Podcasts about European

Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black discusses Axiom's upcoming ISS missions, various European startups, and critiques crony capitalism regarding government subsidies for Starlink's rural internet access.1958

1910 CARTHAGE1.Jeff Bliss reports on allegations that Mayor Bass altered an after-action report regarding the Pacific Palisades fire to hide resource deployment failures during the disaster response in Los Angeles.2.Jeff Bliss notes Governor Newsom promotes high-speed rail despite a nearby fire and no track laid, while facing skepticism about his presidential potential and California's ongoing infrastructure struggles.3.Gene Marks discusses high small business confidence, the resilience of plumbing trades, and how new AI agents from Anthropic are rendering traditional software coding obsolete in the tech industry.4.Gene Marks warns administrative roles face AI threats while employers prioritize AI literacy, advising businesses to update Google profiles to avoid losing significant annual revenue from outdated listings.5.Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center warns of heightened risks as the New START treaty expires without replacement, citing unchecked Russian and Chinese weapons and debates over resuming nuclear testing.6.Henry Sokolski notes amidst expired treaties, the US reintroduces extended deterrence language and recommits to the NPT, though non-proliferation enforcement remains inconsistent and challenging against determined adversaries.7.Richard Epstein of the Hoover Institution argues the proposed retroactive billionaire wealth tax is unconstitutional, economically damaging, and likely to drive wealth out of California despite strong union support.8.Richard Epstein suggests intense political polarization explains why scandals like the Epstein files or Trump'scontroversies deepen divides rather than ending careers, normalizing political deviance across the spectrum.9.Professor Eve McDonald explains how Hannibal, emulating the myth of Hercules, daringly marched elephants and troops across the treacherous Alps to surprise Rome with an invasion of Italy.10.Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hannibal utilizes superior cavalry and terrain to encircle and annihilate a larger Roman force at Cannae, though he lacks the manpower to subsequently take Rome.11.Professor Eve McDonald recounts how young Scipio Africanus adopts Hannibal's tactics, conquering Spain and invading Africa to force Hannibal's return and final defeat at the Battle of Zama.12.Professor Eve McDonald concludes that after a brutal siege and total destruction in 146 BC, Carthage is eventually refounded by Augustus, becoming a vital Roman city and Christian center.13.Lorenzo Fiori reports on the opening ceremony excitement, improved snow conditions in the Alps, and Prime Minister Meloni's strong leadership presence at the Milan Winter Olympics.14.Jim McTague notes steady but quiet business activity in Lancaster, describes local approval for a new data center, and reports on overlooked global cod shortages affecting seafood markets.15.Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black discusses Axiom's upcoming ISS missions, various European startups, and critiques crony capitalism regarding government subsidies for Starlink's rural internet access.16.Bob Zimmerman details findings of water and organics on an interstellar comet, discusses the unknowns of space reproduction, and dismisses sensationalism regarding Jupiter's diameter measurements in recent headlines.

“That year at Providence was really special with what we all went through together. It was such a fun year! We were all very solid and united together. It ended up in a perfect way being able to continue that training together.” - Alex Millard Kimberley May, Shannon Flockhart, and Alex Millard join us us fresh into the next chapter of their careers as members of Team New Balance Boston.All three join the team with deep NCAA pedigrees, international experience and very different paths that somehow converged at exactly the right moment. Kimberley May leaves college as one of the most accomplished 1500-meter runners in New Zealand history. Shannon Flockhart brings European championship medals and championship toughness. Alex Millard arrives fresh off world cross country relay experience and fresh off a year that included personal bests in the 1500m, mile and 5000m.In this conversation, they talk about what it actually feels like when the dream becomes real to signing pro contracts, navigating the transition from NIL relationships. We touch on their shared history as teammates at Providence and how that's made the leap into the professional ranks easier, what altitude training was like, and why being around a group that includes a world champion has raised everyone's standard.There's also plenty of joy in the year ahead with new routines. With 2026 ahead, all three are excited for what's next.____________Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠Guests: Kimberley May | @kiimberleymay on Instagram + Alex Millard | @alexmillard on Instagram + Shannon Flockhart | @shannon_flockhart_ on Instagram Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSUSATF: The USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships presented by Prevagen are back in New York City from February 28th to March 1st at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island. This is where legends don't just race; they punch their ticket to the world stage. The pressure is real, the margins are razor thin, and every athlete is fighting for one thing: a spot on Team USATF at the World Indoor Championships. Grab your tickets now at USATF.org/tickets and experience track and field at its absolute loudest.OLIPOP: A blast from the past, Olipop's Shirley Temple combines smooth vanilla flavor with bright lemon and lime, finished with cherry juice for that nostalgic grenadine-like flavor. One sip of this timeless soda proves some flavors never grow old. Try Shirley Temple and more of Olipop's flavors at DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.

FOLLOW RICHARD Website: https://www.strangeplanet.ca YouTube: @strangeplanetradio Instagram: @richardsyrettstrangeplanet TikTok: @therealstrangeplanet EP. #1317 Empire of Lies: The Wars They Erased—and the Truth They Can't Bury Tonight on Strange Planet, Richard Syrett opens the memory hole with Charles Goyette, author of Empire of Lies: Fragments from the Memory Hole. This isn't left versus right—it's empire versus truth. From Iraq and Libya to Ukraine, Goyette argues modern power survives not by winning wars, but by erasing them—burying catastrophe beneath slogans and manufactured consensus. A former Armed Forces Radio anchor who once helped tell the official story, he now exposes the machinery behind it: a compliant press, a political class addicted to conflict, and a public conditioned to forget. What happens when the lies multiply… and belief finally collapses? GUEST: Charles Goyette is a veteran broadcaster, former Armed Forces Radio news anchor, and New York Times bestselling author of Empire of Lies: Fragments from the Memory Hole. A recipient of the U.S. Army Commendation Medal, Goyette spent years inside the media and military information apparatus before breaking ranks to expose what he calls the “engineered forgetting” that sustains modern empire. Blending investigative rigor with historical analysis, his work examines war propaganda, media complicity, and the psychology of power—arguing that today's global conflicts are sustained as much by narrative control as by military force. WEBSITE: https://charlesgoyette.com BOOK: Empire of Lies: Fragments from the Memory Hole SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! QUINCE Luxury, European linen that gets softer with every wash! Turn up the luxury when you turn in with Quince. Go to Quince dot com slash RSSP for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too ⁠ BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER!!!⁠ ⁠https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm⁠ Three monthly subscriptions to choose from. Commercial Free Listening, Bonus Episodes and a Subscription to my monthly newsletter, InnerSanctum. Visit ⁠https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm⁠ Use the discount code "Planet" to receive $5 OFF off any subscription. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm/

Chris sadly passed away a few years ago from this posting in 2026.This week we talk about the Ark of the Covenant with Christopher Jordan. Chris has written a number of books on what he calls The Ancient Solar Premise. Chris' latest book, The Ark of the Covenant Operations Manual, talks about what the ark really was, and how the miracles ascribed to it were performed.Christopher Jordan was born in London and studied Chemical Physics at Sussex University, under the guidance of Sir Harold Kroto. He played a part in manually analyzing the early data from the microwave telescopes, eventually identifying an alcohol in interstellar gas clouds. These tasks were being automated by computers, which were doing the job better and faster. During a short spell on the accounting ladder, the same was noted within the financial sector. Chris Jordan surfed this wave of computer growth by developing small and large data systems for national food and beverage companies. Eventually, managing a national software department after stints as a programmer, business analyst and project manager.During this period he became intrigued with some of the unanswered questions surrounding nature's development process. After many years of study some concepts were crossed over between the computing and biological arenas. This led to some novel computer systems that literally built themselves around the databases to which they were aimed. This software was the center piece of a computer company set up by a few partners and himself. Several papers on systems analysis and design were published during this time in specialist magazines.Whilst running this company, further research was carried out modeling non-linear reaction diffusion systems on the surfaces of cells and groups of cells. This led to his seminal work on the nature of morphological determination and the role cell adhesion molecules played within the scheme. This in turn led to some unique experiments in the field of developmental biology. The general framework for development was published in Thailand during a three year sabbatical.The author started visiting the ancient sites of Asia during this period. Whilst he had previously been a visitor to the European and Egyptian sites, the common facets of the cultures began to emerge from all this travel. Despite a two year interlude managing the IT for a global spirits company in ex Eastern bloc countries, the interest in the ancient past continued. Specifically, the desire to make sense of all of these similar religious sites, tools and unexplained curios. Any scientist is taught that it is from the quirky inexplicable areas that new ideas evolve. A simple paradigm that extends further is deemed more elegant than a restrictive complex alternative. This is where the site narrative that makes up the Secrets of the Sun Sects stems from.This was coupled with the faulty parabolic mirror theories that surround these same cultures. The math that shows how easy it was for the ancient craftsmen to build the mirrors and how powerful they were, was carried out over thirty years ago. Ironically, this was the first thing the author failed to publish as a teenager. At the time, it was just a table, which a child thought was missing from the classroom texts. Fortuitously, it was very useful in proving that spherical surfaces make good Burning Mirrors for all manner of applications. From these two strands the full scope of the use of solar technology in the ancient world was built up. He is currently promoting the use of solar technologies in the developing countries of Asia.Check Out his website: www.secretsofthesunsects.wordpress.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2026-02-06 | UPDATES #126 | Have Starlinks really been switched off on Russia's side? What impact will this have, and what might have led to this step. This could be a catastrophe for Russia, if the worst case is realised, but what is really happening on the frontlines? Today, why Musk and Starlink keeps becoming a battleground for Russia's war for domination against Ukraine.Russian Starlinks went dark. here's what that means. If you've seen the headline “Starlink switched off for Russia” — you may have wondered if this was a real story. The deep focus version of the story is sharper, more interesting and more damning: Ukraine says Starlink terminals being used by Russian forces inside Ukraine's battlespace have been deactivated — after a rapid “whitelist” push designed to keep verified Ukrainian terminals online and unauthorised terminals offline. (Reuters)----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv this week, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in January 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Reuters — “Ukraine says Starlink terminals used by Russia deactivated in blow to Moscow” (5 Feb 2026). Ministry of Defence of Ukraine — Guidance on registering/verification of Starlink terminals (5 Feb 2026).Ukrinform — Ukraine introduces Starlink ‘white list' / verification (2 Feb 2026).Euronews — SpaceX/Ukraine move to block Russian Starlink use; Fedorov statements (2 Feb 2026).Le Monde — Report on Starlink-equipped drones, moving-target risk, and countermeasures (4 Feb 2026). The Record (Recorded Future News) — Whitelist + speed restriction framing (5 Feb 2026). Reuters — “Ukraine says Russian forces obtaining Musk's Starlink via third countries” (12 Feb 2024). Reuters — “Russia using thousands of SpaceX Starlink terminals in Ukraine, WSJ says” (15 Feb 2024). Reuters Investigations — “Musk ordered shutdown of Starlink satellite service as Ukraine retook territory…” (25 Jul 2025). Reuters — Coverage of Crimea/Starlink dispute and escalation concerns (8 Sep 2023). The Guardian — EU warning about disinformation ratio on X (context on platform risk) (26 Sep 2023). Reuters — EU regulatory scrutiny / DSA-related reporting on X (context) (26 Jan 2026). ----------

Friends of the Rosary,Today's Gospel (Mark 6:14–29) accounts for Herod's murder of John the Baptist.John is a proto-martyr, anticipating the martyrdom of many Christians.Today, February 6, we are celebrating another martyr who refused to compromise their beliefs. Saint Paul Miki and Companions.In the 16th and 17th centuries, the first to give witness, thousands of Christians in Japan suffered martyrdom.On February 5, 1597, Japanese Jesuit Paul Miki and his companions, including sixteen Japanese laymen, four of whom were boys, gave their lives for Christ.The Shogun Hideyoshi feared that these missionaries represented the vanguard of an impending European conquest.He decided to sacrifice them.He had the ears of the missionaries cut and ordered them to march four hundred miles from Miyako to Nagasaki, with blood streaming down their faces as a sign of their disgrace.In Nagasaki, each was bound to a cross and killed with a lance.The Japanese martyrs were canonized in 1862.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠February 6, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

In this episode I host a dialogue between Buddhist teacher and doctor of Tibetan Medicine Dr Nida Chenagtsang and adult psychiatrist and family and systemic psychotherapist Dr Caroline Van Damme. Drs Nida and Caroline reflect on a half decade of collaboration in which they have explored the meeting of Western psychology and psychiatry with Tibetan medical and Buddhist models. They discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each others' systems, consider placebo as an explanatory mechanism for traditional health systems, question the benefits of an over-therapised culture, and contrast Tibetan and European approaches to knowledge. Drs Nida and Caroline also discuss the role of traditional ideas of spirit possession in today's clinical contexts, share anecdotes of exorcisms and psychosis, and offer their best insights and techniques to truly nurture the mind. … Link in bio. Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:04 - How did their collaboration begin? 02:38 - Dr Nida's long standing interest in Western Psychology 06:38 - Meeting Dr Caroline 08:30 - Sowa Rigpa Counsellor Course 13:23 - The power of individualised therapy 16:14 - Reflections on Buddhist psychology and Sowa Rigpa 22:23 - Trauma and childhood conditioning 23:52 - Tibetan vs European ways of thinking 28:50 - Industrial revolution, scientism, and mind-body dualism 30:43 - Open-mindedness when working with psychotic patients 33:04 - Family therapy 36:57 - Weaknesses of Tibetan medicine 42:59 - Traditional medicine leans into placebo 45:46 - Do malevolent spirits cause psychological illnesses? 46:54 - African cultural ideas about spirits and black magic 47:40 - Do exorcisms cause further trauma? 53:12- Dr Nida reflects on the strengths of Western Psychology 57:05 - Too much digging for trauma 58:49 - European Garden vs Tibetan Forest 01:03:23 - Psychological illness from a spirit-influence perspective 01:05:04 - Exorcism rituals as a psychological tool 01:08:01 - Machig Labdron and the greatest evil spirit 01:08:40 - Using spirit-beliefs to encourage personal hygiene 01:09:23 - Exposure therapy 01:11:53 - A Canadian account of possession 01:14:32 - Dr Nida's African patients 01:15:33 - A ghost story case study 01:21:04 - Duty of care 01:23:00 - The importance of sleep 01:27:54 - Nurturing the mind 01:33:42 - Blaming parents 01:36:55 - Compassion vs positivity 01:39:30 - Attributing everything to childhood trauma 01:42:09 - “Nurturing the Mind” online course … To find out more about “Nurturing the Mind: A Dialogue between a Psychiatrist & a Yogi“, visit: - https://www.sowarigpainstitute.org/course/nurturing-the-mind … Previous episodes with Dr Nida Chenagtsang: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=nida Previous episodes with Dr Caroline van Damme: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=caroline … Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

US equity futures are modestly lower though paring most of earlier losses, with Asian markets mostly lower and European equities trading softer. US markets were driven by renewed downside pressure in growth and technology. Weak US labor market signals took center stage, as job openings fell to their lowest level since 2020 and layoffs surged to the highest January reading since the global financial crisis, triggering a pronounced rally in Treasuries and reinforcing curve steepening dynamics. The risk-off backdrop spilled into crypto and precious metals, with Bitcoin posting its sharpest drop since late 2022 and silver seeing an outsized decline. Meanwhile, investors continued to reassess positioning as elevated volatility, softer economic data and crowded trades weighed on sentiment, despite relative resilience in select defensive and rate-sensitive sectors.Companies Mentioned: Boeing, Apple, Lukoil, Chevron Carlyle

After a rare midweek off, The Soccer Sharps betting podcast returns to preview the upcoming weekend in European football. Hosts and handicappers, Devin and Jordan, provide expert analysis for the weekend's biggest matches taking place across Europe. In addition to match previews, statistical data, and betting market analysis, the show offers picks and predictions for each match, with Devin and Jordan sharing their Official Plays. 00:00 Introduction 03:12 Liverpool vs Manchester City 10:56 Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur 16:59 Bournemouth vs Aston Villa 21:00 PSG vs Marseille 28:20 St. Pauli vs VfB Stuttgart 31:22 Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayer Leverkusen 33:42 Real Sociedad vs Elche 37:44 Official Plays

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/efc Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Join Ian Croll, Joe Thomas, and Gav Buckland as the Royal Blue Podcast turns its attention to a crucial Saturday afternoon trip to Craven Cottage. Everton arrive in West London as one of the Premier League's most resilient sides, currently unbeaten in four league games and having suffered just one defeat in their last seven. With the Blues breathing down the necks of the top eight, this clash with Fulham is more than just a mid-table meeting—it's a direct battle for European authority against a side sitting just one place above them in 9th. The panel also dives into the aftermath of a chaotic Deadline Day. With the loan signing of Tyrique George from Chelsea officially in the building, the big question remains: will David Moyes hand the 19-year-old an immediate debut on the banks of the Thames? Fulham Preview: Can the Blues Secure a European Foothold? Share your thoughts in the comments and subscribe for more Everton updates. Subscribe for more Royal Blue content and hit the bell so you never miss an upload. Chris Beesley's Book: Spirit of the Blues: https://tinyurl.com/35yrkvdb *Emotional farewell to Goodison Park | 16-page Everton souvenir picture special:*  https://shop.regionalnewspapers.co.uk/liverpool-echo-monday-19th-may-2025-4583-p.asp *Goodbye to Goodison special souvenir edition:*  https://tinyurl.com/GoodbyeGoodisonSouvenir *Gavin Buckland's Book 'The End' | Order your copy here:* https://tinyurl.com/GavinBucklandTheEnd Everton FC podcasts from the Liverpool ECHO's Royal Blue YouTube channel. Get exclusive Everton FC content - including podcasts, live shows and videos - everyday.  Subscribe to the Royal Blue Everton FC YouTube Channel and watch daily live shows HERE: https://bit.ly/3aNfYav Listen and subscribe to the Royal Blue Podcast for all your latest Everton FC content via Apple and Spotify: APPLE: https://bit.ly/3HbiY1E SPOTIFY: https://bit.ly/47xwdnY Visit the Liverpool ECHO website: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/everton-fc Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LivEchoEFC Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@royal.blue.evertoFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolEchoEFC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You have been lied to. Trying to keep you in the moat. Brandon Darby on where all the headlines about cartels went. Vacationing in Mexico City. Dealing with Mexico is not like dealing with a European power, they are a fragile narco state. Follow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham discusses the PLA purge of leadership, analyzing the implications of Xi Jinping'sremoval of top military officials and what it signals about internal instability within China's armed forces. Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham critiques the weaknesses of national security studies that expect Chinese attack only at Taiwan, arguing this narrow focus leaves the U.S. vulnerable to broader PRC strategic threats. Guest: John Cochrane. Cochrane analyzes the inadequacy of tariffs as an economic tool, explaining why they fail to achieve their intended goals and often harm domestic consumers and businesses. Guest: John Cochrane. Cochrane discusses the demand for foreign investment, examining how capital flows impact the U.S. economy and the complexities of managing trade imbalances. Guest: Rebecca Grant. Grant compares U.S. carrier capabilities into the future against China's naval expansion plans, assessing the shifting balance of power in the Pacific. Guest: Rick Fisher. Fisher details China's century-long plan for space supremacy, warning that Beijing's strategic investments in space technology pose a significant threat to American dominance. Guest: Steve Yates. Yates examines how allies Australia, Canada, and the UK are seeking favorable trade deals with China, raising concerns about alliance cohesion amid PRC economic pressure. Guest: Steve Yates. Yates discusses strategies for dealing with the PRC as an adversary seeking supremacy, emphasizing the need for coordinated Western responses to Chinese ambitions. Guest: Sinan Ciddi. Ciddi analyzes Erdogan succession prospects in Turkey, examining potential successors and the implications for Turkish domestic and foreign policy. Guest: Sinan Ciddi. Ciddi assesses the possibility of democracy in Turkey, discussing the structural obstacles and political dynamics that shape the country's democratic trajectory. Guest: Sadanand Dhume. Dhume reports on the India-EU trade deal after 21 years of negotiation, analyzing the significance of this agreement for both economies and regional geopolitics. Guest: Michael Bernstam. Bernstam examines Russia's budget gap widening with the sinking price of oil, detailing the fiscal pressures facing Moscow as energy revenues decline. Guest: Simon Constable. Constable reports from France with a resident European pine marten, offering observations on rural life and wildlife in the French countryside. Guest: Simon Constable. Constable discusses the Labour scandal with the Epstein revelations, analyzing the political fallout affecting Britain's governing party. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman reports on Artemis plans for a launch in March, detailing NASA's progress toward returning American astronauts to the Moon. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman analyzes the failing Roscosmos, describing Russia's declining space program and its inability to compete with American and Chinese advancements.

FOLLOW RICHARD Website: https://www.strangeplanet.ca YouTube: @strangeplanetradio Instagram: @richardsyrettstrangeplanet TikTok: @therealstrangeplanet EP. #1316 She Went Too Deep: Epstein's Expanding Files and the Sudden Silencing of Blue Butterfly Note: This is a re-issue of Ep.#1263 “Blue Butterfly: Inside Epstein's Secret Lab of Power, Science, and Control”, published on October 6th, 2025. Due to recent developments related to the Epstein Files and the recent public announcement of Sarah McCarthy, author of Blue Butterly, we have decided to publish the episode again. What if Jeffrey Epstein's secret wasn't just sex, but science? In her explosive new book Blue Butterfly: Inside the Diary of an Epstein Survivor, investigative author Sarah McCarthy exposes the hidden story the media refused to tell. Drawing from Juliette Bryant's secret diary, McCarthy reveals a chilling world where elite scientists, intelligence agencies, and global leaders converged—using victims not only for blackmail, but for covert experiments in eugenics, cloning, and mind control. In this episode of Strange Planet, Richard Syrett sits down with McCarthy to crack open the darkest secret of our age: Epstein as prototype for elite power. GUEST: Sarah McCarthy is a South African-born investigative author who exposes the covert alliances between global elites, intelligence agencies, and controversial science. A former top copywriter for brands like Ogilvy & Mather and Burberry, she now applies her skills to uncovering hidden power structures. Her latest book, Blue Butterfly: Inside the Diary of an Epstein Survivor, reveals how Jeffrey Epstein's operation extended far beyond sex trafficking—into eugenics, cloning, and mind-control experimentation disguised as philanthropy. WEBSITE: TrineDay BOOK: Blue Butterfly: Inside the Diary of an Epstein Survivor (THIS BOOK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE) SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! QUINCE Luxury, European linen that gets softer with every wash! Turn up the luxury when you turn in with Quince. Go to Quince dot com slash RSSP for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too ⁠ BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER!!!⁠ ⁠https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm⁠ Three monthly subscriptions to choose from. Commercial Free Listening, Bonus Episodes and a Subscription to my monthly newsletter, InnerSanctum. Visit ⁠https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm⁠ Use the discount code "Planet" to receive $5 OFF off any subscription. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm/

59 MinutesPG-13Thomas777 is a revisionist historian and a fiction writer.Thomas continues a series on the 30 Years War, which many historians count as the most important European conflict prior to the 20th century. Radio Free Chicago - T777 and J BurdenThomas777 MerchandiseThomas' Buy Me a CoffeeThomas' Book "Steelstorm Pt. 1"Thomas' Book "Steelstorm Pt. 2"Thomas' WebsiteThomas on TwitterThomas' CashApp - $7homas777Pete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'Support Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's SubstackPete's SubscribestarPete's GUMROADPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.

Episode No. 744 features artist Blas Isasi and curators Larissa Grollemond and Elizabeth Morrison, and artist Harmonia Rosales. Tomorrow, February 6, the Saint Louis Art Museum opens "Currents 125: Blas Isasi." The exhibition presents sculptures informed by ancient Andean cosmology and the Peruvian desert landscape, as well as the violent collision between Indigenous Andeans and colonizing Europeans. The exhibition was curated by Simon Kelly, and is on view through August 9. SLAM's exhibition brochure is available here. Isasi is a Peruvian sculptor who lives in the United States. He has previously shown in Prospect 6 in New Orleans (parts of that exhibition traveled to the MCA Denver), at SHED Projects, Cleveland, and at The Front, New Orleans. Grollemond and Morrison are the curators of "Beginnings: The Story of Creation in the Middle Ages" at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. The exhibition, which is on view through April 19, looks at how creation stories have been advanced in manuscript painting. The exhibition also includes works by Harmonia Rosales, whose work often engages Christian creation stories, how they were presented in the middle ages, and how they might be offered today. Rosales, whose work centers Black women in reconsiderations of Western art, has been included in group shows at Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Art + Practice, Los Angeles, the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, and the Brooklyn Museum. Instagram: Blas Isasi, Larissa Grollemond, Harmonia Rosales, Tyler Green. Air date: February 5, 2026.

Stephan Sander-Faes is a professor of history teaching European civilization at the University of Bergen, Norway (faculty profile: https://www4.uib.no/en/find-employees/Stephan.Sander-Faes). His work focuses mainly on post-mediaeval (Central) Europe. He blogs semi-anonymously about European affairs at https://fackel.substack.com/ (click and sign up, it's free). When he's not teaching, he tends to his livestock (follow his sheep at https://bsky.app/profile/ramsesandhisgang.bsky.social). In whatever spare time he has left, he explores our analogue, pre-internet world cataloging his late grandfather's vintage picture postcard collection, which you may as well check out over at https://espc.substack.com. The KunstlerCast theme music is the beautiful Two Rivers Waltz written and performed by Larry Unger

FP's Ravi Agrawal sits down with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss NATO, a shifting European defense strategy, and more. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on the rising nuclear threat. Ravi Agrawal: Greek PM: ‘I haven't given up on the trans-Atlantic relationship.' Stavros Papastavrou: The Trans-Atlantic Energy Relationship Is Stronger Than Ever Kristi Raik: Europe's 4 Different Ways of Handling Trump Luke McGee: Europe Is Prepared to Create Its Own Army Stephen M. Walt: NATO's Leader is Totally Lost Rebecca Lissner and Erin D. Dumbacher: The Pillars of the Global Nuclear Order Are Cracking Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney may have made headlines when he described a “rupture” in global order in a speech at Davos last month. But long before that, policymakers and analysts had already been grappling with this unsettled—and unsettling—era in global politics. And the challenge has of course been especially great for American allies facing a very different Washington.    President Alexander Stubb of Finland has become central both to navigating and to understanding this time of rupture. He has emerged as a leader who is particularly adept at managing the rift in the U.S.-European relationship, and at talking to Donald Trump, whether about Greenland or about golf. Yet even as he's scrambled seemingly every week to avert a transatlantic crisis, Stubb has also gone out of his way to stress the long-term stakes of this moment—as he did in a recent Foreign Affairs essay. He warns that without significant changes, “the multilateral system as it exists will crumble,” and that “the alternatives are much worse: spheres of influence, chaos, and disorder.”   Dan Kurtz-Phelan spoke to Stubb on Tuesday, February 3 about geopolitical challenges from China and Russia to Ukraine and, of course, Greenland; about Trump and the future of alliances; and about what a true breakdown in global order would mean in the years ahead.  You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview.

In this episode, Eric Hörst and nutrition science graduate student Jonathan Hörst discuss the newly updated U.S. dietary guidance and the concept of a "flipped" or re-prioritized food pyramid that emphasizes nutrient density, whole foods, and protein—rather than carbohydrate-heavy intake patterns of past guidelines. Drawing from current nutrition science and academic discussion at the University of Utah, they explore both the strengths of the update and the practical challenges of applying it. Key takeaways for climbers and athletes include prioritizing adequate protein, limiting ultra-processed foods, choosing whole-food carbohydrate sources, and matching carbohydrate intake to activity level. The episode concludes by emphasizing individualized nutrition, performance context, and consistency over perfection. Jonathan also provides some breakfast and dinner tips for climbers looking to optimize energy availability, performance, and recovery. RUNDOWN 0:30 - Intro to New Food Pyramid 1:00 - About today's expert, Jonathan Hörst, from Department of Nutritional Science at the University of Utah. 2:20 - Seismic changes to the USDA food guideline for Americans 6:00 - Guidelines catching up to modern nutritional science 9:35 - Inverting the old food pyramid 11:40 - 6 major changes to the nutritional guidelines for health and disease prevention 12:00 - #1 Prioritize protein 16:15 - #2: Added Sugar Gets a Hard Line 19:15 - #3: Whole Grains Yes — Refined Carbs No Brief Podcast Sponsor message from PhysiVantage Nutrition. Save 15% off full-price nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 at PhysiVantage.com (USA and Canada only). European climbers, please get your PhysiVantage from the  EPIC-TV Shop or Oliunid.com. Mexiocan climbers visit PhysiVantage.mx 21:35 - #4: Lower-Carbohydrate Diets Are Acknowledged 25:35 - #5: Ultra-Processed Foods Are Explicitly Called Out 31:50 - #6: A More Nuanced Approach to Fat Intake 37:30 - Key takeaways & actionable items for climbers 40:00 - Examples of healthy, effective fueling at breakfast and dinner 47:00 - Jonathan's current training and climbing goals 49:40 - Contact Jonathan vis DM on Instagram: @jonathan_horst 49:55 - PLEASE write a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and SHARE this podcast with a friend! 50:30 - Hörst out! A word from this podcast's sponsor, PhysiVantage. Get 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 (North America only). Europe and elsewhere visit EPIC-TV Shop or BananaFingers.com to get your PhysiVantage! SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >> Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric's YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Copyright 2026 Eric Hörst | Horst Training, LLC.

It's Thursday, February 5th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Sam Brownback: “Dictators fear religious freedom more than nuclear weapons” The International Religious Freedom Summit held its six annual meeting this week in Washington, D.C. Organizers reported nearly 80% of people around the world live in countries with high levels of restrictions on religion. The meeting identified China, Iran, Russia, Nigeria, and India as some of the worst countries for religious freedom. Sam Brownback, co-chair of the summit, said, “Ours is truly a global movement feared by dictators around the world because we represent the heart of freedom. They actually fear religious freedom more than they do aircraft carriers or even nuclear weapons.” In John 8:31-32, Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Finnish authorities continue to harass Christian Parliamentarian Attacks on religious freedom are rising in Europe as well. A prominent example is Finnish Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen. She has faced trial three times for sharing her Christian beliefs online. Her case is now before Finland's top court.  Räsänen testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee yesterday in a hearing on Europe's threat to American speech. Concerning her case, she has warned, “If I would lose, it would mean … starting a time of persecution of Christians in Finland and also in Europe.” Listen to her comments at the hearing. RÄSÄNEN: “I have been supported by my faith and thousands of expressions of support I have received from around the world, including many from the U.S. Congress. “I remain hopeful. I trust that freedom of expression can still be upheld. It is too important to lose.” Will Europe ban social media for minors? European countries are considering measures to ban social media use for minors. France's National Assembly passed a bill last week that prohibits children under 15 from using social media. The bill heads to the French Senate. President Emmanuel Macron supports the measure. Similarly, Spain and Greece recently announced plans to ban social media use by teenagers there. This comes after Australia became the first country in the world to enforce such a ban last December. Trump signed $1.2 trillion funding bill In the United States, President Donald Trump signed a $1.2 trillion funding bill on Tuesday. This ends the partial government shutdown that began on Saturday. The bill did not including long-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democrats are demanding changes to the agency before approving more funding.  700 of 3,000 ICE officers leave Minnesota Speaking of ICE, White House Border Czar Tom Homan  announced a drawdown of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota yesterday. About 700 of the roughly 3,000 officers in the state are leaving. Homan's goal is a complete drawdown which depends on cooperation from local officials. He said, “We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets.” Washington Hospital ends transgender mutilations The News Tribune reports a hospital in Washington State is ending its mutilating transgender surgeries. MultiCare Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma cited loss of funding under the Trump administration for the closure. President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order in January 2025, protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation. Last year, over 20 hospitals began rolling back such practices. Walmart first retailer to reach $1 trillion market capitalization Walmart became the first retailer to reach a market capitalization of one trillion dollars on Tuesday. The list of trillion dollar companies has been dominated by tech companies. Not surprisingly, Walmart's record valuation is accompanied by recent growth in its online business and investment in Artificial Intelligence technology.  1,161st anniversary of Anskar, missionary to Denmark and Sweden And finally, this week is the anniversary of the death of Anskar, the first missionary to Denmark and Sweden. The traditional date of his death is February 3, A.D. 865. Anskar was known as the “Apostle to the North” for his work of evangelism in Scandinavia.   Historian A.D. Jorgensen wrote of the missionary, “He possessed a rare eloquence both in preaching and in common talk, so that he left on all men an extraordinary impression: the mighty and haughty were frightened by his tone of authority, the poor and humble looked to him as to a father, whilst his equals loved him as a brother. …. What he carried out in the thirty-­three years of his bishopric was of imperishable importance.” In Romans 1:16, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, February 5th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Today, a look at a remarkable downdraft in nearly all AI-adjacent stocks, with no category escaping the selling, even as much of the rest of the market posted a positive and even strong day, the latest in wildly gyrating internals. We try to piece together a takeaway and wonder as well whether the European equity market performance has gotten overcooked. Perspectives on the Bitcoin sell-off, FX and macro and much more also on today's pod, which is hosted by Saxo Global Head of Macro Strategy John J. Hardy. Links discussed on the podcast and our Chart of the Day can be found on the John J. Hardy substack (within one to four hours from the time of the podcast release). Read daily in-depth market updates from the Saxo Market Call and the Saxo Strategy Team here. Please reach out to us at marketcall@saxobank.com for feedback and questions. Click here to open an account with Saxo. Intro and outro music by AShamaluevMusic DISCLAIMER This content is marketing material. Trading financial instruments carries risks. Always ensure that you understand these risks before trading. This material does not contain investment advice or an encouragement to invest in a particular manner. Historic performance is not a guarantee of future results. The instrument(s) referenced in this content may be issued by a partner, from whom Saxo Bank A/S receives promotional fees, payment or retrocessions. While Saxo may receive compensation from these partnerships, all content is created with the aim of providing clients with valuable information and options.

A very special bienvenue to this very special episode of The Europeans! This week, the entire team gathered in person in a swanky studio in Paris to answer some of your burning questions, from “How do you stay sane when you're immersed in the news?” to “Is there a favourite bird?” (i.e. the simple to the deeply complex). Plus: Wojciech's dream of being a “failed sportsman”, the unvarnished truth about the team's vegan/teetotaling façade, and… The Europeans Matchmaking Agency?!   We'll be back with a regular episode next week. In the meantime, subscribe to our cheeky new newsletter! If you like this here, we think you'll enjoy that there.   Resources for this episode:   “A 24-year-old Frenchman shows up at hospital with a World War I shell lodged in his rectum” – El País, 2 February 2026 A heartwarming TikTok compilation of running owls   This podcast was funded by our listeners. If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Katy Lee Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina   YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com

The Prime Minister apologises to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Lord Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, but some Labour MPs say he must go. Also: The governor of the Bank of England says interest rates should continue to fall, but not to the levels seen at the start of the pandemic. And passengers complain of long queues at passport control in some European airports as a new biometric system is rolled out further.

Jane's purpose is to create the environment and leadership that enables growth and fulfilment. She does this through listening. Listening to ignite the best thinking, ideas and solutions in others. In her executive coach and facilitator roles she supports individuals and teams develop human-centric leadership and cultures where everybody matters generating people and business growth in harmony. She is an Ambassador for Truly Human Leadership and hosts a thought led community in developing this approach to leadership.Jane is a master credited coach with the ICF and global faculty member with Time to Think. Jane brings the thinking environment to life for others through her teaching all courses to the qualifying level and offers supervision to thinking environment practitioners.Jane has over 35 years' experience within people focused roles in professional and financial services. Her experience includes Director of her own coaching practice, and HR Executive within European and US Investment Banks and an International Law Firm where she was responsible for the strategy and implementation of resourcing and development of people across front line businesses. Jane's work is underpinned with post graduate diplomas in Human Resources Management and Psychological Coaching. Jane is also author of The Listening Coach – Coach yourself through the elements of listening that are critical in life business and our communities and Are you listening, or just waiting to speak? – The secret to propelling your business relationships.Current and former clients include Munich Re, Rothschilds, Columbia Threadneedle, Pask Partnership, The Marketing Academy, Deloitte, Bottomline Technologies, Sony Pictures, Barry Wehmiller, Ince & Co, Land Securities, HP.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

US equity futures are pointing modestly higher after a mixed Wednesday close, with Asian markets broadly lower and European equities trading mostly weaker. Technology and AI concentration risk remained the dominant theme. Investors continued rotating toward cyclical sectors. More volatility seen in precious metal prices overnight. Geopolitical risk stayed elevated as headlines around renewed US-Iran nuclear talks drove sharp volatility in energy and precious metals markets, while attention also turned to upcoming large-cap technology earnings later in the week.Companies Mentioned: SpaceX, Nvidia, Bytedance, KKR

AT&T, AWS and Amazon Leo have announced a new partnership. The US House Science, Space, and Technology Committee (SSTC) unanimously approved a new NASA authorization bill. Interlune has been awarded a NASA Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I contract to support several NASA missions, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Ryan Kirby, Junior Partner at Alderman & Company.  You can connect with Ryan on LinkedIn, and learn more about Alderman & Company on their website. Selected Reading AT&T, AWS, and Amazon Leo Collaborate to Accelerate Modernization of Nation's Connectivity Infrastructure House Committee Approves New NASA Authorization Bill – SpacePolicyOnline Interlune Announces Details of NASA STTR Project to Advance Scalable, Multipurpose Lunar Trenching and Excavation Technology NASA Awards Grant to Montana State For Quantum Space Communications Russian space vehicles are tapping comms from key European satellites, report Space-born butterfly reflects advances in orbital life-support systems - CGTN Share your feedback. What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show.  Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture Conspiracy no more, Germany and the EU shutting down energy production while China was increasing theirs. This tells you everything you need to know. Trump tariff system is getting stronger, it’s improving the economy and this is something the [CB] does not want. The [CB]s are losing control over the Fed, watch gold and silver. Trump need to wake the people of this country up. The only way to do this was to have the people go down a path that would make the uncomfortable, scared and angry, this is how you break the brainwashing. People can now see it is the tryrants against the people of this country. The picture is clear. Every step of the way the [DS] is losing their grip on the people. The people are ready to take back the country.   Economy https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2018402875693580744?s=20   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2018664901959462953?s=20   ended in June 2025, when missed payments began appearing on credit reports. Meanwhile, the percentage of student loans transitioning into 90+ days of serious delinquency is up to 14.3%, an all-time high. This significantly exceeds the 2013 peak of 10.5% and 2008 levels of 7.5%. The student loan crisis is accelerating. https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2018663257675018691?s=20 Political/Rights https://twitter.com/AnthonyGalli/status/2018716797864661049?s=20 https://twitter.com/luvgod/status/2018390600475644333?s=20  Code of Conduct explicitly requires justices to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety, including political activity that undermines public confidence in judicial independence. https://twitter.com/RichardStiller4/status/2018460663329472526?s=20   https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2018673649985683709?s=20   https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/2018551227416756485?s=20   drive from these people?” This is what she said happened: ‘My friend told us about a dive burger place in Minnesota that we absolutely had to try. As we were driving in, we passed a small group of maybe 30 people holding large “F ICE” signs, spelled out. Many of the houses in the neighborhood also had signs saying “F ICE” and similar messages. When we were leaving to drive back to the hotel, we passed the group again. At that point, the resistance group stepped out in front of our car and would not let us drive. One woman appeared to be looking at our license plate and doing something on her phone. She was standing directly in front of the car, blocking us — I cannot imagine being a sane person and living in this city. We were with my brother-in-law's family, and they said that restaurants and other places are empty because of this, the resistance is out doing their thing, and the normal people are just staying home and not going out.' https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2018412853435527587?s=20 https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2018416970111311967?s=20 the execution of federal laws. Further, as we have all seen in innumerable videos, this conspiracy includes the use of violent force. I think everyone–even Democrats–must agree that what I just said is true. Now read 18 U.S.C. § 2384 (Seditious conspiracy): “If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.” Draw your own conclusions as to what is required here. https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/2018389609563017674?s=20   CBS News is parting ways with contributor Dr. Peter Attia, a prominent longevity physician, after Epstein documents revealed over 1,700 mentions of his name and emails showing a close friendship, including Attia’s 2015 note on Epstein’s “outrageous” life he couldn’t share and a 2016 lewd quip about “pussy” being low-carb.   https://twitter.com/FFT1776/status/2018490549733322850?s=20  interview instead of sworn testimony • Withdrawal of the subpoena before testifying • A pause on contempt proceedings • A hard 4-hour time limit • 30-minute alternating question blocks • A personal transcriber of Clinton's choosing • No video recording • Written statements for Hillary Clinton instead of appearing in person Congress said no.: No carve-outs. No special rules. No special treatment. Testify under oath. Thank you Rep. Comer https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/2018740003501678769?s=20  Secretary Clinton will appear for a deposition on February 26, 2026. After delaying and defying duly issued subpoenas for six months, the House Oversight Committee moved swiftly to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings in response to their non-compliance. We look forward to now questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors. NO BODY IS ABOVE THE LAW 2725 Feb 14, 2019 11:46:33 PM EST Q !!mG7VJxZNCI ID: 46cb93 No. 5182398  Chatter – Bill & Hillary's ‘public' HEALTH will begin to rapidly deteriorate. Q DOGE   illegalities that they have committed. This should be a Criminal, not Civil, event, and Harvard will have to live with the consequences of their wrongdoings. In any event, this case will continue until justice is served. Dr. Alan Garber, the President of Harvard, has done a terrible job of rectifying a very bad situation for his institution and, more importantly, America, itself. He was hired AFTER the antisemitism charges were brought – I wonder why??? We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University. As The Failing New York Times clearly stated, “Some connected to the University, however, think Harvard has no option but to eventually cut a deal. The Administration has repeatedly attempted to cut off research grants, which would be an untenable crises. Like many major research universities, Harvard relies on federal funding for its financial model.” Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP  Macron's Authorities Raid Elon Musk's X French Offices in Paris Under the direction of France's globalist President Macron, French authorities escalated their confrontation with American tech entrepreneur Elon Musk this week, launching high-profile raids of X's offices in Paris and summoning Musk himself for what prosecutors termed a “voluntary interview.” The move marks a dramatic intensification of France's long-running effort to rein in the America-based free-speech platform. According to the Paris public prosecutor's office, the operation was carried out by French cybercrime units with assistance from Europol, targeting the French premises of X. Authorities claim the investigation centers on whether X's algorithm improperly influenced French political discourse. Summonses were issued to Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino, calling them to Paris in April 2026 to answer questions related to the probe. Yaccarino, who stepped down last year, is listed alongside Musk as a manager during the period under review.   French prosecutors later broadened their inquiry, citing concerns related to X's AI chatbot Grok, including claims it produced offensive or false content. Musk's company responded by correcting errors, removing disputed posts, and publicly documenting its moderation actions—steps critics say would have been praised had they come from a European firm. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2018625815114567850?s=20 https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/2018683758006665352?s=20   far-reaching Digital Services Act thread   https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2018732491125727232?s=20   with social media platforms to pressure them to censor political speech in the days before the vote. Leading up to the Dutch elections of 2023 the EU commission even made the then Dutch Interior Ministry @hugodejonge a “trusted flagger” entitled to make priority censorship requests under the DSA. What kind of political speech did they want to censor, you ask? – “Populist rhetoric” – “Anti-government/anti-EU content” – “Anti-elite” content – “Political satire” – “Anti-migrant and Islamophobic content” – “Anti-refugee content/anti-immigrant sentiment” – “Anti-LGBTQI content” – “Meme subculture” In other words, anything that goes against their agenda, anything remotely right-wing or conservative, and anything pertaining to the disastrous migrant situation we have here in Europe. And guess what the only platform was that did not cooperate? @X , of course. The same platform that the EU is fining for 120 million euros under the DSA and the same platform that is currently having its offices raided in France. This is the type of stuff over which governments should resign and institutions like the EU should fall. Democracy is dead. Abolish the EU! Now! https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2018644283096523244?s=20  turning “algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content into a new criminal offense” and developing a new system to monitor hate, “because spreading hate must come at a cost.” Geopolitical https://twitter.com/JackInTully/status/2018663771213086808?s=20   https://twitter.com/Geiger_Capital/status/2018711873240105407?s=20 War/Peace https://twitter.com/BehizyTweets/status/2018029749889638850?s=20 https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/2018505966765924723?s=20 https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2018750332231131642?s=20  has a range of options, including military force. Iran knows that better than anyone. Look no further than Operation Midnight Hammer!”    U.N. Facing ‘Imminent Financial Collapse' Admits Secretary General as Countries Won't Cough Up Membership Fees The United Nations is facing an “imminent financial collapse” as member states refuse to cough up billions of dollars in mandatory contributions. The financial woes were laid out in an emergency letter from Secretary-General António Guterres sent to all 193 member countries. Guterres said the organisation's financial crisis is worsening rapidly, threatening the delivery of core programmes and potentially leaving the U.N. bankrupt by July. He urged member states to either pay what they owe in full or agree to sweeping changes to the UN's financial rules to avoid collapse. “Either all member states honour their obligations to pay in full and on time—or member states must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse,” he wrote. The warning comes as the United States, the U.N.'s largest contributor, has refused to fund the organisation's regular and peacekeeping budgets and has withdrawn from multiple UN agencies.    The Trump administration has repeatedly criticised the U.N. for wasting taxpayer dollars, appeasing criminal regimes and infringing on the sovereignty of the U.S. and other member nations. Several other member states are also in arrears or have declined to pay their assessed contributions. Source: thegatewaypundit.com Medical/False Flags https://twitter.com/liz_churchill10/status/2018439093420536119?s=20 FBI Raids ILLEGAL Biolab Inside a Private Home in Las Vegas — Authorities Discover THOUSANDS of Vials, Links to CCP-Connected California Lab Federal agents with the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department executed a dramatic early-morning raid on a residential property in northeast Las Vegas this weekend after investigators uncovered what appears to be a fully operational illegal biological laboratory inside a private home. Refrigerators containing unknown liquids and vials of suspected biological material were found inside the residence, prompting an aggressive response from HazMat teams, SWAT units, and FBI specialists due to the potential threat presented by the materials, The Hill reported. At least one individual was taken into custody in connection with the Las Vegas raid, identified by local officials as a 55-year-old property manager, Ori Solomon. He is currently booked on felony charges linked to the improper disposal of hazardous waste, though investigators continue to determine the full scope of charges that may arise. Property records reveal that the Las Vegas home is owned by “David Destiny Discovery, LLC,” according to The Sun. If that name sounds familiar, it should. It is a shell company registered to Jia Bei Zhu (also known as David He), the very same Chinese national who ran the illegal Reedley, California biolab exposed in 2023. Zhu, a fugitive from Canada with deep ties to the Chinese government, is currently in federal custody. The FBI has taken the lead in analyzing the more than 1,000 samples collected from the scene, with evidence transported to federal laboratories for further testing. https://twitter.com/RepKiley/status/2018514131876213199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2018514131876213199%7Ctwgr%5E1616a599ecdcff26961307ece268007bf47acbbc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Ffbi-raids-illegal-biolab-inside-private-home-las%2F Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2018714265247453494?s=20 https://twitter.com/liz_churchill10/status/2018321118000476222?s=20   https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2017614901028786500?s=20   [DS] Agenda BREAKING: Jill Biden's Ex-Husband Arrested and Charged with Murder of His Wife Jill Biden's ex-husband Bill Stevenson was charged with first-degree murder of his wife, Linda Stevenson. Last month police swarmed Stevenson's home after his wife died amid a domestic dispute. Police removed several items from the Stevenson home last month. 64-year-old Linda Stevenson, wife of Jill Biden's ex-husband Bill Stevenson, was found unresponsive after police arrived to the New Castle, Delaware, residence late Sunday night. According to TMZ, Linda Stevenson was found dead in the living room. TMZ obtained 911 dispatch audio, which references cardiac arrest: According to TMZ, Stevenson is being held on a $500,000 bond. Fox 29 reported:   Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/2018513235868299678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2018513235868299678%7Ctwgr%5E6abdb9eedc5852ca532cc2c248c01795a00b5389%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fjust-days-before-ayanna-pressley-was-sworn-her%2F https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/2018549471160734081?s=20 https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/2018419624295960839?s=20 https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2018741593071648855?s=20 Media's Bogus Minneapolis Narrative About to Be Nuked As DHS Turns on the Cameras Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that all immigration officers working in Minneapolis will start wearing body cameras as an added layer of protection for those officers and, presumably, against the false narratives being pushed by the left after a series of deadly officer-involved incidents in the sanctuary city. Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2018536832489889937?s=20 https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/2018502877321334812?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2018502877321334812%7Ctwgr%5Efce8ad7eb6d8fb345b1483e2b135162684061896%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fsmoosieq%2F2026%2F02%2F03%2Ftps-decision-n2198777 for decades.   Temporary means temporary and the final word will not be from an activist judge legislating from the bench. https://twitter.com/grok/status/2018537805073330361?s=20 cases like Haitians may face ongoing challenges. President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2018490184677900551?s=20 https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2018680520549257396?s=20   better. He is running because he realizes Thomas Massie has been totally disloyal to the President of the United States, and the Republican Party. He never votes for us, he always goes with the Democrats. Thomas Massie is a Complete and Total Disaster, we must make sure he loses, BIG! https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2018488252219699617?s=20 https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/2018397484209635625?s=20  to defund ICE   OPPOSE: 58% https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2018712280645484664?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2018473020835192964?s=20   complying voluntarily – They are suing the states that are not complying in the next couple weeks – 24 states + DC in current litigation because they are making all kinds of excuses Gee I wonder why these states won't share their voter rolls? Because it's all a fraud. The jig is up. Harmeet went on to specifically discuss the FBI raid in Georgia. “We're going to figure out the logistics there with the court and with our colleagues and see what those ballots show. I think it was highly unusual. A lot of things that happened in 2020 in the swing states… We're going to see what we see and whatever the evidence shows, I think it's important for the American people to know what happened in Fulton County and in Georgia…”  Don't tell me nothing is happening! WSJ Anonymous Hit Piece On Gabbard Is Based On Complaints That ‘Weren't Credible' ‘Here's the truth: There was no wrongdoing by @DNIGabbard, a fact that WSJ conveniently buried 13 paragraphs down,' a DNI official said. https://twitter.com/alexahenning/status/2018313944360702063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2018313944360702063%7Ctwgr%5E2d40da39babc1191fd219e747e9e7022814c8641%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthefederalist.com%2F2026%2F02%2F03%2Fwsj-anonymous-hit-piece-on-gabbard-is-based-on-complaints-that-werent-credible%2F   Gabbard were not credible. Source: thefedearlist.com https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2018367694823735378?s=20   fabricated source feeding supposedly ultra-sensitive information that sends everyone chasing a lie. So yes, exactly like a le Carré novel (by the way, the fraudulent Steele dossier followed the same le Carre blueprint).   https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/2018504435769520156?s=20   nation and ensure the integrity of our elections  https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2018463747095003285?s=20  willfully defrauds the residents of a state of a fair and impartial election process. “In other words, the focus of this investigation, the focus of that raid, the reason that federal judge approved that raid, was that they're looking at possible crimes related by election workers and the administration of that election in 2020.” Can't wait to see how this plays out  https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/2018692087345025302?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2018553787036623201?s=20   South, Midwest, and Mountain West. Democrats are largely confined to the coasts and a handful of Midwest holdouts like Illinois and Minnesota. This is where policy actually gets made. Abortion, elections, education, guns. It all starts here. https://twitter.com/CollinsforTX/status/2018698529036808560?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2018703572016287879?s=20   https://twitter.com/Geiger_Capital/status/2018717121425834279?s=20 https://twitter.com/RepLuna/status/2018480826741055929?s=20  is through the standing filibuster. This would effectively keep the government open while allowing Republican senators to break through the “zombie” filibuster and put the SAVE America Act up for a vote on the Senate floor. The standing filibuster is not common parliamentary procedure, but it is one of the only mechanisms available to go around senators who want to block voter ID. @LeaderJohnThune we are very pleased that you are discussing the standing filibuster, and we believe you will go down in history if this is pulled off as one of the best leaders the Senate has ever had. Voter ID is a must, and the ball is now in your court. https://twitter.com/AwakenedOutlaw/status/2018510290653155445?s=20 https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2018439757227819347?s=20   IMMEDIATELY blasted off like gangbusters. In one year we have seen more productive conservative change in the federal government than with every other GOP president since Reagan combined. Trump has significantly degraded the Deep State in a way most of us could only dream of ten years ago. Moreover, Trump's economic policies are bearing fruit right now and we will likely see a very strong economy by the midterms. But… Ah yes, the midterms. I know so many of you will only be happy when Bill Clinton, Hillary, Obama and Joe Biden are in jail, but you need to join the world of reality. Right now Trump and his team are gauging everything they do through the lens of “How will this effect the midterms?” They have sophisticated polling that you and I will never see, and at the moment every Trump action is tempered by “Let's be aggressive but not in such a way it turns public opinion against us before the midterms.” Trump knows that if he loses the midterms, all is lost. The Dems will constantly impeach him and most of his cabinet, and even if the Senate never convicts, the acts of impeachment will grind the Trump machine to a halt. The midterms are everything. So I'm warning you, from now until November you are going to see a less aggressive Trump If you are a Doomster for whom nothing is ever enough, you need to understand why that is. But here is the good news. I believe that one day after the midterms Trump will once again go shock and awe for a year, and then back off again in 2028 to get JD or Rubio elected. (For example, I can easily see Trump taking zero drastic action in the near term to further inflame the Minnesota situation, but invoking the Insurrection Act the day after the midterms and sending in the 82nd.) Since the Super Bowl is coming up, consider it this way: In the first quarter, Trump ran up the score. In the second quarter, he went prevent defense to hold onto the lead. After halftime, once again in the third quarter he will run up the score, and then hold the lead in the fourth quarter to win the game. This is not Qtard “trust the plan” nonsense. This is simply good political strategy. Everyone needs to realize two things: (1) the Constitution includes checks and balances that inherently weaken the absolute power of each branch and (2) even though they are in the minority, Democrats still have a HUGE say. Our system is DESIGNED THIS WAY. We have to account for the opposition—you cannot ignore them. With that in mind, I have every confidence that Trump and his team will navigate through a treacherous course and come out on the winning side. I’m hoping this post makes the things you see in the months ahead more comprehensible. Have a nice day. https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2018742785017336107?s=20   the SAVE Act is not included in the government funding bill that advanced via the 217-215 House procedural vote on February 3, 2026. That legislation is a $1.2 trillion spending package funding most federal agencies through September 30, 2026, while extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security only through February 13, 2026, to allow for further negotiations on immigration enforcement. Efforts by some conservative Republicans to attach the SAVE Act—a separate bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration—were rejected during the process, following calls from President Trump to pass the package without changes.  (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Why is Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait perceived as one of the greatest mysteries of the arts? What elements and symbolisms provoke debates about its identity and meaning? And, what do we know about its provenance, its travels through European royal courts, and its influence on Diego Velázquez?  In this new The Rest Is History Club series, Tom is joined by art critic and author Laura Cumming to discuss the histories behind famous paintings and put them in their historical contexts.  To hear the full episode, and all the other exclusive new episodes from Laura and Tom's paintings  series, coming out every Wednesday for the next four weeks, join The Rest is History Club at therestishistory.com FUTURE EPISODES.... Feb 11th: Las Meninas - Diego Velázquez Feb 18th: The Skating Minister - Henry Raeburn Feb 25th: The Angelus - Jean-François Millet  _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek + Harry Swan Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guest: Simon Constable. Constable reports from France with a resident European pine marten, offering observations on rural life and wildlife in the French countryside.2870 SIEGE OF PARIS

FOLLOW RICHARD Website: https://www.strangeplanet.ca YouTube: @strangeplanetradio Instagram: @richardsyrettstrangeplanet TikTok: @therealstrangeplanet EP. #1315 The Last Alpha Male: Taki Spills the Elite Secrets They Never Wanted Told Dive into the shadowy salons of true power on Richard Syrett's Strange Planet, where journalist and provocateur Taki Theodoracopulos pulls back the curtain on a vanished era. For decades, he navigated royal circles, elite dinner tables, and media backrooms—witnessing scandals buried, celebrities crafted, and reputations shielded. In his memoir The Last Alpha Male, Taki delivers a raw, unfiltered autopsy of Western high society's quiet collapse: when discretion died, image triumphed over character, and decadence lost its last standards. Expect sharp wit on masculinity's decline, elite hypocrisy, narrative control, and what civilizations sacrifice when seriousness vanishes. GUEST: Taki Theodoracopulos is the legendary Greek-born writer, publisher, and unrepentant cultural contrarian. A shipping heir educated in America, he excelled as a champion skier, Davis Cup tennis player, and war correspondent before becoming The Spectator's iconic "High Life" columnist for nearly 50 years. Co-founder of The American Conservative and Taki's Magazine, he's authored memoirs chronicling high-society excess, mischief, and moral decay—always with bold, irreverent insight into power's hidden truths. BOOK: The Last Alpha Male: The Amorous Pursuits and High Life of a Poor Little Greek Boy SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! CARGURUS CarGurus is the #1 rated car shopping app in Canada on the Apple App and Google Play store. CarGurus has hundreds of thousands of cars from top-rated dealers, plus those deal ratings, price history, and dealer reviews on every listing so you can shop with confidence. Their advanced search tools and easy-to-use app put you in control, with real-time alerts for price drops and new listings so you'll never miss a great deal. And when you're ready, CarGurus connects you with trusted dealerships for a transparent and hassle-free buying process. Buy your next car today with CarGurus at cargurus dot ca. QUINCE Luxury, European linen that gets softer with every wash! Turn up the luxury when you turn in with Quince. Go to Quince dot com slash RSSP for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too HIMS - Making Healthy and Happy Easy to Achieve Sexual Health, Hair Loss, Mental Health, Weight Management START YOUR FREE ONLINE VISIT TODAY - ⁠HIMS dot com slash STRANGE⁠ ⁠ BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER!!!⁠ ⁠https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm⁠ Three monthly subscriptions to choose from. Commercial Free Listening, Bonus Episodes and a Subscription to my monthly newsletter, InnerSanctum. Visit ⁠https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm⁠ Use the discount code "Planet" to receive $5 OFF off any subscription. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm/

The Devil Within Tatzelwurm —The Thing That Watches From the Snowline High above the tree line, where oxygen thins and old superstitions thicken, something has been slithering through European folklore for centuries. This week on The Devil Within, we journey into the jagged spine of the Alps — a place of avalanches, isolation… and sightings of a creature that by all rights should not exist. It has the body of a serpent. The face of a cat. The temper of something ancient and territorial. They call it The Tatzelwurm.

Day 1,441.Today, as Donald Trump claims Vladimir Putin has “kept his word” by not striking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, we report on the resumption of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi involving the US, Ukraine, and Russia. We examine whether French President Emmanuel Macron's call for Europeans to “restore their own channels of communication” with Moscow will deliver any tangible results, and assess whether the recent drop in the price of gold could weaken Putin's war economy. And later, we speak to Sir Bill Browder about Europe's continued failure to seize and use frozen Russian state assets to fund Ukraine's war effort, the significance of the €90 billion loan agreed in Brussels instead. Is it enough?ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.With thanks to Sir Bill Browder. @Billbrowder on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:The gold bubble has financed Putin's war machine – but that may be over (Ambrose Evans Pritchard in The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/02/03/gold-bubble-financed-vladimir-putins-war-machine-over/German warships ‘sabotaged by workers' (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/03/german-warships-sabotaged-workers-hamburg-port/For Peace, More Ukrainians Consider the Once Unthinkable: Surrendering Landhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-donbas-region.htmlLISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jeremy welcomes Andrew Falkous of the bands mclusky and Future of the Left. On this episode, Jeremy and Andrew talk the early morning, straight edge, INXS, shirt design, "Problem Child" by AC/DC, European hospitality, working with Steve Albini, the new album "The World Is Still Here, And So Are We", and so much more!!! SUBSCRIBE TO THE PATREON for a bonus episode where Andrew answered questions by subscribers! FOLLOW THE SHOW ON INSTAGRAM / X

Donald Trump's attacks on longtime US "allies" have forced Western leaders to admit their warmongering foreign policy was hypocritical. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said the truth in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos: the "rules-based order" was "false". Ben Norton explains how the global balance of power is shifting. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTH_rx1mpfE Check out our related video on Europe improving its relations with China: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpngJ3tC7Xw Topics 0:00 Hypocrisy of Western foreign policy 1:05 "Rules-based international order" 1:27 Donald Trump, arch-imperialist 3:00 Canada PM Mark Carney Davos speech 3:42 "Middle powers" fear US attacks 5:42 (CLIP) Multilateralism is under threat 6:04 Double standards on international law 6:35 (CLIP) "Rules-based order" was false 6:58 US unipolar domination 7:28 (CLIP) Defending "American hegemony" 7:41 Financial system & US dollar 8:34 (CLIP) Rupture, not transition 9:13 West's exploitation of Global South 9:36 Canada's complicity in imperialism 9:56 Gaza, Palestine, Israel 10:31 Canada sells weapons to Israel 11:54 Canada's whitewashed reputation 12:22 Canada's hypocritical UN votes 13:47 West votes against rest of world 14:21 Canadian conservatives 15:03 Imperial hypocrisy 15:36 USA supports Canadian separatists 16:33 (CLIP) If not at table, on the menu 16:48 Partners in crime 17:34 Macron's message to Trump 18:38 New phase of imperialism 19:38 Sovereignty: Westphalian system 20:40 Decolonization 21:11 Neocolonialism 22:08 Mark Carney's trip to China 23:09 Trump threatens Canada over China 23:51 Canada's trade dependence on USA 24:26 Oil exports 24:59 Canada's oil pipelines 25:49 Chinese car industry investments 27:41 Reducing dependency 28:06 European leaders visit China 28:30 "Human rights" hypocrisy 29:07 EU relations with China 29:32 Outro

If you'd like to listen to this episode of PTO Extra! please consider becoming a £5 patron of the show at patreon.com/poltheoryother Richard responds to some more excellent listener questions. Topics included: - What a left foreign policy might look like in the context of collapsing US hegemony. -Why Mark Carney called time on the so-called 'rules based order' before any major European state. - Marxist theorisations of war and whether conflict lays the basis for future economic growth - Violence and resistance in Minnesota.

As our nation navigates turbulent times, what can artists do to effect change? Award-winning composer and Rochester native Adolphus Hailstork has been outspoken about this question, especially when it comes to injustices against African Americans. "These are the tragedies and triumphs of a people who have been beaten up for 400 years. Does anyone speak for them? Who writes pieces that speak for the existence of African Americans in the United States?" he asks. "I'll take on that job.'" Hailstork's work blends African, American, and European traditions. In recent years, his pieces like “A Knee on the Neck” — an oratorio in tribute to George Floyd — have made political statements. He'll be in Rochester this weekend for a choral concert in his honor, but first, he joins us on “Connections” to discuss the intersection of art and politics. This conversation is part of WXXI's celebration of Black History Month. Our guests: Adolphus Hailstork, award-winning composer Lee Wright, director of music ministry at Downtown United Presbyterian Church, and founding artistic director of First Inversion choral ensemble The selections from "A Knee on the Neck" heard in this broadcast are attributed to:Adolphus Hailstork, composerStanford Symphony Orchestra and Stanford Symphonic ChorusPaul Phillips, conductorStephen M. Sano, chorus directorSamantha Williams, mezzo-sopranoAlexander Tate, tenorWilford Kelly, baritone---Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.---Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Art Manteris, longtime Las Vegas sportsbook executive and author of The Bookie, joins 365 Sports to explain how the sports gambling industry has evolved—and why its rapid expansion now raises serious concerns. Manteris shares firsthand insight from more than four decades in the business, discusses the differences between the Nevada and European gambling models, and outlines why player prop betting and prediction markets pose real risks to the integrity of sports. He also reflects on the repeal of PASPA, the unexpected embrace of gambling by major leagues, and why he believes the industry must slow down and self-regulate before outside forces do it for them. #betting #gambling #lasvegas #sportsbetting #superbowl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The boys return for another week to discuss the latest in Greek football, the gift that keeps on giving.UEFA Competiton Olympiakos defeat Ajax to reach the UCL playoffsPAOK lose to Lyon under difficult circumstancesPAO draw at home to RomaSLGRAEK & Olympiakos play out a controversial draw in Agia SophiaPAOK smash PanserraikosPAO see off KifisiaThe Levadiakos train keeps on rollingOFI are in the European playoff placesAEL win three in a row & a fan is sharing out the lamb chopsGreek Cup semifinals previewPanathinaikos host PAOKOFI play LevadiakosTransfersOlympiakos makes a double signing from Rio AvePanserraikos is on a spending spreeMandas joins BournemouthPAO sign Moussa SissokoGive us a follow on:X: https://twitter.com/HellasfootyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellasfooty/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@HellasFootyRead our blogs on: https://hellasfooty.blogspot.com/Intro music credit to George Prokopiou (Ermou Street)

S&P futures are pointing to a slightly higher open today ahead of a busy earnings slate. Asian markets ended mixed on Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei underperformed due to a selloff in software names on AI disruption fears. The Hang Seng was flat while the Shanghai Composite was higher on stronger-than-expected services PMI data. European benchmarks are flat or slightly higher in early trading.Companies Mentioned: NVIDIA, Texas Instruments, Ford, OpenAI

Guest: Judy Dempsey. Dempsey analyzes the stalemated Ukraine conflict, noting European refusal to accept Russianvictory, while discussing rising tensions and internal political divisions within Iran.1895 KRAKOW

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-3-20261882 CONSTANTINOPLE Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek discusses Trump's nomination of hawk Kevin Warsh for Federal ReserveChairman, noting the immediate drop in precious metals and potential monetary policy shifts. Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek predicts Democrats will take the House in midterms, forcing Trump to rely on executive actions and non-traditional voter turnout to maintain his agenda. Guest: Judy Dempsey. Dempsey analyzes the stalemated Ukraine conflict, noting European refusal to accept Russian victory, while discussing rising tensions and internal political divisions within Iran. Guest: Judy Dempsey. Amidst the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, Dempsey explains how economic struggles and Brexit regrets are driving the Labour Party to consider re-engaging with the European Union. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg details Starmer's unpopularity and lack of economic agenda, noting potential leadership challenges within the Labour Party from rivals like Burnham and Streeting. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg warns that revelations linking Peter Mandelson to Epstein reinforce narratives of elitism, damaging Starmer's already unpopular Labour government among working-class voters. Guest: David Shedd. Shedd discusses the conviction of a Google engineer for stealing AI secrets, illustrating corporate naivety regarding China's state-mandated espionage and intelligence gathering operations. Guest: David Shedd. Shedd warns against selling advanced chips to China, describing Beijing's "capture, cage, and kill" economic strategy and criticizing the U.S. administration's transactional approach. Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel argues U.S. talks with Iran are dangerous, as Tehran uses negotiations to stall while maintaining brutality and nuclear ambitions amidst regional military buildup. Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel discusses the futility of appeasing Putin regarding Ukrainian territory and the need for security plans to support Venezuela's opposition against the Maduro regime. Guest: David Albright. Albright warns of "loose nukes" and dangerous materials in Iran, urging planning for a "day after" scenario to secure nuclear assets during potential regime instability. Guest: David Albright. Albright emphasizes the need for a coalition-led inspection and removal regime to secure Iranian nuclear materials and protect scientists if the government collapses. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley analyzes new talks involving Turkey and the UAE, noting U.S. reluctance to support Iranian civil society leaves the clerical regime breathing room despite weakness. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley observes Russia targeting Ukrainian infrastructure to pressure the public, noting that despite Western support, Moscow retains the upper hand while demanding territorial concessions. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley details a civil war within the CCP as Xi Jinping purges military leaders, risking regime collapse while Western leaders ignore China's economic hollowing. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley discusses the Epstein scandal involving Lord Mandelson and Prince Andrew, suggesting King Charles is distancing the monarchy from these revelations to protect the institution.

SHOW SCHEDULE2-2-20261719 ROME1.Bill Roggio of the Long War Journal and Husain Haqqani discuss imminent potential US air strikes on Iran, expressing skepticism that air power alone can achieve regime change or lasting results without ground forces or sustained commitment.2.Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani analyze Russia's offer to mediate between the US and Iran, concluding Moscow is not a credible partner and aims to distract Washington while protecting its strategic interests in Tehran.3.Alejandro Peña Esclusa reports that Cuban personnel are fleeing Venezuela as oil payments cease, signaling a crisis for Havana following Maduro's detention and the collapse of the socialist alliance that sustained both regimes.4.Alejandro Peña Esclusa explains that while Europeans criticize Maduro's capture, Venezuelans support it, hoping for the release of remaining political prisoners under a new amnesty law restoring democratic governance.5.James Holmes of the Naval War College and Gordon Chang discuss Alfred Thayer Mahan's nineteenth-century view of Hawaii as strategic opportunity, drawing parallels to modern Chinese expansionism and current interest in Greenland.6.James Holmes and Gordon Chang argue Greenland is vital for Arctic defense and mineral access, suggesting the USseeks military bases there to deny access to Russia and China in polar competition.7.Fraser Howie and Gordon Chang assert Xi Jinping's goal of making the renminbi a global reserve currency is impossible without lifting capital controls and accepting trade deficits that Beijing refuses to tolerate.8.Conrad Black criticizes the Prime Minister for labeling Canada a middle power, urging increased defense spending to secure the Northwest Passage and Arctic sovereignty against encroaching rivals.9.Edmund Fitton Brown and Bill Roggio warn that US-Iran talks ignore the mass killings of protesters, while characterizing Maliki's potential return in Iraq as a hostile act against Western interests and regional stability.10.Edmund Fitton Brown and Bill Roggio argue Saudi Arabia's refusal to allow airspace use for strikes on Iran is theatrical to avoid Iranian retaliation, noting Riyadh privately remains a dependable US partner.11.David Daoud and Bill Roggio explain Hezbollah is downplaying Gaza ties to avoid dragging Lebanon into war, prioritizing the rehabilitation of its image among the economically weary Shiite population in Lebanon.12.David Daoud and Bill Roggio note Hezbollah is refilling ranks after Israeli strikes, suggesting new leader Naim Qassem's quiet demeanor may help the group lay low and regenerate its capabilities.13.John Hardie and Bill Roggio report Russia is recruiting gamers and specialists for a new military branch, the Unmanned Systems Forces, aiming for 210,000 troops by 2030 to expand drone warfare capabilities.14.John Hardie and Bill Roggio state negotiations are deadlocked as Russia demands territory and a veto on security guarantees, while Putin ultimately seeks domination over Ukraine's geopolitical orientation and sovereignty.15.Joe Truzman and Bill Roggio describe the war as a slow boil, noting Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire is stalling because Hamas refuses to disarm or surrender heavy weapons to Israel.16.Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio report a fragile deal where the SDF integrates into the Syrian state to avoid destruction, though tensions remain regarding Turkey and the fate of ISIS prisoners in the northeast.

Plus: Shares of European legal publishing companies RELX and Wolters Kluwer fall after Anthropic releases new AI legal tools. And the selloff expands to data-providers like S&P Global and FactSet. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stu Holden and David Mosse are here with a new episode of State of the Union! Stu and Mosse start the show by breaking down the end of the European transfer window and Ricardo Pepi's transfer to Fulham falling through. Stu and Mosse then move through the Bundesliga and Serie A where both Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie scored to continue their strong form. Stu and Mosse then provide a preview for the upcoming Champions League playoff matches including the huge rematch between Real Madrid and Benfica. In #AskAlexi, the pair break down some major moves in MLS including Inter Miami's latest signing and discuss what's next for Gio Reyna. Finally, in One for the Road, Stu gives his latest prediction for the USA's starting lineup in the coming World Cup. Use our code for $30 off your next order of World Cup Tickets on SeatGeek*:https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/SOTU Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $30discount, Min. $200 Purchase Intro: (0:00)Inside the transfer window (2:46)Pepi's deal to Fulham falls through (6:33)US Abroad: McKennie, Tillman stay hot (19:26)#AskAlexi: No Gio, no cry? (46:11)One For The Road: Stu's US Starting XI (54:50) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we talk about the European Union, India, and tariffs.We also discuss trade barriers, free trade, and dumping.Recommended Book: The Kill Chain by Christian BroseTranscriptA free trade agreement, sometimes called a free trade treaty, is a law that reduces the cost and regulatory burden of trading between two or more states.There are many theories as to the ideal way to do international trade, with some economists and politicians positing that complete free and open trade is the way to go, because it allows goods and services to cross borders completely unencumbered, which in turn allows businesses in different countries to really lean into whatever they're good at, selling their cars to countries that are less good at making cars, while that recipient country produces soy beans or computer chips or whatever they're good at making, and sending those in the other direction, likewise unburdened by stiff tariffs or regulatory hurdles. Each country can thus produce the best product cheapest and sell it to the market where their products are in high-demand, while they, in turn, benefit from the same when it comes to other products and services.This theory leans on the idea that everyone is better off when everyone does what they're best at, rather than trying to do everything—specialization. But those who oppose this conception of international trade argue that this creates and reinforces asymmetries between different nations and businesses: a country that's really good at producing soybeans may be at a substantial disadvantage if the country that makes cars ever decides to go to war, because they won't have the existing infrastructure to build tanks or drones or whatever else, while the country that specializes in computer chips might hold all the cards when it comes to generating economic pressure against its enemies or would-be enemies, because such chips are in everything these days, from military hardware to kitchen appliances.This also creates potential frailties for countries that specialize in, say, buggy whips, only to have a new technology like the automobile come around and put a significant chunk of their total economy out of business.This theory may also leave local businesses that don't lean into a regional strength kind of in the lurch. If a country with a decent-sized automobile industry decides leaves their borders completely open to international competition, there's a chance that could light a fire under those local producers, forcing them to become more competitive, but there's also a chance it could collapse the market for local offerings—their cars might no longer be desirable, because the international stuff flooding across the borders from a nation that has heavily prioritized making cars are just so much better and cheaper, whether naturally or artificially, because of subsidies by that foreign government meant to help them take out international competition.This is why most nations have all sorts of tariffs, regulations, and other trade barriers erected between them and their trading partners, and why those trade barriers are ultra-specific, different for every single possible trade partner. The goal is to make international options less appealing by making them more expensive, or making it trickier for foreign competition to smoothly and quickly get their products on your shelves, while still making those things available in a volume that aligns with local consumer demands. And then ideally making it easier and cheaper for your stuff to get on their shelves.The negotiation of all this is massively complicated because Country A might want to favor their soybean farmers, who are an important voting bloc, and Country B might want to do the same for their car industry, because tax income from that industry is vital, and these two governments will thus do what they can to ensure their favored local industries and businesses have the biggest leg-up possible in as many foreign markets as possible, without giving away so much to their trade partners that they create worse situations for other industries and businesses (and the people who run them) on the home-front, as a consequence.What I'd like to talk about today is a recent, massive and potentially quite vital trade deal that was struck in early 2026, and what it might mean for global trade.—At the tail-end of January 2026, the European Commission announced that they had struck what they called “the mother of all deals” with India, this deal the culmination of two decades worth of negotiation, its tenets impacting about 2 billion people and around a quarter of the world's total GDP.The agreement, as is the case with most such agreements, is fairly complex. But in essence it reduces or eliminates tariffs on 96.6% of all EU goods exported to India, which means about 4 billion euros of annual duties that would have otherwise been paid on European products in India will disappear—a savings for Indian consumers, and a boon for European producers whose products will now be cheaper in India.This is expected to be especially beneficial for European automakers like Volkswagen, Renault, and BMW, which have long been weighed down by a 110% tariff in India; that tariff will be reduced to as little as 10% on the first 250,000 vehicles sold, following this agreement. Lower priced vehicles will still face higher tariffs, to help protect India's local carmakers, but electric vehicles will benefit from a five-year grace period, as India has been focusing on allowing as many cheap, renewable energy assets and infrastructure into the country as possible, regardless of where they come from.Tariffs on machinery, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals coming from the EU will be almost entirely eliminated, down from tariff rates of 44, 22, and 11%, respectively. Wine, which has long been tariffed at a rate of 150%, will be cut to between 20-30% for many varieties, and spirits from the EU coming into India will see 150% tariffs cut to 40%.On the other side of this deal, the EU will also open its market to Indian goods, reducing tariffs on about 99.5% of all such goods, including seafood, textiles, gems and jewelry, leather goods, plastic products, and toys. Several of these categories, like Indian seafood, textile-making, and other labor-intensive industries, have had a rough time of late, because of high US tariffs enforced by President Trump's second administration, so this is being seen as a significant win for them in particular.Interestingly, while the reduction in trade barriers is substantial here, and the number of people and industries, and amount of money that's involved is massive, this deal doesn't include, and in some cases explicitly excludes, any agreements related to labor rights, climate commitment, or environmental standards.This means that while the European Union has thus far been pretty strict in terms of ensuring incoming products align with their policies and values regarding things like carbon emissions and ensuring goods aren't produced by people laboring in slave-like conditions, this deal falls short of such enforcements, allowing India to operate with relative impunity, with regards to those issues, at least, and still sell with dramatically reduced barriers, on the European market. That's a big deal, and is perhaps the biggest indicator of just how badly the EU wanted to make this deal work.The EU was also able to keep significant protections in place for important local sectors like beef and chicken, dairy, rice, and sugar—all industries in which India would have liked to compete in the EU, but which, because of those maintained barriers, they practically can't. That would likely have been a feverishly negotiated topic, and it's likely an indicator of how much India wanted this to work, too.On that note, both India and the EU were apparently especially interested in making this multi-decade deal work, now, because of increasing pressure from China on one side and the US on the other.China has been rerouting many of its cheap products that would have previously gone to the US market, elsewhere, engaging in what's often called ‘dumping' which slowly but surely puts businesses that produce comparable products at a profit in those local target markets out of business, at which point these Chinese companies can then ratchet up their prices and profits, operating without real competition.The EU and India have both been targeted by Chinese companies taking this approach, because they're still producing at a feverish pace and because of US tariffs and the general unpredictability and irregularity of US policy overall under the second Trump administration, they've been firing that cheap product cannon more intensely at other large markets, instead—and India and the EU are the next two big markets in line right now, after the US and China.On the US side of things, those same tariffs have been hurting companies in both the EU and India that would otherwise been shipping their goods to the rich and spendy US market, and in many cases these tariffs have been fine-tuned to hurt important local industries as much as possible, because that's one of Trump's main negotiating tactics: lead with pain and then negotiate to take some of the pain away.This deal, then, serves multiple purposes in that it creates a valuable, newly polished trade relationship between a rich and powerful existing bloc and the newly most-populous country on the planet, which is also rapidly expanding economically and geopolitically.One last point to note, here, though, is that the European Union has been trying to create these sorts of mutually beneficial deals with non-US partners for a while, now, and the two most recent wins, trade deals with a South American trade bloc and with Indonesia, in early January 2026 and in September of 2025, respectively, have borne mixed results.The deal with Indonesia seems to be moving forward apace, and while it's a heck of a lot smaller than the India deal, only worth about 27 billion euros, that's still important, as Indonesia is increasingly important, both economically and geopolitically, especially in a Southeast Asia that's slowly reinforcing itself against China's economically and potentially militarily expansionist tendencies.The deal with that South American bloc, however, was referred to the EU Court of Justice in mid-January for legal review due to its lack of alignment with other EU treaties, and that could delay or prevent its ratification.This new mother of all deals with India could likewise face holdups, or could fizzle before being implemented—though most analysts who are keeping eyes on this are seeing it not just as an economic agreement, but a gesture of solidarity at a moment in which China and the US are signaling their intent to carve up the world into hemispheric hegemonies, when those who might otherwise be forced into subordinate positions are scrambling to figure out who they can team up with and create counter-balancing forces capable of standing up against current and future aggression and coercion.There's a chance that even if politics and propriety threaten to get in the way, then, India and the EU will figure out a way to work together, on this and potentially other matters of global import, as well.Show Noteshttps://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/27/eu-and-india-sign-free-trade-agreementhttps://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/eu-india-trade-deal-leaves-blocs-carbon-border-tariff-intact-2026-01-27/https://archive.is/20260127162349/https://www.ft.com/content/b03b1344-7e92-4d0d-b85e-5ed92fc8f550https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_trade_agreementhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_barrierhttps://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_184https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_26_184/IP_26_184_EN.pdfhttps://www.ndtv.com/world-news/how-indias-mother-of-all-deals-with-eu-wipes-out-pakistans-trade-advantage-10921011https://theconversation.com/what-the-mother-of-all-deals-between-india-and-the-eu-means-for-global-trade-274515https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/economic-impact-us-tariff-hikes-significance-trade-diversion-effectshttps://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260116IPR32450/eu-mercosur-meps-demand-a-legal-opinion-on-its-conformity-with-the-eu-treatieshttps://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/1/27/mother-of-all-deals-how-india-eu-trade-deal-creates-27-trillion-markethttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/27/trump-reaction-eu-india-trade-deal-fta.htmlhttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/inflection-points/the-mother-of-all-trade-deals-in-the-time-of-trump/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/with-mother-of-all-deals-in-bag-minister-piyush-goyal-says-mother-will-be-compassionate-fair-to-all-28-children/articleshow/127821015.cmshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93European_Union_Free_Trade_Agreementhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93European_Union_relations This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

We discuss the new Epstein revelations that show that jeevacation also had a day job as a kind of nefarious Forrest Gump, facilitating or gleefully observing a huge number of the events that made our world feel so irredeemable, connecting a world of post-Soviet and American oligarchs with European aristocrats, western financiers, and basically every intelligence agency. In the second half, we talk to sociologist Paolo Gerbaudo about Ellison and friends' acquisition of TikTok USDS and what that means for politics and social media going forward. Get more TF episodes each week by subscribing to our Patreon here!   TF Merch is still available here!   *MILO ALERT* Check out Milo's tour dates here: https://www.miloedwards.co.uk/liveshows Trashfuture are: Riley (@raaleh), Milo (@Milo_Edwards), Hussein (@HKesvani), Nate (@inthesedeserts), and November (@postoctobrist)

This week's episode of Wealth Formula features an interview with Claudia Sahm, and I want to share a quick takeaway before you listen — because she's often misunderstood in the headlines. First, a quick explanation of the Sahm Rule, in plain English. The rule looks at unemployment and asks a very simple question:Has the unemployment rate started rising meaningfully from its recent low? Specifically, if the three-month average unemployment rate rises by 0.5% or more above its lowest level over the past year, the Sahm Rule is triggered. Historically, that has happened early in every U.S. recession since World War II. That's why it gets cited so much. And to be clear — it's cited a lot. The Sahm Rule is tracked by the Federal Reserve, Treasury economists, Wall Street banks, macro funds, and economic research shops globally. When it triggers, it shows up everywhere. That's not by accident. Claudia built one of the cleanest early-warning indicators we have. But here's the part that often gets lost. The Sahm Rule is not a market-timing tool and it's not a prediction machine. Claudia emphasized this repeatedly. It was designed as a policy signal — a way to say, “Hey, if unemployment is rising this fast, waiting too long to respond makes things worse.” In other words, it's a call to action for policymakers, not a command for investors to panic. What makes this cycle unusual — and why talking to Claudia directly was so helpful — is what's actually driving the data. We're not seeing mass layoffs. Layoffs remain low by historical standards. What we're seeing instead is very weak hiring. Companies aren't firing people — they're just not expanding. That distinction matters. And this is where I think the big picture comes in — not just for understanding the economy, but for investing in general. When you step back, the big picture includes a government with massive debt loads that needs interest rates to come down over time. It includes fiscal pressures that make prolonged high rates politically and economically painful. And it includes the reality that if the current Fed leadership won't ease fast enough, future leadership will. History tells us that governments eventually get the monetary conditions they need — even if it takes time, even if it takes new appointments, and even if it takes a shift toward a more dovish Federal Reserve. That doesn't mean reckless money printing tomorrow. But it does mean that structurally high rates are unlikely to be permanent. And when you combine that with investing, the question becomes less about this month's headline and more about what's positioned to benefit when the environment normalizes. That's why I continue to focus on real assets that are already deeply discounted — things like multifamily real estate — assets that were repriced brutally during the rate shock, but still sit at the center of a growing, rent-dependent economy. This conversation with Claudia reinforced something I've been talking about for a long time:The biggest investing mistakes usually happen when people zoom in too far and forget to zoom back out. I've made this mistake myself. If you want a thoughtful, non-sensational, data-driven discussion about where we actually are in this cycle — and what the indicators really mean — I think you'll get a lot out of this episode. Transcript Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI and may not be 100% accurate. If you notice any errors or corrections, please email us at phil@wealthformula.com. Welcome everybody. This is Buck Joffrey with the Well Formula Podcast coming to you from Montecito, California. Before we begin today, I wanna remind you, uh, listen, we’re back in, uh, back in the saddle in here in, uh, 2026. I know it’s takes some time to get used to it, but we’re, gosh, we’re at the end of the month actually by the time this plays. I think we’re in February. It’s time again to start thinking about investing. And so if you are interested in potentially using this year, which I believe and which many believe to potentially be the last year, uh, big discounts, uh, in real estate and, uh, various other types of offerings. Make sure. To sign up for the Accredit Investor group, our investor club, as we call it wealthformula.com. You do need to be an accredit investor and then you get onboarded. An accredit investor is just defined by who you are. If you make over $300,000 per year filing jointly, or 200 by yourself, every reasonable expectation to do so in the future. Or you have a net worth of a million dollars outta your personal, outside of your personal residence, you’re an accredit investor. Congratulations. Join the club wealthformula.com. Interesting podcast. Today we have, uh, Claudia Sahm She’s a Big Deal, Claudia Sahm. You may recognize that last name som, for this som rule. And what is a som rule in plain English. You actually have heard of the som rule multiple times from other economists who’ve been on the show. The som rule looks at unemployment. And asks a very simple question. Now, has the unemployment rate started rising meaningfully from its recent low? So specifically, if the three month average unemployment rate rises 0.5% or more above its lowest level, over the past year, this som rule is triggered. Now, historically, that has happened early in every US recession since the World War ii. That’s why it gets cited so much. It gets cited a lot. By the way, the sum rule is tracked by the Fed treasury economists, wall Street Banks, macro funds, economic research shops globally, and when it triggers, it shows up everywhere, and that’s not by accident. Uh, Claudia has built one of the cleanest early warning indicators we have, but here’s the part that often gets lost. The som rule is not a market timing tool, and it’s not a prediction machine. Claudia, uh, emphasized that repeatedly. It was designed as a policy signal, a way to say, Hey, if unemployment’s rising this fast, wait, waiting too long to respond makes things worse. In other words, it’s call to action for policy makers, not a command for investors to panic per se. So what makes this cycle unusual and why talking to Claudia directly was so helpful? Well, it’s what’s actually driving the data. We’re not seeing mass layoffs. Layoffs remain low by historical standards. Um, what we’re seeing instead is very weak. Hiring companies aren’t firing people, they’re just not expanding, and that distinction matters. This is where the big picture comes in, not just for understanding the economy. For investing in general and when you step back, the big picture includes a government with massive debt loads that need interest rates to come down over time. It includes fiscal pressures that make prolonged high rates politically and economically painful. I’ve mentioned this before and it includes the reality that have to fed, fed, uh, if the current Fed leadership won’t ease fast enough. I am likely the case that future leadership appointed by. Donald Trump himself, uh, will, so history tells us that governments eventually get the monetary conditions they need, even if it takes time, even if it takes new appointments. And even if it takes a shift towards a more dovish federal reserve. Uh, that doesn’t mean, uh, reckless money printing tomorrow, but it does mean that structurally. High interest rates are unlikely to be permanent. Okay? And when you combine that with investing, the question becomes less about this month’s headline and more about what’s positioned to benefit when the environment normalizes. Okay? That’s really, really important, and that’s why I continue to focus on things like real estate, right? Real estate is currently. Not for long, in my opinion, but deeply discounted things like multifamily real estate, um, that were repriced brutally during the rate shot, uh, but are still at the center of a growing and, and rent dependent economy. And again, uh, this conversation with Claudia reinforced something that I’ve been talking about a long time, which is the biggest investing mistakes usually happen when people zoom in too far and forget to zoom back out. I’ve made that mistake myself. I am not immune. I have made lots of mistakes, and that’s one of them. So this is a great conversation. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it, especially if you want a thoughtful, nons sensational data-driven discussion. Where we are actually at in this cycle and what these indicators really mean. I think you’ll get a lot of this episode and we will have this conversation for you right after these messages. Wealth formula banking is an ingenious concept powered by whole life insurance, but instead of acting just as a safety net. The strategy supercharges your investments. First, you create a personal financial reservoir that grows at a compounding interest rate much higher than any bank savings account. As your money accumulates, you borrow from your own bank to invest in other cash flowing investments. Here’s the key. Even though you borrowed money at a simple interest rate, your insurance company keeps. Paying you compound interest on that money even though you’ve borrowed it at result, you make money in two places at the same time. That’s why your investments get supercharged. This isn’t a new technique. It’s a refined strategy used by some of the wealthiest families in history, and it uses century old rock solid insurance companies as its backbone. Turbocharge your investments. Visit Wealthformulabanking.com. Again, that’s wealth formula banking.com. Welcome back to the show, everyone. Today my guest on Wealth Formula podcast is Dr. Claudia Sahm. Uh, she’s an American, uh, macroeconomic expert, uh, known for her work, uh, on monetary and fiscal policy and real-time economic indicators. She developed this som rule, which I think, uh, people have mentioned on this show before, so this is a great opportunity to talk to her about that. Uh, it’s a widely, uh, followed recession signal based on unemployment. She’s also a former Federal Reserve economist and senior policy advisor in government. Um, so welcome, uh, Dr. Sahm. Great. Happy to be here. Thank you. Well, let’s, let’s kind of start out with this som rule because, uh, you know, it’s funny, we, we have had a few different people, uh, at various times bring up the SOM rule, and I think one had actually said that it was triggered, but I don’t don’t think it was at any rate, let’s, let’s start with that. What is the som rule? Lemme start with why is there a som rule, and then we’ll then we’ll get to specifically what the, what the rule is itself. So when I started out on the project, it wasn’t so much about. Calling a recession, like there are some really fancy technical ways that economists like look at the tea leaves and the data and either try to forecast a recession, which is incredibly hard, or even just say we’re in a recession in real time. So like that’s a useful endeavor. But what actually was behind the development of my recession indicator was more of a call to action. How do we develop policies that, that the Congress can put into place very quickly if a recession comes? So these kind of what are referred to as automatic stabilizers, so they’re decided upon ahead of time, but then you do need a trigger that says a recession is here. So now that enhance the unemployment benefits, send out the stimulus checks, whatever it is that we kind of have as our typical tools that are used in recessions, we could have those ready to go as kind of guardrails. Then like you, you turn the policy on. So that was really my emphasis was on how do we do better policy and recessions, get the support out quickly. ’cause that’s the best chance of kind of stabilizing the situation. And then it’s like, well it was in a, it was in a policy volume that they asked for, like a really concrete proposal. So if I’m gonna say an automatic stabilizer, I need to have a proposal for what a trigger could be. So that’s really where the som rule came. So I think it is important. It’s definitely important to me to, I always remember like what the kind of reason for it’s sure. Now that also guided what the indicator itself looks like. So again, it was gonna be in, in fiscal policy. It needs to be simple, it needs to be something that we track it and it needs to, I felt it was important that it capture the reason that we. Fight recessions, why there’s such a bad, uh, you know, outcome. And so it looks at the, the unemployment rate. I use the national unemployment rate, take a three month average. ’cause we wanna smooth out, like there’s bumps and wiggles in the data from month to month. So you kind of, you know, three month average. One way to smooth it out. So you take that series of three month averages, you look at the current value, you compare to the lowest value over the prior 12 months, if you’ve seen an increase of a half, a percentage point or more. Which is really pretty modest, but half a percentage point or more. Historically, we have been in the early months of a recession, so it’s not a forecast. It’s supposed to be like we’re in it. Let’s go. It’s an empirical pattern. It’s one that’s worked in the United States. It reflects kind of our labor market institutions, the way unemployment rate moves and recessions. It historically is the case that once you get past a certain threshold of increased unemployment rate, it tends to build on itself. And in a typical recession, we see increases of. Two, three or more percentage points in the unemployment rate. Uh, so that’s, that’s what the summer rule is. And in fact, it did trigger in the summer of 2024. At that time I had said like, look around, we are not in a recession. GP is still expanding. Job creation is still happening. We don’t see the other hallmarks of a recession. And pointed to the fact that we’d had a very disrupted labor market after the pandemic in particular. You know, there had been a lot of immigration at that point. The unemployment rate is the total number of unemployed. So people who don’t have a job but are actively looking for one out of the labor force, right? And so these people that have to either be employed or looking for jobs, and so we actually saw from the pandemic. Both with the pandemic and then later with the surge and now the reversal in immigration. We’ve seen a lot of movement in the, in the labor force, which makes unemployment rate a little tricky to interpret. And then I’d also argue, we saw early in the pandemic, the unemployment rate dropped very rapidly. We even had labor shortages. So in some ways unemployment rate rising and it has risen over. I mean, it continued to rise last year in 2025. A lot of that’s also normalization. We’d had a very low unemployment rate. So I think the, the pandemic recession has a lot of features that were very unusual. We’ll talk probably more about the labor market continued to be kind of unusual. So the, you know, the somal was not the only recession indicator to fall flat on its face in the cycle. Um, but I think it’s still a useful, useful guide and I, and. You know, even if it’s not a recession, the, the unemployment rate is a full percentage point above, its low in 2023. So, I mean, that, that could, that could be a reason for policymakers to respond, even if it’s not responding to a recession. Right. That was the first time that it, that triggered and, and actually didn’t. End up in a recession, right? There’s some back in the 1950s, earlier, but it’s, it’s the first time where there’ve been some false positives in the past or, or near false positives. Like in 2003. It was kind of close, uh, is like the unemployment rate rises a little bit and then it falls back down. What we saw after it triggered in 2024 is it stabilized. Then last year it continued to rise. So this the pattern that we’ve seen since the pandemic of rapid recovery dropping unemployment rate and then it’s like gradually rising and yet has risen a full percentage point that you go all the way back in the post World War II period. We don’t see anything that looks like that. So that is a very unusual. Paris. So something’s more is going on in the labor market than just our typical business cycle, boom, bust, recession type dynamics. So what is that? What is the thing that’s happening that’s unusual right now in the labor market? Right? So the thing that is driving the unemployment rate up, I think this is a good lesson, a reminder to all of us. It’s not about layoffs. The rate of layoffs in the United States is really quite low. You look at unemployment insurance claims, they’re also quite low. What’s been pushing the unemployment rate up over the last two and a half years has been a very low rate of hiring and, and it’s, and it is something that over time will at least gradually put upward pressure on the unemployment rate and frankly. Until hiring picks up and we really don’t have many signs of it. Even as we enter 2026 unemployment rate’s gonna probably keep drifting up ’cause we’re not keeping job creation’s, not keeping up with, you know, people coming into the, into the labor market and, and that what’s, I think the puzzle right now is that hiring has been very low. But what we’ve seen in terms of consumer spending, business investment, so the kind of the big pieces of GDP, they’ve really held up pretty well, so. Business. It’s not, again, not that recession of the customers have disappeared. And so we’re not hiring, or we may even be firing workers. The customers are there for the businesses, but they’re choosing in this environment not to add, uh, to their payrolls. And that’s slowly pushing up down point rate. Yeah. Um, you know, it, it’s interesting what you’re, you’re talking about, but essentially you’re, people aren’t getting fired. They’re just, when they retire or leave, they’re just not replacing those. Individuals, you know, makes me think a little bit about what’s going on in the big, you know, in the tech push with artificial intelligence and that kind of thing, and increased in efficiency. Certainly you see that in the larger companies like Amazon and all that, where they’re just becoming massively more productive and cutting expenses essentially by, you know, using tech. Do you think that this is sort of an early indication, potentially of that kind of movement? So it. It’s possible, but I think we’re at the very front end of AI disrupting the labor market. This low hiring rate that we’ve talked about. You see this across all kinds of industries, including ones that don’t show high levels of AI adoption, and frankly, a AI adoption is pretty low. I mean, there are some sectors like tech and increasingly finance and some professional services have higher adoption rates. Uh, but in terms of it being able to explain the low hiring. I think it’s pretty tough ’cause the low hiring is such a, such a broad based, um, phenomenon. Now, AI might be, I think, indirectly contributing in that one of, one of the hypotheses about why, um, businesses have been, uh, not hiring despite, you know, economic activity. Continuing to push ahead could be that there’s a lot of uncertainty. Now there is a long list that we could draw of, of factors that might be causing businesses to be uncertain and hesitant to add to their payrolls. Uh, a lot of times you talk about things with tariffs or, you know, economic policy, regulations changing, you know, so there’s a lot going on there. But it could also be, there’s a lot of uncertainty about what this technology means for the future. Maybe you don’t need to bring on more workers because your ability to kind of use and adapt this technologies coming online. And so like that could be part of it. I think there’s another piece, you know, we have a lot of discussion about ai, but I do think that there’s, there could be a, a technology angle to this that’s, that is. Not in the AI technologies, but maybe just some of the more basic kind of automation is again, right after, you know, the, the pandemic recession as we came out of a, you know, very rapid recovery, uh, there was, there was a lot of hiring or that, ’cause businesses had done a lot of firing and they needed to bring back workers really rapidly and we actually had a period of labor shortages. There were workers moving around a lot and there were, that also put a lot of pressure on some employers, particularly in service sector, to automate more ’cause they just couldn’t get the workers, so they needed to bring technology. Online to help, you know, fill the gap. And over time, you know, businesses though, they haven’t done as much hiring, they have been firing. So the workers, they have longer tenures, have more experience, they’re probably more productive. So maybe businesses can kind of, you know, get away with not doing more hiring. ’cause the people they have there can kind of keep up with it. Um, and they’ve done some more automation. I don’t think those are sustainable. I think we’re going to need to see hiring pickup in terms of, of staying with, um, you know, as expanding, uh, demand from customers. But I won’t pretend to know what AI means for the future of the labor force. Right. So like there could be, I think that’s a big conversation about we’re headed, where we’re headed. I think it’s probably a pretty small slice of explaining. Where we’re at right now. You know, it’s interesting because obviously there was a lot of concerns about rising inflation, and particularly in the context of, you know, tariffs and, and among those types of things that were, were, um, coming down the pipe. And as it turns out, inflation seems to be coming down. How do you explain that from where you sit? Because it, it, it seems sort of to contradict a lot of what, you know, many economists believe to be likely. So when thinking about the effects of tariffs on inflation and this, this idea that it didn’t end up being as much of a factors we had really feared, uh, you know, a year ago. I think there’s a few things to keep in mind. One, the announced tariffs, uh. Didn’t come to pass fully. Right? So there’s a big difference between some of the, the, the initial announcements, whether it was on Liberation Day, April 2nd, or the initial kind of retaliation tit for tat with China, where we ended up with some triple digit, uh, tariff numbers. Those didn’t end up being where we, we ended now tariff, the effect of tariff rate. Is much higher than it was before. Right. Uh, president Trump came into office for the second time, so like, I don’t wanna minimize the, the, the increase in tariffs and the US government collected about $200 billion last year in, in additional tariffs. But there is a, there’s a good bit of daylight between what was announced and where we actually ended up. Businesses also proved very capable of trying to avoid those tariffs and not in like a. Illegal kind of way of avoiding them, but, but using inventories like trying to get ahead of them. We know the tariffs are tariffs. There’s been some evidence that, that it’s businesses are gonna start passing on the tariff cost increase when it’s actually tied to the inventories that they’re putting out in front of customers. And for some of our goods, like say apparel or things that have long seasons or come from, you know, all across the world, it actually takes quite a bit of time from the inventories being what actually shows up in front of customers. So there’s been the ability to. Kind of get around the tariffs ’cause they were rolling in. And so do be smart in terms of your inventories. And then it just takes time for those inventories to be, you know, um, to come down. Mm-hmm. By, there’s been several studies at this place, at this point that, that demonstrate that the, the tariffs, the cost of the tariffs is coming into the us. So the, it’s always the importer that pays the tariff, like literally writes the check to the US government. But it’s possible that the foreign producer could say, reduce their prices on what they’re, you know, paying or what they’re asking to be paid for that, uh, imported good. And then that would be a way of the foreign producer sharing the cost of the tariff. But everything that we see from the M Court data suggests that a very small fraction, probably less than 10%. Of the total tariff burden is being born by, at least at this point, born by the foreign producers. So it’s coming into the us. It’s sitting with either US businesses that are importing the goods or have the goods at some point in their, you know, in their supply chains and, and with us customers, the consumers we have, we’ve seen. I think you can really look at the inflation data. You can see the goods prices, which often are kind of a drag on inflation that they did turn around. They’re, they’re putting upward pressure on inflation. It’s not massive. It doesn’t explain all of these, you know, 200 billion in tariff costs, but then it is, it’s sitting with businesses. The effects still, it’s still just not that long enough to really understand. You know what, what the implications. It’s possible. I, I think that’s true with any, with any big policy change. Like it doesn’t happen overnight. I think that’s one thing that a lot of, a lot of economic models that, like, they’re, they’re very sensitive, right? Like as soon as a policy change happens, the models will kind of tell us something pretty dramatic in terms of adjustments. But this last year was a reminder, like when there’s, when there’s a big cost, there’s gonna be a lot of attempts to adjust around it to try to minimize that cost and then. It takes time, like in the real world, like the interactions are much more complex. You know, inventory lags all of the, like, it takes time to move its way through. So I think we’re not done with the pass through. I think we’ll probably still see more come to consumers, but businesses could decide to bear that cost. They, they could, you know, with profit margins. I mean some of, some of the inflationary environment in the pandemic did allow. There were very broad base increases in prices. You did see some companies be profitable from that because it was, there was a, you know, some of the costs were more targeted, but the, you know, the, the price increases were broad. So it could be a time where businesses see that, you know, consumers are more price sensitive now than they were in 21, 20 21, 20 22, so they’re not passing as much on it. Could be that that’s part of where. Like the cost businesses are dealing with that cost by maybe doing less hiring as opposed to passing it on to consumers. Uh, you know, they could be taking a hit with their profits. They, you know, so like, it doesn’t have to go all the way through to consumers. There are different levers that can be pulled. I do think we’ll still see some pass through in the, in probably the first half of this year, and that’s assuming that our whole tariff regime. Sit still, right? It looks like once again we might be, uh, increasing those tariffs, but, um, so yeah, I think it’s just tracing, you know, the tariffs through the system is really complicated. And one last thing I’ll say about the tariffs is they’re not just tariffs on goods that go to consumers. These tariffs have been broad enough that we’re also taring imported goods that are used by our manufacturers used for our, by our businesses in their production. So then it can take a really long time for that to end up with the, you know, the end customer could be a business to start with, and then it moves its way down. So I think these are just, you know, the costs are real. We can see the tariffs have been collected, the costs are there. We can see in the import data, there haven’t been import price data, there haven’t been a lot of adjustments by the foreign suppliers. So then it’s just a question of, we have these costs. Where did the cost go? I believe the last GEP was 4.3% and, uh, inflation was around 2.6, 2.7, or at least core. You’ve obviously, uh, worked at the Fed. Um, give us a sense of the situation that the Fed is trying to figure out here. Like what do they do with these numbers and, you know, all of the issues that surround them. The work at the Fed, I mean, it, it’s laser focused on the, the response, the mandates that the Fed has. So with maximum employment and price stability and with maximum employment, that’s not something that can be easily defined. It’s not like it’s a particular unemployment rate, it’s not a particular payroll number. But I mean, broadly speaking, it’s, you know, do, are, you know, the people who wanna work, are they working? In such a way that it’s not putting pressure on inflation, right? Like labor shortages that end up with wage increases that just, you know, end up with inflation. Like that would be a situation where the Fed would actually want to kind of help restrain some of the. Uh, employment growth. And we, we saw that in this cycle. I mean, the Fed raised rates a lot in 2022 and 2023. Uh, so that’s the maximum employment on the stable prices. The Fed has set a target of the 2%, uh, year over year PCE inflation. So a little different than the CPI inflation, but very much related. And, and it’s one, I mean, that’s, that’s the goal, right? And it, uh. So it starts with those two pieces and, and what’s been, I think what’s been challenging in say the last year as the Fed was, you know, trying to figure out what it was gonna do with interest rates was the fact that it, there was pressure on both sides of the mandate. Mm-hmm. Um, and not necessarily the, well, I mean, inflation itself has, was above the 2%. It continues to be above the 2%. Target has been. Since 2021. Now the Fed’s policy doesn’t have a look back, but I mean, they do worry that the longer inflation stays closer to three than two businesses. Consumers are gonna start to kind of embed three into their actions, their expectations. Then you kind of get stuck there. So like that, that both, you know, they were missing on the inflation mandate and there were, there were concerns that the, that we might see inflation get stuck above the mandate and the way you dislodge it if it gets stuck. Could end up risking a recession, right? So the Fed doesn’t want that to happen. So that’s a real concern. But then on the employment side, you know, we started out talking about the small rule, the rising unemployment rate. We’ve seen the unemployment rate rising. And then last year in particular, it wasn’t just the unemployment rate rising, we saw job creation just really take a leg down. Um. Some of that probably is less immigration population aging, so less supply of workers, which isn’t something the Fed would react to. ’cause that, I mean, if you don’t have as many people that wanna work, you don’t need to create as many jobs. But the unemployment rate was rising, so it’s clear, like there just wasn’t, there wasn’t enough job creation to keep up with, um, the workers who were there, uh, to work. And, and there was a concern that this could, could spiral out. Those small increased unemployment rate that, that very low level of job creation. And frankly, if you look at, I mean the, I mean, we have multiple months and probably more after revisions of declines in payroll employment. Mm-hmm. Like if you looked at the labor market data, you’d be like, aren’t we in a recession or like on the edge of one? Again, that’s not where we’re at, but it, it certainly gave that, that risk. Things could be slowing down. And, and the, the last piece that was really important in the Fed’s decisions was where, where’s the federal funds rate? Where are the interest rate, the policy interest rate they control? And it was still relatively high. For, for recent history, right. Not in the long history of the Fed, but mm-hmm. And so, like the Fed had raised, they’d raised interest rates quite aggressively to fight the inflation in 2022. They’d very gradually lowered it. Some was taken out in 2023 because made some pro, made quite a bit of progress on inflation in, or in 2024, they lowered the rates in 2025, the 75 basis points of cuts that the Fed did. It was out of concern. Of the labor market unraveling a risk, not a, not saying, hey, the labor market is unraveling, but saying the risk that the downside risk to employment are larger and more worrisome than the upside risk to inflation. So this inflation getting stuck, is that still the case as a going into 2026 here? So, you know, even, even last year we saw, we listened to Fed officials, there’s quite a bit of disagreement. Because it was a tough situation to read. There are some Fed officials that were more focused on inflation, some that were more focused on the employment side. Uh, and it really was just a matter of kind of reading the economy and trying to figure out this, a very unusual situation, like where, where was this headed? What did the Fed need to do? In the end, the consensus on the Fed was to do the rate cuts, kind of front load them. They talked a lot about it as insurance. They’re taking out insurance against the labor market deteriorating. And I think with that approach, in all likelihood, and there’s been certainly signaling of this, that when they meet at the end of January, it’ll, they’re unlikely to move again. That this is, this will be an opportunity to hold steady, be patient the Fed has, has taken out their restriction. So they don’t have the higher rates, so they’ve pulled rates down. We also know that early this year there’s various kinds of fiscal support that are coming online or tax cuts to households and to businesses that should give a little extra lift, uh, to the economy. So I think it’s a period of the Fed waiting to see what the effects of their policy changes are, seeing what the effects of the fiscal policy with the expectation this will be enough to stabilize the labor market. Even help get it back on track and really what the Fed would like. I mean, we’ll see what they get, but they’d really like the next cut to be a good news cut. Like inflation. Oh look, it’s moving back down again. We’re making clear progress back to 2%. I think that’s probably gonna take maybe even till the middle of this year to build that case. A strong case for the disinflation. Mm-hmm. But that’s, that’s what they would, would like to do. But they’re gonna keep an eye on the labor market. But nothing we’ve seen in the most recent data suggests that they gotta get moving like that. There’s some, you know, real pressure building. Um, in fact, the labor market looks a little bit better probably than when they met in December and inflation. Showing some signs of progress, but it, it’s pretty bumpy in terms of, there’s a lot of noise in the data at the moment. You mentioned, um, the Fed’s mandate and you know, certainly that’s something, um, that, uh, you know, that, that we know the Fed looks at these unemployment numbers that look at inflation. I’m curious though, that there’s, you know, there is this push and pull with the treasury. In particular, you know, looking at the amount of, of, of, of bonds that need to be refinanced, that kind of thing. I mean, presumably that’s one of the reasons why the Trump administration is pushing so hard, uh, on the Fed to reduce, um, you know, to reduce rates so that you know, this sovereign debt can be refinanced at a, something a little bit more palatable. How much of that actually. I know it’s not supposed to play a part in the Federal Reserve’s actions, but in reality is there, is there that kind of, you know, thinking that, you know, they have to, they, they may try to play ball a little bit with the, with the situation, with the debt. Yeah. There, the, the Fed is not playing ball right now with the administration. Uh, but, but there have been, there have been times in our past. So during World War II, there was an explicit cooperation between the Fed and the Treasury. The Fed kept interest rates low. Both the federal funds rates, so the short term interest rates, they also did, uh, some purchases of longer term to help keep longer term rates down. Right. So I mean, the, the Fed really, they, their policy was oriented exactly on this objective, keeping the borrowing cost of the US government low because it was financing the war effort. So, so there have been times where the Fed has cooperated with treasury. Now, when they came out of World War ii. What happened is, you know, treasury wants to keep interest rates low. This is good for, you know, the economy, good for growth, but it was, it really was creating a lot of inflationary pressures and it took until the early 1950s for the Fed to kind of regain its kind of operational independence from treasury and then go back to pursuing, you know, inflation as a key goal. And then also in the late seventies and maximum employment was added as an explicit goal. So we’re in a place now where. It’s employment, it’s inflation, it, there was quite, um, I mean, president Trump and some other officials have been, you know, very open about saying rates should be low to help with the deficit, with funding the gov. So like, it’s, it’s been in the discussion in the air. But that’s not, that’s not a mandate that Congress has given the Fed. That’s not what they’re pursuing. It does, you know, but things can change at the Fed. We’re gonna see a change in leadership this year with a new Fed chair. Um, the Fed always, I mean, Congress created the Federal Reserve. It’s changed its abilities, its responsibilities over time. I don’t wanna say that we’ll never get back to a place where the Fed thinks about. Its effect on the deficit. I mean, they’re watching it, they know, right? They’re tracking all these aspects of the economy. But in terms of what’s driving the Fed’s decisions about what the, the federal funds rate should be, that’s not part of the calculus right now. Yeah. Um, you know, another, just another question is for clarity. You know, the, the, um, officially right now there’s, there’s no quantitative easing. However, there is. Uh, you know, I’ve been reading, uh, about even, I think even today, there was a, a fair amount of liquidity, uh, being injected in by the Fed. Can you, for people who don’t understand the mechanics of this and what the difference in terminology is, can you explain to us maybe what the difference is between quantitative easing and what’s being done right now? So just as for context, where quantitative easing even came from. So if we go back to the global financial crisis in 2008, the Federal Reserve, in response to that recession, pulled the federal funds rate all the way to zero. Cut rates to zero And as sure many of us remember that that recession was a very deep and long recession. So, and the unemployment rate was, you know, 10% and inflation was not a problem. So the, the Fed would want in that environment to do more to support the economy. But when the federal funds rate is at zero, that’s, its, that has been its primary tool. Well, that’s, that’s. Stepped out. So then as a question of, well, what else could we do to help support the economy? And, and there, there were. Different possibilities. Uh, some European central banks looked at, you know, they actually did negative interest rates or tried to pull their policy rates, and that’s not what the US did. What was done was to do purchases of, uh, treasuries. Uh, there’s also been purchases of mortgage backed securities, and this is where the Fed is. I mean, and, and they’re creating reserves. So the fed, I guess, secretary, uh. Treasury doesn’t refer to it as magic money. Um, you know, they create reserves and then they’re going out and they’re buying tr so they’re pushing that liquidity, that demand into markets. And if you’re, if there’s a lot more demand for treasuries, well, the price of the treasuries will go up. The yield comes down. Interest rates go down. Yep. Interest rates go down. So they. They were, the Fed wanted to support the economy more. That was the tool that they used to do it. So when, when the Fed talks about quantitative easing, it’s not just the tool, the asset purchases, it’s also the intent, right? They wouldn’t do quantitative easing right now. ’cause if the Fed thought they really need to stimulate the economy more, they’ve still got like. More than three percentage points they could cut from the federal funds rate. Like if the issue were right now, we need to like get the economy going, they’re gonna like cut the funds rate and do it that way. They wouldn’t be pur like purchasing assets, purchasing treasuries to do that. But what what happened is between the global financial crisis, the Great recession, so all the asset purchases done then. There was some, some runoff of the balance sheet, but then again, in the pandemic there were a lot of asset purchases. Uh, the Fed has a really big balance sheet, and it has, uh, it, it kind of changes the way that the Fed can even just move around the federal funds rate. Like, I don’t wanna get too much into the, the technicals, but it’s, it’s just, you know, when the Fed says, well, we wanna lower the, the funds rate to 3.5%. In the old days, they could kind of do, you know, with the bank reserves and they could like, make these small purchases and it would, it would make that stick. Now with, there’s, uh, banks have a lot of reserves, so they’re not as responsive. And so just to kind of, there’s like the, the technical, the tools, the Fed has to just make it happen. In terms of operationally, it means that they have to do some purchases now and then they call their, I mean the new name they have for these are reserve management. Purchases. So it’s really about operations. It’s not about, but it does mean they’re purchasing assets. So if you’re just focused on like the Fed’s purchasing assets, they’re putting liquidity into the system. Yes, they are doing that, but it’s not with the intent to kind of push the economy to run harder. It’s just enough liquidity to keep. The federal funds rate stable at the level that they wanted to be at, to just make sure that all these operations are short in the very short term lending markets amongst banks, that it’s all kind of working as mm-hmm. As it should be. So it’s more about operations and it’s about stimulus policy. Right. A lot of our, um, a lot of our listeners are real estate owners, investors, and they’re, you know, they think about, um. Mortgage rates and that kind of thing. There was recently a, a pretty significant, well, I don’t know how significant it really was. I think it was about, was it maybe $250 billion worth of mortgage backed securities purchased by Fannie Mae. Um, that ca can you talk about the purpose of that and really the, you know, what kind of effect that would actually, we could actually expect from that. It’s certainly been, I mean it’s, it is clear. You know, we talked about one reason that the administration would want interest rates down. It’d be like financing the deficit. Right. Another reason that very much pulls into kind of the affordability debate is we want interest rates lower, one of them lower for consumers. Now the White House has put a lot of pressure on the Fed for them to lower rates even faster than they have. Has not played ball with that. But then the Fed has lowered its rates. The Feds rates are very short term rates, and the federal funds rate is like an overnight rate with between banks. Right. So it, and it has an effect on, you know. Credit card rates, short term rates, but it’s not one, it, it has an effect, but it’s really not like driving necessarily 30 year mortgage rates or you know, some of the longer term rates. There’s a lot of other factors that go into that, and so in this kind of, you know, push for lower mortgage rates. Pushing on the Fed is not the only lever to pull, right? The administration has other levers that they could potentially pull, um, in trying to influence mortgage rates. Now, there, I’d argue the administration’s tools here, like the, the $200 billion, Fannie and Freddie purchase that you mentioned. That really is about trying to reduce the spread. Between mortgages and treasuries. So in some ways it sounds similar, like, oh, fed and Franny, which are, you know, GSEs. So part, part of the, you know, government right now, at least they were privatized during the global financial crisis. You think, oh, they’re going out and purchasing this Sounds a lot like the Fed going out and purchasing. There are there, there’s some parallels, but we need to remember, Fannie and Freddie don’t create money. The Fed, when they start, when they start the process of their quantitative easing, they’re creating reserves like they’re actually creating liquidity and money supply. Fannie and Freddie have authorization to be able to make these purchases, but they’re not like the fed. They’re not creating reserves, but they can, so I don’t wanna think about them like bringing down the whole set of interest rates, but they can affect this spread between mortgages and say treasuries. Right? And so, because again, if you’re, if the. If the GSEs are going out, they’re purchasing mortgage backed securities, well that’s increasing demand for those, and that can push down the rates, that can like squeeze that spread. And, and while the announcement has been made, you know, I mean they’re, they’re in the early stages of putting that in place, but we even on the announcements, saw a response in financial markets and you’re seeing some movement down, uh, in mortgage rates now. It was. Pretty modest, right? And, and 200 billion while, you know, not nothing, uh, really pales in comparison to like the scale of say, the quantitative easing that the Fed did. Um, and there are probably other, but the, you know, the administration’s not done. It doesn’t necessarily have to be that Fannie and Freddie do more purchases. The the spread between mortgage rates and treasuries is pretty substantial. There’s other places where, you know, the fees that go into getting a mortgage are quite a bit larger than they were before the, the global financial crisis. So maybe they go in and try to chip away at the fees and, you know, so there’s, there’s different levers. And I fully expect, and I think we’re gonna get some announcements here again soon on the White Houses. Housing affordability agenda. So there may be other, other ways that they’re trying to, uh, influence, uh, the mortgage spreads. But that’s, that’s what that is all about. And it, it should have, and it looks like, you know, it’s having some effect in terms of bringing rates down, but it likely, it’d be modest, like in the 10 basis points, maybe 20 if they ramp up the program some. But like, it, you know, it’s, it, it, you know, every, every bit counts. But this is not a. Uh, this won’t be enough to, you know, move rates down, dramatic mortgage rates down dramatically, uh, when you, when you look at the economy. Um, and I, I, I think just, you know, one last question. I mean, I just in terms of, you know, the people listening to this are. They’re, they’re people, you know, with jobs and who are trying to invest their money, and they’re trying to, you know, build long-term wealth, but they’re, you know, everybody’s worried about what’s happening with the economy. What, what, what do you think, like, just as, um, um, you know, perspective for people to understand or try to have some framework for how to look at what’s going on in the economy. How they should judge it. Like what would you suggest, like just for mom and pop investors trying to, what is happening with the economy? I’m not an economist. What, what are the, what are the things that you think they should consider studying up on, looking into a little bit? One challenge for a lot of investors, I mean, frankly, it’s, it’s been a challenge that I try to deal with too. Uh, we’re, we’re in an environment where there’s just. There’s so much news coming out of DC uh, with the White House and policies and the Fed, and you know, I mean, like, there’s just, there’s a lot. The headlines are big. And like I talked about with the tariffs, we had like really big tariff announcements. The really scary numbers were, and then it like dialed back and then we pushed through it and it’s like, and it’s this remembering that, um. There’s always a tendency to have this idea that the, the president really runs the economy. I mean, that’s not just about this administration. That’s like a longstanding, you know, the president gets, uh, blame or credit for the economy when really, right. Like we have a over 33, $30 trillion economy, hundreds of millions of workers, tens of millions of businesses. Like this is not about one administration. And so we always need to be careful about. Putting too much weight on the policies coming out of dc. Uh, and you know, last year if you really just listened to all the, you know, we’re cutting immigration, we’re raising tariffs, we’re doing, you know, all, there’s a lot of uncertainty in Doge. Well then you might have missed, like, there’s a bunch of AI investment happening and we’ve got a lot of growth in the economy and while consumers are still pretty resilient, so you, it’s kind of like. Tuning down the volume, some coming out of Washington, especially the like every twist and turn. Uh, and then kind of focusing in on the fundamentals. I will say, you know, you don’t wanna turn down DC too far because we, we do have some like big picture events that could play out over many years. Right. So kind of keeping an eye on it, but for the long game. As opposed to reacting to every twist and turn, every policy announcement, because a lot of this clearly is more of a negotiation than it is like, we’re gonna actually do this. So, you know, as investors, you don’t wanna get whipped around by the latest headline, but you also can’t put your head in the sand. Like you gotta kind of try and find a way to pull the signal out of the noise. And it is really. It’s really hard. Yeah. Like this has been a challenging time and the, the US economy’s been doing things that are not typical. We talked about some of the things with the labor market and we are running some policy experiments that haven’t been run in a long time, so things could change pretty dramatically. But I think it’s just trying to absorb the information, not get too wound up about it, but like also keep an eye on like what’s good for long-term growth. Yeah. Because it’s good for long-term productivity. Thank you so much Dr. Sahm. It’s uh, it’s been a pleasure talking to you on, uh, wealth Formula Podcast today. Great. Thank you so much. You make a lot of money but are still worried about retirement. Maybe you didn’t start earning until your thirties. Now you’re trying to catch up. Meanwhile, you’ve got a mortgage, a private school to pay for, and you feel like you’re getting further and further behind. Now, good news, if you need to catch up on retirement, check out a program put out by some of the oldest and most prestigious life insurance companies in the world. It’s called Wealth Accelerator, and it can help you amplify your returns quickly, protect your money from creditors, and provide financial protection to your family if something happens to you. The concept. Here are used by some of the wealthiest families in the world, and there’s no reason why they can’t be used by you. Check it out for yourself by going to wealthformulabanking.com. Welcome back to the show everyone. Hope you enjoyed it. It was Claudia Sahm. She is, uh, she’s a very, very smart lady. And, uh, just a reminder, if you have not done so, uh, I, I don’t frequently ask to do, do this, but, uh, make sure you give the show. Five stars and a positive review because that’s how we’re getting, you know, really high quality people like Claudia on the show, I’ve been around for a long time. It helps that the show is, you know, like over a decade old and all that stuff too. But, uh, anything you can do to support would be very helpful. And also one more reminder, uh, if you have not done so and you weren’t a credit investor, make sure you sign up for that investor club. At Wealth formula.com. That’s it for me. This week on Wealth Formula Podcast. This is about Joffrey signing out. If you wanna learn more, you can now get free access to our in-depth personal finance course featuring industry leaders like Tom Wheelwright and Ken m. Visit wealthformularoadmap.com.

France has adopted a deficit-cutting budget for 2026 after months of political wrangling, and the FT's Christopher Grimes tells us about the front runner to be Disney's next CEO. Plus, US President Donald Trump said he had struck a trade deal with India, and Société Générale is European banking's latest comeback kid. Mentioned in this podcast:France adopts budget after premier survives no-confidence voteDisney warns of hit to US theme parks as foreign tourist numbers fallTrump to slash India tariffs after Modi ‘agrees' to stop buying Russian oilHow SocGen dragged itself back from the brinkNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today's FT News Briefing was hosted and edited by Marc Filippino, and produced by Sonja Hutson. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT's Global Head of Audio. The show's theme music is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carl Spackler (IRE), by top European sire Lope de Vega (IRE), is best known for his dominant performances at both Keeneland and Saratoga.He broke his maiden in his second start by nearly nine lengths and was named a TDN Rising Star for the performance.The summer of 2024 began his proclivity for Saratoga, taking his first of what would become four wins at the Spa in the G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S.. He would later add to his resume wins in the G3 Sarnac S., during the 2024 meet, and wins in the G3 Kelso S. and G1 Fourstardave H. the following season. In the G1 Fourstardave H. he earned his top Beyer Speed Figure of 106, one of 5 triple-digit figures he would accumulate in his career.At Keeneland, Carl Spackler added two more Grade 1 victories to his resume in back-to-back years. His first Keeneland G1 win came in a thrilling edition of the Turf Mile Stakes during the 2024 Fall Meet and returned in the Spring of 2025 to take the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile, clearing the field by over four lengths earning a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. He retires with eight wins - three at the Grade 1 level, seven graded stakes wins overall, and earnings of nearly $2,000,000.“Carl Spackler is unquestionably the best male turf miler I've ever trained. Not only is he fast, sound, and perfectly made, he also has an incredibly calm temperament that trainers dream of,” said trainer Chad Brown, “I will definitely be in the marketplace buying his best looking offspring.”A son of Lope de Vega, the sire of 21 G1 winners and a top five European sire in 2025, Carl Spackler is out of the G2 Goldikova S. winner Zindaya, by More Than Ready. Zindaya is a half sister to G1 Jamaica H. winner Western Aristocrat. Carl Spackler's full sister Sandtrap, is already G3 placed at two.“Lope de Vega has been a dominant force in racing since he was named European Champion First-Crop Sire and has made a global impact. Carl Spackler had such an impressive turn of foot, consistently performed at an elite level, and with his sire line he brings exciting diversity to the Lane's End roster,” said Bill Farish.