Podcasts about state department

Last week, Jensen Huang said that China is “nanoseconds behind” the US in chipmaking. Is he right? Today, Chris McGuire joins ChinaTalk for a US-China AI hardware net assessment. Chris spent a decade as a civil servant in the State Department, serving as Deputy Senior Director for Technology and National Security on the NSC during the Biden administration and back at State for the initial months of Trump 2.0. Today, our conversation covers: Huawei vs Nvidia, and whether China can compete with US AI chip production, Signs that chip export controls are working, Why Jensen is full of it when he says China is “nanoseconds behind” What sets AI chips apart from other industries China has indigenized, How the US has escalation dominance in a trade war with China, and the significance of BIS's 50% rule, Chris's advice for young professionals, including why they should still consider working in government. Outtro Music: Abao Uduli https://open.spotify.com/track/176BwQLW0IGc2mhkkMe0yH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of Big Conversations, Little Bar with Patrick Evans & Randy Florence dives into how passion, persistence, and service shape a life in film and community. Our guest Teddy Grouya—founder of the AmDocs Film Festival—traces a path from UCLA film studies and foreign-exchange days in Denmark to a State Department posting in Australia, then back to Hollywood and ultimately to creating a globally respected documentary and animation showcase. He explains how AmDocs curates 200+ films, hosts meaningful industry events, and consistently earns top marks from filmmakers. We explore why strong documentaries need more than talking heads, the surge of docuseries on streamers, and the hunt for that elusive story “hook.” He shares personal projects—from a Vivaldi passion piece to the heartfelt short Memory Collector—and his work restoring Palm Springs' Plaza Theatre. Plus: volunteer opportunities, premieres, and how great festivals are built like great films—one dedicated department at a time.Takeaways:A global path: Denmark exchange student → UCLA → State Department in Australia.AmDocs screens 200+ titles and prioritizes real industry networking.Festival success = curation, community, and nightly experiences beyond theaters.Submissions: generally completed within three years; 70-mile premiere radius.Docs should avoid “talking heads” fatigue—use dynamic visuals and archives.Memory Collector spotlights returning lost VHS memories to families.Vivaldi project began with curiosity and became a documentary narrative.Call for volunteers: drivers, theatre teams, and social media helpers.#BigConversationsLittleBarPodcast #PatrickEvans #RandyFlorence #SkipsLittleBar #MutualBroadcastingSystem #CoachellaValleyResidents #SkipPaige #TeddyGrouya #AmDocsFilmFestival #DocumentaryFilmmaking #InternationalRelations #DanishLanguage #PlazaTheaterRestoration #FilmFestivalNetworking #PalmSpringsCulture #MemoryCollector #UCLAFilmStudies #AustraliaEmbassyExperience #CoachellaValleyIndependent #AmericanDocumentaryAwards

Mary Louise Kelly, host of NPR's All Things Considered, is no stranger to tough conversations with important people. In her new national security podcast, NPR's Sources and Methods, Kelly brings you inside the Pentagon, State Department, and intelligence community to help you understand America's shifting role in the world, and how events in faraway places matter here at home.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Watch every episode ad-free on Substack: https://coffeeandamike.substack.com/   Larry C. Johnson is a veteran of the CIA and the State Department's Office of Counter Terrorism. He talks how the proposed deal with Gaza/Israel is DOA, why neighboring countries will not help the Palestinians, future of Israel, revisiting Iran, the narrative formed around Charlie Kirk's death, deployment of the military in America, war in Venezuela and much more. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE LIKE AND SHARE THIS PODCAST!!!    Watch Show Rumble- https://rumble.com/v6zu15a-trumps-gaza-deal-is-doa-larry-johnson.html YouTube- https://youtu.be/3K-Z4HKgaS0   Follow Me X- https://x.com/CoffeeandaMike IG- https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandamike/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeandaMike/ YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@Coffeeandamike Rumble- https://rumble.com/search/all?q=coffee%20and%20a%20mike Substack- https://coffeeandamike.substack.com/ Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coffee-and-a-mike/id1436799008 Gab- https://gab.com/CoffeeandaMike Locals- https://coffeeandamike.locals.com/ Website- www.coffeeandamike.com Email- info@coffeeandamike.com   Support My Work Venmo- https://www.venmo.com/u/coffeeandamike Paypal- https://www.paypal.com/biz/profile/Coffeeandamike Substack- https://coffeeandamike.substack.com/ Patreon- http://patreon.com/coffeeandamike Locals- https://coffeeandamike.locals.com/ Cash App- https://cash.app/$coffeeandamike Buy Me a Coffee- https://buymeacoffee.com/coffeeandamike Bitcoin- coffeeandamike@strike.me   Mail Check or Money Order- Coffee and a Mike LLC P.O. Box 25383 Scottsdale, AZ 85255-9998   Follow Larry Website- https://sonar21.com/ YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@counter_currents_channel Substack- https://larrycjohnson.substack.com/    Sponsors Vaulted/Precious Metals- https://vaulted.blbvux.net/coffeeandamike McAlvany Precious Metals- https://mcalvany.com/coffeeandamike/

The 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report has been released by the State Department of the United States, and Marcel van der Watt (President and CEO at NCOSE) joins Haley McNamara (Executive Director and CSO at NCOSE) and Dani Pinter (CLO and Director of the NCOSE Law Center) to talk about some of the surprises in this 25th edition of the annual report. Each year, it ranked countries into tiers based on their efforts to combat trafficking, and our team dives into why some of these rankings seem to miss the mark. They also watch and react to the recent video from Joseph Gordon-Levitt about the dangers of A.I. and how we need to stand up and make sure our voices are heard at every level of government.  Learn more about NCOSE's efforts to fight Demand: https://endsexualexploitation.org/demand Read the 2025 TIP Report: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/ Watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt's NYT video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CSdXtNaVN/  

Former State Department employees whose roles were eliminated as part of a reduction-in-force still received information about whether they would be needed during the government shutdown — including some workers who were told their positions were “excepted.” While the full extent of the issue wasn't immediately clear, three such employees shared those notifications with FedScoop on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Others were also aware of the problem even if they didn't receive the messages themselves. In response to a FedScoop request for comment, a State spokesperson indicated the department was aware of the issue and had taken steps to address it, confirming there were “minor” discrepancies with data, saying that the department immediately worked to resolve any outstanding issues. Of the three State Department notices reviewed by FedScoop, one informed the RIF'd employee that their position was “excepted” and explained that those roles are defined as those needed for emergencies that threaten life and property or are essential for national security. It then ordered that worker to “report to work on your next regularly scheduled workday.” The other two already RIF'd employees were told that they would be furloughed during the shutdown but that it was “in no way a value judgement on the work you do for the Department.” Those employees were also instructed to review their department emails for updates despite not being able to access that information. Of the three RIF'd employees, only one — a foreign service officer — is still on the department's payroll. As employees at the Education Department prepared for a looming government shutdown this week, several set an automatic email reply to inform others of their furloughed status. But by Thursday morning, some furloughed workers discovered that their automatic email replies had been altered, without their knowledge, to include a message blaming Democratic senators for the ongoing government shutdown. According to two furloughed Education Department employees, the agency sent workers suggested language to use for their out-of-office messages earlier this week, but the language was “neutral” regarding the shutdown. One of the employees, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told FedScoop they and other furloughed staff mostly cut and paste from the suggested language with little to no changes when setting their automatic replies. But when they checked their automatic email replies Thursday morning, the message changed and included partisan language mentioning Democrats, the employee said. The other furloughed worker said they set the generic text for their OOO email Wednesday morning and the message was changed by Wednesday night. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

On today's Top News in 10, we cover: Democrat leadership struggles to respond to the shutdown amid internal chaos. The State Department completely obliterates decades of work from Hillary Clinton. Check out the full interview with Elizabeth Mitchell & our coverage of the State Department shift: https://youtube.com/live/Ft_5NFamaHo Keep Up With The Daily Signal Sign up for our email newsletters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.dailysignal.com/email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     Subscribe to our other shows:  The Tony Kinnett Cast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7AFk8xjiOOBEynVg3JiN6g⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  The Signal Sitdown: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2026390376⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Problematic Women:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL7765680741⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Victor Davis Hanson: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL9809784327⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Follow The Daily Signal:  X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=DailySignal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Truth Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Thursday, October 2nd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Hindus barged into church assaulted pastor and destroyed Bibles Praise God! A court in India recently acquitted a Christian who faced charges under an “anti-conversion” law. The state of Uttarakhand passed the measure in 2018. Pastor Nandan Singh Bisht was the first Christian charged under the law. He faced years of legal battles. However, a judicial magistrate finally cleared the pastor of all charges on September 17th. The case began in 2021. Pastor Bisht gathered with 25 Christians in his house for prayer. In response, local Hindus barged into the house, destroyed their Bibles, and assaulted the pastor. Despite the ordeal, Pastor Bisht told Morning Star News that God was “always faithful and sustained my family's needs. This is the result of answered prayers.” In Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.” Filipino earthquake kills 60 A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines on Tuesday. The powerful quake killed at least 60 people and injured over 150 more. Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon told CNN, “Some churches partially collapsed, and some schools had to be evacuated. This [earthquake] was a sleeper. It crept up on us.” Wycliff Bible Translators released 23 complete Bibles & 95 New Testaments Wycliffe Bible Translators released their latest statistics on Tuesday. Over the past year, translators have released 23 complete Bibles and 95 New Testaments. This work brings the whole Bible to nearly 200 million more people. James Poole, the executive director of Wycliffe Bible Translators, stated, “In recent years, we have seen an extraordinary surge in Bible translation. Progress is happening at a pace and scale not witnessed before, and whole communities are beginning to receive the Scriptures far sooner than we could once have imagined.”  Scottish police arrest pro-life grandmother for second time Police in Scotland recently re-arrested a 75-year-old pro-life grandmother for standing outside an abortion mill Rose Docherty simply held a sign that read, “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.” It's the second time authorities arrested her under Scotland's buffer zone law.  The U.S. State Department told The Telegraph, “The arrest of Rose Docherty is another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe.” U.S. Gov't shutdown @ midnight Wednesday The U.S. government entered a shutdown at midnight on Wednesday.  Congressional leaders could not reach a deal to pass a spending bill by the deadline. Republicans are calling for spending cuts, while Democrats are pushing for more social programs and foreign aid. Listen to comments from Vice President J.D. Vance.  VANCE: “To the American people who are watching, the reason your government is shut down at this very minute is because, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of congressional Republicans and even a few moderate Democrats supported opening the government, the Chuck Schumer/AOC wing of the Democratic Party shut down the government because they said to us, ‘We will open the government, but only if you give billions of dollars of funding for healthcare for illegal aliens.” Previously, the federal government has had 20 funding gaps, resulting in 10 shutdowns since 1976. Contemporary Christian Music ranked 4th and religious stations ranked 2nd Inside Radio released the top 10 radio formats based on current month counts. Religion-formatted stations ranked second, and Contemporary Christian Music ranked fourth. Of the top 10, only Contemporary Christian has welcomed new stations into the format every month over the last year. Religion-formatted stations also saw consistent growth.  Other music formats like Country and Top 40 lost a significant number of stations.   Public & private school students bring their Bible to school today And finally, today is Focus on the Family's annual Bring Your Bible to School Day.  Nearly 1.3 million people and over 10,000 churches participated last year.  Emerson Collins is the Parenting and Youth Program Manager for Focus on the Family. He told The Christian Post, “We're looking at thousands of churches, thousands of schools and 2 million students total participating.” Collins said the celebration is not just about bringing Bibles to school but also talking about Christ. He noted, “That's what we're hoping to create is the curiosity, the connection and the conversation around Christ and the Gospel.” The celebration is inspired this year by James 1:22. The verse says, “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, October 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Eurasia Group Founder Ian Bremmer discusses international relations, the state of the State Department, the trade market and more. Bremmer spoke with Bloomberg's Tom Keene and Paul Sweeney.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, AJC hosted a conversation with Jason Greenblatt, a key architect of the Abraham Accords, and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro. They discussed the challenges threatening regional stability, from unilateral moves on Palestinian statehood to political pressures within Israel, and underscored what's at stake—and what it will take—to expand the Abraham Accords and advance peace. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Episode lineup: Dan Shapiro (1:00) Jason Greenblatt (18:05) Full transcript: https://www.ajc.org/news/podcast/accords-of-tomorrow-architects-of-peace-episode-5 Resources: AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace - Tune in weekly for new episodes. AJC.org/AbrahamAccords - The Abraham Accords, Explained AJC.org/CNME - Find more on AJC's Center for a New Middle East Listen – AJC Podcasts: AJC.org/ForgottenExodus AJC.org/PeopleofthePod Follow Architects of Peace on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace You can reach us at: podcasts@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript: Manya Brachear Pashman: In September 2020, the world saw what had been years – decades – in the making: landmark peace agreements dubbed the Abraham Accords – normalizing relations between Israel and two Arabian Gulf states, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Later, in December, they were joined by the Kingdom of Morocco. Five years later, AJC is pulling back the curtain to meet key individuals who built the trust that led to these breakthroughs and turning the spotlight on some of the results. Introducing the Architects of Peace. On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September, American Jewish Committee hosted conversations with former Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, a key architect of the Abraham Accords, and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro:. Both diplomats discussed the dangers threatening peace in the region, including some countries' unilateral calls for Palestinian statehood. They shared what's at stake and what it will take to expand the Abraham Accords and make progress toward peace in the region. We're including those conversations as part of our series.  AJC's Chief Strategy and Communications Officer Belle Yoeli starts us off with Ambassador Shapiro. Belle Yoeli:  Ambassador Shapiro, thank you so much for being with us. We're going to speak primarily about unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, but I, of course, want to ask you a couple of questions, because you have so much to share with us before we dive in.  First and foremost, as we've said, It's been almost two years, and at AJC, we're all about optimism and playing the long game, as you know, but it does feel like the challenges for the Jewish community and the state of Israel continue to build. And of course, the war looms very large. What is your analysis of the geopolitical horizon for the war in Gaza. Dan Shapiro:  First, thanks for having me. Thank you to American Jewish Committee and to Ted and everybody for all you do. Thank you, Ruby [Chen], and the families, for the fellowship that we can share with you in this goal. I'll just say it very simply, this war needs to end. The hostages need to come home. Hamas needs to be removed from power. And aid needs to surge into Gaza and move forward with a reconstruction of Gaza for Palestinians who prepare to live in peace with Israel. This is something that is overdue and needs to happen. I think there have been a number of missed opportunities along the way. I don't say this in a partisan way. I think President Trump has missed opportunities at the end of the first ceasefire, when the first ceasefire was allowed to expire after the Iran strike, something I strongly supported and felt was exactly the right thing to do. There was an opening to create a narrative to end the war. I think there have been other missed opportunities. And I don't say in a partisan way, because the administration I served in, the Biden administration, we made mistakes and we missed opportunities. So it can be shared. that responsibility.  But what I do think is that there is a new opportunity right now, and we saw it in President Trump's meeting with Arab leaders. It's going to take very significant, deft, and sustained diplomatic effort. He's got a good team, and they need to do the follow through now to hold the Arabs to their commitments on ensuring Hamas is removed from power, on ensuring that there's a security arrangement in Gaza that does not leave Israel vulnerable to any possibility of a renewal of hostilities against it. And of course, to get the hostages released. That's pressure on the Arabs. And of course, he's got a meeting coming up with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and I do think he's going to need to lean on Prime Minister Netanyahu to overcome the resistance that he has to deal with in his cabinet, from those who want to continue the war or who those who rule out any role of any kind for the Palestinian Authority in something that will follow in the day after in Gaza.  So there is a real opportunity here. Once the war is over, then we have an opportunity to get back on the road that we were on. Two years ago at this UN General Assembly, I was serving as the Biden administration's Senior Advisor on regional integration, the first State Department position to hold that, trying to follow through on the excellent work that Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner and, of course, President Trump did in the first term in achieving the Abraham Accords. And we were building out the Negev Forum. And in fact, at that UNGA meeting, we had planned the next ministerial meeting of the Negev Forum. It was to take place October 19 in Marrakesh. Obviously, no one ever heard about that summit. It didn't happen. But getting back on the road to strengthening and expanding the Abraham Accords, to getting Saudi Arabia to the table as a country that will normalize relations with Israel, to expanding regional forums like the Negev Forum. Those are all still within reach, but none of them are possible until the war ends, till the hostages are home, till Hamas is removed from power.  Belle Yoeli:  Absolutely. And we look forward to talking more about the day after, in our next segment, in a segment coming up. Ambassador, you just got back from Israel. Can you tell us about your experience, the mood, what's the climate like in Israel? And any insights from your meetings and time that you think should be top of mind for us? Dan Shapiro:  I think what was top of mind for almost every Israeli I spoke to was the hostages. I spent time in the hostage square in Tel Aviv, spent time with Ruby, spent time with other hostage families, and everywhere you go as everybody who spin their nose, you see the signs, you hear the anxiety. And it's getting deeper because of the time that people are worried is slipping away for, especially for those who are still alive, but for all of those hostages to be returned to their families, so deep, deep anxiety about it, and candidly, some anger, I think we just heard a little bit of it toward a government that they're not sure shares that as the highest priority. There's a lot of exhaustion. People are tired of multiple rounds of reserve duty, hundreds of days. Families stressed by that as well the concern that this could drag on with the new operation well into next year. It's allowed to continue. It's a lot of worry about Israel's increased isolation, and of course, that's part of the subject. We'll discuss how countries who have been friends of Israel, whether in the region or in Europe or elsewhere, are responding in more and more negative ways, and Israel, and all Israelis, even in their personal lives, are feeling that pinch. But there's also some, I guess, expectant hope that President Trump, who is popular in Israel, of course, will use his influence and his regional standing, which is quite significant, to put these pieces together. Maybe we're seeing that happening this week. And of course, there's some expectant hope, or at least expectant mood, about an election next year, which will bring about some kind of political change in Israel. No one knows exactly what that will look like, but people are getting ready for that. So Israelis are relentlessly forward, looking even in the depths of some degree of anxiety and despair, and so I was able to feel those glimmers as well. Belle Yoeli:  And relentlessly resilient, absolutely resilient. And we know that inspires us. Moving back to the piece on diplomatic isolation and the main piece of our conversation, obviously, at AJC, we've been intensely focused on many of the aspects that are concerning us, in terms of unfair treatment of countries towards Israel, but unilateral recognition of Palestinian state is probably the most concerning issue that we've been dealing with this week, and obviously has gotten a lot of attention in the media. So from your perspective, what is this really all about? Obviously, this, this has been on the table for a while. It's not the first time that countries have threatened to do this, but I think it is the first time we're time we're seeing France and other major countries now pushing this forward in this moment. Is this all about political pressure on Israel? Dan Shapiro:  Well, first, I'll say that I think it's a mistake. I think it's an ill advised set of initiatives by France, by Canada, Australia, UK and others. It will change almost it will change nothing on the ground. And so to that sense, it's a purely rhetorical step that changes nothing, and probably does little, if anything, to advance toward the stated goal of some sort of resolution of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. And in many ways, it may actually set it back in part because of the way it appears to and certainly many Israelis understand it too. And I'm sorry to say, many Arabs understand it to reward Hamas. Hamas is celebrating it as an achievement of October 7, and that October 7 will find its place in the pantheon of the Palestinian Liberation story that should never be allowed to happen. So doing it this way, doing it without conditioning it on the release of hostages, on the disarming and removal of Hamas from Gaza, is a mistake. And of course, it tells Israelis that their very legitimate concerns about obviously the hostages, but also that some future Palestinian state, wherever and whatever form it might take, could become a threat to them from other parts, from parts of the West Bank, as it was from Gaza on October 7. And you cannot get to that goal unless you're willing to engage the Israeli public on those concerns, very legitimate concerns, and address them in a very forthright way.  So I think it's a mistake. I'm sure, to some degree, others have made this observation. It is motivated by some of the domestic political pressures that these leaders feel from their different constituencies, maybe their left, left wing constituencies, some right wing constituencies, and some immigrant constituencies. And so maybe they're responding to that. And I think that's, you know, leaders deal with those types of things. I think sometimes they make bad decisions in dealing with those types of pressures. I think that's the case here, but I it's also the case. I think it's just fair to say that in the absence of any Israeli Government articulated viable day after, plan for Gaza, something we were urged Israel to work with us on all the time. I was serving in the Biden administration, and I think the Trump administration has as well, but it's remained blurry. What does what is that vision of the day after? Not only when does it start, but what does it look like afterwards? And is it something that Arab States and European states can buy into and get behind and and put their influence to work to get Hamas out and to do a rebuild that meets the needs of both Israelis and Palestinians. There hasn't been that. And so that could have been a way of satisfying some of those domestic pressures, but it wasn't really available. And so I think some of the leaders turn to this ill advised move instead. Belle Yoeli:  So perhaps catering to domestic political concerns and wanting to take some sort of moral high ground on keeping peace alive, but beyond that, no real, practical or helpful outcomes, aside from setting back the cause of peace? Dan Shapiro:  I think it has limited practical effects. Fact, I think it does tell Israelis that much of the world has not internalized their legitimate concerns, and that they will be, you know, cautious at best for this. Everybody knows that there are many Israelis who have been long standing supporters of some kind of two state resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. And post October 7, they've, they don't still hold that position, or at least they say, if it can happen, it's going to take a long time, it's going to look very different. And I think that actually is some a real practical takeaway, that if we are going to talk about some future establishment of a Palestinian state and some two state arrangement, certainly separation between Israelis and Palestinians, so they don't try to live intermixed in a way that they govern each other. I think that is that is desirable, but it's not necessarily going to look like two state outcomes that were envisioned in the Oslo period, in the 90s and the 2000s it's going to look different. It's going to take longer. And so that is something that I think we have to make sure is understood as people raise this initiative, that their goal is not the goal of 1993 it's going to have to look different, and it's going to have to take longer. Belle Yoeli:  So as more and more countries have sort of joined this, this move that we find to be unhelpful, obviously, a concern that we all have who are engaged in this work is that we've heard response, perhaps, from the Israelis, that there could be potential annexation of the West Bank, and that leads to this sort of very, very, even more concerning scenario that all of the work that you were discussing before, around the Abraham Accords, could freeze, or, perhaps even worse, collapse. What's your analysis on that scenario? How concerned should we be based on everything that you know now and if not that scenario? What else should we be thinking about? Dan Shapiro:  We should be concerned. I was actually in Israel, when the UAE issued their announcement about four weeks ago that annexation in the West Wing could be a red line, and I talked to a very senior UAE official and tried to understand what that means, and they aren't, weren't prepared to or say precisely what it means. It doesn't necessarily mean they're going to break off relations or end the Abraham Accords, but that they would have to respond, and there's a limited range of options for how one could respond, with moving ambassadors or limiting flights or reducing certain kinds of trade or other visits. Nothing good, nothing that would help propel forward the Abraham accords and that particular critical bilateral relationship in a way that we wanted to so I think there's risk. I think if the UAE would take that step, others would probably take similar steps. Egypt and Jordan have suggested there would be steps. So I think there's real risk there, and I think it's something that we should be concerned about, and we should counsel our Israeli friends not to go that route. There are other ways that they may respond. In fact, I think we've already seen the Trump administration, maybe as a proxy, make some kind of moves that try to balance the scales of these unilateral recognitions. But that particular one, with all of the weight that it carries about what how it limits options for future endpoints, I think would be very, very damaging. And I don't think I'm the only one. Just in the last hour and a half or so, President Trump, sitting in the Oval Office, said very publicly that he, I think you said, would not allow Netanyahu to do the Analyze annexation of the West Bank. I think previously, it was said by various people in the administration that it's really an Israeli decision, and that the United States is not going to tell them what to do. And that's perfectly fine as a public position, and maybe privately, you can say very clearly what you think is the right course, he's now said it very publicly. We'll see if he holds to that position. But he said it, and I think given the conversations he was having with Arab leaders earlier this week, given the meeting, he will have his fourth meeting. So it's obviously a very rich relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday, I think it's clear what he believes is necessary to get to the end of this war and not leave us in a worse position for trying to get back on the road to his goals. His goals of expanding the Abraham accords his great achievement from the first term, getting Saudi Arabia to normalize relations, of course, getting hostages released and getting Arabs involved in the reconstruction of Gaza in a way that Gaza can never become the threat it was again on October 7, those are his goals. They'll be well served by the end of the war that I described earlier, and by avoiding this cycle that you're referencing. Belle Yoeli:  Putting aside the issue of unilateral recognition, I think we've seen in our work with our Israeli counterparts, sort of differences in the political establish. Around how important it is in thinking about the day after and seeing movement on the Palestinian issue. And we've seen from some that they perhaps make it out that it's not as important that the Palestinian having movement towards a political path. It's not necessarily a have to be front and center, while others seem to prioritize it. And I think in our work with Arab countries, it's very clear that there does have to be some tangible movement towards the political aspirations for the Palestinian for there to really be any future progress beyond the Abraham accords. What's your take? Dan Shapiro:  My take is that the Arab states have often had a kind of schizophrenic view about the Palestinian issue. It's not always been, maybe rarely been their highest priority. They've certainly had a lot of disagreements with and maybe negative assessments of Palestinian leaders, of course, Hamas, but even Palestinian Authority leaders. And so, you know, it's possible to ask the question, or it has been over time, you know, how high do they prioritize? It? Certainly those countries that stepped forward to join the Abraham accords said they were not going to let that issue prevent them from advancing their own interests by establishing these productive bilateral relations with Israel, having said that there's no question that Arab publics have been deeply, deeply affected by the war in Gaza, by the coverage they see they unfortunately, know very little about what happened on October 7, and they know a lot about Israeli strikes in Gaza, civilian casualties, humanitarian aid challenges, and so that affects public moods. Even in non democratic countries, leaders are attentive to the views of their publics, and so I think this is important to them. And every conversation that I took part in, and I know my colleagues in the Biden administration with Arab states about those day after arrangements that we wanted them to participate in, Arab security forces, trainers of Palestinian civil servants, reconstruction funding and so forth. They made very clear there were two things they were looking for. They were looking for a role for the Palestinian Authority, certainly with room to negotiate exactly what that role would be, but some foothold for the Palestinian Authority and improving and reforming Palestinian Authority, but to have them be connected to that day after arrangement in Gaza and a declared goal of some kind of Palestinian state in the future.  I think there was a lot of room in my experience, and I think it's probably still the case for flexibility on the timing, on the dimensions, on some of the characteristics of that outcome. And I think a lot of realism among some of these Arab leaders that we're not talking about tomorrow, and we're not talking about something that might have been imagined 20 or 30 years ago, but they still hold very clearly to those two positions as essentially conditions for their involvement in getting to getting this in. So I think we have to take it seriously. It sounds like President Trump heard that in his meeting with the Arab leaders on Tuesday. It sounds like he's taking it very seriously. Belle Yoeli:  I could ask many more questions, but I would get in trouble, and you've given us a lot to think about in a very short amount of time. Ambassador Shapiro, thank you so much for being with us. Dan Shapiro:  Thank you. Thank you everybody.  Manya Brachear Pashman: As you heard, Ambassador Shapiro served under President Obama. Now AJC's Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson speaks with Jason Greenblatt, who served under President Trump. But don't expect a counterpoint. Despite their political differences, these two men see eye to eye on quite a bit. Jason Isaacson: Jason first, thank you for the Abraham Accords. The work that you did changed the history of the Middle East. We are so full of admiration for the work of you and your team. Jared Kushner. Of course, President Trump, in changing the realities for Israel's relationship across the region and opening the door to the full integration of Israel across the region.  It's an unfinished work, but the work that you pioneered with the President, with Jared, with the whole team, has changed the perspective that Israel can now enjoy as it looks beyond the immediate borders, Jordan and Egypt, which has had relations with a quarter a century or more, to full integration in the region. And it's thanks to you that we actually are at this point today, even with all the challenges. So first, let me just begin this conversation by just thanking you for what you've done.  Jason Greenblatt: Thank you. Thank you, and Shana Tova to everybody, thank you for all that you do. Jason Isaacson: Thank you. So you were intimately involved in negotiations to reach normalization agreements between Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco, the Kingdom of Bahrain, of course, the United Arab Emirates. Can you take us behind the scenes of these negotiations? At what point during the first term of President Trump did this become a priority for the administration, and when did it seem that it might actually be a real possibility? Jason Greenblatt: So I have the benefit, of course, of looking backward, right? We didn't start out to create the Abraham Accords. We started out to create peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, which, as Dan knows, and so many people here know, including you Jason, seems to be an impossible task. But I would say that if I follow the breadcrumbs, my first meeting with Yousef Al Otaiba was a lunch, where it was the first time I actually ever met an Emirati, the first time I understood the psychology of the Emiratis. And others. I realized that the world had changed tremendously.  Everything that you heard about anti-Israel wasn't part of the conversation. I'll go so far as to say, when I went to the Arab League Summit that took place in Jordan in March of 2017 where I met every foreign minister. And I'm not going to tell you that I loved many of those meetings, or 85% of the conversation, where it wasn't exactly excited about Israel and what Israel stood for. There were so many things in those conversations that were said that gave me hope.  So it was multiple years of being in the White House and constantly trying to work toward that. But I want to go backwards for a second, and you touched on this in your speech, there are many parents and grandparents of the Abraham Accords, and AJC is one of those parents or grandparents. There are many people who work behind the scenes, Israeli diplomats and so many others. And I'm sure the Kingdom of Morocco, where the architecture was built for something like the Abraham Accords, everybody wanted regional peace and talked about Middle East peace. But we were fortunate, unfortunately for the Palestinians who left the table, which was a big mistake, I think, on their part, we're very fortunate to take all of that energy and all of that hard work and through a unique president, President Trump, actually create that architecture.  On a sad note, I wouldn't say that when I left the White House, I thought I'd be sitting here thinking, you know, five years out, I thought there'd be lots of countries that would already have signed and all the trips that I take to the Middle East, I thought would be much. Now they're easy for me, but we're in a very, very different place right now. I don't think I ever would have envisioned that. Jason Isaacson: Thank you. The administration has talked a great deal about expanding the Abraham Accords, of course, and as have we. Indeed, at an AJC program that we had in Washington in February with Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, he talked publicly for the first time about Lebanon and Syria joining the Accords. Obviously, with both of those countries, their new political situation presents new possibilities.  However, the ongoing war in Gaza, as we've been discussing with Ambassador Shapiro, and Israel's actions, including most recently striking Hamas in Doha, have further isolated Israel in the region and made an expansion of the accords harder to envision. At least, that's the way it seems. Given the current situation in the Middle East. Do you think the Trump administration can be successful in trying to broker new agreements, or do the current politics render that impossible in the short term? How hopeful are you? Jason Greenblatt: So I remain hopeful. First of all, I think that President Trump is a unique president because he's extremely close to the Israeli side, and he's very close to the Arab side. And he happens to have grandchildren who are both, right. I think, despite this terrible time that we're facing, despite hostage families, I mean, the terrible things that they have to live through and their loved ones are living it through right now, I still have hope. There's no conversation that I have in the Arab world that still doesn't want to see how those Abraham Accords can be expanded. Dan, you mentioned the Arab media. It's true, the Arab world has completely lost it when it comes to Israel, they don't see what I see, what I'm sure all of you see.  I'm no fan of Al Jazeera, but I will say that there are newspapers that I write for, like Arab News. And when I leave the breakfast room in a hotel in Riyadh and I look at the headlines of, not Al Jazeera, but even Arab News, I would say, Wow, what these people are listening to and reading, what they must think of us. And we're seeing it now play out on the world stage. But despite all that, and I take my kids to the Middle East all the time, we have dear friends in all of those countries, including very high level people. I've gotten some great Shana Tovas from very high level people. They want the future that was created by the Abraham Accords. How we get there at this particular moment is a big question mark. Jason Isaacson: So we touched on this a little bit in the earlier conversation with Dan Shapiro:. Your team during the first Trump administration was able to defer an Israeli proposal to annex a portion of the West Bank, thanks to obviously, the oped written by Ambassador Al Otaiba, and the very clear position that that government took, that Israel basically had a choice, normalization with the UAE or annexation. Once again, there is discussion now in Israel about annexation. Now the President, as Ambassador Shapiro just said, made a very dramatic statement just a couple of hours ago. How do you see this playing out? Do you think that annexation is really off the table now? And if it were not off the table, would it prevent the continuation of the agreements that were reached in 2020 and the expansion of those agreements to a wider integration of Israel in the region? Jason Greenblatt: To answer that, I think for those of you who are in the room, who don't know me well, you should understand my answer is coming from somebody who is on the right of politics, both in Israel and here. In fact, some of my Palestinian friends would say that sometimes I was Bibi's mouthpiece. But I agree with President Trump and what he said earlier today that Dan had pointed out, I don't think this is the time. I don't think it's the place. And I was part of the team that wrote the paperwork that would have allowed Israel to . . . you use the word annexation. I'll say, apply Israeli sovereignty. You'll use the word West Bank, I'll use Judea, Samaria.  Whatever the label is, it really doesn't matter. I don't think this is the time to do it. I think Israel has so many challenges right now, militarily, hostages, there's a million things going on, and the world has turned against Israel. I don't agree with those that are pushing Bibi. I don't know if it's Bibi himself, but I hope that Bibi could figure out a way to get out of that political space that he's in. And I think President Trump is making the right call. Jason Isaacson: So, I was speaking with Emirati diplomats a couple of days ago, who were giving me the sense that Israel hasn't gotten the message that the Palestinian issue is really important to Arab leaders. And we talked about this with Ambassador Shapiro earlier, that it's not just a rhetorical position adopted by Arab leaders. It actually is the genuine view of these Arab governments. Is that your sense as well that there needs to be something on the Palestinian front in order to advance the Abraham Accords, beyond the countries that we've established five years ago? Jason Greenblatt: You know, when I listened to Dan speak, and I told him this after his remarks, I'm always reminded that even though we disagree around the edges on certain things, if you did a Venn diagram, there would be a lot of overlap. I agree with how he sees the world. But I want to take it even back to when I was in the White House.  There are many times people said, Oh, the Arabs don't care about the Palestinians. They don't care. We could just do whatever we want. It's not true. They may care more about their own countries, right? They all have their visions, and it's important to them to advance their own visions. The Palestinian cause may not have been as important, but there is no way that they were going to abandon the Palestinians back then, and I don't think the UAE or the Kingdom of Morocco or others having entered into the Abraham Accords, abandoned the Palestinians. I think that was the wrong way to look at it, but they are certainly not going to abandon the Palestinians now. And I think that how Dan described it, which is there has to be some sort of game plan going forward. Whether you want to call it a state, which, I don't like that word, but we can't continue to live like this. I'm a grandfather now of three. I don't want my grandchildren fighting this fight. I really don't. Is there a solution?  Okay, there's a lot of space between what I said and reality, and I recognize that, but it's incumbent on all of us to keep trying to figure out, is there that solution? And it's going to include the Palestinians. I just want to close my answer with one thing that might seem odd to everybody. I'm not prone to quoting Saeb Erekat, who I disagreed with, the late Saeb Erekat, who I disagreed with just about on everything, but he used to tell me, Jason, the answer isn't in the Koran, it's not in the Torah, it's not in the Christian Bible, and the Israelis and the Palestinians are not leaving the space. So let's figure out a solution that we could all live with. So that's how I see it. Jason Isaacson: Thank you for that. One last question. I also heard in another conversation with other em righty diplomats the other day that the conflict isn't between Arabs and Israelis or Arabs and Jews, it's between moderates and extremists, and that the UAE is on the side of the moderates, and Morocco is on the side of the moderates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain is on the side of the moderates, and Israel is on the side of the moderates. And that's what we have to keep in our minds.   But let me also ask you something that we've been saying for 30 years across the region, which is, if you believe in the Palestinian cause, believe in rights for the Palestinians, you will advance that cause by engaging Israel, not by isolating Israel. Is that also part of the argument that your administration used five years ago? Jason Greenblatt: 100%. I think, I mean, I kept pushing for it and eventually they did it, for the Israelis and the Arabs to engage directly. Yes, the US plays a role, and they could play a moderating role. They could play somewhat of a coercive role. Nobody's going to force the Israelis, or frankly, even the Palestinians, to do anything they don't want to do, but getting them in the room so there are no missed signals, no missed expectations, I think, is the key part of this solution. I'm still hopeful, just to go back to your prior question, that they could get the right people in the room and somebody like President Trump, together with Emirati diplomats, Moroccan diplomats and others. They could talk rationally, and sanely, and appropriately, and we'll get somewhere good. Jason Isaacson: Ok, look ahead. We just marked the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords. Will there be a 10th Anniversary of the Abraham Accords, and will it look the same that it is now? Jason Greenblatt: No, I think it's going to be better. Yes, I think there's going to be a 10th Anniversary. I think there will be challenges. But maybe the best way I could answer this is, when the, I'll call it, the beeper incident in Lebanon happened. Okay, quite, quite a feat. I was in a conference room at a client of mine in the Middle East. Most of the room was filled with Lebanese Arabs, Christians and Muslims and some Druze. And it was unusual for everybody's phone to buzz at once, because I'm usually following the Israeli and American news. They're following Arab news. All the phones buzz. So somebody stopped talking, and we all picked up our phone to look at it. And I'm looking at the headlines thinking, oh, boy, am I in the wrong room, right?  And after a minute or so of people kind of catching their breath, understanding what happened, two or three of them said, wow, Jason. Like, that's incredible. Like, you know, I wasn't in the White House anymore, but they also want a different future, right? They are sick and tired of Lebanon being a failed state. Their kids are like my kids, and they're just . . . they're everything that they're building is for a different future, and I see that time and time again. So to go back to the UAE diplomats comment, which I hear all the time as well. It really is a fight of moderates against extremists. The extremists are loud and they're very bad. We know that, but we are so much better. So working together, I think we're going to get to somewhere great. Jason Isaacson: Very good. Okay. Final question. You can applaud, it's okay. Thank you for that. Out of the Abraham Accords have grown some regional cooperation agreements. I too, you too, IMEC, the India, Middle East, Europe, Economic corridor. Do you see that also, as part of the future, the creation of these other regional agreements, perhaps bringing in Japan and Korea and and other parts of the world into kind of expanding the Abraham Accords? In ways that are beneficial to many countries and also, at the same time, deepening the notion of Israelis, Israel's integration in the region. Jason Greenblatt: 100% and I know I think AJC has been very active on the IMEC front. People used to say, Oh, this is not an economic peace. It isn't an economic peace, but nor is economics not a very important part of peace. So all of these agreements, I encourage you to keep working toward them, because they will be needed. In fact, one of the fights that I used to have with Saeb Erekat and President Abbas all the time is, I know you're not an economic issue, but let's say we manage to make peace. What's going to happen the next day? You need an economic plan. Let's work on the economic plan. So whether it's IMEC or something else, just keep working at it. Go, you know, ignore the bad noise. The bad noise is here for a little while, unfortunately, but there will be a day after, and those economic agreements are what's going to be the glue that propels it forward. Jason Isaacson: Jason Greenblatt, really an honor to be with you again. Thank you.  Manya Brachear Pashman: In our next episode of the series, we will explore more of the opportunities and challenges presented by the Abraham Accords and who might be the next country to sign the landmark peace agreement.  Atara Lakritz is our producer. T.K. Broderick is our sound engineer. Special thanks to Jason Isaacson, Sean Savage, and the entire AJC team for making this series possible.  You can subscribe to Architects of Peace on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can learn more at AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace. The views and opinions of our guests don't necessarily reflect the positions of AJC. You can reach us at podcasts@ajc.org. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to spread the word, and hop onto Apple Podcasts or Spotify to rate us and write a review to help more listeners find us. Music Credits: Middle East : ID: 279780040; Composer: Eric Sutherland Inspired Middle East: ID: 241884108; Composer: iCENTURY Mystical Middle East: ID: 212471911; Composer: Vicher

Eric Heinze (Maîtrise, Paris; JD, Harvard; Ph.D. Leiden), a former Fulbright, DAAD and Chateaubriand fellow, is Professor of Law and Humanities at Queen Mary, University of London. He writes on justice theory and on human rights, and has worked with the International Commission of Jurists and the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. He has advised NGOs on human rights, including Liberty, Amnesty International and the Media Diversity Institute. Heinze is author of The Most Human Right: Why Free Speech Is Everything. Suzanne Nossel is the CEO of PEN America, the foremost organization working to protect and advance human rights, free expression and literature. She has also served as the Chief Operating Officer of Human Rights Watch and as Executive Director of Amnesty International USA; and held senior State Department positions in the Clinton and Obama administrations. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Nossel frequently writes op-eds for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other publications, as well as a regular column for Foreign Policy magazine. She lives in New York City. Nosssel is author of Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All. Jonathan Zimmerman is the Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. A former Peace Corps volunteer, he is the author of Campus Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know and seven other books. He is also a frequent op-ed contributor to The New York Times, the Washington Post, and other national newspapers and magazines. Zimmerman received the 2019 Open Inquiry Leadership Award from Heterodox Academy, which promotes viewpoint diversity in higher education. Zimmerman is author of Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn.

KISSEL, RUBIO, BATCHELOR The conversation between John Batchelor and colleague Mary Kissel, executive vice president of Stephens Incorporated and former senior advisor at the State Department, focuses on the quiet success of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. Rubio is highly regarded and is very well liked across the aisle for several reasons. During his distinguished career in the Senate, he was viewed as a reasonable person who was very grounded and possessed clear principles, but who was still able to cooperate with Democrats to find common ground. In the current administration, he is seen as relatively more of a realist and a foreign policy hawk than others in powerful roles. Kissel highlights that Rubio has comported himself successfully at the State Department, establishing a stable and extremely careful administration. Notably, the administration has not seen the typical leaks of memos or complaints that the State Department bureaucracy often uses to undermine the executive floor (the seventh floor at Foggy Bottom). A specific success highlighted is the recovery of one of the hostages held by the Kabul government, the Taliban. The success of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA), who reports up to Rubio and the President, is emphasized, as protecting U.S. citizenry is considered the greatest role for the government. Finally, the President has shown significant confidence in Rubio by naming him National Security Advisorconcurrently with his role as Secretary of State.

Can Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza work? The focus today is on Hamas' response. One Israeli lawmaker tells us he's sceptical. We also get reaction from Gaza City and analysis from the former State Department advisor and negotiator on the Middle East, Aaron David Miller.Also in the programme: the Taliban turn off the internet in Afghanistan; and a new exhibition on the astonishing life of the artist and Second World War photographer Lee Miller.

This year has seen a tremendous amount of change for Christian NGOs doing transformational development throughout the world. In many ways, we are entering a new era of global mission and international development. To talk about some of those changes and to help us keep a pulse on what God is up to, we're joined by Michael Cerna who serves as the CEO at the Accord Network. Building on topics from Accord's Thursday Three weekly newsletter, Michael talks with Brandon Stiver about recent reports, articles and resources that are charting a path forward for us. Support the Show Through Venmo – @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors Take the free Core Elements Self-Assessment from the CAFO Research Center and tap into online courses with discount code ‘TGDJ25' Take the Free Core Elements Self-Assessment Resources and Links from the show Accord Network Online Subscribe to The Thursday Three Interesting Times by Ross Douthat : Under Trump, Is Foreign Aid ‘Our Problem?'  “The End of the Age of NGOs?” by Sarah Bush and Jennifer Hadden The Nonprofit Times : Next Generations Christians Will Give Differently Conversation Notes Updates from the Accord Network and the upcoming One Accord Conference in Washington DC Reflections from prayer and advocacy with Bread for the World Ross Douthat's eye-opening conversation with Jeremy Lewin from the Department of Government Efficiency and State Department's shuttering of USAID Reflections on the recent article in International Affairs “The End of the Age of NGOs?” In what ways are Christian Millenials giving differently as they inherit the wealth of older generations Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

In this episode of The China Desk Podcast, host Steve Yates sits down with veteran intelligence officer and author Nick Eftimiades to explore the tactics behind Chinese espionage. Drawing on decades of experience at the CIA, DIA, and State Department, Eftimiades explains how Beijing uses a “whole-of-society” approach—spanning the Ministry of State Security, PLA, United Front, state-owned enterprises, and academia—to gather intelligence and influence U.S. policy. He discusses the evolution of Chinese spy craft from the Cold War to Xi Jinping's era, the Thousand Talents Program, elite capture, and the massive transfer of American intellectual property. The conversation closes with urgent steps the U.S. must take to counter China's operations at the federal, state, and local levels. Watch Full-Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@ChinaDeskFNW  

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to unpack Donald Trump's theatrical visit to the United Nations, where he mocked the organization's very existence and took an unusually sharp tone against Russia. Julia breaks down Trump's pivot on Vladimir Putin before turning to explain how the State Department has been strong-armed into executing Trump's aggressive deportation crusade. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the last two weeks, federal prosecutors in Minnesota have charged nine people with defrauding two different Medicaid programs, and they say this is just the beginning. Last week, federal prosecutors charged a woman for defrauding a state autism treatment program out of $14 million. The week prior, eight people were charged with defrauding the state's housing stabilization services. Now the State Department of Human Services is suspending another disability program over fraud allegations. No one has been charged. This is all on top of more than six dozen people charged so far in the feeding our future child nutrition scheme. Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joe Thompson is the prosecutor in charge of all these cases. He sat down with Minnesota Now host Nina Moini for a wide-ranging conversation about fraud in Minnesota.

Today on America in the MorningTrump-Netanyahu Meeting There are two important meetings for President Trump today, which will include in the afternoon a meetup with the leaders of the House and Senate in a final attempt to avoid a government shutdown.  To start the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the White House to talk about a peace plan the president presented to Arab leaders last week that could prove to be a roadmap for an end to the war in Gaza.  John Stolnis has more from Washington.   Church Targeted In Michigan Rampage The death toll continues to rise in Michigan after a man drove his pickup truck to a church in the suburbs of Flint, started shooting, and then set the house of worship on fire.  Joan Jones has the details.   Trump To Attend Defense Meeting President Trump plans to attend a meeting this week with top U-S military officials that was put in place by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.  Correspondent Clayton Neville reports.   NYC Mayor Ends Reelection Bid The current mayor of New York City has abandoned his reelection campaign.  Correspondent Julie Walker reports New York City Mayor Eric Adams departure comes just five weeks before Election Day.   Oregon Sues To Stop Deployment The state of Oregon has sued the Trump administration in a bid to block the deployment of the National Guard to Portland.    SCOTUS Rules On Foreign Aid The US Supreme Court voted to clear the way for the Trump administration to freeze more than $4 billion dollars in foreign aid, lifting a previous injunction ordered by a federal judge.  Jennifer King reports it's a victory for President Trump, giving him greater control over federal spending and the nation's foreign affairs.   Budget Battle At The White House The White House will be the focus of two important meetings today, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet to discuss President Trump's peace plan for Gaza and Israel, but also, the senior leadership in the House and Senate will sit down with President Trump in efforts to avoid a government shutdown set for Wednesday.  Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports Democrats are against a Republican plan to fund the government through November, but Republicans are standing firm that this is the right fiscal plan to follow.    North Carolina Mass Shooting It was the unthinkable as people dined and drank at a waterfront seafood restaurant along a North Carolina river.  A gunman in a boat coasted up to the eatery's dock and opened fire, killing 3 and wounding 5 others.  Correspondent Julie Walker reports that police believe the actions of the shooter were premeditated.    Vance Talks Russia & Ukraine The Russia-Ukraine war rages on with aerial attacks on Kyiv by missiles and drones, as Russian's Foreign Minister condemns Israel over its war in Gaza.  Correspondent Clayton Neville reports.   Latest On Imelda Tropical Storm Imelda formed Sunday in the western Atlantic and is forecast to strengthen over the next few days, bringing the threat of rainfall and tropical winds to portions of the southeastern U.S. early this week.    US-Columbia Feud The U.S. government says it's revoking the visa of Colombia's president, and tensions between the two countries are escalating.  Correspondent Donna Warder reports on what the South American leader said at a protest that set off alarms at the State Department.  School Superintendent Nabbed By ICE The superintendent of the Des Moines, Iowa public school system was taken into custody by immigration officials.  Sue Aller reports that not only was Dr. Ian Roberts allegedly in the country illegally, he was also apprehended with a loaded gun.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

September 29, 2025 ~ Congressman Bill Huizenga joins Chris, Lloyd, and Jamie to discuss his part in passing a comprehensive reauthorization of the State Department. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his first video interview, Scott brings Matthew Hoh on to talk about his initial reluctance to associate with the antiwar movement, the institutional pressure to keep the war in Afghanistan going, the horrific legacy of General David Petraeus and more.  Discussed on the show: The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan Bodyguard of Lies (IMDb) Matthew Hoh is associate director at the Eisenhower Media Network and formerly worked for the U.S. State Department. Hoh received the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling in 2010. Subscribe to his Substack and follow him on Twitter @MatthewPHoh For more on Scott's work: Check out The Libertarian Institute:  https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott's other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott's books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/47jMtg7 (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/3tgMCdw Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/3HRufs0 Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott's full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Incorporated https://rrbi.co Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com You can also support Scott's work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The COVID-19 pandemic was a devastating global event, killing more than seven million people, straining the fabric of societies, and shaking the foundations of the world economy. And yet, as horrifying as the experience was, COVID-19 was not “The Big One” — the dreaded pandemic that haunts the nightmares of epidemiologists and public health officials everywhere. That far deadlier outbreak is still ahead of us, and it will reshape life across the planet unless we're ready for it. In this episode, Dr. Michael Osterholm, one of the world's leading infectious disease experts, explains what we got wrong, what we got right, and what it all reveals about our preparedness for the next great pandemic. Michael Osterholm is Regents Professor and McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health at the University of Minnesota, where he founded and directs the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). An internationally renowned epidemiologist with fifty years of experience, he's led major outbreak investigations worldwide and authored over 350 papers. He served as a U.S. State Department science envoy from 2017-2019. His new book is The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics.

The US says it will revoke the visa of Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of inciting violence by encouraging American soldiers to disobey orders. When addressing a pro-Palestinian protest in New York, he suggested they should ignore the orders of Donald Trump, and obey the orders of humanity instead. Mr Petro was returning to Bogota when the move was announced. On arrival, he tweeted that he no longer had a US visa and did not care - adding that he considers himself a "free person in the world." The State Department described his actions as reckless.Also in the programme: The International Paralympic Committee lifts its ban on Russia and Belarus; and as England's women take on Canada in the rugby world cup final - we hear from one former international in a house with divided loyalties.(Photo: Colombian President Gustavo Petro addresses pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside UN headquarters in New York, September 26, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Bing Guan)

President Donald Trump has ordered troops to be deployed to Portland to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, saying it's in response to attacks by Antifa and other domestic extremists.The State Department is moving to revoke the Colombian president's visa after he urged U.S. soldiers to disobey Trump's orders.Trump touted a proposed TikTok deal this week, saying it addresses national security concerns. A social media expert joins us to examine whether the plan will truly keep Americans' data safe.

The U.S. State Department says it's revoking the visa of Colombia's president, and tensions between the two countries are escalating. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.

Today's Headlines: Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted yesterday on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a proceeding, stemming from his 2020 testimony about the Russia probe (it always goes back to Russia). Meanwhile, Trump's new enemy: an escalator at the UN that stopped moving under his feet, which he called “triple sabotage” and demanded arrests over. He also slapped tariffs of up to 50% on furniture and cabinets, claiming a national security threat from foreign vanities. In other news, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered nearly 1,000 generals to convene at Quantico in the largest gathering of top brass since Vietnam, though no one will say why. Disney investors are suing over Kimmel's suspension, alleging political motives, while Democrats are furious that the State Department accidentally leaked unredacted military records of Rep. Mikie Sherrill, including her Social Security number, ahead of her gubernatorial run. In tech news, TikTok is being sold to a billionaire bloc led by Oracle and Rupert Murdoch (what could go wrong?), Amazon agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle an FTC case over Prime tricks, and the government is begging hundreds of employees fired in Elon's MAGA-GSA purge to come back. Microsoft, for its part, just cut off an Israeli military unit using its AI for Palestinian surveillance. And finally, Trump promised Israel won't annex the West Bank, U.S. jets intercepted Russian bombers near Alaska, and Argentina will be getting a $20B bailout after President Milei and his buddy Elon basically “DOGE'd” the economy into the ground. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNN: Former FBI Director James Comey indicted NBC News: Trump demands investigation into escalator 'triple sabotage' despite U.N. explanation Axios: Trump imposes 30% to 50% tariffs on some furniture, cabinetry WaPo: Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals Axios: Disney investors argue Kimmel's suspension hurt profits, demand investigation Politico: House Democrats call for investigation into release of Mikie Sherrill's military records CNBC: Amazon reaches $2.5 billion settlement with FTC over 'deceptive' Prime program CNBC: Amazon reaches $2.5 billion settlement with FTC over 'deceptive' Prime program AP News: Trump administration rehires hundreds of federal employees laid off by DOGE AP News: Microsoft reduces Israel's access to cloud and AI products over reports of mass surveillance in Gaza AP News: Trump says he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank CBS News: U.S. fighter jets scrambled to intercept Russian warplanes near Alaska CNN: The Argentina bailout is all about propping up a Trump ally Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A. Wess Mitchell, former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, historian, and author of Great Power Diplomacy: The Skill of Statecraft from Attila the Hun to Kissinger, joins the show to discuss just what diplomacy is. ▪️ Times     •      01:37 Introduction     •      02:08 Bad reutation      •      04:37 Misconceptions              •      09:35 A part of grand strategy      •      13:11 Not trickery              •      18:05 Attila the Hun               •      24:17 Appeasement           •      35:00 Other options              •      39:33 The State Department      •      44:22 Molding diplomats           •      47:31 Ukraine             •      52:47 Major risks Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Part 1 Shownotes In this eye-opening first part of a special two-part episode of "Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu," Tom sits down with Mike Benz—former State Department official, executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, and a leading authority on the intersection of technology, media, and soft power. Benz unpacks the tangled web of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the shifting dynamics of global influence, and how soft power has supplanted traditional warfare in the modern era. Tom and Mike go deep into the true origins and motivations behind NGOs, illuminating how many of these organizations operate as statecraft tools, intelligence fronts, and economic levers for the world's elite. From the rise of philanthropic organizations as vehicles for influence to the coordinated manipulation of global media, Part 1 shines a light on the hidden infrastructure behind democracy building, narrative control, and regime change. Mike exposes the intricate interplay between hedge funds, government foreign policy, media, and activism—detailing how policy and profit become inextricably linked through a process he dubs "drafting off of policy." If you've ever questioned who really pulls the strings behind elections, color revolutions, and the headlines you read every day, this episode will give you a radical new lens through which to see the world. SHOWNOTES00:00 NGOs as Instruments of Power02:43 History of Elite Media Control05:12 Media Manipulation and American Influence Abroad10:44 Soft Power vs. Military Might12:07 Hedge Funds, Donors, and Policy Manipulation (Soros Example)14:35 The “Blob”: Inside the Foreign Policy Establishment20:31 How Economic Interests Drive Foreign Policy23:01 Color Revolutions: Playbooks and Statecraft29:26 Can These Playbooks Be Used Domestically? (Transition Integrity Project)32:24 The National Endowment for Democracy and Modern “Democracy Building”38:28 Media, Music, and Cultural Warfare44:39 Education, Language, and Censorship as Soft Power FOLLOW MIKE BENZ:X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/mikebenzcyberYouTube: Mike Benz CyberRumble: Mike Benz CyberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikebenzcyber/ SleepMe: Visit https://sleep.me/impact to get your Chilipad and save 20% with code IMPACT. Try it risk-free with their 30-night sleep trial and free shipping. Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Hims: Start your free online visit today at https://hims.com/IMPACT. Linkedin: Post your job free at https://linkedin.com/impacttheory Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact Tailor Brands: 35% off https://tailorbrands.com/podcast35 Found Banking: Try Found for FREE at https://found.com/impact What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER:  https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show SCALING a business: see if you qualify here.:  https://tombilyeu.com/call Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.: https://tombilyeu.com/ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2025 National Association of State Departments of Agriculture held their annual meeting in Northwest Arkansas. The event brought ag commissioners and secretaries from all 50 states and several territories, as well as delegations from major trading partners, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for several days of policy meetings, networking, and more. Michael caught up with Louisiana's Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture and event host Wes Ward for on the spot reports. With special guests: Dr. Mike Strain, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry and Wes Ward, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Hosted by: Micheal Klein

“The acme of skill,” Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, is not “to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles,” but “to subdue the enemy without fighting.” The author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare (Portfolio, 2025) has devoted much of his career to exploring how economic power can advance this goal. He served on the teams at the U.S. State Department that designed and negotiated Western sanctions against Russia after its 2014 annexation of Crimea, and whose economic pressure campaign against Iran led to a landmark nuclear deal in 2015. Economic warfare is how America fights its most important geopolitical battles today. From thwarting Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons to checking Russian imperialism and China's bid for world mastery, the United States has reached into its economic arsenal to get the job done. In the process, the world economy has become a battlefield. Its weapons take the form of sanctions, export controls, and investment restrictions. Its commanders are not generals and admirals but lawyers, diplomats, and economists. Its foot soldiers are not brave men and women who volunteer for military service but business executives who seek to maximize profits yet often find they have no option other than to obey Washington's marching orders. And America's strength in these battles stems not from its gargantuan defense budget but from its primacy in international finance and technology. This book is about this kind of war. It blends research, analysis, and extensive interviews with more than one hundred of the key players in the events described, highlighting inflection points, interpreting their significance, and pulling back the curtain on the places where economic wars have been fought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

With seven years experience as CEO of Rainbow Railroad, Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Fellow at the Carr-Ryan Center at Harvard and Refugee Council USA board member Kamahli Powell is uniquely qualified to discuss the world's refugee crisis and specifically how LGBTQ people are disadvantaged in seeking help when their countries, communities and sometimes even their homes are unsafe (interviewed by David Hunt). Plus: gay novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor Truman Capote (September 30,1924 - August 25, 1984) reads from “Breakfast at Tiffany's” (courtesy of Pacifica Radio Archives). And in NewsWrap: 61 members of Congress call on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to restore LGBTQ-specific data to the State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Aka.) lead a bipartisan effort to reinstate a specialized LGBTQ youth service for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Pope Leo XIV clarifies that his stance on inclusion for LGBTQ people excludes same-gender marriage, the Trump administration appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court to enforce its denial of “X” gender passports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stops medical care for transgender detainees at a facility in Aurora, Colorado, Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigns because he says his progressive activism is being silenced by the ice cream company's Unilever multinational corporate owners, and more international LGBTQ+ news reported this week by Tanya Kane Parry and David Hunt (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the September 22, 2025 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

“The acme of skill,” Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, is not “to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles,” but “to subdue the enemy without fighting.” The author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare (Portfolio, 2025) has devoted much of his career to exploring how economic power can advance this goal. He served on the teams at the U.S. State Department that designed and negotiated Western sanctions against Russia after its 2014 annexation of Crimea, and whose economic pressure campaign against Iran led to a landmark nuclear deal in 2015. Economic warfare is how America fights its most important geopolitical battles today. From thwarting Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons to checking Russian imperialism and China's bid for world mastery, the United States has reached into its economic arsenal to get the job done. In the process, the world economy has become a battlefield. Its weapons take the form of sanctions, export controls, and investment restrictions. Its commanders are not generals and admirals but lawyers, diplomats, and economists. Its foot soldiers are not brave men and women who volunteer for military service but business executives who seek to maximize profits yet often find they have no option other than to obey Washington's marching orders. And America's strength in these battles stems not from its gargantuan defense budget but from its primacy in international finance and technology. This book is about this kind of war. It blends research, analysis, and extensive interviews with more than one hundred of the key players in the events described, highlighting inflection points, interpreting their significance, and pulling back the curtain on the places where economic wars have been fought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

“The acme of skill,” Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, is not “to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles,” but “to subdue the enemy without fighting.” The author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare (Portfolio, 2025) has devoted much of his career to exploring how economic power can advance this goal. He served on the teams at the U.S. State Department that designed and negotiated Western sanctions against Russia after its 2014 annexation of Crimea, and whose economic pressure campaign against Iran led to a landmark nuclear deal in 2015. Economic warfare is how America fights its most important geopolitical battles today. From thwarting Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons to checking Russian imperialism and China's bid for world mastery, the United States has reached into its economic arsenal to get the job done. In the process, the world economy has become a battlefield. Its weapons take the form of sanctions, export controls, and investment restrictions. Its commanders are not generals and admirals but lawyers, diplomats, and economists. Its foot soldiers are not brave men and women who volunteer for military service but business executives who seek to maximize profits yet often find they have no option other than to obey Washington's marching orders. And America's strength in these battles stems not from its gargantuan defense budget but from its primacy in international finance and technology. This book is about this kind of war. It blends research, analysis, and extensive interviews with more than one hundred of the key players in the events described, highlighting inflection points, interpreting their significance, and pulling back the curtain on the places where economic wars have been fought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/economics

The Ohio Ag Net team wrapped up yet another successful year at the Farm Science Review. To all who stopped by to see us: Thank You! We're so glad we could share such a great week with you all. Till next year! This week on the Ohio Ag Net Podcast, we pulled together updates from across Ohio agriculture while at the Farm Science Review. Our own Dusty Sonnenberg caught up with State Director of Agriculture Brian Baldridge. The two discussed the latest happenings in the statehouse that impact Ohio agriculture; specifically, the recently passed budget bill. Director Baldridge also shared about his experience at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture annual conference in Arkansas, the current status of epidural hematoma (EDH) in cattle, and everything in between. Ohio's Country Journal Editor Brianna Smith sat down with Luke Crumley, Director of Public Policy & Sustainability for Ohio Corn & Wheat. Crumley shared what they're focused on this time of year, the impact of vomitoxin on Ohio's corn growers, the state's gubernatorial race, and more. Lastly, Ohio Ag Net's Joel Penhorwood spoke with Dr. Scott Shearer, Professor and Chair of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University. Penhorwood and Shearer talked all things agricultural innovation, especially what was on display at this year's Farm Science Review.

Today, we're sharing another episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's biggest national security news with NPR's team of reporters covering the military, State Department, and spy agencies. NPR correspondents stationed around the world also join the conversation. This episode, political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben and diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen talk about the foreign policy issues that loomed large as President Trump visited U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer: the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. NPR international correspondent Daniel Estrin joins from Tel Aviv to talk about how Israelis are reacting to their increasing isolation amid international pressure on Israel to stop its offensive.Find new episodes of Sources & Methods on the NPR App or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Send us a textOnes Ready sits down with Morgan Lerette —author of Guns, Girls, and Greed—to talk about life as a Blackwater mercenary during the chaos of Iraq and Afghanistan. From getting recruited as a broke Air Guard kid, to standing on flight lines wondering if forklifts win Bronze Stars, to suddenly pulling convoys through Route Irish with Navy SEALs and Rangers, Morgan lays it all out: the absurd, the grim, and the downright sketchy. We dive into the wild days of unarmored Peugeots with body armor for window panels, hooker stories from Jordan, and the not-so-fun reality of PMCs running missions with zero backup. And just when you're laughing at zebra-striped POW underwear, Morgan drops the hammer on the modern PMC industry moving kids across the border. Buckle up—this one goes from hilarious to horrifying in record time. Part two is going to be even spicier.Best place to get the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0D5JMPTMY/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome back to Ones Ready 02:00 – Blackwater mercenary origins and pipeline discounts 05:00 – Morgan's “construction worker” to Air Guard journey 09:00 – Forklift heroes and Bronze Stars 13:00 – How a Security Forces guy landed at Blackwater 18:00 – Fallujah, no backup, and calling Bragg from a Nokia brick 22:00 – Corkscrew flights, Peugeots with steel plates, and sweaty armor 27:00 – Protecting diplomats with “creative” ROE 32:00 – Contractors vs State Department nerds 38:00 – QRF reality: escort service and car bomb season 42:00 – The flashbang fail and Iraqi cell-jammer pranks 44:00 – Guns, Girls, Greed—why Morgan's book pissed off Blackwater 47:00 – Hooker tales and Harvard economics majors 49:00 – Custer's Battles and the Wild West of PMCs 53:00 – The ugly truth: PMCs moving kids at the border 58:00 – Durable goods, cartels, and why trafficking beats drugs 1:02:00 – Why foreign-funded PMCs are a ticking time bomb 1:04:00 – Zebra-striped underwear POW story to close it out

This episode dives deep into the intersection of political censorship, violent crime, and the human cost of policies in America today. We examine the dismantling of the State Department's Global Engagement Center, a federal apparatus accused of censoring conservative voices online, and highlight the hypocrisy of Democrats now railing against censorship they once championed. The episode also covers the tragic story of Kayla Hamilton, an 18-year-old murdered by an MS-13 gang member, and the controversial response from Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, who dismissed her death as political expediency. Sheriff Jeff Goller of Hartford County shares firsthand accounts of dealing with violent crime under policies that critics say prioritize politics over public safety. Finally, we explore the rising threat of political violence, referencing Charlie Kirk's prescient warnings and Antifa's recent designation as a terrorist organization in the Netherlands. From censorship to crime to campus attacks, this episode exposes the stakes of today's cultural and political battles, and the human lives caught in the crossfire. Content Warning: discussion of graphic violence, crime, and political extremism.

Content warning: strong partisan commentary, political violence, and discussion of censorship. This episode dives into what the host calls the “ultimate irony” in politics and media: Democrats who once demanded censorship are now crying foul over free speech. As the State Department officially shuts down the Global Engagement Center — a program accused of coordinating international censorship efforts — the host lays out how contracts with foreign governments were used to silence conservative voices in the U.S. From Elon Musk facing possible arrest in France for platforming speech, to $100 million in lost ad revenue tied to conservative media, the conversation paints a picture of a government-backed censorship machine. The irony sharpens when Chuck Schumer is heard decrying “autocracy” over Jimmy Kimmel's removal from ABC affiliates, despite his own past calls to deplatform Tucker Carlson. The discussion ties censorship, market economics, and political hypocrisy together — framed through the death of Charlie Kirk, Trump's political maneuvering, and a shifting media landscape. An unfiltered breakdown of censorship past and present, and the double standards shaping the fight over free speech.

This week, we take a look at the key talking points ahead of the high-level meetings of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. From the Trump administration's cutting of funding to international organizations to China's desire to increase its influence at the U.N., we discuss the conversations that we will be following that are most relevant to the global development community. During the discussion, we also explored some of the conversations that may not get the attention they deserve, including reforming the global debt architecture and securing the future of humanitarian funding. To look ahead to UNGA 80, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch and Allison Lombardo, former deputy assistant secretary at the State Department, for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. Together, they break down the diplomatic challenges and highlight negotiations that will shape this year's discussions. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters: https://www.devex.com/account/newsletters

//The Wire//2300Z September 18, 2025////ROUTINE////BLUF: TRUMP STATES INTENT TO CLASSIFY ANTIFA AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. CHICAGO MAYOR LAMENTS IMPENDING NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------HomeFront-Illinois: Statements by local mayor Brandon Johnson have continued to escalate as the National Guard deployment to Chicago draws near. Johnson stated that “Jails and incarceration and law enforcement is a sickness that has not led to safe communities”, and that he intends to "eradicate" this "sickness".Analyst Comment: It is often a hard sell to convince the public that putting violent criminals in prison is against the best interests of the taxpayer, but Johnson continues to make that argument nonetheless. Right now there is no real confirmation of how the National Guard QRF is to be deployed around the city, though city and state opposition has been high.California: Following yesterday's statements by the FCC Chairman, the ABC network has pulled the Jimmy Kimmel show from it's timeslot indefinitely.Analyst Comment: The network does not care about the crass statements that were made, as it encouraged this behavior for many years. However, getting their license yanked at a time where their ratings are already down would not have been a positive outcome for them.Washington D.C. - Yesterday evening President Trump stated his intent to designate ANTIFA as a terrorist organization on social media.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Beyond President Trump's short post on social media, no details have been provided on this designation yet, or how it's going to work out paperwork-wise. ANTIFA certainly has foreign roots, but in most cases is not explicitly foreign-controlled, so a designation by the State Department as being an FTO might not be an adequate fit. Nevertheless, if the intent is to create a label that ensures more federal charges can be pursued against militants (instead of the catch-and-release that ANTIFA is used to), there are plenty of options. The White House is probably also looking at RICO options regarding the bail-fund practices for ANTIFA members, which have industrialized the process of rotating through the court system.More directly, ANTIFA activities are certain to increase due to this designation, whatever it works out to be. Low-level demonstrations are certain to take place in the usual areas, and more kinetic "Direct Action" attacks are also quite likely to spring up, though larger efforts may take some time to organize. Either way, ANTIFA can certainly mobilize faster than government forces can respond in most cases, though the biggest barriers to ANTIFA operations right now are funding and a lack of coherent picture at higher levels of organization. For many years, ANTIFA has had no natural predators in their environment, and has been allowed to conduct all manner of activities without any sort of barriers at all. Designating this group as a terrorist organization also isn't really necessary; almost all ANTIFA publications directly state that they seek to use violence to further their political goals...which is the textbook definition of terrorism. Where a federal "terrorism" label (however it works out) can be applied, is in cases where local prosecutors won't prosecute terrorist attacks, or more importantly, in the dismantling of the financial networks which have openly been operating under shady LLCs and nonprofit groups, which have acted as shell corporations for ANTIFA funding sources. This still requires federal agencies and prosecutors to *actually prosecute* under the current laws that exist, which is still a bridge too far in most jurisdictions.Analyst: S2A1Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground//END REPORT//

Recognized for her "sensual" and "strong" voice (New York Times), mezzo-soprano Devony Smith is a versatile performer with a wide-ranging repertoire in opera and concert music. Devony is a sought-after collaborator with composers, having premiered works by Grammy-award winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Jake Landau, Eve Beglarian, and Luna Pearl Woolf.  This season, Devony has been featured on multiple album releases, including singing the role of the Lover in Kate Soper's Romance of the Rose. She also performs the alto solos on Benjamin Wenzelberg's release of his cantata, Any of those Decembers. This spring, Devony anticipates the release of her debut solo album In This Short Life with pianist Danny Zelibor, which features premiere recordings of works by composers Mark Adamo, Grammy award winning Jennifer Higdon, Jake Landau, Pulitzer Prize winner David Lang, B.E. Boykin, Eve Beglarian, and Will Liverman.Pianist Danny Zelibor, praised for his sensitive and colorful playing, is a sought-after collaborator and performer. He made his Carnegie Hall debut with baritone Jarrett Ott and has performed in recital with numerous leading musicians, including soprano Harolyn Blackwell and Canadian cellist Amanda Forsyth. An ardent lover of art song, he frequently performs with the Brooklyn Art Song Society and the New York Festival of Song and has recorded world premieres of songs by Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, and Mark Adamo. On the cutting edge of new music, he has premiered and workshopped dozens of new works.  A true believer in the power of music to be a bridge and a force for good, he joined baritone Sidney Outlaw on a concert tour and series of masterclasses in The Republic of Chad sponsored by the U.S. State Department and recently performed in his first series of Well-Being Concerts at Carnegie Hall with cellist Joshua Roman and violinist Simon Porter.  Danny's debut CDs for Toccata Classics, the beginning of a multi-volume set of the piano music of Alexandre Tansman, have received widespread praise from top music publications. A fellow of Tanglewood and graduate of Manhattan School of Music, Danny resides in New York City. http://DevonySmith.com http://DannyZelibor.comMake sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review! Theme music by DreamVance.I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their income streams. You can read more or hop onto a discovery call from my website.  https://jennetingle.com/work-with-meI'm your host, Jennet Ingle. I love you all. Stay safe out there! 

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—the reaction to the murder of Charlie Kirk is testing the limits of free speech, with the Pentagon cracking down on U.S. troops and the State Department pulling visas. Later in the show—could an “Islamic NATO” be on the horizon? Iran and Egypt are pushing for a new Middle East defense pact in the wake of Israel's strike in Qatar. Plus—Washington and Qatar move toward an enhanced defense pact, a sign of shifting alliances in the wake of Israel's attack on Hamas leaders. And in today's Back of the Brief—a Manhattan judge just threw out the top terrorism charges against accused assassin Luigi Mangione, delivering a massive blow to prosecutors. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com.Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief American Financing: NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB.Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About this episode: Over the past few months, USAID has been dismantled, forcing the abandonment of aid projects and flushing away millions of dollars worth of food and medicine. In this episode: Journalist Hana Kiros talks about her reporting on the thousands of USAID-funded projects that have been terminated, the potential PR nightmare for the U.S., and what is happening to lifesaving supplies. Guest: Hana Kiros is a writer and an assistant editor at The Atlantic, where she covers human rights and technology. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. Show links and related content: Inside the USAID Fire Sale—The Atlantic Sudden Impact: When Health Programs End—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine What Foreign Aid Means for National Security—Public Health On Call (February 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Today, we're sharing another episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's biggest national security news with NPR's team of reporters covering the military, State Department, and spy agencies. NPR correspondents stationed around the world also join the conversation. This episode, national security correspondent Greg Myre and domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef join Mary Louise Kelly discuss how U.S. national security changed after the September 11th attacks. Will the structures put in place to prevent another attack survive the Trump administration's cuts to intelligence agencies? And did a focus on militant Islamism mean turning away from threats posed by white supremacist groups?And Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, argues that America's political division is its greatest national security threat — and the best defense is rebuilding the middle class.Find new episodes of Sources & Methods on the NPR App or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

9.11.2025 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: HBCUs & DNC Hit with Threats, State Dept. Warning After Kirk’s Death, 9/11, Crockett, Paramount Deal Five Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the Democratic National Committee headquarters receive terrorist threats.The State Department says it will bar entry to foreign nationals who publicly downplay or mock Charlie Kirk's death. Yes, you heard that right. Twenty-four years ago today, nearly 3,000 people were killed in New York City, Washington, D.C., and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four U.S. planes. We will reflect on that day and its lasting impact.Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is once again speaking hard truths--this time about the devastating effects of MAGA Republican policies that are literally starving children. We'll show you what she had to say.And in business news, the newly formed Paramount Skydance Corp.--born from a recent merger--is reportedly preparing an offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. We'll dig into what that could mean for the media landscape.#BlackStarNetwork partner: Fanbasehttps://www.startengine.com/offering/fanbaseThis Reg A+ offering is made available through StartEngine Primary, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. You should read the Offering Circular (https://bit.ly/3VDPKjD) and Risks (https://bit.ly/3ZQzHl0) related to this offering before investing.Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV.The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On February 22, 1946, George F. Kennan, a career diplomat working in the American embassy in Moscow, sent an 8,000-word cable to the State Department in Washington.In it, he explained why the Soviet Union behaved as it did, outlining its unique combination of a communist ideology and historical Russian paranoia and suspicion.  He also gave a prescription for how the United States should respond. Although he couldn't have known it at the time, that message became the foundation for American policy during the Cold War.  Learn more about the Long Telegram and how it influenced American foreign policy during the Cold War on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Stash Go to get.stash.com/EVERYTHING to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase. ExpressVPN Go to expressvpn.com/EED to get an extra four months of ExpressVPN for free!w Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we're sharing another episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's biggest national security news with NPR's team of reporters covering the military, State Department, and spy agencies. NPR correspondents stationed around the world also join the conversation. This episode: Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and international correspondent Anthony Kuhn discuss the Trump administration's use of the military against South American drug cartels, and unpack the geopolitical significance of an historic gathering with the leaders of China, Russia, and North Korea. Find new episodes of Sources & Methods on the NPR App or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Friday's Mark Levin Show, Venezuela, Mexico, and Communist China, are flooding the U.S. with deadly poisons killing many young people. Unlike others who merely complain, President Trump uses his presidential powers and the military to intervene, such as destroying a drug-laden Venezuelan boat and giving orders to eliminate threats like encroaching Venezuelan jets. The reaction from the left is to find a court or a law to try and prevent Trump from protecting Americans from enemies foreign and domestic. Afterward, we're glad to see all those attacking pro-military conservatives as "warmongers" now celebrating the Department of War. We were never warmongers. And we salute POTUS and what he is doing for DOD and our national security. He was never an isolationist or appeaser or pacificist. Peace through strength. Also, Tucker Carlson, Qatarlson, conducted an entire program using a disgruntled reportedly former contractor, who was apparently dropped by the State Department, to smear Mark's step-son David Milstein, who works for Ambassador Huckabee, as well as Huckabee, Speaker Mike Johnson, the entire Rubio State Department, and President Trump's policies. Qatarlson believes that libeling a family member is fair game. Ask yourself, what causes someone like Qatarlson to become so thoroughly evil that they promote 9/11 conspiracies, host Holocaust deniers and Hitler promoters, lavish praise on Putin and other monsters, smear our country's history, military, and great leaders, spread vicious lies and hate about our allies like Israel, trash President Trump for successfully defending our nation against the Iranian terrorist regime and its nuclear program, and smear our country's history? Later, ​unlike ​Joe ​Biden, ​Trump ​is ​protecting ​Christians, ​not ​punishing ​them. DOJ released a report exposing systematic anti-Christian bias under the Biden administration. Key findings include the State Department limiting humanitarian aid to Christians, favoring non-Christian hires, denying leave for Christian holidays, and imposing LGBTQ+ ideology that violated religious beliefs. The task force commits to ending such discrimination, ensuring equal treatment for all faiths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In March, as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, the United States sent more than 250 migrants, the majority being Venezuelan nationals, to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, a megaprison often referred to by its Spanish acronym, CECOT. In July, four months later, the men from Venezuela were released to Venezuela as part of an international prisoner swap. U.S. officials acknowledged in court that many of those sent to CECOT had no criminal record. The Washington Post interviewed 16 of the men, providing the fullest account yet of the treatment and conditions inside CECOT. That includes Roger Molina, a food delivery driver and aspiring soccer player who had been conditionally accepted into a State Department resettlement program for refugees.Today, Samantha Schmidt, The Post's Bogotá bureau chief, shares Molina's story and what she and her colleagues learned about the difficult conditions inside CECOT, a secretive prison where inmates are denied access to lawyers and almost all contact with the outside world. Today's show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Helena Carpio, Christine Armario, Maria Paul and Teo Armus. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Today, we're excited to share an episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's biggest national security news with NPR's team of reporters covering the military, State Department, and spy agencies. NPR correspondents stationed around the world also join the conversation. This episode: Moscow bureau chief Charles Maynes and national security correspondent Greg Myre unpack the war of attrition in Ukraine, a spate of firings and security clearance revocations in the intelligence community, and President Trump's use of police and the National Guard in D.C. Find new episodes of Sources & Methods on the NPR App or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy