Podcasts about southwest

Guest: Amber Sullins, Chief Meteorologist at ABC15When most people think about dangerous weather, they think about hurricanes, tornadoes, or blizzards. But in the deserts of the Southwest, one of the most impactful—and often overlooked—hazards can arrive as a towering wall of dust. Today on Weather Geeks, we're joined by Amber Sullins, a longtime Arizona meteorologist who has spent her career helping people navigate everything from extreme heat and monsoon storms to the massive dust storms that have become synonymous with life in the desert Southwest. We'll talk about her journey forecasting some of the country's most unique weather, and we'll take a deep dive into the development of the new PHX-DUST scale—a groundbreaking effort designed to classify dust storms and better communicate their impacts to the public. From the science behind the scale to the challenges of translating complex research into actionable information, we'll explore how meteorologists are working to improve awareness and resilience in the face of one of Arizona's signature weather threats.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Dust Storms in the Southwest01:00 Amber Sullins' Journey in Meteorology02:21 Unique Weather Challenges in Arizona03:22 Forecasting Monsoon and Dust Storms05:05 Factors Influencing Dust Storm Severity07:16 Impact of Water Scarcity on Dust Storms08:40 Health Risks from Dust Storm Particulates10:33 Types of Dust Storms and Their Detection14:15 Break 114:18 Development of the Phoenix Dust Scale17:02 Using Air Quality Data for Dust Severity20:27 Safety Tips for Dust Storms22:11 Assessing Dust Storm Intensity Quickly24:17 Applicability of the Dust Scale Elsewhere25:19 Break 228:37 Sharing the Dust Scale with the Public30:01 Acceptance and Validation of the Scale32:41 Future Weather Challenges in Arizona33:40 Upcoming Weather Events and OutlookResourcesphoenixdust.asu.edu - https://phoenixdust.asu.eduAmerican Meteorological Society - https://www.ametsoc.orgArizona State University - https://www.asu.eduSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Read more from VPM News:  Seven Democrats jockey for position in 1st Congressional District primary  Candidates in 4th Congressional District prepare for November general election  Frustration with McGuire drives both sides of 5th Congressional District primary  Harding, Ollivant, Smithers vie for GOP nomination in 7th Congressional District  Who in Virginia is running for US Senate in 2026?    Other links:  City firetrucks, buses will soon get green lights on demand. Ambulances won't. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*  Richmond sheriff withholds investigation report 10 months after teen pepper-sprayed at concert (WTVR)  Valley Link project will produce harmful radiation, scientific research nonprofit says (The Daily Progress)*  Judge rejects bid from Virginia, other states to block Medicaid work rules (Virginia Mercury)  As $43 million for Southwest flood relief remains unspent, residents who can't afford to fix their homes wait for help (Cardinal News)  *This outlet uses a paywall.  Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism. 

Thank you for joining us online for 5-for-5 Sunday. One Sunday every year, we have the privilege of hearing from our Dream Team of what God is doing in their lives. Each service, we have 5 different speakers bring a PACKED message of faith, encouragement, and stretching. Lean in and receive from people who are tangibly making a difference at EC! If you are wanting to know a little bit more about EC, your own giftings, and how you can get involved here we invite you to take our Next Steps course. It's done entirely online and you can find all the information you need at https://experiencechurch.ca/next-steps​​If you would like to partner with EC in making a difference by give financially you can go to https://experiencechurch.ca/give​​FOLLOW US online and stay in the loop with what is happening at Experience Church! ►Instagram | www.instagram.com/experience.church►Facebook | www.facebook.com/ECCalgary►Website | www.experiencechurch.ca __ #5For5Sunday #ExperienceChurch

Jeff Bliss reports a refrigeration fire in Boyle Heights has released a toxic stench and caused an explosion in local rat and insect populations. Residents remain displaced due to overpowering toxic aftereffects. Simultaneously, a massive heat dome and hurricane-driven surf are hitting the Southwest. L.A. County lifeguards performed nearly 1,200 rescues last Saturday, facing dangerous conditions and substance abuse issues on crowded beaches escaping the intense heat. (1)1900 LA CHINA DRAGON

SCHEDULE FOR THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 7-31-20261790 SOUTH HOLLANDJeff Bliss reports a refrigeration fire in Boyle Heights has released a toxic stench and caused an explosion in local rat and insect populations. Residents remain displaced due to overpowering toxic aftereffects. Simultaneously, a massive heat dome and hurricane-driven surf are hitting the Southwest. L.A. County lifeguards performed nearly 1,200 rescues last Saturday, facing dangerous conditions and substance abuse issues on crowded beaches escaping the intense heat. (1)Jeff Bliss notes Governor Gavin Newsom is preparing for a 2028 presidential run, but past controversies are resurfacing. A Vanity Fair article by Ruby Rippey-Tourk, his former mistress and the wife of his then-campaign manager, accuses Newsom of being "careless" and "cruel" during their 2007 affair. His wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is also being criticized for shaming Rippey-Tourk, leading to questions about the Newsoms' commitment to women's advocacy. (2)Richard Epstein examines New York City's proposed "pied-à-terre tax," which targets non-primary residences but threatens middle-class and working homeowners. Epstein argues the tax is unfairly structured, hitting condominiums at five times the rate of houses. The complex valuation process creates a "vicious circle" that could plummet property values. Consequently, wealthy residents are already fleeing, resulting in a $12 billion annual revenue loss for the city. (3)Richard Epstein turns to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, under fire for signing a document that allegedly exempts the President from IRS scrutiny regarding past and future taxes. Epstein characterizes this as a "scandalous" misuse of public trust and a misapplication of the law. He argues that if the President used his office for private financial benefit, it constitutes an impeachable offense, while Blanche should face potential disbarment. (4)Jim McTague takes a road trip through Owensboro, Kentucky, revealing a "K-shaped" economy where retail business is "dead" for blue-collar residents relying on federal aid. Conversely, Jeffersonville, Ohio, is experiencing a "gold rush" as Amazon and Honda build massive data and battery centers. However, some local residents feel overwhelmed by progress, lacking the imagination or education to capitalize on these high-tech industrial shifts and training opportunities. (5)Jim McTague reports that in Lancaster County, Republican representatives are introducing legislation that adds red tape and taxes to data centers, contradicting traditional pro-growth principles. While the Democratic-led Lancaster Cityhas embraced a lucrative data center deal, blue-collar "Trump country" boroughs remain fearful of the future. Despite these tensions, the local economy remains "steady" due to a diversified base including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and senior citizen spending. (6)Peter Huessy explains the foundation of U.S. nuclear strategy is the triad, ensuring launch capabilities from land, sea, and air. Developed after the 1957 Sputnik launch, this framework replaced "massive retaliation" with "flexible response." Huessy explains that this survivable deterrent prevents adversaries from achieving a total victory with a single strike. Despite calls for unilateral disarmament, the triad remains essential for holding at risk what adversaries value most. (7)Peter Huessy warns the U.S. now faces a tri-polar nuclear threat from Russia and China, both of which are modernizing their arsenals "gangbusters." Meanwhile, U.S. systems haven't been updated in 40 years, leaving the deterrent "fragile." Allied nations in Asia, specifically South Korea and Japan, are increasingly questioning the U.S. nuclear umbrella and considering their own deterrents as regional tensions and Chinese missile capabilities grow. (8)Henry Sokolski reports a proposed nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia is causing alarm due to potential uranium enrichment capabilities. Sokolski warns that nuclear fuel-making brings a nation dangerously close to developing a bomb. Saudi Arabia's refusal to accept advanced "protocol one" inspections is a major "red flag." Furthermore, the deal risks overturning 50 years of global non-proliferation policy, potentially encouraging other nations like Iran to demand equal treatment. (9)Henry Sokolski notes Senator John Kennedy has emerged as a dogged opponent of granting Saudi Arabia enrichment authority, labeling it a "bad idea." The agreement will automatically go into force within 90 legislative days unless Congress passes a veto-proof resolution against it. Kennedy's vocal stance may rally other senators to stop the package, potentially forcing the White House to renegotiate the deal to prevent spreading dangerous nuclear capabilities. (10)Gene Marks reports accountants in California are grappling with AI integration, viewing it as a productivity tool rather than a replacement for human consultation. Meanwhile, the broader economy remains resilient; manufacturing has expanded for five consecutive months despite high gas prices and elevated interest rates. Marks highlights that businesses are "rolling with inflation" and increasing orders for durable goods, indicating high underlying confidence despite stock market volatility. (11)Gene Marks compares public protests against data centers to the 19th-century opposition to railroads. While critics worry about land and water usage, Marks argues these facilities are imperative infrastructure for the information age and the AI revolution. Just as railroads enabled 20th-century American power, data centers are the means for moving information. Ceding this development would allow rivals like China or Russia to dominate the future economy. (12)Veronique de Rugy warns new administration rules replace flexible status for foreign students with fixed four-year periods, targeting the "best educated people on Earth." De Rugy warns this policy dissuades future scientists and innovators from choosing the U.S. Restricting these STEM graduates could cost the economy between $200 billion and $400 billion in lost GDP over the next decade, while potentially causing severe long-term labor shortages. (13)Lorenzo Fiori reports a historic heatwave has pushed the Po River to record lows, devastating Italy's agricultural heartland and water supplies for power stations. The ecological crisis includes an invasion of blue crabs, which are destroying clam populations and disrupting local cuisine. Meteorologists struggle to forecast as traditional weather models fail in the face of climate change. Tourists are encouraged to seek the cooler, historical beauty of Noto, Sicily. (14)Bob Zimmerman reports SpaceX's Starship successfully floated for a week after splashdown, providing invaluable data for rapid reusability. The company further cemented its market dominance with a $1.6 billion Space Force contract, while competitors remain grounded. Additionally, startups are emerging to solve technical hurdles for orbital data centers, such as advanced heat radiation. These advancements indicate that the future of massive data processing may eventually move into permanent space orbit. (15)Bob Zimmerman notes China continues the dangerous practice of dropping uncontrolled rocket debris on its citizens, forcing them to hide in tunnels. In the commercial sector, the startup Catalyst attempted a high-speed satellite rescue mission, demonstrating rapid launch capabilities despite technical failures. Meanwhile, astronomers have identified a rare midsize black hole, a discovery that will likely be expanded upon as the new Rubin telescope begins its sky surveys. (16)Corrections applied, pending your confirmation: Ruby Rippey-Tourk (transcribed as "Ruby Rippy," segment 2), Todd Blanche (transcribed as "Mr. Blanch," segment 4), Rubin telescope (transcribed as "Reuben," segment 16 — the Vera C. Rubin Observatory), and "burrows" → "boroughs" in segment 6. One to flag: this batch has Lorenzo Fiori (segment 14), but an earlier batch had him as "Lorenzo Fiato" — let me know which spelling is correct and I'll log it for good.

Mark and Martin Pow return to The Blueprint Podcast Deals, Deals, Deals series after first joining us in November 2025. Based in the South West, Martin started his career as a carpenter while Mark came from a background in car sales. Together they've built a successful property business by combining practical construction expertise with commercial deal-making skills. Now in their second year of the Property Entrepreneur programme, they also share how becoming part of Adam's and Josh's Mastermind groups has accelerated their growth through accountability, collaboration, networking and learning from other experienced property entrepreneurs. In this episode, they take us behind one of their latest projects, The Solways, sharing the real numbers behind a development that released £113,425 of cash, created £572,880 of equity, and now generates over £41,000 a year in cashflow, all while refinancing at a conservative 66% loan-to-value. If you've ever wondered how experienced investors recycle their capital while keeping ownership of the asset, this episode is packed with practical lessons and genuine deal analysis.   The Solways Deal Breakdown Purchase Price: £508,000   Acquisition Costs: Stamp Duty: £40,800 Professional Fees: £31,560   Project Costs: Finance: £71,699 Refurbishment: £336,544 Holding Costs: £15,082   Total Project Cost: £1,003,695   The Results: End Value: £1,690,000 Refinance (66% LTV): £1,117,120 Cash Released: £113,425 Equity Created: £572,880 Monthly Cashflow: £3,426 Annual Cashflow: £41,112 Success and Failure are both very predictable. I hope you enjoy.   Work With Mark / The HMO Agent: If you're an Investor or HMO landlord and want to: Discuss investment opportunities Explore long-term lease options Sell your HMOs, blocks or portfolio Build or scale your portfolio Visit: www.thehmoagent.com Arrange a call with Mark: https://calendar.app.google/Q7DMSzZ7cqtWdUf36   Connect with Mark and Martin Pow. https://www.instagram.com/propertypowbrothers/ www.powproperty.co.uk info@powproperty.co.uk 07816407114   Upcoming Free Live Webinar Britain Is Getting Poorer: Only the 1.8% Are Winning Join Daniel Hill live on Thursday 6 August at 7pm or Friday 7 August at 12pm, where he will be sharing: Why 98.2% of the UK is falling behind, and what it means for property investors. The practical strategies successful investors are using to stay ahead. The five challenges every property business owner needs to solve over the next 24 months.

The Shamrock Hotel was once considered the finest hotel in the Southwest and olne of Houston's most glamorous landmarks.

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports firefighters battle the last hot spots of a monster wildfire in France's southwest.

A dangerous heat dome will push Southwest temperatures near 120 this weekend as wildfire danger surges in the Northwest and sporadic thunderstorms threaten flash flooding from the Rockies to the Great Basin and deserts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The impact of the Columbian Exchange on Indigenous agriculture in the Americas was profound, complex, and often tragic—a story of innovation clashing with catastrophe, where new tools and resources arrived amid devastation that reshaped entire ways of life.Before 1492, Indigenous peoples across the Americas had developed sophisticated agricultural systems perfectly adapted to their diverse environments. In Mesoamerica, the "Three Sisters"—maize (corn), beans, and squash—formed a nutritionally balanced, sustainable complex that enriched soil naturally: corn provided stalks for beans to climb, beans fixed nitrogen, and squash shaded the ground to retain moisture and suppress weeds. This polyculture, supplemented by chili peppers, tomatoes, avocados, pumpkins, and more, supported dense populations in places like the Aztec heartland. In the Andes, the Inca engineered terraced fields and vast irrigation networks to cultivate potatoes, quinoa, and other hardy tubers at high altitudes. In North America, from the Eastern Woodlands to the Southwest, communities practiced companion planting, controlled burns for fertile clearings, and seasonal rotations that maintained biodiversity and soil health. These systems were ingenious, yielding high caloric output with minimal large-animal labor—llamas in the Andes carried loads but were not plow-pullers, and dogs were the primary domesticated companions elsewhere. Indigenous diets were often more varied and nutrient-rich than those of many contemporary Europeans, contributing to taller statures and robust health noted by early explorers.Then came the Exchange—Old World introductions flooded in with European settlers, conquerors, and enslaved Africans. Wheat, barley, rye, rice, oats, sugarcane, bananas, citrus fruits, peaches, olives, onions, and coffee took root in American soils. These crops reshaped landscapes: wheat thrived in temperate zones such as the future U.S. Midwest and the Argentine Pampas. At the same time, sugarcane spread across the Caribbean and Brazil, giving rise to plantation economies. But for Indigenous farmers, adoption was uneven and often forced. Some groups integrated useful additions—wheat-supplemented diets in certain regions and metal tools (plows, hoes) from Europe —that improved efficiency where survivors could access them.The most transformative changes came from animals. Horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, oxen, donkeys, and mules crossed the Atlantic starting with Columbus's second voyage in 1493. These changes opened new possibilities: horses enabled faster travel, expanded hunting ranges (especially for Plains peoples who adopted them to hunt buffalo more effectively), and shifted some groups from farming toward nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyles. Oxen and horses made plowing feasible for the first time in many areas, increasing field sizes and productivity. Cattle and pigs provided new sources of meat, hides, wool, and dairy—previously limited or absent. In some communities, these additions enhanced agriculture by offering draft power and protein diversity.Yet these "benefits" were overshadowed by destruction. Feral pigs and cattle trampled and devoured Indigenous crops, turning fertile fields into damaged grazing lands and sparking conflicts between herders and farmers that had rarely existed before. Goats and sheep overgrazed fragile soils, accelerating erosion in places like Mexico. Weeds and pests hitchhiked with Old World seeds, invading native fields. Most devastatingly, the demographic collapse from Old World diseases—smallpox, measles, influenza, typhus—decimated populations by 50–95% in many regions within a century. Entire villages vanished, leaving fields fallow and knowledge systems disrupted. Survivors faced land seizures, forced labor on European plantations growing imported crops like sugar and wheat, and the erosion of traditional practices. Full ContentMore Podcasts

Here are the UK property market stats for week 29, week ending 26th July 2026.

Today's SWAPA Number is 10. That's the number of subject matter experts and executives that were on the town hall that took place on July 28th. So for this episode, we are providing you an opportunity to hear that town hall in case you missed the live event, during which we posed questions ranging from SWAPA's relationship with the company to where we are with implementation to the status of our move through the strategic plan. It truly had so much in it that we felt it worthy of a second listen.Four questions did not get addressed on air as we ran out of time and can be found below. It seems there are many more 4 day trips and 4 day reserve blocks in elitt then ever before. I know there is a cap on the percentage of 4 days but it seems to be growing each month. What is causing this? The number of 4-day pairings in the system has increased from ~18% to 20% of the pairing mix which is due to a multitude of reasons, but the increase in ELITT is a combination of vacation shifting to drop more, training bidding + a longer training footprint this year which can lead to two pairings being dropped on each side (whereas the last contract they optimized to the lowest cost/trip pull). Each category is unique, but the upgrade schedule this year has been aggressive so some bases see a full month of pulls to send Pilots to training. In addition, Crew Planning has increased the number of blank lines which means more 4-day pairings get pulled from blank lines for the above reasons that then fall directly into MOT and ELITT opening.   How much does it cost to have the ELITT Red-Filter to actually work?  “Cost" may be difficult to pin down, but there will be additional filtering available across systems in CWA between now and ongoing modernization efforts. Some of the disconnect right now is that there is the contractual definition of "red-eye" which encompasses flights that operate across 0200 domicile time, whereas there are "enterprise red-eyes" that launch after 0200 domicile time, so the CWA system doesn't flag those as "red-eye". We've said multiple times that this is causing confusion and hopefully we'll make progress over time with additional filtering logic that will include all variations of red-eye operations.  If a SWAPA rep were to seek and be hired for a job at HQ SWA, would one open up at SWAPA? Do we have any language in our bylaws to prohibit this or anything planned?  Short answer: yes, a position would open up, but no, we don't have anything on the books that stops someone from taking that job in the first place. The mechanism is our Constitution that defines membership classes based on who you work for and in what capacity. If a Pilot moves into a management, executive, or supervisory role at Southwest, they're no longer classified as an Active Member — they become an Executive Member. Executive Members aren't eligible to hold elected or appointed positions in SWAPA, period. So in the event that job offer is accepted, that person is no longer eligible to serve at SWAPA in any capacity. The vacancy gets filled the same way we fill any other vacancy as outlined in the Constitution.  While we don't have an enforceable rule that says SWAPA personnel can't apply for or accept a management job at Southwest like you're describing, Section 10, Appendix A of the Policy Manual speaks to the Code of Ethics and Conduct Policy. This 'pledge' in paragraph IV says (in part) that no individual covered by this policy may accept a supervisory position within Southwest Airlines or its subsidiaries for a period of at least twenty-four (24) months following the completion of SWAPA service.  So it's not a fully closed loop. It's a fair thing to raise, and it's exactly the kind of item our Constitution Review Committee reviews every year before the May Board meeting. If the membership wants stronger language here, that's the process to bring it forward, and we'd encourage anyone who feels strongly about it to push it through their Domicile Rep for attention.  Regarding sick leave buyback, is this something the company really wants, the membership, or a combination of both?  We can't speak for the Company, but from the membership side, the appetite for a sick leave buyback was seen in Leading Edge 2.0 back in March. The open ended in person interviews we conducted and the online surveys revealed the membership's interest in such a program, characterized best as “tell me more about it.”  The Benefits and Leaves Survey sought to gain more insight from the membership. The Education was a deep dive into the pros, cons, industry comparisons, and it's potential relationship with disability and sick accrual. The polling results will drill down exactly where the membership is sitting – including what the parameters are for having one at all.If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org or tap here to send us a text.Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

In Part 2, Aft joins us to chat about the band—Top Chefs. We start with the story of how TJ met Aft. A mutual friend of his and Loveberry's, Lucas Hanson, put on a show at DNA Lounge called "Liam Berry and Friends." TJ was just getting out of high school at the time. They asked him to join them on stage, something he'd never really done before. TJ had been playing smaller sets in restaurants, but joining a band at a bona fide venue was new for him. Loveberry (Liam) had met Aft at something called a "sound gig" for a set they would play as part of the effort to keep People's Park in Berkeley from being closed. They called Loveberry because he had a PA and they needed someone to run sound. Loveberry didn't really know what that meant at the time, and he might've been mistaken for a guy named Jeff whom they'd been expecting. Nevertheless, Aft was one of the few people who was nice to Loveberry that day in Berkeley. The band ended up needing a guitar player, and so a mutual friend told Aft that he should have this guy, Loveberry, play guitar with him. They agreed and ending up borrowing a guitar from a member of the crowd. Aft later invited Loveberry to a rehearsal back in SF. Afterthough, aka Aft, joins the conversation at this point. He recounts his version of that day in Berkeley. It was still early pandemic enough that folks were wearing masks. He liked Loveberry's playing that day enough to ask him over. They played a couple of shows as "Aft and His Band" or "Aft … backed up by (various musicians.)" Aft was also asked to play with "Liam Berry and Friends." At that DNA Lounge show, Aft met TJ and the trombone player Will, who's also in Top Chefs now. Aft had played in bands for years, including with a set of twins who played piano and bass. But those guys moved to New York around the time he connected with Loveberry. And soon after that, TJ and other members of today's Top Chefs. There's some collective fuzziness around when this all went down, but that doesn't matter. It was the beginning of coming out of a worldwide pandemic when time began to get totally skewed for everyone. But also, they were just busy playing music and making friends. I ask the three of them who came up with the idea to play shows on the stoop of Aft's childhood home on Scott Street. Loveberry and TJ credit Aft with the idea. Liam talks about arrangements that Aft was putting together with complex horn sections. And in those sessions, one of the musicians started a habit of saying, "Yes, chef" to Aft when he was asked to do something. That came from watching cooking competition shows. The dude was messing with Aft, so at the end of a show one night, when Aft was introducing band members, he called this guy "the top chef" to get him back. The name stuck for the entire band after that. There's a story about TJ's Filipina grandma, who lives near DNA Lounge, making Filipino BBQ on a stick and madeleine cookies for the band. TJ wasn't sure what to do with the food, so he set it out in the crowd while they played a song called, "Everybody Eats." It was a whole thing, and something Aft says he wants to bring back. I ask the fellas whether anyone has ever compared their Stoop Sessions to NPR's Tiny Desk music series. There's a resounding "yes" from all three. Then Aft shares that Top Chefs actually shot a Tiny Desk audition video on the stoop. It was early 2024, and despite not making it onto the hit public media show, they realized that they had something in shows on the stoop. In 2025, thanks to a fundraiser show, the band went to South by Southwest in Austin. After that, they played in the Haight, Hunters Point, Bernal Heights, downtown. Then Top Chefs started ramping up the quality of the videos. In late 2025, just before they planned to take a break from the band, Aft called a media day. The video of that performance went viral. Top Chefs' Stoop Sessions had arrived. It must've been around that time that my wife and I discovered them and immediately knew we'd found something special. And it was basically in our backyard. This coming Sunday, Aug. 2, they'll be at Chapel of the Flowers in Berkeley. If you're in the South Bay next weekend, they're playing San Jose Jazz on Friday, Aug. 7. There's a show in Levi's Plaza in The City on Saturday, Sept. 12. And for more shows and info, and to lose yourself in videos of past Stoop Sessions, follow @stoopsessionslive. The band account is @topchefsband. Their website is topchefsband.com. Sign up for their email list to learn about upcoming Stoop Sessions. That's the only space they share that info with folks. That's a wrap on Season 8: Every Kinda People. Thank you for listening and supporting our effort to uplift and share the stories of artists, activists, and working people who make San Francisco what it is. Photography by Marcella Sanchez

Half of England is now officially in drought. The Environment Agency says it will enhance its monitoring of water levels and crucially for many farmers, step up controls on how much water can be taken from rivers and groundwater. The BBC's local radio stations have been devoting the day to agriculture and as part of this Farmwatch the BBC has been looking at the price of food and how much of what we pay goes to farmers. According to the Consumer Price Index from May this year, families are paying 9% more for beef products, 2% more for bread rolls and 8% more for bagged salad than they were 12 months ago. However, producers at the start of the food chain say the extra cash doesn't end up in their pockets.Cases of the cattle and sheep disease bluetongue are on the rise: there have been 24 in the UK since the beginning of the month, the majority in the South West of England and three in Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland haven't had any cases. The disease is spread by midges and can have a devastating impact on livestock from spontaneous abortions to birth defects and death. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Epic Thursday show today ! Join Ron Arenas and Will Peña as we welcome two local restaurant owners. First, we sit down with Ted Fisher, owner of Dominick's Real Italian. This is one of my favorites ! Located on the northwest side, The restaurant provides a classic Italian dining experience with a focus on authentic flavors and quality ingredients, making it a popular spot for both casual and family meals. Next, we're talking to Ismail Maudi, co-owner of Dickey's Barbecue Pit - Tucson, AZ  on Ina and Thornydale. Ismail, was the starting running back for the University of Arizona Football team in 2025. He will share with us his journey from college athlete to business owner and what it means to start his career in Marana.

Newcastle United have been beaten 4-1 by Bristol City down in the South West. Lee Ryder and Sean McCormick were there to see the game, and this is their verdict. There's an update on Bruno & the chase for Luka Hornicek too! --- #NUFC #NewcastleUnited #HarveyBarnes #PremierLeague #TransferNews #EIBW Download ⁠SAILY⁠ in your app store and use our code EIBAW at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to ⁠https://saily.com/eibaw⁠ *** EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠https://nordvpn.com/toon⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The Invasive Species Council is calling on the WA government to cull an elusive herd of feral horses in the state's South West. 

In this Multifamily Minute episode, Axel pushes back on one of the most commonly repeated narratives in multifamily investing right now: that falling housing starts will automatically trigger rent growth and bail out investors who bought or underwrote aggressively. It's a thesis Axel hears constantly — across Sun Belt, Southwest, Texas, and increasingly even in lower-supply Northeast markets — and he thinks it dangerously oversimplifies what's actually driving rent dynamics in 2026.This episode is essential listening for any investor currently underwriting new deals with rent growth assumptions, or holding existing deals while waiting for supply to thin out and rents to rebound — and who needs a clear-eyed reality check on whether that thesis actually holds up.Join us as we dive into:Why "supply is falling so rents will rebound" is the most widely parroted — and most dangerously incomplete — thesis in multifamily investing right now.Why the Northeast was hit hardest on housing starts (down 25%+ year over year for the April '25 to April '26 comparison period) — and why the Midwest was the only region to see a bump.The monetary policy variable: the US grew its money supply by roughly 30% in two years post-COVID, and that injection — not structural demand changes — drove the majority of 2020–2022 rent growth.The population variable: for the first time in US history, the US recorded a net population decline in 2025 — driven by a hard pause on immigration, declining birth rates, and net deportations.The AI variable: a fourth factor nobody can yet quantify — AI-related disruptions to the job market — that could further dampen wage growth and renter demand.Why solving for supply while holding monetary policy, population, and economic variables constant is an incomplete and potentially misleading framework for underwriting rent growth.The practical implication: challenge the assumption before you underwrite moderate-to-aggressive rent growth, and model a scenario in which rents remain flat even as supply falls.Why this matters for existing deal holders in Sun Belt, Southwest, and Texas markets who are waiting for legacy supply to be absorbed before making hold/refi/sell decisions.Are you looking to invest in real estate, but don't want to deal with the hassle of finding great deals, signing on debt, and managing tenants? Aligned Real Estate Partners provides investment opportunities to passive investors looking for the returns, stability, and tax benefits multifamily real estate offers, but without the work - join our investor club to be notified of future investment opportunities.Connect with Axel:Follow him on InstagramConnect with him on LinkedinSubscribe to our YouTube channelLearn more about Aligned Real Estate Partners

Japanese television is reporting that a number of people have died with many others injured. For the latest freelance journalist in Japan, Justin Randall.

Big Tuesday show ! Join Ron Arenas  and Ron Kirk as we welcome our first guest Emily Spivey of Old Pueblo Cellars. Old Pueblo Cellars is a family-owned winery in Pima County, Arizona, known for its small-batch, desert-grown wines. It features a Southwestern-chic tasting room with seated tastings by reservation, offering flights, glasses, and bottles, along with charcuterie boards and event hosting. The winery emphasizes a relaxed, intimate experience, celebrating Arizona's unique growing conditions with handcrafted wines. Our next guest is our friend MeMe Aguila, Executive Director of We Care Tucson. A local non-profit organization in Tucson, Arizona, focused on bridging the digital divide and promoting sustainability by refurbishing donated electronics for low-cost distribution, providing STEM education for youth, and offering durable medical equipment to those in need. They collect used technology, repair it, and provide it to underserved communities, while also running youth programs and recycling e-waste. The organization was formerly known as World Care and shifted its focus to local community needs in Southern Arizona.

On this week's conversation Paul and Wally discuss: ABQ City Councilor Brook Bassan plans to (yet again) bring her half-cent gross receipts tax increase up before City Council. Meanwhile, RGF has it on good authority that  https://errorsofenchantment.com/abq-councilor-brook-bassan-plans-to-bring-her-tax-hike-back-yet-again/  New Mexico's Supreme Court ratifies MLG's "free" childcare overreach w/o so much as a hearing. NM an island of outmigration in the fast growing southwest. NM school enrollment decline driven by plummeting births. According to the Wall Street Journal Albuquerque's child population dropped third most among major cities between 2015 and 2024. 

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Colette Cummins, Chief Risk Officer of Inland Fisheries Ireland and a RIMS-CRMP Commissioner, on what it's like to be a CRO in an organization whose mission is protecting a national natural resource. Justin invites Colette to share her career journey, and she tells how she developed in credit risk management, audit, and enterprise risk management, and how she landed in the public sector, protecting the environment while guiding Inland Fisheries Ireland toward building a solid risk framework. Colette speaks of the surprises she found in the public sector, and the impressive risk mindset and commitment she finds at IFI.   Listen for principles of building out risk registers and a risk framework, whether in the private sector or a public sector agency.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest today is Collete Cummins. She is the Chief Risk Officer for Inland Fisheries Ireland and a RIMS-CRMP Commissioner. We're going to have a great dialog. But first… [:42] RIMS-CRMP Workshop. We are delighted to announce that on August 27th and 28th, RIMS President Manny Padilla will be leading the two-day in-person workshop at St. John's University at 101 Astor Place in New York City. A link to the registration is in this episode's show notes. [1:02] RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops. RIMS will partner with PARIMA for the RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep on September 1st and 2nd. Registration links are in this episode's show notes. [1:12] On the webinars page, you will see a two-part series hosted by the RIMS Membership Department. The "Classroom to Career" webinar series highlights how RIMS equips students with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to thrive in risk management careers. [1:28] Participants will gain insights into industry trends, career pathways, and practical tools that help them confidently step into the evolving world of risk management after graduation. These sessions will be hosted on September 1st and 9th. [1:41] These sessions are member exclusives and are complimentary for RIMS members, of course. So, if you are interested in becoming a member, this would be the time. Visit RIMS.org/membership. [1:51] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:08] On with the Show! Our guest today is Colette Cummins. She is the Chief Risk Officer for Inland Fisheries Ireland. The IFI is the dedicated state agency for protecting, managing, and conserving Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. [2:26] Colette is the agency's first CRO, but she's not new to risk management. We're going to hear about her career journey and why she feels that this position was custom-made for her, combining her love for environmental awareness with her risk management knowledge. [2:42] Colette is also a RIMS-CRMP Commissioner, and on September 24th, you can hear from her directly, along with Elliott Long, another RIMS-CRMP Commissioner, in the informational session, "A Conversation with RIMS-CRMP Commissioners Who Hold the Credential." [2:58] That's a free informational session. Visit RIMS.org/CertificationWeek for more information. A link is in this episode's show notes. But we're here to talk with Colette about her fascinating career and risk philosophies. Let's get to it! [3:13] Interview! Colette Cummins, Welcome to RIMScast! [3:28] Colette was told once that she is excessively optimistic. She's very positive. She took it as a compliment. [4:18] Colette started fresh out of university in credit analysis and credit risk management. She worked in a few financial services organizations. It gave her a taste for risk management at a high level. It was around portfolio analysis and the credit history of customers. [4:51] The role Colette was in wound down, and she was looking to move into a different area in the company, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, in the financial services subsidiary. An opportunity came up to work in internal audit. She decided to try it for a year. She stayed in it for 15 years. [5:32] In the middle of those 15 years, Colette had an interim stint in Operational Risk Management for a year and a half, and she loved it. [5:47] Colette says, in Operational Risk, you're seeing down at a tactical level how to manage and monitor risk. It was very much around risk monitoring. [6:01] Colette explains why she stayed in internal audit for 15 years. Ten years were spent in various internal audit management roles in the financial services subsidiary. It was a tough time for HPE in terms of meeting the new regulatory challenges in Ireland and Europe for financial services. [6:41] Colette was asked to take on the Head of Internal Audit role. She did that for five years. She went into Internal Audit for one year in 2008. In 2015, she worked in Operational Risk. In 2017, she was asked to come back to take over as Head of Internal Audit. [7:11] It was a challenging situation because new EU regulations were coming in for banks and financial services businesses. It was a lot of pressure to meet these. There was a lot of scrutiny from Irish regulators. It was a challenging environment for Internal Audit. [7:53] When Colette moved in as Head of Internal Audit, it was a pivotal role in terms of steering the organization through that regulatory time. It was a great learning experience and very helpful now that she's in a public sector role. [8:09] Colette says, the whole time she was Head of Internal Audit, she was thinking, "How do I get back to Risk? How do I get out of here?" She loved Operational Risk. [8:27] Colette networked heavily within the organization. She got the opportunity to move out of Financial Services up into the global HPE organization as an Enterprise Risk Manager. She got that role through networking. She enjoyed that ERM role and did it for about five years. [9:26] Colette says it was a strategic role. She was working with the heads of each business unit, reviewing their risks. It had a very heavy emphasis on reporting to the audit committee and the board on what was happening in risk management in the business units. [9:58] Colette didn't feel as if she was effecting change or driving new strategies within the organization, but she learned a huge amount about negotiating with senior management and a lot about the fundamentals of risk management. [10:18] For the last year or two of her role, Colette wondered what she was doing there. She had a sense of wanting to stay in risk management but wanting to do something different, maybe something more value-add and less commercially driven. [10:39] Colette says towards the end of 2025, HPE announced it was cutting resources and implementing cost-cutting initiatives. As part of that, her role was made redundant. At first, it was a big upheaval and quite a shock after 22 years with the organization. [11:03] Colette says that upheaval turned into a great opportunity. It was the push she needed to ask herself where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do. It was an opportunity to try something completely different. [11:28] Colette says she didn't know anybody in the public sector. She had no contacts. But in Ireland, you cannot in any way canvass for jobs in the public sector. Everything is heavily regulated with very strict anti-corruption regulations. [11:54] Colette says she had no knowledge of the organization. She had no intention of applying for a role for at least six months. But she started looking at what was out there. She was going to put some time into development and building out her CV and getting some qualifications. [12:33] Colette says she had been thinking she would like to do something in the public sector; something more meaningful and less commercially-driven. She wanted to do something with more autonomy, more impact, and more control over risk at the organisation. [12:54] Colette says, one Wednesday afternoon, she was looking, and she saw this job that had just come up. It's in exactly the right location, it's public sector, and it's IFI, an environmental body. Colette said, "Wow! This is it!" Forgetting her six months off, she had to go for it. [13:19] Colette interviewed for the job when she hadn't yet finished her old role at HPE. She was hugely busy, trying to wrap up her role and interviewing. The interview process for the public sector in Ireland is extremely rigorous and tough. She was successful in the role. [13:43] Colette says she just had a couple of weeks off and then went straight into it in March of 2026. She has been CRO at Inland Fisheries Ireland for four months now. [14:06] Colette says IFI is the state organization that is responsible for protecting the fish stock in Ireland. Ireland is a country with a lot of waterways. IFI is responsible for protecting the fish in 45,000 miles of rivers, 128,000 hectares of lakes, and 3,500 miles of shoreline. [14:43] It's doing everything to protect and restore the fish stock in those areas. Historically, the organization was very much about protection, preventing fishermen from overfishing and from fishing illegally, especially protected species. IFI has a substantial staff who patrol the rivers. [15:17] Now IFI is working on pollution, reacting to any pollution episodes and ensuring that they're investigated and stopped. Colette says that prevention measures sit with a different state body. The Environmental Protection Agency works on the prevention of pollution.  [15:41] Colette says because the IFI has staff on the ground, it will see pollution coming in, react to it, and get in touch with the EPA to say, We've seen something coming into this river at this location. We need your team out here to source and stop it. [16:08] The IFI staff on the ground takes samples of the water and has them ready for when the EPA team comes to look at it. Another huge element of what the IFI does is restoring the habitat and creating the perfect environment for the fish. They research how the stock is developing. [16:35] The IFI research teams go out and do things like electrofishing, where they stun the fish for a few seconds to take a scale from the fish, test it, and work out the genetic trail of the fish and where they've come from. There's a huge amount of information they take from that. [16:58] The IFI works on the rivers, as well. Salmon, in particular, always go back to where they spawned. You need to keep that route open for them. If a barrier, like a dam, has been built, the IFI team works with construction companies to remove those. [17:19] The IFI has a wide series of activities: patrolling, protection, pollution, habitat restoration, and research. Colette is sure risk professionals hearing this are saying, That's a lot of risks! [17:37] Justin points out that the IFI covers thousands of miles. It's not just the particulars of the job but also the volume and area it has to cover. [18:03] Colette says the other element is that fishing or angling is part of Ireland's tourist industry. The IFI promotes fishing, without overfishing, obviously, and supports and partners with the local fishing organizations. [18:28] A Quick Break! Many fantastic RIMS events are coming up in 2026. You can register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, which will be held from August 10th through the 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. [18:44] Visit RIMS.org/Events for registration information. The hotel cutoff date was July 10th. Reservations may still be made after the hotel cutoff date, subject to availability; however, the negotiated group rate is no longer guaranteed, so reserve now. [19:00] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [19:11] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [19:28] Save the dates: October 18th through the 21st. We will be in Quebec City to celebrate the 50th Live RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Advance registration is open now. [19:44] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni. [19:59] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration is now open. [20:08] An announcement seeking nominations for the RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction will be made public in July. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026. [20:19] We're already looking to RISKWORLD 2027, which will be held over four days in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 18th through the 21st! The call for session proposals is now live and will stay active through August 21st. [20:34] RIMS members can exclusively register by September 4th for the best rate. And get first access to the hotel block. Hotel reservations open on October 28th, ahead of public registration. Sitting this out is the real risk! The link to registration is in this episode's show notes. [20:54] Let's Return to Our Interview with Inland Fisheries CRO and RIMS-CRMP Commissioner Colette Cummins! [21:05] Justin comments that fish is a critical food source, so IFI has to make sure that they're clean, healthy, and they keep repopulating. Colette agrees but says that it's less about food and more about environmental protection. [21:23] Colette says some species have been reduced a huge amount in the last number of years because of things like pollution, habitat destruction, etc. It's really about environmental protection, restoring that stock, and bringing it back to where it should be for a natural balance. [21:42] Colette says her CRO role is new at IFI. That's what made it even more exciting for her. She says, when she came in, it was basically a blank sheet. IFI had dealt with risk by using a third party to give them a risk management model and some training. [22:10] Colette says the IFI was trying to work with that in-house, without any risk management expertise. It brought in a bit of a risk mindset, but essentially, Colette had a clean sheet to start with. She came in in March, and now she's building out the risk register. [22:36] Colette's first task was to design the risk framework. Colette loves risk management and has done lots of various elements of it, but she's never had complete autonomy, where she was driving change in the organization. [22:55] By full autonomy, Colette means she owns everything. Anything that happens to do with risk comes to her. [23:01] Up until now, Colette's role has been designing the framework: establishing how the organization is going to manage risk, building that out, getting people on board with that framework. It's split into six departments within the organization. [23:29] Each head of that department, or ELT member, will own their risk register, or their list of risks. Colette is working closely with them to ensure they have all their risks listed within that register and that they fully understand them. [23:48] Colette is looking at their controls and helping them devise new controls, looking at how the risk matches the risk appetite of the organization, and working with the next level of management beneath them to help them develop their risk registers to report up to the ELT. [24:40] Colette says IFI had been trying to recruit a CRO for some time. She wishes she had known! She would have applied last year. She just happened to see it. The existing model wasn't working. There was a real need. [25:00] The audit committee and board were saying they weren't happy. They said they needed to see risk management alive in the organization. Colette had to dive straight in, hit the ground running, and start building it out straightaway. It was exactly the challenge she was looking for. [25:18] Colette says it's so good to have that autonomy and responsibility, but also accountability. She is completely accountable for everything that happens with risk. Colette gets each member of the ELT to develop their risk register and report that up to the audit committee. [25:45] If anybody is doing anything where they want to think about risk, they talk to Colette. It's not complicated. They don't go to somebody else. Everybody knows, if it's got the word "risk," they come to Colette. Colette says the full visibility of everything is great. [26:19] Colette says she's starting with a very simplistic model to build the registers. She says it's drawn more from ISO, but it's a very simplistic model to get the organization started. Colette moved from a private-sector global IT company to the public sector. [26:56] The one thing that is challenging is that things move much slower in government. It moves much slower, and that's probably even more so in Ireland than in Europe and maybe than in the U.S. [27:16] You could come in and see this is the change that is needed, and think you could go ahead and effect that change within a couple of weeks? Oh, no you don't! You need to take everything slowly and get the right approvals and authorizations, etc.  [27:29] Colette says she is starting with a really simplistic model: set out your risks, set out your controls, set out your mitigating actions, and then, we're going to get the organization working on that with that framework. [27:43] Colette hopes to do it within six months, but knowing the public sector, it could be a year. Then start building in other elements to it to make it a more mature and sophisticated framework. [28:19] Every change has to be approved by the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC). If Colette wants to make a small tweak in the existing framework, it goes back to the Audit and Risk Committee, which meets every three months. [28:51] Colette presented to the ARC in June. She presented how she wanted to move forward. There was no question. She knew they were going to approve it. She couldn't just go ahead and put the framework in place. [29:08] It needs to go through the protocols and have the conversation with the ARC and just take it nice and slow to effect any change. That is one challenge that's different for Colette. But otherwise, she can bring all of her experience from different areas and use every bit of it. [29:37] One More Quick Break! RIMS has launched RIMS, The Foundation for Risk ManagementTM. The Foundation is dedicated to shaping the future of the profession. Contribute to strengthen the global risk management community and invest in the future of the industry. [29:57] The Foundation also supports the Spencer Educational Foundation but has a different mission. The Foundation focuses on providing opportunities for those professionals who have already decided to enter risk management and are just getting started. [30:11] You can learn more about the Foundation by visiting RIMS.org/FRM.  While you're there, be sure to check out information about the Susan Meltzer Scholarship Fund, which was established to honor Ms. Meltzer, who was RIMS President in 1999 and 2000. [30:30] Susan Meltzer was a cherished RIMS President and contributed so much to RIMS and the greater risk community. Learn more at RIMS.org/FRM.  [30:39] Let's Return to Our Interview with Colette Cummins!  [30:53] Colette Cummins is speaking with us today from County Kildare, about 30 miles outside Dublin, Ireland. The IFI offices are on the edge of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Colette says the land is actually greener and more beautiful than the travel brochures could describe. [31:30] Colette says Ireland is full of rich waterways, which keeps her in a job. She lives near Dublin but is originally from the Southwest of Ireland, which is by far the most beautiful. The coastline is stunning. It's where most Irish go on holidays. It's gorgeous. [32:00] Colette says the accent in the Southwest of Ireland is different. Colette's husband from the middle of Ireland requests subtitles when he visits her family in the Southwest. Colette describes the difference between the accents in the South and North of Ireland. [33:05] Colette says the IFI Corporate Risk Register has generic risks around AI, cyber, training, and resources. [33:33] One of their biggest risks is health and safety. Staff are going out and patrolling rivers. They will sometimes come across fishermen who are happily overfishing and not keen to meet a patrolling officer who tells them they shouldn't be taking all this fish and depleting the stocks. [34:08] There is a health and safety risk with the patrolling officer being out on a river on boats. There is a health and safety risk in meeting an acrimonious and adversarial fisherman. [34:28] Because IFI does research, they have staff in labs, using high-tech equipment, with a health and safety risk. They have engineers looking at the rivers and habitats and maybe some constructions in the rivers that need to be removed. They have a health and safety risk. [34:37] These are new risks and things for Colette to get her head around. How do we do this? How do we manage that? And the other side is regulation. There are a lot of different regulations that impact IFI. [35:22] Colette says, In the public sector, your reputation is critically important, because you're the face of the state. Reputation is an impact factor you need to build into every risk. If IFI does something wrong, it could end up in the national media the day after. IFI uses taxpayers' money. [36:15] Colette says another huge category of risk for IFI is procurement, ensuring they are using taxpayers' money in the right way and not misusing it. [36:50] Colette says that prioritizing risks comes back to the goals. In procurement, there is the risk of spending money in a way that's not compliant. There is also the risk that there are too many procurement controls and the business can't move fast enough or do what it needs to do. [37:24] Colette says it comes to the organizational goals. What is the impact on the organizational goals? Which risk is going to have a greater detrimental impact on the organization's mission? One caveat: the health and well-being of the staff override everything. [37:55] Health and safety risk trumps everything. IFI would be completely averse to any risk that will impact the health and safety of the staff. Health and safety trumps every other risk. [38:16] Justin says he and Colette met recently for the RIMS-CRMP series where everyone can see her on September 24th. Justin says Colette is very positive and upbeat and speaks about her role with a lot of enthusiasm and joviality. [38:39] Colette says there are 330 people in IFI. It's not commercially driven, so a lot of people are at IFI because they love the work. For some people Colette works with, it's a vocation. They would nearly do the same job without being paid because they have such passion for it. [39:11] Colette met with the research team on site at the rivers to get a better understanding and just to see the passion they have for the job. Using her risk knowledge to help them do their jobs better and to help them protect themselves from risks was rewarding and enjoyable to Colette. [39:45] Colette says being able to use her experience across the organization is just fantastic. Colette has a lot of different experience, and to bring it all together and use it every day when she is challenged with a new task is fantastic and very rewarding. [40:27] Colette says this is the field staff's very busy time because this is when all the fishing is happening, this is when pollution is more likely to happen, and when the temperatures go up, the fish are under pressure, so you have to try and protect the waters. [40:42] Colette says the research staff was delighted to hear that someone was coming down from the head office to go out and make the time to really understand the organization. They were very anxious to show her everything. There is such pride in the organization. [41:!5] Justin says a lot of the risk professionals listening are in the private sector, and he asks Colette what would most surprise them about risk management in a public environmental organization. [41:40] Colette says a lot of the differences in the public sector are what you would expect: things move slower, and the protocols. [41:49] What surprised Colette the most is what a strong risk mindset they have. There's a good understanding of risk already, even through the layers of management. They can look at what's going on, the processes, and the activities and ask, "What are the risks here?" [42:16] There is also a commitment to risk that Colette was not expecting. She was expecting to meet a research manager who wanted to research and leave risks to Colette. She hasn't had that anywhere. They all ask her to talk with them about their risks. "Am I managing them right?" [42:39] Colette says there is knowledge and commitment, and that has been the biggest surprise for her. It obviously makes her job a lot easier. [42:48] Justin says this is excellent. It has been such a pleasure to meet you these last couple of days. We're going to see you during RIMS Certification week on September 24th. [42:57] Justin says, You will be co-hosting the informational session, "A Conversation with RIMS-CRMP Commissioners Who Hold the Credential." You're such a breath of fresh air. We really appreciate your contributions, and I learned a lot speaking with you today and yesterday. [41:12] Justin says, You have a fascinating job, and I hope that you have a chance to attend a RIMS event, maybe lead a session, and connect with our live audiences, as well. Colette says she would love to at some stage in the future. [43:32] Special thanks again to Colette Cummins of Inland Fisheries Ireland for joining us here on RIMScast. [43:38] You can hear Colette again on September 24th during RIMS Certification Week for the special informational session, "A Conversation with RIMS-CRMP Commissioners Who Hold the Credential." [43:49] That session will be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Visit RIMS.org/CertificationWeek. The link is also in this episode's show notes. We've got sessions on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of September. We look forward to seeing you there. [44:05] Plug Time! Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [44:22] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [44:39] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [44:52] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [43:05] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!   Links: RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 21‒24 | Complimentary For All RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 | Aug. 10‒12 in San Antonio | Register Now! Spencer Educational Foundation's 2026 Funding Their Future Gala | Sept. 17, 2026 RISKWORLD 2027 Registration | RIMS members can lock in 2026 rates now through Sept. 4 | Education Content Submission ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today. RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Advance Registration Open | Sponsorship Opportunities Available RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Registration Now Open! | www.rims.org/ERM2026 RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMScast on YouTube! RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available Sponsor RIMScast — Sales@RIMS.org Fisheriesireland.ie/ Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Workshop — Live In NY — Aug 27‒28! RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | Sept 1‒2 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops   Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 1" | Sept 1 "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 2" | Sept 9   Related RIMScast Episodes: "Reputation and Defense with Jeff McKissack" "Choosing the Challenge with Johnell Holly" "Supply Chain Integrity and Sustainability with Nicole Sherwin of EcoVadis"   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) "AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenge" | Sponsored by AXA XL "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Colette Cummins, Chief Risk Officer, Inland Fisheries Ireland RIMS-CRMP Commissioner   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.

IS HE OR ISN’T HE? A Response to God’s Not Dead by Cliff Somers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGKZBPL9 Cliffsomersmessageman.com The book God’s Not Dead by Pastor Rice Broocks so engaged Cliff’s interest and his disagreement with its content that he undertook to write a response (or rebuttal). This book is it. Dealing with such diverse issues as cosmology, theology, and evolution, as well as an examination of what the Gospels of the Bible really say, this book is argumentative and opinionated. However, Cliff respects the pastor (as he refers to Broocks) and has tried to be respectful in his approach. As the book states early on, Cliff is an atheist but not a proselytizer. You may be interested in the origin of the universe, the idea of the tuned universe, the dogma known as creationism, or that known as intelligent design, the question of the meaning to religion of Darwin’s theory of natural selection, or the actual words of the Gospels. If so, this book will intrigue you no matter which side of the fence you find yourself on. Come on in, the water’s fine. Cliff Somers was born in Portland, Maine, a long time ago and lived there until he was 15 years old. He then moved with his family to Florida, which he has claimed as his home state ever since. Cliff spent three years as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army Special Forces and went to Vietnam on an “A” team. He then received his undergraduate degree in English and a law degree from the University of Florida. Thereafter, he served for four years in the Army as a JAG officer where he served as a prosecutor (trial counsel) and prosecuted a nationally known murder case called U.S. v. MacDonald. That case was the subject of a televised series on FX in 2022, in which Cliff appears. He also served as a military judge. From 1972 until 2014, Cliff worked in Tampa as a civil trial lawyer with cases all over the west coast of Florida. In the practice of law, Cliff became a board-certified civil trial lawyer, and late in his practice, he was also a Florida Supreme Court certified mediator. He was listed during his practice in Who's Who in the South and Southwest, Who's Who in American Law, and Who's Who in America. Because he was English major, Cliff imagined himself as a famous novelist but discovered he lacked one asset for that task: he couldn't write dialogue for beans. This small problem led him to write the non-fiction (assuming that politics is not fiction) books and the poetry book shown on this website. Cliff lives with his wife, Jennie, in Citrus Park, a suburb of Tampa.

Summary In this episode, Shelby shares her exciting experience of securing last-minute Southwest travel deals and her plans for upcoming trips. She also discusses her thoughts on Taylor Swift's wedding secrecy and her current TV show favorites. In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of reality TV, gardening, Disney resort policies, and personal fitness journeys. Most shockingly - we cannot believe Disney's Grand Floridian Resort has CANCELED the annual Gingerbread House! Join us for a lively chat filled with insights, tips, and personal stories that keep the conversation engaging and informative.     Key Topics   Last-minute ticket acquisition strategies Travel deal hacks and airline credits Speculation about Taylor Swift's secret wedding TV show recommendations: Love Island and Off Campus Privacy and security at high-profile events Reality TV casting and production insights Gardening tips for zucchinis and pea pods Disney resort restrictions and alternative ideas Personal fitness updates including Pilates and treadmill issues Innovative ideas for staying cool at Disney parks      Takeaways   Casting directors look for 'psycho' traits for good TV Pinching zucchini flowers can boost yield Resort restrictions are evolving, consider alternative locations Mixing pudding with protein powder creates better ice cream Frozen water bottles in pockets are a park hack for staying cool

The meeting focused on real estate investing, with an emphasis on notes, seller financing, and creative deal structures. David shared his background in real estate and notes, and participants like Ben, MaryAnn, Jay, and Carl discussed their experiences with contract for deed, lease options, midterm rentals, and working with agents. The group talked about the challenges and benefits of different states and markets, including California, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, Chicago, and the Southwest. They covered topics such as lead generation for notes, the use of LOIs, carrying commissions as notes, and the role of real estate agents in creative transactions. David explained a recent reverse 1031 exchange he helped with, and several members shared insights on estate planning, property management, and market trends. The conversation also touched on the current stock market, the role of high-net-worth individuals in certain markets, and the evolving landscape of real estate investing strategies.

What's the episode about? In this episode, hear about an event on Love and Loss: A DayAt Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery, Bristol discussing love, romance, sex, death, culture, prison writing, slow suicide, creative writing, obituaries, epitaphs and more.You will listen to a range of academic research love, romance, death, grief and loss, all based or connected to the South West of England, and many of whom were recorded whilst walking around the rather hilly Arnos Vale Historic Garden Cemetery in Bristol, so do forgive any out of breath-ness!  The day in April 2026 at Arnos Vale began with a networking and idea generation event for researchers, followed by a guided tour open to the public with the theme of love and loss.This was filled with a rich mix of real-life tales — from couples united in life but separated in death, to daring elopements, parental love, and forbidden love. Some stories are touching, some tragic, and some wonderfully surprising.  This was followed by a creative writing workshop on the theme of love and loss, including practical activities and stimulus prompts drawn from the cemetery and the lives of its occupants. The aims of the day were: ●      To provide a forum for constructive discussion & preliminary dissemination of research works in progress.●      To identify potential future collaboration.●      To share research of high public interest with an openaudience in an established heritage setting. Links below for more information on the place and people inthis episode!Find out more about Arnos Vale. Find out more about newly appointed Associate Professor Dr JoParsons. Find out more about Janine Marriott. Find out more about Dr Andrew Griffiths.  A huge thank you to the Open University for their supportfor this event via the Academic Communities Fund!  How do I cite the episode in my research and reading lists?To cite this episode, you can use thefollowing citation: Michael-Fox, B. and Visser, R. (2026) The Death Studies Podcast hosted by Michael-Fox, B. and Visser, R. Published 26 July 2026. Available at: www.thedeathstudiespodcast.com, DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.33089351 What next?Check out more episodes or find out more about the hosts! Gota question? Get in touch.

Trade in those thirsty water hogs for some of these water-wise options   Do water shortages have you (and your garden) stressed? This episode is all about the toughest, thirst-averse plants out there — and how to build a landscape that thrives even when the rain is nowhere in sight. On this episode we have two expert guests from two very different climates: one in the Mid-Atlantic and one from the Southwest. Each of them will share the plants that they turn to when the conditions are dry and watering every day is out of the question.   We'll talk through which plants need a little help getting started versus which ones you can practically set and forget, and how to group plants with similar water needs so you're not overwatering your survivors to keep your divas alive. Whether you're xeriscaping a whole yard from scratch, converting a thirsty lawn bit by bit, or just trying to keep your patio containers alive through a brutal heat wave, tune in for practical, plant-nerd-approved advice.  Get the plant list for this episode on the Fine Gardening Website: https://www.finegardening.com/podcast Episode Experts: Ed Lyon is a horticulturist, an author, the former director of the Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University in Ames, and a frequent contributor to Fine Gardening magazine. He is nationally recognized as a top-tier garden educator with decades of experience helping gardeners cultivate beautiful, resilient landscapes. After many years in the Midwest, Ed relocated to Pennsylvania and launched Spellbound Garden Writing & Consultation.  Natalie McAnarney, known online as The Plant Ninja, is a Texas gardener and YouTube creator based about an hour north of Austin. A former U.S. Army officer who now works as a physician assistant, she began transforming her lawn into native and adapted plantings in 2020. Through her YouTube channel, The Plant Ninja - Texas Gardener, she documents her de-lawning projects and plant choices and features others in horticulture taking on similar approaches.   Natalie's efforts have also made her an advocate for drought-tolerant landscaping, after successfully persuading her HOA to approve a large-scale native-plant conversion of her front yard by citing Texas law protecting homeowners' rights to xeriscape.  

You know there is a gap between how your team trains and how your team performs. You've felt it. Gabe Rivera felt it too, and instead of talking about it, he built a system to close it. Full-time SWAT officer, Lead Faucet Tactical instructor, and founder of Mindset Tactical Solutions, Gabe sits down with Scott at the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association Conference in Round Rock, Texas to walk through eighteen years of hard lessons: how to vet instructors without getting burned by theory masquerading as experience, how competition shooting exposed gaps that thousands of hours of tactical courses never revealed, and how a small group of motivated cops turned a text thread into a sold-out law enforcement shooting match movement spreading from Southern California to Tennessee to TTPOA.This isn't a conversation about chasing classifications or social media clout. Gabe is relentlessly mission-focused: make the people around you better, lead by example, and build a culture where your weakest link is not weak for long. He breaks down how his agency went from a one-time thirty-two-hour active shooter block to annual refreshers, quarterly reps, and academy-level integration, and how the same forward-thinking philosophy is now driving a USPSA club, an intro-to-competition course for cops, and an intra-team quarterly competition with a plaque and serious bragging rights on the line.If you are a SWAT officer, a range sergeant, a team leader, or any cop who has ever wondered whether competition shooting is worth your time, this episode gives you the full picture, from Gabe's first humbling match experience alongside JJ Racaza to the stage-design lessons learned from rain-soaked stages at TTPOA this week. The roadmap is here. The people willing to help are already lined up. The only thing left is for you to start.Scott and Gabe also get into what it actually takes to put on a law enforcement match from scratch: finding a USPSA club willing to partner, building walls out of nothing, managing squad flow so nobody is standing around for eight hours, and leaning on sponsors like Howitzer Clothing to make the economics work. Whether you want to attend one of these matches or host one in your region, you'll leave this episode knowing exactly where to begin.In this episode: • Vetting instructors on tactics means prioritizing people whose techniques have been stress-tested for real, not just proven effective in Sims houses: one-off experiences are worth learning from, but not worth re-engineering your entire SOP around • Gabe's agency moved from a single thirty-two-hour active shooter block to academy-level integration plus annual refresher training plus quarterly reps after a post-incident debrief trip to Dallas surfaced the gap between their readiness and what actually-trained agencies were doing • Competition shooting exposed performance gaps that thousands of hours of tactical classes and certificates never did: the move to 'one match a month' then 'every match I can shoot' followed directly from realizing that class environments reward relative performance, while matches reveal absolute performance • The intra-team competition format Gabe built scores each team's top three shooters PLUS its bottom two, forcing accountability at the weakest link rather than letting high performers mask squad-wide deficiencies • The Southeast law enforcement match in Tennessee was the proof-of-concept Gabe and his crew replicated in the Southwest: copy the model, learn from their stage-flow lessons (including a full-service staff-reset format), and let the virus spread region by region • A USPSA section chair approved Gabe's agency-affiliated club to run official classifiers inside law enforcement courses, meaning cops can get their USPSA member number and classification within a course environment specifically designed around duty gear and relevant skill sets • Intro-to-competition classes for cops specifically address the three barriers Scott hears most: fear of DQ, not understanding stage planning, and not knowing how to sign up, and Gabe's model walks officers through a live match with coaching squad support their first time out • Sponsors like Howitzer Clothing (Eric Foss, Project Blue Lion) are funding JJ Racaza team courses and law enforcement match infrastructure outright, and USPSA clubs with materials and range facilities are the key first partnership to secure when replicating this model anywhere in the countryChapters: 0:39 Iron Sights intro and show mission 1:09 Welcoming Gabe Rivera and Scott's personal history with him 5:56 Gabe's background: 18 years in LEO and full-time SWAT 6:27 Origin of Mindset Tactical Solutions and active shooter training 8:15 Lead Faucet Tactical and the instructor vetting process 9:38 Dallas debrief, annual training evolution, and closing the readiness gap 24:26 What 'vet your instructors' actually means in practice 29:47 First exposure to competition shooting and Ben Stoeger's course 31:37 Training with JJ Racaza and the decision to go all-in on competition 44:03 Building a competition culture inside the agency 51:03 Launching the Southwest LEO match and learning from Tennessee 1:24:13 USPSA classification inside LEO courses and what is nextMentioned: Gabe Rivera — Owner and instructor of Mindset Tactical Solutions, full-time SWAT officer with eighteen years in Southern California law enforcement, and Lead Faucet Tactical instructor; primary guest of this episode. Dan Brokos — Founder of Lead Faucet Tactical; mentioned as someone Gabe assists as an instructor and who was teaching in Southern California during the week of the TTPOA conference. Ben Stoeger — World-class competition shooter whose Los Angeles-area private course required a USPSA B classification for entry, giving Gabe his first serious exposure to high-level practical shooting in 2015. JJ Racaza — World-class competition shooter who invited Gabe to shoot a match after training together, and who later ran private performance shooting courses for Gabe's SWAT team, funded in part by Howitzer Clothing. Cody — Referenced as a helpful contact associated with the Southeast law enforcement shooting match in Tennessee whose team provided guidance and support to the Southwest match organizers. Sean Griffith — Described as a top-ten shooter in the world who helped design stages for the TTPOA match and is cited as an example of elite-level competitors willing to invest time in helping law enforcement get into competition. Eric Foss — Associated with Howitzer Clothing and Project Blue Lion; credited with sponsoring JJ Racaza's private course for Gabe's team at no cost to the agency and with funding law enforcement match infrastructure. Anthony Coley — Mentioned as a recent Iron Sights guest whose attitude of asking for help openly was cited as a model for the law enforcement match-building community. Dustin Mowry — Named as a previous Iron Sights guest and one of the people involved in the TTPOA match effort whom Gabe has known since approximately 2015. Chancey Pogue — Named as a previous Iron Sights guest involved in the TTPOA match collaboration alongside Gabe. Bryan Williams — Named alongside Dustin Mowry and Chancey Pogue as a previous Iron Sights guest involved in the TTPOA match effort.

Jodi's favorite stories from this week's 3 Things to Know, starting with Jon Bon Jovi cutting his Madison Square Garden show short due to a sinus infection, with an assist from Train's Pat Monahan. Then, the best airline snacks (Delta takes the crown, but Southwest's pistachios have our hearts) and reminisce about learning to drive a stick shift. Finally - the comeback of virtue baby names like Grace, Hope, Joy, and even Valor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's often the moments that don't seem remarkable at the time that change everything. For Leigha Simonton, those moments included a move across state lines, a mock trial competition, and a mother who never stopped believing in her.In this episode of Counsel Brew, Leigha reflects on the experiences that shaped her long before she stepped into leadership. She shares what it was like growing up in a rural Louisiana community, moving to Dallas as a teenager, discovering mock trial, and learning that success comes from adapting, asking questions, and putting in the work. Along the way, she talks about the influence of her mother, a former NASA mathematician, the mentors who helped shape her career, and the unexpected way a mock trial competition introduced her to her future husband. The conversation also explores building high-performing teams, mentoring younger lawyers, and why she hopes to see the legal profession place an even greater emphasis on developing its next generation of leaders. Mixed in with stories about appellate arguments, Secret Service training, and a favorite morning coffee ritual, the episode offers a thoughtful look at a career built through curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning. In This EpisodeGrowing up in rural Louisiana and adapting to life in DallasHow mock trial shaped both a legal career and a lifelong partnershipThe influence of mentors, family, and the people who opened doors Lessons from a career in public service, including time as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of TexasBuilding high-performing teams and investing in the next generation of lawyersBalancing a demanding legal career with family lifeSecret Service driving school, appellate advocacy, and a few memorable stories from the Department of JusticeWhy curiosity and lifelong learning continue to guide her careerAbout Leigha SimontonLeigha Simonton is Co-Chair of Dykema's White Collar & Government Investigations Section. Before joining Dykema, she served as the Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas after an 18-year career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. A graduate of Yale Law School, Leigha now represents clients in complex investigations, white collar matters, commercial litigation, and regulatory matters while leading one of the Southwest's premier teams of former Department of Justice attorneys.Listen now:  Find Leigha at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigha-simonton-506b3a6/Message us at hello@counselbrew.com  Visit us at http://www.counselbrew.com And Follow us @counselbrewhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-brew/Send us Fan Mail Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.

Kara Childress' illustrious career in interior design has spanned over four decades, tracing back to her professional beginnings in 1984. Operating long before the advent of digital mood boards, Pinterest, or internet algorithms, Kara's early career was built on the foundation of hands-on physical discovery and pure relationships. Based in Houston, Texas, she began her design journey with a deep curiosity for European design history, establishing a clear lane that would guide her studio's signature "old-world meets modern living" aesthetic.Her early path was shaped by a distinct work ethic and the dual challenge of growing a high-level business while raising a family. Kara candidly reflects on the early days of juggling school carpools and client presentations, admitting that she used to battle a sense of guilt about balancing her demanding career with motherhood. Decades later, however, those same children have grown up to follow in her entrepreneurial footsteps, showing her how deeply her passion and dedication influenced their own lives and career trajectories.Today, Kara stands as one of the Southwest's most celebrated design figures, leading a tight-knit team of women who she warmly refers to as her extended family. Her journey from the analogue design landscapes of the mid-1980s to the cusp of publishing her first major monograph is a testament to the power of authenticity, patience, and a refusal to compromise on quality.

Southwest posts record revenue after overhauling its entire business model, American Airlines hits record revenue too but keeps cutting its profit forecast, and the timeshare industry is consolidating for a reason most travelers would never guess. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the new Southwest might actually be stronger than the one it replaced, why American's record revenue quarter still comes with a cautious outlook, and why timeshares are really a lending business in disguise — and why that's driving consolidation. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGSouthwest's New Fees and Fare Hikes Offset $899 Million Fuel BillAmerican Says It Offset 50% of Fuel Expenses With Higher FaresBehind Travel + Leisure's $343 Million Bet and Why More Timeshare Deals Are Coming Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Join your hosts Ron Arenas  and Dr. Joe Utash, for episode 162 as we kick things off with an incredible guest; the unstoppable Arona Spader.Arona has pushed her limits on the big stage, competing on both seasons 17 and 18 of American Ninja Warrior.  Tune in to hear all about her training, her mindset and what it really takes to tackle the world's most intense obstacle course  Next, Ron and Dr. Joe will discuss how chiropractic care keeps your mind as well as your body focused for the every day challenges that awaits you.

Live from South by Southwest in London, Michelle and Craig flip the script and interview each other! In a vulnerable and revealing conversation, they discuss their journeys through Chicago's South Side, law school, the Oval Office and share what they've learned about one another while working together. Plus, a lightning round of questions on beloved British traditions!Have a question you want answered? Write to us at imopod.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Watch Us On YouTube! Announcing a new, ongoing benefit for annual subscribers of our Slack community. Annual subscribers receive a free Points Path Alerts subscription OR a 30% discount on Points Path Pro. Severe weather created another difficult weekend for travelers, and Richard opens the episode with the story of getting his sister home after JetBlue canceled her flight and could not offer another option for several days. The solution involved a train to Baltimore, a Southwest flight and a reminder of why keeping points available for emergencies can be so valuable. Ed then reviews his family's stay at the MGM Skylofts in Las Vegas, including the spacious two-bedroom accommodations, the aging room features and his lingering question about what guests are actually supposed to ask a hotel butler to do. He and Richard compare Skylofts with Aria Sky Suites and consider whether the additional luxury benefits justify the much higher price. The conversation shifts to the complicated Marriott–MGM relationship. Ed explains why MGM Gold status and direct booking can sometimes beat booking through Marriott, especially when resort fees and restaurant spending are considered. Richard also discovers an especially poor Marriott points redemption: nearly 17,000 points to avoid paying a $30 base room rate while still owing the resort fee. Later, the guys debate the best travel movies ever made, discuss whether Boeing should once again be allowed to certify its own aircraft, answer a listener question about choosing a Tokyo hotel for a short visit and examine why domestic award travel has become so painful for families. Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community.  Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly access Annual access Personal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/ ✈️ What We Cover in This Episode ✈️ Weather disruptions and emergency travel planning A canceled JetBlue flight Taking the train to BWI for a Southwest alternative Why points provide an important travel safety net ✈️ Ed's MGM Skylofts experience The two-bedroom layout Butler service and luxury-hotel benefits Skylofts versus Aria Sky Suites Whether the premium price makes sense ✈️ The Marriott–MGM partnership Booking through Marriott versus MGM Resort fees on Marriott award stays Why MGM Gold can make direct booking more attractive Missing Marriott credit for restaurant charges ✈️ Chase Sapphire Preferred's 100,000-point offer Why Richard applied again Rebuilding a transferable-points balance Marriott points versus Ultimate Rewards ✈️ The best travel movies Up in the Air Flight The Terminal Planes, Trains and Automobiles Back to the Future Catch Me If You Can ✈️ Boeing and FAA oversight Boeing regaining some aircraft-certification authority Whether Boeing can adequately oversee itself Increasing financial penalties for safety violations ✈️ Choosing a Tokyo hotel for a short trip Park Hyatt Tokyo versus Grand Hyatt Tokyo Why location may matter more than luxury Staying near a convenient subway station ✈️ Marriott and Japan Airlines A new JAL status-match opportunity Potential benefits for Marriott elites Rumors of JAL becoming a Citi transfer partner ✈️ The rising cost of domestic award travel Expensive flights for families Shrinking partner-award opportunities Why domestic points strategies are disappearing ⏱️ Episode 446 Timestamps 0:48 – Weather cancellations and getting Richard's sister home 2:28 – Ed reviews the MGM Skylofts 6:45 – Marriott points, resort fees and MGM booking strategy 11:26 – Chase Sapphire Preferred's 100,000-point offer 15:11 – Debating the best travel movies ever 21:58 – Boeing regains aircraft-certification authority 26:08 – Slack Community and Points Path benefits 27:35 – Where to stay during a short Tokyo visit 29:39 – Marriott's JAL status match and transfer-partner rumors 31:41 – Why domestic award travel is getting so expensive

In today's episode, Norris and I hit pause on the doomscroll and talk about simple joys and summer adventures around Detroit. We talk about everything from Belle Isle walks and Southwest soccer nights to Chinatown block parties, rooftop bars, and getting lost on the scenic route instead of the freeway. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get shows! If you've got feedback, including what you plan on doing this summer, let us know - dailydetroit@gmail.com or 313-789-3211

We are back in the studio! With a brand new episode featuring Evelyn and Emily and it is a horny one! They come on share some sugar daddy stories and much more. Plus Evelyn tells us a kinky story where even have to mute the mic! Follow us on social media @AaronScenesAfterParty

Send us Fan MailJosh and Lara discussing recent updates in powerlifting including Josh's attendance at the Lee Haney games in Atlanta where he enjoyed playing in bounce houses with his daughters. Josh recommended the Murder 101 series on Amazon Prime that complements the original podcast, and mentioned the USA Powerlifting website received a facelift with new mobile-friendly features and a meet day handlers resource for lifters seeking certified coaches. They reviewed upcoming Georgia meets including the Forge Classic in Alpharetta and discussed regional registration updates, noting that Southwest and Midwest Regionals still had available spots while other regions were sold out. Josh explained he had spent time compiling qualifications and alternates for Worlds competition invites, and Lara shared an odd story about the car registration process in a foreign country where they drove without insurance for a month.Team Rohr Powerlifting100% Individualized Programming, Meet Day Preparation and Live Virtual CoachingJoin the Team Rohr Training App!Proven Powerlifting Programming Use code PLBALLADSPODCAST for 25% OFF of your 1st month!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showJoin our GroupMe!Follow/Direct Message us @PLBalladsPodcast on Instagram & FacebookEmail us at PLBalladsPodcast@gmail.comMore Information about the Podcast: https://solo.to/plballadspodcastThe Powerlifting & Power Ballads Podcast is co-hosted by Josh Rohr and Lara Sturm and sponsored by Team Rohr Powerlifting - for all of your powerlifting coaching and meet day handling needs. The podcast covers Georgia Powerlifting information as well as National Powerlifting news. One of our more popular segments is music, specifically 80's music and Power Ballads.

Today is one of the most incredible episodes of the show I have ever produced. I don't say this lightly. Today, you are going to hear about a new project called Shelter Republic, officially launching although if you are an avid listener, you have probably heard me talking about it as we prepared for launch. Well, it's here, and it's official. And You are going to hear from my co-founder…I'm sitting down with computer engineer and Shelter Republic co-founder Jack Cooperman to discuss the platform's structural architecture, functionality, purpose, and the necessity for safe places to explore ideas amongst peers. The Genesis of Shelter Republic: Jack and I reflect on the evolution of the platform, tracking its roots back to when Jack and his sister first visited Josh on stage at the WestEdge Design Fair. The community was built to bridge regional gaps and provide a collaborative, peer-to-peer ecosystem for architects and designers. Designing UX for Geographic Context: Jack outlines the structure of the platform, which is divided into five nationwide micro-communities (including the Mountain Atlantic and Southwest regions). This allows for highly localized discussions on styles, culture, and business norms while keeping a unified national hub. Cultivating a “Safe Place to Fail”: The co-founders debate the nature of failure in school versus a creative career. Josh emphasizes that Shelter Republic is deliberately engineered as a vetted, invite-only environment to protect accomplished creatives from public “dogpiling” or algorithmic scrutiny when exploring new, untested concepts. Platform Features & Onboarding: Built to avoid user-data exploitation and ad clutter, the platform operates via direct invitation and QR codes. Features include text-based feeds, real-time messaging, direct networking via professional member bios, live video-conferencing rooms, and educational modules—including Josh’s masterclass, Podcasting for Creatives. Addressing Industry Disruptions (AI & Legislation): The conversation dives into how early-career junior designers are transitioning into technology facilitators due to AI studio integration. They also discuss how the platform serves as a “modern town crier” for critical industry news, citing a recent user post by a Southern California designer regarding the engineered quartz ban in California due to silicosis risks. Cooperation Over Competition: Drawing a contrast with the competitive nature of the design world, Josh shares a lesson from his time covering the Playboy Jazz Festival, where legendary jazz musicians prioritized mentoring the next generation to keep the collective genre alive. Shelter Republic aims to foster that exact cross-regional mentorship. Thank you Jack. I know I have already said it, but I have enjoyed every moment putting this together and we are thrilled to share it. Note on Access: Shelter Republic is entirely free, and does not collect user data except when stated like the use of polls and prompts for professional input. To maintain community standards and security, entry is restricted to verified industry professionals via peer invitation or direct QR code scanning at upcoming events.

With a Super El Niño brewing in the atmosphere, there's concern about what the weather pattern means for the U.S. and the Southwest. Texas is already experiencing another summer of weather extremes: destructive rainfall and flooding followed by dangerous heat, with Tropical Storm Bertha now moving across the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!Sherman Mohler discovered a dinosaur.Well, technically, he was part of the team that unearthed, cataloged, researched, and ultimately named Ornatops incantatus, a type of duck-billed dinosaur that roamed northern New Mexico approximately 80 million years ago.By the way, Sherman discovered this dinosaur not too far from where he goes to church while he's on fossil expeditions.Wait.  Church?  Fossils?  80 million years?  Is it possible to include all of these things in the same episode of Kingdom Culture Conversations?That is the reason that Sherman Mohler, a recognized and accomplished paleontologist, who serves as the president of the Southwest Paleontological Society, accepted the invitation to be our guest for what will be two days of very intriguing conversation.  Plainly said, Sherman wants our students and listeners to know that you can follow Christ, believe your Bible, and hold to an understanding that the world is billions of years old.  Further, he's inviting us to do the work -- read the research, study God's Word, examine the evidence -- and, decide for yourself, recognizing that your security in Christ and position in your Christian faith are not at risk.To learn more about the Southwest Paleontological Society, please follow this link.The SPS is part of the Arizona Museum of Natural History.  To learn more about AZMNH, please click here.Ready to take Sherman Mohler up on his challenge?  BioLogos.org is a Christian nonprofit organization founded by geneticist Francis Collins, best known for leading the Human Genome Project. The organization seeks to promote what it describes as the harmony between Christian faith and modern science, particularly in areas such as evolution, genetics, cosmology, and the age of the earth. BioLogos generally advocates for “evolutionary creation,” the view that God used evolutionary processes in creation. "Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email gbrown@ncsaz.org or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

Farming has one of the worst fatality rates of any industry sector in the UK and new research suggests the true number of health and safety incidents on farm is even higher than reported. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) says 30% of farmers wouldn't log an incident because they fear inspections or legal consequences, and 34% think near misses aren't serious enough to report.The National Drought Group, which includes government agencies, water companies, conservation groups and farming representatives publishes a new report for England today. Last week the Environment Agency said England was NOT in drought, although the South West, parts of Southern England, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire were experiencing 'prolonged dry weather' and river flows aross the country were below normal or exceptionally low. The hot dry weather is affecting the potato crop and growers in Cornwall fear their harvest could fail if the heatwave continues.The Welsh government is announcing a new food strategy at the Royal Welsh Show, and all week we're looking at agricultural policy in Wales. One of the biggest changes has been the re-launch of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, or SFS, the income support programme which replaces the Common Agricultural Policy, including the Basic Payment Scheme. We visit a farm in Brecon to find out what farmers think of the latest version of the Welsh scheme.We hear from a volunteer who's been leading walks in the Lake District National park for six decades - Ron Wood's 78 and has no plans to stop.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

On this week's episode of AvTalk, a Ryanair (Malta Air) 737-800 suffers an uncontained engine failure after departing Thessaloniki, Greece, resulting in a shattered cabin window and a passenger partially sucked out of the cabin. We discuss the specifics on this accident and its similarities with Southwest 1380. German investigators release their preliminary report on […] The post AvTalk Episode 379: This feels eerily similar appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

Skateboards in the hallway. Ping-pong at lunch. The belief that a fun office magically produces profits. In this episode of DarrenDaily On-Demand, Darren Hardy bursts the happy workplace myth, sharing two companies he visited in the same month: the one that was dead quiet turned out to be more than 40% more profitable per employee than the one that looked like Animal House. Darren reveals what Disney Imagineers admitted about how the Happiest Place on Earth really operates, and how Southwest's famous fun depends on a micro-choreographed ten-minute turn. Beneath the playful surface sits rigid systems, intense measurement, and relentless accountability. Get more personal mentoring from Darren each day. Go to DarrenDaily at http://darrendaily.com/join to learn more.

Already this summer, there have been huge wildfires in the Southwest and Great Plains and an extraordinary heat wave in Europe, as the world stares down the barrel of a powerful El Niño. Climate change is accelerating, and yet climate politics right now is in disarray. But something else is happening, too. Advances in clean energy technology mean it is now possible to build a world of energy abundance that was the stuff of dreams just a few years ago. That means a new kind of climate politics is possible — one that doesn't just talk about sacrifice and disaster prevention but also can present decarbonization as a path to somewhere better, where everyone has more, not less. Bill McKibben is one of the best people at articulating that vision. He's a founder of the climate action groups 350.org and Third Act, and he's been at the vanguard of the climate movement for decades. His 1989 book, “The End of Nature,” is considered the first book on global warming written for a general audience. His latest book, published last year, is “Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization.” Mentioned: “Global Electricity Review 2026” by Ember The End of Nature by Bill McKibben “The New Right's Very Old Vision of Men,” The Ezra Klein Show with Helen Lewis “We're All Living in the ‘Mirror World' Now,” The Ezra Klein Show with Naomi Klein Book Recommendations: The Glorians by Terry Tempest Williams The Beginning Comes After the End by Rebecca Solnit The Carbon Wave by Leah C. Stokes Brought to You By by Amy Westervelt End Times Fascism by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.html This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Jack McCordick. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris and Julie Beer. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Johnny Simon. Our recording engineer is Johnny Simon. Cinematography by Kyle Kelley and Marina King. Video editing by Brandon Belk-Yee, Dani Dillon and Julian Hackney. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin and Emma Kehlbeck. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Keep talking to the hand— it's our friend Ike Barinholtz. Hustling, trivia, college, bottle-service, true mirrors, and a Southwest flight home. “Hey guys, where did you go?” It's an all-new SmartLess. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.