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Allen reports live from ACP OM&S in Orlando, where the crew discusses high attendance costs, a pay-to-play model that shuts out newcomers, and how the event compares to WOMA. Plus, Vestas CEO Henrik Anderson says he’ll leave Denmark if proposed wealth taxes go through, sparking a debate on executive pay and Danish culture. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! [00:00:00] The Uptime Wind Energy Podcast brought to you by Strike Tape, protecting thousands of wind turbines from lightning damage worldwide. Visit strike tape.com And now your hosts. Allen Hall: Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I’m your host Allen Hall, and I’m here with Yolanda Padron, Rosemary Barnes and Matthew Stead. I am at ACP OM&S in Orlando. Home of Mickey Mouse and we’ve had, uh, this is our second day at OM and S and this is the conference where all the operators and the maintenance and the ISPs and all the new technologies show up to, to discuss their products and try to get some work for the summertime. Uh, so there’s a, a good number of vendors here. Solars here, not as much best as I would as expected, and obviously a lot to do with wind. [00:01:00] Uh, I know we’ve been talking internally on Slack and amongst one another. This is one of the, the most expensive conferences I have ever attended. It’s about $2,200 to attend just to get yourself into the door. Rosemary Barnes: And that’s US dollars too.  Matthew Stead: Real dollars.  Allen Hall: Green backs.  Rosemary Barnes: That’s like three and a half times what our event cost. What warmer cost. If you do the conversion  Allen Hall: yes.  Rosemary Barnes: And you get access to what? An exhibition and all of a whole bunch, a variety of amazing, informative, technical topics included with that ticket price, right?  Allen Hall: No. You get access to the exhibition, they will feed you some, uh, enchiladas and some, uh, free beer, but all the technical talks are extra. You have to pay. Uh, a couple hundred dollars  Rosemary Barnes: enchiladas and beer are a must have that everyone obviously wants, but talking about wind energy, totally optional. Nobody. Now, obviously not everybody is gonna wanna talk about wind energy, [00:02:00] so that’s, that’s an extra ticket that you need for that one. Allen Hall: Well, in order to go to the, I would call them technical talks, you have to pay for those. They have an A space in the middle of the convention where they’re doing what they call powered cast. Which are kind of modeled on podcasts, uh, that are sort of a produced thing where they have a panel up there. It’s similar what to where you’d done in Melbourne with Woma, but not with real technical people. The more polishing people. That’s what I saw. I don’t know a lot of the names and I’m pretty used to, to recognizing names of wind and it looks like to be a lot more policy people not. Blade experts or people like that. Rosemary Barnes: I’m a little bit confused because it’s very different to, you know, I love to complain about the Australian wind energy events, but this sounds very different to the way that it’s run here. Like usually at the exhibitions, the exhibitors pay like a bunch of money to be there, and what they want is people to come see it. So [00:03:00] usually here the exhibition is. Free to attend because you are there to be advertised to, you know, like it’s not some like amazing, valuable thing to you. It’s super valuable to the exhibitors. That’s why they have to pay, you know, $10,000 plus to, to be there. Right, but you are saying that they’re, they’re charging the, the attendees are, they’re giving the exhibition space away for free then? Allen Hall: No, the exhibition space costs a tremendous amount of money for a little tiny space. I’m actually in our slot, we share. A slot because the prices are so high, we’re sharing it with AC 8 83 who we love and with C and C onsite, who also we love. So it’s a good combination ’cause we like one another. We’re fun to hang out with, but it’s probably a nine by nine space. Uh, and then you have to pay for carpet and all the furniture that happens inside of that space, you can easily spend. $10,000 on a salon.  Matthew Stead: Question for you, Allen. So, um, how [00:04:00] does, how does the industry foster, you know, new, new technology, new companies, you know, growth of the industry, new ideas, so, you know, how does this event, um, foster those sorts of things? Allen Hall: It doesn’t because it’s really, it’s pay to play as Rosemary has pointed out a number of times and is frustrated by. In order to get heard, you have to pay to one, have a booth, or if you want to get up on stage, it costs money. It’s, it’s not a small amount, by the way. So, uh, if you’re a new company, you got a great idea. You even have traction. Say you’re TRL seven plus and you want to connect with operators, it’s hard to do that here. Uh, the operators tend to be a little gun shy and, and they’re. Off on the side. I, I know some of them obviously, ’cause I, I know who they are, but it isn’t like, uh, the operators are walking around necessarily talking to all the exhibitors. That’s not how this [00:05:00] works. What generally is happening is the operators are talking, uh, to people that are selling products in these conference rooms on the side. So those things are completely off the show floor. It’s not the best situation. Like, I gotta admit, I’ve been to a lot of other conferences like in aerospace. Those tend to be a little more free flowing.  Rosemary Barnes: It’s interesting ’cause it’s like, obviously you go to the events because everybody goes to the event and I’m sure you’ve had some great conversations. Um, however, you don’t need to go inside. Like when you go to one of these huge events, you’re trapped inside a windowless room for all day, every day for several days in a row. Like, why does it need, why does it need to be there if they’re discourage, actively discouraging people from going to any presentations? Why couldn’t you just grab a bunch of friends, you know, put on an open invite, Hey, we’re all gonna the beach this week. Let’s go talk wind energy at the beach. Like, I, I don’t understand why we need to subject ourselves to this sort of, this sort of event. Like I [00:06:00] just, it it’s gotten out outta control, don’t you think?  Allen Hall: It has. I would never talk wind energy while I’m at the beach. I go, that’s probably one place where I’m not talking wind energy, but there are other nice places you could be. To talk about what’s happening in the industry and, and that’s one of the frustrating pieces about this is, although I love a lot of the people that are here, it’s not a great place to share new ideas or to learn something new. It’s, it’s mostly a, a meet and greet and catch up a reunion in a sense. Of, Hey, we’re the survivors. That’s it. Part of it is that feel right.  Rosemary Barnes: It’s pretty hard though if you are not like, you know, everybody you need to talk to. And I started doing the same thing, like at the um, one, one of the recent events or one of the events last year in, in Australia. I was so fed up with it the year before. I’m like, I’m not giving them any money this year. I was at least allowed to go to the exhibition for free at that event. So, you know, at least that’s something, but I mean, I barely even did that. Anyway. What I did was I set up at a cafe near to the event and just, I just [00:07:00]scheduled meetings like back to back for two days. Um, everyone just came to the cafe. But that’s ’cause I know everybody, right? Like, it’s like someone that’s new to the industry can get nothing out of these events. Now it seems like it’s just, it’s so, it’s so sad. Like where, how, how are you going? Like, you know, people brand new to the industry. You used to be able to go to an event and just be like, okay, I’m gonna just have information overload for two or three days, meet a bunch of great people and I’ll come away feeling like I’m part of this industry. I just can’t imagine. That happening at the event that you are describing, that someone would, would show up and, you know, come away knowing a lot more about the industry and with, with a bunch of useful connections. Am I right?  Allen Hall: Uh, I think you’re right. There’s were a couple of people that I ran into that were new to the industry, trying to start a service provider or repair business, generally speaking that, or a drone business that we’re trying to get into the, the industry and we’re reaching out and talking to people and. The thing about [00:08:00] wind is when you actually get ahold of somebody, they will help you. It’s, it’s very, uh, open. What do you do? What are you trying to do? Wherever you talk, who you talk to, here’s some names that will happen, but it is daunting because there’s a lot of people here. You don’t know anybody, and there’s no way to really introduce them. I think that one of the things that, uh, American C Clean powered. Did, uh, that I noticed was they had like a first timers reunion space, so, or a meeting space so that it had some beach balls and a little Tahiti hut or whatever those tiki hut or whatever that was where you could kind of hang out because you knew. But I’m not sure that’s the best way to do that. I think, you know, American clean power could do a much better job of knowing who’s first time and connecting them. If the industry’s gonna grow, you need to be taking in new people and new ideas. To it. The only way you’re gonna be able to do that is if you actively make it happen. Matthew Stead: Did you learn anything new [00:09:00] so far?  Allen Hall: Not new. Uh, I, because we’re doing the podcast and we’re recorded several episodes in the last two days, I was able to ask specific questions like, what are you working on? What’s new? What’s coming out? And that’s the way to get to those answers. But if you’re walking the exhibit four, you would not see a lot of new technology and. Three years ago, I think four years ago, especially like during COVID, there was some pretty cool technology out on the show floor, uh, but not so much Today, the industry’s matured and, and it’s a tough industry to, to survive in. So what you generally see is companies that have been around 3, 4, 5 years that have made it, that are profitable, that are making good and income, and are providing a service and have sustained businesses, that’s what’s here today. Yolanda Padron: I think that a CP, the intent behind events like the one you’re, and Allen and the one we’ve, the ones we’ve all been to are, the intent is great, but the [00:10:00] execution isn’t super great. Not just from the the point of view of people coming in from new to the industry and wanting to start an ISP or something, but just from the owner operator. Point of view, you know, you’re, if you have to pay to go to specific talks or to go to technical talks that you don’t really know how much they’ll benefit you until basically the end of it. Once you see the information that’s gone into it and the practicality of everything that they, they’re talking about, and then when you’re walking in the showroom like four, like it’s a little bit daunting sometimes. There’s hundreds of companies. Sitting around in kind of like a maze, right? And it’s not always like, oh, you need lightning protection. Like that’s that area. Or you need better locks for your o and m buildings or for your towers or something. It’s that section like you’re just walking around everywhere. And then just. It kind of turns [00:11:00] into, like sometimes it can turn into just a game of like, if you’re going with a lot of colleagues, like a kind of a drinking day or a day to just see who can collect more freebies. Like I remember one year we had a group chat of like, oh, like every time you saw something cool that was like a, a merchandise thing, like you would put it in the group chat, like E 46 has this. And then we would all go and get it and it was. I don’t think that’s the intent behind what, what we wanted to do. It really wasn’t what we saw at oma if we’re being completely honest.  Matthew Stead: What I’m hearing is that there’s a really strong need in the US for another event. Is that, is that what I’m hearing?  Allen Hall: I think there needs to be a real technical event run by people who are technical experts. I think that’s it because there are a lot of new solutions out there, but you’re not gonna find them at OMX. That’s just not the place. Now, I’m sure a CP would dispute that and that’s fine. They [00:12:00] have their own opinion. But I think having attended this for several years and a CP and a number of other, uh, conferences in wins, there’s a small subset that are sharing solutions. It’s small and maybe there is need for one in America. It’s hard saying, Matthew, I. I think that maybe there’s is a time and place for it. I’m not sure America’s ready for it in, in a broader scope, but maybe something small. Maybe that’s the way to start off, is to do something small. Bring in the people we know and love from around the world have, go back to Rosemary’s point. Maybe we do something by the, by the pool or by the ocean. Maybe we do talk wind energy for, for an afternoon.  Rosemary Barnes: I understand why you can’t, um, have an event at. A resort. And it was suggested actually to me a couple of times, like people when we were organizing Wilma, why is this in Melbourne? Why isn’t this in the Maldives? Or you know, some, something like that. And the [00:13:00] one of the reasons like for us, ’cause in our Melbourne event it’s a, you know, it’s a very low cost event. We don’t make any money from it. It’s small. At least half of wind energy People in Australia are living in Melbourne, so it’s very, you know, easy for them to go to that it doesn’t, it doesn’t cost much or take much time. So that was that reason. But I think that, you know, more broadly, like say we did a global event and we put it in the, in the malice or in Fiji or Hawaii or whatever, like, people aren’t gonna get that approved from their managers, right? So even though you know, you’ve spent, I don’t know how much the technical sessions were, but by the time that you’ve gotten to a CP, if you had to. Even, you know, fly there in Australian hotel for a few nights, like it’s gonna be, you know, four grand or something. You can get to a nice location, probably an all-inclusive resort for a week, somewhere nice for similar money. Like you would spend more time having quality conversations and it would be, you know, nice and enjoyable, but [00:14:00] your manager is never gonna approve that. So I think that’s the challenge. To find somewhere that’s like nice and conducive to being relaxed and open, but that doesn’t sound like. So obviously a junket that no one will get approval to go to it. That’s the, that’s the challenge.  Matthew Stead: Um, just this week we got the feedback from the WMA conference. So we got, um, some of the results from the survey and I think, uh, probably the key thing to me was that we achieved 4.6 out of five, um, star rating. Um, everyone gave it a four or a five. And we know people that give things four out of five actually mean five. So I think we did really well. So, uh, and the feedback was also, um, you know, the technical content, but people want more, more and more, uh, technical content and, and the interaction with people. Rosemary Barnes: That’s a really, a really key thing to get feedback on if there are. Experts or categories of information that you would like to see covered that haven’t been, because I think, like we talk a lot about how, what the [00:15:00]problems are with a pay to play kind of model where speakers pay and get up and give a sales pitch and you know, there’s a lot of problems with that. But then when it’s the other way around and you know, we’re choosing speakers that we know are good, then you fall into the risk of having it become cliquey where it’s just, you know, like all our friends over and over again. It’s uh, like hard for us to both vet the quality and bring in people that we don’t know. So that’s where the outside feedback is gonna make that a lot better. Um, and it takes a long time, you know, you do, ’cause you, you do need to get to know a speaker before you can decide whether they’re gonna get up in the acne. You don’t sell at you for half an hour when they were supposed to, you know, do something informative. So, would love to hear that feedback.  Matthew Stead: I think the proof is in the pudding because, uh, at for woma, no one said that they were unlikely to attend.  Allen Hall: Oh, I, I would hate to see what the numbers are gonna be for OMS this year. Uh, ’cause you know, you know why I say that? Because a lot of people that have exhibited in the past do not have a booth this year, and they’re walking [00:16:00] around the show. And to me that’s an alarm signal. They should have a booth. They have good things to talk about. They’re a successful company. They’re doing great things to win, but they feel like this is just too much. It’s too much. Eventually you reach too much. I think we’re there.  Rosemary Barnes: I think it’s been a really good, like, uh, a big event with an exhibition can be a real money maker. And for, you know, like, uh, assuming that SAP uses this. The money that they make from this event to deliver services for the American Wind Industry. Uh, I mean, you, you know, you can probably argue about how well or not they do that. I don’t have an opinion ’cause I’m not in America. But, you know, like, I, I’m not saying that that’s not the, um, a, a noble goal and a good thing to, for the business to be doing. However, I think that it, that you can overshoot and, you know, so you can make a, a bunch of money for a few years. You know, you’ve got a good reputation for your event. You’ve got everybody comes to it. You can charge squillions to exhibitors. You can charge squillions more to speakers. You can even start charging people to watch the speakers who have [00:17:00] paid to be there. Probably, I don’t, I don’t actually know in this case, my assumption. Um, but at some point. Like you’ve cottoned on that, hey, it’s not actually worth paying extra for the, um, you know, to go watch the speakers. And the last one of these, you know, similar Australian events I was at, I was like, Hey, it’s not actually worth me paying to go into there because I can get all the benefits by just being near to it, like then. Once you don’t have heaps and heaps of people moving through, then exhibitors don’t wanna pay $10,000 to be there. Um, and so like, it’s just, it’s not sustainable to run the event like that. And that’s what I don’t think that, um, a lot of these event organization companies, especially the ones that aren’t run by an industry body, um, the ones that are just run by a company who exist to make money off events. You know, like they’re not, I don’t think that they’re planning these events to be sustainable in the long term and to improve the industry.  Matthew Stead: Can I ask, um, a question for Yolanda and Allen. Um, so assuming this money for a CP [00:18:00] ends up as lobbying money, do you think lobbying at the moment actually helps? Allen Hall: Here’s the feeling about it on the floor, and I haven’t talked to everybody here clearly. But the significant percentage I had talked to thinks that the policy efforts have not borne fruit, and that in some aspects, uh, they have increased the tension. Whether they’ve intentionally have done that or not, I don’t know. But I think the feeling on the floor here, the last two days has been the industry is in a quote unquote downturn or a pause, and they’re waiting till 2028 to see what happens. That’s not the answer I wanted to hear. And also at the state level, I think, uh, the amount of policy changes that are happening are not pro wind, pro solar or pro best, except maybe in a couple of states. So, uh, you feel like although [00:19:00] American clean power is on a national level, you will also like them to be at a state level, helping move some things forward and stop some of the prohibitions that are happening, or to get some of the permits issued. That’s one of the things that popped up today, talking to someone in the know as that permits are hard to get hold of in some states. Well, American Clean Power is supposed to be helping with that. I’m not sure that they are, at least if they are, you can’t see anything visible happening. From the outside, which is a shame. That’s really a shame. So, you know where we go from here? I, I, I’m kind of in Rosemary’s camp. I had no idea. Uh, next year gonna be really interesting. I, I don’t know what the numbers of attendees are. Uh, I’m guessing a couple thousand people are here. I’m guessing, let’s just say it’s 2000 people. I may be off plus or minus. Well, not on the negative side. It’s more than a thousand people here, but it’s not 10,000. That’s for sure.  Yolanda Padron: I think that, uh, someone at Woma summed it up really [00:20:00] well when they said that, um, we need to shift the conversation from this is the right thing to do to this, is this, we should make this to be cost effective and it should be the obvious decision to make. Right? Just from a financial standpoint. Uh, and I think, I think that’s right from my, uh. Personal interactions with a lot of people in dc I think that lobbying really helps regardless of the political party that one is affiliated to. Um, just, just the way that sometimes our, our system seems to. I not, not to say that anything’s negative, I think it’s, I mean, it’s just the, the way things pan out, uh, oftentimes in the [00:21:00] us. Um, yeah, I mean, I’ve, I’ve heard from. From both sides.  Allen Hall: Well, to Yolanda’s point, I would say we don’t belong to American clean power because one, it’s expensive and as a small business, does it make sense as the changing policy that helps me? The answer to that historically has been no. It doesn’t mean it’s not gonna happen in the future. I think a lot of. Companies of our size are saying the same thing. There are some that have been here a lot longer that have knew a CP before it was a CP when it was a, a slightly different organization and they’ve continued on on, on some level just I think because they’re familiar with it. But I think the newcomers are having a heart attack. And I would consider me to be a newcomer that we’ve been in wind since about 2012 or 2013, so we’ve been in it quite a while at this point. But there’s some old guard here. The new. The new players though, I think are struggling. I think there’s very few new companies that are flashy. Like we saw in San Antonio a [00:22:00] couple of years ago at American Clean Power. We’re like, wow, there are some boosts here. And man, there’s some firepower happening and some really good marketing and some new products and new ideas. That’s not. That’s not here. Not, not this year. Delamination and bottom line, failures and blades are difficult problems to detect early. These hidden issues can cost you millions in repairs and lost energy production. C-I-C-N-D-T are specialists to detect these critical flaws before they become a. Expensive burdens. Their non-destructive test technology penetrates deep to blade materials to find voids and cracks. Traditional inspections completely. Miss C-I-C-N-D-T Maps. Every critical defect delivers actionable reports and provides support to get your blades back in service. So visit cic ndt.com because catching blade problems early will save you millions.[00:23:00] Denmark has long been the home of the wind industry, but now our proposed new wealth taxes threatening to push one of its most prominent executives out the door. And Henrik Anderson, chief executive officer of Vestas says he will leave Denmark rather than pay the new tax, even if it costs him tens of millions of Broner and exit fees. Uh, Anderson earned 32 million Kroger last year, and estimates he pays an effective tax rate of 60% already. He argues Denmark already leads Europe in income taxation and adding a wealth tax crosses the line and he, if he goes, he warns senior leadership could follow. Now, that’s a pretty bold statement for someone who was seen as one of the leadership. Uh, a group of Denmark on the industrial side. Of course,  Rosemary Barnes: I’d argue it’s also culturally, [00:24:00] culturally not a super Danish thing to, to say at least publicly. Um, yeah, I dunno how many Danish listeners we’ve got, but one thing that I learned when I lived there, they’ve got this thing called yte Long. I think it comes from an, an old book, like fictional book, but it does pretty. Well, Danish people say it pretty accurately describes Danish culture. I’ve just, uh, looked it up. But, um, so it’s Y Y’s law and that has 10, there’s 10 rules in Y’s law and they are, one, you’re not to think that you are anything special. Two, you’re not to think you are as good as we are. Three, you’re not to think you are smarter than we are, or you’re not to imagine yourself better than we are. You know, it can, it continues down like that. But I just wonder like, is the Danish wind industry, have they flown too close to the sun? Have they become too thought themselves too special? Is this an example of where Denmark Danish people would say, you know [00:25:00] what? Who do you think you are when dentistry, you think that you’re better than us? You think you’re smarter than us? Do you think that you don’t deserve to contribute to society? Because that is one of the biggest cultural differences that I found in in Denmark, was that people genuinely think that they have the um, responsibility when they’re doing well to make sure that everybody else in society is doing well. This is an interesting cultural moment for Denmark, is all I would try to say that this to me, I’m very interested to see how Danish people respond to this idea that. We’re gonna, we’re gonna leave now because we don’t wanna share our, uh, wealth with the Danish, with Danish society as a whole  Allen Hall: 32 million kroners, that’s actually extremely low and in the United States. Uh, there are thousands of companies, much smaller than Vestas, where the CEO is making a lot more than that, and to give half of that, more than [00:26:00] half of that away, so the CEO is taking home a million and US dollars, like 1,000,002, that’s not a tremendous amount of money. I for the responsibility which are on that person’s shoulders. I could see being a little upset about that. And obviously he travels in circles in which he meets a lot of people that are making a lot more money come to America, stop at a, I don’t know, there’s a lot of places, machine shops that’ll make more money than that. Uh, so I think there’s a right to be upset about it. You know, the, everything that’s happening in Denmark at the moment, I’m trying to. I feel like Denmark is getting it together. And then these things happen and I start to worry again. Uh, there’s, there’s so many things that have happened in the United States. They’re pushing against Denmark, and I feel, I’m always apologizing to my people I know in Denmark and like, this is another one. Like, oh, geez, yeah, we, you know, vest can move to America. Oh, no, no, no, no. I want buses to be where it is. Stay [00:27:00] there. But I think there’s opportunities for investors to move and you kind of get the feeling that they’re leaving Denmark slowly. Have you noticed that recently?  Rosemary Barnes: Maybe. I mean, uh, all of those Danish wind energy companies used to manufacture in Denmark and barely, there’s barely any Danish manufacturing now. So I mean, to a certain extent this is, you know, started a long time ago, but I also think that the, what you described at the tax of the CEO income and the income not being high, it’s not just, uh. Top 1% kind of issue. That’s something that I, I definitely felt it when I worked there, but I think that like, would your average Danish person wish that CEOs were paid more like Americans and that Danish society became more like American with a huge wealth inequality? I, I’m gonna go out in a limb and say. 90% plus of Danish people would absolutely abhor the idea of that happening there. And they will be very firmly on side of you should be, um, CEOs should not be [00:28:00] making that much money and people that are making a lot of money should be paying a lot of tax to support the rest of society at just, I, I, I’m. Pretty sure that he is like a really core cultural value.  Matthew Stead: I think he is good at, I mean, things don’t change unless things change. And, um, uh, I think it’s good for him to be pushing and, you know, making this a, a public discussion and a public topic. I mean, if he hadn’t have come out talking about this problem, we wouldn’t have been talking about it. So, uh, I think yeah. Good on him for raising it and for being brave. I mean, you, like you say, Rosie, um, is not traditional cultural. Values in, in, in Denmark, but, you know, good on him for, for pushing the, pushing the, the, the barrow.  Allen Hall: It’s, it’s hard, right? I think Vestas works in a global community and they see all different kinds of cultures and all kinds of economic systems, and they operate in all of ’em. And, uh, the CEO of Vestus were in the United States and they have a large manufacturing presence in the United States. Let’s face it. [00:29:00] Uh, easily making 10 million in the United States, maybe more easy. And I don’t think they’re paying him nearly enough for the work that he has done and things that he has accomplished. You have to admit, the CEO of Vestus has really put a lot of time and effort into that company and has improved it in ways that are somehow, uh, never discussed, but are, in my opinion, immeasurable. So for the long-term health of that company, they are seen as the preeminent wind turbine manufactured today. That’s hard to do. That wraps up another episode of the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. If today’s discussion sparked any questions or ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us on LinkedIn and don’t forget to subscribe to you. Never miss an episode. And if you found value in today’s this conversation for. Please leave us a review. It really helps other wind energy professionals discover the show for Rosie, Yolanda and Matthew. I’m Allen Hall, and we’ll see you here next week on the Uptime Wind Energy [00:30:00] Podcast.

Host: Annik Sobing Guests: Jennifer Varney (Volvo Group), Penny Chen (PAX) Recorded at: ICPA Conference, San Antonio, TX Published: March 2026 Length: ~25 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center AI Meets Trade Compliance: From Auto Supply Chains to AI Live from ICPA San Antonio, Annik sits down with Jennifer from Volvo Group and Penny from PAX for an all‑women, International Women's Day‑timed conversation about how AI is actually being used in trade compliance today—far beyond the buzzwords. They explore the reality of AI inside a massively complex automotive supply chain, how duty drawback is being reimagined with AI, and what trade teams should think about before buying or building any tools.​ What You'll Learn in This Episode Session highlights from ICPA Jennifer: Practical implementation of AI to support customs clearance at the enterprise level—how one company uses AI to survive an “ever‑changing and incredibly volatile” trade landscape. Penny: A “beginner‑friendly” intro to general AI tools, how large language models work, and how trade compliance leaders can evaluate AI quality and fit.​ The automotive reality: 1,000+ policy changes and thousands of parts In just the last year, there have been 1,000+ trade policy changes worldwide, affecting about 5 trillion dollars in spend. Most of the real impact comes from trade barrier changes, not facilitation measures. A single vehicle can have 2,000–3,000 parts sourced from thousands of suppliers globally, some in‑house, some external. New demands around Section 232 (steel/aluminum/copper), forced labor, EUDR, connected vehicle rules, dual‑use, etc. mean OEMs must know their supply base down to raw material origin and processing, sometimes 5–6 tiers deep.​ Why human-only workflows can't keep up Many tier‑1 suppliers don't even have the data OEMs now must report, or consider it proprietary. Trade teams are drowning in documentation, entry creation, and ever‑changing regulatory demands—falling behind risks blocked shipments and massive cost. Jennifer's view: AI is less about replacing people and more about augmenting limited resources before they're “buried under all of the legislative changes.”​ Where AI fits in (and where it doesn't) Example use case: consolidating multiple documents (PO, invoice, BL, shipping manifest) to build a single 7501—AI reads different formats, extracts the right fields, and populates data so humans review instead of retyping. Penny's rule of thumb: if it's a task you'd happily delegate to an intern, it's a candidate for automation or semi‑automation. AI frees people to focus on high‑value work: audits, wider coverage (5% → 99%), forecasting regulatory changes, and adjusting systems/processes for what's coming next.​ Starting your AI journey: practical adoption path Step 1: Use free or existing tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot) for summaries, data cleaning, and simple tasks. Step 2: When needs get more complex, consider specialized AI tools (like PAX's AI‑powered duty drawback service), but pair them with solid ROI analysis: cost vs. time savings vs. recovered dollars. Step 3: For large enterprises, begin with defining pain points and a data strategy: Where do you spend the most time? Which activity is eating 90% of your bandwidth? What data will go into AI, and what exactly do you want back out?​ Overcoming fear and building buy‑in Penny's take: curiosity is your best ally—if you don't know how to use AI, start by asking AI how to use AI. Jennifer's advice: Engage stakeholders early; give them a voice in how the tool is designed and used. Set realistic expectations—even with aggressive automation, maybe only ~30% of workload can be automated today. Focus human effort on strategy and change management, not repetitive admin.​ Choosing the “right” AI for your team Not every company needs every AI—e.g., if you classify one item a month, a classification platform may not be worth it. For trade leaders, tool selection should be guided by: Where you lose the most time or money. Data type mix (text + structured data). Compliance/guardrail needs and vendor transparency about models and controls. Conferences like ICPA are key: they surface real use cases, connect trade and tech experts, and help teams refine what they actually need.​ International Women's Day Spotlight This episode also celebrates International Women's Day and highlights women leading in trade, tech, and compliance—from OEMs to AI startups. Annik closes with a shoutout to all women in trade who are building, leading, and pushing the industry forward.​ Credits Host: Annik Sobing Guests: Jennifer (Volvo Group), Penny (PAX) Recorded at: ICPA Conference, San Antonio, TX   Listen & Subscribe Simply Trade main page: https://simplytrade.podbean.com​ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simply-trade/id1640329690​ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/09m199JO6fuNumbcrHTkGq​ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8de7d7fa-38e0-41b2-bad3-b8a3c5dc4cda/simply-trade​ Connect with Simply Trade Podcast page: https://www.globaltrainingcenter.com/simply-trade-podcast​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/simply-trade-podcast​ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyTradePod​ Join the Trade Geeks Community Trade Geeks (by Global Training Center): https://globaltrainingcenter.com/trade-geeks/  

Fendt used Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, to showcase its fifth-generation 800 Vario tractor, a completely redesigned machine aimed at delivering more efficiency, power, and operator comfort in the mid- to high-horsepower segment. RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin caught up with Fendt senior marketing product specialist Blake Bullinger on the show floor to walk through the... Read More

Rising fertilizer costs and concerns about nutrient efficiency are helping drive rapid adoption of new phosphorus technologies. At Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, Phospholutions highlighted a major milestone for its RhizoSorb technology: more than one million commercial acres treated in 2025, just two years after the product entered the market. RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin caught... Read More

Dziś w Palmie rozmawiamy o powrocie Jaysona Tatuma, o nowych rolach, o powrocie Aarona Gordona, starych kłopotach Denver, o 997 Brooksa, o rywalu San Antonio w pierwszej rundzie, o rozbracie Steve'a Kerra z social media, LeBrona z telefonem i o legendzie Bruce'a Springsteena.Chcesz czytać dalej?Wybierz jedną z opcji abonamentu, w ramach którego otrzymasz pełen dostęp […]

Salta la sorpresa: Jayson Tatum ha vuelto y Boston Celtics es aún más temible, más completo y más candidato al anillo. Está a un paso de liderar la Conferencia Este ante la bajada de nivel de Detroit Pistons, pero sin duda es el mayor aspirante para plantarle cara a Oklahoma o San Antonio en unas hipotéticas Finales de la NBA. De ahí descartamos hace tiempo a Los Angeles Lakers, pero si alguien sueña con tener una opción, parece que sería sin contar con que LeBron James encaje junto a Luka Doncic y Austin Reaves. Mínimo de Veterano es la sitcom de la NBA. El templo de la redonda. Un podcast original de Diario AS. Todos los lunes y jueves, nuevo episodio con Pepe Rodríguez, Toni Vidal y Juanma Rubio. Y a veces se cuela Javier Machicado. Síguenos en todas las plataformas: https://linktr.ee/MinimoDeVeterano.https://linktr.ee/MinimoDeVeterano: https://linktr.ee/MinimoDeVeterano

(ADV) Melinda: ⁠https://servedby.flashtalking.com/click/1/305361;10602353;50126;211;0/?ft_width=1&ft_height=1&gdpr=${GDPR}&gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_78}&us_privacy=${US_PRIVACY}&url=44359789⁠ (ADV) NordVPN: ⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/crimeandcomedy⁠ C&C Live! Roma: ⁠⁠⁠https://teatroservi.vivaticket.it/it/event/ee-08-crime-comedy/272273⁠⁠⁠ Tutte le date Live!: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.crimeandcomedy.it/eventi-live/ ⁠⁠⁠ icholas Barclay ha solo 13 anni quando scompare nel nulla da San Antonio, Texas, nel 1994. Ma tre anni dopo Beverly, sua madre, riceve una telefonata incredibile: Nicholas è vivo, ed è in Spagna. Una storia a lieto fine... O forse no? E chi è Frédéric Bourdin? --------- Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/crimeandcomedy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crimeandcomedy.podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Telegram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.me/crimeandcomedy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sito: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.crimeandcomedy.it⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: Clara Campi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/claracampicomedy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Marco Champier: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mrchreddy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Editing - Ilaria Giangrande: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ilaria.giangrande/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Caricature - Giorgio Brambilla: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giorgio_brambilla_bookscomedy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Capitoli: (00:00:00) | Intro (00:00:21) | Sigla (00:00:35) | Ringraziamenti Patreon (00:03:49) | Mr Beast e Matrimoni (00:06:47) | Nicholas Barclay e la storia della sua famiglia (00:26:57) | La scomparsa di Nicolas Barclay (01:04:19) | NordVPN (01:05:50) | Nicholas Barclay torna a casa, ma qualcosa non quadra (01:33:39) | Frédéric Bourdin: il Camaleonte (01:58:53) | L'arresto di Frédéric Bourdin (02:19:52) | I nostri Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The same mRNA technology President Trump called a medical miracle is now under attack by his own administration, and the stakes go far beyond vaccines. TPR's Bonnie Petrie talks with two San Antonio scientists about the technology's history, its current uncertainty, and its future potential.

LA Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies NBA Pick Prediction by Tony T. Clippers vs. Grizzlies Injuries Collins and Garland are out for LAC. Aldama, Clarke, Gibson and Morant are out for Memphis. Recent Box Score Key Stats Clippers at Grizzlies 8PM ET— LA is back-to-back after playing at San Antonio on Friday night. Memphis fell to 23-38 following their 122-114 home defeat against Portland. Grizzlies shot 45% with 44% from three. Jaylen Wells scored 24 points with three rebounds. GG Jackson contributed 20 points with four rebounds. Memphis allowed 51% shooting with 35% from three.

On this episode of Expanded Perspectives, Kyle kicks things off by recounting a recent trip he and Luke took to San Antonio for a horror festival—an event packed with eerie atmosphere, strange encounters, and plenty of inspiration for the unexplained.From there the show dives straight into a series of chilling listener stories. One woman shares a disturbing encounter deep in the woods of West Virginia, where she claims to have stumbled upon what appeared to be a clan of feral people living far from civilization. Another strange report comes out of rural Arkansas, where a witness describes a large, Bigfoot-like creature sneaking onto her property and stealing chickens in the dead of night.After the break, Kyle explores a far more unsettling corner of folklore and legend—the terrifying side of the world's little people.Most people imagine these beings as harmless figures from fairy tales: gnomes beneath toadstools, fairies dancing in moonlit glades, pixies darting through the trees like sparks of light. Across many cultures, these small humanoids are said to dwell in hidden corners of the world, quietly watching from forests, caves, and ancient hillsides. But not all of the stories paint such a gentle picture.Kyle examines darker legends of mysterious tiny beings reported across the globe. From the eerie tales of the Ebu gogoon the Indonesian island of Flores, to the clawed, nocturnal river creatures of Cuba known as the Guije, and the mysterious underground builders of Hawaii called the Menehune.Along the way, the discussion even touches on the real-world discovery of Homo floresiensis, the tiny ancient humans uncovered on Flores—nicknamed “the Hobbits”—and the unsettling possibility that some legends may have deeper roots in reality than we once believed.From strange sightings in Epping Forest to bizarre wartime encounters on the windswept cliffs of Orkney Islands, tonight's episode explores the darker side of a legend most people think they understand.Sponsors:IQBAR: Right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text EXPANDED to 64,000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.Show Notes:Glimmer Man Book: Cloaked Beings That Move Among Us

Get Up resumes with the latest extraterrestrial sighting in San Antonio! Did Wemby prove the Spurs can win the Championship this year? (0:00) Meanwhile - Jayson Tatum's long awaited returns comes tonight against the Mavs! Will he help or hurt Boston's title chances? (15:10) Then - Trader Mike is wheelin' and dealin'!! How many first round picks would Myles Garrett cost? Which team needs A.J. Brown the most? (23:40) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Excited to update you guys on how the tour is going. We most recently his San Antonio and Austin......oh.....Austin. LOL! Also, I've been hearing so many good things about Josh Blue from Mencia and it's a pleasure to finally have him on the pod! From AGT and Last Comic Standing, to kids and misconceptions, we're covering everything! It's a really fun convo and I hope you enjoy. Instagram: @tinocochino @joshbluecomedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji talks betting for Friday. Munaf Manji wrapped the week on Catch That Ticket with a solo Friday episode focused on recapping Thursday's results and breaking down a short NBA card for March 6, 2026. The show finished 1 and 1 on official plays from the previous night. Uncle Dave's Arkansas State ticket fell short in an outright loss to Georgia Southern, while Manji cashed with Pistons Spurs under 228.5, surviving a tense finish that included several missed free throws in the closing minutes. Manji called it a fortunate result after a rough Wednesday card and said he hoped to build on that momentum heading into the weekend. The first game on his radar was Dallas at Boston, with the Celtics installed as a heavy favorite. He highlighted Cooper Flagg's return for Dallas after a nine game absence, noting the rookie logged 26 minutes and scored 18 points in Thursday's one point loss to Orlando. On the Boston side, Manji focused on the expected return of Jayson Tatum, who was listed as questionable but widely anticipated to play. He said the Celtics had managed a strong season without Tatum and argued that even a limited return over the final stretch could be a major boost, though he also cautioned that reintegrating Tatum might briefly disrupt Boston's offensive rhythm. Rather than laying the full game number, Manji said Dallas could be the better first half look, with Boston more appealing in the second half if fatigue set in for the Mavericks on the back to back. Manji's second featured matchup was New York at Denver. He backed the Knicks, citing their recent improvement after the All Star break and especially their rise on the defensive end. He acknowledged being wrong about New York earlier in the season and said the healthier lineup had changed the team's profile. He also pointed to Denver's uneven home form against the spread and the possibility of tired legs after the Nuggets leaned heavily on Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun in Thursday's win over the Lakers. While waiting on the injury report, Manji said New York had the profile to win the game outright. He also touched on the rest of the board, including Portland at Houston, New Orleans at Phoenix, the Clippers at San Antonio, and Indiana at the Lakers. On Pacers Lakers, he leaned toward Indiana plus 9.5, citing the back to back spot for Los Angeles, the possibility of rest or reduced workloads, and his general distrust of the Lakers in that setup. Late in the episode, Manji addressed growing excitement around Charlotte futures in the Eastern Conference. He praised the Hornets for surpassing expectations, credited head coach Charles Lee and the organization's recent drafting, and said the franchise finally appeared to be building a real foundation. Still, he warned that talk of Charlotte winning the East was premature, especially given the lack of deep playoff experience on the roster. He said he planned to revisit that topic with Uncle Dave on Monday. Manji also promoted a Pregame offer that gives 50 bulk dollars for a 10 dollar purchase, describing it as a rare chance for listeners to sample daily, weekend or longer subscriptions at a significant discount. His best bet for Friday was Jayson Tatum over 6.5 combined rebounds and assists. Manji said he expected Tatum to play around 20 to 22 minutes and believed the Celtics star would ease back in by facilitating and rebounding rather than forcing offense. With Dallas allowing assists at a high rate, he projected a path for Tatum to clear the number even in a limited return. He closed by saying the weekend sports calendar was packed and that he and Uncle Dave would return Monday to break it all down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth, makers of luxuriously soft bamboo sheets, blankets, and sleep essentials. Because your rest matters, mamas. Cozy Earth makes it easier to get the cozy, breathable sleep your body (and your little one) deserve. Use code HEHE at https://cozyearth.com/ for 20% off your order and treat yourself to the sleep you've been dreaming of. In this episode, HeHe sits down with Dr. Kristin Lasseter to unpack perinatal mental health with a focus on postpartum anxiety (PPA) versus postpartum depression (PPD), how they differ, and when “baby blues” may signal something more. While mood shifts are common in the early postpartum days, symptoms that persist beyond a couple of weeks, disrupt sleep, bring constant anxiety or sadness, intrusive thoughts, or thoughts of death deserve real support. They talk candidly about the guilt, shame, and fear of judgment that keep many women silent, and why telling one safe person can be a powerful first step. The conversation explores common risk factors like fertility struggles, pregnancy or birth complications, and PMDD, along with the significant hormonal shift that happens after the placenta is delivered and why the brain can feel especially vulnerable during that window. HeHe and Dr. Lasseter also navigate the often-stigmatized topic of psychiatric medication during pregnancy and postpartum. They discuss why abruptly stopping medication is usually unsafe, how to thoughtfully weigh medication risks against the risks of untreated mental illness, what research tells us about breastfeeding compatibility, and what to expect when starting or adjusting treatment. They touch on newer, faster-acting postpartum depression options, therapy modalities like CBT and EMDR, and additional treatments such as TMS and ECT. The episode closes with an honest conversation about bounce-back culture, social media pressure, and choosing support systems that protect a mother's mental health. Throughout, the message is clear: evidence-based care matters, suffering in silence isn't a badge of honor, and there is no shame in using medication when it's needed. 0:00 - Introduction: Mental Health Medications in Pregnancy & Postpartum 4:36 - Postpartum Anxiety vs Postpartum Depression: Key Differences 6:01 - Normal Baby Blues vs Red Flags: When to Seek Help 9:51 - Intrusive Thoughts & Breaking the Stigma 17:26 - Medication Safety in Pregnancy: What You Need to Know 24:43 - Should You Stop Your Meds When Pregnant? 30:03 - Hormones & Mental Health: The Postpartum Crash 43:56 - Breastfeeding While on Psychiatric Medications 51:26 - How Long Should You Stay on Medication? 60:50 - Fighting the "Bounce Back" Culture & Social Media's Impact   Guest Bio: Kristin Yeung Lasseter, MD is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist in Texas who specializes in Reproductive Psychiatry and Women's Mental Health.  She graduated cum laude from Southwestern University with a Bachelors of Science in Biology prior to attending medical school at the Long School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Lasseter excelled in medical school and was awarded membership into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. After receiving her Medical Degree, she completed Psychiatry residency at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin where she served as Chief Resident. She additionally spent time training in Reproductive Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.  Dr. Lasseter founded Reproductive Psychiatry Clinic of Austin in 2018, which now hosts multiple psychiatrists and psychotherapists specialized in treating mental health disorders related to the reproductive lifespan. She dedicates much of her time educating the public and other providers about reproductive mental illness through speaking engagements, writing and social media.   Connect with Dr. Lasseter:   www.rpcaustin.com   www.kristinlassetermd.com   https://www.instagram.com/the.reproductive.psychiatrist SOCIAL MEDIA: Connect with HeHe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tranquilitybyhehe/  Connect with Dr. Lasseter on IG: https://www.instagram.com/the.reproductive.psychiatrist   BIRTH EDUCATION: Learn how to stay in control of your birth and reduce the risk of unnecessary interventions in our Avoid a C-Section Webinar. HeHe breaks down the cascade of interventions, explains what's really happening in the hospital, and shares practical strategies to protect your birth plan, advocate for yourself, and navigate labor with confidence. Perfect for anyone who wants a positive, informed hospital birth experience: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/csection Feeling nervous about speaking up in labor? Our Scripts for Advocacy give you the exact words to handle the most common conversations that can make or break your birth experience. From declining unnecessary interventions to asking the right questions about procedures, these scripts empower you to stay in control, speak confidently, and protect your birth plan — even when the pressure is on. Think of it as your personal toolkit for advocating like a pro, so you can focus on your baby, not the stress: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/Scripts-for-Advocacy And if you haven't grabbed it yet… Snag my free Pitocin Guide to understand the risks, benefits, and red flags your provider may not be telling you about, so you can make informed, powerful decisions in labor: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/pitocin Join The Birth Lounge for judgment-free, evidence-based childbirth education from HeHe that shows you exactly how to navigate hospital policies, avoid unnecessary interventions, and have a trauma-free labor experience, all while feeling wildly supported every step of the way: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/ Want prep delivered straight to your phone? Download The Birth Lounge App for bite-sized birth and postpartum tools you can use anytime, anywhere: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/app-download-page RESOURCES MENTIONED: Maternal Mental Health Suicide Hotline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA Postpartum Support International: https://postpartum.net/   

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the realities behind CPS Energy's record-setting proposed budget and the future of San Antonio's energy infrastructure. As San Antonio and South Texas experience unprecedented growth, CPS Energy—the nation's largest public energy utility—faces a host of challenges and opportunities in delivering reliable, affordable power to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses.Bob Rivard sits down with Rudy Garza, President and CEO of CPS Energy, for a candid conversation about the implications of a 15% budget increase, delayed rate decisions, and how ongoing investments in transmission, generation, and renewables are shaping the city's energy landscape. Garza discusses balancing affordability with reliability, navigating political and economic pressures at City Hall, and adapting to new demands from advanced manufacturing and data centers.They discuss:• The drivers of CPS Energy's $2.87 billion record budget and its proposed rate increase• How rapid population and economic growth in San Antonio are influencing energy needs• The transition away from coal, expansion of solar and wind, and the realistic prospects for reaching climate action goals• Challenges and strategies in building new transmission lines, including the Howard Solstice project and its impact on rural communities• CPS Energy's approach to affordability programs and how the utility is working to protect ratepayers while meeting rising demand• The future role of battery storage, small modular nuclear, and new technologies in San Antonio's energy portfolioThis episode provides an in-depth look at the interplay between politics, economics, and innovation at Texas' largest municipal utility, exploring the decisions that will shape San Antonio's future for decades to come.RECOMMENDED NEXT LISTEN:▶️ #141. Why San Antonio Isn't Running Out of Water — A Conversation with SAWS CEO Robert Puente – If the CPS Energy rate conversation caught your attention, don't miss this deep dive into San Antonio's water supply and infrastructure. Host Cory Ames sits down with Robert Puente, CEO of SAWS, to unpack how strategic planning, conservation, and upcoming investments are keeping the city ahead on water—despite fast growth and climate challenges.-- -- CONNECT

San Antonio bests Detroit as top NBA contenders clash, the NBA's all-time leading scorer passes Kareem for another milestone, a traded NBA superstar debuts with his new team, a low round kicks off play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and trades in the NHL and NFL. Correspondent Gethin Coolbaugh reports.

*Some parts of Texas are getting much needed rain.  *Drought continues to spread across the state.  *Cotton state lawmakers are asking the Trump administration to convince India to drop tariffs on U.S. cotton. *The Texas dairy industry is facing tough times.  *The National Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting was held recently in San Antonio.  *The Farm Bill is moving forward.  *The American Farm Bureau Federation is asking to congress to pass a new Farm Bill.  *Electro acupuncture is being studied for treating head shaking in horses.  

Fennig Equipment L.L.C. 841 OH-29 Celina, OH 45822 (419) 953-8500 Spring is officially here and things are starting to pick up. In this episode of the Talking Shed Podcast, we talk about turning the page into March and how the urgency around equipment, deliveries, and spring prep is ramping up fast. We also share what it was like getting a Salford tool in the field in early March and why the results were better than expected. On top of that, we recap the Commodity Classic in San Antonio, discuss the conversations happening around agriculture policy, ethanol, and crop markets, and talk about why that show is one of the best places to connect with people in the industry. Back in the shop, we've also added something new to the lineup: a planter meter tester that will allow us to inspect and test meters for growers. It's another step toward helping farmers get their planters dialed in before planting season arrives. From field demos and farm shows to shop upgrades and spring weather, there's a lot happening this time of year. Check out the rest of the Talking Shed Podcast and subscribe for more conversations from inside the shop and out in the field.

San Antonio radio legend Trey Ware and popular talker Sean Rima will shake up your morning routine! Keeping you up to date with lively chatter on the hottest news topics in SA, across the state, and around the world.

LA Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Pick Prediction by Tony T. Clippers vs. Spurs Injuries Collins, Garland and Niederhauser are out for LA. Barnes, Ingram and Plumlee out for San Antonio. Recent Box Score Key Stats Clippers at Spurs 9:30PM ET— LA improved to 30-31 following their 130-107 home victory against Indiana. Clippers shot 55% with 38% from three. Kawhi Leonard led with 29 points with eight rebounds. Bennedict Mathurin contributed 23 points with eight rebounds off the bench. LA allowed 43% shooting with 28% from three. San Antonio is back-to-back after hosting Detroit on Thursday and winning 121-106.

*This episode mentions suicide and may be triggering for some listeners. This week, we’ll hear from Ed Newton, pastor of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas. Growing up as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Ed bridged the hearing and deaf worlds for his parents, fostering immense empathy but also hardship. Later, following his parents’ deaths, he faced a tidal wave of despair and suicidal thoughts. He sought professional help and openly shared his struggle with his church, who responded with grace. Now, Ed advocates for the church to be a hospital for the broken, urging people to seek help and recognize it’s okay not to be okay, but not to stay that way. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Wendell Vinson and Todd Lamphere from CityServe, an organization that helps equip and empower churches to serve their communities. They discuss CityServe’s mission to equip local churches and to meet the last mile of need in their communities. They highlight the church’s role in community transformation, citing reduced recidivism rates, and its essential “ministry of presence” before, during, and after crises like natural disasters or war. Finally, they acknowledge compassion fatigue, emphasizing that faithful service requires spiritual replenishment in order to continue to serve others well. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Erica Campbell Upcoming interview: Kathie Lee Gifford Jesus Calling app Ed Newton CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Romans 8:28 www.ednewton.com Why Not You? Believing What God Believes About You CityServe Canyon Hills Church Matthew 16:13-27 prison recidivism This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt, call Trinity today. Trinity’s counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps! Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we’re helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. https://trinitycredit.org Interview Quotes: “My mission was to actually be the voice for two people that could not speak and to help them understand how to aggregate and acclimate into a hearing world.” - Ed Newton “It’s okay not to be okay. It’s just not okay to stay that way. God can break every chain.” - Ed Newton “I believe some of the healthiest people I have ever met sit on somebody’s couch. I actually think the red flag of danger is for somebody that says, ‘I’m good. I don’t need counseling.’ I would say watch out for that slippery slope of destruction that’s about to happen.” - Ed Newton “I just think for most people, life gets shaken up and they don’t know what to do with that. Don’t live life all bound up when you can find somebody that would love you, sit with you, and go, ‘Hey, let me tell you what I hear and see. You’re not alone.’” - Ed Newton “Sometimes churches get it wrong and we slap Bible verses on a chemical disruption in the body. And I want to say, ‘I’m sorry you got hit with a Bible verse when you just needed someone to sit in the puddle of your tears.’” - Ed Newton “We’re constantly hearing and listening and feeling, but when we do not align our heart to what God says, who is the ultimate voice, then it just conflicts with the directional, navigational component of our life.” - Ed Newton “There’s a God who never changes, who operates out of the character of sovereignty and goodness, and who’s always working for your greater good. So why not begin a day with Him, and let Him frame the filter of how you’re to see the world?” - Ed Newton “It’s a beautiful partnership that allows pastors and churches that have a desire to meet the practical, physical needs of the community it was called to serve, and to have an organization come alongside it to help make that happen. This is the beauty of the partnership between the local church and CityServe.” - Todd Lamphere “When a person connects with the body of Christ and starts moving down a different path, it transforms community.” - Wendell Vinson “What people need in times of disaster more than anything, is they need the ministry of presence.” - Todd Lamphere “Compassion is scalable. You start where you are with what you have, and God will take you further.” - Wendell Vinson “Compassion fatigue is just a reality. You cannot give out what you do not have in you. This is why being saturated in God’s Word every day is so vitally important. It’s a non-negotiable to stay in God’s Word to commune with Him, to listen to worship music, to pray for God to just continue to be your strength, to be your source, to be your all in all.” - Todd Lamphere “If any of us think that we can in our own strength or power just live out what the Lord’s called us to, we’re mistaken. It all flows out of that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Wendell Vinson ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 Bonus Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C Peace for Everyday Life: https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj Peace in Uncertain Times: https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u What’s Good? https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj Enneagram: https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The 2026 Charge – Powering Energy Brands conference, hosted at the offices of CPS Energy in San Antonio, was a tremendous success. The event brought together leaders and innovators from across the energy and communications space for an unforgettable experience focused on connection, insight, and creativity. We were thrilled to once again record The Green Insider podcast live from this Charge North America event, featuring an outstanding lineup of guests: Rob Cantrell, CEO, Atlantic Energy Timothy Wang, Managing Partner, Keymaker Jake Edie, Managing Partner, RenewComm Mush Khan, CEO, Alchemy Industrial Jacob Yang, CEO, Amp Your Story Together, these conversations highlighted how Charge continues to deliver on its promise of networking, education, creativity, and recognition across the energy ecosystem. Congratulations to all this year's conference award winners—you can learn more about them here. Special congratulations and thank you to Fridrik Larsen, Natalie Bacon, and the entire Charge team for producing another exceptional event. And to our Follower Friday listeners and guests: thank you for being part of the journey—we truly couldn't do this without you. Become a Green Insider Be sure to subscribe to The Green Insider, powered by ERENEWABLE, wherever you get your podcasts—and don't forget to leave us a five‑star rating! To learn more about our guests or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact ERENEWABLE and The Green Insider Podcast. The post 2026 Charge – Powering Energy Brands Conference Recap appeared first on eRENEWABLE.

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Thursday. Cash That Ticket returned Thursday, March 5, 2026, with Munaf Manji and Dave Esler recapping a Best Bet win on Arkansas over Texas and pivoting to Thursday night picks across the NBA, plus two MLB win totals. Manji said his prior play, 76ers Jazz over 237.5, missed badly, while Esler noted Arkansas delivered without stress. In the NBA, they opened Pistons at Spurs, with San Antonio favored by 3.5 and a 228.5 total, and both teams largely healthy. With the clubs meeting recently in Detroit, Esler framed the matchup as a Pistons revenge spot and questioned whether the Spurs were becoming overvalued, leaning Detroit plus the points and the under, expecting a tighter, playoff type game. Manji agreed on the under and said Detroit's season long defensive profile supported another lower scoring result, while suggesting a better Pistons number could appear closer to tip. Esler also highlighted Jalen Duren points and rebounds over 29.5, and Manji backed it with Duren's production in recent Spurs matchups. Next was Lakers at Nuggets, with Denver favored by 5.5 and a 240.5 total. Manji cited a clean Lakers report aside from Maxi Kleber questionable and noted Denver's report included Cam Johnson questionable, Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson out, and Aaron Gordon not expected back yet. Esler said the rising total was the most notable market feature and leaned Lakers plus the points, including a first half look, along with the over. Manji also leaned Lakers and the over, pointing to Denver's recent defensive issues and shaky home cover results. The show then promoted a pregame.com special, described as $10 for $50 in bulk dollars, limited to one per person. On MLB win totals, Esler and Manji both leaned under 83.5 on the Rangers, citing injury concerns and rotation uncertainty, and both leaned under 84.5 on the Brewers, citing rotation questions and a step back expectation. For Best Bets, Esler played Arkansas State minus 7 or 7.5 over Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt Tournament, while Manji made Pistons Spurs under 228.5 his Best Bet, and both closed with caution on conference tournament betting volatility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode I spoke with authors Kathy Fuller and Frank Thompson regarding their book "The First Movie Studio in Texas: Gaston Melies's Star Film Ranch".  In 1910, the Méliès Star Film Company of Manhattan set up a moving-picture studio outside San Antonio, the first in Texas. Determined to make the most authentic Westerns possible, the company filmed there for a little over a year. In that brief time, it created more than seventy single-reel films, leaving a lasting mark on moviemaking.

Hosts: Lalo Solorzano Guests: Eric Hargraves – Elliott Davis Cindy Allen – Trade Force Multiplier Mark Segrist – Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Recorded Live At: The International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA) Annual Conference in San Antonio. Episode Summary In this special live conference episode, Lalo sits down with three trade experts at the ICPA Annual Conference to unpack one of the biggest trade law developments in years: the Supreme Court ruling limiting the use of IEEPA for tariff authority. Together, Eric Hargraves, Cindy Allen, and Mark Segrist break down what the decision actually means, how the administration pivoted immediately to other tariff tools, and why importers should not assume refunds are guaranteed. The conversation dives into the legal fallout, enforcement uncertainty, and compliance strategies companies should be thinking about right now, including protests, litigation strategies, and how trade compliance is rapidly becoming a C-suite level issue. If you're trying to understand the real-world impact of the ruling, tariff stacking, and what actions importers should be taking today, this discussion delivers practical insight straight from the conference floor. Key Takeaways The Supreme Court Limited Presidential Tariff Authority Under IEEPA The Court ruled that the president cannot impose tariffs using IEEPA, emphasizing that taxation powers belong to Congress under the Constitution. The Administration Immediately Pivoted to Other Tools With IEEPA tariffs struck down, the administration quickly shifted toward Section 122 and other statutory authorities, showing that tariff policy will continue through different mechanisms. Tariff Stacking and Complexity Are Increasing Importers now face potential layers of tariffs under Section 232, Section 301, Section 122, and other mechanisms, making duty calculations and compliance far more complex. Refunds Are Not Guaranteed Even though the ruling invalidated certain tariffs, experts warn that refunds are not automatic, and companies must actively preserve their rights. Importers Must Take Action Now Companies should be monitoring liquidation dates, filing protests when necessary, and considering litigation options to protect their ability to recover duties. Trade Compliance Is Now a Strategic Function Trade and customs issues have moved from back-office compliance work to strategic discussions at the executive level, impacting supply chains, costs, and global operations. Notable Topics Discussed The Supreme Court decision on IEEPA tariffs Section 122 as the administration's immediate fallback tool How tariff stacking affects real duty rates Litigation strategies and the growing role of the Court of International Trade Why companies should file protests and protect their refund rights The rise of trade compliance as a strategic corporate function Resources & References International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA) ICPA on LinkedIn ICPA LinkedIn Group About the Guests Eric Hargraves A trade and customs specialist with Elliott Davis who advises companies on navigating complex regulatory frameworks and trade enforcement issues. Cindy Allen Founder of Trade Force Multiplier and a leading voice in customs compliance, supply chain strategy, and global trade education. Mark Segrist Attorney with Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg focusing on international trade law, customs regulations, and tariff litigation. Join the Conversation What do you think this ruling means for importers and future tariff policy? Join the discussion and share your thoughts with the Simply Trade community. Credits Host: Lalo Solorzano Guests: Eric Hargraves Cindy Allen Mark Segrist Produced by: Global Training Center Subscribe & Follow Follow Simply Trade to stay updated on the latest insights in global trade and customs compliance. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@simplytradepod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/09m199JO6fuNumbcrHTkGq Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simply-trade/id1640329690 Connect With Us Lalo Solorzano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalosolorzano/ Andy Shiles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyshiles/ Global Training Center: https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-training-center Join the Trade Geeks community: https://globaltrainingcenter.com/portal/

Dauphin du Thunder avec une avance confortable sur ses concurrents, San Antonio a peut-être la place idéale au classement à un peu plus d'un mois du début des Playoffs. En l'état, la franchise de Victor Wembanyama éviterait les Nuggets, les Wolves et le Thunder au moins jusqu'aux Finales de Conférence...Les Cavaliers sont transfigurés et enchaînent les succès depuis le transfert de James Harden. Sont-ils les nouveaux favoris de la Conférence Est ?Sur un nuage en 2026, les Hornets se positionnent comme un épouvantail à l'Est à l'approche des Playoffs. Cela va-t-il durer ?Avec Chris Singleton et Nicolas Sarnak.Jacques Monclar, Rémi Reverchon, Mary Patrux, Xavier Vaution, Fred Weis et Chris Singleton décryptent l'actualité de la NBA dans le Podcast NBA Extra, présenté par Nicolas Sarnak et Baptiste Denis.En complément de l'émission lancée en 2012, beIN SPORTS a créé, avec ce podcast, un nouveau format pour revenir en profondeur sur la ligue nord-américaine de basketball. Chaque semaine, les membres de l'émission débattent autour de trois thèmes majeurs, qui font l'actualité de la NBA.Un podcast à retrouver aussi sur Youtube : https://tinyurl.com/y4sabkns Hébergé par Audion. Visitez https://www.audion.fm/fr/privacy-policy pour plus d'informations.

San Antonio radio legend Trey Ware and popular talker Sean Rima will shake up your morning routine! Keeping you up to date with lively chatter on the hottest news topics in SA, across the state, and around the world.

Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Pick Prediction by Tony T. Pistons at Spurs Injuries Detroit has a clean injury report. Barnes and Plumlee are out for San Antonio. Recent Box Score Key Stats Pistons at Spurs 8PM ET—Detroit fell to 45-15 following their 113-109 road defeat against Cleveland. Pistons shot 51% with 38% from three. Jalen Duren scored 24 points with 14 rebounds. Tobias Harris chipped in with 19 points with five rebounds. Detroit allowed 44% shooting with 37% from three. San Antonio improved to 44-18 with their 131-91 road victory against Philadelphia. Spurs hit 55% with 40% from three. Devin Vassell led with 22 points with five rebounds. Dylan Harper supported with 22 points with two assists off the bench. San Antonio allowed 35% shooting with 24% from three.

Industrial Talk is onsite at PowerGen and talking to Max Meegan, Head of Sales, North America at FPT Industrial about "Powering the future of industry". Scott Mackenzie interviews Max Meegan, Head of Sales North America at Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT), at the Power Gen event in San Antonio, Texas. FPT, a leading diesel engine manufacturer, produces 300,000 engines annually, ranging from 30 kW to nearly 800 kW. Meegan highlights FPT's innovative solutions, such as an exhaust break to prevent underloading issues in rental and prime power generators, and their advanced after-treatment system that avoids the need for a DPF. FPT's flexible offerings include various engine packages and a service network of 300-400 dealers across North America. Meegan emphasizes the growing demand for rental assets and the importance of uptime in the rental market. Outline Introduction to Industrial Talk Podcast and Power Gen Event Scott Mackenzie introduces the Industrial Talk podcast, emphasizing its focus on industry professionals and their contributions.Scott welcomes listeners to the podcast and highlights the importance of industrial professionals in solving problems and making the world a better place.The podcast is broadcasting live from the Power Gen event in San Antonio, Texas, where industry professionals gather to discuss solutions for power generation.Scott introduces Max Meegan, head of sales for North America at FPT, and mentions the company's involvement in the event. Max Meegan's Background and Role at FPT Max Meegan shares his background, mentioning his technical degree in engineering and his 12-year tenure with FPT.He explains his transition from quality engineering to customer management and then to sales, highlighting his people skills.Max provides an overview of FPT, describing it as a diesel engine manufacturer with a significant global presence.He details FPT's product portfolio, which ranges from 30 kilowatt to almost 800 kilowatt engines, serving various industries including on-road, off-road, marine, and power generation. FPT's Market Presence and Customer Collaboration Max discusses FPT's participation in the Power Gen event, noting the increased attendance and interest in the show post-COVID.He emphasizes the importance of collaboration with customers and OEMs to understand industry trends and meet market demands.Max highlights FPT's flexibility in offering various engine options, from unregulated engines for export to tier four final engines for mobile and prime power applications.He explains FPT's approach to customer service, offering options from self-servicing to a standing service network across North America. Challenges and Solutions in the Power Generation Market Max identifies two main challenges in the power generation market: underloading of rental and prime power generators and the demand for data center power.He explains FPT's solution to underloading issues through an exhaust break system that maintains engine performance and reliability.Max discusses the growing demand for rental assets and the importance of uptime for rental yards to maximize revenue.He highlights FPT's ability to provide short lead times for smaller generators, which can be used in parallel to meet higher power demands in data centers. FPT's Unique Technology and Market Differentiation Max elaborates on FPT's unique technology, which focuses on optimized fuel combustion to minimize particulate matter and avoid the need for a DPF.He explains how FPT's stage five technology is widely adopted in North America due to its efficiency and reduced maintenance requirements.Max emphasizes the importance of FPT's after-treatment system as a key differentiator in the market.He encourages listeners to reach out to him on LinkedIn for further discussions and information about FPT's products and services. Conclusion and Final Thoughts Scott Mackenzie wraps up the conversation, expressing his appreciation for Max's insights and the importance of the power generation market.He highlights the growing demand for power solutions and the role of events like Power Gen in bringing together industry professionals to address these needs.Scott encourages listeners to stay tuned for more conversations from the Power Gen event and to follow the Industrial Talk podcast for more industry updates.The podcast concludes with a reminder of the importance of collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving in the industrial sector. If interested in being on the Industrial Talk show, simply contact us and let's have a quick conversation. Finally, get your exclusive free access to the Industrial Academy and a series on “Why You Need To Podcast” for Greater Success in 2026. All links designed for keeping you current in this rapidly changing Industrial Market. Learn! Grow! Enjoy! MAX MEEGAN'S CONTACT INFORMATION: Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-meegan-2970a19b/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fpt-industrial/ Company Website: https://www.fptindustrial.com/en PODCAST VIDEO: https://youtu.be/O_T-1sfiVI0 THE STRATEGIC REASON "WHY YOU NEED TO PODCAST": OTHER GREAT INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES: NEOM: https://www.neom.com/en-us Hexagon: https://hexagon.com/ Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/ Fictiv: https://www.fictiv.com/ Hitachi Vantara: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/home.html Industrial Marketing Solutions:  https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-marketing/ Industrial Academy: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-academy/ Industrial Dojo: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial_dojo/ We the 15: https://www.wethe15.org/ YOUR INDUSTRIAL DIGITAL TOOLBOX: LifterLMS: Get One Month Free for $1 – https://lifterlms.com/ Active Campaign: Active Campaign Link Social Jukebox: https://www.socialjukebox.com/ Industrial Academy (One Month Free Access And One Free License For Future Industrial Leader): Business Beatitude the Book Do you desire a more joy-filled, deeply-enduring sense of accomplishment and success? Live your business the way you want to live with the BUSINESS BEATITUDES...The Bridge connecting sacrifice to success. YOU NEED THE BUSINESS BEATITUDES! TAP INTO YOUR INDUSTRIAL SOUL, RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW! BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. DARE GREATLY AND CHANGE THE WORLD. GET THE BUSINESS BEATITUDES! Reserve My Copy and My 25% Discount

Wes and Matt Moore are back with another round of NBA Tiers, breaking down which teams are closest to making the NBA Finals this season. 0:00 -- Intro/OKC 3:12 -- San Antonio, Boston, Detroit, New York, Cleveland 14:47 -- Denver, Minnesota 24:00 -- Houston, Philadelphia 30:05 -- LA Lakers, Miami, Charlotte, Golden State, LA Clippers 42:23 -- Phoenix, Orlando, Toronto, Atlanta 48:53 -- Portland, Milwaukee, Indiana, Utah 50:45 -- Chicago, New Orleans, Dallas, Washington, Brooklyn, Sacramento, Memphis RealGM Radio is powered in part by North Station Media (CLNS). For advertising or media inquiries, contact info@clnsmedia.com

Is food insecurity really a problem in San Antonio - even in a city with so much abundance? Many people assume hunger is caused by a lack of food. But what if the real issue isn't supply - its distribution, dignity, and breaking the deeper psychological cycles of poverty? In this episode of Retire in Texas, Darryl Lyons sits down with Marcus Walker of Daily Bread Ministries, a San Antonio-based nonprofit celebrating 30 years of serving the community. Marcus explains how Daily Bread uses food as a tool - not just to meet immediate needs, but to equip churches to provide poverty alleviation training, parenting education, financial literacy, and long-term transformation. Rather than operating traditional handouts alone, Daily Bread trains churches to serve families in ways that restore dignity, build capability, and help break generational cycles. From client-choice food pantries to parenting classes like Raising Highly Capable Kids, this conversation highlights how meeting physical needs can open the door to lasting hope and restoration. You'll learn: Why food insecurity is often about access - not shortage. How churches play a key role in breaking cycles of generational poverty. The psychological impact of poverty and why dignity matters in food distribution. How parenting and financial education can create long-term change. How every dollar donated can generate a significant community impact. Daily Bread Ministries operates without government funding to preserve its mission and faith-based foundation. Through local partnerships and volunteer support, they distribute over $11 million worth of food annually across San Antonio and surrounding areas. If you'd like to support Daily Bread Ministries, you can: Volunteer by emailing Volunteer@DBMSA.org Schedule a tour or give online at DBMSA.org This episode is a reminder that transformation often begins with meeting basic needs - and that sustainable change requires community, education, and faith working together. Benefiting from the show? We'd appreciate it if you left a review on your favorite podcast platform. 

0:00 - The Avalanche dominated the Ducks last night in Anaheim! Gabe Landeskog scored a goal, Marty Nachos scored a Power Play goal, and Parker Kelly got himself 2! Such a complete effort. This team looks rejuvinated after the Olympic Break.14:58 - Even though Moser isn't on the show today, Vic still owes him an apology for something that happened yesterday.After that, moves are going down in the NFL: trades and tags and free agents OH MY! Where can the Broncos get in on the action? Any players on the market they should target?33:20 - The NBA's Western Conference is RELENTLESS. All the teams around the Nuggets in the standings KEEP ON WINNING. Could OKC, Minny, or San Antonio lose a game for once? That would be great. The Nuggetgs are floundering at the worst possible time. 

I have spent my career around some of the world's most focused individuals, but Kristan Hawkins brings a level of grittiness and fearlessness that is truly in a league of its own. As the president of Students for Life, Kristan isn't just an activist; she is a mother of four and a "revolutionary" for the most vulnerable among us. In this powerful episode, we go far beyond the viral debate clips to discuss the heart of her mission. Kristan gets incredibly real about: Her "total crap day" in San Antonio that led to saving a life—and meeting Baby Mercer. The psychology of conflict and why she believes change only happens when you produce friction. The shocking truth about eugenics in modern medical systems and the "billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry". Raising a family with Cystic Fibrosis and the radical choice to choose life even when the numbers are against you. Whether you agree with her or not, you cannot deny the passion and the "grittiness" Kristan brings to this conversation. We discuss why she refuses to be a people-pleaser and how she finds the strength to keep standing tall—even when the threats and vitriol come from both sides of the aisle. Connect with Kristan Hawkins: Instagram: @kristan_hawkins Website: studentsforlife.org Sponsors: PreBorn: Provide one life-saving ultrasound for just $28 at https://preborn.com/sage Cowboy Colostrum: Get 25% Off Cowboy Colostrum with code SAGE at https://www.cowboycolostrum.com/SAGE

San Antonio radio legend Trey Ware and popular talker Sean Rima will shake up your morning routine! Keeping you up to date with lively chatter on the hottest news topics in SA, across the state, and around the world.

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday Cash That Ticket returned on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, with host Munaf Manji and Dave Essler setting the stage for a busy March across college basketball, the NBA, and the coming MLB season. Essler said the bracket reveal begins his busiest stretch of the year, noting that real betting work cannot start until matchups and point spreads are posted, when early value often appears in both large favorites and totals. Manji recapped a late-February stumble after a strong month, citing a Celtics first-half cash but also a missed Kim Johnson PRA that lingered through overtime, which Essler said also flipped his under wager in the same game. The duo turned the page and opened the NBA card with Detroit at Cleveland, where Cleveland was catching 2.5 with a 228.5 total and Donovan Mitchell ruled out. Essler liked Cleveland as a home underdog in a revenge spot after an overtime meeting in Detroit, arguing the market was leaning heavily to the Pistons and may be pushing too far on Mitchell's absence. Manji agreed on Cleveland plus the points and added a prop angle, pointing to Jared Allen's recent production and projecting Allen's points and rebounds to clear 25.5. Next came New York at Toronto, with the Raptors catching 2.5 at home and a 221.5 total. Essler again sided with the home dog, noting New York was on the front end of a back-to-back with Oklahoma City visiting the next night and highlighting Toronto's revenge after a lopsided loss in the same building about a month earlier. Manji backed Toronto as well, referenced New York's results in similar scheduling spots, and also leaned to the under, citing pace and matchup profile. The final NBA discussion centered on San Antonio at Philadelphia, with the Spurs laying 7.5 on the road and a 234.5 total, while the Sixers were without Joel Embiid and Paul George. Essler acknowledged the discomfort of backing a large road favorite but leaned Spurs, while also targeting a Vijay Edgecombe PRA over, and Manji focused on the total, citing San Antonio's defensive response after losses and calling the under his preferred play. The episode then shifted to MLB win totals, beginning with San Francisco at 80.5 wins after an 81-81 season. Essler pointed to the addition of Willy Adames, viewed departures as manageable, emphasized defense in a large home park, and said the question remained pitching depth beyond Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, but still endorsed the over as the Giants looked improved. Manji cited a strengthened top of the lineup, agreed the club could reach 500 or better, and joined the over. Cincinnati's number sat around 82.5 after an 83-79 season, and Essler leaned under, saying too much had to go right, including starter health and sustained performance, while Manji also leaned under pre-season and suggested monitoring the club early before committing later. For best bets, Essler played BYU-Cincinnati under 152.5, citing BYU missing Richie Saunders and Cincinnati's preference for a slower game, while Manji locked in Spurs-Sixers under 234.5. The show closed with appreciation for listeners who had asked about a missed episode and a promise to keep the daily cadence when schedules allow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Only Parity Its a year that ends in 6, so just like 1996 with the Bulls and 2016 with the Warriors, we are due for an all-time great NBA-Team, right? Maybe not, but we have Adam Murray and Andrew Riche, Place To Be Nations NBA-Team, here to talk about teams on the cusp of greatness between Oklahoma City, Detroit, and San Antonio, and what may hold them back come playoff time. If parity overtakes the season (along with blatant tanking), what teams might be surprise and win the West or East? Andrew brings up some regular season matchups that caught some playoff fever, then the two co-hosts deep dive the 7 proposed changes to the Draft Lottery system to battle tanking in the regular season. So suit up and take it in episode 381 with the NBA-Team!

Drs. Isaacs and Traina discuss new data in HER2+ breast cancer from the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, focusing on early-stage studies including DESTINY-Breast11 and DESTINY-Breast05 and how data from these studies could potentially impact patient care in the future.

Send a textBelinda Swan brings front-line insight from NCMEC's CyberTipline, where reports of sadistic online exploitation (SOE) jumped more than 200%. Unlike traditional sextortion, the goal here isn't profit or sexual contact—it's terror. It's a threat that twists fear into action: hurt yourself, hurt someone else, or we'll ruin you. We discuss how parents can spot it, stop it, and protect their kids.Belinda Swan is the Partnerships Program Manager for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Belinda manages NCMEC's programmatic relationships with government and nonprofit organizations across the country. She also implements NCMEC's Community Education Partner Program and delivers NCMEC's child safety programming. Belinda is passionate about bringing communities and organizations together to recognize, address, and prevent safety issues affecting children, especially online exploitation.  Resources: My child was a victim of sextortion. What should I do? - https://nexttalk.org/podcast_episode/my-child-was-a-victim-of-sextortion-what-should-i-do/ Sextortion: The Hidden Epidemic Killing Teens - https://nexttalk.org/podcast_episode/16-year-olds-suicide-from-sextortion-how-do-we-protect-our-kids/ Teach Red Flag Reporting - https://nexttalk.org/podcast_episode/teach-red-flag-reporting/ Talking to Kids about Grooming - https://nexttalk.org/podcast_episode/talking-to-your-kid-about-grooming/ AI, Deepfakes, and Nudes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvGll8RVkxc FREE Guide: Red Flag Alert - https://nexttalk.org/red-flag-alert/ K2P Tips2Protect Against Sadistic Online Exploitation for Law Enforcement Support the showKEEPING KIDS SAFE ONLINEConnect with us...www.nextTalk.orgFacebookInstagramContact Us...admin@nextTalk.orgP.O. BOX 160111 San Antonio, TX 78280

What does courage look like under fire? In captivity? In command? In service? This edition of Long Blue Leadership was recorded on location at the U.S. Air Force Academy's 33rd National Character and Leadership Symposium. We've explored these questions with our guests and captured the conversations for you. Ted Robertson, Multimedia and Podcast Specialist for the Air Force Academy Association and Foundation, hosts this special episode featuring voices shaped by combat, crises and lifelong service. Their message to cadets is clear: Leadership is earned through character, and character is forged in hard moments. - Seg. 1: Lt. Col. Mark George and C1C Jaime Snyder, officer and NCLS cadet director, respectively, set the stage for this year's NCLS and for the podcast. - Seg. 2: Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Israel "DT" Del Toro on courage in times of crisis. - Seg. 3: Task Force Hope developer and facilitator Maj. Tara Holmes on preparing future leaders to handle crisis before it happens. - Seg. 4: Former POW Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Edward Mechenbier '64, on leading in circumstances out of your control. - Seg. 5: Annapolis grad and Vietnam-era aviator, Capt. (Ret.) J. Charles Plumb on how character breeds courage. All of our guest's lives and careers reflect the reality of this year's theme through combat, crisis and service.     CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS:  - Host, Ted Robertson, Multimedia and Podcast Specialist, United States Air Force Academy Association and Foundation  - Seg. 1: C1C Jaime Snyder, NCLS Cadet Director; Lt. Col. Mark George, NCLS Officer  - Seg. 2: Senior Master Sargent Israel Del Toro  - Seg. 3: Maj. Tara Holmes, Task Force Hope  - Seg. 4: Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Edward Mechenbier '64  - Seg. 5: Capt. (Ret.) J. Charles Plumb   Ted Robertson 0:00 Welcome to Long Blue Line Podcast Network coverage of the 33rd annual National Character and Leadership Symposium. I'm Ted Robertson, multimedia and podcast specialist for the Air Force Academy Association & Foundation, coming to you from Polaris Hall located here at the United States Air Force Academy. This year's symposium centers on the theme Courage to Lead in the Profession of Arms: Combat and Crisis-tested Character, where attendees and cadets will explore how courage in all its forms shapes leaders when uncertainty, fear and consequence are real. Our coverage will start with the Center for Character and Leadership Development's Lt. Col. Mark George and NCLS director, Cadet 1st Class Jaime Snyder. They'll set the stage not only for NCLS, but for today's coverage. Then we'll talk with four key leaders speaking at the symposium, including Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Israel Del Torro on keeping courageous during times of crisis. We'll also talk with Task Force Hope developer and facilitator, Maj. Tara Holmes, on preparing leaders to handle crisis before it happens. Then, former POW, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Edward Mechenbier, USAFA Class of '64, on leading in circumstances out of your control. And finally, Annapolis grad and Vietnam-era aviator, Capt. (Ret.) J. Charles Plumb, on how character breeds courage. All of our guests' lives and careers reflect the reality of this year's theme through combat, crisis and service. So I want to bring in our first two guests to help, as I said, frame the discussion today. We're going to dig in to learn what this is all about and sort of the “why” behind it. Cadet Jaime Snyder, 2026 NCLS director. Cadet Snyder, you've helped lead the organizing of the National Character and Leadership Symposium — 33rd year for this, as you know, and part of that work, you've trained cadets and permanent party. I'm going to ask you to explain permanent party, all of which helps strengthen your own public speaking and leadership communication skills. You want to kind of expound on that a bit? C1C Jaime Snyder 2:20 Yes, sir. So a part of my role being in NCLS is to, one, provide the guidance, the support and resources on the cadet side to succeed. But what really makes NCLS special is that we integrate permanent party with cadets. So oftentimes me, in supporting and training permanent party, is giving them cadet perspective, because while they're over here and the Center for Character and Leadership Development, we're over there in the Cadet Wing, and I can be the mediator between both parties. Ted Robertson 2:46 Let's talk a little bit about permanent party. What does that term mean? Who does that describe? C1C Jaime Snyder 2:52 Oh yes. Permanent party describes the civilian and military faculty that works in the Center for Character and Leadership Development that assists with the execution of NCLS — the National Character and Leadership Symposium. Ted Robertson 3:05 How big is the team behind this event every year? C1C Jaime Snyder 3:08 It's kind of complex where we'll get search cadets. We'll get a large number of volunteers, approximately around 300 from the Cadet Wing. Internal staff consists of 50 cadets who work it throughout the entire year, and around 50 staff members who are permanent party who work in the Center for Character and Leadership Development. Ted Robertson 3:29 I want to bring in next Lt. Col. Mark George, who is the experiential and training division chief and NCLS program director, the very fortunate man that gets to work for some incredibly talented cadets. Col. Mark George 3:43 That is absolutely true. Thanks to for having us on. Cadet Snyder has done an outstanding job leading this team. I came into this a little bit late. You know, we've had some reorganization here at the Academy, and after some shuffling, I got the honor and the privilege to take over NCLS while the planning was well underway. So my job was to just make sure this train kept rolling, that people had the resources that they needed, the top cover they needed. And as Jamie said, he was training me as a permanent party member to make sure that I had the cadet perspective. And then, you know, we were moving this ball forward as we got to this event. Ted Robertson 4:23 So coming up in the podcast we'll get to the sort of “why” and what's at the core of NCLS. Colonel, let's start with you. What is National Character and Leadership Symposium designed to do for cadets?   Col. Mark George 4:38 Sure. The National Character and Leadership Symposium — NCLS — is designed to bring exemplars that embody the core values and the traits that we want cadets to have when they become leaders on Day 1 and inspire them to a lifetime of service.   Ted Robertson 4:57 Cadet Snyder?   C1C Jaime Snyder 4:59 We definitely see at USAFA, there is a clear correlation with NCLS and character development. One thing we want cadets to get out of NCLS is to further develop leaders of character who are going to join the fight in the Air Force and Space Force, and that's why I see the epitome of NCLS as it's an opportunity to hear people's perspectives as well as learn from it and apply it to their daily lives. Ted Robertson 5:24 Gentlemen, this year's theme focuses on the courage to lead in the profession of arms. Cadet Snyder, we'll start with you. How did that theme come together, and why is it especially relevant for cadets right now? C1C Jaime Snyder 5:40 With our current structure at USAFA, we've had some implement of change. We recognize that the future war conflict is more prevalent than ever, and that it's important for the cadets to understand that we're changing the way we approach training, as well as what we're learning in curriculum. So this NCLS was an incredible opportunity to discuss courage when leading in the profession of arms, but furthermore, courage and crises-tested character. Which is what we're trying to further push along with what we do in training as well as what we teach in leadership. Ted Robertson 6:15 You make good decisions when your character is strong. You make those decisions with integrity when your character is intact and it's strong. Would you agree with that, Colonel? Col. Mark George 6:25 Absolutely. And I think Cadet Snyder hit the nail on the head that we really want the cadets to understand that the environments that they're stepping into are going to require that courage to do hard things. In my day, like we didn't necessarily think about the fight in that way. You know, we were kind of stovepiped in. And these cadets, whatever environment they may be stepping into, the next conflict is going to require a lot, a high demand of them, and their character is their foundation for that. Ted Robertson 6:59 One of the things you can say about this event is that it brings together voices from combat, crisis, athletics, academia and industry. How intentional is that mix, Cadet Snyder, and what do cadets gain from hearing such different perspectives on leadership and character? C1C Jaime Snyder 7:18 I think by hearing different perspectives, you get to see how universal courage is. When we say courage, it's not just one thing, it's also moral, social, spiritual. And by looking at different versions of courage, you can understand that there's different ways to actually apply courage. Understanding that courage is not the absence of fear, also knowing that courage is not simply being a confident individual. That it's more complex than you may define courage, and so you can then apply it that way — by looking at different perspectives. Ted Robertson 7:53 Colonel, I'll address this one to you as well. Col. Mark George 7:56 Sure. Courage — we're talking about courage here, and there's a heavy focus on the combat side with this year's speakers. The thing that sticks out to me is that courage always involves a decision to do the hard thing. And that's what all of our speakers brought this year. They're showing how in different environments, whether it's in a prison cell in Hanoi or up on the Space Station or — there's a hard decision and the right thing is sometimes pretty obvious, but it doesn't mean it's easy. It does not mean it's easy to do. And so courage always involves a decision to do the right thing. Ted Robertson 8:39 Cadet Snyder? C1C Jaime Snyder 8:40 What he said I find to be very true — understanding that courage is not simply doing something physical, but also in a leadership role, especially — we're talking to cadets who are going to soon be commissioned officers. It's important to know that you need to make the right decision on and off the battlefield. Ted Robertson 8:58 So from your perspective as a cadet — and this one is just for you, Cadet Snyder — what does it mean to help shape an event like NCLS while you're still developing as a leader yourself? C1C Jaime Snyder 9:10 What I've seen through NCLS is taking the time to relax. Don't focus on the future and focus where you're at right now, and that's character development. So don't let the pursuit of tomorrow diminish the joy today. We all have this aspiration to graduate, throw our hats in the air, Thunderbirds fly over. But right now it's important to focus on character development as that's going to be important as future officers. Ted Robertson 9:35 That makes 1,000% very clear sense. But I do want to ask you, less than 100 days from the day you toss your hat — you're giving me a big smile right now — talk about how that feels right now for you. C1C Jaime Snyder 9:47 It's incredible, and a part of it is less daunting, because I can say this institution has really prepared me to commission, and so it's more liberating than daunting for me. Ted Robertson 9:58 Col. George, I'm going to direct this one straight to you, and this is an ask of you from the leadership perspective: How do we events Like NCLS fit into the broader effort to intentionally develop leaders of character here at the Academy. Col. Mark George 10:14 So I get the honor of leading the experiential and training division in the Center for Character and Leadership Development. So we're all about creating experiences and those opportunities for cadets to have different types of environments where they'll learn about character. And right now, NCLS is an opportunity to listen to where people's character was tested, how they overcame it. And then we also have different events that we try to put the cadets in where we'll actually test their character. And that could be on the challenge tower, it could be through our character labs where we're having discussions. NCLS is a huge part of that, because the planning cycle is so long. Ted Robertson 10:59 Cadet Snyder? C1C Jaime Snyder 11:00 Yes, sir. One thing I wanted to add on to that is with NCLS, one thing that makes this event the most unique experience that I've had is the fact that we get to engage in meaningful dialog. This isn't a brief. This is an experience for everyone who attends. I've had the opportunity to talk to Col. George's son, who aspires to possibly come to the Air Force Academy. So I don't want to say this is just for cadets, but it's also a promotion tool. And understand that what we do at NCLS is very important. And anyone who wants to attend can come and see what we're doing and how important it is.   Col. Mark George 11:33 I want to thank you for that, by the way. He looks up to you, and that meant a lot.   Ted Robertson 11:37 That's pretty visionary stuff. That's touching the next generation. That's fantastic. All right, this is for you both. When cadets look back on NCLS years from now, what do you hope they're going to remember feeling or being challenged to do differently?   C1C Jaime Snyder 11:56 There is a very strong human component to NCLS, and with that, there's a human experience. Understanding that we're getting speakers and we'll see their bios that they're incredible. They have incredible stories of making the right decision when tensions were high, and getting to hear their stories and understand that they ultimately were no different than we are. Some of them were Air Force Academy graduates. Some graduated from the Naval Academy, West Point, other colleges, but they were young, 20-year-old people like we were as cadets. And so getting to understand where they're coming from, human experience is vital to NCLS, and how do we grow and understand where they're coming from? Ted Robertson 12:38 Col. George? Col. Mark George 12:39 Yeah, I think what I would want the cadets to remember is how these speakers made them feel. You're right, you won't remember every nugget of wisdom that was said. I just had the opportunity to talk with Gen. Scott Miller, and he was an incredible leader. And I feel like everything he was saying was gold. I wish I'd been able to write it down. But he really makes you feel like you understand just how important your role is going to be as a young leader. And when you come away as second lieutenants from this place, you've had incredible opportunities and now you're stepping out in the real world. I would think I want the cadets to remember that like, “Hey, what I do matters, and how I lead is very important to getting this mission done.”   Ted Robertson 13:24 Lt. Col. Mark George and C1C Jaime Snyder, officer and cadet in charge of the 33rd NCLS. Congratulations on the event. Well done, and thank you for spending time here with us on the podcast today. Hearing from both the cadet perspective and the senior leadership behind NCLS makes one thing very clear: This symposium is intentionally designed not just to inspire but to prepare future leaders for moments when character will be tested. And that brings me to my first featured guest, a man whose life story embodies what combat and crisis-tested character truly means. Israel “DT” Del Toro, welcome to the podcast. It's an honor to be with you here at the National Character and Leadership Symposium. Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Israel Del Toro 14:18 Thank you, Ted. Thanks for having me. Good to see you again.   Ted Robertson 14:21 Yes, it's not the first time we've gotten to spend some time together. Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 14:24 It's always great to talk to people, try and spread the word of the whole spark and the promise of my dad. Ted Robertson 14:30 The spark and the promises are the two things that really stood out to me about that interview — your heart and your soul man, from a very, very early age. Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 14:39 You know, losing my dad at 12, and then a year and a half later, losing my mom to a drunk driver, and being the oldest, you know, having to now kind of step up to be, like, the parent figure to my younger siblings. It was challenging.   Ted Robertson 14:55 Out of all of that, you wound up as a retired — you are currently a retired senior master sergeant. You took responsibility for your siblings, as you say, after you were orphaned as a teenager, and ultimately in the service combat-wounded airmen, and you survived catastrophic injuries against incredible odds, and that did not keep you down. One of the things that you did was you became an Invictus Games gold medalist. You're now a national speaker, and you talk a lot about resilience and purpose.   Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 15:27 Yes, sir. Yeah, Invictus, I won gold in shot put. It was pretty awesome. You know, everyone was just going nuts. Ted Robertson 15:37 You kind of make me feel like that was a soul-feeding, motivating time for you.   Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 15:42 It was. At that time, I was probably one of the senior guys, kind of. Obviously, I was one of the senior guys, wounded guys on the team, and so a lot of people looked up to me. And sometimes I wish — people would say, “Man, it's great. You're such trailblazer.” You're sometimes like, “Man, I just want to be one of the guys. I just, I just want to be No. 10.” You know, everything's all done, and no one's focusing everything on me. But it's a burden that I'm willing to carry on to try and continue to help people.   Ted Robertson 16:19 I want to linger here in your background a bit, because it's more than just impressive. I think impressive is pretty trite to describe what your background is. Let's start with before the Air Force and before combat, and just how your life demanded responsibility at such a young age. And what I want to ask is, how did stepping up for your family shape the leader that you became? Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 16:40 Well, I contribute that totally to my dad. I truly do. My dad was there. My dad, you know, I went everywhere with my dad. My dad — you know, he came from Mexico to this country, and he gave up a lot. You know, my family in Mexico is very wealthy, their ranchers and all that. He came here with nothing. And he always used to tell me, he's like, “Don't ever be envious of someone that's successful. Learn from them. Ask them questions.” He also used to tell me, “If you don't succeed, it's no one else's fault by yourself. Don't blame where you came from, where you grew up from, the situation. It is only your fault.” So my dad always had told me these little lessons and obviously the last lesson he gave me the night before he passed: Always take care of your family. And that just stayed with me, that kind of continued to shape me all throughout my life, all through my journey, at a young age to teenager to young adult to the military and to now, to this day, that really guided me to who I am. Now, it's like, I always hear people say, “Oh, man, I don't know if I can do it.” I was like, “Yeah, you can. You Just never know. You weren't ever put in that situation” I always believe — you always hear the fight or flight. “What are you gonna do?” I just fight, and I continue to fight. I just don't see the flight in me. And, you know, being the promise of take care of your family. Yes, I tell people, that originated with my family — my brothers and sisters. But throughout time it has evolved to now anyone I see that's having a hard time that needs maybe to hear a story or read a book or hear a journey to help them find that spark, because I see them now as my family. I see that as my family, as my mission now.   Ted Robertson 18:50 Let's stay with spark for a minute. It's just one of my favorite things that you've ever talked about. You're down, you've been badly burned, you're worried about whether you're going to survive, and a medic is helping you out, and he does something for you. He says something to you.   Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 19:07 Yeah, you know, the medic — I always like to say, you know, yes, I'm Air Force. Those guys were Army, and we bust each other's chops. But, we're all brothers and sisters, and we're down range, you know? We take care of each other, we tell stories, we talk about our family. So these guys knew what had happened in my past with my family. So when I'm, you know, laying there, after I coordinate getting air, and I started the adrenaline going down, I started getting scared. I was having a hard time breathing, and I just wanted to lay down and sleep. The medic came and reminded me, “DT, remember what you promised your son, that you'll never let him grow without his dad. Fight for your son. You got to fight for your son.” And he's just making me yell it. You use anything you can to keep your guy motivated, to help that spark go, keep going. And that's what he did. He found that spark to keep me going, to keep me fighting until that medevac came and to get me on that helicopter, to the FOB, to the hospital, and then to eventually San Antonio. Ted Robertson 20:24 After that injury, that's when the fight shifted. You had to get off the battlefield. You had to get that out of your head. You had to start battling for your recovery. So what did courage look like when progress seemed like it was slow and at one point nothing was guaranteed? Israel Del Toro 20:46 Yeah, it, you know, when he had a shift from now being on the battlefield to now a different kind of battle and your recovery, your way of life — it's difficult because you have people telling you this is what your life's going to be. You know, being told that you're never going to walk again. You got to be in a hospital for another year and a half, respirator for the rest of your life and your military career is pretty much over. You know, I like to say there's two choices again: Who you're going to be? Are you going to take the easy path, which is, I'm going to sit in a chair, accept what they say, hate life, you know, curse the world. Are you going to take the hard path where I want to fight? I'm going to show you I can do this. I'm going to prove that I still have value, and I want to come out of this ahead and show not only my son but the rest of the world. You stay positive, you find that spark, you will come out ahead. Ted Robertson 21:48 All right, last question on your background, because we're going to roll all this into why you're here and what messages you want to share with the cadets and the attendees that are here. You did something I don't think most human beings would even think about after that ordeal that you had been through all those years, everything. You reenlisted, and it wasn't just a medical milestone. It wasn't because you could, it was a conscious decision. So what internal commitment had to come first for you to make that decision. Israel Del Toro 22:22 You know, I guess it was, for me it was I loved my job. I knew I could teach, I could be prepare these next guys to [be] the next generation operators. Ted Robertson 22:38 You've never stopped being committed. You've never stopped. So it brings you to NCLS. This is the 33rd year for NCLS, and when you speak to cadets here, what message do you want them to take away with them? Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 22:53 I guess my message more is about that when you're in the military, no matter whatever happens to you, you still have a role to play. Even when I got hurt, did I miss being with my teammates? Yes, but now refocusing, OK, I'm here in this hospital, and I see all these wounded guys here as I guess I'm wounded also, but in my head is like I was still NCO in the Air Force. I still have a job to do. Yes, I'm hurt, I'm wounded, but the job of a leader is, no matter where you're at, is you try and take care of your troops. You try and make things better for them, even if you never see any of the benefits — that is your role. And so that's kind of what I want to leave with these guys that, you know, you're going to always have  challenges throughout your career, but you've always got to remember it's not about you, it's about the guys under you to take care of you. You know, I had a group of cadets yesterday and they were just asking me about leadership. So you know what? The best way to be a great leader is to earn the respect of yourtroops. If you demand it, you're not a leader, but when you earned the respect and they'll die for you, that is the greatest feeling. You know, I gave an example of one of the best moments I had after my injury, is after I got hurt, they sent my replacement, and he comes in and obviously introduce him to the scout team, to the Army company, individuals in leadership, and then the SF team, and all these guys I'm supporting. And the guy comes in like, “Hey, I'm here to replace DT.” And all of them, “You can't replace DT.” And I told that was the best moment that that's the best moment of respect, because I had Army guys saying, “He's our guy.” And that's the thing I told them, it's like, when you get to that moment when your guys say, “Nah, he's our guy,” I was like, “He can't replace him.” That is where you've truly earned the respect of your troops.   Ted Robertson 25:21 Israel, the only word that I can pull out of myself right now for your journey to describe it as “remarkable,” and you continue to give of yourself, and that's a wonderful thing. Your opportunity for a couple of final thoughts here, before we close out.   Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 25:38 Final thoughts, man, putting me on the spot, aren't you. I guess my final thoughts would be, you can't do it on your own. I'm not here right now, because I did it my own. I did it. I'm never gonna say that I did. I had friends, I had family, I had my wife that were by my side all throughout my journey to medical individuals. And I had those dark times, and I'm going down that spot, that rabbit hole, they were there to pull me out of it. So I think it's like, you know, don't try and do it on your own. We all need help. You know, the goal is, don't be prideful. There's a reason pride is one of the seven deadly sins. But, you know, ask for help, ask for advice. It's not going to hurt you. If anything, it will make you stronger and better. That's parting thoughts for the individuals listening to this. Ted Robertson 26:53 Perfect. Israel “DT” Del Toro, what a privilege to sit with you again. Want to say thank you from all of us for your service and continuing to lead by the example, which is a very rich and broad and deep example. Your story reminds us, and should remind us, that courage doesn't end with just survival. It always continues in service to others. Israel, thank you for being here.   Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro 27:18 Thanks, Ted. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me again.   Ted Robertson 27:21 Israel's story reminds us that crisis and moral injury don't always arrive on a schedule, and that leaders are often expected to navigate those moments without ever having been taught how. That's where our next conversation takes us: into the intentional work of preparing leaders before crisis arrives. Maj. Tara Holmes, welcome to the podcast. It's great to have you with us as part of the National Character and Leadership Symposium.   Maj. Tara Holmes  27:46 Thanks for having me; glad to be here.   Ted Robertson 27:48 You are currently deputy chief of staff here at Headquarters USAFA. You are formerly chief of cadet development for CCLD, the Center for Character and Leadership development. By way of background, you flew.   Maj. Tara Holmes  28:01 So I am a B-52 electronic warfare officer by trade, and then moved over into white jets. So instructed in the in the T-1 and I've kind of been in education and training for, I'd say, since about 2017.   Ted Robertson  28:19 You also hold a Doctorate in Business and Management, and you are an AETC master instructor. I will let you explain AETC.   Maj. Tara Holmes  28:27 Air Education Training Command, that's one of the that's our majcom that's responsible for education and training, and they have a pathway to become a master instructor. So I finished the qualifications for that while I was in white jets and working over at Squadron Officer School.   Ted Robertson  28:46 So let's talk about your work with Task Force Hope. We'll talk about what Task Force Hope is, but you are and have been a developer and facilitator of Task Force Hope, which is a crisis and moral injury leadership workshop.   Maj. Tara Holmes  29:01 Task Force Hope is about providing immediately useful tools to our workshop participants to prepare them to lead through crisis, whether that is no-kidding combat related, or whether that's crisis on the home front, going through stuff in life that's really hard. We work through a series of key concepts and exercises, through storytelling and participant engagement that hopefully provides our participants some self-awareness and some tools to recover as it deals with their relationships.   Ted Robertson  29:39 We talked about this. There's a lot of nuance in what you're teaching these people. There's discernment in it. Who should you talk to, who you should trust with information that you want to share? Because ultimately, some of this becomes a pressure release valve, right?   Maj. Tara Holmes  29:52 Yeah, so one of the key concepts that we talk about is worthiness, right? I think often people feel pressure to not share what they're going through because they don't think their problems are worthy of attention, whether theirs or someone else's. That's one thing that we spend a lot of time on. And like you said, you know, who to who to share with, and at what level, some people are more free with sharing than others, and that's OK. So we work through some frameworks that help illustrate how people can kind of work through those levels, or gain some self-awareness and some clarity around where they fall. Something that is a, you know, deep seated secret for you, maybe something that somebody else is willing to openly share, they just don't see it as that big of a deal. So it's definitely about self-awareness and learning some tools to help relieve some of the pressure and drain on our batteries, as it were, that comes from holding these things in.   Ted Robertson  30:52 People who are attending the workshop are going to learn some things that they may not realize are draining their batteries. You're teaching them to discern what those are, and to be careful to try to avoid those. It sounds like an example to me of things that we don't realize we do, that drains us, right, instead of energizes us.   Maj. Tara Holmes  31:10 So we use the kind of metaphor of a smartphone, right? So there are things that drain us, that are big, that we're taking a lot of energy to conceal the hard things that we're dealing with in our life. But then there's, like, the pesky background apps, there's the things that are always running in the background of our lives that drain our energy without us really even noticing it. You know, so for me as an officer, but also as a mom and a spouse, some of the things that are always draining my batteries are my to-do list, the laundry app, maybe social media apps. Sometimes I've probably spend way too much time reading the news these days. That's kind of always on for me. We have these big things that are draining our batteries, but then we have these like small things that are constantly going on, right? So Task Force Hope is about recognizing what those things are for us and then making a commitment to ourselves to make this space and time to recover.   Ted Robertson  32:09 So that brings us to a really unique place. You kind of function at the intersection of character, leadership and development pretty much every day. So how do you define character when you're responsible for shaping it across an entire Cadet Wing.   Maj. Tara Holmes  32:24 To me, character is the essence of who they are. It is how you show up day after day. It's the habits that you have. That's why, when you do something out of character, people are able to say that. You know, we talk about building character strengths as building blocks towards certain virtues. And virtues is really excellence of character. So it's easy to talk about how to be an excellent athlete, or how to be an excellent academic, right? And that's one of our core values, is being excellent. Well, how do you have excellent character? It's really about leveraging your character strengths in a way that can lead you to be more virtuous, and that's the goal.   Ted Robertson  33:05 You've served, both operationally and as an instructor. Tell me how those things shape the way you think about preparing leaders not just to perform but to endure.   Maj. Tara Holmes  33:19 What comes to mind is the importance of training and building those habits. We're, you know, in the previous question, we talked about it in terms of character. You know, you can, you can use any kind of training. It's about building readiness, right? And being able to build those habits so that when you are faced with a challenge, you have a way to work through the challenge, right? That really came out for me, both operationally and as an instructor. So operationally, you rely on your training to get your job done, and then as an instructor, you're helping others build those habits so that one day when your students are faced with challenges, they can rely on their training as well.   Ted Robertson  34:01 We've talked a bit about your experiences and how they shape the way you think about preparing leaders, not just to perform but to endure. And now let's bring it right down to the direct connection between Task Force Hope and why you are here talking about this program to attendees at NCLS. When we talk about Task Force Hope, it's a program that is really designed to prepare leaders to navigate crisis and recover from both emotional and moral injury. What can you tell me about a gap that a workshop like this fills, that traditional leadership education sometimes or often misses?   Maj. Tara Holmes  34:38 Task Force Hope is preventative in nature. It's training to prevent people from letting their burdens get the best of them so that they can show up. They have the tools to show up fully charged when stuff hits the van. And not only that they do that for themselves, but then they can help their teammates or their subordinates also get there. It's self-awareness, because we all perform self-care differently, and what you need to recharge your batteries is different from the way that I would do it. So it's being intentional and having some tools to be able to identify what works for you and then how to make space in your life, and building that commitment to yourself, to make that space so that the next time that you face a crisis, you're not facing it at 10%, you're full up, you're ready to go. So it's that sustained self-care, if that's what you want to call it. And it's important to say that you know, in a 75-minute session, we're really doing our best to provide exposure to key concepts and these tools. What we hope is that people walk out with the start of something. It's not it's not the end of their work to be done.   Ted Robertson  35:54 How often do you hear the question, “Why didn't I hear this earlier in my career?”   Maj. Tara Holmes  36:00 Every workshop. Last year, after the workshop, we had a 1970-something graduate say that exact thing. For me personally, I had four people say something, you know, “Hey, I was a cadet here in '90-something, '80-something, 2000-something. And, you know, I really wish that I would have had this earlier.” So that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to bring it as early as we can.   Ted Robertson  36:26 OK, so our last question of our visit, if cadets take just one lesson from Task Force Hope and NCLs this year, what is your hope for that lesson to be?   Maj. Tara Holmes  36:39 My hope is that they're worth it. No problem is too big or too small to be dealt with, and like we talked about earlier, I think often people keep things to themselves because they feel like they shouldn't bother others, or there's their supervisors or their teammates with what's going on in their lives. And that's a drain. Like, that's a drain on the system. It eats up your energy, right? But our cadets are worth it. Whatever they're dealing with, big or small, is worthy of being addressed. I hope that's the takeaway, and that we all deal with things, right? We don't always know what other people are dealing with.   Ted Robertson  37:22 Maj. Holmes. Thank you for the work you're doing to prepare future leaders, not just to lead in moments of clarity, but to stand firm in moments of crisis. We appreciate you being here.   Maj. Tara Holmes  37:32 Thanks, Ted.   Ted Robertson  37:33 That focus on preservation, resilience and moral courage brings us to our next conversation, one shaped by combat, captivity and a life of service under the most demanding conditions. Coming up next, my conversation with Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Edward Mechenbier. Gen. Mechenbier, welcome to the podcast. It is a huge honor having you here, sir.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier 37:56 I hope you feel that way in a half hour so well,   Ted Robertson  37:59 Well, the conversation does promise to be interesting, because your life is… interesting. That was a pregnant pause, sir.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier 38:07 Yeah, I've enjoyed it. It's different.   Ted Robertson  38:11 Just to sort of frame things, you retired as a major general, and what year was that, sir,   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier 38:15 2004   Ted Robertson  38:16 And you were USAFA Class of '64. You're a Vietnam-era pilot, having flown F-4s, you were shot down on your 113th combat mission, but that was you also your 80th over North Vietnam. OK, prisoner of war. Then for almost those entire six years following that, being shot down. You come with 3,600 flying hours across lots of different aircraft.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  38:42 I was privileged fly either for primary capability or for familiarization with 43 different airplanes.   Ted Robertson  38:49 And now you describe yourself as a lifelong advocate for veterans and public service.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  38:56 Well, yeah, I mean, I go to a couple prisons in Ohio, and “work with” is probably overstating my role. Veterans who are incarcerated for long periods of time. But my role is just to go there, spend some time, shoot the breeze with them, no agenda, no desired learning objective and let them know that somebody outside knows that they're there.   Ted Robertson  39:19 What I want to do is spend some time in your background. All right, I want to start with combat and captivity and how that tests leadership in its most extreme forms. And this is in course in keeping with the theme of NCLS here, what did character mean to you when circumstances were entirely beyond your control?   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  39:38 The Vietnamese kept us in small groups of one and two or three guys. I mean, we never really until near the end and later on when we got a little organization. But it got very down, very personal, when at one time, I was in a cell with four guys, three Class of 1964 Air Force Academy graduates and one poor Oklahoma State University graduate, and amongst the four of us, we had a senior ranking officer. And of course, you got the same rank, you go alphabetical. And so we made Ron Bliss the senior ranking officer in our room. We had a communication system. We had guidelines that, you know, which were basically consistent with the code of conduct. You know, name, rank, serial number, date of birth, don't answer further questions. Keep faith with your fellow positions. That was the key. Keep faith. Never do anything that you'd be embarrassed to tell somebody you did.   Ted Robertson  40:34 What you're explaining is how different leadership looks, and even how you describe it, how different it is from command. So now it comes down to trust and accountability and courage, and how do those show up in those conditions?   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  40:51 It was really a matter of, we always knew we were still in the fight. That was one thing that was with us, and so you just kind of conducted yourself with, OK, I'm not going to let myself be used. Now, we also knew that the more you resisted pushed back, the less likely they were to make you go meet an antiwar delegation or write a confession or do something else like that. So they tend to pick on, if you will, the low-hanging fruit or the easier guy to get to. So we always wanted to set the bar just a little bit out of their reach.   Ted Robertson  41:25 All right, having gone through all of that, it really can change people quite profoundly. So when you look back at it, what leadership lessons stayed with you long after you got out of captivity?   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  41:39 In the movie Return of Honor. Capt. Mike McGrath, Navy guy, describes the guys in their ability to resist torture and do things. And that's what you learn. Everybody's got a breaking point. If mine's here and somebody else's is there, that doesn't make me better or worse than them. So you learn to appreciate the talents and the weaknesses. If you know the foibles, the cracks in everybody around you and not to exploit them, but to understand them, and then to be the kind of leader that that they need.   Ted Robertson  42:12 Sir, one of the recurring themes when you're discussing leadership with leaders right is knowing something about each of your people so that you can relate to them in a way that that works for them and motivates them.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  42:23 Yeah. Mark Welch, who's also a graduate and he is a chief of staff of the Air Force, always had a saying: “If you don't know what's going on, it's because you didn't ask.”   Ted Robertson  42:32 Now we're going to roll all that into your long journey between captivity and your visit here to NCLS this year. When you're speaking to the cadets at this year's event, what's your main hope? What do you hope they understand about courage before they even ever face combat?   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  42:54 Well, courage is a reaction to a clear and present threat. Nobody knows how they're gonna — know he's gonna say, OK, I'm gonna go to Vietnam and I want to get shot down, and when the Vietnamese capture me, I'm going to give them a middle finger and I'm going to be the meanest bad ass and hardest-to-break prisoner. Yeah, it's how you respond to the to the immediate perception of bodily harm or being used or something else like that. So courage is, yeah, it just happens. It's not something that you can put in a package and say, “OK, I've got courage.” It's how you respond to the situation, because you might respond quite differently than what you think.   Ted Robertson  43:35 And I have to say, you presented your story and you delivered your message in kind of a unique way. You drew from some contemporary references, specifically three clips from a movie that you like, that I was curious. How did you sum up your entire life in three movie clips from Madagascar? How did you do that?   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  43:57 Well, the three movie clips — when I watched the movie, I was looking at it, I have got two favorite movies. Madagascar is one, and the other is a Kelsey Grammer movie, Down Periscope. I mean, I think that is a perfect study in in leadership. But in the movie Madagascar, the premise was penguins can't fly, but yet it opens up with them applying resource, innovation imagination, and they eventually get this airplane to fly. OK, great. Success. Well, like everything else in life, things go wrong, and you got to have, No. 1, a backup plan, an exit ramp or a control mechanism for the disaster that's pending. So that's the second movie clip we saw. And then the third one was towards the end of the movie, when the crash landing has happened and the skipper asks for an accounting, and he's told that all passengers are accounted for, except two. And he says, that's the number I can live with. And the message there is, you go through life — you're going to have successes, but you're going to have failures, and failure has a cost, and it's not always pleasant, but that's OK, because that's life.   Ted Robertson  45:15 How do you explain how leaders can prepare themselves morally and mentally for moments they can't predict or control.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  45:25 Watch movies like Madagascar and Down Periscope. You know, there's a breadth of unintentional, if you will, guidance on how to be a leader, if you know where to look or if you're looking for it. I mean, that's part of the whole progress program at the Academy. Nobody's going to say, OK, here's a scenario, lead these resources to a proper conclusion. It's kind of like, OK, here's the situation. What do we do? What can we do? What can't we do? It's like, in my presentation, I talk about being able to run across a pasture in nine seconds, in 10 seconds, but if the bull can do it, you're in trouble. So you got to realign your thinking, you got to realign your goals and you got to realign the application of resources. So that's the leadership part, right there. It's a realization of what you can and what you can't do. It's a realization of what you, your people, your resources, can and can't do. It's a realization of what the technology you have at your disposal to do your mission can and can't do. So it's all about workarounds and being flexible. And then the other thing is, we live in a world that just seems to be everything's got a prescription and a protocol on exactly how to do everything. Doesn't work that way. You got to be able to go left and right. You got to be able to be a little imaginative.   Ted Robertson  46:42 What parting thought did you leave the cadets with?   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  46:45 That failure is part of life. It's not death. And I'm part of an organization called American 300 — we go around and talk to young enlisted people and all the services to get them to understand that failure is a learning opportunity. It's not a dagger in the heart, and don't be afraid or ashamed to try, because if you don't, you'll never know what your true potential is. So with the cadets, we close with that last part from the movie Madagascar that basically said, OK, success comes with a price. Be aware and accept it.   Ted Robertson  47:23 All right, we've got to close it out here, but recap, if you would one more time that message that you want cadets to leave here with from having heard you speak.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  47:32 You are now a living, breathing, viable, productive part of our United States Air Force. You bring talents that are unique. Apply them, but understand that they're all very transitory, and you have part of a larger community. If you stick with a community rather than the “I did,” “I want,” I have,” you'll go a long way.   Ted Robertson  47:54 All right, and stepping outside of that very briefly for your final thoughts, what would you like to leave listeners with today.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  48:01 Be proud of the young men and women who are in our military now, not just those at the Air Force Academy. You know, our whole military structure has changed over the years. You know, it's a dynamic world. You got to be flexible and embrace change. We're so reluctant to change. Change is fine, except when you try to change me, is the old saying, but we all have to change. We have to be part of the world in which we live.     Ted Robertson  48:26 Gen. Mechenbier, I want to thank you from all of us for being here sharing those leadership lessons of yours and a lifetime of service that will continue to shape others — future leaders — for a very, very long time to come. We appreciate you very much.   Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier  48:43 Thank you much.   Ted Robertson  48:44 Our final conversation brings us to leadership at the strategic level, where decisions affect institutions, alliances and the nation itself. Capt. Charles Plumb, welcome to the podcast today, sir.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  48:56 Thanks, Ted. Appreciate being here.   Ted Robertson  48:59 It is a privilege to have you. You retired as a Navy captain in 1991 and you have not slowed down, not one inch since. We're going to talk a little bit about the work that you're doing in some very interesting spaces. And what informs all of that. Naval Academy, Class of '64.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  49:15 Yep, the Great Class of '64.     Ted Robertson  49:17 The great —that's how you express class pride?   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  49:20 Everybody knows the Great Class of '64.   Ted Robertson  49:23 So you are an Annapolis man.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  49:25 I am, in fact.   Ted Robertson  49:26 No doubt. And a pilot. You flew F-4 Phantoms, and you are a Vietnam-era pilot. You spent most of your time over North Vietnam. Sometimes you got sent to South Vietnam, depending on what was going on. But you said that you have flown 74 combat missions.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  49:45 Actually 74 and a half, Ted. I have one more takeoff and I have landings.   Ted Robertson  49:50 We should remember that, because it's a very important part of your life we haven't talked about yet. Since you got out of captivity, and then you retired a few years later, you became a published author and a speaker, and as such, you have been to every state, several countries, 5,000 presentations you've delivered in the leadership and character development space. Is there any reason you should not be here at NCLS?   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  50:24 Well, I appreciate that. You know, this is a great symposium, and I'm really proud to contribute to it.   Ted Robertson  50:32 Captain, you are a former POW.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  50:36 Yes, I was shot down on my 75th mission and captured, tortured and spent the next 2,103 days in communist prison camps.   Ted Robertson  50:49 You said you got moved around a lot.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  50:52 We did. I was in six different camps, and some of those camps more than once. We never really understood why. We kind of suspected that they wanted to try to deny any fraternization with their guards, and they wanted to keep us on our toes, because they recognized that being military guys, we were going to have leadership, and we were going to have organization and community and we were going to organize, to fight them, and they didn't want that. So they moved us around and kind of shuffled us up, which didn't work. We always had a military organization in every camp that I ever went to.   Ted Robertson  51:31 You found ways to support each other. You found ways to have a leadership structure, even in captivity.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  51:39 We were all fighter pilots or air crews and most of us were we, you know, we had 10 Air Force Academy grads from '64 in five Naval Academy grads from '64 and so we had in a lot of other academy grads. I don't remember how many, but probably 70 total academy grads. And so, you know, we were, we were dedicated. We were lifers. We were, you know, we were very focused guys, which helped out a lot that we knew a lot about military leadership.   Ted Robertson  52:11 You grew up in the Midwest, and you married a Midwestern girl.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  52:15 I did, my high school sweetheart the day after I graduated from Annapolis, we got married in the chapel, and my buddies were holding up their swords as we came out of the chapel. So it was a beautiful day.   Ted Robertson  52:27 Let's go back to how you found your way to the Naval Academy.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  52:32 I was a farm kid from Kansas. Never seen the ocean, never been out of the four states of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri. Never been in an airplane, and I needed an education. Found that the Naval Academy offered me an education.   Ted Robertson  52:50 Outside of Air Force Academy circles, you probably already know that we think of, you know, salty sea dog sailors when we think of people going in the Navy, but you chose aviation.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  53:02 I did. As a kid, I would see these Piper Cubs fly over and I was fascinated by flight, and wondered if I'd ever be able to ride in an airplane. That was my thought when I was a kid. I didn't have any hopes of ever being a pilot, you know, let alone a fighter pilot. That was, I was out of the realm. Nobody, as I grew up, ever told me that I could do that, or I should do that, or, you know, it would be a hope of mine to ever pilot an airplane. But I went to the Naval Academy and found out that was one of the options, and I took advantage of that option.   Ted Robertson  53:43 Yeah, and it led you, of course, to over North Vietnam, and the rest is that part of your history   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  53:51 Launched on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk on my wife's birthday, the 5th of November, wave goodbye to her, and promised her I'd be back in eight months. I didn't make it.   Ted Robertson  54:04 Hard. Very hard story to hear. Let's talk about all of that informing your presentation now, again, 5,000 of these delivered in the leadership and character development space, but you talk a lot about, in your presentation — and you keynoted here at NCLS — the mental game side of this, the integrity, the choices that you have to make, and character that sort of frames all of that.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  54:38 My message to the cadets, and really to most of my audiences, is around challenge and adversity. And I tell the cadets that they work awfully hard trying to get a degree. They study, they go to computers, they read books all to get a degree. And what I point out to them is that more important than the degree that they will get from the Air Force Academy is a character that they build while they are here. That the integrity first, you know, is part of their motto. And if, in fact, they can learn and live that integrity, if they can learn and live the commitment that they have, if they can learn in and live these kind of ethereal things, the things that you can't measure, things you can't define, the things that, you know, that crop up in your in your mind, in the back of your mind, are more important than the lessons they learn from a computer. And so that's kind of my message.   Ted Robertson  55:49 You know, we're in a leadership laboratory here. The art and the science is character development. And you're talking about a kind of character that leads people to make good decisions and make those decisions with integrity in mind. How did that play into your captivity and getting you through that?   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  56:09 You know, of course, I studied leadership at the Naval Academy, and I think that my period of experience more than teaching me anything, it validated what I had learned. And the whole idea — and I love the fact that this is called, you know, the Character and Leadership Symposium, because lots of times you see leadership without character, that's a negative kind of leadership. And if a leader does not have character, he doesn't last very long, and he's not very effective. And so if you can keep your character up front, the leadership can follow easily. And that's pretty much what we had in the prison camps. Several of the qualities of leadership that I promote are the things that almost came natural in a prison camp. First of all, we had to find a focus, a reason. We had to find, you know — and that was developed by our leadership in the prison camp. Return with honor — that was our motto, return with honor. And we all rallied around that.   Ted Robertson  57:22 So all of that said, you're standing here in front of a really big group of people as a keynote speaker, lot of cadets, mostly cadets, yeah.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  57:31 Now there were cadets. I'm speaking on a panel with Ed Mechenbier, my good buddy, and we're on a panel with mostly cadets. The first presentation, the keynote was by invitation only. So there were a number of civilians in the audience, number of cadets. There were Naval Academy midshipmen in my audience today. And we had ROTC people, and, you know, from all over the country. So it was quite a wide audience.   Ted Robertson  58:04 Quite a wide audience. And so if we were just focusing on what you leave with cadets, what do you want them to take away from their experience today?   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  58:15 I hope they understand my message, that more important than the degree that they graduate with, is the character that they graduate with, and the importance of the integrity that that they learned here, because that was vital in the prison camp, is integrity. We had to have each other's back, and when we when we finally were released, we refused to be released until all the sick, injured and enlisted men had gone home, and it was a question of integrity, is a question that this is the right thing to do. It's not the easy thing to do. Largely, the integrity thing to do is not the easiest thing to do, and that's what I wanted to leave with the cadets. In addition, I want them to know that regardless of what situation they're in, they still have a choice, and their choice is the way they respond to the surrounding adversity situation that they're in.   Ted Robertson  59:21 An Annapolis grad of '64, Midwest kid from Kansas who makes it into the cockpit, and like you said, 74 and a half flights, then some time in captivity, then to a published author with thousands of presentations all over the country, and some in in other countries. What final thoughts would you like to leave today, sir?   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  59:47 Well, you know, I think I've already told you, you know, you're a great interviewer, Ted, and I appreciate your questions. I think, finally, this whole idea of self-determination and I think that we all, and not just the cadets, but graduates and families and business people, families. You know that we all have choices, and sometimes when we deny the choice and give up that ability to make our life better for ourselves. And you know, we do it sometimes even when we're not even thinking about it. It's just automatic to blame somebody else for the problem, and in doing so, we give away that choice.   Ted Robertson  1:00:34 Don't give away the choice. Yeah, build that character and stick by your integrity all the time. Capt. J. Charles Plumb, what a privilege it is to meet you, sir. Glad that you're here at NCLs and keynoting like you are, and I do hope that our paths cross again.   Capt. J. Charles Plumb  1:00:52 Ted, thank you very much. I appreciate your willingness to tell my story. Thanks for that.   Ted Robertson  1:00:57 You're welcome, sir. Thank you. Ted Robertson Close As we've heard throughout these conversations, courage isn't a single moment. It's a lifelong practice, from cadets just beginning their journey to leaders shaped by combat and crisis to senior commanders responsible for forces and futures. Character is tested when certainty disappears and it's revealed by how we choose to lead. That's the challenge of the National Character and Leadership Symposium, and it's a challenge that extends far beyond these walls. I'm Ted Robertson, thank you for joining me for our Long Blue Line Podcast Network coverage of the 33rd National Character and Leadership Symposium. This podcast was recorded on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026.         The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation      

To have these two individuals back on for a post game sort is just flat impressive. To also have the opportunity to do this 2 years in a row with a bright future ahead creates hearts full of gratitude. This post game sort is special and meaningful to a lot of us here at EmpowerU. This platform represents what true character, work ethic and determination looks like while still maintaining integrity and morals. That's the exact definition of this post game sort. Breed by breed we all discuss the mindset behind it all. It's truly amazing to get these judges perspectives after one of the biggest shows in Texas. This is what we've worked so hard day by day to create here at EmpowerU. Take some time to reflect back on the moments in San Antonio where the original turf is still dominant in the industry. Empowerment Is Here. 

The OKC Thunder just went 3-1 in a brutal week, but the headlines are dominated by the Lu Dort and Nikola Jokic scuffle. Is Dort a dirty player, or is the media (looking at you, Nick Wright) just grasping at straws?In this episode of the Foxx Den Sports Podcast, Todd, Clay, and Kellen break down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP run, the mounting injury report (JDub, Hartenstein, Mitchell), and why the Denver Nuggets might actually hate playing in Loud City. We also dive into our "Rivalry Mount Rushmore," discuss the best sounds in sports, and debate the funniest movies of all time.Timestamps:00:00 - OKC Thunder Weekly Recap (3-1!)03:00 - The Injury Bug: SGA, JDub, and Hartenstein Updates06:45 - The Dort vs. Jokic Scuffle: Dirty Play or Just Physical?12:30 - Responding to Nick Wright's "Clown" Takes17:00 - Thunder Rivalry Mount Rushmore23:00 - March Madness & NFL Draft Buzz25:30 - Funniest Movies of All Time (The Great Debate)32:00 - The Best Sounds in Sports#OKCThunder #ThunderUp #SGA #ShaiGilgeousAlexander #NBAPlayoffs #NBA #DenverNuggets #Jokic #LuDort #BasketballPodcast #SportsTalk #NBAMVP #OklahomaCity #ThunderFans #FoxxDenSports #MarchMadness #NFLDraft #SportsPodcastOKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets highlights, Is Lu Dort a dirty player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander injury update, Thunder playoff rotation 2026, Nikola Jokic vs Lu Dort scuffle, Nick Wright Thunder take, Foxx Den Sports Podcast, OKC Thunder rivalry Mount Rushmore, NBA MVP race 2026, Thunder vs Spurs rivalry.Engagement & Community"Lu Dort: Dirty player or just a physical defender? Drop your take below!

Not one, not two, but THREE great episodes of NBA Observations are on tap as Gerald has interviews with Calif Poncy, Legend, and Matt John on tap! Check in as the conversations with Calif returning to discuss with Gerald some of the trending topics in the NBA. They go over the top of the Eastern Conference, and which of the top four teams looks at this point to be the one most likely to break from the pack? Then the guys discuss the troubles in Denver with the sliding Nuggets, and if it's too early to call them an afterthought yet. And speaking of Denver, the recent Nuggets/Thunder game brought out another highly suspect shot by Lou Dort, this time on Nikola Jokic. After a pattern has begun to form with Dort and some questionable "plays" on opposing teams' players (usually stars), are they inclined to believe that Lu Dort is the Dirtiest Player in the NBA?Legend stops by to go into depth on the problems with the two teams that he covers, Atlanta and Golden State, and which of these teams has the brightest future. How does Atlanta look with Jonathan Kuminga? Is there a winning future in Golden State for Stephen Curry? Or should he just go somewhere else? Plus, they also discuss the teams at the top of the East and West who are playing well above expectations in Detroit and San Antonio, and decide if the time is now for one, for both, or if these teams are just not ready. All this and Legend has thoughts for the gamers out there on the XBOX changeover as well.And Matt John from the J-Notes stops by once again as he and Gerald talk about some of the more intriguing storylines in the last part of this season. Matt provides additional thoughts on the Jazz and whether some players are still part of their future or not. Then they discuss which teams are actually tanking and if the prizes at the end of the rainbow in this year's draft are worth it. They then discuss the top teams in the NBA and which ones look like they could provide the toughest competition for Oklahoma City in the upcoming playoffs.It's three great episodes of candid NBA talk as only we can deliver it, as we again provide some heavy NBA Observations on the Lakers Fast Break podcast!Follow @DripShowshop for some awesome sports or pop culture merchandise!Lakers Fast Break now has YouTube memberships! Join today at / @lakersfastbreak and for just $2.99 a month, you get access to LFB badges and emojis, channel page recognition, and more!Check out Stone Hansen on Twitter @report_court, Alfred Ezman @alfredezman, and John Costa's channels: Clutch Talk- / @clutchtalkpod and Lakers Corner- / @lakerscorner and Legend350 on his new channel / @sportslegend2018Special Deals today from our friends at #temu today at https://temu.to/m/u1samwbo8cc use code: aca785401 and you might save some $$$ at TEMU!Please Like, Share, and Subscribe to our channel and our social media @lakersfastbreak on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, on BLUESKY at @lakersfastbreak.bsky.social, e-mail us lakersfastbreak@yahoo.com or catch our audio of the Lakers Fast Break today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/lakers-fast-break⁠, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast outlet!The views and opinions expressed on the Lakers Fast Break are those of the panelists or guests themselves and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Lakers Fast Break or its owners. Any content or thoughts provided by our panelists or guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, anyone, or anything.Presented by our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lakerholics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lakersball.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pop Culture Cosmos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Inside Sports Fantasy Football⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lakers Corner, @DripShowshop, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SynBlades.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, I Got Next Sports Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Happy Hoarder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Retro City Games!

Leta Becker was thirty-seven when she married Amos after a fifteen-year courtship, and they never had kids. Leta and Amos are related to lots of people, but their closest neighbors are Leta's brother, Sam and his wife, Maggie Schneider. Amos thinks the Schneiders use more than their fare share of water to raise turkeys, and Sam thinks Amos has something wrong with him, like all the Beckers. When Maggie is shot while feeding her turkeys one March morning in 1958, Amos is the main suspect, but he's gone missing. Months pass and some think he fled to Mexico, but others suspect that like family members before him, he took his own life. This is a novel about the harshness of Texas farm country, the hardships of the Depression, and the difficulty of living without love. Inspired by a true story, Well of Deception (Stoney Creek Publishing, 2025) describes decades of drought, difficulties, and deception. Cynthia Leal Massey is a former corporate editor, college instructor, and magazine editor. She has published hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles, and several award-winning books, including Death of a Texas Ranger, A True Story of Murder and Vengeance on the Texas Frontier, which won a San Antonio Conservation Society Publication Award and a Will Rogers Silver Medallion Award, and What Lies Beneath, Texas Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards, also a SACS Award winner. Her first novel, Fire Lilies, a saga of the Mexican Revolution, was an Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition Award Finalist for Best Historical Fiction and its sequel, The Caballeros of Ruby, Texas, was a WILLA Literary Award Finalist for Best Original Softcover Fiction. Cynthia also won the Lone Star Award for Magazine Journalism for her article “Is UT Holding Our History Hostage?” published in Scene in SA Monthly. The article was also a finalist for the Texas Institute of Letters O. Henry Award for Magazine Journalism. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Cynthia has resided in Helotes, twenty miles northwest of the Alamo City since 1994. She served on the town's city council for sixteen years. She holds a master's degree in English from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. A full-time writer, she is a past president of Women Writing the West and a member of Western Writers of America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Farm equipment sales are showing the effects of a softer farm economy, but there are signs that 2026 could offer a more stable outlook. At Commodity Classic in San Antonio, RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin caught up with Curt Blades, senior vice president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), to discuss the factors shaping the equipment... Read More

Brian Windhorst is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to talk about the Knicks getting a big win over the Spurs at MSG including if San Antonio has some concerns for the playoffs surrounding Wemby's support. Plus, we break down injury updates on Jayson Tatum & Steph Curry before tackling a big win for Minnesota and the potential for Anthony Edwards to be a playoff threat again. Finally, we discuss if Jokic's wrist injury is cause for concern in Denver before talking why nobody should want to face the Hornets in the playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Russ and Kim Beechner join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 30th, 2026 at 11AM EST.  To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Chef John Russ is the chef-owner of Clementine, a celebrated neighborhood restaurant in San Antonio known for its seasonally driven menus and warm, family-centered hospitality. A New Orleans native and 2023 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Texas, Russ trained at Delgado Culinary and refined his craft in fine dining kitchens at the Ritz-Carlton and The Capella Group before putting down roots in San Antonio in 2012. Alongside his wife and pastry chef, Elise, he launched a series of pop-up dinners that evolved into the Clementine restaurant group, where the couple has helped reshape the city's culinary landscape with their acclaimed "Feed Me" tasting experience and thoughtful approach to service and work–life balance. Beyond the stove, Russ advocates for better food sourcing, sustainability, and commonsense immigration reform within the restaurant industry, working with state and national organizations while mentoring the next generation of chefs. Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/ Today's sponsors: - Restaurant Technologies — the leader in automated cooking oil management. Their Total Oil Management solution is an end-to-end closed loop automated system that delivers, monitors, filters, collects, and recycles your cooking oil eliminating one of the dirtiest jobs in the kitchen.. Automate your oil and elevate your kitchen by visiting rti-inc.com or call 888-779-5314 to get started! - Restaurant Systems Pro - Lower your prime cost by $1,000, and get paid $1,000 with the Restaurant Systems Pro 30-Day Prime Cost Challenge. If you successfully improve your prime cost by $1,000 or more compared to the same 30-day period last year, Restaurant Systems Pro will pay you $1,000. It's a "reverse guarantee."  Let's make 2026 the year your restaurant thrives. - US Foods®. Running a restaurant takes MORE than great food—it takes reliable deliveries, quality products, and smart tools. US Foods® helps you make it. Ready to level up? Visit: usfoods.com/expectmore. - Guest contact info:  Website: https://www.clementine-sa.com Instagram: @clementine.sanantonio Email: hello@clementine-sa.com Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share! 

Welcome to the Rundown! Your Monday morning rundown of the latest happenings in barrel racing! Stay tuned at the end of this week's Rundown to hear from special guest Anita Ellis after her big win in San Antonio! Once again this year, the Rundown is brought to our listeners thanks to Chewy! Chewy is your one stop horse shop, from feed and supplements, to supplies, medications, and more! Chewy.com/equine

Anita Ellis from Blackfoot, ID joins us to talk about coming back from a traumatic brain injury to win the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo

Markets not thrilled with tech Mortgage rates dip below 6% Feb ends with a dud Looking at the Fed's next move with our guest – Danielle DiMartino Booth – the “Fed watcher” NEW! DOWNLOAD THIS EPISODE'S AI GENERATED SHOW NOTES (Guest Segment) As Founder & CEO of Quill Intelligence, Danielle DiMartino Booth set out to launch a #ResearchRevolution, redefining how markets intelligence is conceived and delivered. To build QI, she brought together a core team of investing veterans to analyze the trends and provide critical analysis on what is driving the markets – both in the United States and globally. A global thought leader on monetary policy, economics and finance, DiMartino Booth founded Quill Intelligence in 2018. She is the author of FED UP: An Insider's Take on Why the Federal Reserve is Bad for America (Portfolio, Feb 2017), has a column on Bloomberg View, is a business speaker, and a commentator frequently featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, Fox Business News, BNN Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance and other major media outlets. Prior to Quill, DiMartino Booth spent nine years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas where she served as Advisor to President Richard W. Fisher throughout the financial crisis. Her work at the Fed focused on financial stability and the efficacy of unconventional monetary policy. DiMartino Booth began her career in New York at Credit Suisse and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette where she worked in the fixed income, public equity, and private equity markets. DiMartino Booth earned her BBA as a College of Business Scholar at the University of Texas at San Antonio: she holds an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Texas at Austin and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University. Follow @DiMartinoBooth Looking for style diversification? More information on the TDI Managed Growth Strategy https://thedisciplinedinvestor.com/blog/tdi-strategy/ Stocks mentioned in this episode: (NVDA), (META), (ORCL), (GOOG), (AMZN), (MSFT), (IBM)

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon discuss the impact of San Antonio's performance against the Pistons and if they're title contenders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices