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This Black Food Trend Has the Internet Shocked
Tom Cressman's brutal murder – beaten with a cricket bat by the ex-royal dresser to Sarah Ferguson, the ex-Dutchess of York – was a truly British tragedy.Jane Andrews's act of violence dominated the headlines in the UK, and for good reason. The obsessive social climber had spent a lifetime getting herself into rooms with some of the richest and most influential people in the country. All she had left to do was marry one of them, and she'd be set for life. But just when she was rubbing shoulders with the family of the soon-to-be-disgraced Prince Andrew, it all came tumbling down. --Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesYouTube - Full-length Video EpisodesTikTok / Instagram
Everyone shocked by the Dusty to NBA newsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Grant is in on Meta Glasses and Danny is very surprised.
Seth and Sean discuss how the Astros have been doing with the ABS this season on each side of the ball, and react to LeBron saying his goal was to get his mom a pantry.
Have you ever heard a statistic that completely stopped you in your tracks? In this week's episode, Dr. Emily shares a surprising study that sparked a deeper conversation about women, health, perfectionism, burnout, leadership, and the hidden pressure many of us carry every day. What started as a conversation about physician longevity quickly became a powerful reflection on how women often navigate life differently—taking on responsibility, seeking answers, caring deeply for others, and sometimes carrying burdens that were never meant to be theirs. Whether you're a physician, healthcare professional, parent, leader, entrepreneur, or simply a woman trying to do your best, this episode offers practical wisdom and a refreshing reminder that your worth is not tied to perfection. In This Episode, You'll Discover: ✨ The surprising research finding that prompted this conversation ✨ Why women physicians may experience different health outcomes than their male counterparts ✨ The hidden costs of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and always trying to "get it right" ✨ Why asking more questions can lead to better outcomes—in healthcare, leadership, and life ✨ How creating systems and empowering others can help you stop carrying everything alone ✨ The importance of separating your identity from your children's choices and outcomes ✨ Why progress—not perfection—is the real goal ✨ Practical mindset shifts that can improve your health, relationships, and overall well-being Many women spend years measuring themselves against impossible standards—trying to be the perfect parent, spouse, professional, leader, or caregiver. But perfection is not only unattainable; it's exhausting. Dr. Emily explores how chronic stress, self-imposed pressure, and constant responsibility can quietly impact our health and happiness. She shares personal stories from medicine, motherhood, and leadership that reveal a better path forward: one built on growth, self-compassion, and realistic expectations. This episode is a reminder that: ✔️ You don't have to carry everything yourself. ✔️ Leadership isn't about doing everything—it's about building systems and empowering people. ✔️ Your children's decisions are not a report card on your worth as a parent. ✔️ Mistakes are part of being human. ✔️ Progress is enough. If you've ever found yourself replaying old mistakes, questioning your decisions, or carrying guilt for things beyond your control, this episode is especially for you. The pressure to be perfect is heavy—but it doesn't have to define your life. Dr. Emily shares that one of the most powerful skills we can develop is learning to stop ruminating on what we cannot change and start focusing on what we can do today. Ready for more guidance and support? Head to www.emilyvinzantmd.com or follow Dr. Emily on Facebook and Instagram for more science-backed common-sense health.
Ep 678 Pt 1: China Shocked Me: Is Democracy Holding Kenya Back?: China's Secret to Success
On this episode of The Brian Kilmeade Show, Brian reacts to the news of Iran re-closing the Strait of Hormuz, throwing the Trump administration's 14-point Memorandum of Understanding into question. Former House Judiciary Chief Counsel Julian Epstein joins to break down why this peace deal fumbles battlefield victories and gives a dangerous lifeline to a terror state. Plus, Fox Digital Reporter Michael Dorgan exposes the massive over-budget, behind-schedule scandal impacting minority contractors at the newly unveiled Obama Presidential Library. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Romuald, 951-1027; Shocked by witnessing his father win a duel, Saint Romuald fled to a local abbey and entered religious life; he traveled through Italy reforming monasteries and eventually founded the Camaldolese Order; as Saint Peter Damian described, Saint Romuald’s goal was to, “…turn the whole world into a hermitage, and make all the multitude of the people associates of the monastic order” Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/19/26 Gospel: Matthew 6:19-23
Support the show: http://www.newcountry963.com/hawkeyeinthemorningSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Go to www.Blackriflecoffee.com and get premium coffee! True Gold Republic put together a 2026 Precious Metals Kit exclusively for this audience. Go to http://goldwithgraham.com or call 800-628-GOLD to claim yours. Go get your NEVER WOKE merch at https://neverwokeapparel.com/ Follow Us on Social Media: • Twitter :https://twitter.com/GrahamAllen • Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/grahamallen1 • Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/GrahamAllenOfficial/ • TikTok :https://www.tiktok.com/@thegrahamallen • Rumble :https://rumble.com/user/GrahamAllenOfficial
Many Europeans arrive in America with certain expectations, but their opinions often change after experiencing the country firsthand. In this episode, I share why first-time visitors are surprised by the friendliness, scale, energy, and opportunities they find throughout the United States. CONQUER SHYNESS
T1 just knocked out Gen.G in five games to reach MSI. The episode breaks down what that loss really means for Gen.G, why BLG are the most frightening team at the tournament, and whether IG are actually putting the band back together. Hims: Personalized, affordable care for hair loss, ED, weight loss, and more. Skip the waiting room and get treatment online with a free visit at https://hims.com/lfn. Featured products include compounded drug products which the FDA does not approve or verify for safety, effectiveness, or quality. Prescription required. Individual results may vary. Shopify: The platform behind millions of businesses, from first sale to full scale. Start your $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/summoning. ExpressVPN: Fast, private, and reliable. Use it to protect your connection anywhere. Get started at https://expressvpn.com/summoning. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Welcome to Thursday's Rugby Daily, with Cameron Hill.Coming up, the Leinster and Bulls teams are out for the URC Grand Final,Isa Nacewa admits he was "shocked" by James Lowe's decision to leave this summer,A few big names out of the Ireland squad for their Nations Championship games this July,And are we inching closer to tackles above the sternum being outlawed in elite rugby?This is Rugby Daily on Off The Ball, with Bank of Ireland, a proud sponsor of Irish rugby. Never stop competing.
What This FedEx Driver Did Next Shocked Everyone!
Bobby and Mike recapped their notes from the Saints' second mandatory minicamp practice session. The guys highlighted rookie WRs Bryce Lance and Jordyn Tyson, DT Christen Miller, and TE Oscar Delp. Bobby questioned Alvin Kamara's future in New Orleans.
Bobby and Mike recapped their notes from the Saints' second mandatory minicamp practice session. The guys highlighted rookie WRs Bryce Lance and Jordyn Tyson, DT Christen Miller, and TE Oscar Delp. Bobby questioned Alvin Kamara's future in New Orleans.
On today's episode of Roxanne and Shantel, we're recapping the season finale of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. We talk about the ladies coming together, the makeups between Liz and Jo-Ellen, and where Ruella and Brian stand following the domestic violence charge. We also get into how the season wrapped, the resolution among the group, and our thoughts on the finale. Sponsor: Free shipping at Quince.com using code ALLABOUTRH. Get the linen trousers and European linen sheets. Trust me! Subscribe to 'Roxanne & Shantel' on Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/roxanne-and-shantel-formerly-allabouttrh/id1554996153 Follow Roxanne & Shantel on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/79BLlV7530ggskem3tAvjp?si=b060160028aa4f1e Follow Roxanne & Shantel On TikTok Follow Roxanne & Shantel On Instagram Follow Roxanne & Shantel On X Join Rox & Shantel of AllAboutTRH on our Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Beat Migs! So we go Straight To The Comments.
Sam and Chris reflect on the latest World Cup action, including Spain's shock result, a Saudi surprise and the fantasy performances that could shape managers' decisions heading into Matchday Two. They'll also be looking ahead to the next round of fixtures, with all eyes on France as they begin their campaign, plus plenty of big captaincy calls and transfer dilemmas for fantasy managers. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━
We Asked a Legendary A&R Exec to Reveal the BIGGEST Mistakes New Artists Make—Her Answer SHOCKED Us! Legendary A&R exec Kim Buie breaks down the evolution of talent discovery, from smoke-filled clubs to today's streaming and AI landscape. Learn her three pillars for artist success, get essential A&R tips, and hear stories from her work with icons like Chris Blackwell, Sturgill Simpson, and Ryan Bingham. If you're an artist, music pro, or just passionate about the music business, this episode is packed with inspiration and real-world advice!
Luke Tuckwell jumps on The Detour Live fresh off the most jaw‑dropping week of his young career — a breakout Dauphiné ride that put the Aussie cycling world on its feet and the yellow jersey on his back.At just 21, Tuckwell talks through the moment he realised he was riding into the race lead, the chaos of the 60km valley drag race, the team culture powering Red Bull–Bora, and the brutal final‑climb mindset that kept him on the podium.Johnny, Angus and Dan dig into the tactics, the toughness, the Aussie grit, and the surreal wave of support that hit him back home. Plus: radios out, Maxime's hero turn, Zach Dempster's culture shift, and what's next for the kid who just announced himself to the world.A massive chat with a rider who's only just getting started.
Near-death experience guest 1871 is Van Ng Tran who saw visions of the future and jumped through a portal during her NDE experience.Van's YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@oneonlyvanVan's Contacts5tnvan@gmail.comhttps://oneonlyvan.substack.com/Legal Disclaimer:All experiences shared on this channel—including accounts of anomalous phenomena or extraterrestrial encounters—are personal narratives and subjective claims. This content is for educational, documentary and reflective purposes only and is not professional medical, psychological, or legal advice. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the channel. Please consult a licensed professional for any health or mental health concerns.CONTACT:Email: jeff@jeffmarapodcast.comAmazon Wish Listhttps://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1ATD4VIQTWYAN?ref_=wl_shareTo donate crypto:Bitcoin - bc1qk30j4n8xuusfcchyut5nef4wj3c263j4nw5wydDigibyte - DMsrBPRJqMaVG8CdKWZtSnqRzCU7t92khEShiba - 0x0ffE1bdA5B6E3e6e5DA6490eaafB7a6E97DF7dEeDoge - D8ZgwmXgCBs9MX9DAxshzNDXPzkUmxEfAVEth. - 0x0ffE1bdA5B6E3e6e5DA6490eaafB7a6E97DF7dEeXRP - rM6dp31r9HuCBDtjR4xB79U5KgnavCuwenWEBSITEwww.jeffmarapodcast.comNewsletterhttps://jeffmara2002.substack.com/?r=19wpqa&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklistSOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffmarapodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffmarapodcast/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jeffmaraP/
Lutyens' Elites Shocked as Govt Takes Jaipur Polo Ground in Delhi | Gymkhana and Race Course Next
A Nigerian mother living in Ballyfermot is furious after her young son was subjected to an alleged racist remark during a disagreement with another child over the weekend. What began as a typical row between children took a shocking turn when a racist attack was directed at her son, leaving him upset and his mother deeply hurt and angry.The Nigerian-born mum says she later approached the other child's mother to challenge what had happened...
Daily Soap Opera Spoilers by Soap Dirt (GH, Y&R, B&B, and DOOL)
Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Young and the Restless predictions indicate that Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) faces a shock from her fiancé and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) fails to get the response she anticipates. Also, Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) will clash with Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), leading to an alarming health crisis. Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle), Nikki's daughter, will be drawn into the fray, causing further tension. Y&R predictions hint that Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) will discover that his former company, Arabesque, is now under the control of Phyllis, thanks to Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). However, Cane's reaction might disappoint both Victor and Phyllis, as he seems more interested in his budding relationship with Lily. The Young and the Restless spoilers show that Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) finds out that Patty Williams (Andrea Evans) has kidnapped Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters). Jack will be seen trying to seduce Patty into revealing Diane's whereabouts. On another front, Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) gets his hands on some valuable information, which could cause further issues for Lily and Cane. Y&R spoilers reveal that Devon Winters (Bryton James) will be warned by Lily to stay out of her business, after he confronts Cane. Soap Dirt is the most subscribed to Youtube soap opera channel. Visit our Young and the Restless section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/young-and-the-restless/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Young and the Restless Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/young-and-the-restless-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 6/14/26 – The Buddha said, “All things are ultimately liberated; they have no abiding place.” In this koan, the teenage Satsujo, completely devoted to practicing the Dharma, was sitting in her room when her father peeked in and saw her seated on a copy of the Lotus Sutra. Shocked, he shouted, “What are you doing sitting on this precious scripture?” Satsujo replied, “How is this wonderful sutra different from my ass? Quickly! What is this body-heart-mind before thoughts of sacred and profane arise?” Hojin Sensei uses this encounter to invite us to question the familiar divisions and fixed ideas in which we can become stuck—those habits of mind that separate sacred from ordinary and can become a source of confusion and suffering. (From Hidden Lamp: Stories from Awakened Women #72 – “Satsujo Sits on the Lotus Sutra”. Japan, 18th century.)
This week Jenn sits down with Maternal Instinct director Jessica Dimmock to discuss the shocking true story of Taylor Parker, a young Texas woman whose elaborate web of deception spiraled into one of the most disturbing crimes in recent memory. Together, Jenn and Jessica delve into Parker’s years of lies, the unanswered questions surrounding her motivations, and the devastating impact the crime had on Reagan Hancock’s family and community. They also explore the challenges of telling such a sensitive story, the red flags that many people noticed but struggled to act upon, and the deeper themes of motherhood, manipulation, intuition, and trust.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this seventh episode of the 11th season of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with friend of the show and Skeptical Shaman podcast editor Natalie Fehlner (of Sidhe) all about Natalie's strange, strange journey into weird world of online dialogue-- and what it revealed about the spiritual reality underpinning surface-level ideology.Natalie experienced a pronounced spiritual trauma when accidentally encountering the hyper-violent images of Charlie Kirk's death online. While not a right wing Christian nationalist herself (I mean, Natalie is a fairy-channeling astrologer, poet and theater teacher, among other things!), she was gobsmacked by the reaction of "her team": the supposedly compassionate, open-minded, and ideologically consistent, spiritually-aware group to which she and many other Woo-based practitioners generally belong.Shocked by the cognitive dissonance of it all, Natalie did the unthinkable: she entered into the online colosseum to battle it out with anonymous faces (and voices) on the inter web. What she learned from this experience has not only served as a major spiritual and societal awakening for her, but also served as her inspiration to get educated and certified in cult awareness, ultimately setting out into the world to help deprogram her fellow humans that are ready to leave their distorted, ideological prison and enter the real world.Rachel's LINKS:TOTEM Readings Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:Buy The Business of Woo book HERE: https://a.co/d/0g7EFJmMTOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooOur guests' links:Natalie's Substack: https://nataliesidhe.substack.com/?utm_source=global-searchNatalie's IG: https://www.instagram.com/nataliesidhe/Natalie's Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieSidhe Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.
The countdown is on for Toy Story 5, but a surprising revelation from behind the scenes has left fans stunned. The team unpacks the little-known detail about the beloved franchise and why it's sparking such a huge reaction online. Could this unexpected twist change the magic of one of the world's biggest animated series?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In hour one, expecting The Finals to be tied 2-2 after tonight's Game 4. Shocked at how bad the nicknames are on the Knicks roster. Zach Gelb joins the show live from NYC for a vibe check ahead of a pivotal game 4.
Mego reports back on what she saw yesterday at Patriots mini-camp. She was shocked how packed the WR is and wonders who is the odd man out.
Ever Backed Out Of A Drive Thru? | IAQT | A Fella Was Really Shocked At Something Quite Common | JOTW | We Get The Back Story Of Huey Lewy & Dewey
"Virtual Reali-Tea" co-hosts Danny Murphy and Evan Real are recapping season one, episode four of "In The City." Amanda Batula reveals to Lindsay Hubbard that she signed a one-year lease in a new building without Kyle Cooke. Kenny Martin's openness about his relationship with Whitney Fransway backfires when some castmates begin using the term "murky" to describe it. "In The City" airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and is available to stream the next day on Peacock. Follow us on Instagram! Sign up for our newsletter! Check us out on YouTube! Head to our show page for more tea! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club (buy two bottles, get the third free): https://freshpressolive.com/4fugEVW Pre-order Keto Flex Revised and get free bonuses: https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM In 2025, Italian researchers tracked over 16,000 adults and found that one specific fat was tied to dramatically smaller waistlines. Not a drug. Not calorie counting. One simple swap in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the people with the worst waistlines were the ones using the "heart-healthy" oils their doctors recommended. In this lesson, Ben breaks down why seed oils now make up about 80% of the US food supply and drive inflammation, insulin resistance, and stubborn belly fat. Then he reveals the winning fat, extra virgin olive oil, and the three compounds inside it that work unlike anything else in your pantry, including one that affects the same anti-inflammatory pathway as ibuprofen. He also explains why most grocery store olive oil fails the research, and exactly how to spot the real thing. Key takeaways: One fat was linked to waistlines about four inches smaller than the seed oil group People who skipped it had roughly a five times higher risk of abdominal obesity Seed oils have shifted our omega ratio from 1:1 to about 20:1, fueling chronic inflammation Oleocanthal in fresh olive oil affects the same COX enzymes as ibuprofen In the PREDIMED trial, olive oil was tied to a 30% drop in major cardiovascular events Most grocery olive oil is adulterated, so buy single origin, dark glass, and run the taste test Smoke point is a poor marker, real extra virgin olive oil is one of the safest oils to cook with Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Koby and Hollie chat about things at Universal Orlando today that nobody would've believed 10 years ago. Support the showSocials, Support the Podcast, and MoreThis podcast is sponsored by Favorite Grampy Travels, a Universal Preferred Travel Agency
Wemby was the best player on the floor and the pressure mounts on the Knicks. What can the NCAA do if they lose on everything? How should sports betting be handled? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to Episode 100 of 1 800 Drama! Woo!!
Big Update: India Discovers Natural Gas Near Andamans | America SHOCKED
Updated Re-Release: This episode originally aired a few years ago and has since become one of The Earful Tower's most beloved classics. We're bringing it back today because some things are simply too good - and too instructive - to stay buried in the archives. It started with a photo. A single, damning image shared on The Earful Tower's social media: an 18-month-old Comté, massacred at a Parisian dinner party by the hand of a newly arrived American. The picture went viral inside the Earful community almost instantly, and the culprit, Will Weaver, a Texan fresh off the plane, became the talk of the group. So we did what any responsible France-based podcast would do: we launched a full investigation. In this episode, you'll hear from genuinely mortified cheesemongers, some committed dramatic performances from Earful VIPs, and crucially the full account from Will Weaver himself, the man holding the knife that fateful evening. Yes, we find out exactly what he did, why he did it, and whether he has shown any remorse whatsoever. We also get into the real, legitimate, no-nonsense guide to how you are actually supposed to cut a Comté — because this is a safe space for learning, not just judgement. A word of warning before you dive in: a lot of this episode is firmly tongue-in-cheek, so take the drama with a generous pinch of salt. The cheese-cutting advice, however, is completely genuine. If the episode sends you running to the nearest fromagerie, the spots mentioned in the show is worth a visit: Griffon Fromager in Paris's 7th arrondissement (23 bis Av. de la Motte-Picquet, 75007 Paris) and we also recorded at bar of the legendary Le Bristol Paris (112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris). Both are excellent. The music is from Pres Maxson. This episode is brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Whether you're exploring the Marais, scaling Montmartre, or wandering the Latin Quarter, our walking tours are among the highest-rated in Paris — and the best possible way to experience this podcast in the flesh. The Earful Tower stays independent thanks to its members. For just $10 a month, you'll unlock a growing vault of extras: bonus episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and an annually updated PDF guide to Paris that's worth its weight in Comté. You can get started in under a minute via Patreon or Substack — and if you're already a member, thank you. You're the reason this exists. More from The Earful Tower: Website · Weekly Newsletter · Walking Tours
Equip Foods grass-fed beef protein (20% off with Ben's link): https://bit.ly/3RKCzhW — use code BENAZADI Pre-order Keto Flex Revised and get free bonuses: https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM Ben Azadi spent 90 straight days eating nothing but beef, eggs, butter, salt, and organ meat. No vegetables, no fruit, no fiber, no carbs. Then he tested everything. His cholesterol numbers would have sent most doctors into a panic. His total cholesterol hit 434. His LDL hit 350. But when one of the world's top heart surgeons reviewed the full panel, the verdict was clear: his cardiovascular risk had actually improved. Then the gut results came in. After 90 days of zero plants and zero fiber, his gut microbiome diversity went up. Not down. Up. In this episode, Ben walks through everything: the adaptation period, the body composition changes, the full blood work breakdown with board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Philip Ovadia, the gut microbiome reveal with Dr. Will DiPaolo and Dr. Daniel Pompa, and what the science actually says about cholesterol, red meat, and the human body. If you've ever been told that saturated fat will kill you, that LDL is the enemy, or that you need fiber to have a healthy gut, this episode will make you question all of it. Key takeaways: Lost 16 pounds and 6% body fat in 60 days Heart rate variability, sleep quality, and glucose all improved Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio hit 1.0, a marker of near-zero insulin resistance Gut diversity, keystone bacteria, and core bacteria all increased on zero plants LDL on its own is one of the worst predictors of actual cardiovascular risk Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mike Mulligan and David Haugh were joined by Score baseball insider Bruce Levine to break down the Cubs' 5-4 loss to the Athletics in 10 innings Wednesday.
It's Paulina's birthday! Plus, find out why Alicia got ghosted on an all new Waiting by the Phone. And we have a follow up Waiting by the Phone that left the whole crew SHOCKED... Listen now!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Last time we spoke about the second phase of the One Hundred Regiment Offensive. During the second phase of the Hundred Regiments offensive, CCP forces emphasized strongpoint and transportation warfare across the Taihang/Jizhong area. Units were organized with wings containing Japanese positions while a central force struck deeper, as in the Renhe Dasu fighting in early October 1940. Night raids seized strongholds, while engineers and sabotage teams disrupted roads, bridges, and mobility, and ambushes targeted Japanese foraging and supply routes. Across these theaters, the strategy was consistent: make Japanese control porous by destroying or capturing local nodes and forcing constant repairs, re-routing, escorts, and slowed reinforcement, so occupation logistics and strongpoint networks could not function reliably. This approach supported wider offensives by isolating strongpoints, draining enemy strength, and giving Communist base areas room to endure and expand. #204 The One Hundred Regiment Offensive Phase Three Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. After the two large-scale offensives carried out over wide areas of North China, the Japanese army did what it always did when control started to slip: it tried to turn mobile pressure back into something it could "manage" again. The Eighth Route Army's continued fighting had shown that Japanese-occupied space was not secure, and that base areas could still resist, strike, and persist even while under counterpressure. That was dangerous for occupation. If the enemy could keep operations going, Japanese lines of movement stayed uncertain and "stabilization" became a temporary illusion. To prevent the situation from worsening and to re-stabilize the occupied areas as quickly as possible, the Japanese mobilized heavy forces and launched retaliatory counter–"mopping-up" operations against anti-Japanese base areas in North China beginning October 6. The Japanese attempt wasn't only to punish; it was designed to take advantage of an asymmetry: the Eighth Route Army was striking and fighting continuously, and it did not have the luxury of resting, replenishing, and re-cohering as neatly as a garrison army might. Japanese commanders hoped that if they struck hard enough in enough places, the Communist main forces could be isolated, destroyed, or at least forced into a defensive posture that would break their operational tempo. At Liaodong and Yulin, Japanese reinforcements also created a second political-military stake. After the Yuliao Campaign ended, the Eighth Route Army headquarters issued instructions on October 1 to major regions, warning that enemy reinforcements in Liaodong and Yulin might use the opening to "sweep" the Taibei region. In the Communist operational mind, this wasn't just one threat; it was a pattern. A "sweep" could come as a wave that pushed inward, burned villages, destroyed supplies, and tried to force Communist forces out of their protected networks. Even if the offensive couldn't win a conventional decisive battle, it could aim to strip the base areas of people, food, and mobility—things that make guerrilla and strongpoint warfare possible. By October 19, 1940, the Eighth Route Army headquarters issued a counter–"mopping-up" operation plan, and civilian and military authorities in various regions launched counter-"mopping-up" operations accordingly. This is important background: in these campaigns, "mopping-up" was not only an army activity. The Japanese were attempting to break the base system itself—its logistics, its local administration, and the relationship between armed units and civilians who hid, moved, fed, and replaced them. So the counter-operations had to be just as systemic. The Communists needed to keep people alive, keep movement possible, and keep the enemy from consolidating inside a cleared space. In southeastern Shanxi's Taihang and Taiyue regions, the Japanese 1st Army aimed to strike the main force of the 129th Division and destroy anti-Japanese base areas by running a series of mopping operations from October 6 to December 5. The plan had a typical occupation logic: push through strongholds gradually, clear pockets methodically, and rely on local superiority—especially in manpower, logistics, and the ability to reinforce by road. And because the Communist main force had been operating without meaningful rest after the earlier offensives, the Japanese believed they could catch formations while they were still "in between battles." On October 6, in the Taihang region, more than 800 enemy troops from Wu'an in western Hebei began a "mopping-up" operation in the Yangyi area. By October 11, the Japanese posture escalated. Part of the Japanese Independent Mixed 4th Brigade departed from Liaoxian and Wuxiang, while part of the 36th Division departed from Lucheng and Xiangyuan; together they totaled over 3,000 troops. Coordinating from north and south, they carried out operations to "mop up" both banks of the Zhuozhang River between Yulin, Liaoxian, and Wuxiang, encircling and clearing the south side of the Yulin–Liaoxian highway. This emphasis on riverbanks and highway corridors reveals the Japanese method: move along terrain that controls movement, then compress enemy options until the defenders have to fight inside a narrowing space. The counter to that method required more than bravery. The Eighth Route Army's 385th and 386th Brigades, along with the 1st Column of the Decisive Battle, fought on inner lines—where they could move more rapidly between known local positions and threaten the enemy's flanks or supply behavior. Meanwhile the New 10th Brigade fought on outer lines, where it could intercept, delay, and force the enemy to spend time reacting instead of clearing. By the morning of October 15, the New 10th Brigade delivered a concrete example of that interception strategy. Two regiments ambushed an enemy motor-transport convoy at Gongjiagou on the Heliao Highway, destroying more than 40 vehicles and annihilating more than 100 Japanese soldiers escorting the convoy. The meaning of a convoy ambush is strategic even when the numbers are modest: vehicles represent speed, logistics, and reinforcement. If the enemy loses vehicles repeatedly, "mopping" becomes slower, and slower clearing creates openings for the defenders to reorganize, disperse, or shift main effort. After that, on October 17, the enemy forces that had been mopping up the convoy withdrew in different directions. Withdrawal in multiple directions is a sign that the Japanese clearing operation, meant to compress a space, had instead been forced into a reactive mode. It also hints at a recurring pattern in these years: Japanese units could clear what was already weak, but when defenders hit their movement corridors, the occupiers had to spend time and combat power simply to recover mobility. The next major sweep began October 20, 1940, and it was much larger. Nearly 10,000 troops—from the 36th Division and Independent Mixed Brigade No. 4—set off from multiple locations, including Wu'an, Liaoxian, Wuxiang, and Lucheng, to sweep the area east and west of the Qingzhang River, focusing on land between Matian and Zuohui. Crucially, that was not random ground. The Japanese sought to strike the CCP Central Committee Northern Bureau, the Eighth Route Army headquarters, and the 129th Division headquarters, along with party and government organs of the Jin-Ji-Yu Border Region, located together with Shexian and Piancheng. In other words, the Japanese targeted not just armed units but the political-administrative heart that makes base areas function. Once in the attack area, the Japanese carried out "mopping-up" operations paired with burning and killing for several days. That brutality wasn't only cruelty; it served a purpose. Burning villages, destroying crops, and killing civilians could deny the base area food and shelter while making local cooperation more difficult. Then, on October 26, the Japanese began to withdraw and carried out mopping-up in different areas on the way back. The base area was "severely damaged and destroyed," indicating that even when the Japanese didn't annihilate the main Communist force, they could still achieve degradation—hurting the system they needed to keep operating. But the Communists were not simply absorbing damage. On October 29, a force of over 500 men from the 36th Division, plus over 400 supply and laborers, was mopping up Huangyandong and advanced through Zuohui to Guanjia'nao east of Panlong, preparing to return to Wuxiang. This is where counter-mopping becomes operationally dangerous for the occupier. Supply and labor detachments move differently from combat formations, and they represent an enemy's assumption that the base area is being "cleared." The Eighth Route Army headquarters ordered, at 1:00 p.m., for the 129th Division to concentrate its main force to annihilate the enemy. That night, the 129th Division—uniting the main forces of the 385th and 386th Brigades, parts of the New 10th Brigade, and the First Column of the Death Squad—surrounded the enemy at Guanjia'nao with a plan to launch a general offensive at 4:00 a.m. The besieged enemy, besides quickly building fortifications, seized Fengkengding high ground southwest of Guanjia'nao under cover of darkness. The two high points helped defenders support one another and resist stubbornly. The battle lasted until dawn on October 31, when most of the enemy had been annihilated, leaving only more than 60 men to hold positions. Then reinforcements arrived—over 1,500 from Huangyandong—supported by more than 10 aircraft. The 129th Division withdrew, and the remaining enemy fled toward the flood, leaving behind more than 280 corpses. By then, most Japanese troops had withdrawn from the central base area. The background stake is clear: "mopping-up" could damage and burn, but if defenders could convert the Japanese attempt into a trap—especially when enemy units had become separated from their core and committed to clearing—they could turn a destructive operation into a costly one for the occupier. In early November, the Japanese continued. In Licheng south of Taihang, Japanese forces invaded Nanweiquan and Beiweiquan and then Xijing. Elsewhere, Japanese forces in Xiangyuan invaded Panlong via Xiying, attempting to attack Dongtian and the area around Zhuanbi, where the Eighth Route Army headquarters was located. In that moment, the 386th Brigade was ordered to rush to the north–south line of Damocun, east of Panlong, block the invading enemy, and cover the transfer of the Eighth Route Army headquarters. At 9:00 a.m. on November 3, 1940, fierce fighting broke out as the troops finished deploying near Damocun. The Japanese launched continuous attacks and captured some positions. The 386th Brigade held until 4:00 a.m. on November 4, then withdrew after the headquarters successfully moved. The Japanese attempt to launch a pincer attack failed, and they retreated to the Baijin Line on November 5. Even when Japanese action couldn't be fully blocked, the counter's aim was not only tactical survival but prevention of strategic encirclement—protecting the central institutions and preserving the ability to fight again. In the northern Taihang region, more than 2,500 enemy troops from Heshun arrived in Yushe on November 3 via Hanwang Town and Changcheng Town, reinforcing Japanese forces in the Yu, Liao, and Wu areas. Then they carried out repeated mopping operations south of the Yuliao Highway, including Jiangtang, Lingshang, Songjiazhuang, Guojiao, and Dayouyi. Harassment and attacks by military and civilians forced Japanese troops back into their strongholds by the 13th. A "40-day" counter-mopping operation in Taihang came to an end. The term "40-day" isn't only calendar time; it suggests that these were not one-off battles but sustained campaigns of movement, dispersal, and repeated harassment meant to drain the enemy's capacity. Starting November 17, the Japanese launched a multi-pronged attack on Qinyuan and the area north of Guodao Town. The attack involved part of the 37th Division from Qin County and Nanguan Town, part of the Independent Mixed Brigade from Pingyao, Jiexiu, and Huo County, and a battalion of the 41st Division from Hongdong—more than 7,000 troops deployed to attack Qinyuan and the north area. But the Taiyue Military Region response shows how the Communist counter-mopping wasn't always to meet force with force. To avoid the enemy's "sharp edge," the Taiyue Military Region formed two detachments—Qin East and Qin West—with leadership and main force moving to both sides of the Qin River outside the Japanese attack zone, targeting scattered Japanese troops instead of being fixed into a single killing field. By November 23, due to harassment by local armed forces, the Japanese reached the attack zone and then carried out dispersed mopping operations. Qinyuan County was the most severely damaged, with more than 5,000 people killed (about one-tenth of its population), nearly 10,000 livestock killed and over 7,000 stolen, and 30,000 to 40,000 houses destroyed. Those details are brutal, but they explain why background stakes mattered: "mopping-up" was meant to break the social base. If civilians died or fled, the guerrilla system became harder to sustain. The response from the Dayue Military Region seized the opportunity created by Japanese dispersal. On November 23, the 42nd Regiment of the Qinxi Detachment annihilated more than 100 Japanese soldiers in Guantan. On November 27, parts of the 42nd and 59th Regiments killed or wounded more than 160 in Huhanping and Mabei. The Qindong Detachment's 17th and 57th Regiments inflicted serious damage in a series of places—Guang'ao, Chenjiagou, Longfosi, Wuyuanzhen, Nanweicun, Nanli, and more. The 17th Regiment's battle at Longfosi annihilated more than 100 Japanese. Additional heavy losses were inflicted by the 212th Brigade in Jiaokou. By December 5, the Japanese were forced to withdraw from the Taiyue area in separate routes. Strategically, dispersal punished the occupier because scattered units are harder to protect and easier to ambush. Across the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region, anti-"mopping-up" operations unfolded gradually, beginning with the Pingxi area, the first target of the Japanese on the path toward the Japanese-held headquarters and rail lines. Pingxi mattered because it directly threatened the headquarters of the Japanese North China Area Army and Beiping—the puppet regime's center—and also threatened the Pinghan and Pingsui railways, North China's main transportation lines. So Pingxi became an operational priority: if the occupier couldn't keep the rail network secure, their ability to reinforce and supply their own strongpoints suffered. On October 13, 1940, more than 10,000 Japanese and puppet troops attacked Sanpo, the central area of the Pingxi base area, in 10 routes. This attack used a methodical, steady approach: advance gradually, rely on strongholds, and cover 5 to 10 kilometers each day. In response, the Pingxi Military Sub-district countered using timely maneuvers of its main forces and extensive guerrilla warfare. Over more than a week of fighting, the enemy was constantly harassed and attacked, wearing them down. Although Japanese troops penetrated deep, they failed to identify the main force's movements. By November 21, when the encirclement tightened further, the Pingxi main force jumped out from the Sanpo area and moved southwest. Encountering the enemy at Pengtou, it then moved to the Yegu and Datai line east of Bancheng. After the Japanese entered the Sanpo area, they conducted widespread burning and killing and looted grain. Starting from the 23rd, the Japanese retreated in different routes. By the end of October, the main force had withdrawn from Pingxi, but more than 2,000 troops remained in the Pingxi anti-Japanese base area to build strongholds and roads. Strongholds were added in places like Changping and Wanping—14 strongholds alone—and villages such as Dongzhaitang and Dujiazhuang came under their control. The base area began to shrink and shrink. That shrinkage is the other background stake: even when guerrilla forces avoid annihilation, the occupier may still carve away space through fortification. On October 19, 1940, the Eighth Route Army headquarters instructed that enemy attacks in Pingxi and Taihang might turn around and attack the Beiyue area. The Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region needed to prepare quickly to crush these "mopping-up" operations, coordinating Party, government, military, and civilians and conducting in-depth combat mobilization. The main force should assemble in appropriate positions and prepare to annihilate one or two enemy forces decisively. The headquarters also instructed the 129th and 120th Divisions to cooperate actively. By November 9, 1940, the Japanese struck again in a massive sweep. The 110th Division, along with other units and more than 14,000 puppet troops, launched a "mopping-up" operation in the jurisdiction of the 1st Military Sub-district. The Japanese and puppet troops moved in coordinated lines: along the line of Yi County, Dalonghua, Wang'an Town, Laiyuan, and Chajianling from north to south, while those in Baoding and Mancheng moved east to west. The intent was to squeeze Communist sub-district forces into a narrow area for a decisive battle. On November 10, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region issued operational guidelines and deployments for countering "mopping-up" operations. By the 12th, in response to Japanese widespread burning and killing, it further instructed that without hindering mobility, the main force could disperse a portion of troops—no more than one-third—to strike resolutely at attempts to burn and kill. That instruction captures the balance commanders tried to strike: disperse too much and you lose power; disperse too little and you become trapped by the occupier's brutality. The Japanese then attempted to pressure multiple places. On November 9, more than 6,000 enemy troops from Laiyuan, Yixian, and Baoding attacked Guantou, Yinfang, Huangtuling, and Shenbei. On the 12th, their attack failed; they burned and killed people before retreating in different routes. At that time, the 1st Military Sub-district assembled the 1st and 25th Regiments to intercept them. One enemy force of more than 800 was intercepted on the 14th as it retreated from Wujiazhuang to Yuangang; some were killed or wounded. Even so, the enemy broke through under aircraft cover and retreated to Guantou. On the way, it was intercepted again by the 20th Regiment, suffering heavy casualties, and it fled back to Mancheng. Then on November 13, more than 2,700 Japanese and puppet troops attacked the 3rd Military Sub-district; on November 14, about 2,600 advanced from Dingxiang, Dongye, and Wutai toward Fuping and its southwest area in two routes. The Japanese attacked with east-west coordination, launching joint attacks on Taiyu north of Fuping. The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region headquarters and the command organs of the 3rd and 5th military sub-districts, along with the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th regiments and other troops, transferred to the outer line before the enemy encirclement formed. On the 16th, the Japanese launched a joint attack again on Taiyu and Zhangjiayu, and the guerrillas who failed to transfer fought hard. Commander Wang Pu and Deputy Director of the Political Department Hao Yuming were killed, and troops suffered more than 100 casualties. On November 18, the enemy from Taiyu quickly occupied Hanping City. By the 21st, enemy forces from Daying via Shentangbao and Wuwangkou, and from Wutai via Taihuai, Shizui, Longquanguan, and Xiaguan, also gathered in Fuping City. After occupying Fuping, the Japanese launched repeated attacks "sweeping" areas under the jurisdiction of the 3rd Military Sub-district from both inward and outward strongholds, conducting brutal burning and killing and destruction. On the night of November 21, the 2nd Regiment dispatched more than 30 men to raid Dangcheng and attack Japanese barracks with grenades. The Japanese panicked and fired guns and cannons all night. On the 26th, four plainclothes officers infiltrated Baoding and attacked a theater where the Japanese army was holding a meeting, causing panic among the Japanese. The enemy that had invaded the base area withdrew in different routes on the 25th. By December 3, 1940, most Japanese troops had withdrawn from the Beiyue area, but more than 1,000 remained along lines including Fuping, Wangkuai, Dangcheng, and Quyang to continue building points and roads in an attempt to occupy the area long-term. To force the enemy back, eliminate occupied points, and completely crush Japanese and puppet "mopping-up," the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region organized the Fuping–Wangkuai Campaign starting December 9, with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th regiments participating. At 21:00 on December 14, the 6th Regiment attacked enemy forces in Dongzhuang. The 1st Battalion captured three fortified positions on the north mountain of Dongzhuang and rushed into the village, only for Japanese counterattacks to recapture fortified positions and kill or wound more than 170 Japanese during the counterfight. The 4th Regiment attacked the enemy in Fuping; the 2nd Regiment and guerrilla forces entered Dangcheng and Lingshan. On the 21st, more than 130 enemy soldiers escorting more than 100 pack animals carrying military supplies reached Wangkuai and were completely annihilated when they reached Wanglinkou. By December 26, an ambush in the Xuancun area of the Pinghan Railway destroyed 14 Japanese trains and their vehicles as well as three heavy artillery pieces. On the 27th, more than 1,200 enemy troops advancing from Dongzhuang in Fuping were attacked in Luoyu and Tumen, suffering more than 140 casualties. The remaining Japanese withdrew from Fuping, Dongzhuang, and Wangkuai starting New Year's Day 1941. By January 4, the 55-day anti-"mopping-up" campaign had basically ended, with the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region killing and wounding more than 2,000 Japanese and puppet troops while suffering 1,382 casualties itself. These numbers and dates show why background and stakes matter: the counter-mopping effort wasn't short. It was sustained, operationally demanding, and required continued offensive action even while facing superior Japanese resources. The pressure didn't end there. From October 25 to early November, about 4,000 Japanese troops, including the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade, launched a mopping operation in the Miyu and Loufan areas of the 8th and 3rd military sub-districts in northwestern Shanxi, but they were attacked by local soldiers and civilians. In mid-December, Japanese forces transferred additional strength: parts of the 37th Division from southern Shanxi and the 41st Division from southeastern Shanxi, along with parts of the 3rd, 9th, and 16th Independent Mixed Brigades and the 26th Division from northwestern Shanxi—totaling more than 20,000 troops—to prepare for a full-scale mopping operation in northwestern Shanxi. After the second phase of the Hundred Regiments Offensive ended, the 120th Division anticipated retaliation and actively prepared for counter-mopping. On October 30, the division was ordered to establish the Jin-Northwest Military Region, and on November 7, the military region was established in Lijiawan, Xing County. The Jin-Northwest Military Region had direct military sub-districts and six military sub-districts: the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, and Yanbei. Then the occupier escalated. Starting December 14, 1940, the Japanese launched a full-scale mopping operation against the Jin-Northwest region. More than 5,000 enemy troops invaded the Mi-Yu Town area of the 8th Military Sub-district, more than 4,000 invaded Lin-Xian, and more than 6,000 attacked Xing-Xian and the area south of Bao-De from strongholds such as Lan-Xian and Qi-Lan. By December 23, Japanese forces had occupied all county towns, most market towns, and Yellow River crossings in the Jin-Northwest region except for Bao-De and He-Qu counties, and began to implement a systematic policy commonly described as the "Three Alls" policy. The "Three Alls" emphasis is the clearest expression of stakes turning lethal. Japanese troops and traitors disguised themselves as the Eighth Route Army to lure and kill masses. They sent out core detachments to attack and repeatedly sweep the area, seeking to annihilate party, government, and military leadership organs—focusing on destroying the rear organs and facilities that made Communist endurance possible. According to incomplete statistics, more than 5,000 people were brutally killed during these sweeps. In Xingxian County alone, 150,000 catties of grain were looted and burned; in the 4th Military Sub-district, more than 5,000 head of livestock were looted and killed; and more than 19,000 houses and cave dwellings were burned down. In the early stage of this anti-mopping campaign, the Jin-Sui Military Region mainly used a portion of its forces to cooperate with local troops and guerrillas in widespread guerrilla warfare. They harassed and contained the attacking enemy, disrupted enemy transportation, and covered the transfer of the masses. The main force avoided the enemy's sharp edge and moved to the outer line to seek opportunities to attack the Japanese army. This describes the classic guerrilla operational pattern: avoid being fixed into a single decisive trap, but create enough friction that enemy operations degrade into a struggle they can't sustain. repeated attacks and ambushes during the mopping period across Miyu Town and other areas—units striking repeatedly, destroying roads, cutting off enemy transportation, and attacking enemy strongholds north of Dawu. To thwart the Japanese army's plans to build roads and fortifications—plans that would make future sweeps easier—the Jin-Sui Military Region instructed, on December 27, all sub-districts to mobilize forces to disrupt Japanese road construction and fortification. The 358th Brigade attacked enemy road construction from Lanxian to Dashetou and from Puming to Chijianling; the Independent 1st Brigade sabotaged the Dawu–Linxian highway; and the 4th Column of the Death Squad sabotaged the Dawu–Fangshan highway. Part of the Independent 1st Brigade's 2nd Regiment organized over 2,000 civilians to sabotage the Dawu–Sanjiao highway twice, forcing the enemy in Linxian to detour through Fangshan to contact Lishi. The Lishi guerrillas led civilians in two sabotage attacks on the Lishi–Jundu highway, destroying over 30 "li" of road. Other units attacked strongholds along key highways and destroyed or disrupted the "maintenance committees" that surrounded newly built enemy strongholds. There were also direct raids—storming into Linxian County and capturing representatives of enemy maintenance organizations. Meanwhile, the Workers' and Patriots' Brigade carried out continuous sabotage on the Taifen Highway. As the enemy plans ran into persistent disruption, Japanese and puppet forces began to retreat in different routes starting January 2, 1941, and by January 24 they returned to their original strongholds. The Jin-Sui winter counter-mopping operation lasted 40 days, annihilated more than 2,500 enemy troops, destroyed 125 kilometers of roads and 23 bridges, and recovered all towns occupied by the enemy during the campaign. Here the stakes show through most clearly: the campaign was not merely about killing enemy troops. It was about preventing the occupier from building a durable, road-connected grid that would allow future sweeps to be faster, larger, and more decisive. At the wider campaign level, the Eighth Route Army also recorded its total effects from August 20 to December 5, covering roughly three and a half months. During that period, the Eighth Route Army fought 1,824 battles of varying sizes, killing or wounding 20,645 Japanese soldiers (including senior officers), killing or wounding 5,155 puppet troops, and capturing 281 Japanese soldiers and 18,407 puppet troops. 47 Japanese soldiers surrendered voluntarily, and 1,845 puppet troops defected, totaling 46,380 people. The Communists captured 5,942 guns and 53 artillery pieces, and destroyed extensive transportation infrastructure: 474 kilometers of railway, 1,502 kilometers of highway, 213 bridges, 37 railway stations, 11 tunnels, more than 217,000 rails, more than 1,549,000 sleepers, more than 109,000 telephone poles, and more than 424,000 kilograms of telephone wire. Five coal mines and 11 warehouses were destroyed. The narrative further adds that when including casualties of Japanese and puppet forces across related engagements—such as Fuwang and the anti–mopping operations in northwest Shanxi—the total number of casualties reached more than 50,880. Japanese statistics were also cited for damage assessment, noting destruction of track and bridges across key railways (Zhengtai, Tongpu, Pinghan), telegraph pole damage, power line cuts, and effects on coal production—such as the Jingxing New Mine being unable to produce coal for at least six months. These details underline a broader background stake: infrastructure damage was meant to weaken the occupier's ability to keep its occupation apparatus working, even after the direct battles ended. The price of that multi-month struggle was high for the Eighth Route Army as well. Over the three and a half months leading up to the Hundred Regiments Offensive, the Eighth Route Army suffered 17,000 casualties, and more than 20,000 were poisoned. During the Hundred Regiments Offensive itself, post-war statistics state that the 129th Division suffered 7,362 casualties and 450 missing persons, and the entire division suffered 7,812 casualties. When you connect these lines—offensive sabotage, counter-offensives, Japanese mopping-ups, and anti-mopping resistance—you see why this second wave of fighting mattered. It wasn't only about whether the Japanese could respond to the offensive. It was about whether both sides could sustain their operational logic: the Japanese trying to stabilize occupation through "mopping," and the Communists trying to preserve base systems through dispersal, harassment, and counter-moves that convert the occupier's clearing effort into something too costly to maintain. The background of the Hundred Regiments offensive, who authorized it, who planned it, and why, remains unclear. The Japanese response was so severe that, in retrospect, it appeared to some as if the offensive had been a mistake. Some leaders, especially Mao, may have wanted to disavow it. Indirect hints in Mao's writings in subsequent months and years suggest he may have viewed it critically or harbored misgivings from the start. It was not the kind of strategy Mao preferred. More than twenty years later, during the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards charged that Mao had not even known of the plan in advance because of Peng Dehuai's alleged duplicity, at the time, Peng was being denounced. While this seems unlikely, it may contain some substance. In his own defense against these charges, Peng stated that after the 8RA headquarters—located not in Yan'an but in Jin-Cha-Ji—planned the operation, it sent mobilization orders downward to each regional command and also notified the Central Military Affairs Commission headed by Mao. In the original plan, the action would begin in early September. But, Peng wrote, to prevent enemy discovery and to ensure simultaneous surprise assaults—thereby inflicting an even greater blow to the enemy and the puppets—they began about ten days earlier than scheduled, during the last week of August. "So we did not wait for approval from the Military Affairs Commission (this was wrong), but went right into combat earlier than planned." There is also the issue of the "spontaneous" participation of more than eighty regiments without authorization from the Eighth Route Army headquarters, and not from Yan'an as well. If Peng Dehuai's account is accepted (written in 1970, shortly before his death), then Mao and Party Central had no role in conceiving or planning the Hundred Regiments campaign. In that case, the "grand strategy" motivations for undertaking it largely vanish—except perhaps insofar as they were considered by Peng and his colleagues. One alleged motive was to counter any tendency toward capitulation by Chiang Kai-shek and the Chongqing regime: if the war heated up and the CCP threw itself into fighting, any accommodation between Chiang and Japan would look like cowardly surrender. A related consideration was the Communist leadership's sensitivity to the charge that they were simply exploiting the war to expand their influence—avoiding Japanese combat while letting KMT armies bear the real burden of fighting. The Nationalists gave major publicity to the accusation that CCP policy devoted 70 percent of effort to expansion, 20 percent to coping with the KMT, and only 10 percent to opposing Japan. A third suggested motive was to divert attention from the New Fourth Army's offensives against Nationalist forces in Central China, which were peaking around the same time. Peng Dehuai acknowledged the campaign was "too protracted," yet he defended its importance in maintaining the CCP's anti-Japanese image in the wake of anti-friction conflicts, in demonstrating the failure of the cage-and-silkworm policy, in returning at least twenty-six county seats to base control, and in keeping "wavering" elements in line. Even if these reasons mattered less than regional and tactical calculations in launching the campaign, they could always be used for propaganda afterward. Whatever misgivings Mao and Party Central may have had, the Party kept them to itself. Mao radioed congratulations to Peng after his victory, and in public statements the Hundred Regiments were turned into legend. Even if the Hundred Regiments campaign aimed to defeat Japanese pacification efforts, it did not succeed in a decisive way. Shocked and stung by the 8RA's action, the North China Area Army intensified its efforts to bring North China under tighter control. Under General Tada and then his successor, General Okamura Yasuji (July 1941–November 1944), the Japanese inflicted brutal, sustained violence against all North China bases. Between 1941 and 1944, about 150,000 Japanese troops were assigned full-time to pacification duty, supported by roughly 100,000 Chinese auxiliaries of widely varying description and effectiveness. The remainder of the NCAA (about 150,000–200,000 men) was assigned to other tasks such as garrisoning major cities and containing Nationalist forces. Communist regulars were estimated at around 250,000 within base areas and 40,000 in SKN. The Japanese and their Chinese auxiliaries invested even more heavily than before in constructing moats, ditches, palisades, and blockhouses. Japanese sources claimed that by 1942 their forces had built 11,860 kilometers of blockade line and 7,700 fortified posts, mostly in the Hebei plains and the foothills of the Taihang mountains. A massive trench ran for 500 kilometers along the western side of the Pinghan railway line, with a depopulated and constantly patrolled zone on either side. The 250 Japanese outposts established in southern Hebei by December 1940 were more than quadrupled by mid-1942. These became the key means of controlling plains areas; by the end of 1941, all Communist bases in such terrain had been reduced to guerrilla status. Many main force units—such as those under Liu Cheng'ao and Yang Xiufeng—were compelled to move westward into mountains to survive. What distinguished the new Tada–Okamura approach from earlier tactics was the much larger and more protracted search-and-destroy thrust into the core mountain-base areas. They also replaced selective repression with indiscriminate, generalized violence. These infamous "Three-All" mop-up campaigns meant: kill all, burn all, loot all. Unable to distinguish ordinary peasants from Communists, the Japanese waged war on everyone. After attempting to seal off major consolidated regions in the base areas, they sent in very large detachments to search for Communist forces, civilian cadres, and activists. They also tried to destroy base facilities and war material stockpiles; to disrupt agriculture by burning crops or interfering with planting and harvesting; and to seize grain stores. Entire villages were razed, and everything alive found there was killed. Unlike earlier mop-ups that swept through an area and then departed, these campaigns left troops in the targeted zones for extended periods, "combing" the area back and forth and building at least temporary strongpoints in more accessible parts of mountain bases. These mop-up operations took a heavy and painful toll on rural populations. No doubt the harsh tactics and atrocities frequently committed during these actions did cause many peasants, rich and poor alike, to harbor deep hatred of the Japanese and to commit more fully to the Communist side. But intra-party sources also portray cases in which repression worked even more effectively than earlier attempts to drive a wedge between party and peasantry. As one internal assessment put it: If we only stress concealment… we are bound to be divorced from the masses. The morale of the masses cannot be sustained for long either. On the other hand, if we only seek fleeting gratification in careless fighting, we may also invite still more cruel enemy suppression. That will also alienate the masses. Communist spokesmen acknowledged that, in North China base areas, the population under Party control fell from 44 million to 25 million, while the Eighth Route Army declined from 400,000 to 300,000. Local records present an even grimmer picture. By 1942, 90 percent of the plains bases had been reduced to guerrilla zones or outright enemy control. In the mountainous Taiyue district within the Jin-Cha-Lu-Yi base, one cadre admitted that "not a single county was kept intact and the government offices of all its twelve counties were exiled in Jin-yuan." All twenty-six county seats occupied following the Hundred Regiments fighting were lost. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Japan tried to regain control through retaliatory "mopping-up" operations starting in October 1940. In response, the Eighth Route Army and its commanders issued counter-measures: coordinate party, government, military, and civilians; keep mobility while dispersing forces when possible; and focus on annihilating incoming enemy units decisively. Counter-sweeps and anti-pacification actions continued through December, involving repeated ambushes and sabotage of roads, highways, and fortification efforts.
The Sound Off drops a DAY EARLY this week with a Clash in Italy preview for tomorrow with predictions and news on injuries that could impact the show. Plus, thoughts on tonight's AAA show... Curtis Axel ARRESTED in embarrassing McDonald's drive-thru incident... Vince McMahon and Nick Khan SANCTIONED in WWE shareholder lawsuit and what it means for the case... WWE's head of digital SHOCKED by the success of their Vault channel... AEW adds a new PPV to its calendar and what it means for Kenny Omega at Wembley Stadium... another health update on Jim Ross and why he really shouldn't be traveling anymore... two MASSIVE stories with respect to wrestling ownership as Bushiroad sells its stock in New Japan and two ex-WWE stars purchase the biggest independent promotion in the UK... explaining what the XWF was... and my non-spoiler review for The Backrooms!Support my sponsors this week by using the links below!WIX HARMONY ▶ The NEW WAY to create websites! Try it FREE at http://www.wix.com/harmony***Follow Solomonster on X (formerly Twitter) for news and opinion:http://x.com/solomonsterSubscribe to the Solomonster Sounds Off on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSolomonster?sub_confirmation=1Become a Solomonster Sounds Off Channel Member:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jcg7mk93fGNqWPMfl_Aig/join
The case of Kouri Richins has become one of the most disturbing and complex true crime stories to emerge in recent years. What began as the sudden death of Utah businessman Eric Richins quickly spiraled into a multi-layered investigation involving alleged poisoning attempts, financial pressure, and life insurance policies tied directly to the accused. Prosecutors alleged that Kouri Richins poisoned her husband with fentanyl, pointing to prior suspicious incidents, financial motives, and communications suggesting a planned future without him. The defense, however, argued there was no definitive proof she administered the fatal dose and suggested alternative explanations, including questions about how the drug entered his system. After a high-profile trial filled with testimony, digital evidence, and emotional family statements, Kouri Richins was convicted of aggravated murder and related charges in 2026 and sentenced to life without parole. The case continues to spark debate due to its mix of alleged financial motive, relationship history, and the shocking post-death revelations that followed. #TrueCrimeRecaps #KouriRichins #EricRichins #BlackWidow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In hour one, Gelb reveals the shocking way he pees at the beach. Picking one member of the Dolphins that MUST have a successful season. Plus, NBA analyst Jared Greenberg joins the show to talk Giannis, SGA and the Finals.
Hasan Piker is hit with a federal subpoena over Cuba trips and alleged foreign influence, exposing his radical rhetoric, “revolutionary” branding, and impact on vulnerable young viewers. We break down the legal stakes, funding questions, and why parents must watch who's brainwashing their kids.