Podcasts about special envoy

Tshidi Madia in for Clement Manyathela speaks to Professor David Monyae, an associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Johannesburg about what the role of a special envoy entails.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tshidi Madia in for Clement Manyathela, and the listeners discuss whether Mcebisi Jonas' explanation for his past utterances on Donald Trump will be sufficient.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this Tuesday edition of Sid & Friends in the Morning, Sid rails on Special Envoy to the President Steve Witkoff for reaching the "edge of catastrophe" when it comes to his negotiation tactics in the Middle East. In other news of the day, President Trump and his cabinet members eviscerate CNN's Kaitlan Collins in The Oval Office, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith continues to flirt with a foray from sports into politics, and the federal government says it's freezing more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University, after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration's demands to limit anti-Semitism on campus. Rich Lowry, Bo Dietl, Lara Trump, Gordon Chang, and Bernie Moreno join Sid on this Tuesday installment of Sid & Friends in the Morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author & geopolitics expert Gordon Chang calls in to talk about Special Envoy to the President Steve Witkoff's negotiation tactics regarding Iran and the country's status as a nuclear power, before he discusses Witkoff's just-as-shaky tactics when it comes to the terrorist organization that is Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Chang then dives into President Trump's tariffs war with China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tshidi Madia, in for Clement Manyathela, and the listeners discuss whether Mcebisi Jonas is the right pick to be South Africa’s special envoy to US. Madia also speaks to charted accountant Khaya Sithole to get his analysis on Jonas’ appointment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special Envoy to the US by Radio Islam

Stephen Grootes speaks to Mcebisi Jonas, former finance deputy minister and newly appointed special envoy to Washington, about advancing trade ties with the US amid a diplomatic freeze and evolving international trade war. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.Thank you for listening to The Money Show podcast.Listen live - The Money Show with Stephen Grootes is broadcast weekdays between 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) on 702 and CapeTalk.There’s more from the show at www.themoneyshow.co.zaSubscribe to the Money Show daily and weekly newslettersThe Money Show is brought to you by Absa.Follow us on:702 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702702 on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702702 on Instagram: www.instagram.com/talkradio702702 on X: www.x.com/Radio702702 on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@radio702CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalkCapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalkCapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkzaCapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to appoint Mcebisi Jonas as special envoy to the United States has sparked criticism from the Forum for South Africa (FOSA). The civil rights group have labelled the appointment as premature, misguided and a sign of the President's indifference to repairing the deteriorating SA-US relations. Elvis Presslin spoke to the Leader of Forum for South Africa, Tebogo Mashilompane to elaborate further on their concerns and to Dr. Kingsley Makhubela, former diplomat and International Relations Expert

Stephen Grootes speaks to Khaya Sithole, Independent Analyst about Mcebisi Jonas' role as special envoy to the US, focusing on strengthening trade relations and promoting economic cooperation. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.Thank you for listening to The Money Show podcast.Listen live - The Money Show with Stephen Grootes is broadcast weekdays between 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) on 702 and CapeTalk.There’s more from the show at www.themoneyshow.co.zaSubscribe to the Money Show daily and weekly newslettersThe Money Show is brought to you by Absa.Follow us on:702 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702702 on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702702 on Instagram: www.instagram.com/talkradio702702 on X: www.x.com/Radio702702 on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@radio702CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalkCapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalkCapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkzaCapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mcebisi Jonas as his Special Envoy to the United States of America, serving as the official representative of the President and the government of the Republic of South Africa. In this role, Jonas is entrusted with the responsibility to advance South Africa's diplomatic, trade and bilateral priorities. He will now lead negotiations, foster strategic partnerships and engage with U.S. government officials and private-sector leaders to promote our nation's interests. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Presidency's Spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya

Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun joins Sid to discuss President Trump's nomination of him to become the next U.S. special envoy for combatting antisemitism, and how he plans on going about the role once confirmed by the Senate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Adama Dieng, African Union (AU) Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities and Deputy Chair of the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. Adama reflects on his distinguished career in the prevention of atrocities, including his time as the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. He shares insights on how he is using his role as the AU's first ever Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities to draw attention to and mobilize response for crises across the continent. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the observance of Genocide Prevention and Awareness month and progress made in the prevention of mass atrocities over the past two decades.

Ellie Cohanim, former Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism during the first Donald Trump administration, and how she feels about the possibility of retaining that very position for President Trump's second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day 1,139.Today, we talk about the crash in oil prices and the consequences on Russia's economy. We discuss Vladimir Putin's special envoy to the US on international economic and investment cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev. And, Francis Dearnley speaks with John W. Boerstler, who served as the Chief Veterans Experience Officer at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Contributors:Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Narrative Podcast Producer). @adeliepjz on X.Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X.With thanks to John W. Boerstler (Executive Vice President of Public Sector at IPSOS).Content Referenced:As oil plunges, Kremlin sees a global economic storm, from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-plunges-kremlin-sees-global-economic-storm-2025-04-07/Russia plans to capitalise on Trump's trade wars – here's the man leading Putin's gambit, from the Telegraph: Russia plans to capitalise on Trump's trade wars – here's the man leading Putin's gambitJohn W. Boerstler - U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsNOW AVAILABLE IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them, or click the links below.Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestLearn more about the tech: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/24/ukraine-the-latest-podcast-russian-ukrainian-ai-translation/Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Follow us on X: @FleurHassanN @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Israel's Special Envoy for Trade and Innovation and former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem. Fleur co-founded the UAE-Israel Business Council and the Gulf Israel Women's Forum in 2020. Since September 2023, Fleur has been serving as Israel's special envoy for innovation. Fleur Hassan-Nahoum is the first woman to be appointed as Secretary General for Kol Israel, the ideological successor to the General Zionist Party in the World Zionist Congress. Fleur recently joined the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy as a senior fellow and sits on the international advisory council. americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://summitleadersusa.com/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @FleurHassanN @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 65 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

Sixth up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing Greens candidates for the upcoming federal election, Tom meets Samantha Ratnam - former Victorian Greens state leader, and candidate for the seat of Wills! Why did she resign as a state MP to run for federal politics? How did the redistribution halve Labor’s margin in the seat? Can Melbourne’s Greens presence finally grow beyond Adam Bandt? And is this the end of current member and supposed Special Envoy for Social Cohesion, Peter Khalil? As he would say, “You will have to wait and see hope you are pleasantly surprised.” ---------- These bonus election episodes can only exist because of our wonderful Patreon subscriber’s support. Subscribe for $3/month to get access to our fortnightly subscriber-only full episode, and unlock our complete library of over SIXTY past bonus episodes. https://www.patreon.com/SeriousDangerAU ---------- Call to action - Join Samantha’s campaign for Wills - https://samantharatnam.com/ Sign up to volunteer greens.org.au/vic/volunteer There’s an election coming! https://greens.org.au/events Check out the platform - https://greens.org.au/platform Serious Danger merch - https://seriousdanger.bigcartel.com/ Produced by Michael Griffin https://www.instagram.com/mikeskillz Follow us on https://twitter.com/SeriousDangerAU https://www.instagram.com/seriousdangerau https://www.tiktok.com/@seriousdangerauSupport the show: http://patreon.com/seriousdangerauSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erin Molan, award-winning Australian journalist and broadcaster, has emerged as a courageous global voice, unafraid to speak out against terrorism, antisemitism and media misinformation. Erin joins Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Israel's Special Envoy for Innovation, for a powerful and unfiltered conversation recorded in Jerusalem.

One of Ukraine's staunchest advocates in the EU and in NATO is Finland, which itself joined the Atlantic Alliance two years ago after decades of neutrality. We caught up with Finland's President Alexander Stubb as he attended talks of the "coalition of the willing" hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Stubb gives us his perspective on European security and defence, NATO and of course the increasingly fractious relationship between the EU and the Trump administration, as the latter announces fresh tariffs on European imports.

Steve Witkoff is President Donald J. Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East...but WHO IS HE? Mike Slater explains his AWESOME background and explains why he's been so successful at his job in 2025. Don't miss this entertaining and informative segment!Following the opener, Slater talks to U.S. Congressman Michael Rulli (R-OH-06) about what he and his colleagues in the House of Representatives are doing to kill off the truly vile federal Department of Education for good!

[00:30] Deadly Naiveté (20 minutes) The current U.S. administration places an enormous amount of trust in men, even madmen like Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tucker Carlson had a disturbing and revealing interview with Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that showed what the Trump administration thinks about making peace: Anything can be solved with dialogue. This naive worldview can only have disastrous consequences. [20:00] No Hope in Man (35 minutes) The Bible clearly shows that when world leaders say “peace and safety,” sudden destruction is coming. As times grow more urgent, true Christians must sprint, spiritually, toward the finish line.

President Trump attended the NCAA wrestling national championships over the weekend. "Captain America" wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson saluted the commander in chief and expressed how much it meant to him that President Trump was in attendance. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is returning $878 Billion in unused COVID funds that the Biden administration was somehow unable to coordinate. The U.S. Air Force announced the world's first 6-Gen F47 fighter jet; it will be the "most advanced, adaptable and lethal fighter ever developed." U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff spoke with President Putin and was able to move elements that have been on the shelf for years to advance a peace deal in Ukraine. While Biden skirted and averted the law, democrats like Chuck Schumer are crying about democracy. Unlike Biden, President Trump is effectively using due process and the law to deport dangerous criminals. RFK Jr. is delivering health and wellness to our children with Operation Stork Speed and reevaluating GRAS (Generally Acceptable As Safe) foods. Tesla's Sentry Mode has been able to record and put vandals on blast all over the internet. As more and more recordings are spread online, people are finally getting caught and charged with felony vandalism. President Reagan's speech writer Anthony Dolan has passed away. Anthony has written some of the most famous words in modern political history and was a genuine, humble man in a town where most claw for power and titles. Anthony's words "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" is one of the most consequential political moments in history. Today's show is brought to you by these great sponsors: Wired 2 Fish Do you want to drink coffee from the finest coffee beans in the world? Wired 2 Fish sources directly from Mexico and Guatemala to bring you the freshest arabica coffee beans in the world. Wired 2 Fish cares so much about the earth that they give back 25% of their net profits to faith-based organizations and clean water initiatives. If you're a coffee lover and want to support a great company doing great work head to https://www.wired2fishcoffee.com/ use code: WECARE for 15% off your first order.  TAX Network USA Talk with a strategist at Tax Network USA... it's FREE. Stop the threatening letters. Stop looking over your shoulder and put your IRS troubles behind you, once and for all. Whether you owe $10,000 or $10 million, Tax Network USA can help you! Reach out to them today at 1-800-245-6000 or visit https://tnusa.com/SEANSPICER ------------------------------------------------------------- 1️⃣ Subscribe and ring the bell for new videos: https://youtube.com/seanmspicer?sub_confirmation=1 2️⃣ Become a part of The Sean Spicer Show community: https://www.seanspicer.com/ 3️⃣ Listen to the full audio show on all platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sean-spicer-show/id1701280578 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/32od2cKHBAjhMBd9XntcUd iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-sean-spicer-show-120471641/ 4️⃣ Stay in touch with Sean on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanmspicer Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicer Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanmspicer/ 5️⃣ Follow The Sean Spicer Show on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanspicershow Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicershow Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanspicershow #politics #news #theseanspicershow #seanspicer #conservativemedia #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Secretary Linda McMahon to take the steps needed to dismantle the Department of Education and facilitate its closure. The President aims to relocate the department's core functions, though the moves would still likely trigger legal challenges. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration spent much of this week criticizing federal judges they accuse of overreach and trying to block their agenda, including their plans to deport alleged Tren de Aragua members under the Alien Enemies Act. FOX News DC-based Correspondent Alexandria Hoff discusses the court clashes from this week in the White House.   It's been a pivotal week overseas. President Trump's phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have led to both sides agreeing to stop targeting energy infrastructure—a step the Trump Administration describes as a "movement toward peace" in the conflict. Meanwhile, developments in the Middle East are less positive, with a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas being called off. Deputy U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, weighs in on critical ongoing negotiations, the potential for peace between Russia and Ukraine, and the current situation in the Middle East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Secretary Linda McMahon to take the steps needed to dismantle the Department of Education and facilitate its closure. The President aims to relocate the department's core functions, though the moves would still likely trigger legal challenges. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration spent much of this week criticizing federal judges they accuse of overreach and trying to block their agenda, including their plans to deport alleged Tren de Aragua members under the Alien Enemies Act. FOX News DC-based Correspondent Alexandria Hoff discusses the court clashes from this week in the White House.   It's been a pivotal week overseas. President Trump's phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have led to both sides agreeing to stop targeting energy infrastructure—a step the Trump Administration describes as a "movement toward peace" in the conflict. Meanwhile, developments in the Middle East are less positive, with a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas being called off. Deputy U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, weighs in on critical ongoing negotiations, the potential for peace between Russia and Ukraine, and the current situation in the Middle East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Secretary Linda McMahon to take the steps needed to dismantle the Department of Education and facilitate its closure. The President aims to relocate the department's core functions, though the moves would still likely trigger legal challenges. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration spent much of this week criticizing federal judges they accuse of overreach and trying to block their agenda, including their plans to deport alleged Tren de Aragua members under the Alien Enemies Act. FOX News DC-based Correspondent Alexandria Hoff discusses the court clashes from this week in the White House.   It's been a pivotal week overseas. President Trump's phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have led to both sides agreeing to stop targeting energy infrastructure—a step the Trump Administration describes as a "movement toward peace" in the conflict. Meanwhile, developments in the Middle East are less positive, with a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas being called off. Deputy U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, weighs in on critical ongoing negotiations, the potential for peace between Russia and Ukraine, and the current situation in the Middle East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He's the assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine. What does Lt. Gen. Kellogg say about Trump's strategies this time around? That the President is adaptable, and learned a lot in the 4 years out of office.

White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff discusses the potential for a full ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. He speaks with Bloomberg's Jonathan Ferro, Lisa Abramowicz, and Annmarie Hordern. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(8:05am) MORNING NEWS DUMP Two of the men police say are involved in the injury of a St. Louis City Police Officer on Monday morning are now charged. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller comments on judge's deportation rulings. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff comments on the Russia/Ukraine situation. A federal judge has blocked President Trump's executive order banning transgender people from military service. President Trump comments on the DOGE ruling. St. Louis County's new prosecuting attorney Melissa Price-Smith is meeting with the public tonight at 6:30pm in Ballwin at a town hall hosted by Councilman Mark Harder. It's at the Ballwin Golf Club on Holloway Road and is open to the public. In spring training action, the Cardinals and Miami Marlins played to a 4-4 tie. Up next: the Washington Nationals this afternoon at 12:05pm. Blues (now 34-28-7) beat the Predators in Nashville 4-1. Up next: hosting the Vancouver Canucks (32-25-11) on Thursday night at Enterprise Center at 6:30pm. In the NIT Tournament, Saint Louis University got thumped by Arkansas State 103-78. (8:20am) Tesla vehicle owners and Tesla dealerships are being doxed by the Left. Story here: https://nypost.com/2025/03/18/business/tesla-doxing-website-shows-owners-personal-details-has-molotov-cocktail-as-cursor/ (8:35am) Ann Dorn from the Captain David Dorn Foundation talks about the dangers of law enforcement in light of another St. Louis City Police Officer who was critically injured on Monday morning, and the work of the Foundation to offer support to police families and first responders. Info on their 3rd annual Trivia Night on Friday, April 25, in Festus, MO: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/captddfnd/capt-david-dorn-3rd-annual-trivia-night (8:50am) We discuss our programming changes here on NewsTalkSTL which begin next Monday, March 24. The Vic Porcelli Show expands to 9am-12noon weekdays, The Allman Report with Jamie Allman moves to 12pm-2pm weekdays, and The Vince Show (which replaces Dan Bongino) moves to 8pm-10pm weeknights. Download the NewsTalkSTL app from your app store and listen anytime, anywhere! NewsTalkSTL website: https://newstalkstl.com/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsTalkSTL Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NewstalkSTL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewsTalkSTL Livestream 24/7: bit.ly/NEWSTALKSTLSTREAMSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(5:50am) The JFK Files, as promised, were released yesterday. Story here: https://www.newsmax.com/politics/jfk/2025/03/18/id/1203410/ (6:05am) MORNING NEWS DUMP Two of the men police say are involved in the injury of a St. Louis City Police Officer on Monday morning are now charged. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller comments on judge's deportation rulings. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff comments on the Russia/Ukraine situation. A federal judge has blocked President Trump's executive order banning transgender people from military service. President Trump comments on the DOGE ruling. St. Louis County's new prosecuting attorney Melissa Price-Smith is meeting with the public tonight at 6:30pm in Ballwin at a town hall hosted by Councilman Mark Harder. It's at the Ballwin Golf Club on Holloway Road and is open to the public. In spring training action, the Cardinals and Miami Marlins played to a 4-4 tie. Up next: the Washington Nationals this afternoon at 12:05pm. Blues (now 34-28-7) beat the Predators in Nashville 4-1. Up next: hosting the Vancouver Canucks (32-25-11) on Thursday night at Enterprise Center at 6:30pm. In the NIT Tournament, Saint Louis University got thumped by Arkansas State 103-78. (6:20am) We discuss our programming changes here on NewsTalkSTL which begin next Monday, March 24. The Vic Porcelli Show expands to 9am-12noon weekdays, The Allman Report with Jamie Allman moves to 12pm-2pm weekdays, and The Vince Show (which replaces Dan Bongino) moves to 8pm-10pm weeknights. (6:35am) The JFK Files were released...all 80,000 pages. Story here: https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2025/03/18/breaking-jfk-assassination-files-released-n2186822 Also story here: https://nypost.com/2025/03/19/us-news/jfk-assassination-files-cia-links-kgb-probe-of-lee-harvey-oswald-and-more/ Stranded astronauts finally return to Earth! Story here: https://www.foxnews.com/media/experts-reveal-how-long-take-nasa-astronauts-recover-after-nine-months-stranded-space Also story here: https://redstate.com/smoosieq/2025/03/18/splashdown-dragon-returns-with-stranded-astronauts-n2186823 Also story here: https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2025/03/18/coming-home-stranded-astronauts-on-their-way-back-to-earth-thanks-to-elon-musk-and-spacex-n2186808 (6:50am) MORNING NEWS DUMP Two of the men police say are involved in the injury of a St. Louis City Police Officer on Monday morning are now charged. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller comments on judge's deportation rulings. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff comments on the Russia/Ukraine situation. A federal judge has blocked President Trump's executive order banning transgender people from military service. President Trump comments on the DOGE ruling. St. Louis County's new prosecuting attorney Melissa Price-Smith is meeting with the public tonight at 6:30pm in Ballwin at a town hall hosted by Councilman Mark Harder. It's at the Ballwin Golf Club on Holloway Road and is open to the public. In spring training action, the Cardinals and Miami Marlins played to a 4-4 tie. Up next: the Washington Nationals this afternoon at 12:05pm. Blues (now 34-28-7) beat the Predators in Nashville 4-1. Up next: hosting the Vancouver Canucks (32-25-11) on Thursday night at Enterprise Center at 6:30pm. In the NIT Tournament, Saint Louis University got thumped by Arkansas State 103-78. Download the NewsTalkSTL app from your app store and listen anytime, anywhere! NewsTalkSTL website: https://newstalkstl.com/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsTalkSTL Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NewstalkSTL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewsTalkSTL Livestream 24/7: bit.ly/NEWSTALKSTLSTREAMSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brieuc Pont is France's Special Envoy on Nutrition and Secretary General of the Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G). N4G is a gathering of global leaders to address and embrace a new vision for nutrition and sustainable development worldwide. In this episode, Brieuc explains how his diplomatic career turned towards championing global nutrition. He also discusses the upcoming Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris and the challenges in uniting a fragmented nutrition community. N4G 2025 will be in Paris on the 27th and 28th of March. Resources and links: Nutrition for Growth Summit website Brieuc Pont on LinkedIn Brieuc Pont on X Connect: Future Fork podcast website Paul Newnham on Instagram Paul Newnham on X Paul Newnham on LinkedIn Disruptive Consulting Solutions website SDG2 Advocacy Hub website SDG2 Advocacy Hub on X SDG2 Advocacy Hub on Facebook SDG2 Advocacy Hub on LinkedIn This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

On CNN's State of the Union, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff joins Jake Tapper to discuss his hours-long meeting with Vladimir Putin and the prospects for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Next, Jake asks Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett about the finger-pointing in her party after Congress' shutdown showdown and the frustration with Sen. Chuck Schumer. Then, Jake presses Republican Sen. Mike Rounds over Trump's use of wartime power to ramp up deportations and the impact from his escalating trade war. Finally, Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, CNN Senior Political Commentator Scott Jennings, CNN Political Commentator Brad Todd, and Democratic strategist Ashley Etienne join Jake to break down Democrats' infighting and the politics of Trump's tariffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon's live update for "Tonight with Andrew Marr" on the UK's LBC.  As Steve Witkoff heads to Moscow for Kremlin talks about the war in Ukraine, Simon looks at the credentials he brings to his challenging diplomatic task.

1. The inspiring pep talk Bozoma gives herself in the mirror – and why we might all want to start using it to rally ourselves.   2. How to navigate the tightrope of corporate expectations for women: to be both self-assured and humble; both hard and soft.  3. The revolutionary realization that you don't have to be the savior of others – you can save yourself, too.  4. How to know when to dig deep, and stay and fight for change – and when to stop digging and go – and the moment Bozoma knew it was time to leave Netflix. 5. Why our inability to forgive ourselves for wrong decisions keep us in bad situations – and how Boz's “it's not you, it's me” philosophy can guide us out.  About Bozoma:  Bozoma Saint John is a Hall of Fame inducted Marketing Executive, author, entrepreneur, and general badass. Boz has led Global Consumer Marketing at Apple Music & iTunes; she was Chief Brand Officer at Uber; and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Netflix. Boz is currently named #1 Most Influential CMO in the world by Forbes, and has been named one of Billboard's Most Powerful Women in Music for 10 consecutive years. In 2021, Harvard Business School published a multi-media case study on her career, titled “Leading with Authenticity and Urgency”; through which she developed and taught a program at the University aptly named “The Anatomy of a Badass.” Boz was named as an Ambassador for the African Diaspora and Special Envoy to the President of Ghana. In the Spring of 2023, Penguin Books will publish her memoir, “The Urgent Life.” Boz counts her highest achievement as being a mother to her 12 year old daughter, Lael. TW: @badassboz IG: @badassboz To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia has not yet said if it will accept a ceasefire with Ukraine, after President Zelensky put the ball in Putin's court, saying he will enter a 30-day temporary truce. The Kremlin says it's waiting for a briefing from US officials on the terms of the ceasefire. Kurt Volker was President Trump's Special Envoy for Ukraine during Trump's first term, and was also Ambassador to NATO for George W. Bush.  Also on today's show: Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director, ACLU; Scott Galloway, Host, The Prof G Pod / Professor of Marketing, NYU Stern School of Business  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ellie Cohanim, former Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism, joins Sid to speak on her experience as Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the United States Department of State during the first Donald Trump administration, and if she'd be up for reassuming that position for Trump's second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, March 5, President Trump welcomed eight men and women who had been held hostage by Hamas into the Oval Office. Most were released since January, having spent 16 months, more or less, in brutal conditions. To a person, they expressed their profound gratitude to President Trump, saying that they believe that it was his election as president that led to their freedom. Among those presentwas 20-year-old Naama Levy, an IDF soldier who had just arrived at the Nahal Oz base from her training course two days before Hamas attacked. She told the President that when she heard on the radio (in captivity) that he had been elected, this lifted the spirits of all the female hostages with whom she was held. They believed that President Trump had the power and determination to fight for their freedom. And he did. (At the beginning of this podcast, you will hear the audio from this meeting with President Trump. To watch the video as well, please go to our YouTube channel. The link is below.)This is the story of the tireless efforts of so many to ensure that the desperate plight of the hostages remains at the forefront of Israeli and international public attention, especially in America. There are legions who work quietly and anonymously on this life-saving mission of keeping the hostage story “fresh”. Among them is Moshe Lavi, brother of Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband, Omri, remains in Hamas Hell. Moshe works closely with the Hostage Family Forum in Tel Aviv, an NGO that formed almost immediately following the October 7 massacre. His tenacity and dedication reflect the best of humanity. We speak with Moshe about how the Oval Office meeting came together, working with hostages, and his interactions with so many newsmakers behind the scenes, among them President Trump's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff. It's a fascinating discussion.Listen here to the podcast version or tune into our YouTube channel below for the full audio-visual experience. And please, “like” our work on your platform of choice. Share. Comment. Thanks for listening.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast Notes* Video of Moshe Lavi speaking at CPAC Conference, NYC, Feb. 20, 2025.* S3 E9 of State of Tel Aviv Podcast, featuring Lishay Miran Lavi:* Full episode of Uvda (with English subtitles), featuring an hour-long interview with Eli Sharabi, which aired on February 27, 2025.* “Sign of life” video video of IDF soldier and Hamas hostage, Matan Angrest, released by Hamas late last weekRepresenting the Lavi and Miran families is Moshe Emilio Lavi. .Moshe, IDF Captain (reserves), was born and raised in Sderot on the Israel-Gaza border and moved to NYC in September 2023, where he works as a management consultant. Since October 7, he has been advocating alongside his sister, Lishay, and Omri's father, Dani, in Israel, the US, and Europe to bring his brother-in-law Omri and all the hostages home with elected officials, diplomats, the traditional and social media, and the wider public.Omri Miran, 47 years old, kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Omri, a husband and father of two young daughters, was taken captive by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023. His wife, Lishay Lavi Miran, 39, and their two daughters—Roni (3 years old) and Alma (1.5 year old)— survived the attack. The harrowing events unfolded when sirens sounded in Nahal Oz, waking the family. As hundreds of Hamas terrorists and their accomplices invaded Nahal Oz, they eventually barged into their house and held them captive for hours in their home and later on in the home of the Idan family. Omri was separated from Lishay, Roni, and Alma and was taken hostage with Tsachi Idan, Judith, and Natalie Raanan. Lishay and the girls were rescued by the IDF that evening after enduring unimaginable trauma. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.It's been three years since the democratically elected President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated by men with direct connections (with phone records) to Prime Minister Ariel Henry. As civil unrest erupted shortly after, some 15,000 Haitians fled to the United States but were turned around by the Biden administration. Henry has promised elections multiple times but continues to push them back, now to 2025. Daniel L. Foote, U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti and former Ambassador, said “even if elections did come, Henry is so unpopular that the vast majority of Haitians say they wouldn't vote or accept the results - not least because they believe the process would likely be rigged…” Despite the violence and unpopularity of Henry, the US fully backs his leadership. James Foley, former U.S. ambassador to Haiti, said in an interview about the Biden administration's support for Henry: “They rode this horse to their doom. It's the fruit of the choices we made.”Monique Clesca, a Haitian writer and member of the Montana Group, a coalition of civil, business and political leaders, says the support given to Henry by the US is largely to blame for the chaos, and that people want a “Haitian-led solution.” That chaos includes, as Foote says, “rapes, gun violence, kidnappings, lynching” that are now “hallmarks” of daily life. The issue has now been exacerbated with the mass escape of prisoners from the two largest prisons. This is likely the reason that Republicans in Florida are finally taking action to stop the influx not just of immigrants or refugees, but of hardened criminals and gangs from Haiti. And despite rejecting refugees in 2021, the White House seems aimed to welcome them now. The motivation seems to be related to why we have Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, roaming the streets of NYC, or drug cartels and MS13 operating in the US, or why Iranians and Chinese are being let in within groups of women and children. It's the importation of cheap labor, voters, criminals, and gangs. In the midst of this chaos, Jimmy Chérizier, leader of the notorious “G9 and Family” gang, has reportedly taken over most of Port-au-Prince, demanding Henry resign, which is exactly what the people want. So why would the Haitian people be resisiting the gangs who supposedly want the same thing? Probably because Jimmy, also known as Barbecue for his supposed actions of lighting people on fire and possibly eating them, is instructing his fighters to destroy police stations and government facilities. And it is no coincidence that as soon as he “takes over” we learn that Henry agrees to resign so long as a transitional government is brokered by the US! And now that the story has some attention, it has been turned into the political theater of an immigration argument instead of the humanitarian crisis that it is - one that was created!-FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITECashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tst-radio--5328407/support.

US President Donald Trump is again threatening Hamas with obliteration if it doesn't return all Israeli hostages in Gaza - dead or alive. But Mr Trump's Special Envoy continues to negotiate directly with Hamas, in contradiction to decades of previous US policy.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world - from healthcare to finance, agriculture to education. But in Africa, the stakes are different. How do we make sure AI isn't just another import but is something built for Africans, by Africans? With so many languages, infrastructure gaps, and the need to protect our own data, building a truly African AI comes with big challenges, but also huge opportunities. Africa Daily's Alan Kasujja speaks to Ambassador Philip Thigo, Kenya's Special Envoy on Technology, to unpack what it will take to own our digital future—tackling everything from data sovereignty to local innovation.

AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson sits down with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for a live discussion in Washington, D.C., to introduce AJC's Center for a New Middle East. They cover plans for rebuilding Gaza, the future of Israeli-Arab relations, and the evolving geopolitical landscape, including the impact of the Abraham Accords and shifting regional alliances. Tune in for insights on diplomacy, security, and what's next for the Middle East. The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Resources: AJC Center for a New Middle East Initiatives and Policy Recommendations Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  Why Germany's Antisemitic Far-Right Party is Thriving Instead of Disappearing Spat On and Silenced: 2 Jewish Students on Fighting Campus Hate University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker: When Antisemitism Hits Home Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Jason Isaacson and Steve Witkoff: Manya Brachear Pashman: This week, AJC's Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, Jason Isaacson, sat down for a live conversation with Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East. They discussed plans to rebuild Gaza, political upheaval in Syria and Lebanon and expansion of the Abraham Accords. For this week's episode, we bring you that live conversation to you. Jason Isaacson:   Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here, and thank you Special Envoy Witkoff for participating in this evening's program, introducing AJC Center for New Middle East, and extension and refocusing of the work that we've been doing for decades to advance Arab Israeli understanding, cooperation and peace. Your presence here means a great deal to us.  As you've heard from my colleagues, AJC looks forward to working with you and your team in any way that we can to help ensure the success of a secure Israel, fully integrated in the Middle East. Now let me begin by thanking you again, renewing our thanks and thanking President Trump for your relentless efforts, which began even before the President took office, to assure the liberation of the hostages still held by Hamas and Gaza now for 508 days, we know how dedicated you are and the President is, to gaining the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, and the remains of the four other Americans, Itai Chen, Gadi and Judy Weinstein-Haggai, and Omer Neutra, and all of the hostages living and dead, still held captive by the terrorists.  So I want to point out that leaders of the Hostage Families Forum are with us here this evening. As is Emmet Tsurkov, whose sister Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq two years ago. We are all counting on your and your colleagues' continued efforts to free them all. Thank you again, Steve.  Now my first question to you, how does a successful real estate developer make the transition to Middle East diplomacy, as you certainly have. Clearly, there are profound territorial issues at play here, but there are also powerful and tangible factors, perhaps less easily negotiated, factors of historical narrative, of religion, of nationalism. How do you cut through all that? How do you achieve success given the very different career that you've pursued up to this point? Steve Witkoff:   Well, first of all, Jason, thank you for having me, and welcome everybody and to the hostage families, I just want to welcome you here. Some of the people I probably have talked to already, and just know that my heart is always with you. You know, President, I'm a very close friend of President Trump's, and I think he felt that, hopefully, that I could do a good job here. And so I think the job had a lot to do with miscommunication and correcting that. It had a lot to do with getting over to the region and understand what was happening, and maybe most importantly, it had a lot to do with his election and peace through strength and the perception that he was not he was going to take a different path, that the old policy prescriptions that that had not worked in the Middle East were not going to be tolerated by him anymore. And I think that's in large part what allowed us to get a positive result.  Adding to that, of course, was all of the good work that Prime Minister Netanyahu in his administration had achieved with Nasrallah Hezbollah in Lebanon, he had basically gutted Hamas. So many good things that happened. And you know, on top of that, the raids in Iran, and it created this perception that a lot of the a lot of what emanated out of October 7 was never going to be tolerated again. And that began the, you know, that began the pathway to achieving the result we achieved in the first phase. But that's just half of the problem. So we've got a lot more to go. Jason Isaacson:   I've got some questions about that, as well as you can imagine. Help us understand the President's priorities and therefore your focus in this very complicated region. There's the continued trauma of October 7, 2023 dozens of Israeli and other hostages still held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, and the deep wounds inflicted on Israeli society in that attack. There's the need to rebuild Gaza and to assure it is no longer governed by Hamas.  There's the prospect of advancing normalization between Israel and Arab states building on the Abraham Accords of the first Trump administration. There are also political upheavals and some hopeful signs, although the jury is still out in Lebanon and in Syria, and there's the ongoing threat to peace and stability posed by the Iranian regime. How do you prioritize? What are your expectations for success on these many tracks. It's an awful lot to deal with. Steve Witkoff:   That was, I think I counted like 14 questions. Jason Isaacson:   This is my specialty, by the way. Steve Witkoff:   I can see. I have to, now you're testing my memory on all of this. Jason Isaacson:   Priorities.  Steve Witkoff:   Yeah, I would say, How does the President think about it? Well, first and foremost, he wants something different for the region, yeah, and different in the sense that the old way of thinking we've they've rebuilt Gaza three or four times already. Like that's just an unacceptable use of resources. We need to do it in a much more in a much better way, a. B, we need to get rid of this crazy, ideological, psychopathic way of thinking that Hamas thinks. What they did, it can never be tolerated. I saw a film that many in this in this room did not see, made by Southern Command when I was in Gaza, and it's horrific. I mean, it is a horrific film. What happened in this film and what they did to people.  So this is not, this is not the act of people who are going to war. This is the act of barbarians, and it can never be tolerated. Normalization is critical for the region. Saudi Arabia embraces it because they can't finance in their own markets today. And why? Because there's so much war risk. I actually saw Jamie Diamond today, and I discussed it with him, and I said to him, you know, think about an area like Saudi Arabia. They have tons of money, but they can't leverage their money. And they can't because the underwriting risk on war, it can't be underwritten. So you're not going to see typical senior financing. Go into those marketplaces they can finance if they do a deal in New York and they can't finance in their own country. Makes no sense. And that's going to lead to a lot of stability.  In terms of the Iranian crescent, it's basically been decimated. Look at what's happened with Syria. No one ever thought that that was going to happen. We've got an epic election in Lebanon. And so tons of things happening. Lebanon, by the way, could actually normalize and come into the Abraham Peace Accords, as could even potentially Syria. So so many profound changes are happening there, and yet it's been a flash point of conflict, and I think that there's a possibility that we end it. Now, do we have to make sure that Egypt is stabilized? Yes, they've got some issues, economic and financial issues, and also on their streets. Same thing with Saudi Arabia, and we have to be cognizant about that. But all in all, I think there are some really good, good things that are happening.  Jason Isaacson:   Yeah, and I hope with your intervention and the president's power, more good things will happen in the coming months.  Steve Witkoff:   We're hopeful.  Jason Isaacson: So you've recently returned from your latest trip to the region with meetings at the highest levels in Israel, in Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, next Tuesday in Cairo, will be a meeting of the Arab League to discuss the future of Gaza. What is your sense of, drills down on your last answer, what is your sense of the region's readiness to advance to the next phase of negotiations, to free the Israeli hostages, to shift to a new Israeli force posture in and around Gaza, and put a governing structure in place that excludes terrorists. Can we assure that Hamas no longer rules, no longer poses a threat, that its missiles, tunnels and other infrastructure in Gaza are destroyed? Steve Witkoff:   Well, you know, central to the May 27 protocol that was signed with the Biden administration and the Israelis. Central to that is that Hamas cannot have any part of  a governor governing structure in Gaza. And that's from that's a red line for the Israelis, but it's a red line for us, too. You see the film. And we have to thread that needle in phase two of the negotiations.  Jason Isaacson: How do we get there?  Steve Witkoff:   We're not entirely sure yet, but we are working. You know, we're making a lot of progress. There is, Israel is sending a team right now as we speak, it's either going to be to Doha or to Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and with the Qataris, and I may if that negotiation goes positively enough. This is the initial phase of the negotiation where we've set, we've set some boundaries, some contours about what we want to talk about and what the outcomes we expect to happen. This is from the United States at the direction of President Trump. If it goes well, maybe I would be able to go on Sunday to execute and finish an arrangement. That's what we're hoping for. Jason Isaacson: Put phase two on track.  Steve Witkoff:   Put phase two on track and have some additional hostage release, and we think that that's a real possibility. We had a lot of conversation this morning about that, and with all of the parties I'm talking about, and people are responsive. Doesn't mean it's going to happen. That's a very chaotic place the Middle East. Jason Isaacson:   But you've got cooperation from the Quint, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar.  Steve Witkoff:   Yes. All of those countries in that region, they want to see, they want to see stability. There's new young leadership there. Everybody understands that it's untenable to be at war all the time. It just doesn't work, and it's setting everybody back. Look at Israel, by the way, they're drafting, they're conscripting people at 50 years old to go to go to the fight. That's, uh… Jason Isaacson:   And reservists are being called back to duty again and again. Steve Witkoff:   Correct. People can't work, by the way, economies are suffering throughout there. But on the other hand, Hamas can't be tolerated either, and yet, we need to get the hostages back to their families. Pardon me? Jason Isaacson:   Israel is still resilient. Steve Witkoff:   Of course it is. Of course it is. But we, you know, look, I don't want to talk about all these things and not acknowledge that the most that the primary objective has got to be to bring those hostages home. It has to be. Jason Isaacson:   I mentioned the Quint before: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar. Egypt and Jordan, longtime peace partners with Israel, were proposed by the president as the possible place in which Palestinians evacuated from Gaza could be housed temporarily, or perhaps more than temporarily. What is your sense of the possibility of the dislocation of Palestinians from Gaza? Is that essential to the idea of rebuilding Gaza, or not essential? Steve Witkoff:   Well, first of all, let me acknowledge King Abdullah, and also the Egyptians, General Hassan, who runs their intelligence unit. President Sisi, their ambassador. They're dug in. They're focused on solutions. It's a complicated situation right now, but they've done a great job, and they've been available, and whenever I call them, they're responsive.  The Jordanians have had a tough trip here, but, you know, they've managed through it. But let's just talk sort of about what the President talks about. Why is he talking about Gaza in the way he's talking about it? Because all the for the last four decades, the other ways of thinking have not worked. We sort of always get back to this place.  First of all, it's a giant slum. It really is, by the way, and it's a slum that's been decimated. On top of that, I was the first American official to go there in 22 years. I was literally there in the tunnels, on the battlefield. It is completely destroyed. There's 30,000 shells that are laying all over that battlefield, in large part because the Biden administration held up munitions shipments to the Israelis, and they were firing 1973 vintage ammunition that didn't explode. Who would let their children wander around these places?  In New York, there would be yellow tape around it. Nobody would be allowed to come in the they were digging tunnels. So everything underneath subterranean is swiss cheese, and then it got hit by 2000 pound bunker bombs. So you could have dust down there. It's so devastated. I just think that President Trump, is much more focused on, how do we make a better life for people? How do we change the educational frameworks? Right now, people are growing up there, in textbooks, in the first grade, they're seeing AK47's, and how you fire them. That's, that's, this is just insanity. What's going on out there.  So we have to directionally change how people are thinking there, how they're going to live together. People talk about two state we at the Trump administration, talk about, how do you get to a better life if you have a home in Gaza in the middle of a slum that hasn't been fixed up correctly, is that as good as aspirationally having a great job and being able to know that you can send your kids to college and they can become lawyers and doctors and so forth? That to me, is what we want to achieve. And when, when we began talking about Gaza, we were not talking about a giant eviction plan.  What we were talking about was the fact, unlike the Biden administration, and this is not a knock on them, it's that they didn't do their work correctly, the Biden administration, that May 27 protocol is based on a five year redevelopment plan. You can't demolish everything there and clean it up in five years, let alone x-ray it on a subterranean level and figure out what foundations exist, or what, what conditions exist to hold foundations, and then what we should build. It's easily a 15 year plan, and it might be 20 or 25 years.  And the Wall Street Journal, one of the most mainstream publications, two days ago, finally came out with a major article talking about that and basically validating what we've been talking about. Once you understand it from that perspective, you understand it's not about an eviction plan. It's about creating an environment there for whoever's going to live there that's better than it's ever been in the last 40 years. Jason Isaacson:   Steve, thank you. Before October 7, 2023 the betting in many foreign policy circles, as you know, was that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel were closing in on a deal to normalize relations, coupled with an enhanced security agreement between the US and Saudi governments and Saudi access to the full nuclear fuel cycle under US safeguards. Where would you say that formula stands today? Is that still the framework that you're expecting will describe the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia and between Saudi Arabia and Israel? Steve Witkoff:   Well, that's why I keep on going back to the May 27 protocol, because it's chock full of misinformation. And so the Saudis were operating, as were the Israelis, as if you could redevelop and reconstruct Gaza in five years. You can't. You can finish demolition, you can finish refuse removal, you can do all of that in five years. But for that, there's nothing else is going to get accomplished.  So when the Saudis talked normalization with the Israelis and defense treaty, they were thinking about it on a five year time frame. Once you begin to think about it as a 15 or a 20 year deal, it almost begs the question, are Gazans going to wait? Do they even want to wait?  I mean, if you're a mother and a father and you've got three kids, do you want to wait 20 years to maybe have a nice, safe home there? And this has nothing to do with relocation. Maybe we should be talking about relocation, or, excuse me, the ability to come back and, you know, later on. But right now, right here, right now, Gaza is a long term redevelopment plan, and I think once the Saudis begin to incorporate that into their thinking, and the Egyptians and UAE and everybody who has a vested interest in Gaza, I think you're going to see development plans that more mirror the way the President is thinking than what the May 27 protocol contemplated. Jason Isaacson:   Are you suggesting that the possibility of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia will come after there is a fully formed Gaza redevelopment plan?  Steve Witkoff:   I think so. Because I believe that. I believe it's just sequentially logical, because that's when you begin to think about how Gazans are going to think about it. Right now, we're talking about it in the abstract. And there are many countries, by the way, out there, that from a humanitarian standpoint, we've talked to many of them, are actually extending themselves and saying, Hey, look, we'd, we'd love to be a part of some sort of permanent solution for the Gazan people.  No one wants to see the Gazan people in some sort of diaspora, they're sort of disengaged, and that doesn't work. That only is going to fester and lead to more radicalism in the region. So we've got to get a solution for it, but we need to levelset the facts first. And the facts have not been levelset. They've been thinking about this from a perspective of facts that are inaccurate. Now we've level set those facts. We're going to conduct a summit pretty soon with probably the biggest developers in the Mideast region, many of the Arab developers, lots of master planners. I think when people see some of the ideas that come from this, they're going to be amazed. Jason Isaacson:   Steve, thank you. Final question, from AJC's many contacts and visits over many years across the Arab world, including regular exchanges over three decades in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, we've come to believe in the inevitability of Israel's full integration in the region, that the more the region's leaders and elites focus on the potential advantages to their societies, including their security of normal relations with Israel, the more likely it is that we'll achieve that goal. Is that the sense that you have as well, from where you sit? Steve Witkoff:   I do. I think, look, I think that the people of Israel want to live in peace with with the people of the Middle East. And it could be incredible. Jason Isaacson:   And vice versa.  Steve Witkoff:   And vice versa. I had a discussion with His Royal Highness, His MBs, his brother yesterday, the defense minister, an exceptional man, by the way, and we talked about how Saudi could become one of the best investable markets out there, when it can be financed. Think about this. The United States today has the greatest capital market system that the world knows. And when you have a great capital market system, when. You can borrow, when you can lease a car, when you can buy a home and mortgage it all those different things. It drives an economy. It propels it.  Right now in the Middle East, it's very difficult to finance. The banks don't want to operate it. Why? Because tomorrow a Hootie missile could come in if you're building a data center, and puff it's gone. We don't have to. Banks don't have to underwrite that risk in New York City or Washington, DC or American cities. So I think as you get more stabilization there, I think the real estate values are going to go through the moon. And we talk about this, Israel is a bedrock of great technological innovation. I think you know, all of the Arab countries, UAE, Saudi, Qatar, they're into blockchain robotics. They're into hyperscale data centers. These are the things that interest Israel, and yet they're driving so much of the tech surge out there. Imagine all of them working together. It could be an incredible region, so we're hopeful for that prospect. That's that's the way the President thinks about it. We've we talk at length about this, and he gives us the direction, and we follow it, and that's his direction. Jason Isaacson:   I thought I heard applause about to begin, but I will, I will ask you to hold for a second, because I just want to thank you, Steve whitco, for sharing your vision and the President's vision for how to move forward to build a more stable and prosperous and peaceful Middle East and and you've laid it out for us, and we very much appreciate your Thank you.  Steve Witkoff:   Thank you.  Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with AJC Berlin director Remko Leemhuis about the victory of a centrist right government in Germany's recent election and its plans to build a coalition excluding the far-right, antisemitic political party, Alternative for Germany. Remko and I discussed why that party's unprecedented post war election returns are a cause for concern.

Dr. Vanessa Kerry, founder of Seed Global Health, Associate Professor, Harvard School of Medicine, and since June 2023 the WHO Director-General's Special Envoy on Climate Change and Health, joined The CommonHealth to unpack her recent article ‘Health is a Cornerstone of Global Security,' published February 14 in Foreign Policy. In it, she argues the need to rethink health as the first line of defense, with a heavy emphasis on economics, equity, and migration. We need to broaden the definition of the health security agenda; introduce health metrics into any discussion of economic growth; see health as an investment with high returns—a growing sector of national economies, in job creation, markets, and a larger tax base; and focus on finance e.g. special drawing rights, social bonds, and swaps. At the same time we need to engage internationally through strong moral leadership and humane policies, and upgrade our communications in an apolitical, non-partisan way that people see, understand, and feel. It is imperative to create opportunity in America that starts with protecting people's health and well-being, and to create a new pathway, built on humility, to pull us out of the current confusing moment of crisis surrounding foreign aid. 

On CNN's State of the Union, Jake Tapper speaks with President Trump's point person leading negotiations to end the wars in the Mideast and Ukraine, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff says he's optimistic that negotiations over phase two of the Gaza ceasefire will move forward. Jake also presses him over Trump's attacks on Ukrainian President Zelensky and Witkoff's suggestion that Russia's invasion was “provoked.” Then, Jake talks with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries about his party's struggle to counter President Trump and Elon Musk. Next, Republican strategist Kirstin Davison and CNN political commentators Xochitl Hinojosa, Adam Kinzinger and Shermichael Singleton join Jake to discuss the latest federal workforce cuts and Donald Trump's first month in office. Finally, Jake takes a look at President Trump's effort to remove officials responsible for oversight in the federal government and questions what he's trying to hide from the American people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: 3:05pm- On Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the Trump Administration's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director. The final vote was 51 to 49—with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) being the only Republicans voting against confirmation. 3:30pm- On Truth Social, President Donald Trump called for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia—imploring Volodymyr Zelensky to end the conflict immediately, referring to Zelensky a “dictator” who has suspended elections. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met with Russian officials to negotiate an end to the war. According to reports, the talks lasted more than 4-hours. 3:50pm- Rich and Matt recap their visit to the White House yesterday—and both agree that Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum was unbelievably cool, even hanging out post-interview to discuss rattlesnakes!

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode: 3:05pm- On Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the Trump Administration's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director. The final vote was 51 to 49—with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) being the only Republicans voting against confirmation. 3:30pm- On Truth Social, President Donald Trump called for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia—imploring Volodymyr Zelensky to end the conflict immediately, referring to Zelensky a “dictator” who has suspended elections. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met with Russian officials to negotiate an end to the war. According to reports, the talks lasted more than 4-hours. 3:50pm- Rich and Matt recap their visit to the White House yesterday—and both agree that Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum was unbelievably cool, even hanging out post-interview to discuss rattlesnakes! 4:00pm- From the White House on Thursday, President Donald Trump held a White House event celebrating Black History Month where he was joined by golfer Tiger Woods, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Congressman John James (R-MI), niece of Martin Luther King Jr. Alveda King, and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner. Trump noted that Republicans have more Black representatives serving in the House of Representatives than at any time since the 1870s! 4:30pm- Amazon MGM Studios has gained full creative control of the James Bond franchise—acquiring it from the Broccoli family as part of a $1 billion deal. The streamer bought an ownership stake in the franchise for $8.5 billion in 2021. According to rumors, the Broccoli family and Amazon were feuding over the creative direction of the spy franchise with Amazon hoping to create a 007 television series featuring a female lead. In a post to X, Jeff Bezos asked his followers: “Who'd you pick as the next Bond?” 5:00pm- Dr. Victoria Coates—Former Deputy National Security Advisor & the Vice President of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the horrific spectacle of Hamas returning the bodies of murdered Israeli hostages. Dr. Coates also weighs-in on the war between Ukraine and Russia— noting that President Donald Trump and his administration are working tirelessly to draw the conflict to a conclusion. She's the author of the book: “The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel—and America—Can Win” which features a forward from Senator Ted Cruz. 5:40pm- Yesterday, Rich and Matt broadcasted from the White House. During their drive to Washington D.C. Matt recommended listening to arguably the most boring podcast of all time—an hour-long conversation on cooking with beef tallow vs vegetable oils. 6:05pm- While speaking with the press on Air Force One, President Donald Trump mentioned that his administration is considering sending America's 79 million taxpayers a “20% dividend…for the money that we are saving by going after waste and fraud and abuse.” The one-time payments could be as much as $5,000 per taxpayer. 6:30pm- Amazon MGM Studios has gained full creative control of the James Bond franchise—acquiring it from the Broccoli family as part of a $1 billion deal. The streamer bought an ownership stake in the franchise for $8.5 billion in 2021. According to rumors, the Broccoli family and Amazon were feuding over the creative direction of the spy franchise with Amazon hoping to create a 007 television series featuring a female lead. In a post to X, Jeff Bezos asked his followers: “Who'd you pick as the next Bond?”

U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia with Keith Kellogg, landed in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In other conditions this would be a nice diplomatic moment, right now things are way too complicated. Zelenskyy has clarified that he wants this meeting to be “constructive,” but that's harder than it sounds when the leader of Kellogg's own country has been busy calling him a dictator and asking for elections to replace him. So what can we expect from these talks and what are European leaders doing in response?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Politicana Podcast — your go-to source for fresh political insights, sharp analysis, and spirited debates. Join hosts Tyler, Prateek, and Nick as they break down the latest in current events, global affairs, policy, and elections with bold takes and lively discussions.Be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast platform for instant updates on new episodes.For questions and inquiries, reach out to us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Backofthemob@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.-- TIMESTAMPS --00:30 - Trump Wants To Ban Paper Straws  President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 10, 2025, reversing the federal government's preference for paper straws. 6:05 - DEI DIES Under Trump The Trump administration is moving to dismantle all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education, declaring race-conscious scholarships, hiring, and student programs illegal. 33:00  -  Vance Takes On Europe JD Vance went to Europe a few days ago to speak at the European Security Meeting in Munich. 47:20 -  Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Senior Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, are set to travel to Saudi Arabia to initiate peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. 59:25 - Battle of Powers Last night, Trump wrote on Truth Social and X that “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,”1:09:50 - Time To Cut Taxes and Spending House Republicans unveiled a budget resolution proposing significant fiscal changes. The plan aims to cut taxes by up to $4.5 trillion and reduce federal spending by $2 trillion over the next decade.

And all of a sudden...the end began. President Trump holds a 90 minute phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreeing to soon hold a summit of the two leaders. Trump's read-out of the call makes it clear that his pro-Ukraine "Special Envoy" Kellogg is out of the picture. Is peace on the horizon? What will it take? Also today, the mis-named National Endowment for Democracy is defunded. Get your tickets TODAY for the Ron Paul Institute Spring Conference: https://tinyurl.com/3t97tx8f

Advancing the human rights of LGBTQ people around the world was part of the Biden administration's policy agenda. The point person for that effort was Jessica Stern, a US special envoy. She left the job with the changing of the guard at the White House, and President Donald Trump is not expected to fill the position. On Thursday, in her first interview since stepping down, Stern reflects on her time advancing LGBTQ rights on the global stage. Also, it's been the warmest winter that anyone can remember in Russia. That might sound nice, but for many Russian communities, melting ice and thawing temperatures have caused real problems. And, Japan experiences more earthquakes than any country. So, how has its nationwide transit system remained so remarkably safe?Listen to today's Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices