Podcasts about state bureau

Copper theft is becoming more common and is a costly loss on construction sites, EV recharging stations, utility work sites, among others. The take offers quick cash for thieves. The Utah Attorney General's Office is currently prosecuting a unique case in Salt Lake County, where sheriff's detectives arrested four men—all connected to either stealing copper from Kennecott or buying the stolen property so they could resell it for profit. It's also a heavy case: The copper items weigh more than ten thousand pounds and are valued at $147 thousand. Big money is our focus today, and on crimes like this. So who better to ask than our detectives who see this kind of thing in our Crimes Against Statewide Economy (CASE) unit everyday? Legally Speaking talks to CASE Commander James Russell and State Bureau of Investigation Detective Megan Johnson about this costly trend.

With October now proclaimed Disability Awareness Month in Connecticut, David Doukas with the State Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Coordinator Jonathan Richmond talk about efforts in Connecticut to ensure greater access to services and employment for individuals with disabilities.

(2:00) Cat Fight Over Immigration Ignores the UNI-PARTY Behind It AllDeWine signed a letter to take all migrants from Feds in 2019 — FOR MONEYDeWine wasn't the only Republican governor — Lee in TN also sent a letter to PompeoAltogether 30 states in Dec 2019 agreed to take and and all refugees for cashDiscrimination against Christians as refugees — surprised?PBS & a local Springfield employer talk about how much better employees Haitians are compared to Americans BUT welfare roles tell a different storyAnother employer: ENGLISH-ONLY employees need not applySweden, EU leader in accepting migrants, is paying them a tremendous amount to go back homeGermany has had enough and is re-enacting borders it shut down as part of the Schengen agreement(52:36) NewsNORAD jets scrambled on 23rd anniversary of 9/11 — this time for Russian jets.  Was it a Russian signal as America indicates an escalation of war?Survey of Americans on what they know about American government — many know more than SCOTUS' Amy Coney Barrett and the Annenberg Foundation, sponsor of the surveyNations to swear allegiance to UN in Summit for the Future.  Here is some of the text of the comprehensive agreement for 2030 Agenda and info about the 3 Pacts they will agree to(1:24:45) State Police Raid Local Police Over Bank & Election Fraud Allegations Local law enforcement uncovers evidence of international crime involving bank and election fraud.  After contacting State Bureau of Investigation, the state first ignores, then raids local LEO after they take the story public (1:37:34) Choose War or Plague — Devil Gates Gets DarkerBill Gates' False Dichotomy — War or Plague.  What he doesn't say is that the germ game WAS a warPutin issues strong warning to NATO about long range missiles.  Here's why he says it would clearly be NATO and USA directly targeting and firing missiles…(1:58:17) HighTech Remorse: Desire for Dumbphones, Fax Machines, and Video Rental Stores Tech, like government, is no longer our servant but seeks to be our master.  What does the nostalgia for video stores and the desire to be offline tell us about how human nature is NOT being nurtured by tech but opposed (2:35:28) AI is a Bad, Even Disgusting Joke Being Foisted Upon Us for the Usual ReasonsSurvey shows Americans "absolutely detest" the idea of AI making decisions for us, but big government and big business are intent on doing just that neverthelessWhy AI is Like Smearing "Poop on a Balloon". AI's instructions on potty training make you wonder how we ever learned to wipe our behinds without Google's AI helpWaymo is selling 100,000 paid rides per month and still losing billions per year.  If we contrast their business model with Uber's business model it tells us something very interesting about the mindset of technocracy(2:27:44) Trump's inability to debate false attacks by pro-abortionists gave the left a field day.  But now there's a tsunami of blowback from pro-life people who know what's going on and care — unlike Trump (2:35:28) INTERVIEW Defending Home & Neighborhood From Imported Chaos Jack Lawson, CivilDefenseManual.com The deliberate chaos with massive immigration is going to get worse.  What can you do to counter?  Effective, low visibility, under-the-radar defense of your neighborhood with your neighborsFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to DavidKnight.gold for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to TrendsJournal.com and enter the code KNIGHTBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

(2:00) Cat Fight Over Immigration Ignores the UNI-PARTY Behind It AllDeWine signed a letter to take all migrants from Feds in 2019 — FOR MONEYDeWine wasn't the only Republican governor — Lee in TN also sent a letter to PompeoAltogether 30 states in Dec 2019 agreed to take and and all refugees for cashDiscrimination against Christians as refugees — surprised?PBS & a local Springfield employer talk about how much better employees Haitians are compared to Americans BUT welfare roles tell a different storyAnother employer: ENGLISH-ONLY employees need not applySweden, EU leader in accepting migrants, is paying them a tremendous amount to go back homeGermany has had enough and is re-enacting borders it shut down as part of the Schengen agreement(52:36) NewsNORAD jets scrambled on 23rd anniversary of 9/11 — this time for Russian jets.  Was it a Russian signal as America indicates an escalation of war?Survey of Americans on what they know about American government — many know more than SCOTUS' Amy Coney Barrett and the Annenberg Foundation, sponsor of the surveyNations to swear allegiance to UN in Summit for the Future.  Here is some of the text of the comprehensive agreement for 2030 Agenda and info about the 3 Pacts they will agree to(1:24:45) State Police Raid Local Police Over Bank & Election Fraud Allegations Local law enforcement uncovers evidence of international crime involving bank and election fraud.  After contacting State Bureau of Investigation, the state first ignores, then raids local LEO after they take the story public (1:37:34) Choose War or Plague — Devil Gates Gets DarkerBill Gates' False Dichotomy — War or Plague.  What he doesn't say is that the germ game WAS a warPutin issues strong warning to NATO about long range missiles.  Here's why he says it would clearly be NATO and USA directly targeting and firing missiles…(1:58:17) HighTech Remorse: Desire for Dumbphones, Fax Machines, and Video Rental Stores Tech, like government, is no longer our servant but seeks to be our master.  What does the nostalgia for video stores and the desire to be offline tell us about how human nature is NOT being nurtured by tech but opposed (2:35:28) AI is a Bad, Even Disgusting Joke Being Foisted Upon Us for the Usual ReasonsSurvey shows Americans "absolutely detest" the idea of AI making decisions for us, but big government and big business are intent on doing just that neverthelessWhy AI is Like Smearing "Poop on a Balloon". AI's instructions on potty training make you wonder how we ever learned to wipe our behinds without Google's AI helpWaymo is selling 100,000 paid rides per month and still losing billions per year.  If we contrast their business model with Uber's business model it tells us something very interesting about the mindset of technocracy(2:27:44) Trump's inability to debate false attacks by pro-abortionists gave the left a field day.  But now there's a tsunami of blowback from pro-life people who know what's going on and care — unlike Trump (2:35:28) INTERVIEW Defending Home & Neighborhood From Imported Chaos Jack Lawson, CivilDefenseManual.com The deliberate chaos with massive immigration is going to get worse.  What can you do to counter?  Effective, low visibility, under-the-radar defense of your neighborhood with your neighborsFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to DavidKnight.gold for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to TrendsJournal.com and enter the code KNIGHTBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed the bipartisan Global Fragility Act (GFA), approving up to $200 million annually for prevention and stabilization efforts in target countries and regions, including Mozambique, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo. The GFA aims to strengthen fragile states, described by the Department of State as those "where state weakness or failure would magnify threats to the American homeland" and to "empower reform-minded governments, people, and civil society." Collaborating with state governments, civil society actors, and other key stakeholders, 10-year plans were developed for each target country. This initiative comes at a critical time, as conflict-related violence globally is at its highest since the end of the Cold War, with particularly acute effects in Africa, from the Sahel to Sudan to the eastern DRC. Peter Quaranto, Director of the Office of African Affairs in the Department of State Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), joins Mvemba to share CSO's approach to better anticipate, prevent and mitigate violent conflicts. They discuss how CSO's mission to strengthen U.S.-Africa partnerships for a more peaceful future.

A battle is simmering over leadership of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. It involves allegations of discrimination and intimidation and political meddling in what is supposed to be an independent agency. The power struggle has raised questions about who should be in charge of the SBI. WRAL state government reporter Travis Fain breaks it down. 

The main founders of the Inflation Reduction Act envision the US legislation as a clean energy bill to lower the costs of green energy technologies for everyone around the world as well as being emulated by especially those countries that have benefitted from emitting carbon into the air since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Such countries could introduce their own versions of the Inflation Reduction Act to drive down prices even further for global benefit, US Department of State Bureau of Energy Resources Office of Energy Transformation acting director Scott Woodard told this week's London Indaba. “If you looked at estimates of what electrolysers to generate clean hydrogen were going to cost and how long it was going to take, it was a decade away and they were going to be expensive for a while. “Now, estimates say that we could be seeing 10 GW electrolysers in the next two three years and clean hydrogen could be virtually zero cost,” Woodard said in response to London Indaba chairperson Bernard Swanepoel during question time. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers, which are regarded as being highly effective producers of zero-emission green hydrogen, are efficiently catalysed with the help of South Africa's platinum group metals (PGMs), especially iridium. Electrolyser production is being brought down the cost curve significantly as China, with its robotics and automation, enters the era of machines making machines. EVERY KILOGRAM OF GREEN HYDROGEN SUBSIDISED The Inflation Reduction Act subsidises every kilogram of green hydrogen that is generated. “That's what I think we want people to really focus on when they look at the impact of this. Clearly, there are some trade issues that have popped up, but we have found as we've engaged with our partners, we have been able to shift the conversation somewhat from when the legislation first came out,” said Woodard. “And hydrogen's a good example because the green hydrogen value chain is not yet completely owned by a single country,” answered Swanepoel. “The first thing to realise is that the Inflation Reduction Act is a huge piece of legislation, absolutely massive. “You'll see the headline number of $370-bilion but I've seen some private sector banks estimate that spending on this is actually going to be north of $1-trillion. Then you start thinking about how that will attract private sector investment and be even bigger,” the US diplomat predicted. At the previous week's FT Hydrogen Conference, Fortescue Future Industries and Fortescue Metals Group executive chairperson and founder Dr Andrew Forrest ascribed the success of Inflation Reduction Act to its absence of complexity: “It's working because it's simple. If you want to serve up something complex to a banker, you're not going to get any money,” said Forrest, who expressed the view that the economies of countries could be significantly boosted for decades to come by adopting the US legislation as a model. Meanwhile, important new technologies are being perfected that could give green hydrogen a globally traded commodity. An example of this is the work being done by German company Hydrogenious on liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology. LOHC technology enables hydrogen to be chemically bound to a thermal oil for storage and bulk shipping, leveraging the existing infrastructure for liquid fuels. That means that green hydrogen could in future be transported, stored and delivered in existing oil and gas infrastructure, and be traded globally in the same way as oil and gas. PRESSURE BEING TAKEN OFF IRIDIUM SCARCITY When it comes to PEM electrolysers, pressure is being taken off their need for scarce iridium. German PGM products and services company Heraeus Precious Metals, for example, is having major success in the thrifting of iridium and is also investing €35-million in the expansion of its PGM recycling capacity at Hanau in Germany, with the build-out forming part of a €300-million global recycling pr...

Summer has officially kicked off, and for a lot of people, that means travel. We don't want that to intimidate anyone. Today our guests will share not just tips but real-world experiences from their travels, good and bad. Guests: Mollie Hernandez, AdvocateJen Goodwin, Staff AttorneyHelpful Links: US Department of State – Bureau of Consular AffairsUS Department of Transportation Air Carrier Access ActADA ResourcesDOT 2021 Air Travel Complaint DataTravel TipsAccessibility at AR State ParksInteragency Access PassSupport the showContact DRA Subscribe to our newsletter Stay connected Show your support Email us at info@disabilityrightsar.org Thanks for listening! Make sure to rate & review!Become a supporter of the show!

Guest Hosts: Leah Murray and Derek Brown Yesterday, Utah Senator Mitt Romney met with the Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, Rena Bitter to discuss the demand of passports in Utah, and the possibility of opening a passport processing center in the state to mitigate the long wait times. Derek and Leah discuss the reality of passport wait times. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we remember all the United States military members that are no longer with us, like Army Specialist Jose Juan Melendez Jr, who was shot and killed in Raleigh, North Carolina. Jose was just 31 years old and the designated driver for a night out with friends when around 3:20 am, Jose was walking to his vehicle parked at his friend's apartment complex when someone pulled out a gun and shot him multiple times before fleeing the area. A neighbor witnessed the murderer running away, called for help, and waited beside Jose as he took his last breath. It has been five and a half years, and we are no closer to finding out who took the life of an exceptional man. Jose was a decorated soldier serving the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg when he was murdered If you have any information at all about who murdered army specialist Jose Melendez, Raleigh CrimeStoppers at 919-834-4357 or the State Bureau of Investigation at 919-662-4500."May we never forget our fallen comrades. Freedom isn't free."-Sargent Major Bill PaxtonSources-The Family of Jose Melendezhttps://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/missing-murdered-the-unsolved-case-of-fort-bragg-trooper-jose-juan-melendez-jr/https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/missing-murder-unsolved-part-2-the-case-of-army-specialist-jose-juan-melendez-jr/https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/nc/raleigh/crimeThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5007362/advertisement

For the first time in the last two playoff seasons the Carolina Hurricanes lost game one on home ice.  Matthew Tkachuk’s goal just before the death of the 4th overtime made Florida a 3-2 winner.  The two teams combined for 125 shots on goal with Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky making 120 saves in the classic duel.  Andersen (57 saves) was at his best in the OT, making 15 Grade-A stops before Tkachuk’s game-winner.  Bobrovsky robbed so many Hurricanes that Raleigh Police considered calling in the State Bureau of Investigations (clearly a joke).  Carolina went 2 for 6 on the power play while going a perfect 3 for 3 on the penalty kill in the loss.  Game 2 is Saturday at 8:00 at PNC Arena.

Study abroad experiences can transform your life, which is what happened to Forte Fellow Jennifer Baaklini after her first trip to Italy as an undergrad. She then went on to South Africa and spent a summer in India, eventually landing a job at the Institute of International Education (IIE) to promote the prestigious Fulbright program. In this episode, Jennifer shares how she continues to learn and apply her cross-cultural aptitude in concert with her digital marketing skills to deliver successful social media campaigns for her international clients. It's not an easy task because communicating on a global scale can be overwhelming, so she recommends clearly defining your audience and paying especially close attention to details to avoid mistakes, which can wreck a campaign. Giving a shout out to the GW MBA program, Jennifer highlights the skills gained through the program's group projects, specifically adaptability and versatility, which she values because they have helped her become a better consultant. About Our Guest Jennifer Baaklini is currently the director of digital strategy at FGS Global, a communications and public affairs consultancy with offices in 27 cities around the world. Jennifer specializes in advising clients on digital strategy to advance public diplomacy and foreign policy objectives, particularly related to the Middle East. Prior to FGS Global, Jennifer worked at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as well as the Institute of International Education (IIE) in social media management. She began her career as a journalist in the Philadelphia suburbs before living in New York City and Washington, DC. Jennifer holds an MBA from the George Washington University ('20) where, as a Forté Fellow, she focused on leadership management and marketing. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Journalism from the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University ('11). About the Global Careers Podcast Series This podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career! About GW-CIBER The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation's capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

Oklahoma State bureau of Investigation takes over the Henreyetta case! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/otcpod1/support

Taiwan's status in the world has never been clear and neither has the United States' position on the issue. In this Congressional Dish, via footage from the C-SPAN archive dating back into the 1960s, we examine the history of Taiwan since World War II in order to see the dramatic shift in Taiwan policy that is happening in Congress - and in law - right now. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd272-what-is-taiwan Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD259: CHIPS: A State Subsidization of Industry CD187: Combating China Taiwan History and Background “In Focus: Taiwan: Political and Security Issues” [IF10275]. Susan V. Lawrence and Caitlin Campbell. Updated Mar 31, 2023. Congressional Research Service. “Taiwan taps on United Nations' door, 50 years after departure.” Erin Hale. Oct 25, 2021. Aljazeera. “China must 'face reality' of Taiwan's independence: Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.” Stacy Chen. Jan 16, 2020. ABC News. “Taiwan weighs options after diplomatic allies switch allegiance.” Randy Mulyanto. Sep 26, 2019. Aljazeera. U.S.-Taiwan Relationship Past “The Taiwan Relations Act” [Pub. L. 96–8, § 2, Apr. 10, 1979, 93 Stat. 14.] “22 U.S. Code § 3301 - Congressional findings and declaration of policy.” Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Current “China moves warships after US hosts Taiwan's Tsai.” Rupert Wingfield-Hayes. Apr 6, 2023. BBC News. “Speaker Pelosi's Taiwan Visit: Implications for the Indo-Pacific.” Jude Blanchette et al. Aug 15, 2022. Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Pelosi in Taiwan: Signal or historic mistake?” Aug 4, 2022. DW News. “China threatens 'targeted military operations' as Pelosi arrives in Taiwan.” News Wires. Feb 8, 2022. France 24. “Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan would be 'ill-conceived' and 'reckless.'” Dheepthika Laurent. Feb 8, 2022. France 24. Presidential Drawdown Authority “Use of Presidential Drawdown Authority for Military Assistance for Ukraine.” Apr 19, 2023. U.S. Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. U.S. China Relationship “America, China and a Crisis of Trust.” Thomas L. Friedman. Apr 14, 2023. The New York Times. Laws H.R.7776: James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 Full Text Outline of Taiwan Provisions TITLE X - GENERAL PROVISIONS Subtitle G - Other Matters Sec. 1088: National Tabletop Exercise By the end of 2023, the Secretary of Defense is to assess the viability of our domestic critical infrastructure to identify chokepoints and the ability of our armed forces to respond to a contingency involving Taiwan, including our armed forces' ability to respond to attacks on our infrastructure. TITLE XII - MATTERS RELATING TO FOREIGN NATIONS Subtitle E - Matters Relating to the Indo-Pacific Region Sec. 1263: Statement of Policy on Taiwan “It shall be the policy of the United States to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist a fait accompli that would jeopardize the security of thepeople of Taiwan.” Fait accompli is defined as, “the resort to force by the People's Republic of China to invade and seize control of Taiwan before the United States can respond effectively.” Sec. 1264: Sense of Congress on Joint Exercises with Taiwan Congress wants the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command to carry out joint military exercises with Taiwan in “multiple warfare domains” and practice using “secure communications between the forces of the United States, Taiwan, and other foreign partners” Taiwan should be invited to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in 2024. RIMPAC is a multinational maritime exercise, now the world's largest, that has happened 28 times since 1971. The last one took place in and around Hawaii and Southern California in the summer of 2022. 26 countries, including the US, participated. TITLE LV - FOREIGN AFFAIRS MATTERS Subtitle A - Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act PART 1 - IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENHANCED DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND TAIWAN Sec. 5502: Modernizing Taiwan's Security Capabilities to Deter and, if necessary, Defeat Aggression by the People's Republic of China Grants: Expands the purpose of the State Department's Foreign Military Financing Program to “provide assistance including equipment, training, and other support, to build the civilian and defensive military capabilities of Taiwan” Authorizes the State Department to spend up to $100 million per year for 10 years to maintain a stockpile of munitions and other weapons (authorized by Sec. 5503). Any amounts that are not obligated and used in one year can be carried over into the next year (which essentially makes this a $1 billion authorization that expires in 2032). The stockpile money is only authorized if the State Department certifies every year that Taiwan has increased its defense spending (requirement is easily waived by the Secretary of State). Authorizes $2 billion per year for the Foreign Military Financing grants each year for the next 5 years (total $10 billion in grants). The money is expressly allowed to be used to purchase weapons and “defense services” that are “not sold by the United States Government” (= sold by the private sector). No more than 15% of the weapons for Taiwan purchased via the Foreign Military Financing Program can be purchased from within Taiwan Loans: Also authorizes the Secretary of State to directly loan Taiwan up to $2 billion. The loans must be paid back within 12 years and must include interest. The Secretary of State is also authorized to guarantee commercial loans up to$2 billion each (which can not be used to pay off other debts). Loans guaranteed by the US must be paid back in 12 years. Sec. 5504: International Military Education and Training Cooperation with Taiwan Requires the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense to create a military training program with Taiwan by authorizing the Secretary of State to train Taiwan through the International Military Education and Training Program. The purposes of the training include enhancements of interoperability between the US and Taiwan and the training of “future leaders of Taiwan”. The training itself can include “full scale military exercises” and “an enduring rotational United States military presence” Sec. 5505: Additional Authorities to Support Taiwan Authorizes the President to drawdown weapons from the stocks of the Defense Department, use Defense Department services, and provide military education and training to Taiwan, the value of which will be capped at $1 billion per year The President is also given the “emergency authority” to transfer weapons and services in “immediate assistance” to Taiwan specifically valued at up to $25 million per fiscal year. Sec. 5512: Sense of Congress on Taiwan Defense Relations “The Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances provided by the United States to Taiwan in July 1982 are the foundation for United States-Taiwan relations.” “The increasingly coercive and aggressive behavior of the People's Republic of China toward Taiwan is contrary to the expectation of the peaceful resolution of the future of Taiwan” “As set forth in the Taiwan Relations Act, the capacity to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan should be maintained.” The US should continue to support Taiwanese defense forces by “supporting acquisition by Taiwan of defense articles and services through foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, and industrial cooperation, with an emphasis on capabilities that support an asymmetric strategy.” Support should also include “Exchanges between defense officials and officers of the US and Taiwan at the strategic, policy, and functional levels, consistent with the Taiwan Travel Act.” PART 3 - INCLUSION OF TAIWAN IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Sec. 5516: Findings “Since 2016, the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, the Solomon Islands, and Kiribati, have severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of diplomatic relations with China” “Taiwan was invited to participate in the World Health Assembly, the decision making body of the World Health Organization, as an observer annually between 2009 and 2016. Since the 2016 election of President Tsai, the PRC has increasingly resisted Taiwan's participation in the WHA. Taiwan was not invited to attend the WHA in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2021.” “United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of representation of Taiwan and its people at the United Nations, nor does it give the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan.” Sec. 5518: Strategy to Support Taiwan's Meaningful Participation in International Organizations By the end of Summer 2023, the Secretary of State must create a classified strategy for getting Taiwan included in 20 international organizations. The strategy will be a response to “growing pressure from the PRC on foreign governments, international organizations, commercial actors, and civil society organizations to comply with its ‘One-China Principle' with respect to Taiwan.” PART 4 - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Sec. 5525: Sense of Congress on Expanding United States Economic Relations with Taiwan “Taiwan is now the United States 10th largest goods trading partner, 13th largest export market, 13th largest source of imports, and a key destination for United States agricultural exports.” Audio Sources Evaluating U.S.-China Policy in the Era of Strategic Competition February 9, 2023 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witnesses: Wendy Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense Clips 17:40 Wendy Sherman: We remain committed to our long standing One China Policy and oppose any unilateral changes to the cross-strait status quo. Our policy has not changed. What has changed is Beijing's growing coercion. So we will keep assisting Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. 41:30 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): I want to get a little broader because I think it's important to understand sort of the strategic vision behind our tactics on everything that we do. So if we go back to the late 80s, early 90s, end of the Cold War, and the gamble at the time was, if we created this international economic order, led by the US and the West, built on this global commitment to free trade, that this notion of that this trade and commerce would bind nations together via trade, via commerce and international interest and economic interest, that it would lead to more wealth and prosperity, that it would lead to democracy and freedom, basically domestic changes in many countries, and that it would ultimately ensure peace. The famous saying now seems silly, that no two countries with McDonald's have ever gone to war. That's obviously no longer the case. But the point being is that was the notion behind it. It was what the then Director General of the WTO called a "world without walls," rules-based international order. Others call it globalization. And basically, our foreign policy has been built around that, even though it's an economic theory it basically, is what we have built our foreign policy on. I think it's now fair to say that we admitted China to the World Trade Organization, Russia as well, I think it's now fair to say that while wealth certainly increased, particularly in China through its export driven economy, massive, historic, unprecedented amount of economic growth in that regard, I don't think we can say either China or Russia are more democratic. In fact, they're more autocratic. I don't think we can say that they're more peaceful. Russia has invaded Ukraine now twice, and the Chinese are conducting live fire drills off the coast of Taiwan. So I think it's fair to say that gamble failed. And we have now to enter -- and I think the President actually hinted at some of that in his speech the other night -- we're now entering a new era. What is that new era? What is our vision now for that world, in which not just the global international order and World Without Walls did not pacify or buy nations, but in fact, have now placed us into situations where autocracies, through a joint communique, are openly signaling that we need to reject Western visions of democracy and the like. So, before we can talk about what we're going to do, we have to understand what our strategic vision is. What is the strategic vision of this administration on what the new order of the world is? The Future of War: Is the Pentagon Prepared to Deter and Defeat America's Adversaries? February 7, 2023 House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Chris Brose, Author Rear Admiral Upper Half Mark Montgomery (Ret.), Senior Director, Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Peter Singer, Strategist at New America and Managing Partner of Useful Fiction LLC Clips 1:16:30 Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery: We don't have weapons stowed in Taiwan. In the last National Defense Authorization Act you authorized up to $300 million a year to be appropriated for Taiwan-specific munitions. The appropriators, which happened about seven days later, appropriated $0. In fact, almost all of the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act, which you all pushed through the NDAA, ended up not being appropriated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that passed eight days later. 30:10 Chris Brose: Nothing you do in this Congress will make larger numbers of traditional ships, aircraft and other platforms materialized over the next several years. It is possible, however, to generate an arsenal of alternative military capabilities that could be delivered to U.S. forces in large enough quantities within the next few years to make a decisive difference. Those decisions could all be taken by this Congress. The goal would be to rapidly field what I have referred to as a "moneyball military," one that is achievable, affordable and capable of winning. Such a military would be composed not of small quantities of large, exquisite, expensive things, but rather by large quantities of smaller, lower cost, more autonomous consumable things, and most importantly, the digital means of integrating them. These kinds of alternative capabilities exist now, or could be rapidly matured and fielded in massive quantities within the window of maximum danger. You could set this in motion in the next two years. The goal would be more about defense than offense, more about countering power projection than projecting power ourselves. It would be to demonstrate that the United States, together with our allies and partners, could do to a Chinese invasion or a Chinese offensive what the Ukrainians, with our support, have thus far been able to do to their Russian invaders: degrade and deny the ability of a great power to accomplish its objectives through violence, and in so doing to prevent that future war from ever happening. After all, this is all about deterrence. All of this is possible. We have sufficient money, technology, authorities, and we still have enough time. If we are serious, if we make better decisions now, we can push this looming period of vulnerability further into the future. The Pressing Threat of the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Defense February 7, 2023 House Armed Services Committee Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., USN (Ret.), Former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command Dr. Melanie W. Sisson, Foreign Policy Fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology Clips 28:15 Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL): China is the most challenging national security threat America has faced in 30 years. If we fail to acknowledge that and take immediate action to deter it, the next 30 years could be devastating for our nation. Under President Xi, the Chinese Communist Party has nearly tripled its defense spending in the last decade alone. The PLA has gone from an obsolete force barely capable of defending its borders to a modern fighting force capable of winning regional conflicts. The CCP now controls the largest army and navy in the world, with a goal of having them fully integrated and modernized by 2027. The CCP is rapidly expanding its nuclear capability; they have doubled their number of warheads in two years. We estimated it would take them a decade to do that. We also were just informed by the DOD [that] the CCP now has more ICBM launchers than the United States. The CCP is starting to outpace us on new battlefields as well. They have leapfrogged us on hypersonic technology, they are fielding what we are still developing. They are making advances in AI and quantum computing that we struggle to keep pace with. Finally, their rapid advances in space were one of the primary motivations for us establishing a Space Force. The CCP is not building these new and advanced military capabilities for self defense. In recent years, the CCP has used its military to push out its borders, to threaten our allies in the region, and to gain footholds on new continents. In violation of international law, the CCP has built new and commandeered existing islands in the South China Sea, where it has deployed stealth fighters, bombers and missiles. It continues to intimidate and coerce Taiwan, most recently by surrounding the island with naval forces and launching endless fighter sorties across its centerline. In recent years, the CCP has also established a space tracking facility in South America to monitor U.S, satellites, as well as an overseas naval base miles from our own on the strategically vital Horn of Africa. These are just a few destabilizing actions taken by the CCP. They speak nothing of the CCPs Belt and Road debt trap diplomacy, it's illegal harvesting of personal data and intellectual property, it's ongoing human rights abuses, and its advanced espionage efforts, the latter of which came into full focus for all Americans last week when the Biden administration allowed a CCP spy balloon to traverse some of our nation's most sensitive military sites. Make no mistake, that balloon was intentionally lost as a calculated show of force. 44:15 Dr. Melanie W. Sisson: Since 1979, the United States has adopted a constellation of official positions, together known as the One China policy, that allow us to acknowledge but not to accept China's perspective that there is one China and that Taiwan is part of China. Under the One China policy, the United States has developed robust unofficial relations with the government and people of Taiwan consistent with our interest in preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. US policy is guided by an interest in ensuring cross-strait disputes are resolved peacefully and in a manner that reflects the will of Taiwan's people. This has required the United States to deter Taiwan from declaring independence, and also to deter the CCP from attempting unification by force. The 40 year success of the strategy of dual deterrence rests upon the unwillingness of the United States to provide either an unconditional commitment to Taipei that it will come to its defense militarily, or an unconditional commitment to Beijing that we will not. The U.S. national security interest in the status of Taiwan remains that the CCP and the people of Taiwan resolve the island's political status peacefully. Dual deterrence therefore remains U.S. strategy, reinforced by U.S. declaratory policy which is to oppose unilateral changes to the status quo by either side. 45:28 Dr. Melanie W. Sisson: The modernization of the PLA has changed the regional military balance and significantly enough that the United States no longer can be confident that we would decisively defeat every type of PLA use of force in the Taiwan Strait. This fact, however, does not necessitate that the US abandon the strategy of dual deterrence and it doesn't mean that the United States should seek to reconstitute its prior degree of dominance. Posturing the U.S. military to convince the CCP that the PLA could not succeed in any and every contingency over Taiwan is infeasible in the near term and likely beyond. The PLA is advances are considerable and ongoing, geography works in its favor, and history demonstrates that it's far easier to arrive at an overconfident assessment of relative capability than it is to arrive at an accurate one. Attempting to demonstrate superiority for all contingencies would require a commitment of forces that would inhibit the United States from behaving like the global power that it is with global interests to which its military must also attend. This posture, moreover, is not necessary for dual deterrence to extend its 40 year record of success. We can instead encourage the government of Taiwan to adopt a defense concept that forces the PLA into sub-optimal strategies and increases the battle damage Beijing would have to anticipate and accept. 46:45 Dr. Melanie W. Sisson: U.S. military superiority in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean allows us to threaten the maritime shipping upon which China depends for access to energy, global markets, and supply chains. The inevitable damage a use of force would cause to the global economy and the imposition of sanctions and restricted access to critical inputs needed to sustain China's economic development and the quality of life of its people, moreover, would certainly compound China's losses. 1:04:50 Adm. Harry B. Harris: We're going to share the crown jewel of America's military technology, the nuclear submarine and the nuclear reactors, with another country and that's Australia. We have not done that with any other country, except for the UK, back in the late 50s, and into the 60s. So here we have the two countries with with that capability, the United States and the UK, and we're going to share that with Australia. It's significant. But it's only going to going to be significant over the long term if we follow through. So it's a decade long process. You know, some people the CNO, Chief of Naval Operations, has said it could be 30 years before we see an Australian nuclear submarine underway in the Indian Ocean. I said that if we put our hearts and minds to it, and our resources to it, and by ours, I mean the United States', the UK's and Australia's, we can do this faster than that. I mean we put a man on the moon and eight years, and we developed a COVID vaccine in one year. We can do this, but we're going to have to put our shoulders to the task for Australia, which has a tremendous military. For them to have the long reach of a nuclear submarine force would be dramatic. It would help us dramatically. It would change the balance of power in the Indian Ocean, and it will make Australia a Bluewater navy. They are our key ally in that part of the world and I'm all for it. 1:32:05 Adm. Harry B. Harris: I think this issue of strategic clarity versus strategic ambiguity is critical, and we have been well served, I'll be the first to say that, by the policy of strategic ambiguity with Taiwan over the past 44 years, but I think the time for ambiguity is over. I think we have to be as clear about our intent with regard to what would happen if the PRC invades Taiwan as the PRC is clear in its intent that it's ultimately going to seize Taiwan if need. 1:41:25 Adm. Harry B. Harris: I used to talk about during the Cold War with the Soviet Union, almost every branch of the U.S. government understood that the Soviet Union was the threat. You know, I used to joke even a park ranger, Smokey Bear, would tell you that the Soviets were the bad guys. We didn't have that comprehensive unified view of the PRC. You know, State Department looked at as in negotiation, DOD look at it as a military operation, Commerce looked at it as a trading partner, and Treasury looked at it as a lender. So we didn't have this unified view across the government. But I think now we are getting to that unified view and I think the Congress has done a lot to get us in that position. 1:49:45 Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): We have the capability to block the transmission of information from the balloon back to China, don't we? Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr.: We do. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): And in this type of an environment do you think it's probably likely that we did that? Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr.: I would only guess, but I think General van Herk said that -- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): Well you can't see any reason why we wouldn't do that, right? U.S.-Taiwan Relations March 14, 2014 House Foreign Affairs Committee Witnesses: Kin Moy, [Former] Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State Clips 7:20 [Former] Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY): Taiwan is a flourishing multiparty democracy of over 20 million people with a vibrant free market economy. It is a leading trade partner of the United States alongside much bigger countries like Brazil and India. Over the past 60 years, the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has undergone dramatic changes, but Taiwan's development into a robust and lively democracy underpins the strong U.S.-Taiwan friendship we enjoy today. 14:00 Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA): I think that it's important that we provide Taiwan the tools to defend itself, but Taiwan needs to act as well. Taiwan spends less than $11 billion on its defense, less than 1/5 per capita what we in America do, and God blessed us with the Pacific Ocean separating us from China. Taiwan has only the Taiwan Strait. On a percentage of GDP basis, Taiwan spends roughly half what we do. So we should be willing to sell them the tools and they should be willing to spend the money to buy those tools. 1:11:50 Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX): I think Chris Smith raised the issue of a One China policy. Does it not bother you that that exists, that there are statements that people have made, high level officials, that said they they agreed on one China policy? Does the administration not view that as a problem? Kin Moy: Our one China policy is one that has existed for several decades now. Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX): Okay. Well, I take that as a no, but let me follow up with what Jerry Connolly said. So you haven't sold submarines yet, you don't take Beijing into account. People around the world watch us. Words and actions have consequences. Would you agree that y'all would be okay with a one Russia policy when it comes to Crimea and the Ukraine? Is that akin to the same kind of ideology? Kin Moy: Well, I can't speak to those issues. But again, we are obligated to provide those defense materials and services to Taiwan and we have been through several administrations, I think very vigilant in terms of providing that. U.S.-China Relations May 15, 2008 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witnesses: Richard N. Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations Harry Harding, Professor of International Affairs, George Washington University, 1995-2009 Clips 1:46:42 Richard N. Haass: The bottom line is China is not yet a military competitor, much less a military peer. Interestingly, I think Chinese leaders understand this. And they understand just how much their country requires decades of external stability so that they can continue to focus their energies and their attention on economic growth and political evolution. China is an emerging country, but in no way is it a revolutionary threat to world order as we know it. 1:47:20 Richard N. Haass: We alone cannot bring about a successful us Chinese relationship. What the Chinese do and say will count just as much. They will need to begin to exercise restraint and patience on Taiwan. There can be no shortcuts, no use of force. We, at the same time, must meet our obligations to assist Taiwan with its defense. We can also help by discouraging statements and actions by Taiwan's leaders that would be viewed as provocative or worse. 2:03:47 Harry Harding: Now with the support and encouragement of the United States, China has now become a member of virtually all the international regimes for which it is qualified. And therefore the process of integration is basically over, not entirely, but it's largely completed. And so the issue, as Bob Zoellick rightly suggested, is no longer securing China's membership, but encouraging it to be something more, what he called a "responsible stakeholder." So this means not only honoring the rules and norms of the system, but also enforcing them when others violate them, and assisting those who wish to join the system but who lack the capacity to do so. It means, in other words, not simply passive membership, but active participation. It means accepting the burdens and responsibilities of being a major power with a stake in international peace and stability, rather than simply being a free rider on the efforts of others. Now, China's reacted to the concept of responsible stakeholding with some ambivalence. On the one hand, it appreciates that the United States is thereby seeking a positive relationship with China. It suggests that we can accept and even welcome the rise of Chinese power and Beijing's growing role in the world. It certainly is seen by the Chinese as preferable to the Bush administration's earlier idea that China would be a strategic competitor of the United States, as was expressed during the campaign of 2000 and in the early months of 2001. However, Beijing also perceives, largely correctly, that America's more accommodative posture as expressed in this concept is conditional. China will be expected to honor international norms and respect international organizations that it did not create and it may sometimes question. And even more worrying from Beijing's perspective is the prospect that it's the United States that is reserving the right to be the judge as to whether Chinese behavior on particular issues is sufficiently responsible or not. Taiwanese Security August 4, 1999 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witnesses: David “Mike” M. Lampton, Founding Director, Chinese Studies Program, Nixon Center Stanley Roth, Assistant Secretary, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State Caspar W. Weinberger, Former Secretary, Department of Defense James Woolsey, Former Director, CIA Clips 9:00 Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE): Taiwan security, in my view, flows from its democratic form of government's growing economic, cultural and political contacts with the mainland and, ultimately, the United States' abiding commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question. In my opinion, we should concentrate on strengthening those areas rather than spend time pre-authorizing the sales of weapon systems, some of which don't even exist yet. 20:10 Stanley Roth: There are three pillars of the [Clinton] administration's policy. First, the administration's commitment to a One China policy is unchanged. Regardless of the position of the parties, we have not changed our policy. The President has said that both publicly and privately. Second, we believe that the best means to resolve these issues is by direct dialogue between the parties themselves. We have taken every opportunity, including on my own trip to Beijing last week with Ken Lieberthal from the NSC, to urge the PRC to continue this dialogue. It strikes us that it's precisely when times are difficult that you need to dialogue, and to cancel it because of disagreements would be a mistake. China has not yet indicated whether or not these talks will continue in the Fall, as had been previously anticipated, but they put out a lot of hints suggesting that it wouldn't take place, and we are urging them to continue with this dialogue. Third point that is integral to our position. We have stressed again, at every opportunity, the importance of a peaceful resolution of this issue and the President has made that absolutely clear, as did Secretary Albright in her meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Tong in Singapore last week, as did Ken Leiberthal and I in our meetings in Beijing. But China can have no doubts about what the United States' position is, with respect to peaceful resolution of this issue. 1:29:15 Caspar Weinberger: So I don't think that we should be hampered by or felt that we are in any way bound by what is said by the communique, nor should we accept the argument that the communique sets the policy of the United States. 1:32:50 Caspar Weinberger: There are two separate states now, with a state-to-state relationship, and that the unification which was before emphasized, they repeated again in the statement of Mr. Koo, the head of their Trans- Strait Negotiating Committee, that the unification might come when China itself, the mainland, changes, but that that has not been the case and it is not now the case. 1:41:15 David “Mike” Lampton: Once both the mainland and Taiwan are in the WTO, each will have obligations to conduct its economic relations with the other according to international norms and in more efficient ways than now possible. 1:45:20 James Woolsey: The disestablishment of large, state-owned enterprises in China over the long run will bring some economic freedoms, I believe, that will quite possibly help change China and Chinese society and make it more conducive over time to political freedoms as well. But in the short run, the unemployment from the disestablishment of those enterprises can lead to substantial instability. U.S.-Taiwan Relations February 7, 1996 Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs Witness: Winston Lord, Assistant Secretary of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State Clips 16:45 Winston Lord: The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 forms the basis of US policy regarding the security of Taiwan. Its premise is that an adequate defense in Taiwan is conducive to maintaining peace and security while differences remain between Taiwan and the PRC. I'm going to quote a few sections here because this is a very important statement of our policy. Section two B states, "It is the policy of the United States to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area, and of grave concern to the United States. To provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character, and to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the socioeconomic system of the people on Taiwan." Section three of the TRA also provides that the "United States will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self defense capability." 18:00 Winston Lord: The key elements of the US policy toward the Taiwan question are expressed in the three joint communiques with the PRC as follows. The United States recognizes the government of the PRC as the sole legal government of China. The US acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan as part of China. In 1982, the US assured the PRC that it has no intention of pursuing a policy of two Chinas, or one China, one Taiwan. Within this context, the people the US will maintain cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan. The US has consistently held that the resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter to be worked out peacefully by the Chinese themselves. A sole and abiding concern is that any resolution be peaceful. 19:30 Winston Lord: The U.S. government made reciprocal statements concerning our intentions with respect to arms sales to Taiwan, that we did not intend to increase the quantity or quality of arms supplied, and in fact intended gradually to reduce the sales. At the time the joint communique was signed, we made it clear to all parties concerned that our tensions were premised on the PRC's continued adherence to a policy of striving for peaceful reunification with Taiwan. 21:30 Winston Lord: The basic inventory of equipment which Taiwan has or will have in its possession will, in our view, be sufficient to deter any major military action against Taiwan. While arms sales policy aims to enhance the self defense capability of Taiwan, it also seeks to reinforce stability in the region. We will not provide Taiwan with capabilities that might provoke an arms race with the PRC or other countries in the region. 21:55 Winston Lord: Decisions on the release of arms made without proper consideration of the long term impact. both on the situation in the Taiwan Strait and on the region as a whole, would be dangerous and irresponsible. If armed conflict were actually breakout in the Taiwan Strait, the impact on Taiwan, the PRC, and indeed the region, would be extremely serious. The peaceful, stable environment that has prevailed in the Taiwan Strait since the establishment of our current policy in 1979 has promoted progress and prosperity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The benefits to Taiwan and the PRC have been obvious and I outline these in my statement. All of these achievements would be immediately put at risk in the event of conflict in the Strait. Conflict would also be costly to the United States and to our friends and allies in the region. Any confrontation between the PRC and Taiwan, however limited in scale or scope, would destabilize the military balance in East Asia and constrict the commerce and shipping, which is the economic lifeblood of the region. It would force other countries in the region to reevaluate their own defense policies, possibly fueling an arms race with unforeseeable consequences. It would seriously affect the tens of thousands of Americans who live and work in Taiwan and the PRC. Relations between the US and the PRC would suffer damage regardless of the specific action chosen by the President, in consultation with Congress. For all these reasons, we are firmly determined to maintain a balanced policy, which is best designed to avoid conflict in the area. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

TRUE CRIME: "Body In The Barrel" - What Really Happened In The Very Suspicious Death Of Debbie Wolfe?The coroner's autopsy and detectives with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office homicide squad, along with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, reached that conclusion more than three decades ago in the death of Debbie Wolfe. The Sheriff's Office ruled that the young woman died accidentally by drowning but there are many that would disagree!TRUE CRIME: "Body In The Barrel" - What Really Happened In The Very Suspicious Death Of Debbie Wolfe?KURIOUS - FOR ALL THINGS STRANGE

A jury has convicted Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Phillip Barker of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, for the 2017 crash that killed a pedestrian. WSOC-TV reports: Jurors have convicted a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer who hit and killed a college student in his patrol car. In July 2017, Phillip Barker was speeding while on his way to a call when he hit and killed James Short on Morehead Street near Uptown, according to police. Investigators said Short, 28, was drunk at the time but was walking in a crosswalk. Barker was charged with involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor death by vehicle. He was placed on unpaid leave that year, and a grand jury indicted him on involuntary manslaughter charges. In 2018, he entered a plea of not guilty. Meanwhile, former NC Congressman and Chief of Staff for President Trump, Mark Meadows, could face charges for voter fraud. From WBTV: The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said it has submitted to state prosecutors the findings of its voter fraud probe into Mark Meadows, a former White House chief of staff to President Donald Trump, who was simultaneously registered to vote in North Carolina and two other states earlier this year. The State Bureau of Investigation announced Tuesday that it has turned over the case file detailing its investigation into Meadows' North Carolina voter registration and listed residence to Attorney General Josh Stein's office. Prosecutors with the attorney general's office will determine whether criminal charges are appropriate, the bureau said in a statement. Meadows, a former Republican North Carolina congressman, was removed from the state's voter rolls in April after Stein's office asked the bureau to examine his voter registration records. He had listed a mobile home Scaly Mountain, North Carolina, that he never owned as his physical address weeks before casting an absentee by-mail ballot in the state for the 2020 presidential election. ... Public records indicate Meadows registered to vote in Alexandria, Virginia, in 2021, a year after he registered in North Carolina and just weeks before Virginia's pivotal gubernatorial election in which Gov. Glenn Youngkin became the first Republican to win statewide office in a dozen years. He also registered to vote in South Carolina in March 2022.    Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WRAL investigative data journalist Ali Ingersoll gives some alarming stats on police searches in North Carolina. According to the State Bureau of Investigation, Black drivers and passengers are disproportionally searched after being stopped by police. In most cases Black drivers don't even make up the majority of the city's population. Ingersoll also shares a discussion she had with a police chief about the startling data.

The attack on two power substations in Moore County, NC were not the first such attacks on energy facilities in the state. The North State Journal's Matt Mercer has details: On Friday, Nov. 11, a property owned by the Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) in the Jones County town of Maysville was damaged. More than 12,000 CCEC customers were without power for approximately two hours, according to a statement from the cooperative.  “CCEC monitors its system constantly, and soon after the outage occurred, crews were dispatched to begin the restoration process and found that the Maysville substation had been vandalized. The Maysville substation remains off-line, but CCEC is fully able to serve all of its members through other substations,” a Nov. 11 statement reads.  The total cost of the damage was expected to exceed $500,000 and insurance investigators are still working to determine the extent of the damage. The cooperative said the vandals damaged transformers causing them to leak coolant oil.   Jake Joplin, CCEC CEO and general manager, stated that the cooperative “condemns this senseless act of vandalism.”   The Jones County Sheriff's Department and State Bureau of Investigation were investigating the vandalism.  Much like the attack in Moore County, the attacks occurred close to military installations in the state. Maysville sits 33 miles from Camp Lejeune 41 miles from MCAS Cherry Point – two Marine Corps bases with nearly 50,000 active duty and reserve members enlisted.  Moore County sits just west of Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the United States. The substation attacks were first reported in Carthage, the Moore County seat which sits approximately 33 miles from the Army base.         Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author of Doing, Being, Becoming: For the Love of the Creative Arts Rita Ezenwa-Okoro is an author and the Founder and Lead Visionary of Street Project Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that uses creative and performing arts tools to facilitate opportunities for youth leadership development, social mobilization, and cross-cultural dialogue in Nigeria. She is also the Principal Communications Consultant of ROC, a strategic communications company that provides business owners access to world-class communication solutions. She was also recently appointed the Executive Director of the Global Play Brigade, a movement of performance activists who use 'play' as a catalyst for softening the borders between us humans. Rita is a Mandela Washington Fellow of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), a U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program. She is a global fellow of the prestigious International Society of the Performing Arts (ISPA) New York, and the recipient of both the Lagos State Award of Excellence in youth and social development and the Lagos State Award of Excellence in entrepreneurship development. Additionally, she is a recipient of the Extraordinary Women Award in France and Next Generation Leaders Award. She is a graduate of the International Class of the East Side Institute, New York, and has her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Arts from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and her masters degree in Media and Communications from the School of Media and Communications, Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria, and a Certificate in Civic Leadership from Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. Under her leadership, Street Project Foundation most recently received the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) and BMW GROUP's Intercultural Innovation Award in Dubai. Rita is the author of Doing. Being. Becoming. For the love of the creative arts, a book about her performance journey as a grassroots creative youth organizer in Nigeria and published by the New Degree Press, Washington DC, USA. Street Project Foundation https://streetproject.org.ng/author/rita_ezenwa-okoro/ Global Play Brigade https://www.globalplaybrigade.org/welcome-rita-ezenwa-okoro-as-gpb-s-executive-director ISPA.org https://www.ispa.org/page/fellow20_ezenw Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ladyreo/?hl=en Twitter https://twitter.com/ritaezenwaokoro To learn more about your host, Kim Lengling, visit www.kimlenglingauthor.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kim-lengling1/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kim-lengling1/support

[iframe style="border:none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/24802530/height/100/width//thumbnail/yes/render-playlist/no/theme/custom/tdest_id/2148560/custom-color/61ce70" height="100" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen] A Due Process Hearing is just one of the dispute resolution options available to parents of children with special education needs. But what is a Due Process Hearing? In special education, Due Process Hearings are not often fully adjudicated, because the issues are resolved through some form of settlement. In fact, I'm pretty sure special education is the only civil right we negotiate away. For those fully adjudicated, parents rarely win. The school has significantly more resources (from their administrative staff to their on call attorney). Parents simply don't have the same legal, financial, and emotional ability to pursue and complete a full due process hearing. And that is why it is so exciting when a parent wins!!   Today, we look at due process hearings through the lens of one specific case in Connecticut in which the Parents prevailed. Meredith Braxton is a special education attorney in private practice in Greenwich, CT (bio below), who recently prevailed in an interesting due process hearing right here in Connecticut. We discuss the process, the facts, and the final decision as we break down this special education due process hearing.   Meredith C. Braxton, Esq., has been practicing law for 32 years, with a primary focus on special education for 20 years. After spending time in general and business litigation in "big law" in New York City and two smaller Connecticut firms, Meredith started a solo practice and began representing students and parents in their efforts to enforce their civil rights by having their children identified, securing appropriate services, and enforcing their rights to appropriate placements, whether via PPT, negotiation, an administrative due process hearing, or appeal to the federal courts. Her office is in Greenwich. Meredith is also a partner in a companion practice with her colleague Liz Hook (Braxton Hook) to represent families in New York in special education matters and individuals in both Connecticut and New York in education-related civil rights and tort cases as well as employment matters.   The full decision can be found here.   You can find Meredith's contact info here.   FLASHBACK: If you are curious about other dispute resolution options, you can check out the episodes What's the Deal with Mediation, State Complaints, and Special Ed 101!   Check out this episode!   TRANSCRIPT (not proofread) SUMMARY KEYWORDSwitnesses, hearing, decision, officer, felt, parents, child, school district, case, board, argument, student, attorney, people, meredith, thought, footnotes, understand, works, remedy   SPEAKERS Meredith Braxton, Esq., Dana Jonson   Dana Jonson  00:08 All right. Welcome back to Special Ed on special ed. Thank you for coming back and joining me today. Today I am meeting with Meredith Braxton one of my favorite Special Ed attorneys from Connecticut. Hello, Meredith. Thank you for joining me.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  00:21 Good morning.   Dana Jonson  00:22 Good morning, we're going to discuss a case in which Meredith prevailed and discuss the components of a due process hearing, or decision, or pleading or all of that, through this one case, in which Meredith prevailed. But before we say one word, I'm gonna play my disclaimer for you all. The information in this podcast is provided for general informational and entertainment purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction at the time you're listening. Nothing in this episode, create an attorney client relationship, nor is it legal advice, do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included and accessible through this episode without seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice on particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer or service provider licensed in your state country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction. All right, Meredith. First of all, congratulations. This is awesome. You're welcome. This is a 54 page decision. There are four issues at the beginning that you raised 176 findings of fact, about 36 conclusions of law. And at the very end, there are nine orders. So that's a little overwhelming. And this is a final decision and order. And I'm a lawyer, and I was so excited when I got this when we all heard that you had prevailed, and we got to read it. And even I'm overwhelmed with 54 pages. So I want to start by, I want to read the actual issues that are listed in the decision. And then I want you to sort of tell us how we got here, if that works. Okay, so the first of the four issues in the final decision in order are, has the board denied the student a free appropriate education or a faith for the previous two years by habitually failing to record the PPT decision in prior written notice? We're going to come back to that one, too. Does the current IEP and placement deny the student faith? Three, should the hearing officer place the student in a residential therapeutic school for students with CP or cerebral palsy? And if necessary, order the board to hire an educational consultant to identify a placement for the student? And for is the student entitled to compensatory education, which would be education to make up for education missed? So those are some pretty loaded issues. Why don't you take us back to the beginning and tell us what happened.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  02:54 First of all, this client is an amazing kid. And I actually spoke to her recently, she's really happy at man's two right now. So great, really thrilled. So I'm really glad we got there, I was actually brought in after the kiss was pretty well set up. There was a lay advocate involved who did a really good job, got some amazing ies, you know, independent educational evaluations from I mean, some of the most qualified people I have ever run across, they were really, super, she also has a super medical team, you know, all of whom, even though some of them were out of state, they weren't totally willing to testify, you know, and give me not very much time, but some time to educate the hearing officer about the student's conditions.   Dana Jonson  03:46 And that's an important component is that there's a difference between what is a medical responsibility and an educational responsibility. And as you and I know, a lot of times those responsibilities overlap, correct, making it incredibly difficult to get anyone to provide.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  04:03 Yes, yes, but these medical providers were very well able to connect what was going on with her medically to what was going on with her educationally. So that's amazing. They were really, really helpful. But when this case first came to me, I wanted to file for due process, but I was always until the very end, I was always really concerned about the remedy, right? Because you don't know which hearing officer you're going to get. And if you're not able to put specific remedy out there you just don't know where that hearing officer is going to go with it. So we have not found a placement for this student yet. She's very difficult to place because she has you know, high cognition, but her physical disabilities are profound and urgent Communication Difficulties are profound. So there's just not a lot of places, you know, for that profile.   Dana Jonson  05:06 And that's an important piece to understanding what you want. Because we run into that problem a lot with families where they know something's wrong, they know it's not working, but they don't know what will work or what they do want. And that makes it really, really hard for us. Because and I explained this to clients a lot. You could go through a due process, hearing, and win on every single issue, and not get the remedy you wanted, right. And I think the example I use is, you could go into a hearing, asking for an out of district placement, go through the entire hearing, and have the hearing officer say, you are right, the school didn't do anything they should have done. But I think that school can create a program. So I'm going to order them to do that instead of residential, and now you've gone through the entire expense of winning a hearing. Right, and you're not getting any remedy. So that is a very concerning component that I don't think people   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  06:05 realize, and I really wasn't willing, you know, I advised my client that I just didn't feel comfortable filing until we had better direction there. So but as time went on, first of all, she was able to eke out a little money to find an ad consultant. And this ad consultant was really great. He was wonderful to work with. And I couldn't stand it anymore. I felt like Greenwich was torturing this, like literally torturing this kid, because, you know, I was on the back end of every email, and phone call, and what they were doing to I couldn't take it anymore. I really just I couldn't take it anymore. So I was like, Okay, we just have to file we have to get this hearing going. And hopefully, by the time we get to the end of the hearing, we will have a remedy in mind and we won't have a placement. We almost got there. Not quite but you know, it turned out okay. But that was a little bit of a, you know, risk that we took, but what was going on was so unacceptable, that that you know, as a moral proposition.   Dana Jonson  07:17 Right. Right. And I think that's where school districts don't realize they really messed up is when they one of us off? Yeah, is you know, when one of us is even in the grand scheme of everything we've seen and experienced if we get off, we're like a dog with a bone. Yeah.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  07:34 Yeah.   Dana Jonson  07:36 Don't do this. Don't get out of my way.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  07:37 Yeah, yeah. That's how we sort of got to filing the various issues that wound up being presented. Actually, we didn't even really address the faith based on not recording PVT decisions appropriately, even though they did not I was gonna ask   Dana Jonson  07:55 you about that. Because now in the in the new IEP, which I've yet to see, in case you're wondering, every school district I'm dealing with is like, yeah, we'll deal with that later. I gotta get back to school right now. So talk to me after Christmas.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  08:11 What I'm what I'm hearing from them is it's taking them six hours to fill out the new form exactly this new   Dana Jonson  08:17 convenient form that was going to take less time. But there's no prior written notice in it now.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  08:23 But I thought the prior written notice was supposed to be a separate document, but I have a separate one here.   Dana Jonson  08:27 But we haven't seen any documents yet. So I think that this is a really interesting point about the prior written notice. Because what that means in that issue, for those who don't understand is that decisions were made in the IEP meeting that need to be documented in the IEP, because they were either accepted or refused. And when a school does,   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  08:51 the more the even more important piece of that is they're supposed to record why they did right. Or important part and the data they relied on to get there, right, which is usually how you can point out how freakin absurd their decision was. Right? Exactly. Because   Dana Jonson  09:09 this is my favorite is on I had one where they made the decision based on grades and performance. And the child had modified work and modified grades. So it was like, Well, wait a second. understand all of this.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  09:26 My favorite is where they deny, like a residential placement. And they say it's based on the independent evaluation, you gave them that recommended residential place.   Dana Jonson  09:36 Fabulous. Yeah. So it's based on that because we read it. And that's how we read it. And we rejected all of it. Yeah. So actually, that leads me to my next question, which is, you know, after you read the issues, and the piece on why the hearing officer has jurisdiction, we get to your 176 findings of fact. And so the findings of fact, are sort of the meat and potatoes, is that right of the   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  10:03 of the you don't you don't get to conclusions of law without those findings of fact, they're the   Dana Jonson  10:08 evaluation of your due process demand, right? findings of fact are what you base everything else on. So how does the hearing officer determine what the findings of fact, are? Like? Do you provide those in your brief or your due process demand? Or how does the hearing officer come to determine which facts are actual facts?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  10:29 So the post hearing brief is, is always proposed findings and facts and conclusions of law. And, you know, I can track through this decision the places where he definitely adopted, you know, what I wrote in my brief, but there's a lot of it where he had his own thing going and this particular hearing officer, who unfortunately has been picked off by virtue Moses, since then, he listened so carefully works for birch and Moses now, yeah, they hired him right after his case.   Dana Jonson  11:00 Sorry, I can't help but laugh.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  11:01 I know. It's so upsetting. Speaking of absurd, yeah. Anyway, so he listened really carefully to all the witnesses and clearly was focusing on their credibility. And I could tell I was landing the punches, you know, as I was going on, and he was getting them. And the one that was really telling was, you know, there's a principle in examining witnesses for trial lawyers where, you know, if you've got a hospital, first of all, he did go with the school district employees who I called, on my case, were hostile witnesses who I was allowed to ask leading questions. Great. So a lot of our hearing officers won't go there. And it makes it harder, because you have to do direct examination with non leading questions, right, anyway.   Dana Jonson  11:52 Right, I mean, that's getting a little in the weeds. But for parents who don't understand that, as attorneys, when we examine a witness, we are bound by certain restrictions, we can't just ask them anything, we can't just suddenly blurt out stuff, right. Like, we have to have a foundation, we have to lead them to a certain place, we have to have demonstrated certain things and have specific items and evidence. And there's a process and if you don't go through the process, you don't get your information across. So one of the ways in which we ask questions is, we ask leading questions all the time in our day, across the day, and you're not allowed to do that, unless they're, especially with your children, especially with your children, right, we're trained to write to ask leading witness. And that's why children shouldn't be witnesses, because you can lead them. So we really have to be cautious about that. And so then it depends on the hearing officer as to what they will allow, and they have a significant amount of leeway in what they will allow or not allow. So it sounds like this hearing officer was really focused on understanding the issues   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  12:58 he really was. So one of the principles for examining witnesses from the other side, is, if you land your point, you don't go on to ask like the ultimate question, because then that clues them in that they just messed up, and they will go back and they'll fix it. You instead use that nugget in your argument later on. So that's how we roll I got one of the school district witnesses to say that she made all the decisions in the PPTs. And so I'm sliding away from that, because I'm like, hopefully, like guaranteed, and, of course, returning picked up on   Dana Jonson  13:35 that. But whatever. That's kind of a mess.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  13:38 I'm going on, going on to the next thing. And the hearing officer goes, whoa, whoa, whoa. And then he starts questioning her and she doesn't fix it. She doubles down on it. And then I'm cross her attorney tried to save her and she didn't go for it. So she basically got predetermination. That's amazing lack of parental participation. So the hearing officer in this case, he really listened. And he was sort of going through issues in his own head clearly the whole thing about you know, in his findings of fact, in his conclusions of law, he talked a lot about how the school district had the wrong primary disability for this child and that how it drove an inappropriate IEP. Now you and I know that's actually true. Most of the time, if you have the wrong primary disability, it does, to some extent derive. You know, services. Absolutely. Schools always say is no, we give whatever services are needed, no matter what the primary handicap is, blah, blah, blah. I felt like that was just a loser of an argument for me like when I didn't want to spend a lot of time on. I had so many other issues that I thought were really compelling and really important, and that would win the case. It was funny because he kept bringing it up. During the hearing, and I was like, Yeah, you know, and I didn't really press it with witnesses, but he did. You know, he would ask witnesses his own questions,   Dana Jonson  15:09 and I find that fascinating about hearings is that the hearing officer can and will just stop everything and be like, I have some follow ups. I need you to clarify that. Yeah. I love it when we hear a hearing officer ask questions, because all that says is, oh, they're listening. Yeah, do get it because not all hearing officers really do get it. Not all of them have been doing what we do our whole lives. And we have to not only explain to them the process, the law but the disability.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  15:35 Right, right. And this one is very low incidence. So it's particularly difficult to convey what it's like, like I said, we had a, especially her physiatrist was really great at describing what it was like to be, I'm allowed to use her name, she doesn't care. Okay. So you know what it was like to be Sydney. And that really got to the hearing officer. So did the videotapes of what was going on on the bus ride. Wow, I thought, did you get those? Well, they're an educational record. They're a four year record. And I was like a dog with a bone. And I did when I filed, I also served an Administrative Code document request. And so at the very beginning of the hearing, when you're sort of like, what housekeeping items do you have, I'm like, I'm asking for these documents. And these videos, they haven't given them to me, I can't do this hearing without it, and I got him to order them to be given to me. So I find   Dana Jonson  16:36 that I don't always get everything in a FERPA request. There's never I get everything. Shocking, really. It's shocking, really, but and in my FERPA request, I have a laundry list of things I would like included, and then I just hope I get most of it. You know, videos, and particularly bus videos, I think have to be the hardest things to obtain. That's just my experience. It's just a lot of red tape to get your hands on those videos. So that is huge. Yeah. So you provide your findings of fact, the board attorney is going to provide there's right. So what the hearing officer chooses is going to be based on the testimony. Right. Right. And so that's your point in your testimony is to demonstrate what actually happened, right, I presume you had good witnesses and parents for this? Because I know for me, anytime I contemplate whether this is something that would go to due process or not. The first thing I think of is Who are my witnesses? Yeah. And my first thought is can either parent be witness, and that sometimes makes the decision?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  17:49 You know? Yes, I had one due process where, I mean, the hearing officer literally hated my client. And he was difficult. He was a difficult person. He was a difficult person, like, I liked him. But you know, I'm weird. But she ruled for us anyway. And I was a little I mean, she even dropped a footnote about how she didn't believe that I love that. Yeah, yeah. So it's very important. The parent is very important. Sometimes, like, in this case, I had the parent, but as a backup, I also had her sister who had quit her job to help Sydney, you know, during COVID, and was, I mean, had basically been in her life the whole time. So it was very, sort of a corroborating witnesses if I needed it. Or it could be the primary witness about what was happening during remote instruction, and stuff like that. So yeah,   Dana Jonson  18:45 and I see you guys had 11 witnesses, and the board only called to it looks like,   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  18:50 Yeah, cuz I called all her witnesses on my case.   Dana Jonson  18:54 You called them all first, so that you could get that done with   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  18:56 in this, you know, in this particular school district, I find that the attorney, if you do this, if you if you call her witnesses on your case, and she often hasn't glommed on to what your their themes are, and doesn't really prepare her witnesses. Well got it. Well, I can tell my stories through them. And they're the people I had first, and the hearing officer had a little issue with it. He was like, aren't you gonna call them? And I'm like, Oh, get there?   Dana Jonson  19:27 Yeah, well, because mom's usually number one, right? Yeah, I don't like doing like that. Well, good. That's, that's great. You should talk to my lawyer about that, because she was working really, really hard to figure out how to not put me because for all of those parents out there who've heard you wouldn't be a good witness and make and took it personally and felt bad. I was informed I would be a horrible witness. So I'm an attorney who does this every day. So you know, don't feel bad about it. So you called everyone that you needed for your case and the hearing officer allowed you to treat the school personnel as if they were hostile. So that is huge. You know, it sounds like we got a really great hearing officer and then a board firm just snatched them up immediately.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  20:12 It did save money, how that works about that   Dana Jonson  20:16 money how that works. I wanted to touch on the timeframe to because you filed on October 12, in 2021. And your briefs were due in March 28 2022. And that is actually only five months, I was actually thinking for a hearing that went through so many witnesses that you would conclude this and only five months, I was kind of impressed. And to tell   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  20:43 you the truth, this included a month or two of me foot drag. Oh, wow. Because I was I was foot dragging. Because we didn't have that placement. Right. I was like, you know, Brenton, come on. So I delayed things a little bit. And then I decided I gotta go, Yeah, this has got to get going. Right, the hearing officer made it really clear that he was feeling pressure from the State Bureau of Special Education, to move these hearings along faster. You know, they're getting very concerned about their timeline issues as they should, as they can. Absolutely. He assured me and I felt with, you know, after we'd been going at this a little bit, I felt like I could believe him about this, that I could always just refer to an exhibit, and he would read it. And I felt like he would read. Okay, so some hearing officers, you really have to have every single bit like presented orally to them, or they focus on it. But in this case, I felt like I could rely on him to read the exhibits that were admitted. I sped through some of this stuff. Yeah, I mean, the medical people, I probably had a an average 30 to 45 minutes with them, half of which I seated to the other side. Right, wow. Yeah. And so I was like, bang, bang, but I had one day when I had like six witnesses, I blew through six witnesses, that's insane. I then laid down on the floor of my office and made it like an IV of vodka, but it was intense. But it made the hearing officer very happy, they do appreciate it. And I kind of liked it, because I was able to get all the really important stuff in and then the other side was kind of limited and what they could do with it. You know, they were also limited. The you know, in the end, I kind of liked it, even though I ordinarily would,   Dana Jonson  22:43 yes. Where are you for this matter? It worked for this matter for this hearing   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  22:47 officer, you know, so much depends on the hearing officer get and what their style   Dana Jonson  22:53 is. Yeah. And I hear that a lot from parents, do you have experience with this district? Do you have experience with this lawyer? And all of those things do matter. But I feel like the experience matters more in knowing how to shift because all those players change all the time. And I've had evaluators where I felt like I could just leave the room and they'd be fine. And then the next tvip meeting, I go to them, I'm like, Who is this pot person? Like what did they do to my evaluators? So you just never know, there's a lot up in the air,   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  23:26 you don't know. And that's what I try to convey to my clients about due process. It's a high risk situation, because you don't know which hearing officer you're gonna get. You don't know what pressures they have on them, because they are getting pressure from above, you don't really know how the evidence is going to come in. You don't know whether some of the board people who you think are charlatans are going to come across as believable. You don't know if you're going to be able to get in every document that you think you need to get in. I got a lot out of those board witnesses that have they been better prepared and probably would not have. Yeah, and that   Dana Jonson  24:03 preparation is big. I mean, the prep is big for your clients, too. I remember a colleague telling me I mean, when you're talking about how is someone going to present colleague was telling me they had a client and the school had really messed up. But this was an exceptionally wealthy client who came across as exceptionally wealthy when she walked in a room. And so she was asked to dial it down. So she walked in to the hearing and her kids dinner, blue jeans and a T shirt and no jewelry. And the board almost dropped dead. Really, because they were relying on this person to walk in and look like an extremely wealthy person and present the way she normally does and hoping that that in and of itself would sway the hearing officer. But then she walked in and they're their philosophy has gotten now a good attorney doesn't rely on just that. Right. But to your point, people can present as anything when they walk in that door. Yeah, and they can Say anything. So, like if you if you have someone on the line on the stand and they are flat out lying. What do you do?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  25:08 Well, I mean, it depends on whether I have documentary evidence that I can confront them with that shows they're flat out lying. If this is where a lot of times you do want to have at least partial transcripts of various meetings and recordings. So they can't claim they said something other than what they did. And it's a problem, because in my experience, almost I would say 95% of board, witnesses lie under oath. Yep. And have no problem with it. Yeah.   Dana Jonson  25:38 And it's shocking, sometimes to parents. Right.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  25:41 And absolutely, I mean, honestly, when I first started practicing law, many, many, many moons ago, I was shocked, I assumed that everyone who was put under oath would tell the truth. And then I learned that actually a minority and people put under oath will tell the truth. It's not just in special education. Yeah, just board witnesses. It's pretty rampant,   Dana Jonson  26:04 pretty rampant. And it's I do think that people take it have a different level of respect, being under oath. I do believe that, as a rule, and I do think that that anxiety is heightened in the person when they are lying under oath versus just in a school meeting, I, I absolutely can see that I can see the change in their body language from lying in the IEP meeting to lying on the stand. They're way more uncomfortable. But that's another reason why I like going to the IEP meetings, because they may be more comfortable there. But you do get a sense of who you can trip up and who you can't. And if the school has bad witness, you make sure they know that.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  26:43 Also, I prefer due process hearings to be in person, because if you've got that body language going on the other side, you can start drilling into it. And sort of push them. Yes. completely out of their comfort zone.   Dana Jonson  26:58 Yes. And that's more difficult on the screen. Oh, it's   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  27:01 impossible.   Dana Jonson  27:02 Have you done any hearings on the screen?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  27:04 Well, this one was completely virtual,   Dana Jonson  27:06 Oh, this one was virtual? I don't think I realized that maybe I must have I mean, maybe just because it's so normal now that I didn't think of it. So that must have been really hard, then I didn't even realize this was virtual.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  27:18 Yeah. It was very hard. That's really hard.   Dana Jonson  27:21 Amazing. Your experiences you would still prefer in person, right?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  27:26 Yeah, for that very reason. Just looking through the screen at someone, you can't hold their eyes, you can't sort of judge their expression. You can't figure out how to destroy them. You can't pick   Dana Jonson  27:42 them apart to the degree that you would like to.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  27:47 So bad, you know, so you're when you're a litigator, you just have to admit that you have a dysfunctional personality. Right? Yes. So that's why we do this, right? Yes, exactly. We got paid for being like completely not the social norm. So   Dana Jonson  28:01 I always say that I do that I'm a lawyer, because I think this way, I don't think this way, because I'm a lawyer isn't the only place that that I fit in. So let's talk a little bit about the remedies. Because from the remedy in the decision, it doesn't look like you ever found that one place, did you?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  28:20 Well, no, we found it afterwards. So may Institute was one of the ones that our ED consultant found that he thought was the leading candidate. Ironically, also, the neuropsychologist who did an independent evaluation had put that out as a recommendation as well. So I was able to direct the hearing officer to an email from him saying, you know, this would be a good place. And also ironically, that particular neuro psychologist, I just, you know, I wasn't in love with his evaluation. And I was very concerned about him as a witness, because I've actually seen him under oath before. And so I elected not to call him interesting. Yeah,   Dana Jonson  29:03 that's a risk. Huge risk, right? Like, because, I mean, at first thing you're gonna hear from any attorney is you want to go to a hearing, you need an expert.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  29:12 Yeah. Well, so but we had all these other experts. And but that's usually the one that we want, right? It's the neuro Psych. Fortunately, he had spoken to that entire medical team, and incorporated what they said in evaluation itself. And then all of those medical experts wrote follow up letters saying we agree with that neuro psychologist, this is what she means. So I called every one of those medical experts got it. And that's how I got it. I mean, and this is what happens in a due process hearing like, I had him on my witness list, in case I had to I had to put them on. As things develop, you have to make decisions about what you're going to do and what's the whole in your case, you know, then I was like one of the holes My case is, what's the remedy? And I don't usually call Educational Consultants, but I did with this one. Also, because he's got lots of bonus CDs, right? He's, he's run a therapeutic school. He's been, you know, he's   Dana Jonson  30:15 got credentials that you can defend. Yeah, I love that. When I get stuff from parents who say, you know, this is the expert. And I'm like, well, they don't have any credentials. No one's ever heard of them. They're in a different country. I don't know that I'm going to get anyone on board.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  30:32 He worked really hard for this placement. I mean, yeah. Beyond what he ever has to do with anyone. I was on a low fee. On this case, he did a low fee on this case. So we've sort of felt like, Okay,   Dana Jonson  30:45 we're gonna do we're in it together. Yeah.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  30:47 And, and one of the things we got as a remedy was that he got paid his full fee.   Dana Jonson  30:54 Oh, good. Yeah. So that's what I was going to ask you about was the remedies, because one of the remedies is when you win a hearing is that you're entitled to your legal fees? Right. So what I'm curious about is when you submit that legal fees Bill, what is that going to look like after 11 witnesses and five months? It was   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  31:15 close to 100,000. It was like 98,000.   Dana Jonson  31:19 There were a few things in terms of parents listening to this just passed out. Yeah. But   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  31:26 that's what I tell my my clients, it's between 50 and 100,000, for average due process. Yeah. And on top of that, you may have to be paying experts. And that's not reimbursable.   Dana Jonson  31:37 Right. So you're not going to get back and that I can't risk, you know, but right, we can always risk our fees, right? Because we can try and get them back. So that does put give you more skin in the game, I guess.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  31:49 I mean, they pushed back on a couple of things. One of them is definitely legitimate. I put it in there and hope it would just slip by but it didn't, you know? And then there were a couple that were like, arguable. Right? Right. So I just rolled over on that, because I'd rather get it paid. Right. So I want to be reimbursed 92,000?   Dana Jonson  32:11 Well, and I mean, you know, say it's the only civil rights that we negotiate. So parents are always negotiating way their rights. And we as attorneys are always negotiating away our fees. Yeah, we do nothing on the parents side, but negotiate against ourselves from from the beginning. I don't know of very many of any attorneys who have gone through a full hearing and actually received their full BS, they just don't I also find it when when sometimes I hear people say, Oh, well, litigation fees are so much more than, like, we're never seen. No calm down. Take it down a notch. Uh, yeah, I found the remedies really interesting because one remedy said to find the placement and a consultant is ordered. If you can't find a placement, so the the hearing officer did order that consultant as well, correct?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  33:02 Absolutely. But and the thing with may Institute is they are not going to accept anyone unless they're fully funded, right? Because it's a very expensive place. Yes. So the day this decision came out, the ad consultant got on the phone with them with two words fully funded. And within a week, we had an acceptance, but they had to do a little bit of hiring to bring her on, started right after labor.   Dana Jonson  33:27 Right. And I think that's important too, for parents to understand that not a replacement is ready to take your child that day. There usually an acceptance usually means that they can prepare to do that. So if you come, they will then start preparing. They're not going to staff for a student who's not there yet. That's very typical, then that's great. So now is this child going to be there for too long this is placed there   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  33:53 now. Yeah. So as their stereo slave foot and everything else? I don't see them after that horrendous decision. Yes, coming back and saying no, you're ready to come back to Greenwich, right.   Dana Jonson  34:04 And school districts have done that they have a year after a hearing decision said, Well, we gave it a year, and now they're all ready and everything's back together. But you have that hearing decision under your belt. And that is something you can pull out and use. And it would be foolish to do that, at this stage. And particularly given given how many fights are going on between parents and school districts at you know, there was a time where fighting every hearing decision was worth their time and energy. I don't think it is anymore.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  34:34 But then so there was a significant amount of time between when the decision came out and when she was able to go, you know, in the meantime, he ordered remedies for while she was still in the British school system. And I actually had to get down this state's throat to get them to enforce this decision. Really, I did what happened. They were ordered to have an aide in the home for 30 minutes before the ride to school to help the mom get her ready, and they just didn't do it. And I had to go to the state. And they eventually got to st Greenwich Get your act together, you know, and do it and they finally did. And it made a huge difference. Then she was supposed to have a medical taxi instead of the bus that was so torturous for her never got that I was on the state's case, like every two days. And Greenwich kept giving them a spreadsheet showing all the contacts they made to try to arrange a medical taxi. And I was like, this is just baloney. I mean, I'm literally there was one point where they were like, Okay, well, the legal director Mike McCann and Mary Jean Shugborough, who, unfortunately, was the person assigned to the enforcement part of this. The retired. She's retired, isn't she? Yeah, except she's still a part time consultant for some things. I'm like, Why did you assign us to a part time retired consultant? You know, it's   Dana Jonson  36:04 pretty significant. Yeah.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  36:05 So at one point, they were like, well, we're gonna be on the phone with graduates about this on Monday. And we'll let you know. And I'm like, I want to be on that phone call. But I'm on vacation. And they're like, I'm like, do it on Friday, when I'm not on vacation. Oh, well, we can talk to Friday, and then we'll talk to them on Monday. I'm like, No, I will just be on this call during my vacation. So I'm hiking in Maine and losing a signal every three seconds, and I am yelling my butt off. And my husband's like, Oh, my God. And I like I keep losing the signal dialing back in angrily, and on top. So because anyway, never got the medical text, even though I'm, I'm busting a gut. Then on top of that in between, yeah, when I started getting down on their case, and this phone call, they had finally posted this decision, you know, I got it by email. But then they post all of their decisions, right? And the decisions are written. So there's no identifying information the student has called student parents called parents, etc. But it identifies the witnesses, aside from the parent, and the school district and all that, while they put this one on, and they've blacked out everything that would identify the school district or the school district witnesses. And I was like, Okay, so while I'm on the phone screaming, I'm like, who did this? Which one of you did this? You know, what are you doing? They're like, Oh, we thought it might be too specific. And you know, have identifying information. I'm like, you know, if that was your concern, you would have called me or the parent to ask if we had a problem with it, but you didn't. So it seems to me that you were just trying to not embarrass Greenwich, which should be completely embarrassed about how they treat   Dana Jonson  37:54 my dogs going nuts. No, that's exactly what I was gonna say. Which is that, you know, that seems like protecting the district. Were?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  38:03 Absolutely, yeah. In the meantime, I had gotten a written consent from my clients saying you can put it up on redacted and I was like, I have that. And they put it up on redacted after that. But, you know,   Dana Jonson  38:14 I've seen that before, though, that the school district personnel and school are redacted. Is that a thing? No.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  38:20 If you look on every single other decision, there's not a single redaction. Not one. So who decided to do that? Mary Jean Chabot, she admitted? Did she say why? Because she was afraid it would identify the child's that's a lie. I think so.   Dana Jonson  38:43 I feel like that's a lie. But that sounds interesting. Well, you know, and it really is frustrating, because I always feel like when people say, Oh, but these poor teachers, and you know, it's not really there. I feel like I'm with you on that. And I feel as a former teacher and a former administrator, admittedly, I spent about 10 minutes in each role, but I didn't have a problem being honest in the meeting. Now, that was me. Perhaps I didn't have as much at risk as some people by doing that. And I respect and understand that. But I go nuts. When parents say, well, the teacher told me this, but they won't say it in the meeting. And I always say, well, then I don't trust that teacher. No, I just don't, it's great. You're getting inside Intel. But how do you know? They aren't turning around and saying the same thing to the district about you? Exactly. You know, and they're protecting their butts.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  39:39 Yeah. If they're not willing to say it in the meeting, it's useless. It's absolutely   Dana Jonson  39:42 useless. You can see it when people are scripted. In the meetings, you can tell. And I you know, look, it's not my intention to embarrass anyone. But if you have made a conscious decision to toe the party line, then you are making a conscious decision to take the consequences of that action,   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  40:06 this child's speech and language pathologist basically said that she agreed to include oral motor goals to help Sydney learn how to talk, which she could do, right. Basically, as a favor.   Dana Jonson  40:22 Oh, it's an accommodation to the parent.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  40:24 Yeah, cuz she wanted to talk. But you know, she didn't really need it for accessing the general education. Oh,   Dana Jonson  40:29 why do you need language for that narrative? I know, I'm sorry, I just get flip. I can't stop myself. I love that when it's an act as an accommodation. I'm   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  40:38 gonna call out that I'm gonna call it call that speech pathologist out on that? Yep. You know,   Dana Jonson  40:44 accommodation is what the child needs. And you know if that I found that frustrating during the pandemic, too, when people were like, well, I don't want to be on tape or on screen or what have you. And I do understand that there is something to being under a micro microscope and people taking things out of context. We've all had that happen to us at some point on the internet, right? Or in a text, something has been taken in the wrong tone. And I just feel like, Haven't we all been using the internet long enough that we should know that. And you know, that tone gets lost and things get lost in translation. But knowing what happens, and being able to reflect on that and make changes that that's important if we're not willing to do that. And that's where I feel like we are right now in schools. I feel like no one's willing to reflect. Yeah, because everyone's so afraid, even more so than before, to look back and say, Yeah, we messed up. And I understand because there are legal ramifications to saying that, so I get why they're not announcing it to the world. Yeah. But maybe their inside voice like in the back of their head, maybe could say, We screwed up, and we gotta fix this. You know,   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  41:58 honestly, I find that the better board attorneys manage that, right? Yes, by having a good relationship with you giving you a call saying, can we talk about some solutions? Right? It doesn't have to be an explicit, we messed up, it can be willing to make it better. Right? Right. Good board attorneys. manage that.   Dana Jonson  42:19 Right. And some board attorneys, you know, when when the parent calls you, I'll say, you know, what, I know, we can get X, Y and Z, which will help bring everyone back to the table and and start the conversation over. And then there are some board attorneys where I have to say, look, I hate to tell you this, but we're going to start off fighting, because that's where you are. And that's unfair to it depends on who represents your district as to what kind of what access you will have to that due process, and whether you will be able to fight them or not. And not every parent has access to us. No, you know, and I was just talking to Christine Lai on my last episode about self in the special legal fund and how they've allowed for so much access for parents afforded us I've you know, regardless, look at this, this is a like I said, it's, you had 11 witnesses, it took five months, this took up a significant amount of your time, most of which you were not paid for at the time. Like that's something else people have to realize we get paid when we work, right. Like I'm not on a salary over here with fabulous benefits.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  43:26 What we eat what we kill, as they say, exactly, we   Dana Jonson  43:29 eat what we kill. Yes. I   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  43:30 mean, I had restricted cash flow for a few months there because it took time,   Dana Jonson  43:35 it takes a tremendous amount of time for us to have even one full blown.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  43:40 If I win, I'll be fine. If I know, I'm gonna be second run for a little bit, you know?   Dana Jonson  43:45 Exactly. So I mean, yeah, I mean, it's tough all the way around, and you have to have the bandwidth to do it. And you have to not be afraid of creating bad law because you have to look at if I lose this. Yeah, the way that I have asked this question, if I lose it, what will that do to other families? Exactly.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  44:04 And this decision, I felt like I got more good law out of this, than expected. So tell   Dana Jonson  44:10 us what you think the main takeaways are that you got from this this decision that you think are solidified that are helpful for parents?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  44:18 Well, the blasting of how the school district treated COVID and learning during COVID? Yes, and the failure to implement the IEP at all, really during COVID. And he runs through that was he on the legal side, the support for you were supposed to do what you needed to do and you didn't do it that leads to combat. So I thought that was good. I thought the way he treated the requirement for residential placement when there were mixed issues of because here we had mental health issues, but also medical issues. But those medical issues were very much intertwined with ability to be educated. Yeah, right. So the way he merged those things In talking about the requirement for a residential placement and the board's duty for that residential placement, I thought that was very helpful. Yeah. So those, those were the two takeaways that I really enjoy.   Dana Jonson  45:15 Now, those are great. And those were great for the rest of us. Thank you. Here. I say, the combat peace to the combat peace is great.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  45:24 Yeah. So that was good, because he talked about how you don't need to have gross violation to get combat if you're not in a aged out situation. Right. And he kind of blasted the whole equities argument, which I was like, I didn't even understand the board's argument. I'm like, this isn't the unilateral placement case. Right. That's third prong about the equities. Right. Yes. So but he turned that around to Well, maybe it's, you know, relevant to combat? Well, and   Dana Jonson  45:56 that's I mean, to explain to parents who don't understand really what we're talking about. No, no, it's good. It's good. Because what what that means is there are specific arguments we have to meet. So the first question I have to ask is, did the school district provide an appropriate program? And if the answer to that is yes, then nothing else matters, right? So there are different prongs of these different arguments. And some of them get to the point of equity. And this one doesn't. So it was unclear where he was going when he went down that road. But what he was doing was taking that equity argument and, and putting it towards compensatory education and saying that, for these reasons, this child does require compensatory education, which is meant to bring the child back up to where they would have been had they had that service. So that's an that's a big win, especially post COVID. Where that's a lot of the arguments is whether it's compensatory or not. So that's, that's a tough argument. And so that was a great win for parents. Yeah. And the last thing I want to ask you about, though, is the quotes throughout the decision, because I started reading and I thought was this a quote from the transcript? So at the beginning of every section, the hearing officer wrote a little quote, and the chapter and pages that it was from so I put that into my trusty Google search, and discovered that he was quoting Helen Keller throughout the whole thing. Can you talk a little about   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  47:24 could have looked at the footnotes, or I could   Dana Jonson  47:27 have looked at the footnotes that would have required this dense dyslexic woman to look at every footnote in this 54 Page decision.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  47:37 Okay. We won't do that to you. He basically took the I guess it was the autobiography of Helen Keller, and took various clubs, this kid touched his heart. And she's touched mine as well. She wants to start a school for kids with disabilities. She's she's just, she's an amazing kid, right? Before she went to me. I went and had dinner with her. And she finally had the new communication device that had actually been recommended and like managed never did. Wow. And we sat and had a really long, pretty fluent conversation about how do we get to the point where she gets to go to May? What was the hearing? Like? Who did I call? What did they say? You know, do I have to go back to Greenwich public schools for like three days to the school they have before I go to make? No you don't, I can see her really doing something in the world. Her physiatrist testified very clearly that he expects big things from her. And the hearing officer clearly felt that this child had a lot of potential and could make some change in the world. I think putting in those quotes helped bring it to like, we need to liberate this kid from her, the confines of her body, right? And let her be the person she can be. So I just about cried when I was reading through the decision with those quotes sprinkled throughout. I talked to a board lawyer afterwards. And she was like, Oh, that was quite a decision, like, I guess was just like, you know, the quotes from having Helen Keller were a little bit of overkill on like, this is run through your veins,   Dana Jonson  49:22 right? And by the way, not if you were there, if you were there. These fit in perfectly. And I did I mean I did read a couple of footnotes narrative, but I liked how he he did talk about while this student is not deaf and blind, they are bound by these disabilities in a way that we can't comprehend. And that it wasn't until, you know Helen Keller, somebody taught her how to communicate that she was able to share herself with the world and that those comparisons he felt applied to this student as well. And I think that just added to the impact of those quotes. And you're right, you could tell that this was a very emotional matter. And this is one of those matters where you read through it and you think, well, it's a slam dunk, right? You read this and you're like, of course, you're gonna win. But that just simply isn't how special education works, you know,   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  50:31 and back to what we were talking about at the beginning, you can win, and the remedy can wind up being useless.   Dana Jonson  50:39 Exactly. So there's a lot of risks, but it's decisions like this, that are the reason why we continue to do it, and move forward. And also, make sure that your attorney moving forward and a hearing has the experience and background necessary to and resources. You know, if you don't have experience, you can get experience, right, you can learn, you can get experience, you can get mentored, you can do all those things. But you can't pretend you know what you don't know. Right. And it's important to make sure that your attorney does practice special education law, that is their primary, that they are not doing something else, and are not distracted by other laws that may conflict with the ID EA, which people don't realize there are a lot of educational rules and laws that actually conflict with the ID EA. So if you're more familiar with those than the IDA, then you may not be giving the right advice.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  51:44 It's ironic that a lot of that was passed in order to be parent friendly, and increase parental participation in the education of disabled kids is so non parent friendly.   Dana Jonson  51:56 It's not parent friendly. It's not free to access. No. Because if you want to access it, you need an attorney or an advocate. And those are not free. Just think about the professional development that parents do just to understand how to talk to their attorneys. I mean, to their sorry, to their school districts, you know, like, just to get the vocabulary to advocate for their child, they spend a tremendous amount of money on professional development and all of those pieces.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  52:24 So back up for a second. The other thing I thought this decision was Brown was LRE least restrictive environment.   Dana Jonson  52:31 Oh, yes. Talk about LRE for a second. So   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  52:34 least restrictive environment means that your disabled children are supposed to be educated to the maximum extent possible with non disabled kids. My argument here was because they were screwing up so much. And they really did not include her appropriately in general education things. She was isolated from her peers. And it's even as much as like the chair they were using, they were having her in a wheelchair in her classroom, which separated her and put her on a different level than her peers. And the physical therapist, do   Dana Jonson  53:07 you mean physically, like height wise?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  53:10 Yeah, so she's not even at the table, right. And they were like, you know, the IES were like, You need to get this kind of chair and play her here. So that she's with her peers. And they never did any of that. It was stuff like that. And then she would have total meltdowns, especially Shan Maxon, or whatever, and be removed from the classroom because of her meltdowns, and then be removed to go to the bathroom and spend all sorts of time on there. The general education setting for her was more restrictive than one that was designed for kids with similar disabilities. And he went for that argument, which I really appreciate it.   Dana Jonson  53:51 And that's an amazing argument. And I I make it all the time. It's, like all my philosophical, yeah, argument of what's least restrictive, right. And I had a student once who were arguing over Villa Maria. And in the public school, the student had to be in the sub substantially separate room all day, including lunch, including everything, but at Villa Maria, they could roam the halls, they could have lunch with   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  54:16 their peers. And from my perspective, that is absolutely and Hillary argument in favor of Bill Murray. Yeah,   Dana Jonson  54:22 exactly. Exactly. You know, and so, you know, fortunately, that didn't have to go to a hearing at that point in time, because I don't know where that would have landed. But I do think we are getting closer to understanding that that may be a more a less restrictive environment for that student. It looks restrictive to us,   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  54:41 but if they have no peers to relate to, right, exactly, and they're not being educated with the same materials, you know, if they're sitting in the general education classroom, everyone else is working on, you know, XYZ, but they're working on a different on a different level on a different skill on their own little worksheet. with their pero right here, that's not the least restrictive environment for that child. Now, they're being they're other, they're separated.   Dana Jonson  55:08 Right? They're substantially separate from everybody else, even if you physically sit them in the room and kids do not learn independence through osmosis. No, it's not by sitting near typically developing children that you become typically developing. The goal is to become independent. Right? And what does this child need to become independent? And sometimes what a child needs to become independent is more children like them?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  55:36 Right. Right. So I thought that his ruling on that issue was helpful for this argument.   Dana Jonson  55:43 Yes, yes. That's very helpful for this argument, because it gives us a little something with some meat on it. Yeah, too.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  55:51 When I when I was bringing it up, you could see him going like, that's an interesting point.   Dana Jonson  55:57 Yeah. And now I really hate for to Moses for taking him out of the hearing officer, Bill. I'm hotline.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  56:07 He was he was previously I think he was in a judge advocate corps. Okay. He was a Jag. Um, you could tell you know, he have plenty of litigation experience. Right. Okay. So he was it was sort of easy that way for me, because my litigation arguments like right in a place where he understood them.   Dana Jonson  56:28 Right. That was good, good. Friend, now he's gone. And so this is the this is his swan song, which we will have framed up in many offices around Connecticut. This was incredibly helpful narrative. And thank you so much for coming on. And talking to me about it. I really, I don't think parents really understand everything that goes into due process. They just here fight the school district, I will put the link to your decision in my show notes. So anyone who wants to geek out like the one right? Yes, the unredacted one, so you can see everybody's name and all the footnotes. And she could just click on them and they pop up. So I'll put the link to that there. But if someone's listening, and they're like, Wow, I need to hire Meredith clearly, because she's the only attorney who who can understand me and my child. How do they reach you? How do they find you?   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  57:25 Well, it would be great if I had a website, but I just haven't over the last 20 years have the time to put Yeah, really   Dana Jonson  57:30 had a need. Hmm.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  57:33 Really? I'm gonna do it soon. No, I swear.   Dana Jonson  57:36 Okay, I got I have a good name for you.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  57:40 I've had it in process for a long time. You can look me up on the internet, probably. I don't know some I'll put a link to how you can find this. Sometimes when you put in Meredith Braxton. There's some Meredith Braxton some like soap opera or something.   Dana Jonson  57:54 Awesome. So you show up in the soap opera star? Yeah, I think that's great.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  57:58 No, it's the name of a character.   Dana Jonson  58:03 Even better. All right, I will put a link to Meredith in the in the show notes as well. If you feel you must reach out to Meredith and find her. And thank you so much, Meredith, for coming on and talking to us and talking about your case. And thank you for taking it all the way. Because I think that that is not easy for any of us to do. And   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  58:22 you know, I had not had a case go all the way in like two years. So I was also sort of chomping at the bit. Yeah, because I am a litigator at heart. And I like to go to hearing occasionally. And I was like it was sort of killing me. So I was happy to bring it all the way and I got a few more going into the can this week, then. I think at least one will my gold way.   Dana Jonson  58:49 That will be amazing. Yeah. Well, thank you. And that, that it makes a huge difference for the rest of us. And it definitely helps. helps all of us. You know, when   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  58:58 we talk he's, I was about as pleased as one could be with that decision. It's amazing, even better than I had hoped.   Dana Jonson  59:05 And that's amazing. And the family must've just been beside themselves.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  59:10 You know, and Sydney. She's, she's happy as a clam of May.   Dana Jonson  59:14 I'm so happy and validation. Yeah, it wasn't her right that.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  59:20 Yeah. Oh, but she always knew that.   Dana Jonson  59:22 Yeah, she she's smarter than they are.   Meredith Braxton, Esq.  59:24 She is. She really is.   Dana Jonson  59:27   That's often the problem. Well, thank you so much. Meredith. Thank you so much for joining me today. Please don't forget to follow this podcast so you don't miss any new episodes and leave a review and you have a chance. If there's anything you want to hear about or comment on. Please go to my Facebook page special ed on special ed and find me there. I'll see you next time here on special ed on special ed. Have a fabulous day. The views expressed in this episode are those of the speaker's at the time of the recording and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company or even that individual today.

Hello, and welcome to another episode of CISO Tradecraft -- the podcast that provides you with the information, knowledge, and wisdom to be a more effective cybersecurity leader.  My name is G. Mark Hardy, and today we are going to discuss how nation state conflict and sponsored cyberattacks can affect us as non-combatants, and what we should be doing about it.  Even if you don't have operations in a war zone, remember cyber has a global reach, so don't think that just because you may be half a world away from the battlefield that someone is not going to reach out and touch you in a bad way.  So, listen for what I think will be a fascinating episode, and please do us a small favor and give us a "like" or a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform -- those ratings really help us reach our peers.  It only takes a click -- thank you for helping out our security leadership community. I'm not going to get into any geopolitics here; I'm going to try to ensure that this episode remains useful for quite some time.  However, since the conflict in Ukraine has been ongoing for over two hundred days, I will draw examples from that. The ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.  If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.  If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” That's a little more detailed than the classic Greek aphorism, "know thyself," but the intent is the same even today.  Let me add one more quote and we'll get into the material.  Over 20 years ago, when he was Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld said: "As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know.  We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.  But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know.  And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult ones. So, knowledge seems extremely important throughout the ages.  Modern governments know that, and as a result all have their own intelligence agencies.  Let's look at an example.  If we go to the CIA's website, we will see the fourfold mission of the Central Intelligence Agency: Collecting foreign intelligence that matters Producing objective all-source analysis Conducting effective covert action as directed by the President Safeguarding the secrets that help keep our nation safe. Why do we mention this?  Most governments around the world have similar Nation State objectives and mission statements.  Additionally, it's particularly important to understand what is wanted by "state actors" (note, I'll use that term for government and contract intelligence agents.). What are typical goals for State Actors?  Let's look at a couple: Goal 1: Steal targeting data to enable future operations.  Data such as cell phone records, banking statements or emails allow countries to better target individuals and companies when they know that identifying information.  Additionally, targeting data allows Nation state organizations to understand how individuals are connected.  This can be key when we are looking for key influencers for targets of interest.  All targeting data should not be considered equal.  Generally, Banking and Telecom Data are considered the best for collecting so be mindful if that is the type of company that you protect.  State Actors target these organizations because of two factors:The Importance of the Data is the first factor.  If one party sends a second party an email, that means there is a basic level of connection.  However, it's not automatically a strong connection since we all receive emails from spammers.  If one party calls someone and talks for 10 minutes to them on a phone call, that generally means a closer connection than an email.  Finally, if one party sends money to another party that either means a really strong connection exists, or someone just got scammed. The Accuracy of the Data is the second factor.  Many folks sign up for social media accounts with throw away credentials (i.e., fake names and phone numbers).  Others use temporary emails to attend conferences, so they don't get marketing spam when they get home.  However, because of Anti Money Laundering (or AML) laws, people generally provide legitimate data to financial services firms.  If they don't, then they risk not being able to take the money out of a bank -- which would be a big problem. A second goal in addition to collecting targeting data, is that State Actors are interested in collecting Foreign Intelligence.  Foreign Intelligence which drives policy-making decisions is very impactful.  Remember, stealing secrets that no one cares about is generally just a waste of government tax dollars.  If governments collect foreign intelligence on sanctioned activity, then they can inform policy makers on the effectiveness of current sanctions, which is highly useful.  By reporting sanctioned activity, the government can know when current sanctions are being violated and when to update current sanctions.  This can result in enabling new intelligence collection objectives.  Examples of this include:A country may sanction a foreign air carrier that changes ownership or goes out of business.  In that case, sanctions may be added against different airlines.  This occurred when the US sanctioned Mahan Air, an Iran's airline.  Currently the US enforces sanctions on more than half of Iran's civilian airlines. A country may place sanctions on a foreign bank to limit its ability to trade in certain countries or currencies.  However, if sanctioned banks circumvent controls by trading with smaller banks which are not sanctioned, then current sanctions are likely ineffective.  Examples of sanctioning bank activity by the US against Russia during the current war with Ukraine include:On February 27th sanctions were placed against Russian Banks using the SWIFT international payment systems On February 28th, the Russian Central Bank was sanctioned On March 24th, the Russian Bank Sberbank CEO was sanctioned On April 5th, the US IRS suspended information exchanges with the Russian tax authorities to hamper Moscow's ability to collect taxes. On April 6th, the US sanctioned additional Russian banks. These sanctions didn't just start with the onset of hostilities on 24 February 2022.  They date back to Russia's invasion of Crimea.  It's just that the US has turned up the volume this time. If sanctions are placed against a country's nuclear energy practices, then knowing what companies are selling or trading goods into the sanctioned country becomes important.  Collecting information from transportation companies that identify goods being imported and exported into the country can also identify sanction effectiveness. A third goal or activity taken by State Actors is covert action.  Covert Action is generally intended to cause harm to another state without attribution.  However, anonymity is often hard to maintain.If we look at Russia in its previous history with Ukraine, we have seen the use of cyber attacks as a form of covert action.  The devastating NotPetya malware (which has been generally accredited to Russia) was launched as a supply chain attack.  Russian agents compromised the software update mechanism of Ukrainian accounting software M.E. Doc, which was used by nearly 400,000 clients to manage financial documents and file tax returns.  This update did much more than the intended choking off of Ukrainian government tax revenue -- Maersk shipping estimates a loss of $300 million.  FedEx around $400 million.  The total global damage to companies is estimated at around $10 billion. The use of cyberattacks hasn't been limited to just Russia.  Another example is Stuxnet.  This covert action attack against Iranian nuclear facilities that destroyed nearly one thousand centrifuges is generally attributed to the U.S. and Israel. Changing topics a little bit, we can think of the story of two people encountering a bear. Two friends are in the woods, having a picnic.  They spot a bear running at them.  One friend gets up and starts running away from the bear.  The other friend opens his backpack, takes out his running shoes, changes out of his hiking boots, and starts stretching.  “Are you crazy?” the first friend shouts, looking over his shoulder as the bear closes in on his friend.  “You can't outrun a bear!”  “I don't have to outrun the bear,” said the second friend.  “I only have to outrun you.” So how can we physically outrun the Cyber Bear? We need to anticipate where the Bear is likely to be encountered.  Just as national park signs warn tourists of animals, there's intelligence information that can inform the general public.  If you are looking for physical safety intelligence you might consider:The US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.  The State Department hosts a travel advisory list.  This list allows anyone to know if a country has issues such as Covid Outbreaks, Civil Unrest, Kidnappings, Violent Crime, and other issues that would complicate having an office for most businesses. Another example is the CIA World Factbook.  The World Factbook provides basic intelligence on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, environment, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities. Additionally you might also consider data sources from the World Health Organization and The World Bank If we believe that one of our remote offices is now at risk, then we need to establish a good communications plan.  Good communications plans generally require at least four forms of communication.  The acronym PACE or Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency is often usedPrimary Communication: We will first try to email folks in the office. Alternate Communication: If we are unable to communicate via email, then we will try calling their work phones. Contingency Communication: If we are unable to reach individuals via their work phones, then we will send a Text message to their personal cell phones. Emergency Communication: If we are unable to reach them by texting their personal devices, then we will send an email to their personal emails and next of kin. Additionally, we might purchase satellite phones for a country manager.  Satellite phones can be generally purchased for under $1,000 and can be used with commercial satellite service providers such as Inmarsat, Globalstar, and Thuraya.  One popular plan is Inmarsat's BGAN.  BGAN can usually be obtained from resellers for about $100 per month with text messaging costing about fifty cents each and calls costing about $1.50 per minute.  This usually translates to a yearly cost of $1,500-2K per device.  Is $2K worth the price of communicating to save lives in a high-risk country during high political turmoil?  Let your company decide.  Note a great time to bring this up may be during use-or-lose money discussions at the end of the year. We should also consider preparing egress locations.  For example, before a fire drill most companies plan a meetup location outside of their building so they can perform a headcount.  This location such as a vacant parking lot across the street allows teams to identify missing personnel which can later be communicated to emergency personnel.  If your company has offices in thirty-five countries, you should think about the same thing, but not assembling across the street but across the border.  Have you identified an egress office for each overseas country?  If you had operations in Ukraine, then you might have chosen a neighboring country such as Poland, Romania, or Hungary to facilitate departures.  When things started going bad, that office could begin creating support networks to find local housing for your corporate refugees.  Additionally, finding job opportunities for family members can also be extremely helpful when language is a barrier in new countries. If we anticipate the Bear is going to attack our company digitally, then we should also look for the warning signs.  Good examples of this include following threat intelligence information from: Your local ISAC organization.  ISAC or Information Sharing Analysis Centers are great communities where you can see if your vertical sector is coming under attack and share your experiences/threats.  The National Council of ISACs lists twenty-five different members across a wide range of industries.  An example is the Financial Services ISAC or FS-ISAC which has a daily and weekly feed where subscribers can find situational reports on cyber threats from State Actors and criminal groups. InfraGard™ is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and members of the private sector for the protection of US Critical Infrastructure.  Note you generally need to be a US citizen without a criminal history to join AlienVault offers a Threat Intelligence Community called Open Threat Exchange which grants users free access to over nineteen million threat indicators.  Note AlienVault currently hosts over 100,000 global participants, so it's a great place to connect with fellow professionals. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency or CISA also routinely issues cybersecurity advisories to stop harmful malware, ransomware, and nation state attacks.  Helpful pages on their websites include the following:Shields Up which provides updates on cyber threats, guidance for organizations, recommendations for corporate Leaders and CEOs, ransomware responses, free tooling, and steps that you can take to protect your families. There's even a Shields Technical Guidance page with more detailed recommendations. CISA routinely puts out Alerts which identify threat actor tactics and techniques.  For example, Alert AA22-011A identifies how to understand and mitigate Russian State Sponsored Cyber Threats to US Critical Infrastructure.  This alert tells you what CVEs the Russian government is using as well as the documented TTPs which map to the MITRE ATT&CK™ Framework.  Note if you want to see more on the MITRE ATT&CK mapped to various intrusion groups we recommend going to attack.mitre.org slant groups. CISA also has notifications that organizations can sign up for to receive timely information on security issues, vulnerabilities, and high impact activity. Another page to note on CISA's website is US Cert.  Here you can report cyber incidents, report phishing, report malware, report vulnerabilities, share indicators, or contact US Cert.  One helpful page to consider is the Cyber Resilience Review Assessment.  Most organizations have an IT Control to conduct yearly risk assessments, and this can help identify weaknesses in your controls. Now that we have seen a bear in the woods, what can we do to put running shoes on to run faster than our peers?  If we look at the CISA Shield Technical Guidance Page we can find shields up recommendations such as remediating vulnerabilities, enforcing MFA, running antivirus, enabling strong spam filters to prevent phishing attacks, disabling ports and protocols that are not essential, and strengthening controls for cloud services.  Let's look at this in more detail to properly fasten our running shoes. If we are going to remediate vulnerabilities let's focus on the highest priority.  I would argue those are high/critical vulnerabilities with known exploits being used in the wild.  You can go to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog page for a detailed list.  Each time a new vulnerability gets added, run a vulnerability scan on your environment to prioritize patching. Next is Multi Factor Authentication (MFA).  Routinely we see organizations require MFA access to websites and use Single Sign On.  This is great -- please don't stop doing this.  However, we would also recommend MFA enhancements in two ways.  One, are you using MFA on RDP/SSH logins by administrators?  If not, then please enable immediately.  You never know when one developer will get phished, and the attacker can pull his SSH keys.  Having MFA means even when those keys are lost, bad actor propagation can be minimized.  Another enhancement is to increase the security within your MFA functionality.  For example, if you use Microsoft Authenticator today try changing from a 6 digit rotating pin to using security features such as number matching that displays the location of their IP Address.  You can also look at GPS conditional policies to block all access from countries in which you don't have a presence. Running antivirus is another important safeguard.  Here's the kicker -- do you actually know what percentage of your endpoints are running AV and EDR agents?  Do you have coverage on both your Windows and Linux Server environments?  Of the agents running, what portion have signatures updates that are not current?  How about more than 30 days old.  We find a lot of companies just check the box saying they have antivirus, but if you look behind the scenes you can see that antivirus isn't as effective as you think when it's turned off or outdated. Enabling Strong Spam Filters is another forgotten exercise.  Yes, companies buy solutions like Proofpoint to secure email, but there's more that can be done.  One example is implementing DMARC to properly authenticate and block spoofed emails.  It's the standard now and prevents brand impersonation.  Also please consider restricting email domains.  You can do this at the very top.  Today, the vast majority of legitimate correspondents still utilize one of the original seven top-level domains:  .com, .org, .net, .edu, .mil, .gov, and .int, as well as two-letter country code top-level domains (called ccTLDs).  However, you should look carefully at your business correspondence to determine if communicating with all 1,487 top-level domains is really necessary.  Let's say your business is located entirely in the UK.  Do you really want to allow emails from Country codes such as .RU, .CN, and others?  Do you do business with .hair, or .lifestyle, or .xxx?  If you don't have a business reason for conducting commerce with these TLDs, block them and minimize both spam and harmful attacks.  It won't stop bad actors from using Gmail to send phishing attacks, but you might be surprised at just how much restricting TLDs in your email can help.  Note that you have to be careful not to create a self-inflicted denial of service, so make sure that emails from suspect TLDs get evaluated before deletion. Disabling Ports and Protocols is key since you don't want bad actors having easy targets.  One thing to consider is using Amazon Inspector.  Amazon Inspector has rules in the network reachability package to analyze your network configurations to find security vulnerabilities in your EC2 Instances.  This can highlight and provide guidance about restricting access that is not secure such as network configurations that allow for potentially malicious access such as mismanaged security groups, Access Control Lists, Internet Gateways, etc. Strengthening Cloud Security- We won't go into this topic too much as you could spend a whole talk on strengthening cloud security.  Companies should consider purchasing a cloud security solution like Wiz, Orca, or Prisma for help in this regard.  One tip we don't see often is using geo-fencing and IP allow-lists.  For example, one new feature that AWS recently created is to enable Web Application Firewall protections for Amazon Cognito.  This makes it easier to protect user pools and hosted UIs from common web exploits. Once we notice there's likely been a bear attack on our peers or our infrastructure, we should report it.  This can be done by reporting incidents to local governments such as CISA or a local FBI field office, paid sharing organizations such as ISAC, or free communities such as AlienVault OTX. Let's walk through a notional example of what we might encounter as collateral damage in a cyberwar.  However, to keeps this out of current geopolitics, we'll use the fictitious countries Blue and Orange. Imagine that you work at the Acme Widget Corporation which is a Fortune 500 company with a global presence.  Because Acme manufactures large scale widgets in their factory in the nation of Orange, they are also sold to the local Orange economy.  Unfortunately for Acme, Orange has just invaded their neighboring country Blue.  Given that Orange is viewed as the aggressor, various countries have imposed sanctions against Orange.  Not wanting to attract the attention of the Orange military or the U.S. Treasury department, your company produces an idea that might just be crazy enough to work.  Your company is going to form a new company within Orange that is not affiliated with the parent company for the entirety of the war.  This means that the parent company won't provide services to the Orange company.  Additionally, since there is no affiliation between the companies then the legal department advises that there will not be sanction evasion activity which could put the company at risk.  There's just one problem.  Your company has to evict the newly created Orange company (Acme Orange LLC) from its network and ensure it has the critical IT services to enable its success. So where do we start?  Let's consider a few things.  First, what is the lifeblood of a company?  Every company really needs laptops and Collaboration Software like Office 365 or GSuite.  So, if we have five hundred people in the new Acme Orange company, that's five hundred new laptops and a new server that will host Microsoft Exchange, a NAS drive, and other critical Microsoft on premises services. Active Directory: Once you obtain the server, you realize a few things.  Previous Acme admin credentials were used to troubleshoot desktops in the Orange environment.  Since exposed passwords are always a bad thing, you get your first incident to refresh all passwords that may have been exposed.  Also, you ensure a new Active Directory server is created for your Orange environment.  This should leverage best practices such as MFA since Orange Companies will likely come under attack. Let's talk about other things that companies need to survive: Customer relations management (CRM) services like Salesforce Accounting and Bookkeeping applications such as QuickBooks Payment Software such as PayPal or Stripe File Storage such as Google Drive or Drop Box Video Conferencing like Zoom Customer Service Software like Zendesk Contract Management software like DocuSign HR Software like Bamboo or My Workday Antivirus & EDR software Standing up a new company's IT infrastructure in a month is never a trivial task.  However, if ACME Orange is able to survive for 2-3 years it can then return to the parent company after the sanctions are lifted. Let's look at some discussion topics. What IT services will be the hardest to transfer? Can new IT equipment for Acme Orange be procured in a month during a time of conflict? Which services are likely to only have a SaaS offering and not enable on premises during times of conflicts? Could your company actually close a procurement request in a one-month timeline? If we believe we can transfer IT services and get the office up and running, we might look at our cyber team's role in providing recommendations to a new office that will be able to survive a time of turmoil. All laptops shall have Antivirus and EDR enabled from Microsoft. Since the Acme Orange office is isolated from the rest of the world, all firewalls will block IP traffic not originating from Orange. SSO and MFA will be required on all logins Backups will be routinely required. Note if you are really looking for effective strategies to mitigate cyber security incidents, we highly recommend the Australian Essential Eight.  We have a link in our show notes if you want more details. Additionally, the ACME Orange IT department will need to create its own Incident Response Plan (IRP).  One really good guide for building Cyber Incident Response Playbooks comes from the American Public Power Association.  (I'll put the link in our show notes.)  The IRP recommends creating incident templates that can be used for common attacks such as: Denial of Service (DoS) Malware Web Application Attack (SQL Injection, XSS, Directory Traversal, …) Cyber-Physical Attack Phishing Man in the middle attack Zero Day Exploit This Incident Response Template can identify helpful information such as Detection: Record how the attack was identified Reporting: Provide a list of POCs and contact information for the IT help desk to contact during an event Triage: List the activities that need to be performed during Incident Response.  Typically, teams follow the PICERL model.  (Preparation - Identification - Containment - Eradication - Recovery - Lessons Learned) Classification: Depending on the severity level of the event, identify additional actions that need to occur Communications: Identify how to notify local law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and insurance carriers during material cyber incidents.  Additionally describe the process on how communications will be relayed to customers, employees, media, and state/local leaders. As you can see, there is much that would have to be done in response to a nation state aggression or regional conflict that would likely fall in your lap.  If you didn't think about it before, you now have plenty of material to work with.  Figure out your own unique requirements, do some tabletop exercises where you identify your most relevant Orange and Blue future conflict, and practice, practice, practice.  We learned from COVID that companies that were well prepared with a disaster response plan rebranded as a pandemic response plan fared much better in the early weeks of the 2020 lockdown.  I know my office transitioned to remote work for over sixty consecutive weeks without any serious IT issues because we had a written plan and had practiced it.  Here's another one for you to add to your arsenal.  Take the time and be prepared -- you'll be a hero "when the bubble goes up."  (There -- you've learned an obscure term that nearly absent from a Google search but well-known in the Navy and the Marine Corps.) Okay, that's it for today's episode on Outrunning the Bear.  Let's recap: Know yourself Know what foreign adversaries want Know what information, processes, or people you need to protect Know the goals of state actors:steal targeting data collect foreign intelligence covert action Know how to establish a good communications plan (PACE)Primary Alternate Contingency Emergency Know how to get out of Dodge Know where to find private and government threat intelligence Know your quick wins for protectionremediate vulnerabilities implement MFA everywhere run current antivirus enable strong spam filters restrict top level domains disable vulnerable or unused ports and protocols strengthen cloud security Know how to partition your business logically to isolate your IT environments in the event of a sudden requirement. Thanks again for listening to CISO Tradecraft.  Please remember to like us on your favorite podcast provider and tell your peers about us.  Don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn too -- you can find our regular stream of low-noise, high-value postings.  This is your host G. Mark Hardy, and until next time, stay safe. References https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/17976-if-you-know-the-enemy-and-know-yourself-you-need https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_are_known_knowns  https://www.cia.gov/about/mission-vision/  https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/ukraines-accounting-software-firm-refuses-to-take-cyber-attack-blame/  https://www.wired.com/story/notpetya-cyberattack-ukraine-russia-code-crashed-the-world/  https://www.nationalisacs.org/member-isacs-3  https://attack.mitre.org/groups/  https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt  https://www.publicpower.org/system/files/documents/Public-Power-Cyber-Incident-Response-Playbook.pdf 

Charlotte's City Council was sworn in for a new term earlier this month, and there's no shortage of issues to tackle. From a council member facing an investigation from the State Bureau of Investigation to the ongoing questions of public transit and affordable housing, we discuss with the new mayor pro tem and members of the City Council.

The Mecklenburg County District Attorney has asked the State Bureau of Investigation to look at whether Charlotte City Councilman James Mitchell's ownership in a "firm that has a contractual relationship with the City of Charlotte can be confirmed - and whether that purported business arrangement is inconsistent with" state law.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 South Carolina senators rejected a ban on almost all abortions Thursday in a special session called in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Although Republicans had a majority of votes to pass the ban, Republican Sen. Tom Davis threatened to filibuster and proponents of the ban could not get the extra votes to stop him. Davis, the chief of staff for former Gov. Mark Sanford before being elected to the Senate in 2009, was joined by the three Republican women in the Senate, a fifth GOP colleague and all the chamber's Democrats to oppose the proposed ban. Davis opposes a blanket ban on abortions in South Carolina and said he would argue against the bill until the 46-member Senate mustered the 26 votes required to end the filibuster. That appeared unlikely to happen, as only after 24 senators voted for an amended bill that included exceptions for pregnancies cause by rape or incest up to 12 weeks after conception. Twenty senators were opposed and two were absent. After a recess to work through their options, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey conceded the abortion ban likely couldn't pass, although a vote to end debate had not been taken. ”This is a math question, you have to have the votes to pass it - and we do not,” Massey said. Davis said he promised his daughters he would not vote to make South Carolina's current six-week abortion ban stricter because women have rights, too. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/south-carolina-senate-abortion-ban/101-04933ad1-2515-401e-80a4-0dab42decb7a  The Concord Police Department has released body camera footage from a deadly police shooting in Concord; the shooting happened in February at the Modern Nissan Dealership in Concord. The Concord Police Department said former Concord police officer Timothy Larson was on routine patrol when he says he saw 29-year-old Brandon Combs trying to steal a vehicle from the dealership. Police said during their interaction, Combs jumped into the driver's seat of the police SUV. The body camera video shows the moments before Larson pulled the trigger. Police said Larson shot Combs after Combs ignored several commands to stop.  The State Bureau of Investigation found that Larson did not use excessive force in the deadly shooting because Combs was driving a vehicle pointed at Larson. For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app.   The Concord Police Department and SBI looked into the shooting and questioned Larson about his actions. Larson was effectively terminated in May. According to a notice of dismissal, the officer gave investigators false information in regards to the shooting. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/investigations/body-camera-video-police-shooting-concord-timothy-larson-brandon-combs/275-daf24959-cf6e-4288-907a-0cc2426ff600 Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

 South Carolina senators rejected a ban on almost all abortions Thursday in a special session called in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.Although Republicans had a majority of votes to pass the ban, Republican Sen. Tom Davis threatened to filibuster and proponents of the ban could not get the extra votes to stop him.Davis, the chief of staff for former Gov. Mark Sanford before being elected to the Senate in 2009, was joined by the three Republican women in the Senate, a fifth GOP colleague and all the chamber's Democrats to oppose the proposed ban.Davis opposes a blanket ban on abortions in South Carolina and said he would argue against the bill until the 46-member Senate mustered the 26 votes required to end the filibuster. That appeared unlikely to happen, as only after 24 senators voted for an amended bill that included exceptions for pregnancies cause by rape or incest up to 12 weeks after conception. Twenty senators were opposed and two were absent.After a recess to work through their options, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey conceded the abortion ban likely couldn't pass, although a vote to end debate had not been taken.”This is a math question, you have to have the votes to pass it - and we do not,” Massey said.Davis said he promised his daughters he would not vote to make South Carolina's current six-week abortion ban stricter because women have rights, too.READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/south-carolina-senate-abortion-ban/101-04933ad1-2515-401e-80a4-0dab42decb7a The Concord Police Department has released body camera footage from a deadly police shooting in Concord; the shooting happened in February at the Modern Nissan Dealership in Concord.The Concord Police Department said former Concord police officer Timothy Larson was on routine patrol when he says he saw 29-year-old Brandon Combs trying to steal a vehicle from the dealership. Police said during their interaction, Combs jumped into the driver's seat of the police SUV.The body camera video shows the moments before Larson pulled the trigger. Police said Larson shot Combs after Combs ignored several commands to stop. The State Bureau of Investigation found that Larson did not use excessive force in the deadly shooting because Combs was driving a vehicle pointed at Larson.For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app.  The Concord Police Department and SBI looked into the shooting and questioned Larson about his actions. Larson was effectively terminated in May. According to a notice of dismissal, the officer gave investigators false information in regards to the shooting.READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/investigations/body-camera-video-police-shooting-concord-timothy-larson-brandon-combs/275-daf24959-cf6e-4288-907a-0cc2426ff600Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

August 26, 2022 ~ Full Show. Former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Matthew Schneider reacts to the newly released affidavit pertaining to the FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-lago property. Senior News Analyst Chris Renwick talks about the State Bureau of Elections declaring the abortion ballot initiative has enough signatures to appear on the ballot. Senior News Analyst Lloyd Jackson discusses Mayor Duggan authorizing overtime for DPD officers. David Sowerby Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Ancora Bloomfield Hills breaks down Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's remarks at the fed's annual symposium at Jackson Hole. Senior News Analyst Marie Osborne examines why Michigan was shortchanged funding to replace lead waterlines and Mark Uyl, Executive Director of the Michigan High School Athletic Association discusses what they're doing to close "transfer portal" loopholes in the state.

Good Morning Monaco MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2022 published by NEWS.MC Subscribe to our daily email newsletter Mystery crash causes Monaco travel havoc The fatal accident early on Saturday morning on the Lower Corniche close to Eze had a huge knock-on effect on travel in and out of Monaco all weekend, and disruption is expected to last until well into Monday morning... Monaco Battalion report leads to official probe The bombshell investigation by Ukrayinska Pravda published on August 17, which we published in English (here), has led to an official probe by Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation, the Kyiv Post reports... Monumental spider sells for 38 million euros The Louise Bourgeois monumental spider structure that sat for some time in the Boulingrins gardens above Casino Square has been sold for more than four million euros per leg,.. AS Monaco suffer huge defeat at home to Lens For their third matchday of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season, AS Monaco hosted RC Lens at the Stade Louis II, and suffered a big loss to their visitors in front of the home crowd... DULY NOTED: Kylian Mbappe, the former AS Monaco wonderboy, has equalled the record for the time taken to open the scoring in a Ligue 1 match, taking just 8 seconds to open the scoring for PSG against Lille on Sunday. Copyright © 2020 NEWS SARL. All rights reserved. North East West South (NEWS) SARL. RCI: 20S08518 - NIS: 6312Z21974 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/monacodailynews/message

***Sponsored by: The End Up podcast. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts.***October 29th, 1982 -- Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Twenty year old Angela Gray Hamby had a big day planned with her mother. Together, the two women were set to head out on an all day shopping trip where they'd hit all the clothing stores, share lunch and just be together. Sadly, however, Angela never made it to the store that day.At approximately 9:30am, Angela headed out to run some errands. She needed to fill her gas tank, drop off a payment on her car and deliver a message to her sister at work. All of this should have taken no longer than an hour so when Angela hadn't returned by 11am, her mother grew concerned. When noon hit, that concern transformed into panic and terror.By evening, the Wilkes County Sheriff's Department, along with the Wilkesboro Police and the State Bureau of Investigation were out searching for the missing woman. More than fifteen hours after she had last been seen, detectives discovered her car, abandoned behind a local restaurant. Soon they found witnesses who had seen Angela throughout the day. One of them described an unknown male, seen behind the wheel of her car.For nearly four decades the mystery of Angela's disappearance has haunted investigators, her family and the town of Wilkesboro. What became of the smart, driven, hardworking twenty year old who ran errands and never returned?FB: https://www.facebook.com/TraceEvidencePod/IG: https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/TW: https://twitter.com/TraceEvPodVisit https://www.trace-evidence.com for more information, case photos, contact information and more.Merch: https://traceevidence.threadless.com/ Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Last episode, we talked about the process of becoming a sworn translator in Brazil and Guatemala, and compared it to the concept of certified translations, since the role of a sworn translator does not exist in the United States. Considering that, this seems to be a good opportunity to go into more detail about what it means to certify a translation, go over a few misconceptions, and share some tips on how to provide a good service to direct clients who have a very concrete need for translation services. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/dHXw8qt5tZA *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* About the apostille process: U.S. Department of State ― Bureau of Consular Affairs HCCH (Hague Conference on Private International Law) *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 4-Chapter Course on How to Become Certified https://tinyurl.com/LEO-transexam *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* CHECK OUT THIS EPISODE'S SPONSOR: Centered ― Focus While Minding Your Work Join Rafa in this workspace for free www.centered.app/translations Use promo code TRANSLATIONS for 1-month free or $10 off a premium account *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* By the way, if you're interested in checking out "Tools and Technology in Translation," here are some links: » Book » Online Class » YouTube Channel » Podcast » Webinars » Facebook Page » Twitter » Website » Email *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Stay tuned for weekly episodes and subscribe to Translation Confessional through your favorite podcast app. To learn more about Rafa's background as a translator and translation instructor, visit RafaLombardino.com. For feedback, ideas, and requests, email us at RLombardino@WordAwareness.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/translation-confessional/message

Last episode, we talked about the process of becoming a sworn translator in Brazil and Guatemala, and compared it to the concept of certified translations, since the role of a sworn translator does not exist in the United States. Considering that, this seems to be a good opportunity to go into more detail about what it means to certify a translation, go over a few misconceptions, and share some tips on how to provide a good service to direct clients who have a very concrete need for translation services. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/dHXw8qt5tZA *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* About the apostille process: U.S. Department of State ― Bureau of Consular Affairs HCCH (Hague Conference on Private International Law) *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 4-Chapter Course on How to Become Certified https://tinyurl.com/LEO-transexam *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* CHECK OUT THIS EPISODE'S SPONSOR: Centered ― Focus While Minding Your Work Join Rafa in this workspace for free www.centered.app/translations Use promo code TRANSLATIONS for 1-month free or $10 off a premium account *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* By the way, if you're interested in checking out "Tools and Technology in Translation," here are some links: » Book » Online Class » YouTube Channel » Podcast » Webinars » Facebook Page » Twitter » Website » Email *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Stay tuned for weekly episodes and subscribe to Translation Confessional through your favorite podcast app. To learn more about Rafa's background as a translator and translation instructor, visit RafaLombardino.com. For feedback, ideas, and requests, email us at RLombardino@WordAwareness.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/translation-confessional/message

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a request by Governor Stitt for an investigative audit of the Tulsa Public School District and an inquiry by the State Bureau of Investigation of the Commissioners of the Land Office. The trio also discusses the closing of an influential Republican Political Action Committee by the State Ethics Commission and a low voter turnout for the primary last month.

Overview: Editor's Note: This was recorded in January 2022, which provides the context for Tom's comment about 20 degree weather, the timing of litigation around federal vaccine mandates, and space telescope launches. This episode features a conversation with Tom Bonsaint, who is currently the senior director for enterprise campaigns for the Northrup Grumman Corporation. He's held successive roles in the defense industry after graduating from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts in 2002. Our conversation focuses on taking advantage of opportunities as a Scholar, lifelong learning, teamwork and leadership, and civic engagement as an alum. You can read Tom's full bio and get a more detailed breakdown below. Guest Bio: Tom Bonsaint '02 Lib is currently senior director for Enterprise Campaigns for the Northrup Grumman Corporation where he focuses on above plan growth opportunities across the company's strategic enterprise campaigns. Tom is an executive sponsor for one of the Pride in Diversity Alliance employee resource groups. Before this, Tom was senior programs director for Land and Maritime Sensors business unit of Northrup Grumman Mission Systems. Additional roles he held at Northrup Grumman included senior director, strategy and global operations for the Advanced Defense Services division of Northrup Grumman Technology Services, and senior director, Business Development for the same division. Tom also served as director, Global Capture Management with the Northrup Grumman Corporate Global Business Development Office, reporting to the Chief Global BD Officer. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman, Tom held positions of increasing responsibility for 11 years at the Raytheon Company, primarily focused on global business development and capture in the defense, civil security, and cybersecurity markets. Tom is a 2005 graduate of the Raytheon BD Leadership Development Program. Tom brings experience working in the C4ISR, sensors, cyber, critical infrastructure protection, biometrics, and intelligence domains in the US, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Bonsaint previously worked for the U.S. Department of Defense Office of International Security Affairs, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), all in Washington, D.C. Tom earned is BA in International Politics with Honors from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts in 2002. He also earned his MBA from the University of Rhode Island. Episode Specifics: · The transition to the Schreyer Honors College from the University Scholars Program · Experiences as a political science student · The impact of September 11th, 2001 on University Park · Interning at the Pentagon and getting the first job after college · Leveraging employer benefits to pay for graduate school · Utilizing the benefits of being a Schreyer Scholar · The importance of lifelong learning and thinking beyond a specific degree · Strategic thinking in a hectic world · The differences between large corporations and smaller firms · Leadership and teamwork lessons · Taking on additional work to support diverse communities in a corporate setting · Civic involvement outside of work · Skills that Scholars should focus on regardless of major to succeed in the “real world” · Stories from finding work life balance through the performing arts · Insights from a unique career · The importance of coaching and mentorship · And a hot take on opinions on alumni swirl ice cream ----- Schreyer Honors College Links: • Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn • Upcoming Events • Scholars – Need Assistance? Book an Appointment! • Alumni – Learn Why and How to Volunteer • Make a Gift to Benefit Schreyer Scholars • Join the Penn State Alumni Association ----- Credits & Notes: This content is available in text form here. This show is hosted, produced, and edited by Sean Goheen ‘11 Lib (Schreyer). The artwork was created by Tom Harrington, the College's Web Developer. The sound effect is “Chinese Gong,” accessed via SoundBible used under Creative Commons License. The theme music is “Conquest” by Geovane Bruno, accessed via Pixabay and used under Creative Commons License.

Today I will explain all the facts about the State Bureau of Investigation or SBI.

E28 – Sex in the Church vs Sex in the Church Announcements Show Announcements: Brad and Corrie Update Work EXPLODING again Battling through other things Next Show E29 - Corrie and Her First Lady Experience   In The News Doc Jody disengaged from the Show 2nd time in our relationship he has rejected me for not agreeing with him Liberals, just like solid conservatives, are the most judgmental, meanest people I know   Listener Questions/Comments JD from Only Fans Either way im disappointed, I saw the videos of u eating pussy and vice versa and it broke my heart. I thought u were straight. See i only support and give my money to straight queens, and “bi friendly” doesnt like a straight queen to me, sounds to me like ur a mentally ill faggot ?? U can snitch all u want, as long u realize that i fucking hate ur nasty faggot ass, dirty ass bitHow embarrassing Faggot ass bitch i feel sorry 4 u ????????????Never send this disgusting shit again JD And whoever that other bitch is tell her shes a mentally ill faggot too Imagine being attracted to ur own gender??? how embarrassing. Mentally ill faggot ?   The Show Christians and Sex Information Statistics Adultery in vs outside of the church[i] 65% of men and 40% of women have affair by age 40 23% of pastors surveyed Statistics inside church same as outside. Ashley Madison Results[ii] In fact, a quarter of the survey participants self-identify as evangelical, making it the most common faith among the unfaithful. Many of the would-be cheaters on the site are also Protestant (about 23%) or Catholic (about 23%). The study also found that 24% of the men and 32% of the women who use Ashley Madison say they pray regularly. As for Commandment number seven, only 18% of male and 11% of female participants said they consider cheating to be a sin. According to the Pew Forum, about 26% of adults are affiliated with an evangelical church, while almost 24% consider themselves Catholic. Less than 5% identify as non-Christian, which lines up with the low percentage of Jewish, Muslim and Hindu users in the survey. Ashley Madison founder Noel Biderman told the Daily News that he expected the results to stray further from the norm, but now religion can be "crossed off the list" of factors that may drive infidelity. "You can go and pray every Sunday, or Saturday, or three times a day, and it may not make a difference in how monogamous you are," he said. The survey broke down the religious preferences of more than 63,000 affair-seeking individuals in the U.S. About 57% of the respondents were male. The average age among the men surveyed was 39, while the average age of the women was 34. Participants were asked to select their religion from a list. Here are the top 10 responses: Evangelical 25.1% Catholic 22.75% Protestant 22.7% Agnostic 2% Mormon 1.6% Muslim 1.5% Jewish 1.4% Atheist 1.4% Jehovah's Witness .5% Hindu .3% [iii] Sex in the Church  - Winston 'Bello' Bell By Tony Robinson The Jamaica Observer August 20, 2006 sex in the church is a reality. Pastor power is real, church sister sex is surreal, deacons are daring, adults do adultery, and the flock do fornicate. More time. It's like this young girl who gave in to this parson then confessed to him saying, "Oh father forgive me but I have sinned twice," to which he queried, "Twice? But we only did it once." She retorted, "But aren't we going to do it again father?" In the News Catholic Church Oct 2021 Report[iv] French Clergy Reported 216,000 child sexual abuse scandals 1950-2020 Australia 4,444 child sex abuse between 1950-2010 As high as 15% of priests involved German 3,677 children between 1975-2018 Over 1670 Clergy Persons involved United States 11,000 children Hundreds of millions paid out in court settlements 300 Predator Priests Ireland 15,000 children from 1970-1990 Total 250,121 Reported Child Sexual Abuse Hillsong Church[v] Carl Lentz Covering up Child Sexual Abuse Preached Sexual Purity No kissing in 1st year No sex until marriage yet, known within the church to be a womanizer 5 month long affair with Ranin Karim 10 Sex Scandals that Rocked the Christain Church [vi] John Paulk, 2000 John Paulk, former leader of the Love Won Out conference, was also author of the autobiography “Not Afraid to Change,” his story about being delivered from homosexuality. However, in September 2000, Paulk was photographed in a Washington, D.C. gay bar flirting with male patrons. Paulk initially denied the claims, but later confessed to being in the bar, adding that he did not enter the bar for sexual pursuits. Douglas Goodman, 2004 Evangelist Douglas Goodman and his wife Erica were pastors of Victory Christian Centre, one of the largest churches in London, England, with a very popular televised ministry. After sexually assaulting four female churchgoers, Douglas Goodman was sentenced and jailed for three and a half years. VCC was closed, but after his release from prison Goodman joined his wife Erica in pastoral ministry at her newly established Victory to Victory church. Ted Haggard, 2006 Ted Haggard was the pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as the president of the National Association of Evangelicals from 2003-2006. In 2006, it was revealed that Haggard had been regularly visiting a male prostitute who also provided him with drugs. Haggard admitted to his solicitation and resigned as pastor of his church and as president of the NAE. In 2009, Haggard admitted to a second relationship with a male church member on CNN-TV. Paul Barnes, 2006 Paul Barnes, in his 28 years as a pastor, founded the Grace Chapel church in Douglas County, Colorado, with a few dozen people in his home basement. With time, the church's membership grew to 2,100 loyal followers. In 2006, Barnes confessed to homosexual activity and resigned. Many believe he was so forthright because of Ted Haggard's scandal, which happened at the same time in the same state. Lonnie Latham, 2006 The Southern Baptist Convention, or the SBC, is an extremely powerful movement not only amongst Southern Baptists but Baptists nationwide. In 2006, Lonnie Latham, member of the SBC Executive Committee and senior pastor of South Tulsa Baptist Church, was arrested for allegedly inviting a male undercover Oklahoma City police officer to his hotel room for sex. Latham urged people not to believe it, and was later found not guilty in a one day trial for the misdemeanor. Earl Paulk, 2007 Earl Paulk, sometimes considered the father of the religious sex scandal, has scandals (plural) that stretch over a decade. The late Earl Paulk was the founder and head pastor of Chapel Hill Harvester Church in Decatur, Georgia, from 1960 until the late 90s. During his time as pastor, a number of women from the congregation came forward claiming that they had sexual relations with Paulk, many of which were proven true. However it was the scandal involving Donnie Earl Paulk, the current senior pastor of the church and nephew of Earl Paulk, that was the most shocking of them all in. In 2007, Paulk D.E. Paulk took a court-ordered DNA test which showed that he was Earl's son, not his nephew — sadly proving Earl and his sister-in-law had had a sexual relationship. Earl Paulk, who passed away in 2009, is said to be the longtime mentor of Bishop Eddie Long. Coy Privette, 2007 Coy Privette is one of the famous Baptist ministers in the state of North Carolina, as the longtime head of the N.C. Christian Action League. In 2007, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Kannapolis Police Department charged Coy Privette with six counts of aiding and abetting prostitution. Privette, who was 74 at the time, was the Cabarrus County Commissioner and a former N.C. State Representative. Joe Barron, 2008 Before there was “Dateline: How To Catch A Predator,” there was Joe Barron — one of the 40 ministers presiding over the 26,000 members at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. Barron, a marriage counseling pastor, was caught in the web of an internet crackdown on pedophiles when he was arrested in 2008 for solicitation of a minor. Barron made the drive from the Dallas area to Bryan, Texas, in order to allegedly engage in sexual relations with what he thought to be a 13-year-old girl he met online. The “girl” turned out to be an undercover law enforcement official. At the time of the arrest, police found found condoms, a webcam and headset in Barron's car. Tony Alamo, 2008 In September 2008, FBI agents raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries headquarters in a child pornography investigation, after the mayor of Fouke, Arkansas, office had received complaints from former ministry members about allegations of child abuse, sexual abuse and polygamy. In late July 2009, Alamo was convicted on ten counts of transporting young girls and boys across state lines for sexual activities and pornography. On November 13, 2009, he was sentenced to the maximum punishment of 175 years in prison. George Alan Rekers, 2010 George Alan Rekers, a far-right Christian leader was encountered and photographed at Miami International Airport returning from an extended overseas trip with a twenty-year-old gay male prostitute, known as a “rent boy.” Given Rekers' opinion on homosexuals and homosexual behavior, his decision to employ a homosexual escort as a traveling companion, stirred up a scandal. Rekers initially claimed that the escort was there to help carry luggage, but later gave a new explanation for the trip on Facebook, “I deliberately spend time with sinners with the loving goal to try to help them.” The escort claimed in subsequent interviews, that Rekers had paid him to provide nude massages daily, which included genital touching. 22 Evangelical Christian Scandals[vii] Aimee Semple McPherson, 1920s–40s One of the most famous evangelist scandals involved Canadian-born Aimee Semple McPherson in the 1920s, who allegedly had an extramarital relationship and faked her own death as a cover. She later claimed that she had been kidnapped, but a grand jury could neither prove that a kidnapping occurred, nor that she had faked it. Roberta Semple Salter, her daughter from her first marriage, became estranged from Semple McPherson and successfully sued her mother's attorney for slander during the 1930s. As a result of this she was cut out of her mother's will. Aimee Semple McPherson died in 1944 from an “accidental” overdose of barbiturates. Billy James Hargis, Early 1970s Hargis was a prolific author and radio evangelist. Hargis formed American Christian College in 1971 in order to teach fundamentalist Christian principles. However, a sex scandal erupted at the College, involving claims that Hargis had had sex with male and female students. Hargis was forced out of American Christian College's presidency as a result. Further scandals erupted when members of Hargis' youth choir, the “All American Kids”, accused Hargis of sexual misconduct as well. The college eventually closed down in the mid-1970s. Hargis denied the allegations publicly. Marjoe Gortner, Early 1970s Gortner rose to fame in the late 1940s as a child preacher, but he had simply been trained to do this by his parents and he had no personal faith. He was able to perform “miracles” and received large amounts of money in donations. After suffering a crisis of conscience, he invited a film crew to accompany him on a final preaching tour. The resulting film, Marjoe, mixes footage of revival meetings with Gortner's explanations of how evangelists manipulate their audiences. It won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, but was never screened in the Southern United States due to fears that it would cause outrage in the Bible Belt. Jim & Tammy Bakker And Jimmy Swaggart, 1986 And 1991 Swaggart's confession where he declared to his congregation on television, “I have sinned against you, my Lord”, became an iconic image of the 1980s. In 1986, evangelist Jimmy Swaggart began on-screen attacks against fellow televangelists Marvin Gorman and Jim Bakker. He uncovered Gorman's affair with a member of Gorman's congregation, and also helped expose Bakker's infidelity (which was arranged by a colleague while on an out-of-state trip). These exposures received widespread media coverage. Gorman retaliated in kind by hiring a private investigator to uncover Swaggart's own adulterous indiscretions with a prostitute. Swaggart was subsequently forced to step down from his pulpit for a year and made a tearful televised apology in February 1988 to his congregation, saying “I have sinned against you, my Lord, and I would ask that your precious blood would wash and cleanse every stain until it is in the seas of God's forgiveness.” Swaggart was caught again by California police three years later in 1991 with another prostitute, Rosemary Garcia, who was riding with him in his car when he was stopped for driving on the wrong side of the road. When asked why she was with Swaggart, she replied, “He asked me for sex. I mean, that's why he stopped me. That's what I do. I'm a prostitute.” Peter Popoff, 1987 A self-proclaimed prophet and faith healer in the 1980s, Popoff's ministry went bankrupt in 1987 after magician and skeptic James Randi and Steve Shaw debunked his methods by showing that instead of receiving information about audience members from supernatural sources, he received it through an in-ear receiver. Morris Cerullo, 1990s A number of incidents involving California-based televangelist Morris Cerullo caused outrage in the United Kingdom during the 1990s. Cerullo's claims of faith healing were the focus of particular concern. At a London crusade in 1992, he pronounced a child cancer sufferer to be healed, yet the girl died two months later. Multiple complaints were upheld against satellite television channels transmitting Cerullo's claims of faith-healing, and a panel of doctors concluded that Cerullo's claims of miraculous healing powers could not be substantiated. Cerullo also produced fund-raising material, which was condemned as unethical by a number of religious leaders, as it implied that giving money to his organization would result in family members becoming Christians. Mike Warnke, 1991 Warnke was a popular Christian evangelist and comedian during the 1970s and 1980s. He claimed in his autobiography, The Satan Seller (1973), that he had once been deeply involved in a Satanic cult and was a Satanic priest before converting to Christianity. In 1991, Cornerstone magazine launched an investigation into Warnke's life and testimony. It investigated Warnke's life, from interviews with over one hundred personal friends and acquaintances, to his ministry's tax receipts. Its investigation turned up damaging evidence of fraud and deceit. The investigation also revealed the unflattering circumstances surrounding Warnke's multiple marriages, affairs, and divorces. Most critically, however, the investigation showed how Warnke could not possibly have done the many things he claimed to have done throughout his nine-month tenure as a Satanist, much less become a drug-addicted dealer or become a Satanic high priest. Robert Tilton, 1991 Tilton is an American televangelist who achieved notoriety in the 1980s and early 1990s through his paid television program Success-N-Life. At its peak, it aired in all 235 American TV markets. In 1991, Diane Sawyer and ABC News conducted an investigation of Tilton. The investigation, broadcast on ABC's Primetime Live on November 21, 1991, found that Tilton's ministry threw away prayer requests without reading them, keeping only the money or valuables sent to them by viewers, garnering his ministry an estimated $80 million USD a year. In the original investigation, one of Tilton's former prayer hotline operators claimed that the ministry cared little for desperate followers who called for prayer, saying that Tilton had a computer installed in July 1989 to make sure that the phone operators were off the line in seven minutes. Tilton sued ABC for libel in 1992, but the case was dismissed in 1993, and Tilton's show was off the air by October 30, 1993. V. Grant, 2003 Like Peter Popoff, Grant was investigated by James Randi regarding his faith healing claims. He was then imprisoned for tax evasion in 1996. After restarting his ministry upon release, a TV investigation found that claims of healing he made at a 2003 revival in Atlanta were false. Paul Crouch, 2004 Paul Crouch is the founder and president of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, or TBN, the world's largest evangelical Christian television network, as well as the former host of TBN's flagship variety show, Praise the Lord. In September 2004, the Los Angeles Times published a series of articles raising questions about the fundraising practices and financial transparency of TBN, as well as the allegations of a former ministry employee, Enoch Lonnie Ford, that he had a homosexual affair with Crouch during the 1990s. The Times spoke with several sources that claimed that other evangelists such as Benny Hinn, Jack Hayford, and Paul's son Matthew were aware that an affair had taken place. TBN denied the allegations, claiming that Ford's claims were part of an extortion scheme and that the Times was a “left-wing and anti-Christian newspaper” for publishing the articles. In 2005, Ford submitted to and passed a lie detector test on the ION Television program Lie Detector. Douglas Goodman, 2004 Douglas Goodman, an evangelical preacher, and his wife Erica were pastors of Victory Christian Centre in London, England. The church was one of the largest in the United Kingdom. He came into notoriety when he was jailed for three and a half years for the sexual assault of four members of his congregation in 2004. VCC was closed by the Charity Commission, but his wife Erica started a new church, Victory to Victory, in Wembley. Douglas has upon his release resumed full pastoral ministry alongside his wife Kent Hovind, 2006 Kent Hovind is an American Baptist minister and Young Earth creationist. He is most famous for creation science seminars, in which he argues for Young Earth creationism, using his self-formulated “Hovind Theory.” He has been criticized by both the mainstream scientific community and other creationists. In 2006, Hovind who also has a reputation as a tax protestor had been charged with falsely declaring bankruptcy, making threats against federal officials, filing false complaints, failing to get necessary building permits, and various tax-related charges. He was convicted of 58 federal tax offenses and related charges, for which he is currently serving a ten-year sentence.[16] Ted Haggard, 2006 Ted Haggard was the pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and was the president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) from 2003 until November 2006. Haggard's position allowed him occasional access to President George W. Bush. In 2006 it was alleged that Haggard had been regularly visiting a male prostitute who also provided him with methamphetamine. Haggard admitted his wrongdoing and resigned as pastor of New Life church and as president of the NAE. The high-profile case was significant also because it immediately preceded the 2006 mid-term elections and may have even affected national voting patterns[citation needed]. In January 2009, Haggard admitted to a second homosexual relationship with a male church member on CNN-TV and other national media, and when asked, would not directly answer a question about his other possible homosexual relationships. Gilbert Deya, 2006 Kenyan-born Deya moved to the United Kingdom in the 1990s and started a number of churches. He claims to have supernatural powers that allow him to make infertile women become pregnant and give birth. However, police investigations in the UK and Kenya concluded that Deya and his wife were stealing Kenyan babies. Deya was arrested in London during December 2006 and as of April 2010 he is currently fighting extradition to Kenya.[20] Richard Roberts, 2007 In October 2007, televangelist Richard Roberts (son of the late televangelist Oral Roberts), was president of Oral Roberts University until his forced resignation on November 23, 2007. Roberts was named as a defendant in a lawsuit alleging improper use of university funds for political and personal purposes and improper use of university resources.[21] Earl Paulk, 2007 Earl Paulk (no relation to John Paulk) was the founder and head pastor of Chapel Hill Harvester Church in Decatur, Georgia from 1960 until the 1990s. A number of women from the congregation came forward during the 1990s claiming that Paulk had sexual relations with them. Some of these claims have subsequently been proven correct. Moreover, Donnie Earl Paulk, the current senior pastor of the church and nephew of Earl Paulk, had a court-ordered DNA test in 2007 which showed that he was Earl's son, not his nephew, which means that Earl and his sister-in-law had had a sexual relationship which led to Donnie's birth. Coy Privette, 2007 Privette is a Baptist pastor, conservative activist, and politician in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Privette was president of the Christian Action League and a prominent figure in North Carolina moral battles. In 2007, Privette resigned as president of North Carolina's Christian Action League and from the Board of Directors of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, following revelations on July 19 that he had been charged with six counts of aiding and abetting prostitution. Michael Reid, 2008 Bishop Michael Reid (born 1944) is a Christian evangelist in Essex, England and founder of Michael Reid Ministries who resigned from the role of pastor at Peniel Church in April 2008, after admitting to an eight-year extra-marital sexual relationship. The scandal was widely reported online and in UK newspapers. He has since re-developed an itinerant evangelistic ministry and has been speaking at a number of churches in the UK and overseas. Joe Barron, 2008 Joe Barron, one of the 40 ministers at Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the United States with 26,000 members, was arrested on May 15, 2008 for solicitation of a minor after driving from the Dallas area to Bryan, Texas, in order to allegedly engage in sexual relations with what he thought to be a 13 year-old girl he had met online. The “girl” turned out to be an undercover law enforcement official. Todd Bentley, 2008 Canadian Todd Bentley rose to prominence as the evangelist at the Lakeland Revival in Florida, which began in April 2008. Bentley claimed that tens of thousands of people were healed at the revival, but a June 2008 investigation by ABC Nightline could not find a single confirmed case. Bentley took a short break after the program was broadcast, but returned to leading the meetings. However, in August 2008, he stepped down permanently when it was revealed he was separating from his wife, Shonnah, and was in a relationship with Jessa Hasbrook, a member of his staff. Tony Alamo, 2008 On September 20, 2008, FBI agents raided Tony Alamo Christian Ministries headquarters as part of a child pornography investigation. This investigation involved allegations of physical abuse, sexual abuse and allegations of polygamy and underage marriage. According to Terry Purvis, mayor of Fouke, Arkansas, his office has received complaints from former ministry members about allegations of child abuse, sexual abuse and polygamy since the ministry established itself in the area, and in turn, Purvis turned over information about the allegations to the FBI. Investigators at the scene plan to conduct a search of ministry headquarters and the home of Alamo and interview children present on the compound. In late July 2009, Alamo (who had a previous conviction for tax evasion in the 1990s) was convicted on ten counts of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes, sexual assault and other crimes. On November 13, 2009, he was sentenced to the maximum punishment of 175 years in prison.   Our Experiences in Church The Way Ladies Dress Lady spreading her legs in the tent Sexually Suggestive Hymns He touched Me. oh,he touched me He touched me. Oh, he touched me. And oh, the joy that floods my soul! Something happened, and now I know! He touched and made me whole. –He Touched Me Have Thine own way, Lord, Have thine own way Have Thine own way, Lord, Have Thine own way; Thou art the Potter; I am the clay. Mould me and make me After Thy will, While I am waiting, Yielded and still. Have Thine own way, Lord, Have Thine own way; Hold o'er my being Absolute sway. Fill with Thy Spirit Till all shall see Christ only, always, Living in me. He is Coming Again, He is coming again He is coming again, He is coming again, The very same Jesus, rejected of men; He is coming again, He is coming again, With power and great glory, He is coming again! Fill Me Up God Come on, let the sound of worship be released from your lips tonight Come on, raise it now Oh, that's good y'all, raise it, raise it You provide the fire I'll provide the sacrifice You provide the spirit And I will open up inside You provide the fire I'll provide the sacrifice You provide the spirit I will open up inside Fill me up God Fill me up God Fill me up God Fill me up Fill me up God Fill me up God Fill me up God Fill me up Oh Come, All ye faithful   Show Wrap     EndNotes   [i] https://www.todayschristianwoman.com/articles/2008/september/why-affairs-happen.html [ii] https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/survey-reveals-faiths-unfaithful-article-1.1815733 [iii] http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20060819 T200000-0500_111618_OBS_SEX_IN_THE_CHURCH_.asp [iv] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/5/awful-truth-child-sex-abuse-in-the-catholic-church#:~:text=The%20Catholic%20Church%20has%20been,clergy%20between%201950%20and%202020. [v] https://nypost.com/2022/03/23/bombshell-hillsong-doc-details-carl-lentz-scandal-churchs-cover-ups/ [vi] https://www.essence.com/news/sex-scandals-christian-church-eddie-long/ [vii] http://www.back2stonewall.com/2019/07/ye-sin-22-evangelical-christian-scandals-rocked-world.html

Listen to our archived episodes: RadioPublic|LibSyn|YouTube Support the show: Patreon|PayPal: 1x or monthly|Square Cash * David Waldman brings us Friday, and it is about time. Florida police have arrested a man who sold a “fentanyl-laced powder” to five West Point cadets who bought the powder, overdosed on it, and who knows, might also get in some sort of legal trouble themselves. Arnold Schwarzenegger is viral on all media with a message of sincerity and truth to the Russian people. Russian soldiers in Ukraine may view the video while they wait for a tow. Russian generals can watch it while a Switchblade locks on their cellphone signal. Donald Trump thought US troops were in Ukraine back in 2017. He probably still does. Trump's ignorance is almost infinite. Unvaccinated in the US have another COVID wave to be unconcerned about until their surprise intubation. Senator Ron Johnson considers an OJ Simpson team up to hunt down the culprit. The trucker caravan bravely carries out sorties into downtown DC to fight antifa for parking spots. How do Russian oligarchs get so darn rich? The old-fashioned way, with lots of dollars. Clarence Thomas' worse/better half, Ginni Thomas, admits attending the January 6 insurrection rally, but absolutely nothing else until proven otherwise. North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation will investigate allegations of voter fraud against Mark Meadows, only to discover Mark is not black. How did VA give Biden a 10-point victory, only to see McAuliffe lose by 2 a year later? Common wisdom blamed suburban parents, but new analysis suggests a more complex answer, namely old white people out to control the lives of their enemies. The 2020 Census undercounted Blacks and Latinos, but they still can wield power when organized, wresting away anti-history bigotry from the Indiana legislature. Of course, there are some Hispanics white enough to be racists, and men of all colors ready to be misogynist. An Idaho bill allows a rapist's family to make a few bucks off the rape, while in Iowa, it's ok for milk to kill people, but no one can threaten the dairy industry.

Anacron is an award-winning and published recording artist, Senior level certified Experiential Educator, and 2018-appointed United States Cultural Ambassador from Los Angeles, California. As a pre-teen jazz prodigy, Anacron studied at Alexander Hamilton Music Academy and Interlochen Center For The Arts before receiving recognition from the Charles Dolo Coker Foundation. By high school, he became an established contributor to L.A.'s seminal mid-1990's cultural movement of Underground Hip Hop, which he pivoted directly into a college study adjacent professional career in the music industry. Over the following decade, he produced dozens of recordings and projects, toured internationally, and was awarded by major media outlets like MTV for original songs featured in film, television, and video games. Early on, Anacron accepted the responsibility of sharing his knowledge and experience with adult and youth musicians and scholars through various avenues of education, including a decade-long tenure at Chicago's prominent Old Town School of Folk Music. Looking to supplement his industry experience with traditional learning, he enrolled in UCLA's Music Business Studies program, where he graduated with honors in 2012. While studying at UCLA, he was introduced to experiential education by way of an emotional intelligence focused ropes course program, instantly developing an interest and passion to parallel his longtime love of music. Taking a hiatus from music to concentrate solely on Experiential Learning, Anacron lent half a decade to training, practice, and formal certification of his skills in conference-, retreat-, and wilderness-based facilitation. Upon becoming a Lead Facilitator for UCLA's Experiential Education program, he branched out to other University of California campuses, working to Primary, then Senior Lead status, while operating and growing as a program facilitator and practitioner certifications trainer for top experiential learning and adventure firms in Southern California and beyond. Anacron's consideration of client needs and assessments, robust practical knowledge and experience, and careful attention to details, paired with a serious and forthright, yet understanding and fun facilitation style, lends to expert delivery of uniquely customized learning and growth experiences. Most recently, Anacron's music industry and experiential learning experience came together with his nomination and esteemed appointment as a United States Cultural Ambassador, internationally sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Currently, Anacron is a sought after and highly regarded ACCT-certified Senior Lead Facilitator, Curriculum / Program Designer, and Certification Trainer for the highest-rated Experiential Education firms, university programs, and training providers across the nation. Also, as a musician, curator, and executive, he maintains his original love of music; continuing to produce his own and other creator's musical projects, while regularly traveling for artistic and educational endeavors alike. 

In This Episode: RDU Airport Police Chief Steele Myers talks to co-hosts Jake Potter and Stephanie Hawco about the unique nature of policing at an international airport and shares what RDU is doing to recruit new law enforcement officers. As the hustle and bustle of the holidays brought more than a million travelers through RDU, find out when a new transatlantic flight will launch this spring and what more to expect in 2022. Episode Guests: Steele Myers is Chief of the RDU Airport Police and a retired State Bureau of Investigation agent. He began his airport career as a checkpoint officer and has served RDU since 2010. Send Us Airmail! We want to hear from you – drop us an email at communications@rdu.com to let us know what you'd like to hear on The Fly Angle. Be sure to include your name and other details about yourself and we might feature your Airmail in an upcoming episode. Music: “Moment” — Amine Maxwell  Music provided by Audio Library Plus

Kalani Pickhart is the recipient of research fellowships from the Virginia G. Piper Center and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Intelligence for Eastern European and Eurasian Studies.  I Will Die in A Foreign Land is her first novel. Kalani currently lives and writes in Phoenix, Arizona.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Needless to say, the Afghanistan situation just basically was a rapid implosion once we started to reduce our presence there.    The Beyond the Soundbite guest this week is Owen Kirby. He's a fellow with the University of Central Florida's Office of Global Perspectives & International Initiatives.   He recently served as the director of USAID Office of Transition Initiatives where he oversaw U.S. assistance programs to nations struggling to build democracy and peace.   Prior to that, he was the senior governance advisor in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, in 2009 and served as the senior adviser in the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs from 2004 to 2009.   He has worked on projects in Afghanistan since the initial U.S. occupation.   Kirby was in Kabul in early August working on civil society projects and engaging with Afghan government officials before the Taliban took over.   ABOUT THE SHOW Political figures and influencers are often heard in brief bites that don't capture the context of the whole story. “Central Florida: Beyond the Soundbite” expands the conversation with these newsmakers along the I-4 corridor and beyond. Join award-winning Spectrum News 13 anchor and Orlando Woman of the Year Ybeth Bruzual, political reporter Greg Angel, and veteran producer Gary Darling for a must-hear interview each week and learn about the issues affecting Central Florida.

The war in Afghanistan is over. In this episode, we document how and why the Biden administration finally admitted defeat in our 20 year attempt to create a new government in Afghanistan and we take a hard look at the lessons we need to learn. Afghanistan is a country in a far away land, but there are disturbing similarities between the Afghanistan government that just collapsed and our own. We'd be wise not to ignore them. Executive Producer: Rachel Passer Executive Producer: Anonymous  Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD236: January 6: The Capitol Riot CD218: Minerals are the New Oil CD210: The Afghanistan War CD124: The Costs of For-Profit War How We Got Here Craig Whitlock. The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War. Simon and Schuster, 2021. Patrick Tucker. August 18, 2021. “Trump's Pledge to Exit Afghanistan Was a Ruse, His Final SecDef Says.” Defense One. Eugene Kiely and Robert Farley. August 17, 2021. “Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan.” FactCheck.org. Eric Schmitt and Jennifer Steinhauer. July 30, 2021. “Afghan Visa Applicants Arrive in U.S. After Years of Waiting.” The New York Times. Craig Whitlock, Leslie Shapiro and Armand Emamdjomeh. December 9, 2019. “The Afghanistan Papers: A secret history of the war.” The Washington Post. Mark Landler and James Risen. July 25, 2017. “Trump Finds Reason for the U.S. to Remain in Afghanistan: Minerals.” The New York Times. John F. Harris. October 15, 2001. “Bush Rejects Taliban Offer On Bin Laden ” Washington Post. The Evacuation: Those Left Behind William Mauldin. September 2, 2021. “Afghanistan Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Staff Left Behind.” Wall Street Journal. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Annie Karni. August 29, 2021. “Series of U.S. Actions Left Afghan Allies Frantic, Stranded and Eager to Get Out.” The York Times. Sami Sadat. August 25, 2021. “I Commanded Afghan Troops This Year. We Were Betrayed.” The New York Times. Marjorie Censer. August 18, 2021. “US contractors rush to get former employees out of Afghanistan.” Defense News. Siobhan Hughes. August 18, 2021. “Afghanistan Veterans in Congress Trying to Prevent ‘a Death Warrant' for Helping America.” Wall Street Journal. Alex Sanz and Tammy Webber. August 18, 2021. “US friends try to rescue brother in arms in Afghanistan.” AP News. Seth Moulton. June 04, 2021. "Moulton, Bipartisan Honoring Our Promises Working Group to White House: Evacuate our Afghan Partners.” Contractors in Afghanistan Matt Taibbi. August 18, 2021. “We Failed Afghanistan, Not the Other Way Around.” TK News by Matt Taibbi on Substack. Jack Detsch. August 16, 2021. “Departure of Private Contractors Was a Turning Point in Afghan Military's Collapse.” Foreign Policy. Matt Stoller. July 15, 2021. “‘A Real S*** Show': Soldiers Angrily Speak Out about Being Blocked from Repairing Equipment by Contractors.” BIG by Matt Stoller. Lynzy Billing. May 12, 2021. “The U.S. Is Leaving Afghanistan? Tell That to the Contractors.” New York Magazine. Oren Liebermann. March 29, 2021. “Pentagon could open itself to costly litigation from contractors if US pulls out of Afghanistan this year.” CNN. Lucas Kunce and Elle Ekman. September 15, 2019. “Comment Submitted by Major Lucas Kunce and Captain Elle Ekman.” [Regulations.gov(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulations.gov). Aaron Mehta. Oct 25, 2016. “30 Years: William Perry — Reshaping the Industry.” Defense News. Jared Serbu. August 22, 2016. “DoD now awarding more than half its contract spending without competitive bids.” Federal News Network. 41 U.S. Code § 3307 - Preference for commercial products and commercial services. Money: Lost and Gained David Moore. August 23, 2021. “Lawmakers Benefit From Booming Defense Stocks.” Sludge. Lee Fang. August 20, 2021. “Congressman Seeking to Relaunch Afghan War Made Millions in Defense Contracting.” The Intercept. Anna Massoglia and Julia Forrest. August 20, 2021. “Defense contractors spent big in Afghanistan before the U.S. left and the Taliban took control.” OpenSecrets.org. Stephen Losey. April 16, 2021. “The Bill for the Afghanistan War Is $2.26 Trillion, and Still Rising.” Military.com. Eli Clifton. February 16, 2021. “Weapons Biz Bankrolls Experts Pushing to Keep U.S. Troops in Afghanistan.” Daily Beast. Open Secrets. 2021. Defense: Lobbying, 2021. Open Secrets. 2021. Defense: Money to Congress. Laws S.1790 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 Sponsor: Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) Status: Became Public Law No: 116-92 on December 20, 2019 H.R. 3237: Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 Sponsor: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Status: Signed into law, 2021 May 20 House Vote Breakdown Congressional Budget Office Score Law Outline TITLE IV: BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF THE AFGHAN SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM Sec. 401: Amends the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to expand eligibility to include Afghans who worked not only for the US Government for more than 1 year but also our allies as an off-base interpreter or if they performed "activities for United States military stationed at International Security Assistance Force (or any successor name for such Force). Increases the number of Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) to Afghan partners by 8,000, for a total of 34,500 allocated since December 19, 2014. Sec. 402: Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of state to jointly waive for 1 year (maximum 2 years with an extension) the requirement that Afghan partners eligible for SIVs get a medical exam before they can receive their visa. The Secretary of Homeland Security has to create a process to make sure Afghan SIV holders get a medical exam within 30 days of entry into the United States. Sec. 403: Allows the surviving spouse or child or employee of the United States Government abroad to be eligible for immigration into the United States if the employee worked for our government for at least 15 years or was killed in the line of duty. It also expands entry permissions for Afghan SIV applicants in addition to those who have already been approved. This is retroactive to June 30, 2021. Policies for Visa Processing: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Manual, Chapter 9: Certain Afghan Nationals U.S Department of State -- Bureau of Consular Affairs. “Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans - Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government.” Audio Sources Gen. Mark Milley: "There was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days." August 18, 2021 General Mark Milley: The time frame of rapid collapse that was widely estimated and ranged from weeks to months, and even years following our departure, there was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days. Central Command submitted a variety of plans that were briefed and approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense and the President. These plans were coordinated, synchronized and rehearsed to deal with these various scenarios. One of those contingencies is what we are executing right now. As I said before, there's plenty of time to do AARs(After Action Reviews) and key lessons learned and to delve into these questions with great detail. But right now is not that time. Right now, we have to focus on this mission, because we have soldiers at risk. And we also have American citizens and Afghans who supported us for 20 years also at risk. This is personal and we're going to get them out. President Biden on Afghanistan Withdrawal Transcript July 8, 2021 Sound Clips 01:30 President Biden: When I announced our drawdown in April, I said we would be out by September, and we're on track to meet that target. Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31. The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart 3:40 President Biden: Together with our NATO allies and partners, we have trained and equipped nearly 300,000 current serving members of the military, the Afghan national security force, and many beyond that are no longer serving. Add to that hundreds of thousands more Afghan national defense and security forces trained over the last two decades. 04:04 President Biden: We provided our Afghan partners with all the tools, let me emphasize, all the tools -- training, equipment -- of any modern military. We provided advanced weaponry, and we're going to continue to provide funding and equipment and we'll ensure they have the capacity to maintain their Air Force. 5:54 President Biden: We're also going to continue to make sure that we take on Afghan nationals who worked side by side with US forces, including interpreters and translators. Since we're no longer going to have military there after this, we're not going to need them and they'll have no jobs. We're [sic] also going to be vital to our efforts. they've been very vital, and so their families are not exposed to danger as well. We've already dramatically accelerated the procedure time for Special Immigrant Visas to bring them to the United States. Since I was inaugurated on January 20, we've already approved 2,500 Special Immigrant Visas to come to the United States. Up to now, fewer than half have exercised the right to do that. Half have gotten on aircraft and come commercial flights and come and other half believe they want to stay, at least thus far. We're working closely with Congress to change the authorization legislation so that we can streamline the process of approving those visas. And those who have stood up for the operation to physically relocate 1000s of Afghans and their families before the US military mission concludes so that, if they choose, they can wait safely outside of Afghanistan, while their US visas are being processed. 8:13 President Biden: For those who have argued that we should stay just six more months, or just one more year, I asked them to consider the lessons of recent history. In 2011, the NATO allies and partners agreed that we would end our combat mission in 2014. In 2014, some argued one more year. So we kept fighting. We kept taking casualties. In 2015, the same, and on and on. Nearly 20 years of experience has shown us that the current security situation only confirms that just one more year of fighting in Afghanistan is not a solution, but a recipe for being there indefinitely. It's up to the Afghans to make the decision about the future of their country. Others are more direct. Their argument is that we should stay with the Afghans and Afghanistan indefinitely. In doing so they point to the fact that we we have not taken losses in this last year. So they claim that the cost of just maintaining the status quo is minimal. 9:19 President Biden: But that ignores the reality, and the facts that already presented on the ground in Afghanistan when I took office. The Taliban is at its strongest militarily since 2001. The number of US forces in Afghanistan had been reduced to a bare minimum. And the United States and the last administration made an agreement that they have to with the Taliban remove all our forces by May 1 of this year. That's what I inherited. That agreement was the reason the Taliban had ceased major attacks against US forces. 9:55 President Biden: If in April, I had instead announced that the United States was going to go back on that agreement, made by the last administration, the United States and allied forces will remain in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, the Taliban would have again begun to target our forces. The status quo was not an option. Staying would have meant US troops taking casualties, American men and women back in the middle of a civil war, and we would run the risk of having to send more troops back in Afghanistan to defend our remaining troops. Once that agreement with the Taliban had been made, staying with a bare minimum force was no longer possible. 10:34 President Biden: So let me ask those who want us to stay: how many more? How many 1000s more Americans' daughters and sons are you willing to risk? How long would you have them stay? Already we have members of our military whose parents fought in Afghanistan 20 years ago. Would you send their children and their grandchildren as well? Would you send your own son or daughter? After 20 years, a trillion dollars spent training and equipping hundreds of 1000s of Afghan National Security and Defence Forces. 2,448 Americans killed, 20,722 more wounded, and untold 1000s coming home with unseen trauma to their mental health. I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome. 11:51 President Biden: Today the terrorist threat has metastasized beyond Afghanistan. So, we are repositioning our resources and adapting our counterterrorism posture to meet the threats where they are now: significantly higher in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 12:07 President Biden: But make no mistake, our military and intelligence leaders are confident they have the capabilities to protect the homeland and our interests from any resurgent terrorist challenge emerging or emanating from Afghanistan. We're developing a counterterrorism over-the-horizon capability that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed at any direct threat to the United States in the region and act quickly and decisively if needed. 12:38 President Biden: We also need to focus on shoring up America's core strengths to meet the strategic competition competition with China and other nations that is really going to determine our future. 14:58 Reporter: Is the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan now inevitable? President Biden: No. It is not. Because you have the Afghan troops, 300,000. Well equipped, as well equipped as any army in the world, and an air force against something like 75,000 Taliban. It is not inevitable. 15:45 President Biden: Do I trust the Taliban? No, but I trust the capacity of the Afghan military who is better trained, better equipped, and more competent in terms of conducting war. 18:07 Reporter: Your own intelligence community has assessed that the Afghan government will likely collapse President Biden: That is not true 18:53 President Biden: And I want to make clear what I made clear to Ghani, that we are not going to walk away and not sustain their ability to maintain that force. We are. We're going to also work to make sure we help them in terms of everything from food necessities and other things in the region. But there is not a conclusion that in fact, they cannot defeat the Taliban. I believe the only way there's going to be -- this is now Joe Biden, not the intelligence community -- the only way there's only going to be peace and secure in Afghanistan, is that they work out a modus vivendi with the Taliban, and they make a judgement as to how they can make peace. And the likelihood there's going to be one unified government in Afghanistan, controlling the whole country is highly unlikely. 21:30 Reporter: Mr. President, how serious was the corruption among the Afghanistan government to this mission failing there? President Biden: First of all, the mission hasn't failed yet. 22:00 President Biden: There were going to be negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan national security forces, and the Afghan government that didn't come to fruition. So the question now is where do they go from here? The jury is still out, but the likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely. 23:20 Reporter: Mr. President, "speed is safety," as you just said in your remarks. Are you satisfied with the timeline of relocating Afghan nationals? Is it happening quickly enough to your satisfaction if it may not happen until next month at the end? President Biden: It has already happened, there have already been people, about 1000 people have gotten on aircraft and come to the United States already on commercial aircraft. So as I said, there's over 2500 people, that as from January to now, have have gotten those visas and only half decided that they wanted to leave. The point is that I think the whole process has to be speeded up -- period -- in terms of being able to get these visas. Reporter: Why can't the US evacuate these Afghan translators to the United States to await their visa processing as some immigrants of the southern border have been allowed to? President Biden: Because the law doesn't allow that to happen. And that's why we're asking the Congress to consider changing the law. President Biden Remarks on Afghanistan Strategy Transcript April 14, 2021 Sound Clips 00:38 President Biden: I'm speaking to you today from the Roosevelt -- the Treaty room in the White House -- the same spot where in October of 2001, President George W. Bush informed our nation that the United States military had begun strikes on terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. It was just weeks, just weeks after the terrorist attack on our nation that killed 2,977 innocent souls, that turned Lower Manhattan into a disaster area, destroyed parts of the Pentagon and made hallowed ground in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and sparked an American promise that we would never forget. We went to Afghanistan in 2001, to root out al Qaeda to prevent future terrorist attacks against the United States planned from Afghanistan. Our objective was clear, the cause was just, our NATO allies and partners rallied beside us. And I supported that military action along with the overwhelming majority of the members of Congress. More than seven years later, in 2008 weeks before we swore the oath of office -- President Obama and I were about to swear -- President Obama asked me to travel to Afghanistan and report back on the state of the war in Afghanistan. I flew to Afghanistan to the Kunar Valley, a rugged, mountainous region on the border of Pakistan. What I saw on that trip reinforced my conviction that only the Afghans have the right and responsibility to lead their country. And that more and endless American military force could not create or sustain a durable Afghan Government. I believed that our presence in Afghanistan should be focused on the reason we went in the first place: to ensure Afghanistan would not be used as a base from which to attack our homeland again. We did that, we accomplished that objective. I said, along with others, we would follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell if need be. That's exactly what we did. And we got him. It took us close to 10 years to put President Obama's commitment into form. And that's exactly what happened Osama bin Laden was gone. That was 10 years ago. Think about that. We delivered justice to Bin Laden a decade ago. And we've stayed in Afghanistan for a decade since. Since then, our reasons for remaining in Afghanistan have become increasingly unclear, even as the terrorist threat that we went to fight evolved. Over the past 20 years, the threat has become more dispersed, metastasizing around the globe. Al Shabaab in Somalia, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, on Al Nusra in Syria, ISIS attempting to create a caliphate in Syria and Iraq and establishing affiliates in multiple countries in Africa and Asia. With the terror threat now in many places, keeping 1000s of troops grounded and concentrated in just one country at a cost of billions each year makes little sense to me and our leaders. We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create ideal conditions for the withdraw and expecting a different result. I'm now the fourth United States President to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan: two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth. After consulting closely with our allies and partners, with our military leaders and intelligence personnel, with our diplomats and our development experts, with the Congress and the Vice President, as well as with Mr. Ghani and many others around the world. I concluded that it's time to end America's longest war. It's time for American troops to come home. 5:01 President Biden: When I came to office, I inherited a diplomatic agreement, duly negotiated between the government of the United States and the Taliban, that all US forces would be out of Afghanistan by May 1 2021, just three months after my inauguration. That's what we inherited. That commitment is perhaps not what I would have negotiated myself, but it was an agreement made by the United States government. And that means something. So in keeping with that agreement, and with our national interest, the United States will begin our final withdrawal beginning on May 1 of this year. 8:11 President Biden: You all know that less than 1% of Americans serve in our Armed Forces. The remaining 99%, we owe them. We owe them. They've never backed down from a single mission that we've asked of them. I've witnessed their bravery firsthand during my visits to Afghanistan. They've never wavered in their resolve. They paid a tremendous price on our behalf and they have the thanks of a grateful nation. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) High-Risk List Center for Strategic and International Studies Transcript March 10, 2021 Speaker: John Sopko - Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Sound Clips 7:40 John Sopko: But right now, that state is under threat. In the wake of the February 2020 withdrawal agreement, all is not well. Compromise appears in short supply on either side. Taliban attacks have actually increased since the agreement was signed. Assassination of prominent officials, activists, journalists, aid workers and others have also increased, including an unsuccessful attack on one of the female members of the peace negotiating team. And the Taliban offensive on Kandahar city last October, as peace negotiations were ongoing, may well have succeeded, were it not for U.S. air support. Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have achieved little for Afghanistan so far, and only time will tell as to whether the new Biden administration initiative will bear fruit. And the Afghan people's fears for its own government survival are exacerbated by the knowledge of how dependent their country is on foreign military and financial support. 12:56 John Sopko: Another equally serious threat to Afghanistan's stability has also largely been ignored as we focus on the boots on the ground in Afghanistan. And that is the provision of last year's U.S.-Taliban agreement that stipulates that in addition to the departure of U.S. and coalition troops, or non-diplomatic civilian personnel: private security contractors, trainers, advisors, and supporting service personnel also must leave the country by May 1. Should this come to passSIGAR and many others believe this may be more devastating to the effectiveness of the Afghan security forces than the withdrawal of our remaining troops. Why is that? Because the Afghan government relies heavily on these foreign contractors and trainers to function. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 there are over 18,000 Defense Department contractors in Afghanistan, including 6000 Americans, and 7,000 3rd country nationals, 40% of whom are responsible for logistics, maintenance, or training tasks. Now, it is well known that the Afghan security forces need these contractors to maintain their equipment, manage supply chains, and train their military and police to operate the advanced equipment that we have purchased for them. For example, as of December, the Afghan National Army was completing just under 20% of its own maintenance work orders, well below the goal of 80% that was set and the 51% that they did in 2018. So that's actually going down. The Afghan National Police were just as bad if not worse, undertaking only 12% of their own maintenance work against a target of 35% and less than the 16% that we reported in our 2019 high risk list. Additionally, and more troubling. The Department of Defense does train, advise and assist command air, or commonly called TAC air recently reported that since late 2019, they have reduced their personnel in Afghanistan by 94%, and that the military drawdown now requires near total use of contract support to maintain the Afghan Air fleet. They assess that quote “further drawdown in the associated closure basis will effectively end all in country aviation training contracts in Afghanistan.” Again, why is this significant? Why do we view this as a high risk? Namely because contractors currently provide 100% of the maintenance for the Afghan Air Force, UAE 60 helicopters and CE 130 cargo aircraft and a significant portion of Afghans Light Combat Support aircraft. TAC air this January gave a bleak assessment, namely, that no Afghan airframe can be sustained as combat effective for more than a few months in the absence of contractor support. 17:51 John Sopko: Continued funding for U.S. reconstruction programs aimed at promoting economic development, rule of law, respect for human rights, good governance and security for the Afghan people may be more significant, because it may be the primary lever left for the US and other donors to influence that country. It appears that even the Taliban understand Afghanistan's dire need for foreign assistance. Because, as one of the few commitments that the US had to make last year was, “to seek economic cooperation for reconstruction, with the new post settlement, Afghan Islamic government.” Now how much the donor community wishes to stay involved will of course depend on what that government looks like and how it behaves. Numerous officials, including then Secretary of State Pompeo and Ambassador Halley, have stated that the US will be able to advance its human rights goals, including the rights of women and girls with the Taliban by leveraging or conditioning this much needed financial assistance. But unfortunately, as SIGAR has long reported, even when conditionality involved only dealing with the Afghan government, donors do not have a stellar record of successfully utilizing that conditionality to influence Afghan behavior. 27:19 John Sopko: Today our report suggests the donor community should realize the Afghan government is focused on a single goal, its survival. Afghanistan is more dependent on international support than ever before. It may not be an overstatement that if foreign assistance is withdrawn and peace negotiations fail, Taliban forces could be at the gates of Kabul in short order. Hearing: A PATHWAY FOR PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN: EXAMINING THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AFGHANISTAN STUDY GROUP House Committee on Oversight and Reform: Subcommittee on National Security February 19, 2021 Testimony was heard from the following Afghanistan Study Group officials: Kelly A. Ayotte, Co-Chair; News Corp Board of Directors since April 2017 BAE Systems Board of Directors since June 2017 Blackstone Board of Directors Boston Properties Board of Directors Caterpillar Board of Directors Board of Advisors at Cirtronics General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. (Retired), Co-Chair Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Obama and Trump presidencies. Lockheed Martin Board of Directors since February 2020 Nancy Lindborg, Co-Chair President and CEO of the David Lucile Packard Foundation Former President and CEO of the US Institute for Peace Former Assistant Administrator for the bureau for democracy conflict and humanitarian assistance at USAID During the mid-Obama years. Sound Clips 3:13 Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA): I'd also like to take a moment to thank the nonpartisan US Institute of Peace for the support and expertise they provided to the study group during the course of its work. 3:23 Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA): In the fiscal year 2020 omnibus bill Congress led by Senator Graham Senator Patrick Leahy and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of state foreign ops and related programs. They tasked the independent and bipartisan Afghanistan study group to quote, consider the implications of a peace settlement or the failure to reach a settlement on US policy, resources and commitments in Afghanistan. After nearly nine months of review and consultation with current and former US and Afghan government officials, allies and partners and other key stakeholders, the Afghanistan study group issued its final report earlier this month. 15:12 Kelly Ayotte: We recommend that US troops remain beyond may 1. We believe a precipitous withdrawal of US and international troops in May, would be catastrophic for Afghanistan, leading to civil war, and allow the reconstitution of terror groups which threaten the United States within an 18 to 36 month period. 15:41 Kelly Ayotte: Let me be clear, although we recommend that our troops remain beyond may 1, we propose a new approach toward Afghanistan, which aligns our policies, practices and messaging across the United States government to support the Afghan peace process, rather than prosecute a war. Our troops would remain not to fight a forever war, but to guarantee the conditions for a successful peace process and to protect our national security interests to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a haven again, for terrorists who threaten the United States of America. 37:15 General Joseph F. Dunford: Do we need to increase forces if the Taliban don't accept an extension past the first of May, and if they then would re initiate attacks against US forces? and Chairman, we heard exactly what you heard. In the fall. What we were told by commanders on the ground in the department of fence was that 4500 US forces, in addition to the NATO forces that are there was the minimum level to address both the mission as well as protection of our forces in the context of the conditions that existed in the fall in as you've highlighted, those conditions have only gotten worse since the fall so in in our judgment 2500 would not be adequate. Should the Taliban re initiate attacks against the United States Hearing: Examining the Trump Administration's Afghanistan Strategy House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Subcommittee on National Security January 28, 2020 Witness: John Sopko - Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) Sound Clips 48:54 John Sopko: We've almost created a system that forces people in the government to give happy talk success stories because they're over there on very short rotations. They want to show success. The whole system is almost geared to give you, and it goes up the chain of command, all the way to the President sometimes. He gets bad information from people out in the field because somebody on a nine month rotation, he has to show success, and that goes up. 54:24 John Sopko: Maybe incentivize honesty. And one of the proposals I gave at that time,be cause I was asked by the staff to come up with proposals, is put the same requirement on the government that we impose on publicly traded corporations. Publicly traded corporations have to tell the truth. Otherwise the SEC will indict the people involved. They have to report when there's a significant event. So put that onus, call it The Truth in Government Act if you want, that you in the administration are duty bound by statute to alert Congress to significant events that could directly negatively impact a program or process. So incentivize honesty. 1:10:25 John Sopko: Over 70% of the Afghan budget comes from the United States and the donors. If that money ended, I have said before and I will stand by it, then the Afghan government will probably collapse. Wartime Contracting Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs September 21, 2011 Witnesses: Charles Tiefer: Commissioner on the Commission on Wartime Contracting Clark Kent Ervin: Commissioner on the Commission on Wartime Contracting Sound Clips 1:11:30 Charles Tiefer: Our private security in Afghanistan appears to be a major source of payoffs to the Taliban. Our report has the first official statement that it's the second-largest source of money for the Taliban. Sen. Carl Levin: After drugs. Charles Tiefer: After drugs, that's right. 1:25:18 Clark Kent Ervin: It's critical that the government have a choice, and that means that there needs to be at least a small and expandable, organic capacity on the part of these three agencies to perform missions themselves, so the next time there's a contingency, the government has a choice between going with contractors and going in-house and the determination can be made whether it's more effective to do it either way, whether it's cheaper to do it either way. As we said at the inception, right now the government doesn't have an option. Contractors are the default option because they're the only option. President George W. Bush announces U.S. Military Strikes on Afghanistan October 7, 2001 President George W. Bush: Good afternoon. On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against Al-Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime. More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and specific demands: close terrorist training camps, hand over leaders of the Al-Qaeda network, and return all foreign nationals including American citizens unjustly detained in your country. None of these demands were met and now the Taliban will pay a price by destroying camps and disrupting communications. We will make it more difficult for the terror network to train new recruits and coordinate their evil plans. ** International Campaign Against Terrorism Senate Foreign Relations Committee October 25, 2001 Witness: Colin Powell: Secretary of State Sound Clip 27:00 Colin Powell: Our work in Afghanistan though, is not just of a military nature. We recognize that when the Al Qaeda organization has been destroyed in Afghanistan, and as we continue to try to destroy it in all the nations in which it exists around the world, and when the Taliban regime has gone to its final reward, we need to put in place a new government in Afghanistan, one that represents all the people of Afghanistan and one that is not dominated by any single powerful neighbor, but instead is dominated by the will of the people of Afghanistan. Executive Producer Recommendations Elect Stephanie Gallardo 2022 Krystal Kyle and Friends. August 21, 2021. “Episode 35 Audio with Matthew Hoh.” Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

After winning exoneration for a falsely-accused murderer in North Carolina and blowing the lid off a pattern of corrupt behaviour at the State Bureau of Investigation, her name is one spoken in hushed tones around prison yards. She's won every wrongful conviction case she's ever taken on.  And now, Christine Mumma and the NC Center on Actual Innocence are in Daniel Andre Green's corner. This episode, we go through the evidence she says should be enough to earn Daniel his freedom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randall Fort is a seasoned security, intelligence and technology leader known for his grasp of enterprise mission needs and his ability to track the rapid advancing capabilities of technology to meet those needs. His background includes time as the director of global security for Goldman Sachs. He also led one of the most highly regarded teams of analysts in the world, the Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Randy later worked at Raytheon and is now now the COO of QWERX. He has also been a long standing member of the AFCEA Intelligence Committee. Topics we discussed included: The nature of changes in both the physical and cybersecurity world that began in the mid 1990's and continue to this day The Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, with a focus on the organizational dynamics that have kept this small group performing at a masterful level Views on the cyber threat and concepts for mitigating key elements of the threat An examination of the megatrends of technology and where the convergence of multiple tech trends may be taking us Things the US intelligence community should be considering when it comes to future mission sets and the technologies required to prosecute them. The nature of the metaverse, from its beginnings in scifi to its state today to the very near future and beyond Related Resources: Randall Fort on LinkedIn The Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research AFCEA Intelligence Committee Related Reading: Corporate Sensemaking: Establishing an Intelligent Enterprise OODA's leadership and analysts have decades of direct experience helping organizations improve their ability to make sense of their current environment and assess the best courses of action for success going forward. This includes helping establish competitive intelligence and corporate intelligence capabilities. Our special series on the Intelligent Enterprise highlights research and reports that can accelerate any organization along their journey to optimized intelligence. See: Corporate Sensemaking The OODAcast Video and Podcast Series In 2020, we launched the OODAcast video and podcast series designed to provide you with insightful analysis and intelligence to inform your decision making process. We do this through a series of expert interviews and topical videos highlighting global technologies such as cybersecurity, AI, quantum computing along with discussions on global risk and opportunity issues. See: The OODAcast

In a press conference outside the Grand County Sheriff's Office yesterday, law enforcement said they have not yet identified a suspect in the double homicide of two local women. Agents from the State Bureau of Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation are assisting Grand County with the case. Sheriff Steve White says they have stepped up patrols in the La Sal Mountains in response to community safety concerns. Plus, Moab City will not institute a property tax increase after elected officials say they failed to adequately communicate what projects that revenue could fund. And, a report on mining clean-up on Navajo and Hopi lands from our radio partners. Show Notes: Photo: Captain Shan Hackwell reads a statement regarding the double homicide in the La Sal Mountains, standing outside the Grand County Sheriff's Office on August 24th. Visible behind him (from left) are Sheriff Steve White, FBI special agent Rachel Butler, and Grand County Attorney Christina Sloan. Anthony Militano/KZMU News If you have information relevant to the recent double homicide, please call the Grand County Sheriff's Office at 435-259-8115 8/24/21 Grand County Sheriff's Office Press Conference (video) https://www.facebook.com/utahgrandcountysheriff/videos/269801227998223 8/24/21 Grand County Sheriff's Office Press Conference (transcript) https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/8-24-21-GCSO-Press-Conference-Transcript.pdf Moab Property Tax Info https://moabcity.org/582/Property-Taxes KJZZ: Years After Coal Mines Close On Navajo And Hopi Land, Some Are Concerned About Cleanup https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1706997/years-after-coal-mines-close-navajo-and-hopi-land-some-are-concerned-about-cleanup?_ga=2.9001653.1615904818.1628797415-384238978.1615335712

Montana State Bureau Chief Holly Michels joins John Williams to talk about the state’s ban on a vaccination mandate. That’s as Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduces the possibility here in Chicago.

Travel.State.Gov（U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE - BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS) "Do not travel to Japan due to COVID-19." そんな話から始まってますが、GarageBandのライブラリには「Podcasting」というメニューがあるよ、という話をしてます。

Junious “House” Brickhouse is an internationally established educator, choreographer and cultural preservationist with over 30 years of experience in Urban Dance Culture. Born in Virginia Beach, VA, his dance training began at family gatherings dancing the funk styles of the era. Growing up, he sought out all the learning opportunities available to him, from community centers to parking lots, where young people were teaching each other and building communities around urban dance forms. Early on, he established himself as a leader and mentor in those communities, serving to educate and guide others. At age 18, Junious embarked on an over 21-year career as a Logistics Professional in the U.S. Army and later as a Department of Defense contractor. Throughout his time in various international assignments, Junious developed both a military and dance career, eventually rising to positions of leadership and responsibility in both areas. As the Founding Executive Director of Urban Artistry Inc. (www.urbanartistry.org), Junious has inspired and created a movement of artists dedicated to the preservation of urban dance culture, specifically within communities of practice. As Urban Artistry’s Executive Director, Junious produces projects such as The International Soul Society Festival, The Preservatory and the UA Digital Archives to encourage other artists to research and document tradition bearers and their contributions. As a scholar/practitioner, Junious teaches at colleges and universities, using an experiential approach to teaching, Movement of the African American South, Hip Hop Culture as well as Urban Dance movement and the cultural context from which it evolves. As the Director of Next Level, an initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in association with the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Meridian International Center for Cultural Diplomacy, Junious works tirelessly to promote international cultural exchange in underserved communities, conflict transformation and entrepreneurial skill-building through Hip Hop music and dance. A citizen folklorist, Junious also conducts independent research into those cultural traditions whose influence is reflected in urban dance culture. From Ring Shouts and Acoustic Country Blues to Hip Hop, understanding the nature and meaning of these art forms and their influences is what motivates this artist. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/styles-n-dris/support

Ellen McCarthy is a highly accomplished and distinguished executive whose career started as a junior analyst and ended up reaching to the very highest echelons of the US intelligence community. In this OODAcast we explore lessons learned from her journey, capturing insights that can inform actions for those at any stage of a career. Ellen’s career began at the office of Naval Intelligence. She then moved to Norfolk and the Atlantic Intelligence Center (where we first met). She moved back to DC and would later lead all intelligence activities for the US Coast Guard as their director of intelligence, then joined DoD’s office of the undersecretary of defense for intelligence working strategy and human capital management. Later she led the non profit public private partnership INSA (the intelligence and national security alliance), helping make that organization what it is today. She returned to government service as chief operating officer of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), then later led the firm Noblis as its president. Ellen was then appointed the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research (INR), where she lead an organization famed for the highest quality of analysis in the US IC. We examine her leadership style, which was informed by exposure to several types of leaders early on in her career. Over time she developed a knack for creating visions that could help others form up on a unified purpose. She also thrived in the domain of executive action, which could come in incredibly handy when appointed to the number three position at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA). We discuss examples of her decision-making and tools any of us can put in place to optimize our perspectives. This includes the strong recommendation to know history. In her case she benefited from a deep dive into the history of one of the great transformational leaders of the intelligence community, Wild Bill Donovan, creator and leader of the Office of Special Services (OSS), a forerunner of the organization she would later lead, the Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

SOFCOM - PODCAST | 4º EPISÓDIO: DR. FÁBIO COSTA (ABEIC) O SOFCOM - PODCAST teve a honra de entrevistar um Especialista em Inteligência e Contrainteligência, o Dr. Fábio C. Pereira; É Auditor do Curso de Defesa Nacional do Ministério da Defesa de Portugal. Foi membro do Órgão Especial e do Conselho Superior do MPRS. Especialista em Inteligência Estratégica, Escola Superior de Guerra, RJ (2009). É palestrante em Inteligência de Segurança Pública. Palestrante convidado no Curso Avançado de Inteligência para Oficiais da Aeronáutica, do Centro de Inteligência da Aeronáutica. Coordenou o Núcleo de Inteligência do Ministério Público do RS (NIMP/RS). Integrou o Grupo Nacional de Combate às Organizações Criminosas (GNCOC), tendo assento no Grupo de Segurança Institucional (GSI) (2009-2011). Participou do International Visitor Leadership Program, United States Department of State - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, em Washington D.C. e New York (2010) [...] E Presidente da Associação Brasiliera de Estudos de Inteligência e Contrainteligência (ABEIC). Nos deu a honra de abordar o tema de Guerra de Quinta Geração (5GW). Site ABEIC: www.abeic.org.br Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abeic.org.br ============================================================================ Deixe seu like, comente, se inscrea no canal e compartilhe! @OPESPBR: https://www.instagram.com/opespbr @SOF.LIBRARY: htpps://www.instagram.com/sof.library

This week we cover stories based on Matt James’ premiere episode! Bachelor Matt James is originally from North Carolina, so Megan covers the story of the unsolved murder of Faith Hedgepeth. Faith was an Indigenous college student at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. We also talk about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis that both the United States and Canada are currently facing. This case is unsolved, there is a $40,000 reward available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murder of Faith Hedgepeth. If you have information about this case, call the Chapel Hill Police Department (919) 969-2001, or the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, (800) 334-3000. (Story starts at 14:27). During the premiere of The Bachelor, we saw Matt James lead his opening speech to the women with a prayer. Bachelor Nation had mixed feelings about the forced religious participation. This week we cover a case that starts with a prayer and ends with murder. Madalyn Murray O'hair is known as the most hated woman in America after she sued Baltimore Public Schools for forcing her son to recite the Lord’s Prayer in school. Madalyn went on to form the Atheists of America, gaining fame and money, money that someone else wanted to take from her and her family. (Story starts at 51:05). We also address the acts of domestic terrorism taken out on the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021. Links discussed in the episode: Episode 20 - Peaches and Cherries Doe (More info on Parabon NanoLabs) Chapel Hill, North Carolina Crime Stoppers (If you have info on Faith Hedgepeth's Murder) Urban Indian Health Institute Toolkit - More info on MMIWG Crime and Crime Again Podcast (she covers many MMIWG cases!) Promo: 3 Spooked Girls Connect with us at linktr.ee/CrimeandRoses There you can see links to listen and share the podcast and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Email: CrimeandRoses@gmail.com. Send us crime suggestions and any questions or comments you may have. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/crimeandroses/support

In this episode I'll share three true crime cases you may not have heard of, but should have.  My special guest host is Laurah from The Fall Line and One Strange Thing Podcasts.  Resources:  "Murder in a Silent Place" by David Van Biema for Time, Jun 17, 2001.  People Magazine Investigates: The Sounds of Silence, Season 3, Episode 13, Investigation Discover Channel.  "Gwen Araujo murder 14 years later: Trangender teen's killers face parole" by Malaika Fraley for The Bay Area News Group, Oct 14, 2016.  Sponsors:  Native Deodorant - www.nativeDEO.com/once or use promo code ONCE for 20% off your first order. EverlyWell At-Home Lab Testing Kits - www.EverlyWell.com/once and enter promo code ONCE for 20% off your test.  PlushCare - www.PlushCare.com/once to start your free 30-day trial.  Resources mentioned in this episode:  A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006), Lifetime TV. Trained in the Ways of Men (2007), directed by Michelle Prevost.  Lumbee Indians in the Jim Crow South: Race, Identity, and the Making of a Nation, Malinda Maynor Lowery, (University of North Carolina Press, 2010). The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle, Malinda Maynor Lowery, (University of North Carolina Press, 2018). If you have any information regarding the Brittany Locklear case you can contact the State Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina at (919) 662-4500 or the Hoke County Sheriff's Office at (910) 875-5111. There is a $20,000 reward for information leading to a resolution of Brittany's case.  Other links: Once Upon a Crime Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime The Fall Line Podcast - www.thefalllinepodcast.com  One Strange Thing Podcast - www.onestrangethingpodcast.com   

In this episode I'll share three true crime cases you may not have heard of, but should have. My special guest host is Laurah from The Fall Line and One Strange Thing Podcasts. Resources mentioned in this episode: A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006), Lifetime TV. Trained in the Ways of Men (2007), directed by Michelle Prevost. Lumbee Indians in the Jim Crow South: Race, Identity, and the Making of a Nation, Malinda Maynor Lowery, (University of North Carolina Press, 2010). The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle, Malinda Maynor Lowery, (University of North Carolina Press, 2018). If you have any information regarding the Brittany Locklear case you can contact the State Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina at (919) 662-4500 or the Hoke County Sheriff's Office at (910) 875-5111. There is a $20,000 reward for information leading to a resolution of Brittany's case. Other links: Once Upon a Crime Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime The Fall Line Podcast - www.thefalllinepodcast.com One Strange Thing Podcast - www.onestrangethingpodcast.com

The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary makes remarks to the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 29th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference. Visit www.ncusar.org for more information.

Work. Shouldn't. Suck. LIVE: The Morning(ish) Show with special guests Ashara Ekundayo, Esteban Kelly & Syrus Marcus Ware. [Live show recorded: June 8, 2020.] ASHARA EKUNDAYO is a Detroit-born independent curator, creative industries entrepreneur, cultural strategist, and founder working across arts, community, government, and social innovation spaces. Through her consulting company AECreative Consulting Partners, LLC she designs and manages multidimensional international projects and fosters collaborative relationships through the use of mindfulness and permaculture principles to bring vision to life and create opportunities “in the deep end,” often with unlikely allies. Her creative arts practice epistemology requires an embodied commitment to recognizing joy in the midst of struggle. // In 2012 Ashara co-founded Impact Hub Oakland and Omi Arts and served as the Co-Director, Curator, and the Chief Creative Officer who designed and bottom-lined the brand messaging and creative practice programming of the entire company. In December 2017, she launched Ashara Ekundayo Gallery as a pilot-project social practice platform centering and exclusively exhibiting the artwork of Black womxn and women of the African Diaspora to investigate and inspire social and spiritual inquiry at the nexus of fact, the Black feminist imaginary, and Afrofuturism through visual and performance installation. // She currently holds Advisory Board positions with VSCO.co, Black Girls Code and the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, and has served as a Fellow with the U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, Green For All, Emerging Arts Professionals, Schools Without Borders, and Institute For The Future. Ashara is also a Certified Permaculture Designer, Certified Foresight Practitioner, and a Graduate of Thousand Currents Leadership Academy and Rockwood Leadership – LeadNOW: California. Additionally, she holds an “Embodied Justice” Residency at Auburn Seminary in NYC, and an M.A. in Gender & Social Change from the Korbel School of International Affairs at the University of Denver. // Ashara’s commitment to social transformation is informed by an intersectional framework that aims to expand the influence and impact of arts and culture on racial equity, gender + justice, and environmental literacy. She is a womanist, a meditator, a mentor, and the mother of two sons and three granddaughters. T/IG @blublakwomyn ESTEBAN KELLY is a visionary leader and compassionate strategist who inspires organizers by drawing on science fiction, social theory, and collective liberation. Uniting close friends and long-time co-organizers, Esteban was inspired to co-create AORTA culling together his creative energy and organizational skills for expanding food sovereignty, solidarity economy & cooperative business, gender justice & queer liberation, and movements for racial justice. // Esteban’s work is vast. In addition to working for AORTA, he is the Co-Executive Director for the US Federation of Worker Co-ops (USFWC), and a co-founder and current board President of the cross-sector Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA). // Internationally, Esteban has advocated for workplace democracy through the ICA (International Cooperative Alliance) and CICOPA (the international worker co-op federation), and for land reform and other social movements from Canada to Brazil. // After many years as a PhD student of Marxist Geographers at the CUNY Graduate Center, Esteban has left academia with a Masters in Anthropology. Most recently, Esteban worked as Development Director and then Staff Director for the New Economy Coalition. From 2009-2011, Esteban served as Vice President of the USFWC, and a board member of the Democracy At Work Institute (DAWI) and the US Solidarity Economy Network. He is also a previous Director of Education & Training and Board President of NASCO (North American Students for Cooperation) where he was...

Bill Wade, founder and artistic director of Cleveland-based Inlet Dance Theatre, joins Be En Pointe. I first encountered Bill's work through a mutual friend and have had the pleasure of seeing him at work in the studio with his company and seeing the premiere of his work in collaboration with author Kobi Yamada's “What do you do with an idea?”a few years ago. Bill received the 2012 Cleveland Arts Prize and an award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of the Dance Art Form from OhioDance in 2013. Previously, as an Artist in Residence at Cleveland School of the Arts, he founded the YARD (Youth At Risk Dancing), a nationally recognized and awarded after school program. In 1998, he received the Coming Up Taller Award at the White House from the National Endowment for the Arts and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Bill's work has toured domestically and internationally; he was chosen by Ohio Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Foundation, Playhouse Square Foundation, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and The American Embassy in Santiago for an international artist exchange program with artists from Easter Island. Inlet was the first American modern dance company to perform on the island. Bill utilizes dance to further individual growth, which is why his story will resonate with dancers at all stages of their careers and will provide parents or mentors with a framework to guide their students. Learn more about his work: www.inletdance.org Learn more about dance education and career planning: www.emceemovement.com

68 – The Biden Tapes Support request 866-988-8311 info@republickeeper.com Constitution Minute The problem with Hydroxychloroquine – You need a dr right? World-Renowned Christian Advocate Ravi Zacharias Dieshttps://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2020/may/world-renowned-christian-apologist-ravi-zacharias-dies Hebrews 4:13 - And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things arenaked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give Joe Biden’s Ukraine Problem justthenews.com The infamous story of Joe Biden’s effort to force the firing of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor in 2016 has taken a new legal twist in Kiev, just as the former vice president is sewing up the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in America. Collins “Viktor Shokin publicly appealed to the president of Ukraine with a request to properly respond to illegal inaction in the investigation of criminal cases that are open against Joseph Biden,” Teleshetskyi said. “Let me remind you that they were discovered precisely as a result of the statement of Viktor Shokin.” In an interview, Shokin told Just the News he is confident he can unearth evidence during the proceedings that Ukraine officials were satisfied with his performance and simply acceded to firing him to avoid losing the badly needed U.S. loan guarantees. In Kiev late last month, District Court Judge S. V. Vovk ordered the country’s law enforcement services to formally list the fired prosecutor, Victor Shokin, as the victim of an alleged crime by the former U.S. vice president, according to an official English translation of the ruling obtained by Just the News. The court had previously ordered the Prosecutor General’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigations in February to investigate Shokin’s claim that he was fired in spring 2016 under pressure from Biden because he was investigating Burisma Holdings, the natural gas company where Biden’s son Hunter worked. The court ruled then that there was adequate evidence to investigate Shokin’s claim that Biden’s pressure on then-President Petro Poroshenko, including a threat to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees, amounted to unlawful interference in Shokin’s work as Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. But when law enforcement agencies opened the probe they refused to name Biden as the alleged perpetrator of the crime, instead listing the potential defendant as an unnamed American. Vovk ruled that anonymous listing was improper and ordered the law enforcement agencies to formally name Biden as the accused perpetrator. Unified register of pre-trial investigations … a summary of facts that may indicate the commission of a criminal offense under Paragraph 2 of Article 343 of the Criminal procedure code of Ukraine on criminal proceedings No. 62020000000000236 dated February 24, 2020, namely: information on interference in the activities of the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Shokin, Viktor Mykolaiovych performed by citizen of the United States of America Joseph Biden, former U.S. Vice President.” The judge added, “the order of the court may not be appealed.” The Backstory Petro Porishenko installed as president April 2014 – Biden goes to Ukraine Hunter gets a job May 2014 Porshenko Elected July/Aug 2015 – Shoking starts probing Hunter Biden/Burisma Seizing assets Shokin – patriot -resign Shokin – why resign Dec 3 2015 – John Kerry Call 2/11/16 -shares his crimes with Biden 2/18/16 Shokin resigns No majority 2/19 – Hate the idea to buy the votes 3/22 – porishenko – who do you want? 5/13/16 – Undo the Damage that Shokin did 7/16/2017 https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/07/16/rep_adam_schiff_democrats_made_mistake_to_collude_with_ukraine_against_trump.html Quiet for 2 years. Why? they handcuffed Trump https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/michael-flynn-full-susan-rice-email-sent-on-trumps-inauguration-day-267998 “President Obama asked if Comey was saying that the NSC should not pass sensitive information related to Russia to Flynn. Comey replied ‘potentially,’” the email reads. “He added that he has no indication thus far that Flynn has passed classified information to Kislyak, but he noted that ‘the level of communication is unusual.’” https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/323457-gop-rep-obama-running-a-shadow-government-to-undermine-trump 3/20/2019 – Yuri Lutsenko – https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/435029-as-russia-collusion-fades-ukrainian-plot-to-help-clinton-emerges Ukraine’s top prosecutor divulged in an interview aired Wednesday on Hill.TV that he has opened an investigation into whether his country’s law enforcement apparatus intentionally leaked financial records during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign about then-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in an effort to sway the election in favor of Hillary Clinton. The leak of the so-called black ledger files to U.S. media prompted Manafort’s resignation from the Trump campaign and gave rise to one of the key allegations in the Russia collusion probe that has dogged Trump for the last two and a half years. Ukraine Prosecutor General Yurii Lutsenko’s probe was prompted by a Ukrainian parliamentarian's release of a tape recording purporting to quote a top law enforcement official as saying his agency leaked the Manafort financial records to help Clinton's campaign. The parliamentarian also secured a court ruling that the leak amounted to “an illegal intrusion into the American election campaign,” Lutsenko told me. Lutsenko said the tape recording is a serious enough allegation to warrant opening a probe, and one of his concerns is that the Ukrainian law enforcement agency involved had frequent contact with the Obama administration’s U.S. Embassy in Kiev at the time. “Today we will launch a criminal investigation about this and we will give legal assessment of this information,” Lutsenko told me. 8/24/2019 Schiff sends staffer to Ukraine to meet with Petro Porishenko https://lidblog.com/schiff-ukraine/ Trip was Sponsored by Atlantic Council – Burisma, Crowdstrike, Soros, Clinton, Pinchuck

The latest news about the war between Russia and Ukraine...For the first time since the last days of the Yanukovych era, Ukraine has taken a step towards tyranny. On April 10, masked operatives from Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations swooped on the home of anti-corruption activist, civic leader, and former parliamentarian Tetyana Chornovol (https://atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/zelenskyy-puts-ukraines-maidan-revolution-on-trial/)… - Дещо про війну в Україні із Росією, що дедалі більше стає забутою у світі, та посягання на завоювання Революції Гідності...

Forensic expert and consultant Mike Martinez weighs in on the Christian Andreacchio case, sharing his opinion on the suicide vs. homicide debate. Mike holds both a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science & Mathematics and a Master of Science in Forensic Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also trained Emergency Medical Technician. Mike Martinez is a nationally and internationally respected consultant with over decades of experience in the forensic sciences and provided training, consultation services for criminal and civil cases throughout the United States. He has served as a training expert for the U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the U.S. Dept. of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), and the U.S. Dept. of Defense Civil Support Team (CST). In this episode, Mike speaks with Sheila about what is and is not important when evaluating a crime scene and explains why blood spatter location is important in assessing the overall scene. These will count toward the Five Forensic Factors at the crime scene that don't add up to suicide. These factors are: the position of the body the trajectory of the wound the location of the spent cartridge the location of the bullet the position of the gun These factors are in addition to the inconsistencies in witness statements. Listen to this episode to hear Mike’s conclusions after weighing all the forensic information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forensic expert and consultant Mike Martinez weighs in on the Christian Andreacchio case, sharing his opinion on the suicide vs. homicide debate. Mike holds both a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science & Mathematics and a Master of Science in Forensic Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also trained Emergency Medical Technician. Mike Martinez is a nationally and internationally respected consultant with over decades of experience in the forensic sciences and provided training, consultation services for criminal and civil cases throughout the United States. He has served as a training expert for the U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the U.S. Dept. of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), and the U.S. Dept. of Defense Civil Support Team (CST).  In this episode, Mike speaks with Sheila about what is and is not important when evaluating a crime scene and explains why blood spatter location is important in assessing the overall scene.  These will count toward the Five Forensic Factors at the crime scene that don't add up to suicide. These factors are: the position of the body the trajectory of the wound the location of the spent cartridge the location of the bullet the position of the gun These factors are in addition to the inconsistencies in witness statements. Listen to this episode to hear Mike’s conclusions after weighing all the forensic information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 Invaluable Lessons from Tracy Thomas Hands-on training is how you get projects overseas to run smoothly. It’s important to discover and capitalize on shared values. As a leader, what you say in a meeting people will take action on, so curate what you say.   This week, host Sue Dyer speaks with Tracy Thomas about project management overseas and in challenging environments. Tracy talks about how her leadership style has changed and how she’s championing partnering in her overseas work.   About Guest Sean Tracy Thomas (1:35) Tracy Thomas is the Director of Construction Operations for the U.S. State Department Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (OBO). Tracy is a career member of the Senior Foreign Services of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Overseas Building Operations where she currently directs the construction operations for all new U.S. Embassy and consulate projects worldwide. Tracy is also championing the OBO Partnering Program which is currently in the pilot process.   Tracy’s Journey to Becoming the Director of Construction Operations for the U.S State Department OBO (3:02) Tracy joined OBO as a foreign service construction engineer 16 years ago. She started on a project in West Africa as the Deputy Project Director under a very seasoned project director. It was a natural progression for her to lead projects worldwide. They have $20B dollars in projects all over the globe.   About the State Department’s OBO Office (4:12)   OBO is the real property manager for all U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world. They manage a portfolio of properties in nearly 300 locations valued at over $80B. Most projects are done by American contractors. They find American talent and then source local talent from other countries. About the OBO Partnering Program (5:43) They’re getting started setting up a new partnering program which is growing fast. Partnering will help bridge the experience gap in the field offices. OBO has selected two projects to pilot, one in Uganda and one in Moscow, both are similar in size and scope ($100M - $200M and two to three years in duration). They hired a consultant to observe the steps they are taking to develop the Partnering program. They are also developing Best Practices to facilitate solutions to security challenges, logistics, commissioning, etc.   How OBO Selects a Contractor (10:56) The pool comes from contractors who want to have a presence in worldwide construction and who share the mission to do diplomacy worldwide. The work is governed by federal contracting and comes from a different bureau than OBO. They plan their projects according to a list of priority missions overseas, funding, and real estate. The prequalification is the limiting factor.    Some of the Key Challenges Faced Leading Projects Overseas (13:17) They build state of the art facilities to U.S. codes under rigorous security standards in remote locations or austere environments. They use local labor that may not be aware of U.S. codes or standards. They do the work within a diplomatic context and a difficult business climate. The U.S. contractors hire local labor and train them to do the work.   How Tracy Envisions the Partnering Program Helping Overall with the Mission (16:10) It’s their opportunity to foster trust in a structured environment with inexperienced team members. When construction is booming in the U.S. there’s less skilled labor that wants to go overseas, so to have a structure of trust is one of the primary benefits of Partnering. The risk to the work is an order of magnitude higher for contractors. The cost of delay is too high, you need solutions right away.   What Else Has Been Built into the Partnering Program (19:50) Setting up communication protocols. Identifying key indicators and surveying on a monthly basis. It will be led by an IPI facilitator.   Tracy’s Greatest Strength as a Leader (20:25) Pulling the team together. It’s important to discover and capitalize on shared values. Tracy got her team together and asked them what their values were. A key to empowering teams is making sure everyone understands their authority and the basis of their authority.   The Biggest Challenge Tracy Has Ever Faced (24:20) She was working in Yemen during the Arab Spring uprising. She didn’t feel like she had the full support of her team in Washington. She had missed some cultural cues and made some missteps. She had to do a reset on her leadership style and teamwork approach.    Resources for Listeners   Recommended Book: The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander   The Best Advice Tracy Has Ever Gotten (28:51) Be careful what you highlight as a leader in meetings, you could wear people out with action. Measure what you say in a meeting because, as a leader, people will pay attention to what you say.   What is Tracy’s Favorite Piece of Tech (30:03) Her cell phone and software programs that help with data mining to see where potential risks are located.   Contact Tracy Email Tracy: thomastj2@state.gov Visit the OBO website   Tracy’s Parting Advice (33:14) If something isn’t working, it’s okay to make a change. Processes and standard practices are helpful, but if something isn’t working it’s important to recognize the gap and make an adjustment.   We are beta-testing our Project Scorecard between now and September 17th.  Any project team who wants to be a part of the beta-test the Scorecard contact Sue@ConstructionDreamTeam.com. Remember…Construction Dream Team drops every Monday morning at 4 am PST. Please join us next week when Sue will interview another industry leader or expert so you can learn how to create your Construction Dream Team!

This week, Keyerra & JV discuss the unsolved murder of Faith Hedgepeth. If you have information about this case, call the Chapel Hill Police Department (919) 969-2001, or the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, (800) 334-3000. A $40,000 REWARD is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murder of Faith Hedgepeth. https://www.ncsbi.gov/Divisions/Legal/Cold-Cases/Faith-Hedgepeth.aspx 9-1-1 Transcript and Statement Analysis: http://www.gaspowrites.com/2014/07/the-911-call-transcript-is-here.html http://statement-analysis.blogspot.com/2015/12/911-call-faith-hedgepeth-murder-2012.html http://abcnews.go.com/US/police-release-facial-image-identify-murdered-unc-students/story?id=42312443 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Hedgepeth_note.jpeg https://synapse.atavist.com/sealings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_Hedgepeth_homicide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_victimization_of_Native_American_women https://abc11.com/six-years-after-faith-hedgepeths-death-police-still-confident-they-will-catch-killer/4173562/ https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/three-years-later-still-no-answers-for-murdered-native-student-s-family-dHiLRqi_pkSt5X1Yz1jXhA/ https://www.dailytarheel.com/section/faith-hedgepeth-homicide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliwa-Saponi http://www.gaspowrites.com/ Talk to Us: The Show’s Twitter: @crimeincolor Key’s Twitter: @sothisisthekey JV’s Twitter: @myxterhyde Use the hashtag #CrimeInColor to talk about the show Email me stories & experiences at crimeincolor@gmail.com MERCH: teespring.com/stores/crime-in-color-merch Music Credits: Interlude 1 - HARMS harms187.bandcamp.com @kchowse on twitter Podcast Interlude & Closing track - Ben from M.A.U.L. Podcast Twitter - @maulpodcast Tumblr - @maulpodcast Instagram - @maulpodcast www.facebook.com/maulpodcast www.patreon.com/maulpodcast maulpodcast@gmail.com maulpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Episode 12: Adopting While Black From 1999-2017, the total number of adoptions in the United States totaled 271,831, with most adoptions being from birth up to 2 years old, and more girls being adopted than boys. In 2016, 9988 Black or African American children were adopted in the US, compared to 27776 children identifying as White. Over a 13-year period, from 2009-2012, Texas remained one of the top 5 states for adoption, having 13920 adoptees. In 2017, the number of adoptees in Texas was 406. Today, we will be talking with one mother who adopted two African American children, from different states. We will discuss her choice behind adopting.   Guest Momologist: Shannon Powell Hart Shannon Powell Hart has lived throughout the United States, sharing stories as a journalist. Hart’s career began at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she studied radio, TV, and film. The next two decades were filled with opportunities working on-air for stations in Washington, D.C.: Lynchburg, Va.; Greenville, S.C.; Baltimore, Md.: and WFAA in Dallas, TX. The former producer/reporter of Good Morning Texas has since transitioned as Marketing Manager for the Texas Ale Project, a veteran and family-owned brewery in Dallas. When Shannon isn’t educating us on the brewing techniques, the mom of 2 loves evenings at the Coyote Drive-In in Fort Worth with her husband and their 3-1/2-month-old son Zachary, 11-month old Zoe, and crafting, and finding time with friends. Please reach out to the show hosts to be connected to Shannon.   Episode Sponsor: Gladney This episode is sponsored in part by the Gladney Center. Since 1887, Gladney Center for Adoption has been a pioneer and leading voice for improving the lives of children, adoptive families and birth parents. With unwavering commitment, Gladney has focused on their mission and made a difference in the lives of birth parents, families and children in the United States and around the world. Gladney believes every child deserves a loving & caring family and will not rest until all children know the love and stability of a forever home. Visit www.adoptionsbygladney.com/start and request a free adoption information packet today!   Sources: Adoption Statistics, United States Department of the State: Bureau of the Consular Affairs. Retrieved from: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/Intercountry-Adoption/adopt_ref/adoption-statistics.html   National Public Radio (NPR) Six Words: ‘Black Babies cost less to adopt’ Published 2013 June 27. Retrieved on https://www.npr.org/2013/06/27/195967886/six-words-black-babies-cost-less-to-adopt     SxSW Panel Picker: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/81148 Please vote for Mahogany Momology to join SxSW speakers in March. We are looking to present on the reality that black moms change in a variety of ways throughout the day. You do need to create an account in order to vote. SXSW Voting began on August 6, 2018 and continues through August 30. We thank our listeners for voting and your unwavering support.   Continue the Discussion, Download, Subscribe, Rate, Like, Follow Us, and Share on: Twitter: @MMomology Insta: @mahoganymomology FB: @MahoganyMomology Email Us: Mahoganymomology@gmail.com   Recording Studio: Greenville Ave Recording Studio Website: http://www.greenvilleaverecordingstudio.com/

On Friday the 13th of April, President Trump bombed the government of Syria… Again. In this episode, learn some of the little-discussed history of and reasons for the on-going attempts to overthrow the government of Syria. Please Support Congressional Dish Click here to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD167: Combating Russia (NDAA 2018) LIVE Additional Reading Article: 'Obscene masquerade': Russia criticised over Douma chemical attack denial by Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, April 26, 2018. Article: Why does Syria still have chemical weapons? by Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, April 18, 2018. Report: Russia rejects UN resolution for independent Douma investigation, Aljazeera, April 18, 2018. Report: Pentagon warns of IS resurgence in regime areas of Syria, France24, April 17, 2018. Interview: Legal questions loom over Syria strikes, Interview by Jonathan Masters of John B. Bellinger III, Council on Foreign Relations, April 15, 2018. Letter: Text of a letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, April 15, 2018. Report: Trump bombs Syria hours after 88 lawmakers urged him to first consult Congress by Jennifer Bendery, Huffpost, April 13, 2018. Interview: What are U.S. Military options in Syria? Interview by Zachary Laub of Mona Yacoubian, Council on Foreign Relations, April 13, 2018. Report: Thousands of US troops and Marines arrive in Jordan by Shawn Snow, Marine Times, April 13, 2018. Report: Global chemical weapons watchdog 'on its way to Syria', Aljazeera News, April 12, 2018. Report: Pentagon strips Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria troop numbers from web by Tara Copp, Military Times, April 9, 2018. Press Release: Press release on Israeli air strikes in Syria, MFA Russia, February 20, 2018. Article: Kurds pull back from ISIS fight in Syria, saying U.S. 'let us down' by Liz Sly, The Washington Post, March 6, 2018. Report: US has no evidence of Syrian use of sarin gas, Mattis says by Robert Burns, AP News, February 2, 2018. Article: The pundits were wrong about Assad and the Islamic State. As usual, they're not willing to admit it by Max Abrahms and John Glaser, Los Angeles Times, December 10, 2017. Report: [Syria investigator del Ponte signs off with a sting](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-, mideast-crisis-syria-investigator/syria-investigator-del-ponte-signs-off-with-a-sting-idUSKCN1BT29Q) by Reuters Staff, Reuters, September 18, 2017. Article: Trump's red line by Seymour M. Hersh, Welt, June 25, 2017. Article: The 'Pipelineistan' conspiracy: The war in Syria has never been about gas by Paul Cochrane, Middle East Eye, May 10, 2017. Article: MIT expert claims latest chemical weapons attack in Syria was staged by Tareq Haddad, Yahoo, April 17, 2017. Report: MIT expert claims latest chemical weapons attack in Syria was staged by Tareq Haddad, International Business Times, Yahoo, April 17, 2017. Report: Dozens of U.S. missiles hit air base in Syria by Michael R. Gordon, Helene Cooper, and Michael D. Shear, The New York Times, April 6, 2017. Report: ISIS used chemical arms at least 52 times in Syria and Iraq, report says by Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, November 21, 2016. Article: How the White Helmets became international heroes while pushing U.S. Military intervention and regime change in Syria by Max Blumenthal, Alternet, October 2, 2016. Meetings Coverage: Security council unanimously adopts resolution 2254 (2015), endorsing road map for peace process in Syria, setting timetable for talks by UN Security Council, December 18, 2015. Article: How Syria's 'geeky' President Assad went from doctor to dictator by Sarah Burke, NBC News, October 30, 2015. Report: Declared Syrian chemical weapon stockpile now completely destroyed by Thomas Gibbons-Neff, The Washington Post, August 18, 2014. Article: Analysts question US intel on Syria chem attack, DW, January 18, 2014. Book Review: Whose Sarin? by Seymour M. Hersh, London Review of Books, December 19, 2013. Article: UN report says sarin likely used in five locations in Syria, DW, December 13, 2013. Article: Assad did not order Syria chemical weapons attack, says German press by Simon Tisdall and Josie Le Blond, The Guardian, September 9, 2013. Article: Cameron forced rule out British attack on Syria after MPs reject motion by Nicholas Watt and Nick Hopkins, The Guardian, August 29, 2013. Article: Spooks' view on Syria: what wikileaks revealed by Alex Thomson, Channel 4, August 28, 2013. Article: Obama weighs 'limited' strikes against Syrian forces by Thom Shanker, C.J. Chivers, and Michael R. Gordon, The New York Times, August 27, 2013. Report: Moscow rejects Saudi offer to drop Assad for arms deal by Agence France-Presse, Hurriyet Daily News, August 8, 2013. Analysis: UN's Del Ponte says evidence Syria rebels 'used sarin' by Bridget Kendall, BBC News, May 6, 2013. Report: Syrian rebels used nerve gas, UN investigator says by TOI Staff, Times of Israel, May 6, 2013. Report: UN sources say Syrian rebels - not Assad - used sarin gas by Adam Clark Estes, The Atlantic, May 5, 2013. Report: U.N. has testimony that Syrian rebels used sarin gas: investigator by Reuters Staff, Reuters, May 5, 2013. Letter: Text of White House letter on Syria to senators by The Associated Press, The Seattle Times, April 25, 2013. Article: How economic reforms are contributing to the conflict in Syria by Rodrigo Abd, NPR, May 29, 2012. Article: The only remaining online copy of Vogue's Asma al-Assad profile by Max Fisher, The Atlantic, January 3, 2012. Report: IMF gives Syria high grade for economic reform by Stephen Glain, The National, January 6, 2009. Report: REFILE-LIberalised Syria banks "on sound track" by Reuters Staff, Reuters, May 26, 2008. Article: The redirection: Is the Administration's new policy benefitting our enemies in the war on terrorism? by Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker, March 5, 2007. Article: Syrian Arab Republic -- IMF article IV consultation, mission's concluding statement, International Monetary Fund, May 14, 2006. Report: Investigator says Syria was behind Lebanon assassination by Warren Hoge, The New York Times, December 12, 2005. Article: Reform hinges on Syria's leader by Evan Osnos, Chicago Tribune, April 22, 2005. Resources Congressional Research Service: Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response Council on Foreign Relations: Syria's War: The Descent into Horror by Zachary Laub Country Reports on Terrorism: Chapter 6 -- State Sponsors of Terror Overview Gov. Publishing Office: Counter-ISIS Training and Equipment Fund IMF Working Paper: Syria's Conflict Economy by Jeanne Gobat and Kristina Kostial Pipeline Report: Arab Gas Pipeline (AGP), Jordan, Syria, Lebanon Public Law: 9/11 AUMF Public Law: Iraq War AUMF Scientific Advisory Board: OPCW 27th Session March 23, 2018 Wikileaks Tweet on OPCW UN News: Action Group for Syria Final Communique June 30, 2012 UN Security Council Report: Goal in Syria Sound Clip Sources Hearing: US Policy Toward Middle East; House Foreign Affairs Committee; April 18, 2018. Witnesses: -David Satterfield - Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State - Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs - Wess Mitchell - Assistant Secretary of State of European and Eurasian Affairs 15:25 David Satterfield: While preventing the use of chemical weapons in Syria is our immediate concern, the administration’s priority remains the defeat of ISIS. ISIS has lost nearly all of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria, but the fight in Syria still has to be pursued to its conclusion. More broadly, the United States supports a unified and territorially whole Syria. This objective is served by U.S. support for the UN-led Geneva political process, established by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, in which process the U.S. believes strongly that representatives of all Syrians, including all its Kurdish components, should fully participate. 16:30 David Satterfield: The Iraqi government is stabilizing communities, including minority communities that suffered greatly from ISIS, and now we’re beginning private-sector-led, investment-driven reconstruction. 34:15 Representative Eliot Engel (NY): To me, ISIS is one prong of something, an important prong, but one prong of what we should be doing. I really think to rid Syria of the butcher Assad ought to be as important as our ISIS concerns. David Satterfield: I strongly agree with you that a Syria in which Assad remains as leader of this regime is not a Syria which we would predict to be meaningfully secure or stable, or not a source of generation of threat and violent extremism under whatever name in the future, and it’s why we have strongly supported a political process led by the UN. Unfortunately, that political process has been blocked, and the parties responsible for blocking it are quite clear: it’s the Syrian regime itself and the Russians, who through their absence of pressure on the regime in Damascus contributes to, enables this freezing of a Geneva process which, virtually, the entire international community supports. Engel: And through the veto in the United Nations. Satterfield: Exactly, sir. 1:02:20 Representative Dana Rohrabacher: What is our purpose in Syria? Will we accept anything less than—would we accept a compromise that would keep Assad in power, at least in part of Syria, or is our goal and our purpose only to totally eliminate the Assad government? David Satterfield: Mr. Rohrabacher, our purpose of our forces in Syria, as Secretary Mattis, Chairman Dunford have stated repeatedly, is to defeat ISIS. The purpose of our diplomacy, of our international engagement, with respect to Syria, is to support a political process, which at its end has a revised constitution, elections conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. And our belief is that those elections, if freely and fairly conducted amongst all Syrians, including the émigré Syrian communities, would not produce the survival of the Assad regime. Rohrabacher: Okay, let me just note, what you described wasn’t just Syria, but probably three-quarters of the countries of the Middle East. And if we made those demands of—why is it that Syria, we have to make those demands against Syria and not against all these other countries in the Middle East? Satterfield: Because, sir, of the extraordinary depredations of this regime in this country against its citizens, because of the extraordinary and historically unprecedented, in modern times, outflow of— Rohrabacher: You don’t think the rest of the countries in the Middle East have similar track records? You’re trying to tell me that—well, we heard the same thing, of course, about Saddam Hussein, we heard the same thing about Gaddafi, and we ended up creating total chaos—total chaos—in that part of the world. Satterfield: No regime in modern history in the Middle East, including Saddam Hussein’s— Rohrabacher: Yes. Satterfield: —has killed as many of its own citizens, has produced external and internal displacement of its own citizens on the scale of the Assad regime. No. It’s unique, sadly. Rohrabacher: Well, let me just say, Mr. Ambassador, you read history differently than I do. That is an area that is filled with dictators, it’s filled with authoritarian regimes, filled with our allies, that if people rose up against them as they’re rising up against Assad—he’s a bad guy, he’s a dictator, he’s everything you said, but he’s not that different from these other regimes once they are challenged. Once they were challenged, don’t tell me the Qatar government wouldn’t mow down all of their guest workers if there was an uprising in Qatar, and vice versa with these other regimes. I’m very disturbed by the fact that we’re sliding into a war and not having an out that will not lead us to major military commitments to that region. That would be a disaster, and I think it’s based on the analysis that you just said: that Assad is somewhat different than everybody else. I don’t think so. News: Rand Paul Says Syrian Gas Attack was False Flag, or Assad is Dumbest Dictator on the Planet; CNN News; April 17, 2018. Meeting: U.N. Security Council on Airstrikes in Syria; U.N. Security Council; April 14, 2018. Testimony: Secretary Mattis and General Dunford on 2019 Budget Request; House Armed Services Committee; April 12, 2018. Witnesses: - James Mattis - Secretary of Defense - General Joseph F. Dunford Jr. - Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 41:42 Secretary of Defense James Mattis: On Syria, sir, both the last administration and this one made very clear that our role in Syria is the defeat of ISIS. We are not going to engage in the civil war itself. Now, you can look back to a year ago when we did fire missiles into Syria, unrelated to ISIS, and that was, of course, the use of chemical weapons. And some things are simply inexcusable, beyond the pale, and in the worst interest of not just the Chemical Weapons Convention but of civilization itself. 42:48 Secretary of Defense James Mattis: And the only reason Assad is still in power is because of the Russians’ regrettable vetoes in the UN, and the Russian and Iranian military. So, how do we deal with this very complex situation? First of all, we are committed to ending that war though the Geneva process, the UN orchestrated effort. It has been unfulfilled because, again, Russia has continually blocked the efforts. 50:10 Representative Niki Tsongas (MA): So as you’re considering possible steps forward—military actions you might take— what do you hope to achieve by any military action that the administration might eventually decide to take? Secretary of Defense James Mattis: Congresswoman, I don’t want to get, as you’ll understand, into the details of a potential decision by the commander in chief, due to this latest attack, which is absolutely inexcusable. There have been a number of these attacks. In many cases, you know we don’t have troops. We’re not engaged on the ground there, so I cannot tell you that we had evidence, even though we certainly had a lot of media and social-media indicators that either chlorine or sarin were used. As far as our current situation, if, like last time, we decide we have to take military action in regard to this chemical weapons attack, then, like last time, we will be reporting to Congress just as we did when we fired a little over a year ago, slightly over a year ago. As far as the counter violent extremists, counter ISIS— Tsongas: So, let me go back to this. So, before taking any action, you would report to Congress as to the nature of what that action might be. Mattis: I will speak only to the fact that we will report to Congress. We’ll keep open lines of communication. There will be notification to the leadership, of course, prior to the attack. But we’ll give a full report to the Congress itself, probably as rapidly as possible. 54:05 Secretary of Defense James Mattis: I believe there was a chemical attack, and we’re looking for the actual evidence. The OPCW—this is the organization for the Chemical Weapons Convention—we’re trying to get those inspectors in, probably within the week. 1:00:42 Representative Jackie Speier (CA): Mr. Secretary, a Military Times article this week revealed that the Defense Manpower Data Center failed to report the number of combat troops deployed in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan last quarter. That website was also stripped of deployment data from previous quarters. I’m very concerned about that. I think that there’s no combat advantage to obfuscating the number of U.S. service members that were in these countries three months ago, and, furthermore, the American public has a right to know. Do you intend to restore that information to the website? Secretary of Defense James Mattis: I’ll look at it, Congresswoman. As you know, we keep the Congress fully informed, right down to every week. We can update you on exactly the numbers in each case, and we do maintain some degree of confidentiality over the number of troops engaged against enemies in the field. So, I’ll have to look at it. But we will not, of course, ever keep those numbers away from members of Congress, for your oversight. Speier: Well, I know, but this has been an ongoing website that’s provided this information to the public, and all of a sudden, the last quarter, it’s not posted, and they’ve sweeped away all the data for previous quarters. So, it would suggest to, I think, the public and to members of this Congress that you are no longer going to make that information available, and I think the public has a right to know. Mattis: I see. When I come in, ma’am, I don’t come in intending to hide things, but I would just ask, what would you do if you thought the enemy could take advantage of that kind of data, seeing trends at certain times of the year and what they can expect in the future? But I’ll certainly look at it. I share your conviction that the American people should know everything that doesn’t give the enemy an advantage. Speier: Thank you. I yield back. 1:18:09 Representative John Garamendi (CA): What is the legal authority—the precise legal authority—of the United States government to engage in military action in response to the chemical weapons use by the Assad regime? Secretary of Defense James Mattis: Right. I believe that authority’s under Article II. We have forces in the field, as you know, in Syria, and the use of chemical weapons in Syria is not something that we should assume that, well, because you didn’t use them on us this time, you wouldn’t use them on us next time. 1:28:35 Representative Tulsi Gabbard (HI): You know, the president has indicated recently his intention to launch U.S. military attacks against Syria. Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the sole power to declare war. Congress has not done so against the Syrian government. Section 3 of the War Powers Resolution requires the president to consult with Congress before introducing U.S. armed forces into situations of hostilities. Section 2 of the War Powers Resolution clarifies the constitutional powers of the president as commander in chief. In Article II, which you referenced, Secretary Mattis, to introduce forces into hostilities only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by an attack upon the U.S., its territories, possessions, or armed forces. Syria’s not declared war against the U.S. or threatened the U.S. The launch of 59 missiles against Syria by Trump last year was illegal and did not meet any of those criteria in the War Powers Resolution. The consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which was signed into law by President Trump, states that none of the funds made available by this Act may be used with respect to Syria in contravention of the War Powers Resolution, including for the introduction of U.S. armed military forces into hostilities in Syria. My question is, will the president uphold the Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, and comply with the law that he signed by obtaining authorization from Congress before launching U.S. military attacks against Syria? Secretary of Defense James Mattis: Congresswoman, we have not yet made any decision to launch military attacks into Syria. I think that when you look back at President Obama sending the U.S. troops into Syria at the time he did, he also had to deal with this type of situation, because we were going after a named terrorist group that was not actually named in the AUMF that put them in. This is a complex area, I’ll be the first to admit. Gabbard: It is simple, however, what the Constitution requires. So while you’re correct in saying the president has not yet made a decision, my question is, will he abide by the Constitution and comply with the law? Mattis: Yeah. I believe that the president will carry out his duties under the Constitution to protect the country. Interview: John Kerry - We Got All of the Chemical Weapons Out of Syria; CNN; April 9, 2018. Interview: John Kerry on Getting Chemical Weapons out of Syria, 2014; Meet the Press; April 9, 2018. Testimony: US Policy in Syria After ISIS; Senate Foreign Relations Committee; January 11, 2018. Witnesses: - David Satterfield - Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs 13:45 David Satterfield: A stable Syria absolutely requires the departure of President Assad and his regime. They’ve inflicted suffering and countless deaths on the Syrian people, including use of chemical weapons. This regime is a magnet for terror. It is incapable of democratically leading the whole of Syria. We, our allies, have come to Russia with a path towards the Syrian political transition, towards a political solution, on many occasions, and we call on Russia again today to pressure the regime to work seriously towards a political resolution to this conflict. 14:37 Sen. Bob Corker (TN): We are now not demanding that Assad leave. Instead, as I understand it, we’re embracing the UN resolution as Putin has recently done. Is that correct? David Satterfield: That’s correct, Mr. Chairman. Corker: And that would mean that there would then be an election that would take place. Satterfield: There would be a constitutional reform and revision process, and then there would be an electoral process. That electoral process would be fully under UN monitoring and supervision. Corker: And is it true that—it’s my sense that people like you and others believe that if that process occurs as has been laid out and as supported right now by Russia, do you believe that the way Assad would go through a democratic election where he would lose? Satterfield: Mr. Chairman, we cannot conceive of a circumstance which a genuinely fair electoral process overseen by the UN, with participation of a Syrian displaced community, could lead to a result in which Assad remained at the helm. 21:20 David Satterfield: First step was the defeat of ISIS. As long as ISIS remained a potent fighting force in Syria, the bandwidth, the space to deal with these broader strategic challenges, including Iran and, of course, Assad and the regime, simply wasn’t there. But that bandwidth is being freed up now. With the UN process, with international support for a credible electoral and constitutional reform process, we see political transition in Syria as a potentially achievable goal. We don’t underestimate the challenges ahead. It’s going to be hard—very hard—to do. Assad will cling to power at almost every cost possible. But with respect to Iran, we will treat Iran in Syria and Iran’s enablement of Hezbollah as a separate strategic issue. How do you deal with it? You deal with it in all places that it manifests itself, which is not just Syria, but Iraq, Yemen, the Gulf, other areas where Iran’s maligned behaviors affect our and our allies’ national interests. Difficult challenge, but not impossible challenge, and it is one we are seized with right now, but having a politically transformed Syria will, in and of itself, be a mitigating and minimizing factor on Iran’s influence, and the opposite is also true. Satterfield: We are working on stabilization in the north and the northeast right now very successfully and with a minimum of U.S. physical presence. About 2,000 U.S. military and seven, soon to be 10, foreign service colleagues. This is a highly efficient operation, and it’s working on the ground. But those are only the first steps. The 2254 political process, the process that the entire international community of like-minded states has signed on to, is the key. It’s the key to addressing Assad and his departure; it is the key to resolving the question of foreign forces and Iranian influence. And what are our levers, what are our tools to move that forward? They are denial of legitimacy and authenticity to any claim of victory by the regime or its supporters in Moscow or Tehran, and the withholding of reconstruction funds, which are vital to the regime and we think Moscow’s interests over the long term. Those are potent levers. 48:58 Sen. Bob Corker: As I understand, the troops that are there, they’re not involved in combat. Is that correct? David Satterfield: Senator, there are still combat activities going on in the middle Euphrates valley. The campaign against the so-called Caliphate, that is, the territorially structured presence of ISIS, is not over yet. That campaign continues. The level of fighting has significantly diminished since the days of urban conflict in Mayadeen, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor. But the fight goes on, and there is combat activity. Corker: But, most of their efforts are in support of those that are actually on the front lines. Satterfield: They are in facilitation of the SDF efforts, who have consistently carried this fight since the beginning. 49:47 Sen. Ron Johnson (OH): Reconstructing Syria’s going to cost somewhere in the order of 200 to 300 billion dollars. Is that…? David Satterfield: That’s a general international estimate, sir. Johnson: So, who has that kind of money? Satterfield: I can tell you who doesn’t: the Syrian regime, Moscow, and Tehran. Who does? The international community companies, international financial institutions. They’ve got the money collectively, but that money is not going to flow into a Syria which has not gone through a political transformation and transition. Hearing: Authorization for Use of Military Force; Senate Foreign Relations Committee; October 30, 2017. 2:55:15 Sen. Rob Portman (OH): Do you think there can be a lasting peace there as long as Assad is in power, and does the current AUMF give you the ability, General Mattis, to be able to deal with that issue if you think that has to be resolved? That might be one example. Rex Tillerson: Well, the current AUMF only authorizes our fight against ISIS in Syria, as I indicated in my remarks. We’re not there to fight the regime. There is no authority beyond the fight against ISIS. Therefore, we have to pursue a future Syria that’s kept whole and intact, and a process, which the UN Security Council process does provide a process by which, in our view, the Assad regime will step down from power. Breaking News: Brian Williams is Guided by the Beauty of Our Weapons in Syria Strikes; MSNBC; April 13, 2017. Breaking News: Zakaria: Trump Just Became President; CNN; April 7, 2017. Report: Hillary Clinton Discussed Rigging the Election in Leaked Audio; The Young Turks; November 1, 2016. Interview: Gen. Wesley Clark - 7 Countries in 5 Years; Democracy Now!; August 6, 2016. Hearing: U.S. Policy and Russian Involvement in Syria; House Foreign Affairs Committee; November 4, 2015. Witnesses: - Anne Patterson - Assistant Secretary of State - Victoria Nuland - Assistant Secretary of State Statement: Situation in Syria; Secretary of State Clinton calls on Assad to resign Interview: 100% Syria Have No Chemical Weapon, John Kerry; Charlie Rose; March 10, 2014. Debate: British House of Commons Debate on Syria; House of Commons; August 29, 2013. Press Briefing: US President Barack Obama in 'red line' warning to Syria over Chemical Weapons; Telegraph; August 21, 2012. Testimony: US Policy Toward Syria; House International Relations Committee; September 16, 2003. Speech: Democracy in Iraq; George Bush; February 26, 2003. Witnesses: - John Bolton - then Undersecretary at the Department of State for Arms Control, current National Security Advisor 53:12 Former Representative Gary Ackerman (NY): Are we talking about regime change in Syria if they do not voluntarily rid themselves of whatever it is we’re saying they have or do that threatens our national security? John Bolton: Mr. Ackerman, as the president has made clear and as we are directed, our preference is to solve these problems by peaceful and diplomatic means. But the president has also been very clear that we’re not taking any options off the table. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)  

On-site at the 6th Annual Drug Prevention Summit. Thom Browne about what is added to drugs to make them more potent and lethal. He has a master's degree in criminal justice, is the President and CEO of the global criminal justice and demand reduction consulting firm Rubicon Global Enterprises. He created treatment systems and prevention programs in over 70 countries on five continents during his 25-year career at the U.S. Department of State/Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

For Episode 51 of The CareerMetis Podcast, we will learn about: A Day in the Life of an IT Professional in the Public Sector.Guest IntroductionAdam Poston is an IT professional in the public service sector. He began his career doing IT for retail and eventually getting a government contract with the US Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.He traveled and worked in some pretty exciting places, and moved through various positions during his career before landing a job with the Space Program.Episode Summary1. Adam explains how he got his start in IT, and how he managed to move up through various positions and jobs.2. He talks about his time in Colombia as well as Iraq and explains the various duties and positions he's held during his career path.3. Adam explains the difference between working private sector versus working for the government and then goes into a day to day breakdown of what he does in his job. 4. He talks about the pros and cons of the IT industry, and which parts he enjoys the most, as well as the importance of continually learning.5. Adam discusses the certification process, as well as the best place to start in the IT field.Quotes“The hunt is what really made me want to do it because I wanted to do more in this industry.”“I still liked to be in the nuts and bolts working on servers, that's what brings me pleasure, to see the immediate return on the hard work you put in.”“When you choose a career in IT, you're going to be a career student at the same time.”“That first certification you hold in your hand is literally a key to a much bigger kingdom”Intro Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack – Siren KickbackEnding Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack – No Need to Rush See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we're replaying an interview that Bursts conducted with Ron Sakolsky in March of 2016. Ron had just recently published Breaking Loose: Mutual Acquiescence or Mutual Aid? From the original posting: "Ron is a poet, an anarchist, a surrealist, a pirate radio broadcaster and author and more. Recently, Little Black Cart published a small book by Ron Sakolsky entitled Breaking Loose: Mutual Acquiescence or Mutual Aid? The essay is an anarcho-surrealist critique in which Ron levels a challenge to readers to move past (or break free) from the limitations we internalize from engaging with and within (as well as with others within) the systems of domination. In the conversation, Ron revisits the essay, breaks down some terminology and eggs the listener on to exercise their imagination and act from places of inspiration to apply direct action against the status quo. The essay it's built off of can be found in Modern Slavery #1. During the hour, we discuss that book, we chat about radio and Ron's 30 years of radio experience starting in college radio in IL, later involved in the pirate station called Black Liberation Radio, publishing and promoting the building of micro-broadcast transmitters, and currently with Radio Tree Frog in the forests of Coast Salish Territories AKA British Colombia. He contributed to and edited the titles Seizing The Airwaves: A Free Radio Handbook (AK Press, 1998) and Islands of Resistance: Pirate Radio in Canada (New Star Books, 2010). A sample of featuring mostly content from the "Old Pal" show on Tree Frog radio is found here:  " To hear more of our archives, dating back to 2010, check out thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org   Jai "Jerry" Williams Later this week, District Attorney Todd Williams plans to announce whether or not he will be indicting Sgt. Tyler Radford for the murder of 35 year old Asheville resident Jerry Williams (no relation), who was a children's book author and father of 5. The particulars of this meeting will hopefully be made public later this week. For those who are unaware of this case, Williams was murdered in early July this year at the Deaverview apartment complex after police were called regarding an unrelated domestic dispute. In response to Jai, or Jerry, being killed by law enforcement and the discrepencies between stories of witnesses and the police narrative, Asheville experienced its first of many vigorous protests under the auspices of Black Lives Matter. It is expected that the DA, who recently received a 900 page report on the case from the State Bureau of Investigation, will deliver a non-indictment announcement, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for calls for solidarity from the Williams family and for community responses. You can also call the DA's office to express your opinion at (828) 259-3410   Kinetic Justice Needs Support There is urgent need for folks to call prison administrators at Limestone Correctional Facility, where Kinetic Justice (who was one of the main organizers of the September 9 #PrisonStrike) has been transferred in order to isolate and endanger him. He was brutally beaten on December 2, and continues to fear for his life. WE NEED TO SHOW THE PRISON THAT THERE ARE MANY EYES AND EARS ON THE OUTSIDE KEEPING TRACK OF KINETIK! Here are the numbers to call, and the script provided by IWOC: Call Limestone Prison Warden Christopher Gordy 256-233-4600 Call Commissioner Jeff Dunn & Ass Comm Grant Culliver 334-353-3883  or email Call Gov Robert Bentley 334-242-7100 Call Department of Justice 205-244-2001 or email Say this, "I am calling to demand that you release Robert Early Council from solitary confinement and move him out of Limestone Correctional Facility immediately. He was brutally beaten on December 2nd and continues to fear for his life." You can read about Kinetik's work at the Free Alabama Movement's website freealabamamovement.com   Grand Jury Resistance at Standing Rock On or around December 3rd, 2016 a water protector at Oceti Sakowin received a summons to appear before a federal grand jury that has been convened in relation to the resistance of water protectors. What we know about grand juries is that they have a long history of being used to target those in resistance to the state and engaged in political or revolutionary movements. The purpose of this grand jury and all grand juries that target revolutionary people and communities is to cause division, manufacture prisoners of war, create paranoia and suspicion amongst comrades. We will not be intimidated and resistance to this is only strengthening our resolve to kill this black snake and all the others. Water protectors stand in resistance to this grand jury and all tools of state repression, be it on the ground through Morton County's violent tactics or in the shrouded secrecy of a grand jury courtroom. Indigenous people, water protectors, legal workers, revolutionaries and comrades from across the camps are actively organizing resistance to this grand jury. Camp wide education efforts are already underway as well as reaching out through our networks of solidarity that know no borders in order to spread the word. If you have been contacted by federal law enforcement or have been served with a subpoena related to water protector activities or the resistance at Standing Rock please contact the Water Protector Legal Collective at (605) 519-8180. Grand juries rely on the isolation and fear that can come with a subpoena. The first step of resistance is seeking solidarity and support! To donate to the Water Protector Legal Collective, you can visit http://waterprotectorlegal.org/ways-support-us/ And for many other fantastic resources regarding grand juries and grand jury resistance, you can visit itsgoingdown.org and search the article Grand Jury Resistance at Standing Rock #NoDAPL Oakland March in Response to Gentrification & #GhostShip fire In Oakland, there's a call for a March on Monday entitled: Honor the dead! Fight for the living! Resist the destruction of all that allows us to survive and sometimes thrive. Let us mourn and rage together against a world that tears us apart, slowly in the form of ongoing gentrification, development, deportation, and imprisonment – or swiftly through tragedy that could have been prevented. From Libby to Trump, they don't care about us, let's show them we don't need them! It's not about the artists. It's about all of us trying to survive in Oakland. Poor people, people of color and queer people have been fighting for their existence for decades. Communal warehouses are only one of our most recent dwellings where sometimes we get to imagine what another life could look like. Defend tent cities and takeover vacant buildings! Fight landlords! We demand a moratorium on all evictions and affordable housing for all! Monday, December 12th, 6pm at Grand Lake Theater @ Grand Ave and Lake Park Ave next to Lake Merritt     FBI Spying & Rule 41 Also of note, the December 9th episode of On The Media, a podcast produced by NPR's WNYC studios with a progressive focus on media production in the U.S. and politics, had a really good interview with Rainey Reitman, the Activism Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The OTM interview, the second interview of the episode, focused on the recently passed updates to Rule 41 of the U.S. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, giving permission for the FBI to hack computers outside the jurisdiction in which the warrant was granted, often specifically where encryption or another means of obscuring or securing the information is being used. Check out that episode at http://www.wnyc.org and more work and analysis of digital freedom and surveillance from our friends at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, alongside toolkits for staying safer in the interwebs Playlist