, help me just understand all the steps. So I call you up and I say, zohra, how I've got this uh load of uh of scrap metal at the port in houston and I need to get it to uh, um, what would be a good, a good port in india. Zohra: That that, mundra, let's say. Dave: Let's say, so, walk me through like all the things that that like, just walk me through all the steps that have to happen okay. Zohra: So initially, if I'm onboarding a new scrap customer, we we have an onboarding process that goes into place. You know we we run their credit scores. We, you know, ask for references, we make sure the company is in good standing. Because we do all these thorough checks? Because in the end we don't want a long standing container in some other country where then Seelink is responsible. So we have a thorough vetting process. So it's not like you know, somebody didn't just come to me and say, hey, you know what, I want to move one box of scrap and please help me. It doesn't work like that anymore Because you know there has been so many people who have not done the right thing while moving metal scrap. You know they say that it is metal scrap, but they load something else and it happens. It's just the way the industry is right. So, first and foremost, when we onboard a customer, there is a whole onboarding process. We go ahead, we make sure that the customer is vetted completely. For some reasons, if there is no scores, we ask them for their financials, three years financials and sometimes we even ask for a deposit, depending on the situation of the customer. That's how our onboarding process works. Once the onboarding process is done, then they can go on the website or the app and they can see what port pairs they are moving this freight on. Now, for example, if they are buying from Houston and they want to move from Houston to Moondra, they will plug in on my website Houston to Moondra 120 footer metal scrap and they will see all the steamship lines that I have rates on. It could be MSC, maersk, capagloid, you know all of these top three, four lines where I can say that, ok, this is what your price will. If you want to ship with Maersk, your price is A. If you want to ship with MSC, your price is B. It will give them the transit time. Some of the shippers are very, very, very, very concerned about the transit time. Shippers are very, very, very, very concerned about the transit time. It depends on what they're shipping. If they're shipping ferris and it is, like you know, maybe five boxes they might not be very concerned. But if they're shipping non-ferris, they might be like okay, zohra, I need a 45 day transit. So then I'm telling them okay, choose Maersk or MSC, because their transit is somewhere between 45 to 46 days, you so so let's say so. Dave: Let's say I pick mursk mursk. Zohra: Yes, so then you go on my app and then you hit book. Once you hit book, I get a notification saying abcd has made a booking request from houston to mundra for next week's cutoff for 120 footer. I come inside, I come into play, my team goes ahead, makes the booking on Maersk and turns it around and about. I want to say we want to try to keep it under two hours, so we go ahead and we send a booking confirmation that has all the information of this load. So, the customer exactly knows that, okay, this load needs to get picked up, the empty container needs to get picked up at Bayport Terminal. Okay, once the trucker picks it up at Bayport Terminal, they go to their facility, they get it loaded If the customer is doing their own trucking. If the customer says, or I don't have a trucker in Houston, do my trucking, then I'll offer him, I'll say give me your zip code in Houston, I'll give you a dredge rate and then I can go pick up, schedule your trucking. So I will schedule the trucking, get the container loaded, bring it back to the port, return it loaded at the port and then from there it will sit on the port on the day of the cutoff and then from there we will go ahead and make sure that it gets loaded on the ship. There. We will go ahead and make sure that it gets loaded on the ship. Now, that is where the whole process is working in terms of getting this container into the port. Now, once it's into the port, then it is the customer's responsibility to go ahead and send me shipping instructions. Who is he shipping to? Who is his shipper? Who is his consignee? What is the container number? What is the weight. What is the weight? What is the seal? Dave: is there a name for that set of documents? Zohra: yes, it's called shipping instructions the shipping instructions. So those shipping instructions are given to, given by the, the customer, to us. We go ahead and we put it. Dave: I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. I just really want to make sure understand yeah so those instructions? Is that done electronically through your website? Zohra: We can do it electronically. There are lots of customers who send us emails also, so, however, they are comfortable. Dave: Okay. Zohra: If they feel comfortable, there is a way on our website to go ahead and save their shipper and consignees as well, so they can just click, click and say that, okay, this is my shipper, this is my consignee, and then they just change the container name or the container number and weight and seal number. Dave: Okay, so I've given you the shipping instructions. Zohra: Yes, Now you've given me the shipping instructions, I'm going to go back and send you. I'm going to put everything on the BL and I'm going to send you a draft bl. I'm going to say, hey, this is what your draft, a draft bl will look. So you will go ahead and get a draft bl from ceiling and you will check everything your shipper, your consign what is bl? a bill of lading okay yes, the bill of lading, but this is a draft copy, okay, so we, so we can still make changes. If you say, oh, you know what, I don't want to write metal scrap, I want to write heavy metal scrap. So can you edit that for me? Or if your consignee says you know what, I want to add a notify party, so we're going to be like, ok, we'll add a notify party. So we send you a draft copy and stuff like that and we tell you that, okay, please look at it thoroughly, this is what your draft, this is what your bl is going to look like. Okay, so once they check everybody is in order, we go ahead, we take and we file those shipping instructions with the us customs. We tell them that, hey, this person is shipping this cargo from here to here. These are the details. And then we file the entry into the US Customs. They come back with an AES number for us where it is that OK, you know what. The customs has approved your shipment. This is your AES filing number and now you're good to go. Dave: And what does AES stand for? Zohra: It's an automated uh-oh export system export uh automated export documentation okay, yeah yeah. So it's like uh, it's like an ams that you file from the import side, and where does the and then the uh container number? Is that going to be? Dave: in shipping instructions yeah, so it'll still end up on the bill of lading. Zohra: Yes, yes, everything. All this information, shipper consignee, container number, weight, seal, what commodity you have shipped. Everything will appear on the bill of lading, All of this instructions, so everybody has clarity on what has shipped, who has shipped and where is it going. Dave: Okay. Zohra: Also, and if Seelaling has done the trucking for this customer, then I'm not even asking him for the container number because the trucker will give me. He's my trucker, so he's going to be like hey, I pulled this container number. Once I load it, I'll give you the weight and seals. So once we send out the draft BL, it is approved, we go ahead and we send all the information to the Steam ship line, whichever vendor you chose, and we file everything. Dave: We ask the Now where does it, I'm sorry. When does it ship? From being a draft to being a final After the customs process? Zohra: After sailing, after sailing. So once the customs is processed, we have all our information. Once the shipment is sailed, then the steamship line will be like okay, your shipment has sailed, Everything looks good. This is your original bill of lading. Dave: And sailed is a reference to 200 years ago, right With ship that sails Does it? Just mean it's departed the port. It has departed the port, yes. Zohra: So once it is sailed and then after, I think most of the time, they give us a draft in two days of sailing. The original bill will come out in two days of sailing and then from there, once we have the original bill, the customer does have a choice that if he wants a complete set of original bill of ladings, so that means that's a paper copy, or else he wants a telex, which would be an electronic copy. And then he can say that oh, you know what, I don't mind, my consignee doesn't mind a telex release. So if you can go ahead and update this to a telex release, and is the telex? Dave: is it truly going through the old telex system or is it just being electronic? Zohra: It's through the old telex system or does it just mean electronic? It's just meaning electronic. There's no funny how the language just stays around. Right, yeah, okay, all right, so go ahead. Yeah, so once. So then they have a choice to either have some of the guys if they have an lc, they would like the obl so that way they have control on the cargo, they have control on the money, and then they release the bills once they get paid and if they are confident, if they are a regular shipper and a regular consignee, they might go in for a telex release which is just electronic Gotcha. Dave: So then it leaves Houston, and I'm guessing does it go through the Panama Canal. Zohra: Depends on the routing. Some go through the Panama Canal, some do not, so it just depends on what route the steamship line is taking. Dave: I'm just curious. So if it's going from Houston to Moondra, I mean it's got to get around South America. Zohra: Yeah, yeah. So it would go through the canal and if not, because of all the issues that we're going through now, a lot of steamship lines have been routing it to the Cape of Good Hope. Dave: So they've been going that direction, that direction Around Africa. Zohra: Okay, yes, yes, so that makes it a little bit transit longer, but just the safety was more important at that point. Dave: So a lot of routes. Zohra: At least it's a predictable amount of time even though it's longer, and so if it goes, around Houston to Mondra by the Cape under Cape of Good Hope. Dave: How many days does that typically I? Zohra: think it added. I think it added 15 days to the transit. Dave: So what would that? Be total transit so about 60 days about 60 days. Zohra: Yeah, so I think first it was 45 days and then it became 60 days when they were doing, uh, the cape of good hope. Um, I and you know what, sometimes it even is a little bit shorter. I did see a couple of vessels that were doing 55 days also. So I think it just depends on you know how, how how delayed the vessel is, or if there is any any issues on any transshipment ports and stuff like that. So sometimes it's hard to say if it's going to be like anywhere between 40 to 60 days okay, so now it's on the water, is there just no activity at this point? Dave: is there any? Zohra: hopefully you don't want any activity, you just want everything to be good. But there are things that happen, like you heard about the Baltimore issue that happened early last April. I want to say it's going to be a year that everything was good to go. The vessel was ready to sail and it hit the bridge right and that was disastrous and that lasted for six months. Containers, fellers, fell in the water and you know some got damaged and then you know those things. Yeah, we don't want those things to happen, but of course it is. It is an inevitable. Like you know, hazards happen sometimes, so you would want that. Dave: Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm sorry. I know you know this really well and so I'm sorry I have to keep stopping you for such basic questions. Zohra: No, no, not at all Do the containers these days. Dave: Do they have any electronic tracking on the containers? Zohra: Some do and some don't. Okay, so the ones that do like. Dave: Is it RF tracking or a different type of electronic tracking? Zohra: I don't believe they have an RF tracking. Most of our containers do not have a tracker because the lines will only give us 10 plus old, 10 plus year containers to load scrap, I see. So we don't get the nice fancy containers. So, most of us are not trackable. Okay, so my scrap load, load. Dave: It's not being tracked but it's on the boat it's on the boat, and so it's sailing, and then now it shows up in mundra. And what happens now? Zohra: so once it shows up in mundra, the steamship line that you have picked is going to send an arrival notice, five to seven days, to your consignee in India or your forwarder in India, whoever you have put on the BL instructions, so you will get an arrival notice. Dave: Now will you be? Will you be the forwarder in India? Zohra: No, no, we do have our own office in India, but most of metal scrap moves on a master bill, so there is really no requirement of a forwarder per se needed when your shipment reaches destination. Dave: They just need a broker and they can clear their shipment and pick it up at the port. Okay, so the ship arrives, and then that starts the arrival notice. Time clock. Zohra: Yeah. Dave: From the time it's actually lands. No, so the arrival notice you will get from the time it's actually lands? Zohra: no, so the arrival notice you will get five to seven days before arrival. So it gives you it gives you ample of time to say that okay, you know what my shipment is coming in. Let me get my docks ready and file it with the Indian customs. Because you can file, I want to say, four days before your shipment is arriving. Dave: So you're not scrambling, and how do we know that the ship is five to seven days away? Zohra: Is there tracking of the ship? Yes, yes, you can track it. Dave: Does the captain get on the radio? Call Zohra. Yeah, hey, I'm about five days away. Zohra: Yeah, no, so the shipment can be tracked on the steam ship lines website also, and plus on ceilings, on ceilings website as well. so you, will see, definitely that your shipment is arriving in three days or five days. If there is a delay, it will blink red and say that hey, there is a delay. And then when you get your arrival notice from the steam ship line, also it will have a date of arrival. It will be like, okay, you know this shipment is arriving on so and so date, so you are prepared that. Okay, you know what. My shipment's coming in five days. Let me get all my documents ready. Dave: Let me have it send it to my broker, you can start and you can start the process with the india customs four days before. I want to go four to five days before so that way, when the ship lands, the you can you already have your entry done and you already know that. Zohra: You know there are no holds of customs and you've paid your freight and you can go along and say that, okay, you know what, I just need the ship to berth. Once they unload my containers, then you know I can just send my trucker to go pick it up. Everything will show green released. You know, unless they have not paid ceiling, then I'll hold the cargo. Dave: Yeah, okay, and help me understand, because I'm an accountant by training. Help me understand the payment of the shipping. At what point do I pay for the shipping? Zohra: Okay, so we have. I want to say 90% of our customers are cash customers. So, when they need their original bill of lading after sailing. We generate an invoice after two days of sailing most of the time, because the line will give us a BL and an invoice in a couple of days. We go ahead, we generate that, we give it to the customer and when he wants to release his shipment he makes a payment to us. So whether it is an OBL or a DELEX, it doesn't matter. When he will tell me okay, zohra, he can go on my website and say release bill. He can go ahead and it will show him that you owe so-and-so amount for this shipment in order to get your release. He can go make a payment and then within 24 hours he will get a release from us. Dave: Okay, Because without that release will the Indian customs not unload. Zohra: No, the Indian customs doesn't really have any control on that. The Indian customs is only getting involved, saying, okay, I have a vessel that has 200 containers coming into India. I need documents to just make sure that it is what they are claiming it is. So they don't have anything to do with our BL release. They only work with customs release. So if I said that I have moved metal scrap and if there is battery in that box, that's a flag for the US customs and I mean for the Indian customs and they will be like I'm going to hold this box. So at that point that box is on a customs hold. Customs will not worry about a BL hold. There are two types of hold. One is a BL hold where either I or the steamship line is holding it for payment, holding it for payment, and then the customs hold is because there is an exam or there is some kind of uh inspection they want to do on the container or if they find some misdeclarations and stuff like that okay yeah, okay, yeah and then, so it shows up, it goes through customs. Dave: Uh, the freight forwarder there puts it on a truck, yeah, and then the truck goes to the warehouse or wherever they need to originally drop. Zohra: They go ahead, they unload the goods off the container. They make sure everything is weight and the weight is matching to what they had claimed it was. Sometimes the weight has shifted or sometimes they feel like, okay, the weight is less, then internally they will file a claim. It doesn't happen a lot, but some things sometimes do happen. And then, once the shipment has been unloaded, they have to make sure it is their responsibility to return the empty container back to the depot. So, once this empty container is returned back in India, that's when my shipment is closed here. Dave: That okay, you know what. Zohra: My empty container has been returned. This has been picked up. Everything is good, payment is good. We are good to close this file. Okay so one file can be open anywhere from 45 days to 60 days, okay, and then if you have issues with that shipment, then it can go longer. If the consignee refuses to pick up the shipment, the consignee abandons, you know, the shipment and says, oh, I don't, I don't have money to pay for it, I can't pick it up. That's when we get into different problems. You know that. Okay, then we need to figure out what we want to do and we all have to keep in mind that every country, every destination country, gives you a few days of free days. So when my shipment arrives in India with my contracts I have 14 free days. So for 14 days I'm not going to get billed for that container sitting at the port. But on that 15th day the clock will start and then, you know, all those charges for demurrage will start occurring for port charges, and then that becomes an expensive, you know, charge that will be billed back to the shipper here because he will have to take accountability of why his consignee didn't pick up the shipment or whatever happened. Dave: You know, and this is part of why you do your financial due diligence on the customers, because you need to make sure that they're a solid business. Solid business, the customer is going to pick it up. Yeah. Zohra: And sometimes we do the due diligence on the shipper part and you know we don't really know what the consignees are in different countries. So now we've started even collaborating with the US customs and you know we run the consignees also through our AES system and if there is like a faulty consignee, then that gets flagged in our system. This is something very new that we have started and we are proud to say that now we are going to run them also to make sure that you know what. There is utmost ease in this process, you know, not to say that when I run the check he's a good consignee and then in the 30 days or the 60 days of the transit something went wrong. Right, I'm not saying that's not going to happen, but at least at the time of the shipment we know everything is a green check, you know. So that's one extra step that we have started taking now, because of so much long standing in different countries are happening due to consignee abandonments. You know, people not paying the banks, lc issues, frauds, people have said that, oh, they are going to do it and then they don't do it. So because of that we are trying to do this extra check where at least the shipper is also at ease. We are also at ease at the time of shipment, and we have this great tool that the US customer is offering us, and so we've started using that as well. Dave: Okay, yeah. So let's instead imagine that this first container is by a friend of mine. Let's say he tells me oh Dave, these freight forwarders are just so expensive, I'm just going to do this all myself. Sure, I would say to them good luck, yes. I would say good luck, because this sounds like an impossible thing to try to do on your own Virtually impossible. Zohra: So a lot, a lot of customers or BCOs that I can say is like the direct shippers, like, of course, the Walmarts and the targets they have, they have a shipping department that does this, of course. But if you have, like, a small trader who's sitting out of Houston or probably New York, it is not worth his headache to do this, because there are lots of small nitty gritty things that are happening along the way, like, for example, I gave you this booking, okay, from Houston to Moondra. Now you have arranged for a trucker, the trucker is trying to pull an empty and my booking is not on file. Okay you are sitting and making a phone call to that line saying, oh, my booking is not on file. I have a trucker. Your trucker is charging you $65 because he's in line for an hour, gets to the terminal and the booking is not on file. I have a trucker. Your trucker is charging you $65 because he's in line for an hour, gets to the terminal and the booking is not on file. They're not going to let him wait there. He will have to go back in the line. So doing business with a forwarder is bringing you ease of these kind of kinks that are going to cost you financially. It is going to cost you a $65 dry run fee or a $65 detention fee for that guy to turn around and stand back in the line With us. We go ahead and we make sure that their booking is on file. Most of the time the depots are filled with containers. And again, I'm not saying that things don't happen. Of course things happen. But if you are a guy who's moving five to seven boxes a week, you don't have the time to sit and call for every booking and say, hey, is my booking on file? Is my trucker standing there? Do we have chassis, you know? Do the container depots have containers mounted on chassis? Do I have to take my own chassis? What's going on, at least with with us? We are telling them okay, your pickup is here, your booking is on file, go ahead, send the trucker again. Sometimes, when the trucker is there, some things happen. Then we can go ahead and fix it. I just feel like, because we are, our relationships are so much more deeper with the lines, you know what we can try to solve problem faster than someone trying to do this first time on their own or even if they've been in the business. Because these are painstaking things you know, like getting appointments to return. Like APM terminal in New York, it is a nightmare right now. It is a nightmare to get an appointment to return your box. So think about it. It. You pulled a box, you loaded it. Now you need to return it and your trucker is trying to get an appointment right and everything is showing full. Your cutoff is tomorrow. So you know those kind of hassles come in, which all come with the financial costs, and I'm not saying that you know what. Every time we will be coming to the rescue, but I feel like we have. So we have a good leverage to come to solve your problems, to make it easy to ship for you guys. You know our job is to make it easy to ship and you can have, you can have, you can be stress-free and you can concentrate on the growth of your business instead of worrying about how one container is going to move. You know yeah now, that's where we come in well, you've sold me. Dave: When I, if I ever get into the scrap metal business and ship to mundra, you'll be the first call thank you now I understand this now. This may be shocking, but I understand that there are other freight forwarders besides Sealink. Oh yes, oh yes, but help me understand, though I imagine that on the surface it's funny. Every business like when you're an outsider, it looks like a commodity, right, you know, it just looks like they're all the same. So if you don't know anything about, I don't know whatever like, let's say, farming equipment. To me, all farming equipment looks the same. I'm sure there's differences between them. Some do better at some things than others. Some are more expensive, some are cheaper, and so I'm sure that it's like that in the freight forwarding world. So give me an example that it's like that in the freight forwarding world. So give me an example. I'm sure that from time to time you get a call from somebody and says Zohra, my current freight forwarder dropped the ball once again and I'm fed up with them. I want to start using you all. Let's think back to maybe an example of that. And of course you don't mention the customer name or the prior freight forwarder. But what's a typical fact pattern that makes them shift from somebody else to you all? Zohra: so in in all these years of of me being at ceiling, the the majority people turn back to us is because of service levels. If there is a problem, I'm not going to run away. I'm going to sit with my customer, explain to them that this is an issue and we need to work together. It is going to cost. Let's come to that understanding that it is going to cost. Am I going to do my very best to make the cost minimal? Yes, yes, of course, though I know that the customer is at fault or the trucker is at fault, it doesn't matter. But we at Sealing believe that we are not going to haggle our customers when they are in problems to make a quick buck. We're not going to do that. We are never going to do that. So we make sure that if a customer is stranded like I'll give you an example right now, I have a situation I have a booking from A-Line Okay, and we got a container loaded. Okay, we got a container loaded. When the container got returned at the port, we got an email from the A-Line saying hello, this container doesn't belong to us. So then we started digging. We started digging, we found out that my customer had used another forwarder's booking for a line that ceiling doesn't work with. Okay. So there are seven, eight vendors we work with and two, three vendors we don't work with. Okay. So now I have a situation where I have a container loaded sitting in the port which my line is saying Zohra, I can't move it, it's not my box, I can't on hire this box because they won't let me. Though it is a partner box, they won't let me. You need to go to this line and figure out what you want to do. Now, zohra or ceiling doesn't work with this line. And my customer is frustrated because his forwarder, who gave him this booking, is saying oh, I can't do anything. You pulled a box now and my booking I gave it to somebody else so that booking is full. Now okay so now he has no space to accommodate this box here, okay, okay. So I'm not going to tell my customer. Oh, you know what? You got a booking from another forwarder on a line that ceiling doesn't work with. You figure out your stuff, because this container here is already accumulating demurrage, sitting sitting on the boat, which is $250 a day. So now yesterday what I did is I called the line that I don't work with and I gave them the whole rundown. I gave them the container number. I told them see, this is what is going on. I understand we don't work with you guys, but can you go ahead and help us? So yesterday they said okay, you know what, we can help you all. We are going to try to see we can reach out to the other forwarder and increase his booking and make sure that this can get returned at that point. Would that that other forwarder should have taken that step to help his customer, who is also my customer, but because of the service failure, or because maybe he doesn't, he was not able to understand how to problem solve this or troubleshoot this, or probably he just didn't have the resources to do it? I don't know. But if my customer came to me and is stranded. I am going to offer that help. I'm not going to be looking here to make a quick buck and say, hey, I don't work with this guy. Pay these 200 demurrage or go ahead and dray out the container. Pay $900 to dray out the container and then go back reloaded in my Steam Ship Lines box. Dave: I see so what happened in that scenario? Zohra: So now today I mean this is very live. This just happened like two days ago. So now today, hopefully you know, the line that I'm not working with has talked to that forwarder and hopefully we have increased his original booking and now we can attach this container to his booking. Go ahead and tell that line. Okay, please move this. Tell my customer. Go ahead, I have increased your booking. Please go to your forwarder, submit your shipping instructions and make sure your container gets on water on the next vessel. You will have some demerit charges which you will have to settle directly with the port, so they had to find space on the line that owned the container. Yes. Dave: Okay. Zohra: Yeah, the line that owned the container. So right now, because of so much of vessel shiftings, right, every vendor in the market whether it is Maersk, hapag, lloyd, zim, msc, all these lines are relocating services, they're readjusting services. Someone is coming into a new alliance, someone has come out of an alliance. There are lots of new vessels come into the market, larger ships come into the market, so everyone is adjusting a lot of vessels. So that is why it is very space, a space constraint. Right now. There are blank sailings, you know, to make sure that these new services are well adjusted for april. So, uh, so that is why there is this space issue. If there was no space issue, right, there wouldn't be a problem I see the other forwarder could pick up the phone and get it right right and the containers are owned by the shipping lines yes, the container. Dave: That's why, when I see a railroad when I'm sitting at a rail stop yeah comes by. Zohra: I see the maersk yeah, the big blue, because that's one of their containers yes, a musk or any, or a costco hat bag, they they all they all own their containers. Yes, correct, wow. Dave: So how, uh, it sounds like you have to work 168 hours a week, I mean, if you're in the service business yeah, tell me if I'm wrong, but I think moondraw is on a different time zone. Zohra: Yes, yes, yeah it's almost end of working day for them right now. Actually, before this, I was on my india office call. We have our own office in india as well, so we have a call with them once a week to just see what's going on, how's business, what can we do to support from here. So they were already, like you know, getting ready to go home, because it's almost eight o'clock in the night over there so is it safe to assume that you, that eight to five is not the sole hours that you work? there is no eight to five in this industry. No, there isn't. Dave: No, I mean my business you know, is to somewhat the same way. I mean, what I tell my clients is all you need to know about the ic disc is my mobile number. Yeah, that's it. That's all you need to know. Just call me, I'll take care of it. Zohra: Yeah, that's how we are, that's how we are. Customers call us, whatsapp us, email us and we try to service. We try to service. We are in the service industry. We believe our service is, is on top and if, and and I'm not saying c-link is the cheapest, I'm not saying that even at but we thrive on it because we know that. You know our customers, and hats off to our customers. Their support has got us here and they are willing to pay us an extra $25 for what we offer. We offer the app, we offer the service. All my sales reps are very in touch with the customers. They just don't sell and then you never see them. It's not. That doesn't work here. You know we do trade shows. We see our customers there make it a point at least two times a year. We are seeing our customers. We have FaceTime with them. So it's not like you're going to like have a salesperson. Dave: They sell you a rate and then they are gone. It's not going to be like that. Zohra: Your point of contact is your salesperson. Of course we don't want our salespeople to get in operations which they don't. Their work is to sell. But customer is not going to feel like isolated saying that, oh you know what. So, and so was my salesperson at ceiling. They sold me a rate and now have all these problems and I don't know who to go to. You know that problem will never arise. Like you say that problem will never arise like you say that, uh, your cell phone number is what they need for us. It's just just email email me or email one of my reps, and you will get a response, like I can promise that well, you all have a booth at the rima san diego show. Dave: I'll be sure to stop by, will you be wow? Yes, I'm gonna be there I'll be sure to stop by. Oh, that'll be awesome, yeah, we do rima every year? Yeah, we've been doing it for the past several years now okay, yes, so uh, uh, wow, I can't believe how the time has flown. Zohra: Yeah, it's um, it wasn't that bad, like I thought it would, I know. Dave: So, so a couple, so last couple questions what? What do you enjoy the most about your job, like what's the most satisfying part of your role within C-Link. Zohra: Helping my customers. Dave: Okay, I had a feeling that was it? Zohra: I really, really find it satisfying when I see an email saying you know, thanks, Zohra, you saved my life, you know, or you know like. Dave: Chad, he's our sales director. Zohra: You know, thanks, zohra, you saved my life, you know, or you know, like Chad, he's our sales director. You know he'll send out an email saying, okay, you're a miracle worker, not to me, but to my teams as well, right, because sometimes it's, it's very frustrating to get small things done right, and when that small thing gets done, then everything flows. So I feel like once you get them that ease, that, okay, now their cargo is going to flow. I feel, I feel satisfied, my teams feel satisfied, right. So I think, just helping out and making sure we are there, that's, you know, that's, I think, is very important, because if you're missing in this chain, your customer is just going to be stranded, you know. Dave: Yeah, no, that makes makes sense. So last two questions. So one's kind of serious and the last one's fun. So the serious one is um, if you could go back 20 years, and what year did you say you came to the uS? Zohra: I came in 2000. Dave: Okay, so if you could go, if you had a time machine and you could go back and you could give advice to yourself back in the year 2000, what advice or pep talk or insight, would you tell yourself? Zohra: you tell yourself that I should have started this earlier. I did. Dave: I don't know why I waited till 2006, okay, so yeah that you know that's the answer that every client gives yeah, that they, they didn't start the business, or they didn't do this because they were afraid or there was risk or whatever. And the advice they always, almost always, give is don't be afraid, take the risk, do it. Zohra: Yes, yes, I agree. So I'll give you a little background. So before I joined Shaizad, I was working at a wholesale jewelry place. We had, you know, huge wholesale and we had a lot of mexican um imported jewelry. You know, we used to sell a lot like. It was a very different, different field altogether. We used to supply to all the big stores and stuff like that. And then when shazad started this, you know, he told me he's like I don't know if I can, like we'll be able to afford a salary, or you know how it's going to be, because I'm just starting and and and we don't know. You know how it's going to work because right now I don't have overhead expenses. So think about it, right. So, like I said, he's a visionary, right. And he just told me one thing he's like I promise you that you will not regret, right. And at that point I feel he, he was all. He already taken the risk, he had already taken the risk, he had left his job at at another forwarder and taken the risk to start this. And when he told me that you know you won't regret, I just I just took the leap of faith and said you know what? This is it. If I think I would have like thought a little bit more and said, oh, I won't. I don't know how I'm going to replace my income or what's going to happen. I don't know if this is going to work. I feel like maybe we wouldn't be here. So I think sometimes you just take that leap and then leave it up to the big man up and I think it all works out with your hard work. But you have to put in the work, I feel. Dave: Sure, that is great. Well, my last question, a fun one. So in Houston we have a thriving Indian community and I have a lot of great Indian restaurants to choose from. So two questions. One if you want really good Indian food in San Antonio, do you have to go to your kitchen? Zohra: Or are there some good Indian restaurants in San Antonio? Actually, now there are a couple of good Indian restaurants in San. Antonio, I can say that you know. Dave: Because I'm guessing the Indian population in San Antonio is a lot smaller than Indian. Zohra: Yes, it is a lot smaller, but I can now say if you would ask me this five years ago, I would be like nothing my kitchen but, now I can say actually we just went to one day before yesterday and it was pretty nice. Dave: So yes, yeah, I think I am heading to Houston, uh, next week. Zohra: so I'm going to make it a point to go to one of the nice restaurants Indian restaurants to know, get some food, that's great, which I think. Dave: I think the yellow curry is my favorite. What's your favorite curry? Zohra: I think I'm not very fond of curries, but I think I'm not a big. I'm not a big curry person, so, but I think my favorite Indian food would be biryani. Dave: Okay. Zohra: Yeah, the rice with the meat. Yeah, yeah, I think that that is awesome. Dave: Well, Zohra, thank you again for coming on the show sharing your story, the SeaLink story and uh and sharing your passion. It really comes through that you and uh and Shaizad both have a passion for serving your customers, and that's really. It's always fun to hear that somebody's just really enjoying what they do. Zohra: Yes, yes, thank you. Thank you for having me and thank you for letting me talk about sealing, and I hope that whoever listens to this, you know, comes to us and uses us. Thank you. Dave: That sounds great. You have a great day. Zohra: You too, you too. Special Guest: Zohra Shroff.
Send us a textThe Ones Ready crew is back with your daily drop, and today's episode is hotter than the LRSO's payload. Jared breaks down the latest in defense news with a healthy dose of sarcasm, fury, and common sense—none of which were found in the FY26 budget. From the Navy's sixth-gen fighter dreams to Putin's never-ending land grab, the episode covers it all. We're talking U.S. evacuation plans in Bahrain, AFRICOM vs EUCOM turf wars, drone warfare budget gymnastics, and why building a micro nuke in Alaska is finally something to get excited about. Oh, and apparently we're ready to go to war over Greenland…?If you like watching bureaucratic chaos unfold in real-time while Jared dunks on generals and defends SpaceX like it's a religion, this one's for you.
The head of the operator of the Panama Canal has warned that a $23bn global ports deal could put the waterway's neutrality mandate at risk, Donald Trump is testing the limits of presidential power by sending troops to Los Angeles, and Warner Bros Discovery will split into two publicly traded companies. Plus, Brazil is hoping to sell its first sovereign debt in the Chinese market to strengthen trade and investment ties.Mentioned in this podcast:Panama Canal boss warns MSC ports deal threatens principle of neutralityTrump administration to deploy hundreds of Marines in Los AngelesDonald Trump tests limits of presidential authority by sending troops into Los AngelesWarner Bros Discovery to split its TV and streaming businessesBrazil plans panda bond as Lula looks to bolster ties with ChinaToday's FT News Briefing was produced by Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Mischa Frankl-Duval and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Blake Maples, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our intern is Michaela Seah. The show's theme song is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Visit us at Network2020.org. Recent comments from President Trump targeting Canada, Greenland, and Panama have drawn renewed attention to a deeper global trend: the scramble for control over critical infrastructure. From the Panama Canal to Arctic shipping routes and mineral-rich territories, nations are positioning themselves to command the arteries of commerce and security. Infrastructure—whether canals, ports, or rare earth corridors—is increasingly about power, leverage, and access to the future economy than simply logistics. What does the infrastructure chessboard look like through the lens of geopolitics and how is it shifting? What are Washington's aims and how might other countries react? As nations compete to secure these pathways and resources, the question isn't just about who controls them, but how infrastructure control is remaking geopolitics.Join us for a discussion with Dr. Mary Bridges, an infrastructure expert and Ernest May Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School; Jonathan E. Hillman, Senior Fellow of Geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations; and Dr. Evan Ellis, research professor of Latin American Studies at the U.S. Army War College. This conversation will provide key insights into the global competition for strategic infrastructure control. Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comRobert is a journalist and historian. He served as president and editor-in-chief of Congressional Quarterly, the editor of The National Interest, and the editor of The American Conservative, and he covered Washington as a reporter for the WSJ for more than a decade. He has written many history books, including the one we're discussing this week: President McKinley: Architect of the American Century. It's a lively read, a fascinating glimpse of fin-de-siècle American politics, and of a GOP firmer on tariffs — but a hell of a lot more virtuous than it is under Trump today.For two clips of our convo — on McKinley's heroism during the Civil War, and the reasons he differs so much from Trump — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: Robert's journalist dad and his conservative influence; his own career as a journo; McKinley's roots in Ohio; his abolitionist parents; his mentor Rutherford B Hayes; his time in Congress; the economic depression of the 1890s; the debate over the gold standard; McKinley's “front-porch strategy” besting the great populist orator William Jennings Bryan; his underrated presidency; his modesty and “commanding quiet”; his incremental pragmatism — in the spirit of Oakeshott's “trimmer”; ushering in American empire; the Spanish-American War; the sinking of the Maine; taking over the Philippines; annexing Hawaii; leaving Cuba to the Cubans; the Panama Canal; McKinley's strong support of tariffs; his later pivot towards reciprocity in trade; his lackluster record on race relations; his assassination by an anarchist; Teddy taking over; his bombast contrasting with his predecessor; trust-busting; McKinley's remarkable marriage; his wife's epilepsy; HW Bush; and if a McKinley type of conservative could succeed in today's GOP.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Chris Matthews — who just revived “Hardball” on Substack, Tara Zahra on the revolt against globalization after WWI, Walter Isaacson on Ben Franklin, Arthur C. Brooks on the science of happiness, Paul Elie on crypto-religion in ‘80s pop culture, and Johann Hari coming back to turn the tables and interview me for the pod. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.
This is a two-part episode that focuses on very different topics with similar names. The original Operation Choke Point was launched by Obama as a way to shakedown industries that he thought he could manipulate. Biden revised the program in order to focus specifically on cryptocurrency-related businesses, exchanges, and banks working with industry leaders. The second part of the show features the maritime choke points worldwide that play a major role in the creeping spectre of World War 3. We focus on the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hurmuz, the Panama Canal, and the Strait of Malacca in southeast Asia. Conflict in the Middle East will cause multiple choke points to shut down, forcing the price of a barrel of oil to astronomical levels in a matter of weeks, not years. The Octopus of Global Control Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3xu0rMm Hypocrazy Audiobook: https://amzn.to/4aogwms Website: www.Macroaggressions.io Activist Post: www.activistpost.com Sponsors: Chemical Free Body: https://www.chemicalfreebody.com Promo Code: MACRO C60 Purple Power: https://c60purplepower.com/ Promo Code: MACRO Wise Wolf Gold & Silver: www.Macroaggressions.gold LegalShield: www.DontGetPushedAround.com EMP Shield: www.EMPShield.com Promo Code: MACRO ECI Development: https://info.ecidevelopment.com/-get-to-know-us/macro-aggressions Christian Yordanov's Health Program: www.livelongerformula.com/macro Privacy Academy: https://privacyacademy.com/step/privacy-action-plan-checkout-2/?ref=5620 Brain Supreme: www.BrainSupreme.co Promo Code: MACRO Above Phone: abovephone.com/macro Promo Code: MACRO Van Man: https://vanman.shop/?ref=MACRO Promo Code: MACRO My Patriot Supply: www.PrepareWithMacroaggressions.com Activist Post: www.ActivistPost.com Natural Blaze: www.NaturalBlaze.com Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/macroaggressionspodcast
On Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Communist China there would be “devastating consequences” if it invaded Taiwan – a prospect that “could be imminent.” That warning was extremely important, as far as it goes. Unfortunately, while the Chinese Communist Party has widely denounced Pete's remarks, its dictator, Xi Jinping, may be inclined to discount them – unless accompanied by actions that credibly deter the kind of blockade or invasion for which China's military has been “rehearsing.” Such steps should include: enforcing Trump's “America First Investment Policy” to stop U.S. underwriting of the Chinese military; implementing a counter-mafia strategy to root out the CCP's “old friends” here; securing the Panama Canal and moving significant elements of the Atlantic fleet through it ASAP; issuing a presidential statement today opposing the CCP's threat to freedom in South Korea; and finding and removing Chinese soldiers inside America.
As tensions with China escalate and global conflict looms, how can America regain its strategic footing and peace through strength?In this best of episode of The Kevin Roberts Show, we bring together some of the most experienced minds in national security, diplomacy, and defense. Hear from:
Crypto News Alerts | Daily Bitcoin (BTC) & Cryptocurrency News
At the 2025 Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, the Presidential Advisors of Building Bitcoin Country El Salvador Max Keiser & Stacy Herbert and Mayer Mizrachi of Panama City discussed their plans for establishing a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve in Panama and floated the idea of allowing ships transiting the Panama Canal to pay in Bitcoin for faster passage. Max Keiser predicts $2.2 Million Bitcoin in Play as BTC is the ultimate safe haven asset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
rWotD Episode 2943: Panama Canal Museum Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Sunday, 25 May 2025, is Panama Canal Museum.The Panama Canal Museum (Spanish: Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá) is a non-profit and public museum located in Panama City, Panama. Established in 1997, the museum is devoted to the history of the construction of the Panama Canal in its various stages, including the first French construction attempt, the later construction by the United States, and the eventual transfer to Panamanian control. This museum is located in Plaza Catedral or Independence Plaza, on the corners of 5th and 6th streets. Originally the building was the Grand Hotel, built by French businessman, George Loew, between 1874 and 1875. It was the most luxurious hotel in Panama City, however its history would be short-lived since it was sold to Count Ferdinand de Lesseps in 1881. From then on it would be the headquarters of the Universal Company of the French Interoceanic Canal. Most of the building was used for offices, except for one floor which would lodge high-ranking employees. After the French canal failure, the current Panama Canal Museum building was used by the United States Canal Commission for 4 years until they moved to Balboa in 1910. The Panamanian government bought the building in 1915 to use it as public offices. As the years passed, it deteriorated like most of the buildings in Casco Viejo. In 1996 the Board of Trustees of the Interoceanic Canal Museum was created. Restoration work started immediately and the first part of the museum was inaugurated in 1997, while the full construction took six years.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:00 UTC on Sunday, 25 May 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Panama Canal Museum on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Ivy.
The end of the cruel Peace & the start of the desperate War.Based on ‘One In Ten' by FinalStand, adapted into 17 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.A frightened Mother Mouse will devour her young; similarly, a frightened culture will devour its future.It wasn't like a magic force field bubble protected us until our 16th birthday. I couldn't recall all the times after I was 13 some woman asked me, or my Mother, when my 16th birthday would be. Back then, I didn't think much about it. In hindsight, those women were wondering when I would become legally sexually vulnerable. In way too many cases, women with access to teenage boys didn't wait.Even if they did,"It was my Aunt," Barabbas confessed. "She and her boss."You would think a sixteen, or seventeen, year old guy getting to sleep with a Milf would be a trip. It could be. For the boys with better developed empathy, you started to realize a woman you trusted was using your sexuality for their own advancement. Then you began feeling like a whore."She got me a job, but I quit after four months, you know,” he trailed off."Yeah," I sighed sympathetically."Yeah," Lowry snorted, "when the rest decided you should be putting out for free.""That was completely unnecessary," I glared at him."But true," he defied me."True," Barabbas agreed with a familiar degree of rejection."Mom flipped out when she figured out what Tamara; my sister; was doing," Pierre picked up his tale. "I was seventeen by that time. She helped pay for my college." We assumed the 'she' was his sister; the one who pimped him out."I hit one once," Lowry bragged. I found that somewhat difficult to believe."What happened?" Pierre asked."She kicked my ass," he chuckled. "Ex-military Reservist. Beat me like I had a cock." I read somewhere in the old days it was more common to say 'like a little bitch.' Now it was 'like I had a cock' because they didn't like teaching men to be 'too violent' aka how to defend ourselves.No one else felt like inquiring, so Barabbas did the deed."Go to the cops?""For what?" he shook his head. "I threw the first punch, and the second. Fucking Bitch. We both looked pretty rough, but I lost."Another pause."What was it like to hit one with your stick?" Lowry shot me a look."Good, damn good, and stupid. I mean, I could have ended up like you with a crowd of women on a subway kicking and stomping on me and I would have ended up in jail too," I related. "Still, it felt good, just to tell one to keep her hands to herself, ya know?" I got nods all around. We were all young, healthy and relatively handsome."Yeah, you could have gotten your ass kicked," Barabbas reminded me."In fact, one of the major reasons I didn't, gave me the pistol I'm carrying," I twitched it slightly. "The first time they came for me, I asked them ~ the Vanishers ~ to wait, and they did.""Why in the fuck would you do that?" Lowry blurted out, shocked and skeptical."At the time, I didn't trust them since I figured they were nothing more than another bunch of women telling me what to do. I wanted to use them to escape. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life serving them if it meant the same fucked-up existence I was currently living," I shared the enlightenment."What changed your mind?" Pierre's eyes lit up."I figured out their prime motivation, the nature of the conspiracy and that I had no rational chance to escape them," I answered. "Every angle I was figuring out, they had figured out years ago. On the plus side, their core philosophy requires them to engage men as equals for both biological and social reasons ~ which means they are the best game in town. In case you missed it, the Vanishers didn't 'vanish' me. I escaped on my own. They have agreed to join forces with my group; no lie.""Your group has a lot of girls," Lowry drolly noted."Lowry, exactly how was I going to recruit any male to my cause without dropping the entire Metropolitan G E D (Gender Enforcement Division) on me?""Flyers?" Barabbas joked softly."He's got a point," Pierre rallied to my cause. "As far as any of you have confessed, none of us had any guy, or girl, friends. It is why we were selected.""Okay, fine. Now what?" Lowry conceded to the consensus."We wake up tomorrow working toward equality," I huffed. "We are all going to have to learn to fight and shoot because the entire group is going to be in danger for some time to come. Society, as in Global Society, is going to come crashing down. And that means anarchy, lawlessness and barbarism before it violently spasms off into extinction.""We have lived our lives effectively as slaves, though no woman inside that house will admit it truly in their hearts. For the first time in our lives, we can change our futures. I'm sure if we surrender to whomever kills the others, they will enslave us once more and leave us with far fewer illusions about our status. Or, we can chose to fight and, if worst comes to worst, die free. I'm not going back to what I was. That means I will need to learn how to survive; and that means fighting. Not because I hate women, but because there are several I love and respect and I don't want to let them down ~ as their equal.""Tonight, think about what I've told you. Tomorrow morning, I hope you join up with us," I concluded my 'pep talk.'"And if we don't?" Lowry stared defiantly."That is something you are free to do too," I shrugged. "I'm not going to tell you what to do. Let's go back inside. It is late."We'd almost made it back when Lowry put a hand on my shoulder."Can I see the gun now?""This thing? Like this?" I half-turned, made eye contact then flick my eyes down to the pistol then back to him again."Yeah.""Have you ever handled a loaded firearm before?" I requested."Yeah, plenty of times, in my dreams," he mocked me."You are a moron," I felt my blood simmering. "This isn't a game, this (the pistol) isn't a toy, and you have not been paying attention." I put both hands on the pistol, removed the magazine then removed the chambered bullet. Lastly, ass-first, I handed him the empty pistol with my left hand while keeping the ammunition in my right."Moron, huh?" he chuckled. "Gonna give me the bullets?""No, no, I'm not going to give you the bullets because you don't know what you are doing. Unlike you, I actually have had a firearm lesson. More to the point, I won't give you a loaded firearm because I think I've stressed the lady, or ladies, watching over us right now enough for one night.""Huh?" Lowry and Barabbas echoed. Pierre looked around."Wes didn't keep us inside to play '20 Questions' for her own amusement. She kept us occupied so her other teammate, or teammates, could move to this side of the house, so they could watch over us while giving you three the delusion we were alone. They are professionals in camouflage gear with night-vision goggles, so unless they had to move rapidly through the underbrush, we weren't likely to detect them.""I played along because I felt it was necessary for you three to open up a little bit. Life is only going to get tougher over the next few months. None of us want to have a chat with heavily armed women staring over our shoulders, so I took us outside where it would appear we were alone," I explained."You lied to us," Lowry snipped."No. My words were true. What I did was allow you to deceive yourself as to our level of security and amount of company. I did what I did for the good of the group, regardless of gender, Gentlemen. It is how we all need to start thinking. Something else you might want to think about is: everyone I love is with me here today. A good number of people who decided getting in my way was a good thing aren't even alive anymore. I will gladly embrace any one of you as brothers. If you are an obstacle, I will fucking see you gone, one way or another; clear?""We are guys," Lowry insisted smugly. Old thinking: women protected men."I; don't; care," I glared back. "You may be a sperm-shooter, but inside me is the only surefire cure for the Gender Plague. I repeat: people I love, and there are several, are all alive today because I cared and took an active hand in their survival. My enemies are mostly dead. Being a man will save you from the women in there. It won't save you from me.""You'd kill us?" Pierre whispered."Pierre, my Mother died over a year ago. Where are your Mother and Sister? You don't give a damn about a single fucking human being and yet you expect me to trust you? Why?" I challenged him. "I've already proved to multiple people I can reach beyond my shell and give a fuck. Until you rejoin the Human Race, I value the rest of those battling alongside me far more than you, or anyone else regardless of whether they have a penis, or a vagina. I'm not going to snap your neck, stab, or shoot you. I'm simply not going to bother trying to save you. The World is doing a bang-up job of killing the rest of Humanity off, without my assistance.""I really ought to punch you," Lowry threatened."Give it your best shot," I took a step toward him. That wasn't what he, or I, was expecting. I put down my poor judgment and combative demeanor to exhaustion."Don't, guys," Barabbas interceded."You are an Asshole," Lowry snarled."And you are consistently ignoring reality," I snapped back. "For instance, we are not alone out here, plus we are also at the door." I knocked once. The door swung open to reveal a rather attentive and unhappy Wes Prince. I handed her the bullet and magazine."You were listening in?" Lowry turned his anger on her. Wes' eyes went from me, to him, out into the darkness then back to me, though her words were to Lowry."Yes. Of course I was listening in. I wouldn't call him an Asshole. I'd go for Smart-ass." To me, "Do you enjoy being annoyingly correct?""No. I'd be ecstatic to realize I was completely wrong about everything and had lapsed into a mad delusion," I related, my own anger seeping away. "Being right means I have to keep appreciating and respecting you and your compatriots and taking responsibility for my own clumsy contributions to our current situation, which I don't want to do. I want to go to bed.""Come on in and go to bed then," she softened. She made a slight hand gesture. "My pistol, please, Mr. Pritchard?" she requested of Lowry. Grudgingly he gave her the firearm. She stepped aside. Lowry went first, Barabbas second. Pierre gasped slightly because as he went up the steps he noticed the two Vanishers coming toward us from outside ~ the ones I had predicted to be watching us.I went in after Pierre. Wes followed along. Capri and Kuiko were waiting. The lights had already been dimmed throughout most of the rest of the dwelling."Who were those other two guys?" Wes stopped me."Sergeant Major Daly was a Marine N C O and improv poet renowned for his battlefield musings. His most famous philosophical insight into the fighting spirit of men came in World War One. In his words "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" He also won two Medals of Honor, so he must have had some talent.""Company Sergeant-Major John Robert Osborn was a Canadian; that was the country which now makes up the northern third of our current Federation; who found himself misplaced on the island of Hong Kong in late 1941; him, a handful of lads from Winnipeg and a shitload more Japanese. He and the Japanese ended up in a game of grenade tag,”"Grenade tag?" one of my two 'silent' guardians interrupted."Yes ~ grenade tag. Apparently in the olden days, grenades didn't airburst, or explode on impact. You pulled a pin and threw it at the enemy, then waited for the fuse to burn out and the grenade to go 'Boom!.' Quick, brave, and or stupid people could grab that grenade and toss it back. In some cases, one grenade might make two, or three trips before detonating.""Anyway, the Japanese were so very rudely throwing grenades into the position he and his Winnipeg Grenadiers were defending, so he kept returning them. After eight and a half hours of such fun, he came across one he couldn't toss back in time. He covered it with his body to shield his comrades from the blast, dying instantly. The British Empire gave him something called the Victoria Cross for his actions. He was the first Canadian in World War Two to receive it.""Why do you know such stuff?" she grinned. "Oh, I'm Scar and this is Nat," she indicated the third member of the Wes-Scar-Nat Vanisher trio."I considered myself a coward, so I read a lot about brave men. I was kind of hoping to figure out how I could be brave myself, one day," I disclosed."Mission success," the third one smiled. "Go to bed."I gathered up Capri and Kuiko and did as instructed. As I rested my head on the pillow, lights out and my mind gratefully shutting down."Less impressive sex, Bitch," Capri teased."No," I groaned."They definitely think you've got the 'sexy'," Kuiko enlightened me."Can we please just go to sleep?" I begged.Capri rolled onto her side, back to me, gave me a bump in the hip with her ass, then moved away a tiny bit. Kuiko wiggled close, kissed me lightly on the cheek, and then did the same. Unconsciousness took me before any other worries could steal my much needed slumber.The Larger World:As I struggled for sleep a second time, events unfolding in three different places around the Globe (Asia, the City and the Capitol) would impact my fate.Asia:First; the brutal agony still going on as the Sun disappeared over the horizon wasn't over when I woke up the next morning. It was largely misunderstood for some time afterwards, but was referred to as; the Battle for Shanghai.Five Chinese regular force divisions fought the garrison division of Shanghai, its 'reserve' division, hastily gathered volunteer female formations and a hodge-podge of ancillary forces the United Nations could throw into the fray. The goal for both sides was to seize a mother and her unborn child. Within them were the only other active resistant viral factory killing the T2 Gender Plague. By the time I woke up, both sides were sure the other side had killed them both, pretty much insuring the extinction of all sentient life in Eurasia.I say 'Eurasia' because by dusk of the previous day, the Federation knew for sure I, the other source of a cure for the T2, was still alive and kicking, as were my sons. My sons held a nebulous promise for a future date. I was of immediate importance since my adult body could produce enough antivirals to protect tens of thousands of people on a relatively continuous basis, or so it was projected.With, or without the mother and child, China was done for. Japan and Korea were rapidly circling the drain. North of China, the Plague was racing across Siberian Russia. Central Asia had never really recovered from the first round of the Gender Plague all those years ago so, now off the beaten path, would be longer in dying. India had too many outbreaks to even dream of containment. Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and the Levant Republic all had reported cases as well.Europe:Beyond the Urals, the Europeans were grappling with the looming fear of a global economic collapse along with the Specter of Death though 48 hours into the crisis, there were no cases to report yet. Civil order was teetering. Several nations had either closed their borders, or were considering doing so. Women began hording food, and men.Africa:
Judge Thomas G. Moukawsher is a Connecticut complex litigation judge and former lawyer, legislator and lobbyist. He is the author of “The Common Flaw: Needless Complexity in the Courts and 50 Ways to Reduce it.” President Trump has consistently tried to delegitimize the courts, which is weakening our democracy and deteriorating the Rule of Law. For decades, the international community has looked to the US to promote democracy and establish functional legal systems, especially with the ICC, ICJ, and human rights treaties. The Trump Administration may possibly use Gunboat Diplomacy and manifest destiny regarding the Panama Canal, Greenland and Canada. War on Terror legislation allowed the President to take aggressive, and possibly illegal action. The NATO Treaty requires Greenland and Canada be defended if attacked; therefore, Democrats, Republicans and the Judiciary need a united front to protect the Rule of Law and rescue US international prestige which is plummeting worldwide.
Chinese workers helped build the modern world. They labored on New World plantations, worked in South African mines, and toiled through the construction of the Panama Canal, among many other projects. While most investigations of Chinese workers focus on migrant labor, Chinese Workers of the World: Colonialism, Chinese Labor, and the Yunnan-Indochina Railway (Stanford UP, 2024) explores Chinese labor under colonial regimes within China through an examination of the Yunnan-Indochina Railway, constructed between 1898-1910. The Yunnan railway--a French investment in imperial China during the age of "railroad colonialism"--connected French-colonized Indochina to Chinese markets with a promise of cross-border trade in tin, silk, tea, and opium. However, this ambitious project resulted in fiasco. Thousands of Chinese workers died during the horrid construction process, and costs exceeded original estimates by 74%. Drawing on Chinese, French, and British archival accounts of day-to-day worker struggles and labor conflicts along the railway, Selda Altan argues that long before the Chinese Communist Party defined Chinese workers as the vanguard of a revolutionary movement in the 1920s, the modern figure of the Chinese worker was born in the crosscurrents of empire and nation in the late nineteenth century. Yunnan railway workers contested the conditions of their employment with the knowledge of a globalizing capitalist market, fundamentally reshaping Chinese ideas of free labor, national sovereignty, and regional leadership in East and Southeast Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies
Chinese workers helped build the modern world. They labored on New World plantations, worked in South African mines, and toiled through the construction of the Panama Canal, among many other projects. While most investigations of Chinese workers focus on migrant labor, Chinese Workers of the World: Colonialism, Chinese Labor, and the Yunnan-Indochina Railway (Stanford UP, 2024) explores Chinese labor under colonial regimes within China through an examination of the Yunnan-Indochina Railway, constructed between 1898-1910. The Yunnan railway--a French investment in imperial China during the age of "railroad colonialism"--connected French-colonized Indochina to Chinese markets with a promise of cross-border trade in tin, silk, tea, and opium. However, this ambitious project resulted in fiasco. Thousands of Chinese workers died during the horrid construction process, and costs exceeded original estimates by 74%. Drawing on Chinese, French, and British archival accounts of day-to-day worker struggles and labor conflicts along the railway, Selda Altan argues that long before the Chinese Communist Party defined Chinese workers as the vanguard of a revolutionary movement in the 1920s, the modern figure of the Chinese worker was born in the crosscurrents of empire and nation in the late nineteenth century. Yunnan railway workers contested the conditions of their employment with the knowledge of a globalizing capitalist market, fundamentally reshaping Chinese ideas of free labor, national sovereignty, and regional leadership in East and Southeast Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Chinese workers helped build the modern world. They labored on New World plantations, worked in South African mines, and toiled through the construction of the Panama Canal, among many other projects. While most investigations of Chinese workers focus on migrant labor, Chinese Workers of the World: Colonialism, Chinese Labor, and the Yunnan-Indochina Railway (Stanford UP, 2024) explores Chinese labor under colonial regimes within China through an examination of the Yunnan-Indochina Railway, constructed between 1898-1910. The Yunnan railway--a French investment in imperial China during the age of "railroad colonialism"--connected French-colonized Indochina to Chinese markets with a promise of cross-border trade in tin, silk, tea, and opium. However, this ambitious project resulted in fiasco. Thousands of Chinese workers died during the horrid construction process, and costs exceeded original estimates by 74%. Drawing on Chinese, French, and British archival accounts of day-to-day worker struggles and labor conflicts along the railway, Selda Altan argues that long before the Chinese Communist Party defined Chinese workers as the vanguard of a revolutionary movement in the 1920s, the modern figure of the Chinese worker was born in the crosscurrents of empire and nation in the late nineteenth century. Yunnan railway workers contested the conditions of their employment with the knowledge of a globalizing capitalist market, fundamentally reshaping Chinese ideas of free labor, national sovereignty, and regional leadership in East and Southeast Asia. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies
Chinese workers helped build the modern world. They labored on New World plantations, worked in South African mines, and toiled through the construction of the Panama Canal, among many other projects. While most investigations of Chinese workers focus on migrant labor, Chinese Workers of the World: Colonialism, Chinese Labor, and the Yunnan-Indochina Railway (Stanford UP, 2024) explores Chinese labor under colonial regimes within China through an examination of the Yunnan-Indochina Railway, constructed between 1898-1910. The Yunnan railway--a French investment in imperial China during the age of "railroad colonialism"--connected French-colonized Indochina to Chinese markets with a promise of cross-border trade in tin, silk, tea, and opium. However, this ambitious project resulted in fiasco. Thousands of Chinese workers died during the horrid construction process, and costs exceeded original estimates by 74%. Drawing on Chinese, French, and British archival accounts of day-to-day worker struggles and labor conflicts along the railway, Selda Altan argues that long before the Chinese Communist Party defined Chinese workers as the vanguard of a revolutionary movement in the 1920s, the modern figure of the Chinese worker was born in the crosscurrents of empire and nation in the late nineteenth century. Yunnan railway workers contested the conditions of their employment with the knowledge of a globalizing capitalist market, fundamentally reshaping Chinese ideas of free labor, national sovereignty, and regional leadership in East and Southeast Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies
Chinese workers helped build the modern world. They labored on New World plantations, worked in South African mines, and toiled through the construction of the Panama Canal, among many other projects. While most investigations of Chinese workers focus on migrant labor, Chinese Workers of the World: Colonialism, Chinese Labor, and the Yunnan-Indochina Railway (Stanford UP, 2024) explores Chinese labor under colonial regimes within China through an examination of the Yunnan-Indochina Railway, constructed between 1898-1910. The Yunnan railway--a French investment in imperial China during the age of "railroad colonialism"--connected French-colonized Indochina to Chinese markets with a promise of cross-border trade in tin, silk, tea, and opium. However, this ambitious project resulted in fiasco. Thousands of Chinese workers died during the horrid construction process, and costs exceeded original estimates by 74%. Drawing on Chinese, French, and British archival accounts of day-to-day worker struggles and labor conflicts along the railway, Selda Altan argues that long before the Chinese Communist Party defined Chinese workers as the vanguard of a revolutionary movement in the 1920s, the modern figure of the Chinese worker was born in the crosscurrents of empire and nation in the late nineteenth century. Yunnan railway workers contested the conditions of their employment with the knowledge of a globalizing capitalist market, fundamentally reshaping Chinese ideas of free labor, national sovereignty, and regional leadership in East and Southeast Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies
Chinese workers helped build the modern world. They labored on New World plantations, worked in South African mines, and toiled through the construction of the Panama Canal, among many other projects. While most investigations of Chinese workers focus on migrant labor, Chinese Workers of the World: Colonialism, Chinese Labor, and the Yunnan-Indochina Railway (Stanford UP, 2024) explores Chinese labor under colonial regimes within China through an examination of the Yunnan-Indochina Railway, constructed between 1898-1910. The Yunnan railway--a French investment in imperial China during the age of "railroad colonialism"--connected French-colonized Indochina to Chinese markets with a promise of cross-border trade in tin, silk, tea, and opium. However, this ambitious project resulted in fiasco. Thousands of Chinese workers died during the horrid construction process, and costs exceeded original estimates by 74%. Drawing on Chinese, French, and British archival accounts of day-to-day worker struggles and labor conflicts along the railway, Selda Altan argues that long before the Chinese Communist Party defined Chinese workers as the vanguard of a revolutionary movement in the 1920s, the modern figure of the Chinese worker was born in the crosscurrents of empire and nation in the late nineteenth century. Yunnan railway workers contested the conditions of their employment with the knowledge of a globalizing capitalist market, fundamentally reshaping Chinese ideas of free labor, national sovereignty, and regional leadership in East and Southeast Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Critical shipping routes around the world, from the Panama Canal to the Bosphorus Strait, hold strategic importance for global trade. As a result, these chokepoints are often caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical competition. But in a new age of economic warfare, invisible chokepoints are also emerging. The dominance of the US dollar, economic sanctions, and tariffs on imported goods can all be leveraged to achieve political goals. Meanwhile, nations are laying out plans to increase defense spending—potentially altering the outlook for productivity, industrial activity, and economic growth. With economic warfare becoming a lasting feature of the investment environment, new winners and losers based on country, region, sector and asset class could emerge. This episode of The Outthinking Investor explores how economic warfare, national security concerns, and friend-shoring in global trade are creating new implications for investors to consider. Our guests are: Edward Fishman, senior research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy and author of the new book, “Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare” Katharine Neiss, PGIM Fixed Income's Deputy Head of Global Economics and Chief European Economist Jeff Rathke, President of the American-German Institute at Johns Hopkins University and former American diplomat Do you have any comments, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover? Email us at thought.leadership@pgim.com, or fill out our survey at PGIM.com/podcast/outthinking-investor. To hear more from PGIM, tune into Speaking of Alternatives, available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, and other podcast platforms. Explore our entire collection of podcasts at PGIM.com.
- Broadcast News Introduction and Upcoming Segments (0:00) - AI Advancements and Their Impact on Jobs (0:45) - Breaking News: Trump-China Trade Deal and Its Implications (2:46) - Pakistan-India Cyber War and Its Potential Escalation (9:55) - Power Grid Vulnerabilities and Preparedness (13:36) - Crypto Wallets and the Importance of Self-Custody (19:04) - AI Capabilities and Their Implications for Human Jobs (25:14) - The Role of Enoch AI in Empowering Users (59:30) - The War on Human Cognition and Its Vectors (1:05:29) - Strategies for Protecting Cognitive Function (1:21:34) - Chemotherapy and Cognitive Impairment (1:21:56) - Natural Light and Sun Exposure (1:25:06) - Media and Information Warfare (1:30:33) - Societal and Behavioral Factors (1:33:37) - Defending Against Environmental Toxins (1:41:05) - Nutritional and Dietary Factors (1:47:00) - Pharmaceutical and Medical Warfare (1:49:22) - EMF Exposure and Technological Risks (1:59:51) - Information Warfare and Censorship (2:02:12) - Societal and Behavioral Factors (2:11:11) - Zionist and Chinese Strategic Moves in the Middle East (2:25:45) - Trump's Arrogance and Military Presence in Panama (2:26:04) - China's Influence and Economic Strategy in Panama (2:26:21) - Strategic Importance of the Panama Canal (2:52:23) - Strait of Hormuz and Global Energy Supply (3:06:20) - US-China Trade War and Economic Implications (3:14:03) - Anthropological Warfare and Cultural Resilience (3:14:21) - Migration and Demographic Warfare (3:22:15) - Global Economic and Political Dynamics (3:28:51) - Future Strategic Moves and Predictions (3:33:17) For more updates, visit: http://www.brighteon.com/channel/hrreport NaturalNews videos would not be possible without you, as always we remain passionately dedicated to our mission of educating people all over the world on the subject of natural healing remedies and personal liberty (food freedom, medical freedom, the freedom of speech, etc.). Together, we're helping create a better world, with more honest food labeling, reduced chemical contamination, the avoidance of toxic heavy metals and vastly increased scientific transparency. ▶️ Every dollar you spend at the Health Ranger Store goes toward helping us achieve important science and content goals for humanity: https://www.healthrangerstore.com/ ▶️ Sign Up For Our Newsletter: https://www.naturalnews.com/Readerregistration.html ▶️ Brighteon: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport ▶️ Join Our Social Network: https://brighteon.social/@HealthRanger ▶️ Check In Stock Products at: https://PrepWithMike.com
The Panama Canal isn't just a trade route—it's a lifeline for American commerce and a key to military dominance. But here's the problem: China knows that too. As the CCP tightens its grip on ports and infrastructure surrounding the canal, the question isn't if we should act—it's how fast.Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts is […]
The National Security Hour with Col. John Mills Ret. – America handed the Canal to Panama, not China, but Panama needed a partner, and America was nowhere to be found. China gladly stepped in. Much of Panama preferred America, but with an American absence, there was not much of a choice. Now, the geopolitical landscape of chokepoints, canals, and trade routes is front and center...
The National Security Hour with Col. John Mills Ret. – America handed the Canal to Panama, not China, but Panama needed a partner, and America was nowhere to be found. China gladly stepped in. Much of Panama preferred America, but with an American absence, there was not much of a choice. Now, the geopolitical landscape of chokepoints, canals, and trade routes is front and center...
#PANAMA: REPORTING ON THE WHOLE OF SOCIETY ASSAULT BY THE PRC AIMING TO DOMINATE THE PANAMA CANAL. @MICHAEL_YON IN PANAMA CITY 1929 PANAMA CITY
Why is Everyone Talking About Project 2025 & Should You Be Worried? How Dangerous Is It? What Does it Mean for America? Is Project 2025 Trump's agenda? No matter which side of the political aisle you're on, America is being reshaped, and it's important to be aware of these big changes that will impact so many of us. As Trump's first 100 days in office for a second term comes to a close, we're breaking down Project 2025 - what it is, who's really behind it, how it's already restructuring society, what else is to come, the global implications, and why we need to start finally taking it seriously. David A. Graham (political & national affair staff writer at The Atlantic, author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America) gives his political analysis of the hidden dangers of Project 2025 — from mass federal layoffs and the erasure of environmental protections to the terrifying push for Christian-only values and a government that could soon look unrecognizable. With whispers of invading Canada, reclaiming the Panama Canal, and rewriting democracy itself, Graham dives deep into how this political earthquake could dismantle the U.S. system as we know it — and why now, more than ever, we need to wake up, speak out, and fight for what's left of due process, education, and basic rights. You can't afford to miss this episode of MBB! David A. Graham's book, The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/800230/the-project-by-david-a-graham/ BialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik
Find us at www.crisisinvesting.com In this episode, Michael Yon provides a detailed update from Panama, discussing the geopolitical struggles for control of the Panama Canal, and the larger global context involving China, the United Nations, and the United States. The conversation covers the ongoing migration crisis, particularly through the Darien Gap, and explores the impacts of global power plays on Panama and other key naval choke points. The discussion also touches on economic issues in China, the significance of historical events, and the potential for large-scale conflicts and famines in the near future. 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage 00:42 Discussion on China and Global Politics 03:51 Panama and the Darien Gap 06:06 Historical Insights and Canal Construction 27:48 Mosquitoes and Disease in Canal History 33:20 Trump Administration and Immigration Policies 36:31 Alex's Journey from HIAS to Homeland Security 36:47 HIAS's Role in Immigration Camps 37:02 Alejandro Mayorkas and the Expansion of Camps 37:38 Criticism of HIAS and Donors 38:30 Comparing Deportation Rates: Biden vs. Trump 39:06 Trump's Border Policies and Their Impact 39:44 The Role of HIAS in Lake and Riley's Murder 40:51 Global Immigration and Colonization Trends 42:44 Colony Ridge: A New City in Texas 44:03 Governor Abbott's Border Actions 46:18 The Threat of War and Global Conflicts 50:48 Trump's Military Actions on the Border 57:37 Zionism and Global Power Struggles 01:07:53 Historical Context and the Path Between the Seas 01:09:38 Historical Layers of Panama 01:09:55 Current Political Influences in Panama 01:11:10 Geopolitical Tensions and Travel Concerns 01:14:01 Potential Global Crises: Famine and Blackouts 01:19:23 Strategic Importance of the Panama Canal 01:39:38 Historical Insights and Personal Anecdotes 01:46:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
CSIS's Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss the U.S. strategic interests in the Panama Canal, competition with China and potential outcomes.
Join Victor Davis Hanson and cohost Jack Fowler to talk about Pope Francis who recently passed away, immigration and security of nations, Steve Witkoff and the Middle East-Ukraine arenas, illegal immigration brings with it insidious problems, Canada's elections, Panama Canal's future, AOC-Sander's fan base and the 1960s, Blue Origin flight, and the Trump-Harvard stand-off.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It's time for The Indicator Quiz! We test you, dear listener, on your knowledge of topics that we've covered on The Indicator.Today's quiz show involves a DJ from Vancouver, Washington that tests his economic education on the World Trade Organization, the Panama Canal, and of course, Bad Bunny. Play along with us and see how you do!Are you interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Email us your name and phone number at indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line.Related episodes:WWE, a very expensive banana, and a quiz contestant (Apple / Spotify)For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Trevor Loudon Reports – Sabotage, terrorist attacks, or even biological warfare on American soil. Chang agreed, stating that China's control over strategic assets like the Panama Canal and its history of proxy wars demonstrate its willingness to strike globally. For Americans, this could mark the first sustained foreign enemy presence on U.S. soil since the War of 1812...
A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to show what it is doing to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. after immigration officials mistakenly sent him to a notorious prison in El Salvador. We get the latest on his case from longtime federal prosecutor Mary McCord. Then, we get the latest on the antitrust case that put Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the stand. NPR's Bobby Allyn joins us. And, China's rivalry and trade war with the United States is tangling a Panama Canal port deal in geopolitics. Bloomberg News' Shirley Zhang talks about this saga.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
The Hong Kong-based company CK Hutchinson, led by billionaire Li Ka-shing, recently announced a deal to sell majority stakes in two ports on the Panama Canal. The deal with a consortium of investors led by BlackRock pleased President Donald Trump, after he had expressed interest in regaining control over the canal. But, as WSJ's Rebecca Feng reports, the $22.8 billion deal also angered Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who saw the ports as a bargaining chip with the United States. Allison Pohle hosts. Further Listening: - China Unleashes a Trade War Arsenal - The Trade War With China Is On Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Freeman, fellow for Latin America studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Donald Trump's calls for the United States to retake control of the Panama Canal. Mentioned on the Episode: Will Freeman, “A New Monroe Doctrine Is Unlikely to Work for the US in South America,” Financial Times Will Freeman, “Securing the Panama Canal Requires Diplomacy,” Americas Quarterly Donald J. Trump, “The Inaugural Address,” January 20, 2025 Donald J. Trump, “Truth Social Post,” December 21, 2024 For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-plan-panama-canal-will-freeman
Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he breaks down today's biggest stories shaping America and the world. Trump-Bukele Summit Highlights Deportation Standoff – El Salvador's president meets with Trump as the White House refuses to return a deported MS-13 suspect, despite a Supreme Court ruling. The broader message: mass deportation is the only viable response to the Biden-era migrant influx. U.S. Troops Return to Panama – In a major geopolitical move, America regains access to three former military bases and priority, toll-free access through the Panama Canal—infuriating socialist leaders in Central America. Trump Tariff War Evolves: Retaliation, Cheating, and Supply Risks – Trump eases tariffs on electronics, but China counters with rare earth and drug ingredient restrictions. Chinese firms ramp up fraud to dodge U.S. tariffs, while Trump quietly gears up deep-sea mining to combat resource dependence. U.S. Border Becomes Military Zone – Trump designates parts of the southern border as military land, empowering the Pentagon to detain illegal crossers. Meanwhile, migrants scramble to send money home as new registration and fines kick in. CNN Poll Shows Working-Class Shift to GOP – New polling shows Republicans now tie Democrats in voter perception of “caring about people like me,” a historic shift powered by Trump's appeal to non-college-educated Americans. Bernie and AOC Say Collapse Is Good – Democratic Socialists argue America's decline should be embraced so something new—socialism—can replace it. Trump's coalition, seeing him as a last shot to save the nation, braces for a high-stakes political and cultural battle. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32
Congress is finally passing the spending bill the administration needs. Sen. Eric Schmitt discusses that and what’s needed to revive USA manufacturing. Alex Marlow assesses the Trump Admin’s bid to keep China far away from the Panama Canal and a potential divorce between government and higher ed. Watch ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Trump Administration is finally getting its act together and addressing the elephant in the room: election fraud. Yesterday, the SAVE Act passed, requiring proof of citizenship to vote. However, that's not all. During a cabinet meeting, Tulsi Gabbard acknowledged that voting machines were fraudulent, stated they would be investigated, and suggested paper ballots as the best option moving forward. Next, J6er Jeremy Brown joins the show to discuss what happened that day, his arrest, and how the FBI allegedly set him up to persecute him. Later, we learned Chris Krebs had his security clearance revoked, more classified files are incoming, America is taking back the Panama Canal, and Polis signed SB25-003 into law. Finally, because it's Friday, we've got some laughs for you! All this and more on today's Untamed.
In this fiery Friday edition, Rob Carson kicks off the weekend with humor, passion, and a lineup of topics that range from economic wins to deeply personal concerns. Rob reflects on inflation numbers that defy the mainstream media narrative and celebrates investments like the $23B expansion in the U.S. and Nippon Steel's promise to revitalize Pennsylvania's steel industry. Listeners are taken inside what Carson dubs the “Trump Super Friends” cabinet meeting, where real progress—not just talk—is the highlight. The episode delves into major headlines including: Inflation drop surprising analysts and bad news for Democrats. Autism crisis and RFK Jr.'s vow to identify causes by September. Reviving U.S. steel and shipbuilding industries as a symbol of American comeback. Panama Canal developments and U.S. military presence return. Consumer warnings about e-commerce giants and their alleged ties to slave labor. Democrat corruption, from spending scandals to Biden's failed promises. Rob also shares personal anecdotes, blasts political hypocrisy, and highlights the absurdities in elite thinking—especially about manufacturing and immigration. With fiery rants and real-world insight, this episode is both entertaining and deeply provocative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 4403: Constant Sabotaging Of Courts Against Trump; Freeing The Panama Canal
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, tensions between America and China over the Panama Canal are heating up, as the U.S. inks a new defense and security pact with Panama, and China accuses Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of "spreading rumors and sowing discord" in the region. Later in the show, a Russian-American ballerina who had been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than a year was released from Kremlin custody on Thursday in the latest prisoner swap with the United States. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Jacked Up Fitness: Go to https://GetJackedUp.com and use code BAKER at checkout to save 10% off your entire purchase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this bonus episode of The Will Cain Show, Will sits down with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to break major news as the U.S. has secured a first-and-free military transit deal through the Panama Canal, which is a direct strike against Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere. Hegseth also details President Donald Trump's promise to reinstate vaccine-refusing soldiers, the rising tension with China, and how strength, not appeasement, will define America's foreign policy. Tell Will what you thought about this podcast by emailing WillCainShow@fox.com Subscribe to The Will Cain Show on YouTube here: Watch The Will Cain Show! Follow Will on Twitter: @WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: 5:00pm- While appearing on Fox News, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that China outfitted the Panama Canal with spy equipment: "The cranes the Chinese have on both sides of the canal are full of surveillance equipment. What do you think they're doing there?" 5:10pm- While appearing on MSNBC, businessman Kevin O'Leary said China doesn't play by the rules and that President Donald Trump has “to fix the problem once and for all.” 5:15pm- On Thursday, President Donald Trump convened a cabinet meeting where Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that there are numerous meetings scheduled regarding tariffs and that we are likely to see deals “one after another” in the coming days and weeks. 5:25pm- During a CNN town hall event with Senator Bernie Sanders, host Anderson Cooper was corrected after “misgendering” a civil rights attorney sitting in the audience. Matt notes that Cooper is by no means an adversary to the LGBTQ+ community—and now even he is getting reprimanded on television? 5:40pm- On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a budget blueprint which will extend the 2018 Trump tax cuts while reducing federal spending. Last week, the Senate passed a similar blueprint—however, the Senate's framework outlined only $4 billion in spending cuts while the House version includes $1.5 trillion. While speaking with reporters, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) explained that the reconciliation process will begin after Congress's two-week recess which begins next week. Weekday afternoons on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, Rich Zeoli gives the expert analysis and humorous take that we need in this crazy political climate. Along with Executive Producer Matt DeSantis and Justin Otero, the Zeoli show is the next generation of talk radio and you can be a part of it weekday afternoons 3-7pm.
The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (04/10/2025): 3:05pm- President Donald Trump has increased reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. On Wednesday, Trump announced that he “authorized a 90-day pause” on heightened reciprocal tariffs on nations other than China—with a much lower 10% universal tariff going into effect instead. 3:10pm- It's Time to Get Tough with China: According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, Chinese officials acknowledged that they were behind numerous cyberattacks against United States infrastructure. During a secret meeting in December, officials took credit for hacking computer systems related to U.S. airports and water utilities. The report suggests the attacks were in response to American support for Taiwan's independence. In an equally disturbing report, the Biden Administration allegedly buried evidence that U.S. military members contracted COVID-19 while in Wuhan, China as early as October 2019. 3:30pm- On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a budget blueprint which will extend the 2018 Trump tax cuts while reducing federal spending. Last week, the Senate passed a similar blueprint—however, the Senate's framework outlined only $4 billion in spending cuts while the House version includes $1.5 trillion. While speaking with reporters, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) explained that the reconciliation process will begin after Congress's two-week recess which begins next week. 4:05pm- According to Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick, singer Bon Jovi's nonprofit kitchen is attracting an enormous number of homeless people! The homeless from across the state, and out of state, are now flocking to Toms River to enjoy free meals—but the town doesn't have the infrastructure or resources to care for such an enormous number of people. 4:20pm- A recent Axios report notes that Democrats have their lowest favorability rating in the history of CNN polling, they have a bad 2026 Senate electoral map, and following the census in 2030—because residents of blue states are moving to red states in large numbers—Democrats will face an uphill battle in the electoral college in 2032. For example, California and New York are expected to lose a total of six House seats and, subsequently, six electoral votes. Rich notes he's not sure how the Democrat Party can turn things around—as they continue to embrace unpopular policies despite the results of the 2024 election. 4:30pm- JT Morris—Supervising Senior Attorney for The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss FIRE submitting an amicus brief on behalf of a Maine House Representative facing retaliation for protected speech about transgender athletes. 4:40pm- During a CNN town hall event with Senator Bernie Sanders, host Anderson Cooper was corrected after “misgendering” a civil rights attorney sitting in the audience. Matt notes that Cooper is by no means an adversary to the LGBTQ+ community—and now even he is getting reprimanded on television? 5:00pm- While appearing on Fox News, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that China outfitted the Panama Canal with spy equipment: "The cranes the Chinese have on both sides of the canal are full of surveillance equipment. What do you think they're doing there?" 5:10pm- While appearing on MSNBC, businessman Kevin O'Leary said China doesn't play by the rules and that President Donald Trump has “to fix the problem once and for all.” 5:15pm- On Thursday, President Donald Trump convened a cabinet meeting where Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that there are numerous meetings scheduled regarding tariffs and that we are likely to see deals “one after another” in the coming days and weeks. 5:25pm- During a CNN town hall event with Senator Bernie Sanders, host Anderson Cooper was corrected after “misgendering” a civil rights attorney sitting in the audience. Matt notes that Cooper is by no means an adversary to the LGBTQ+ community—and ...
Federal prosecutors say the alleged would-be Trump assassin tried to buy a rocket launcher from Ukraine. President Trump signs sweeping executive orders to revive the coal industry. The Supreme Court blocks a lower court order that would have forced the Trump administration to rehire thousands of fired federal workers. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth puts China on notice, vowing to keep the Panama Canal free from foreign control. A military parade for Trump's birthday and the Army's 250th anniversary is reportedly under discussion.We Heart Nutrition: Go to https://WeHeartNutrition.com & use code MEGYN for 20% offNimi Skincare: Get 10% off your order at https://www.NimiSkincare.com
In 1976, as America struggled to recover from the twin traumas of the Watergate scandal and the war in Vietnam, an unlikely figure emerged from the Georgia countryside promising to bring integrity back to the White House. Jimmy Carter was a drawling peanut farmer and former Navy man, whose plain-spoken message resonated with American voters. His election win marked a seismic shift in American politics. Carter became the first Deep South president since the Civil War, and he quickly pursued controversial actions: granting amnesty to conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War and pushing to give the Panama Canal back to Panama. He then set his sights on bringing peace to the Middle East with a series of risky talks at Camp David. But a lingering energy crisis would shadow his first year in office.Be the first to know about Wondery's newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-history-tellers/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Send us a textIn today's spicy drop, Peaches' back after a one-day hiatus—sorry not sorry—and he's coming in hotter than a Chinese stealth jet built entirely out of stolen parts. From the Pentagon reclaiming Panama like it's 1914, to the US Space Force asking for scraps while trying to refuel space warships mid-orbit, this one's got everything: geopolitical hot takes, budget rants, and even a shoutout to F-15Es babysitting the Pacific while we wait for the F-15EXs to show up fashionably late.Oh, and that $2.1 TRILLION F-35 program? Apparently, it's just a long-term payment plan that spans 100 years. You know, like student loans—but with jet engines.China's “J-36” makes an appearance, but Jared's not buying the hype. After all, when 80% of your military tech is duct-taped IP theft, maybe don't flex so hard.And if Congress can't pass a damn budget, maybe we should shut it all down and hard reset this clown show.You didn't ask for this dose of snark, sarcasm, and space-fueled doomscrolling—but here it is.
Preview: Colleague Joseph Humire reporting the Biden administration skipped an opportunity in 2022 to recover the China-influenced ports in Panama. More later 1913 PANAMA CANAL
On Wednesday's Mark Levin Show, President Trump's tariffs must be paired with major Trump tax cuts to avoid a recession and grow the economy. Tax cuts don't cause inflation or deficits—government spending and money printing do. Ronald Reagan's tax cuts prove this. Without tax cuts, a recession will hit, and Republicans will suffer in the midterms. This is the Democrat's economy which Trump is trying to fix. Also, the Wisconsin Supreme Court vote was a tragic missed opportunity that could lead the state toward a California-like future. Non-voting Republicans failed to protect their communities, potentially dooming the state to soaring taxes and regulations, marking another instance of self-inflicted tyranny. Later, the media is shockingly defending criminals and terrorists, as seen when Leslie Stahl asked a hostage if Hamas starved him due to their own lack of food. Meanwhile, they ignore critical stories, like a young Palestinian murdered for opposing Hamas. You can't believe the media. Additionally, ICE has deported over 100,000 illegal immigrants in the last 70 days under the Trump administration. While the illegal immigration crisis is improving, progress is hindered by the radical left as Judges continue to challenge Trump's efforts to remove illegal criminals. Radical district judges claim that illegal criminals have a right to due process, aiming to clog the court system. These judges are bureaucrats hired by other bureaucrats. Finally, it's of great concern that Russia will invade a small NATO country triggering Article V and testing our resolve, but simultaneously China will invade Taiwan, which would create a very, very serious set of problems for our country. Both countries are creating bases throughout the world, from the arctic circle to our hemisphere (including the Panama Canal), western Africa to the South China sea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices