Podcasts about states

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this Monday Headline Brief of The Wright Report, Bryan covers the U.S.-backed operation that killed El Mencho, leader of Mexico's most violent cartel, triggering nationwide retaliation and raising serious security concerns for Americans both abroad and at home. Bryan then reports major shifts across the Americas as Venezuela expels Cuban security forces under U.S. pressure, Canada caves to tariff threats over Gulfstream jet certifications, and the Supreme Court limits presidential tariff authority, forcing the White House to pivot fast. He also details the CIA's quiet removal of politicized intelligence reports, Susan Rice's warning of political retribution against Trump-aligned corporations, a major asylum work permit crackdown, English-only commercial driver testing, and new action against "chameleon" trucking companies. The episode closes with hopeful research out of Sweden showing that popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs may dramatically reduce alcohol cravings and relapse risk, adding to growing evidence that both medicine and faith play powerful roles in recovery.   "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32     Keywords: February 23 2026 Wright Report, El Mencho killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel, US Mexico Special Forces operation, cartel retaliation Puerto Vallarta Guadalajara shelter in place, Trump Sheinbaum cooperation, Venezuela expels Cuban guards Delcy Rodriguez, Canada Gulfstream tariff pressure Georgia Wisconsin jobs, Supreme Court tariff ruling 15 percent global rate, CIA politicized intelligence reports removed, Susan Rice corporate retaliation threat Netflix board, asylum work permit freeze 14 years backlog, CDL English only rule trucking crackdown, chameleon carriers residential registrations, GLP-1 alcohol cravings semaglutide Ozempic Wegovy Mounjaro Sweden study

#320th for 19th February, 2026 or 3312! (33-Oh twelvenish)http://loosescrewsed.comJoin us on discord! And check out the merch store! PROMO CODEShttps://discord.gg/3Vfap47ReaSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LooseScrewsEDSquad Stuff:  Inara has had a refresh. With so many PMFs present in hundreds of systems, the Minor Factions pages have had a refresh. When you go to Systems or States, the systems are no longer all on one page which is unfortunate, as you have to turn pages to sift through There is a filter to edit out Trailblazer systems from OG worlds. BGS highlightsIn 396 Systems - Controlling 118States - 7A, Qama, Alexandrinus - BoomConflicts of Interest - G 172-15 - Election vs. BD+52 3410 Partners - we're up 2-1 and Porsche's Progress is in jeopardySystems needing a push (controlled systems below 40% Inf.)Alexandrinus - 33.4% - But 4 factions lockedMiola - 34.8%Balmus - 35.9%Cephei Sector NX-U b2-3 - 37.9%Medzisti - 39.2%PP Stuff: lifted with unspoken consent from KrugerFive on the LS discordUpdate 2-19 from KrugerFive on the LS Discord - Powerplay Cycle 68:Cycle 68:Archer continues his expansion with back to back best weeks. Adding 11 new systems this cycle.A bad week for the imperials, with Torval going negative, 0 new additions for Emperor Arissa, and Patreus only 1 new system.Pretty subdued cycle overall, maybe still a hangover from the relics and enclave activity?Kaine is making a good run at taking P7 from Antal in the KrugerFive rankings. At the current pace Kaine may overtake in 2 cyclesIn the FDev leaderboard the real race right now is between Kaine and Archer for 6th place. Kaine took it 5 weeks back, but Archer is steadily coming backhttps://www.k5elite.com/Dev News: Devlog posted! Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 16 February 2026High level roadmapKestrelColonization back pattingOperations pushed to April +infoGalnet News: Galnet News | Elite Dangerous Community Site Distant Worlds 3 Marks Major Milestone - Waypoint 2 - Seldowitch NebulaDiscussion :Kestrel Specs via Buur Pit: http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx5Rsi-Bdb6ReiCaQQuJO0LyTU7s_wbEPU?si=xLjbBMdkDZoHUIFxRadacoidaBug report: https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/82481Roadmap -> Refreshed FeatureCommunity Corner :We're looking for 100 CMDRs to be surveyed for the Lave does Family Fortunes/Feud gameshow that we are running on February 28th as part of Gameblast for Special Effect. If you'd like to be one of the CMDRs surveyed, sign up below!https://forms.gle/ChB1xbGyDdcRqAZ76

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week we were delighted to welcome Yes drummer Jay Schellen back on the YMP. Just like last time, we had a lovely conversation and Jay shared his thoughts about the forthcoming UK and European Fragile Tour as well as the new Yes album that is now being prepared for release in July (hopefully). It's clear from our interview that Jay is totally committed to the future development of the band and believes that the new album will be warmly received. We look forward to that, of course. What unexpected item does Jay take with him on tour? How does his kit differ from Alan White's Has Jay been more involved in the writing of the forthcoming album than his previous Yes records? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Drama and Fragile Live - last time! YES -  FRAGILE UK TOUR 2026 YES Receive Stunning Reviews from USA leg of their FRAGILE tour,  which they bring to the UK in April and May 2026.  “Yes, quite possibly the most important Prog Rock originators and granddaddies of the genre, delivered deep cuts and their groundbreaking classic album, “Fragile,” in its glorious, delightfully indulgent, layered, and ambitious grandiosity tonight.” Sonic Nation, 11/10/25  “Prog-rock stalwarts Yes took the stage...bringing new energy to their classic sound.”  --Danielle Modica, NYS Music, 10/9/25  “Truly prog rock at its finest, if I do say so myself. They've still got the groove, the intensity, and the mythicality that established them as such a unique act over 50 years ago.”  Rock DNA Magazine - 5 stars – 5/10/25 Progressive Rock legends, YES, recently returned from the USA where they performed 31 shows on their Fragile Tour across the country.    They hit the road in the UK once more for a 9-date trek across the country starting on 22nd April at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow and ending with a two-night run at the prestigious Palladium in London on 3rd and 4th May.  The tour will see YES performing their 1971 classic album, ‘Fragile', in its entirety, including such timeless songs as ‘Heart of the Sunrise', ‘South Side of the Sky' and the much loved ‘Roundabout' as well as a selection of songs from right across their illustrious catalogue from their legendary 70`s releases right up to their current album, ‘Mirror To the Sky.' ‘Fragile' was the fourth album by YES cracking the Top 10 in the UK in 1971 achieving Platinum status along the way and was the first to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman. The single, ‘Roundabout' was a Top 20 hit in the States with the album breaking into the Top 5 on the Billboard chart receiving a Double Platinum certification in the process.   Steve Howe: “After The Yes Album, everything seemed to align. With Eddie Offord co-producing, and each of us contributing solo pieces, Fragile became a bold statement of creativity. It was Bill Bruford's idea to include individual showcases—it was a bit oddball, but it captured the spirit of the time.” Each show will feature a gallery of work by esteemed artist, Roger Dean, whose paintings have graced the covers of many of YES albums over the years. ‘Fragile' was the first YES album to feature Dean`s iconic artwork. The current line-up of YES features Steve Howe, whose association with Yes began in 1970, along with Geoff Downes, a member of the 1980 ‘Drama' era line-up.  Jon Davison has been lead vocalist in Yes since 2012 while bassist, Billy Sherwood, who was hand-picked by original bassist Chris Squire, has been involved with YES since 1990`s. Jay Schellen, who worked closely with Alan White on drums, completes the line-up. Steve Howe:  “We're all looking forward to the UK dates and will be presenting an intriguing first set then all of ‘Fragile', in its entirety then a slight diversion before our usual final encore. See you all then”  The ‘Fragile' UK Tour Dates 2026 Wed 22nd April          Glasgow                    Royal Concert Hall   glasgowlife.org.uk Fri 24th April              Sheffield                    City Hall                     sheffieldcityhall.co.uk Sat 25th April             Liverpool                    Philharmonic Hall     liverpoolphil.co.uk Mon 27th April          Birmingham               Symphony Hall         bmusic.co.uk Tue 28th April            Bournemouth          Pavilion bournemouthpavillion.co.uk Thur 30th April           Bristol                        Beacon                      bristolbeacon.org Fri 1st May                 Manchester               Bridgewater Hall       bridgewater-hall.co.uk Sun 3rd May              London                      Palladium                  lwtheatres.co.uk Mon 4th May              London                      Palladium                  lwtheatres.co.uk Tickets (subject to booking fees) go on general sale on Friday 19th September at 10am from BookingsDirect.com About YES Steve Howe: guitars, backing vocals (1970 –1981, 1990–1992, 1995–present) 
Geoff Downes: keyboards (1980–1981, 2011–present) 
Jon Davison: lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2012–present) Billy Sherwood: guitar, backing vocals ((1994, 1997–2000), bass guitar, backing vocals (2015–present) Jay Schellen: drums and percussion (2016-present) Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late Chris Squire with guitarist Steve Howe joining in 1971 for ‘The Yes Album', YES have been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums ‘The Yes Album', ‘Fragile', ‘Close To The Edge', ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans', ‘Relayer' and ‘Going For The One' were ground-breaking in musical style and content.  With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy-award winning YES were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017. YES released their 23rd studio album in 2023, ‘Mirror To The Sky', produced by Steve Howe and the first to feature current drummer Jay Schellen.  A new album is in the works with a proposed release in 2026. Barry Plummer 2026 Calendar is still available! ORDER HERE YMP Listener discount code - KVKBKC8Z Enrich your Prog year with iconic images of Yes in the 1970s, taken by the legendary rock photographer, Barry Plummer. Enjoy 12 beautiful colour and black and white photographs of Yes in the studio and live, capturing the essence of the world's greatest progressive rock band. With this limited-edition calendar on your wall throughout 2026, you'll agree that Barry Plummer is, indeed, the Master of Images! (A flat shipping fee will be added at checkout depending on your location.) ORDER HERE Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyThomas DeVriesJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim StannardDouglas Caldwell Become a Patron!

Negotiated Settlements and Expanding Security States. Anatol Lieven explains the European left's growing concerns about the Ukraine war fueling authoritarian security and surveillance measures. While a negotiated settlement requiring Ukraine to surrender the Donbas seems impossible in Kyiv, the conflict risks becoming a prolonged war of attrition dictated by modern drone warfare. #21918 4TH LIGHT HORSE IN THE JUDEAN HILLS

Former Prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct: Police; Ilia Malinin speaks out after devastating free skate performance; '50 States in 50 Weeks' visits Minnesota Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Half of states have rejected federal vaccine guidance on childhood vaccines after controversial changes by the CDC. Public health experts say the split is sowing confusion and increasing the risk of outbreaks. Guests:Michelle Fiscus, physician, chief medical officer, Association of Immunization ManagersJen Kates, senior vice president; director, global and public health policy, KFF Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, physician, health officer, Washington Department of HealthPhilip Landrigan, physician and director, program for global public health and the common good, Boston College Dorit Reiss, law professor, University of California, San FranciscoLearn more and read a full transcript on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Thursday, February 19th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark British preacher challenges buffer zones around abortion mills A preacher in Britain is challenging the country's abortion buffer zones which effectively censor the Bible. Officials arrested, charged, and convicted Stephen Green for holding a sign with a Bible verse near an abortion mill in 2023. The verse was Psalm 139:13 which says, “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb.” Green stated, “As a Christian, I should be able to preach freely all over the land. Psalm 139 is about how we all belong to God from conception. Buffer zones and this conviction [are] a direct attack on the Bible and free speech.” Elon Musk endorsed new conservative political party in England Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed a new conservative political party in Britain last week. On Friday, Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe launched the Restore Britain Party. Musk shared the launch video on X which has received nearly 40 million views.  The party is devoted to ending mass immigration and the creeping Islamification of Britain. Rupert Lowe also stated the party will openly recognize the country's Christian heritage.  Listen. LOWE: “Restore Britain will openly recognize the Christian heritage that shaped this country's moral and civic foundation. (applause) Duty, restraint, forgiveness and, most importantly, fairness. These values created a high trust society. “Restore Britain will end the creeping Islamification of Britain. (applause)  Unfettered immigration from Islamic countries will end. (applause) Britain is a Christian country, and under Restore Britain government, it will remain a Christian country.” (applause) Church of England votes against blessing homosexual couples Last week, the Church of England  voted against proposals to allow blessing services for homosexual couples. The General Synod did not shut the door on the issue though, voting to investigate it in the future.  The move keeps the church from performing marriage services and blessing services for people living in unnatural relations. However, the Church of England's rules already allow blessing prayers within regular Sunday services for such couples.  Proverbs 25:26 says, “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.” Franklin Graham preached in world's southernmost city Evangelist Franklin Graham  preached in Ushuaia, Argentina. It's known as the southernmost city in the world. Listen. GRAHAM: “What makes Ushuaia so special are the people. We love the people. If you can't remember anything else tonight, remember this: God loves you. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take our sins. We deserve death. We're guilty of sin. “Bartimaeus had no hope. There are many of you here tonight. You have no hope. Now, Bartimaeus cried at the right time. Jesus was passing by. The Bible says that ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but he should have everlasting life.' “Will you invite Christ into your heart? Will you trust Him? Come. Come to Jesus.” Hundreds of people turned to Christ through the evangelistic outreach event. Graham wrote on X, “We give God the glory for each one who responded to the invitation to repent of their sins and put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.” Eighty-two percent of South Americans identify as Roman Catholic, but evangelicalism has been growing in recent decades.    Graham also plans to visit Peru next month. 21 states challenge mail-order abortion kill pills In the United States, 21 states and 60 members of Congress are challenging mail-order abortion drugs. Louisiana initiated the case, challenging a Biden-era rule from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The rule removed the in-person dispensing requirement for the abortion drug mifepristone.  Erik Baptist with Alliance Defending Freedom stated, “The Biden FDA's unlawful authorization of mail-order abortion drugs was meant to be a loophole around states that choose to protect life.” 41-year-old mother Olympic bobsledder wins gold (audio Olympic theme song) American Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor  won her first gold medal on Monday. The 41-year-old mother triumphed in the women's monobob event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.  She is now the oldest gold medalist in an individual Olympic event. After the victory, she said this on Instagram: “The moment we prayed for. Glory to God.” Norway has won the most gold medals Nearly 2,900 athletes from over 90 countries are competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics.  So far, Norway has won the most gold medals and the most medals overall. In the medal count, Norway is followed by Italy and the U.S. A podium finish can mean big prize money for athletes. A gold medalist from the U.S. can win $38,000. Athletes from Singapore can make the most for winning an individual event at $792,000.   Christian missionaries sharing Christ & Bibles in Olympic crowds And finally, Evangelicals are sharing the Gospel at the Winter Olympic Games this year. Hundreds of Southern Baptists alongside International Mission Board missionaries are joining the crowds to share Christ and distribute Bibles. Karen Herfurth is in Italy with a group from Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. She said, “This is a chance for Southern Baptists to reach more people and impact more lives! We may never know the difference this makes until we are in Heaven.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, February 19th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Last August, a van carrying seven farmworkers in rural Marion County was stopped by immigration agents. OPB reported on the arrest of the farmworkers, including a man identified as LJPL in court documents. He was arrested even though he had no criminal record and had a pending asylum application. That case and others involving the arrests of workers at dairy farms in Wisconsin and Vermont and a beef processing facility in Nebraska are described in a recent article by Investigate Midwest. The investigation offers a rare glimpse into how the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics are playing out in rural farming communities in different states.    It found, for example, that these arrests happen even when immigration agents know that the individual has no criminal record. Attorneys also face obstacles getting access to their clients to challenge their detentions before they’re moved across state lines or deported. Meanwhile, the immigration raids are leaving employers such as family-owned farms and meatpacking plants scrambling to fill shifts or find reliable, non-immigrant labor for these jobs.   Sky Chadde, senior reporter at Investigate Midwest, joins us to share more details.

Th Brits want to investiagate crime in the states, and this mom that injects poop in to her child and more. Want more Motorcop check out the Patreon CLICK HERE Get your Motorcop Merch CLICK HERE want to be a guest or share a story email me at motorcopchronicels@gmail.com Be the Lion  

Former Prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct: Police; Ilia Malinin speaks out after devastating free skate performance; '50 States in 50 Weeks' visits Minnesota Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jordan Fromer of the Duck Gun Podcast joins Elliott for the first off-season recap of the year. With duck and goose seasons closed across most of the country, it's time to look back at what worked, what didn't, and the lessons learned from months in the field. Jordan hunted six different states this season, logging serious miles and experiencing a wide range of conditions, bird numbers, and hunting styles. In this episode, he breaks down his travels, favorite locations, toughest hunts, gear insights, and the realities of chasing birds across the country. If you're already thinking about next season, this conversation is packed with perspective that can help you hunt smarter, scout better, and prepare during the off-season. PARTNERS Flight Day Ammunitionhttps://www.flightdayammo.com Code NAW10 for 10% off Shotty Gearhttps://www.shottygear.com Code FDH10 for 10% off Weatherby Firearmshttps://www.weatherby.com TideWe Hunting Gearhttps://www.tidewe.com Code NAW18 for 18% off Mammoth Guardian Dog Crate Search “Mammoth Dog Crate” on Amazon Code GUARDIAN15 for 15% off PATREON — Extra Hunts + Annual Hunt Giveaway Join here: https://www.patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting Get access to full hunt videos not released on YouTube, bonus content, and entry into the annual hunt giveaway on private flooded timber in Missouri. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The primary focus of this podcast episode is the extensive and multifaceted weather hazards affecting the lower 48 states as we approach the weekend. A formidable storm system is advancing, bringing wintry conditions from the Northern and Central Plains to the Great Lakes and the Northeast, while simultaneously posing severe thunderstorm and tornado risks in the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys. Additionally, California faces another bout of heavy snowfall in the Sierra, accompanied by periods of significant rain and isolated thunderstorms in Southern California. The episode also highlights critical fire weather concerns in the Southern Plains, wherein warm, dry, and windy conditions facilitate the rapid spread of fires. We conclude our report with a brief overview of state-specific weather developments, emphasizing the necessity for vigilance and preparedness in light of these evolving conditions.Takeaways:* The current weather pattern is characterized by significant activity across the continental United States, indicating a need for preparedness.* A severe storm system is expected to bring wintry conditions and potential severe thunderstorms to various regions.* Fire weather concerns are notably acute in the Southern Plains due to dry and windy conditions conducive to rapid fire spread.* States such as Iowa and Missouri face multiple hazards, including snowfall and severe thunderstorms, necessitating caution for travelers.Sources[WPC | https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd][WA Governor | https://governor.wa.gov/news/2026/governor-ferguson-requests-fema-assistance-repair-1823m-infrastructure-damaged-historic-december] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Recorded live at the Wind Operation and Maintenance Australia 2026 conference, Allen, Rosemary, Matthew, and Yolanda are joined by Thomas Schlegl for a panel discussion on where the Australian wind industry is headed over the next five years. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Alright, let’s get started. This is the, the final event of this three day marathon. Uh, where will we be in five years? And I have, uh, pretty much everybody from the Uptime podcast and Thomas Schlagel from eLog Ping. Uh. Uh, Rosie and I had a big argument before we all came about what we were going to be in five years, and Rosie’s and my opinion differed quite a bit just on, that’s, uh, that’s what led to me suggesting the personality test because yes, and that was, that’s actually a really good suggestion. So I know something about myself now, but, uh, I, I think talking to people here, watching the presentations. And having an American slash European perspective on it. I think every, everybody can chime in here. Australia’s probably on a better pathway than a lot of places. Yeah. Well, I know I’ve been back in Australia for about [00:01:00] five years, five years. Before that I was in Denmark. I left Australia. Because I was so like in despair about the state of renewables and also manufacturing and just doing smart engineering in Australia. Um, so yeah, when I came back five years ago, I was a bit shocked at how different things were in Australia. And I was also, you know, like I will say that it, we were, we were behind like way less mature than other, um, markets in terms of how we operated our wind energy assets. Um, and it’s changed so much in five years, so like a half day, if I’m making predictions for where we’ll be in five years time, I have to, you know, like use that as a, it, it’s probably gonna be more than you would think in five years, just based on how far we’ve already come in, in five years. Um, so yeah, I think that five years ago people were trusting a lot more in the full service agreements. Um, definitely there’s very few people who are still naive that that’s just, you know, um, a set and forget kind of thing that you [00:02:00] can do and not worry about it. Everybody’s now aware that you need to know, um, about your assets and we’re already to the point where there are like a lot of asset managers know so much, um, and, you know, have become real experts and really wasn’t, wasn’t the case five years ago. So. I’m hopeful for that. Um, you know, that it, it will continue and yeah, probably at a faster pace than, um, what we see elsewhere. I think Australia is a really attractive market, not just for developing new wind projects, but also for developing all of the kinds of supporting technologies, which is, you know, like a lot of the people here either using or developing those kind of technologies. And some of our challenges here make it the perfect place to, yeah, develop new text because. Things are, it’s really expensive to do repairs here. Um, the operating conditions are harsh and so things wear out and it just means that it’s, you can put together a positive business case for a new tech here much sooner than you could overseas. So I’m really [00:03:00] hopeful that we see, you know, like a whole lot of innovation, um, in, in those kinds of technologies that are gonna help wind energy get a lot more mature. And even hearing some of the answers from last year to this year, you see that shift. Uh, I was really shocked last year how much reliance there was on. The FSA and now I hearing a lot more discussion about, all right, we need to be shadow monitoring. We need to be looking at the, the, the data coming off, trying to hack, break into the passwords to get to the SCADA system, which was new, but I feel like very Australian thing to do. Matthew, you’ve been in the small business in Australia for, for several years in the wind business. What do you see? I mean, you’ve been in it like for five years now. Plus actually more than that, uh, I actually did my first wind farm around 20 oh 2001. Okay. Or 2002. Um, that was from a noise perspective. So I, I’ve seen things, you know, the full cycle. Um, you know, there were many years of [00:04:00]despair, the whole, um, stop these, stop these things. I’m actually featured, I was featured on Stop these things. So, um, don’t, don’t Google it. It was pretty horrible. So, um, we did a lot of work around infrasound and noise impacts and so there was many years which were, were pretty horrible. Um. Over that time, I sort of relate to my daughter. My daughter’s turning 21 soon. She is a beautiful girl, turning into an adult, a wonderful adult, and it’s, I think the wind industry is really growing, maturing, growing up, and you know, is wonderful to see. And I think we are, we’re only gonna get better, stronger. And I think one may, one note I made here is that now they’ve got wind, solar batteries. I just think it’s unstoppable, so I’m super optimistic that we’re only gonna keep, you know, raising that bar. Well, if you look at where Australia is compared to a lot of the places on the [00:05:00] planet, way ahead, in terms of renewable energy. I mean, you’ve got basically $0 in electricity for, because of how much solar there is, plus the batteries are coming in and, and the transmission’s coming online. And I’m talking to some people about, uh, what these new developments look like. If you’re trying to develop some of these projects in the United States, you’re not gonna be able to do them. There’s, there’s too many regulatory hurdles, and it seems like Australia has at least opened some of the doors to explore. Uh, people in America, the companies in Europe are gonna be watching Australia, I think in, in terms of where we go next. Because if Australia can pull off pretty much a renewable grid, which is where you’re headed, others will follow because it’s just a lower cost way of running a, running an electricity grid system. Yeah. Now I need to perform my, um, regular role of being a Debbie Downer. Um, I, I think that there’s, there’s big challenges and it’s definitely not, um, a case of [00:06:00] the status quo now is good enough to carry us through to a hundred percent renewables. Um, there are some big, big problems that need to be solved. Like, uh, solar plus batteries in Australia is, is going amazing and it’s gonna do a lot. It’s not gonna, it will be incredibly hard to get to, you know, a fully renewable grid that way. The problem with wind is at the moment, I mean, it’s getting more expensive to install wind now and we don’t only need to install new wind farms, we’ve also got existing wind farms that are retiring. So we need to either extend those or we need to, um, you know, build new wind farms in their place. So we do need to get better there. And then I think that the new technologies, like, you know, I’m the blades person and the bigger blades are bigger problems like, like dramatically. I don’t think that your average, um, wind farm owner or wannabe wind farm owner is aware, like actually how many more problems there are with big blades compared to smaller ones and. I think that, like I said earlier, I [00:07:00] think Australia’s a great place to get those technologies, um, you know, developed. But we, we need to do that. That’s not like a nice to have and oh, everything will be a little bit better, but if we can’t maintain our assets better and get more out of them, um, we also need improvements with manufacturing. But it’s not really an o and m thing. I won’t talk too much about it. But yeah, I think that like we can’t be remotely complacent. Well, I think in, in Europe, uh, Thomas, you actually spent several months in Australia, and you’re obviously from Austria, so it’s an Austria Australian connection. Do you see the differences between the Austrian market, the German market, and what’s happening here in Australia? What, what do you think of the comparison between the two? So, what I, what really was fascinating from was the speed of, um, improvements we see here in Australia. It. Um, just for me, wind industry in my young industry, sorry, was always rather slow in Europe and [00:08:00] like not really adopting. Um, and here, sorry. For example, last year you asked the question how many. Of the audience to use sensors for shadow monitoring and no hand was raised right. It was zero silence. And uh, this year we even had a few percentage on, on sensors on the, on the cido. So you see only within a year like this gradually graduated, improvements are happening and I think that makes such a, um, speed in, in improvements and that will. Close to the rescue again. Thank you. And that, um, that will bring Australia to a big advantage. Um, especially I think overtaking, uh, at a certain point, and it would be great to see in five years from now, um, maybe Europeans, Austrians, uh, coming to Australia to. [00:09:00] To learn and not the other way around. Yeah, and, and especially with Yolanda working for the biggest energy company in Denmark, uh, in America, you see how Americans react to change and, and the reluctance to move forward on some of the things we talked about this week, which are, do seem to be moving a little bit quicker. There is more an acceptance of CMS systems here. And on in the States, it seems like you have to really fight. A lot of times to get anybody to listen, to do something because it’s all, it’s financially driven in some aspects, but it’s sort of like, we don’t do that here, so we’re not gonna listen to it. What’s been your experience being on a, this is your first time in Australia, what, what has been your experience this week and what have you learned? I was very pleasantly surprised by just the amount of collaboration that everybody really wants to have here and the openness to, to do so, and to learn from each [00:10:00] other, um, and to accept just, you know, if you’ve seen an issue and or someone else has seen an issue, then you can really learn from each other. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to silo yourself as much as, as you typically do in the United States. I mean, it is a different culture, right? And so it’s just. Honestly, hats off to, to Australians for, for being able to, to work with each other, so, so well, yeah. The discussions out at the lunchtime and the coffee area were uniquely different than what we generally will see in the United States. And Matthew, you’ve been around a lot of that too, where it kinda gets a little clique. But here, I mean, obviously, I mean, not just human nature, but on some level I felt like, oh, there’s a lot of interaction happening and it’s really loud. So people are engaging with one another and trying to learn from one another, or at least connect. And I, I think in a lot of times in Europe, there’s not a lot of the connection until the, the drinking starts, you know, at about 10. Uh, but. Uh, Matthew, did you see that too? [00:11:00] Like I was really pleasantly surprised. That was a good thing to see here. Yeah. And in my former life as a consultant, I dealt with, you know, construction, uh, road rail, you know, I mining a whole range of industries. And, um, one of the reasons why I’ve stayed in wind is ’cause I, you know, I love the people, you know, I love you all. So, or, um, but no, I think, um, the. The collaboration, the willingness to talk, um, the willingness to share ideas. And I think, I think I’ve been super, super, super happy about the way the panels have run, you know, everyone’s willing to share. Um, yeah, I’m, I’m just stoked. Yeah, Rosie, this is all your fault, honestly, because Rosie was always the, the contrary opinion. So I would say something and Rosie would feel obligated to say something as the opposite. But when, when we all started this discussion about, uh, a, a wind turbine conference, you had been to a bad wind turbine conference in Australia and I had been to a really bad one in the States and we were just, okay, that’s enough. And the movement [00:12:00] toward, let’s get some information, let’s everybody interact with one another. Let’s, we will give all the presentations to people at the end of this so you can access data. You’re not spending a ton of money to come. That was a, a big part of the discussion, like, I’m spending $5,000 to listen to sales presentations for three days. I don’t want to do that anymore. We try to avoid that in this conference. Hopefully, if you notice that and, and, and. I guess the conference board is up here right now. Are we gonna do Woma 2027? Are we gonna decide that today? Or. Yes, yes, the website is live. Um, I also wanna take this opportunity to, um, thank the, the sponsors of the event. And I hope that you’ve noticed that it’s not like these aren’t the sponsors of normal events where they’re like, okay, we’ll give you a bunch of money and then we’re gonna stand up and talk at you for half an hour about our new product launch or whatever. Like these sponsors haven’t, they haven’t got back [00:13:00] in the traditional way that you, you would with a kind of, um, event. So I’m really grateful for the very high quality sponsors that we’ve got. And, um, yeah, I just, I, I dunno if I’m allowed to share a little bit about the, the economics of this event. Um, if we didn’t have the sponsors tickets would cost twice as much. So, um, that’s one thing. But then the other key thing that we. Really couldn’t do it without sponsors is that we didn’t, our event didn’t break even until about a week ago because everyone buys their tickets late. Um, so yeah, the, the, we would’ve been having heart attacks, um, months ago about our potential, you know, bankruptcy from running the event if it wasn’t for, um, yeah, the, the great sponsors. So thanks to everybody that did that. Um, and everybody that attended consider buying a ticket earlier next time. Um, I, I’m the worst. I often buy my ticket the day of, of, of an event. So it’s, you know, like it’s a pot calling the kettle black. But, um, yeah, that’s just a bit of the, [00:14:00] the reality. And we have a number of poll questions. Uh, let’s get producer Claire back there to throw ’em up on the screen. So while we’re doing that, we should really thank Claire. Claire has been amazing. Yeah. Thank you, Claire. So the emojis are from Claire. Claire, clearly here. Uh, how do you feel about the, the current state of the wind industry? Hopefully there’s more smiley faces after this week. Well, alright, we’re a hundred percent rosemary. We had to put the one with the, yeah. And for me personally, um, I used to feel a lot more optimistic when I worked in design and manufacturing. And then when I come into operations, that like automatically makes you feel a bit more pessimistic. And then me specifically, like I only get involved when really bad things are happening. And so sometimes for me, like it’s easy to think. [00:15:00] When technology is just not good enough and, you know, I need to find a new industry to move into. So, uh, it is good to talk, talk to other people and, you know, like bring my reality back to a kind of a midpoint. And I, I just like to say, I, I think, I mean maybe there’s been a bit of OE em bashing here maybe. Um. Um, however, we need really strong OEMs, so I just wanna put a shout out to the OEMs and say, yeah, we absolutely need you. So just keep doing it. You will keep doing better, so thank you. Yeah, it’s a difficult industry to be in and we put a lot of demands on them and they, they’re pushing limits, so yeah, they’re gonna run into problems. That’s fine. Let’s just find solutions for them. Alright, uh, next question, producer Claire. What is the best thing you learned at Woma? This is not multiple choice. You can write whatever you want. Stealing passwords. [00:16:00] Did any of us learn anything? Unexpected contracting? Oh yeah. Get the contract right? Oh yeah. Yeah. Dan was really good. Yeah, Dan was great about contracting, looking on the other side of that fence. Cybersecurity is not that big of an issue in Australia. That’s some big thing in Europe, so yeah, it is. I was surprised by the environmental factor in Australia. I was surprised about the birds. Yeah. Everyone who wasn’t in the birds workshop yesterday, Alan was freaking out about, about how Australian wind farms have to manage birds and um, you have to freeze a bird for 12 months. I don’t, where do you have to freeze it for a bird? I don’t know. But that, it just is a little odd, I would say. Yeah. All right, Rosemary, you gotta take away Rosemary’s phone. Alan’s personality test. Yeah, there we go. That was not me. Wind farm toilets was a good one. Thank you, Liz, for, for raising that. [00:17:00] Yeah, I know when I worked in, um, Europe and Canadian wind farms, I would have to strategize my liquid intake for the day. Balancing out tea will help keep me warm, but on the other hand. Did everybody meet up with someone who had a solution? That was part of the goal here is to put people with solutions in the room with people with problems and let you all sort it out. So hopefully that was one of the things that happened this week. Or if you haven’t connected here, be able to connect with over LinkedIn or over coffee later. And the networking on the app and networking page on the website. Right. So you can actually use that now that’s all live. Yeah. So you can, you can connect through there if you’ve selected to. To keep your contact information open. Yep. You can connect through there so it’s easy to, if you need somebody to find my or Matthew’s email, you can just find it right there and we’ll upload the presentations, as you said. Right. The presentations we uploaded. But you have to select into that, Matthew, is that right? Also, the speakers [00:18:00] have to approve them as well. Right. And the, and all the speakers, you know who you are. Can let us know if we can use your slide decks to public size them. I didn’t see anything there that looked highly classified, so I think that would be fine. Alright. This is really interesting. Convince OEMs to install better pitch bearings. That’s very true. Okay, thanks you for that. Claire, what’s the next one? What do you wish you learned more about? So Matthew did a tour before the conference several months ago. And, and went to a lot of the operators and said, what would you like to hear about? So the things that were, uh, the seminar or the different workshops and all that were the result of talking to each of the operators about what you would like to see. So hopefully we covered most of them. Uh, obvious There. There’s some new things. Gear boxes. Yeah. I figured that one was coming. Tower retrofits. Okay. Good, good, [00:19:00] good. ISPs? Yeah. Life extension. Yeah. A lot of life extension. I agree. Well, we’re gonna run into that to the United States also. Asbestos. I’ve read some things about that in Australia. Okay. Which leading protection work by name. I do, I do have, well, lemme see. I do know that answer, but you’re gonna have to talk to Rosemary to get the, the key to the vault there. I I also think that you can’t assume that it’s gonna work in Australia. I think that, that like really seriously, I, I wouldn’t, um. I wouldn’t replace my entire wind farms leading edge protection based on what worked well in Europe and America. So, um, I would highly suggest, um, getting in touch with me and or bigger to get involved in a trial if you, that’s a problem for you. Yeah, definitely get involved in the trial. Uh, more data is better and if you do join that trial, you will have the keys to the castle. They will tell you how all the other pro uh, blades went. Uh, trainings and [00:20:00] skills, obviously that’s a, that’s a international one. When does ROI really happen? Yeah. Yep. We hear that quite a bit. Needs have proven good products for leading edge erosion. Yep. Okay. Yeah. So the que I guess one of the questions is, is that we did not on purpose, did not have any vendor things. I haven’t mentioned my product once this week. I, because I don’t want to, you know, that’s not the point of this conference, but should we. I don’t know. I mean, that’s a, should we have people standing up and I don’t know if it’s standing out there, but able to, to trial things. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. I agree with what. I, I don’t, I don’t want that. Oh, yeah. No, I don’t want that. But it’s not my conference. Right. It’s, it’s everybody who c comes and wants to participate. What do you wanna see? Do you wanna see 10 leading edge products out in the hallway or, I didn’t mind that people were putting like stickers and like little knickknacks out on [00:21:00] tables. That was fun. Rosemary’s got a, a satchel full of them. Alright, Claire, is that the last one? There’s one more. All right. Hang on for one more. What’s your biggest takeaway from Woma? That you’re gonna buy your tickets early for WMA 2027, hopefully, and you’re gonna sponsor. I had a lot of people come up to me and say they would like to sponsor next year. And that’s wonderful. That will really keep the, the cost down because we’re not making anything off of this. I’m losing money to be here, which is totally fine ’cause I think this is a noble effort. Uh, but we will keep the cost as low as we can. We have an upgraded venue from last year. If you attend last year we were at the library, which was also a very nice facility, but this is just another level. Mm. Um, and the website has the ability to register interest in sponsorship. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I’ve already got, uh, Jeremy’s already shook my hand. He’s already committed. Yeah. [00:22:00] Uh, I think we’ll have a lot of three pizzas on, on sponsorship for next year, and that’s good. Uh, that tells you there’s some value to be here and, and, uh, connect stickers, Rosemary stickers. There you go. I like whoever put calories up there. That’s funny. Yeah. You know the thing about, uh, this city is you can eat and it’s so dang good. You can’t do that in the states. You can’t just walk around in a random. Downtown like Detroit, Chicago. There are places you can eat there, but every place you walk into in this city is really good food. It’s crazy. Yeah. It’s, it’s uh, sort of addictive. I’m gonna have to go home on Saturday or not gonna fit in my seat. Um, alright. This is great. Yeah. We really love, um, constructive feedback. I think we’re all, or at least. Vast majority of us are engineers. We like to know about problems and fix them. So, um, most of us can’t have our feelings hurt easily. So, you [00:23:00] know, be very, very direct with your feedback. And, um, yeah, I mean the event should be different every year, right? Like, we don’t wanna do the exact same thing every year, so, um, it will change. Yeah. Yeah. And there is a survey going out as well, so Georgina will send out a survey. All right. So those surveys go to who? Matthew, are they going to you or are they going to all attendees and go? I think it goes back to Georgina, but we’ll, okay. Yeah. Great. So if you do get a, a form to fill out, please fill it out. That helps us for next year. Are we gonna be back in the same city? I say Yes. Yes. Yeah, this place is great. Sydney is also lovely. I spent an hour there at the airport. It was quite nice, but it was long enough. As I learned from people from Melbourne that Sydney is not their favorite place to go. So I guess we’re, we’re here next year. Is there anything else we need to talk about? Um, no. I mean, I’ve just been, uh, my favorite thing about this event is like the, the size of it and that people, uh, like very closely related in what we’re interested in that. It’s not like a, [00:24:00] you can put any two random people together and then we’ll have an interesting conversation. So I’ve really enjoyed all of the, you know, dozens of conversations that I’ve had this week. And, um, yeah. So thank you everybody for showing up with a open and collaborative, um, yeah. Frame of mind. It’s, yeah, couldn’t be done without everybody here. We do have a little bit of an award ceremony here for Rosemary, so we actually put together. A collage of videos over the last, um, five years. Uh, this is news to me. What? Yeah. Surprise. All right. Let it roll. Claire. Champion Rosie Barnes is here. Everybody. Climate change is a problem that our politicians don’t seem to be trying. Particularly hard to solve. This used to frustrate me until I realized that as an engineer, I have the power to [00:25:00] change the world, and unlike some politicians, I choose to use my powers for good. So I made a gingerbread wind turbine, I mean, a functional gingerbread, wind turbine, functional and edible. Everything except for the generator is edible. Alan, what were some of your takeaways from our talk with, uh, with Rosie? Well, I just like the way she thinks she thinks in terms of systems, not in terms of components. And I, I think that’s a, for an engineer is a good way to think about bigger problems. On today’s episode, we’ve got, well, some exciting news. Number one. Rosemary, uh, Barnes will be joining us here today as our co our new co-host. Yeah, thanks. Thanks so much for having me. So, you know, one wind turbine with, um, wooden 80 meter long wooden blades. Yeah. Like, that’s so cool. What a great engineering challenge or, you know, craftsmanship challenge, um, there, but, you know, I’d like to see one [00:26:00]wooden wind turbine blade, but not, not more than that. It’s a, it’s a cool, it’s a cool novelty. And then burn it, right? If you burn it, then you’ll catch the carbon. We need someone within the Australian wind industry to start up a, a better conference. Um, you know, it should be allowing you to kind of put your finger on the pulse and figure out, you know, what, what’s the vibe of wind energy in Australia at the moment? Um, what are the big problems people are having and then, you know, some potential solutions, some people talking about things that are coming up that you might not have heard about yet. I just think that it’s much easier to get a good value conference from a, like a, a small organization that is really dedicated to the, um, topic of the, of the conference. So as part of the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast, Rosemary, the YouTube ci, these little gold plaques. So this is actually, this is your first gold plaque, but you have two [00:27:00] silver plaques also. ’cause engineering with Rosie reached a 100,000 subscribers. Uh, the uptime also reached a hundred thousand subscribers a while ago, but we reached 1 million. This is the first time I, we’ve been in person, but I could actually hand you this award. So congratulations Zi. Very, very well done. Thank you. This is treasured and, um. Yeah, added in. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before, so I’m bit overwhelmed. I, I’m interested to know, we got that Wheel of Fortune footage from, ’cause I thought that was lost. Lost forever. It’s over. It’s on YouTube. Sadly. It is. It’s 24. All the episodes Rosemary competed in the Wheel of Fortune. She was on four times. Six times. Six times. Sorry. There’s only four available on the internet. You may have white scrub tube. I wanna massaging Lazy Boy. Is that your husband? He made me get rid of it. He is like, that thing is hideous. And [00:28:00] it was, yeah. Thank, thank you so much. And I mean, yeah, this is the, the uptime wind energy. Um. Yeah, podcast achievement. It’s, um, it’s crazy how, how popular that, um, it’s in insanely popular since we crossed the 1 million mark that was a while ago. We’re up to 1.6 million right now. We’ll cross 2 million this year. I know it’s, it’s clear Claire’s reason. It mostly clear and it honestly is. Uh, but wind energy is a big part of the energy future, and as I’m realizing now, uh, when you start to reach out to people, you realize how important it is for the planet and for individual countries that wind energy is part of their electricity grid. So the, the information we exchange here this week is very valuable and reach out to others. I think that’s part of this wind industry and Matthew’s pointed out many times, is that we share. So unlike other places, uh. Wind energy likes to work together. And that’s great to hear and it’s great to participate in. So I wanna thank everybody here for attending, uh, this conference. Thank you to all the sponsors. Uh, you [00:29:00] made this thing possible. Uh, as Matthew has pointed out, we’ll be at WMA 2027. The website is live. So, uh, listen to Rosie. Please register now. Uh, and uh, yeah. Thank you so much for, for being with us. And we’ll see you in February right here. Thank you.

To start the hour we have the Chump Line, then callers let Howie know why they left the liberal state that they left for red states.  Visit the Howie Carr Radio Network website to access columns, podcasts, and other exclusive content.

A major fight is brewing over who has the right to regulate prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket. In a brief in a Nevada court case, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission argued it should regulate prediction markets, but states say the platforms should follow state gambling laws. Later in the episode, we unpack departure plans for the European Central Bank's president and hear why geopolitics are making Sweden rethink its decision to not adopt the euro.

A major fight is brewing over who has the right to regulate prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket. In a brief in a Nevada court case, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission argued it should regulate prediction markets, but states say the platforms should follow state gambling laws. Later in the episode, we unpack departure plans for the European Central Bank's president and hear why geopolitics are making Sweden rethink its decision to not adopt the euro.

Youtube Video Version: youtube.com/watch?v=epbUWbyg8t8&feature=youtu.be $27 a month, unlimited data, 100+ countries = pangia pass Use my link for 10% off: https://pangiapass.com/a/bold Find Me Here: https://linktr.ee/bold.perceptions Travel / Lifestyle Consultation, DM Me On Instagram: bold_perceptions Subscribe to win a free flight.... when I hit 5k subscribers I will buy a random person a one way flight to experience solo travel themselves. & I will help you plan the adventure. 1. Espresso at the bar or coffee at home? 2. North Italy or South Italy — pick a side. 3. Worst Italian bureaucracy experience in three words. 4. Aperol Spritz or Negroni? 5. The Italian phrase you use the most? 6. Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples — you can only keep one. 7. Best thing you can get in Italy for under €5? 8. Driving in Italy: thrilling or traumatizing? 9. Bidet: life-changing or still weird? 10. The food rule that took you the longest to accept? 11. Italian summers or Italian winters? 12. The thing you miss most from the States that you'd never admit out loud? 13. Gesturing with your hands now: yes or no? 14. The biggest lie you believed about Italy before you moved? 15. If you had to eat one Italian dish for the rest of your life?

With several states taking action on Convention of States this month, Rita Peters and Andrew Lusch run through the latest legislative updates for Convention of States. Then, the Wyoming Senate Judiciary Committee hears from the public on our Article V application calling for a convention to propose constitutional amendments that would impose fiscal restraints, jurisdictional constraints, and term limits on the federal government. Two legislators introduce the resolution and answer committee questions before State Director Julie Baker gives her own remarks. After some "weird" opponent testimony, including from a lobbyist with an organization that has ties to George Soros, the committee takes a vote on whether to send the legislation to the Wyoming Senate for debate. Then, Regional Director Deanna Becket joins the live broadcast to react to the results and preview next steps. 

States continue to expand their review of healthcare transactions involving private equity, real estate investment trusts, management services organizations, and other investors. Join Washington, D.C. counsel Nicole Liffrig Molife, Los Angeles counsel Yanyan Zhou, and Washington, D.C. associate Margaret Rote as they discuss how the increased level of state regulatory oversight affect health services transactions and key takeaways for investors looking to purchase healthcare companies this year.   Also check out our report: US State Regulatory Spotlight on Healthcare Transactions: Reflections From 2025   This podcast is provided as a service of Latham & Watkins LLP. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney client relationship between you and Latham & Watkins LLP, and you should not send confidential information to Latham & Watkins LLP. While we make every effort to assure that the content of this podcast is accurate, comprehensive, and current, we do not warrant or guarantee any of those things and you may not rely on this podcast as a substitute for legal research and/or consulting a qualified attorney. Listening to this podcast is not a substitute for engaging a lawyer to advise on your individual needs. Should you require legal advice on the issues covered in this podcast, please consult a qualified attorney. Under New York's Code of Professional Responsibility, portions of this communication contain attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each representation. Please direct all inquiries regarding the conduct of Latham and Watkins attorneys under New York's Disciplinary Rules to Latham & Watkins LLP, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, Phone: 1.212.906.1200

In 1947 Dave Pace spiced up America with Salsa and this turned into a 90 Billion Dollar category. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector and storyteller. I’m Stephen’s sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today’s episode, a word from our sponsor, which is, well, it’s us, but we’re highlighting ads we’ve written and produced for our clients. So here’s one of those. [ECO Office Ad] Dave Young: Welcome back to the Empire Builders Podcast. I’m Dave Young here talking to Stephen Semple. And the listeners may not know this because we only release these every week or so, right? Stephen Semple: Mh-hmm. Dave Young: But we often record them one after the other. And we just got done recording the episode about Doritos and Tostitos. And now you’re telling me that we’re going to talk about dip, Pace Salsa. Stephen Semple: Pace Salsa. Yeah. Dave Young: So the picante sauce people. Stephen Semple: Correct. Correct. Absolutely correct. Dave Young: And that’s great with Doritos. Stephen Semple: I never thought about it being with Doritos. Dave Young: Really? Stephen Semple: Tostitos, I would, but not Doritos. Dave Young: How about both? Stephen Semple: Okay. Dave Young: I say you can dip a Dorito into anything. I’m in that camp. I’m firmly in the camp that anything dippable is- Stephen Semple: You’re all-inclusive in your attitude towards Doritos and dip. Very open-minded. Here’s the thing I’m going to say. If someone has not listened to the Doritos, Tostitos story, you really should go back and listen to it before listening to this one because there’s certain things that kind of come together in terms of what’s happening in the world. Dave Young: Like chips and dip. Stephen Semple: And these stories are kind of linked even though this story starts in 1947. Well, the Doritos story starts in the late ’50s. They still have kind of a bit of a shared history. Dave Young: These stories that are on a collision course, a deathening. Stephen Semple: They are. And this story’s also not just about pace salsa, but it’s really about the origin of the salsa in the United States as a category, which is a $90 billion category. And the business was started by David Pace in 1947 in San Antonio and was sold to Campbell Soup in 1995 for $1.1 billion. Dave Young: All right. Stephen Semple: So not a bad little payday. Dave Young: Not a bad deal. Stephen Semple: Yeah. So now David Pace was from Louisiana and he moved to Texas after World War II. He had been running a small food business processing sugar substitutes, which were popular both during the war and shortly after the war with rationing because of the sugar rationing. But as rationing was coming off, what he knew is there was going to be less and less of a need for these sugar substitutes. So he was looking for a new idea. And so we have to remember, it’s 1947, food’s kind of boring in the United States. It’s not diverse. It’s bland. It’s meat and potatoes. The condiment that was used to improve food was ketchup. That was the condiment to improve food, right? And Mexican food was not really a thing. About the only thing that people knew about Mexican food, it was spicy. Here’s the part that I came across that really surprised me the most. In New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the world, and certainly the most diverse city in the United States, there was just one Mexican restaurant in the city and New York at the time. Dave Young: In the ’40s? City. Stephen Semple: In the late ’40s, ’47. Dave Young: Okay. Wow. Stephen Semple: There was only one. That was it. Now, you could get Mexican food in the South because let’s face it, 100 years previous, a lot of parts of the South were part of Mexico, right? Dave Young: That’s right. Stephen Semple: As we like to remind ourselves. So here he is in- Dave Young: Well, Tex-Mex started just spreading in. Stephen Semple: Yeah. So here he is in San Antonio. He was stationed in Texas during the war and he’d settled in San Antonio, but he had never had Mexican food because now he’s off the base living in San Antonio and he tries salsa for the first time. And he’s like, wow, this is great. And he decides he needs to bring it to the market. A couple of challenges he ran into. First is how to make it. There’s lots of recipes around. He wanted to make his own version to sell the non-Mexican, so he wanted to tone down the intense flavors. He also needed to be able to jar it so it had shelf life. Here’s one of the fun challenges he ran into. A couple of the recipes he worked with would ferment once put in a jar. Well, what happens in a jar when something ferments? Dave Young: Botulism? Stephen Semple: No, kaboom. They blow up. Dave Young: Kaboom. They blow up. Okay. Yeah. Stephen Semple: So exploding jars, exploding jars of salsas, not really the objective. Dave Young: That’s never a good look either. Stephen Semple: Not really. But he gets it figured out and he brands it as Pace Picante Sauce. So it was first of all, promote it as a sauce, not a dip. And he starts selling it locally. He advertises it in the newspapers, but again, not as a dip as a sauce, like a marinade, something you brush on meat before baking. That was how it was being positioned. Dave Young: Well, it’s still, that’s the label on the jar is Pace Picante Sauce. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: I’ve always wondered about that. He did that so he didn’t have to… Well, go ahead. Stephen Semple: But that was just kind of how he thought about it. And so for over a decade, he works on building up a following in Texas. It was building slowly. He liked spicy food, but most people didn’t, because even though he took the spice down, it was still spicy. Now he hires his son-in-law, Kit Goldsbury, and Kit hates spicy food, like can’t stand it, but still thinks he can sell it. And Kit starts at the bottom working every job and works his way up. And there’s a point where Kit becomes more senior. And Pace is now in five states and is making some money. They’re having some success. Dave Young: Good. Stephen Semple: But Kit’s goal is he wants us to become coast to coast. He wants to turn this into a big thing. But here’s what he notices. It’s too hot for northerners, but northerners want flavor because they’re eating Doritos. They’re eating nacho Doritos and cheese Doritos. They’re eating those things. So it’s not like they don’t want flavor. They just don’t want the heat. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: There’s a marker for something interesting, unique, and different, but to go national, he needs to mute the heat. Dave Young: Needs to call it mild. Stephen Semple: Right. And around this time, Tostitos takes off and which is being used for dipping and it’s a massive success. So he decides to lean into the dip angle because he saw what was going on with Tostitos and he said, “You know what? We need to make this as a dip, not as a sauce, but I still need to take down the heat.” So he hires tasters to try all the jalapenos out there to find out which is the one that would work the best. Here’s the problem. Taster’s results were really inconsistent. He goes, “Okay, so I’ve still got to solve this heat problem.” So he hires a food scientist to engineer a heat-free jalapeno. Dr. Rasplicka, I think is how you pronounce his name, who basically created this measurement system for capsaicin, which is about how hot it is. And from this, they were able to figure out how to remove the heat because they were able to identify each one, able to identify the source of it and create this non-heat version of salsa. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: Now, you jump the gun on it a little bit, as you often do. So remember, while Americans didn’t want heat, they wanted something interesting. So of course they didn’t call it bland. What did they call it? Dave Young: Stay tuned. We’re going to wrap up this story and tell you how to apply this lesson to your business right after this. [Using Stories To Sell Ad] Dave Young: Let’s pick up our story where we left off and trust me you haven’t missed a thing. Stephen Semple: Well, Americans didn’t want heat. They wanted something interesting. So of course they didn’t call it bland. What did they call it? Dave Young: Mild. Well, they’ve got the three. They’ve got mild, medium, and hot. Stephen Semple: Right. And that’s exactly what they did. They had the other spice levels, but they didn’t go with bland. They went with mild. Dave Young: Yeah, yeah, yeah. This the Goldilocks rule, right? Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: Wow. Stephen Semple: And so therefore, and with mild, everyone can enjoy it. And then of course they offered the other spice levels and they market it as a dip. Very quickly, sales went from $3 million to over $50 million. Dave Young: I can imagine. Stephen Semple: So successful, supermarkets started placing salsa in the chip aisle because it was not in the chip aisle previously. In 1991, salsa passes ketchup as the number one condiment in the United States. Dave Young: Not till ’91. Stephen Semple: Not till ’91. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: 1995, Campbell’s buys the business for over a billion dollars. Dave Young: All right. Stephen Semple: Now, I forget what year it was. I think it was ’92, but anyway, early ’90s, Campbell’s actually created a Heinz Salsa. Dave Young: Really? Stephen Semple: Yes. And it failed miserably. Dave Young: Sure. Stephen Semple: But if you think about it, we often bump in these situations where companies do these line extensions, right? Where it’s like, “Well, why not? It’s tomato. It’s a condiment. It’s all this other thing. We can do a Heinz Salsa.” Why wouldn’t a Heinz Salsa work? People love Heinz ketchup. They’ll love Heinz Salsa.” It bombed. It totally bombed. Like bombs so much to the degree that it only existed for about three years and they went, “You know what? Instead, we’ll spend $1.1 billion buying a competitor rather than trying to develop our own.” Dave Young: Heinz is what it is and you know what you’re getting. Stephen Semple: But how often do we see that whole line extension happen and it fails? Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Right? Like Gerber’s wanting to make adult food. Dave Young: No. Stephen Semple: Doesn’t work. Heinz making salsa. Dave Young: Make adult food and call it something else. Stephen Semple: Coke understood this when they went into the energy drink market because it was not Coke energy drink. They knew that would fail. Coke understood that. They were like, “No, no. Coke’s a pop. It’s a soft drink. It’s not an energy drink. We’re going to have to do something completely different.” But it’s amazing how often businesses will make that mistake of, “Oh, well, we do this thing. Let’s also market ourselves this thing and do this line extension.” And it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work. Dave Young: I think there are just invisible boundaries that if you don’t know them and you try to cross them. And in this case, it’s the style of food, right? Heinz goes on certain things, but it doesn’t go on Mexican food. You don’t dump ketchup on Mexican food. You don’t dump mustard on Mexican food. And Heinz makes ketchup and mustard and relish. Stephen Semple: And pickles. Dave Young: Pickles and all of those things, but they’re definitely not things that you put on Mexican food. Stephen Semple: It’s interesting. I was having this conversation with Michael Torbet, one of our partners, because we’re dealing with a situation with a client, an existing client where we’re struggling with getting them to think about not doing a line extension. And I was sharing with him this whole story of Heinz and we were talking about Gerber and a bunch of other companies that tried to do line extension and have failed. And we got talking about ketchup. And I was saying to him, “Well, I think the reason why it didn’t work because ketchup is something that you put on hamburgers.” But I like how you put it. It’s not specifically about hamburgers, but the foods that you put ketchup on, because again, Heinz is successful in pickles and they’re successful in mustard, but there’s foods where pickles, mustard, and ketchup go together. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: And none of those foods does salsa go on it. It’s a different food category that salsa goes on. So you could make salsa and you could probably make cheese and that would actually work. Where you think about it, ketchup and salsa from a manufacturing standpoint are closer than salsa and cheese. Dave Young: Yeah. Those are weird associations. Stephen Semple: In fact, those companies do make cheese. They make cheese with a little bit of jalapeno. Dave Young: Yeah, absolutely. They’re right there next to the picante sauce. Stephen Semple: But I loved how you expressed it, hidden barriers, but they exist. And if you cross those barriers, it doesn’t work. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Very cool. I didn’t think about them as being hidden barriers. That’s an amazing observation. Dave Young: Like Rolex should never make a phone. Stephen Semple: Right. Dave Young: Right? Well, phones keep times like, yeah, but that’s not right. Anyway, that’s just an example. There’s just lanes. Stephen Semple: Right. But there’s a couple of luxury watch brands that tried to dip their toe into the smartwatch market and it didn’t work. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: And Rolex was not one of them, but I can’t remember who did, but they did and it failed terribly, failed terribly. Part of the appeal to a Rolex is the handmade and craftsmanship and all this other stuff. Dave Young: Well, and I don’t know. I have an Apple Watch and I have an Apple Watch not so much so I can tell time, but so it can do some other things for me. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: It can notify me. I use the timer function all the time and I could just carry a stopwatch around my neck or some kind of timer. But I also noticed that Apple sells, you can buy really fancy, upgraded, shiny, gold, sparkly, diamond encrusted versions of Apple Watch cases. The thing still does the same thing, but I don’t know how popular that stuff is. I’m guessing it’s pretty niche. Stephen Semple: I’m going to guess it probably is. And again, it’s not a line extension. It’s an add-on to an Apple Watch. It’s not a different watch. It’s an add-on. Dave Young: I think the guy that’s buying a Patek Philippe… I don’t know. Stephen Semple: Philippe Patek? Yeah. Dave Young: Or even a Rolex. Stephen Semple: Were you? Yeah. Dave Young: You’re not buying it for the same reason you’re buying an Apple Watch of any sort. And you’re not going to be fooled by the glitz and glam of the accoutrement on an Apple Watch into thinking that you’re buying a fancy watch. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: It’s still an Apple Watch. Stephen Semple: It’s still an Apple Watch. Yeah. It’s a different thing. Dave Young: Interesting. Yeah. Stephen Semple: Anyway. Dave Young: That’s a fascinating subject to just these invisible barriers. Stephen Semple: In a great book that covers this a little bit is the 22 by… Is it Al Ries and somebody? Dave Young: Trout and Ries, 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. Stephen Semple: Yeah. And one of the laws that they go through is basically don’t do line extension. And they’ve got some great stories in that book around it. And anybody interested in branding, it’s a great… I have it on my desk and it’s a bible I refer to because those 22 laws, yeah, they are like you break them at your peril. With all of Heinz power, it couldn’t extend that and instead gave up and spent a billion dollars buying a competitor. Dave Young: And probably didn’t rename it Heinz. Stephen Semple: They did not. They kept it as Pace. Yeah. Dave Young: And they learned their lesson. Stephen Semple: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Dave Young: We’ve spent this time talking about Pace and just before this recording, we talked about Doritos, Tostitos. I’m getting kind of hungry. Are you getting hungry? Stephen Semple: Yeah. And of course we also talked a little bit about Taco Bell. Dave Young: Yeah. Yeah. Stephen Semple: As a sidebar. Yeah. A lot of food conversation here late in the afternoon. Dave Young: If people hear my tummy grumbling in the microphone, you know what’s going on. If we weren’t in different cities on the same continent, I’d suggest we go out and grab a bite somewhere, Stephen, but we’ll have to do that another time. Stephen Semple: We’ll have to do that another time. Exactly. Dave Young: I’ll bring the dip, you bring the chips. Stephen Semple: All right, you’re on. Dave Young: Thanks for bringing us the Pace story. Stephen Semple: All right. Thanks, David. Dave Young: Thanks for listening to the podcast. Please share us, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave us a big, fat, juicy five star rating and review at Apple Podcasts. And if you’d like to schedule your own 90-minute empire building session, you can do it at empirebuildingprogram.com.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse predicts an 80% chance the CLARITY Act will clear Congress by the end of April, marking a potential turning point for U.S. crypto regulation. ~This episode is sponsored by Tangem~Tangem ➜ https://bit.ly/TangemPBNUse Code: "PBN" for Additional Discounts!Guest: Miller Whitehouse-Levine - Founder & CEO of Solana Policy InstituteSolana Policy Institute website ➜ https://www.solanapolicyinstitute.org/00:00 Intro00:10 Sponsor: Tangem00:50 Bernie Moreno defends Stablecoin Yields03:10 CLARITY Act Odds skyrockets04:50 Will Trump publicly back stablecoin yields?05:50 Another bank vs crypto meeting07:00 Banks pretending to compromise?08:30 March 1st10:00 DeFi affected if banks win on banning yields?12:00 Synthetic tokens on solana forced to KYC?15:30 Will SEC target Pre-stocks?18:45 States attempt to ban prediction markets?20:15 What matters will pertain to Solana?22:30 Credit card routing24:40 LIGHTNING ROUND#Crypto #Solana #Ethereum~CLARITY Act Odds Skyrocket!

Ever think of packing up and leaving? Let's face it, many of us have. With all the crazy happening in our country, from gun violence to a lack of affordable housing and healthcare, not to mention an education system that has been sub par, many have dreamed of packing up the kids and getting out of dodge. And that's just what our guest did. Meet David Schnurman, successful entrepreneur and author, "Eleven Suitcases: How Moving Abroad Changed A Family Forever," who says moving was the best thing he and his family ever did. Overwhelmed by the grind of raising three young kids in NY, David, the founder and CEO of Lawline, and his wife, Kelli, made a decision in 2019 while sitting at their kitchen table to pack up and move to Barcelona. What followed was a life of unplanned adventure, from treks in Morocco to mountain escapes in Spain. However, there were multiple challenges, like the lockdown, among others. But what unfolded changed their family forever - in unexpected ways. Now back in the States with his family and their eleven suitcases, David talks about their experiences and how it transformed them. Please find my full interview with #DavidSchnurman on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE. @davidschnurman #elevensuitcases #author #DavidSchnurman

Have a client that wants to switch Med Supp plans? If they live in a Med Supp birthday rule state, it might be easier than you think! Learn more about the states and their rules in this ASG Podcast episode.   Read the text version  

Make your salt circle now because tonight's episode WILL haunt you! Keep it spooky and enjoy.Season 20 Episode 33 of Monsters Among Us Podcast, true paranormal stories of ghosts, cryptids, UFOs and more, told by the witnesses themselves.SHOW NOTES: Support the show! Get ad-free, extended & bonus episodes (and more) on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/monstersamonguspodcastSupport Our Sponsors - https://www.monstersamonguspodcast.com/sponsorsMAU Merch Shop - https://www.monstersamonguspodcast.com/shopMAU Discord - https://discord.gg/2EaBq7f9JQWatch FREE - Shadows in the Desert: High Strangeness in the Borrego Triangle  - https://www.borregotriangle.com/Monsters Among Us Junior on Apple Podcasts  - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/monsters-among-us-junior/id1764989478Monsters Among Us Junior on Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/show/1bh5mWa4lDSqeMMX1mYxDZ?si=9ec6f4f74d61498bGallup Poll on the paranormal - https://news.gallup.com/poll/692738/paranormal-phenomena-met-skepticism.aspxMost haunted States - https://www.marthastewart.com/7994740/most-haunted-states-paranormal-sightingsMusic from tonight's episode:Music by Iron Cthulhu Apocalypse - https://www.youtube.com/c/IronCthulhuApocalypseCO.AG Music - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcavSftXHgxLBWwLDm_bNvAMusic By Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - https://www.youtube.com/@WhiteBatAudioWhite Bat Audio Songs:10 to MidnightSomewhere in TimeHeathers

Let's talk about 7 states, 40 million people, and water supplies from the Colorado River....

The boys are back for another round of the "Weird News Guessing Game!" In this episode of the Working Perspectives Podcast, Matt, Bern, and Liam bring three bizarre stories from around the globe to the table. The catch? They've redacted key details, and the other hosts have just 4 minutes to guess the missing facts. In this Episode: Liam's World Tour: Liam challenges the guys to guess the Top 10 countries with the "largest assets" (on average). You won't believe which countries make the list! Bern's Culinary Map: Bern tests our knowledge of American cuisine. Can Matt and Liam name the Top 10 U.S. States with the absolute best Italian food? (Expect some arguments on this one!) Matt's Bizarre Crime: Matt brings the wildest story of the night—a news report about an adult arrested for… let's just say, "inappropriate relations" with a household appliance. The guys have to guess the age, gender, location, and which appliance was involved. Who will conquer the clock and who is completely out of touch? Tune in to find out! Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:30 - Liam's Global Statistics Challenge 15:00 - Bern's Top 10 Italian Food States 30:00 - Matt's "Appliance" Crime Story 45:00 - Outro #WorkingPerspectives #ComedyPodcast #weirdnews @Bill-v9n5w @TheMexicanU.S.Marine @geniusWithin85 @Gregory-z2k

In this episode, we cover the major consolidation in ocean shipping as Hapag-Lloyd agrees to⁠ acquire ZIM Integrated Shipping Services⁠ in a deal valued at $4.2 billion. This acquisition includes the creation of a new entity to manage security-critical vessels and is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. We also discuss the growing political opposition to the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. A coalition of attorneys general is calling on the Department of Justice⁠ to intervene in the deal⁠, arguing that the creation of a rail behemoth will harm competition and drive up costs. Finally, we look at new federal legislation that aims to bring relief to truckers by⁠ capping state fuel taxes⁠ at 50 cents per gallon. States like California and Pennsylvania that do not comply could face significant cuts to their federal highway funding if the bill passes. ⁠Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NEWS: Earlier today, the South Dakota House of Representatives voted on a move by Representative Brian Mulder to reconsider Convention of States, what is referred to in the legislature as a "Smokeout." Constitutional attorney Rita Peters reacts to the footage and previews what's next.

Legislatures are in session across the Midwest. Journalists covering statehouses in six states — Nebraska, Wisconsin and Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota and South Dakota — discuss many hot button issues in these states, including voter initiative battles, opposition to energy-hungry data centers, abortion access, property taxes, eminent domain and more.

Explore how community property laws shape IRAs, 401(k)s, beneficiary designations, and spousal rights in retirement account estate planning. The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, ACTEC, is a professional society of peer-elected trust and estate lawyers in the United States and around the globe. This series offers professionals best practice advice, insights, and commentary on subjects that affect the profession and clients. Learn more in this podcast.

*Notice* Podcasting will be on Monday And Tuesday From now on. I have to do what works for me. Thank you for understanding.Thank you for all for the blessings

The Gi crew return to talk about the February 2026 Sony State of Play, Highguard & 2XKO layoffs, PS5 rental service, the FEDS trying to control gaming and more!

This week, Jason Bassler, Matt Agorist, and Don Via, Jr. welcomed Dave Benner to the podcast. Dave is a historian, author, and contributor to platforms like The Tenth Amendment Center, the Mises Institute, and the Abbeville Institute. He has penned essential books such as Thomas Paine: A Lifetime of Radicalism, Compact of the Republic: The League of States and the Constitution, and The 14th Amendment and the Incorporation Doctrine. A staunch advocate of Jeffersonian principles, Dave is an outspoken critic of centralized authority and federal overreach, offering an insightful historical lens to today's most pressing issues. The conversation begins by examining the current administration's increasingly aggressive posture toward Iran, which Dave argues is bringing the U.S. closer to the brink of a hot war. This leads into a deep dive regarding the curious rebranding of Jeffrey Epstein as a Russian intelligence asset. Dave provides a brilliant analysis of why the "Russia" label is being used as a desperate limited hangout to protect the domestic and allied intelligence agencies that actually facilitated Epstein's operation. We clarify that critiquing the state's narrative doesn't make one a friend to foreign criminals like Putin, but rather highlights how the establishment uses foreign boogeymen to shield itself from a true domestic reckoning. The episode then shifts gears to the absolute "clown show" in D.C. involving Pam Bondi and the Epstein files. We discuss how Thomas Massie caught the DOJ red-handed redacting the names of powerful co-conspirators like Les Wexner while simultaneously leaking the private information of victims. Bondi's dismissive claims of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" serve as a perfect example of using partisan loyalty as a human shield to block accountability for a pedophile ring. We also touch on the case of Nancy Guthrie, which served as a massive media distraction while exposing a terrifying surveillance reality: the FBI's admission of pulling data from disconnected, unsubscribed cameras. Finally, we look at the role of Palantir and the elite's view of the public, before Dave offers a powerful "White Pill" by grounding our current struggle in the historical importance of decentralization and the path for individuals to reclaim their sovereignty. (Length: 1:04:49) Click Here to Support TFTP. Dave on Twitter: https://x.com/dbenner83 Dave's Liberty Vault on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Liberty-Vault

The Gi crew return to talk about the February 2026 Sony State of Play, Highguard & 2XKO layoffs, PS5 rental service, the FEDS trying to control gaming and more!

Post-Soviet Graffiti: Free Speech in Authoritarian States (University of Toronto Press, 2025) is an empirically grounded ethnographic study of how graffiti and street art can be used as a political tool to circumvent censorship, express grievances, and control public discourse, particularly in authoritarian states. For more than a decade, Dr. Alexis M. Lerner combed the alleyways, underpasses, and public squares of cities once under communist rule, from Berlin in the west to Vladivostok in the east, recording thousands of cases of critical and satirical political street art and cataloging these artworks linguistically and thematically across space and time. Complemented by first-hand interviews with leading artists, activists, and politicians from across the region, Post-Soviet Graffiti provides theoretical reflection on public space as a site for political action, a semiotic reading of signs and symbols, and street art as a form of text. The book answers the question of how we conceptualize avenues of dissent under authoritarian rule by showing how contemporary graffiti functions not only as a popular public aesthetic, but also as a mouthpiece of political sentiment, especially within the post-Soviet region and post-communist Europe. A purposefully anonymous and accessible artform, graffiti is an effective tool for circumventing censorship and expressing political views. This is especially true for marginalized populations and for those living in otherwise closed and censored states. Post-Soviet Graffiti reveals that graffiti does not exist in a vacuum; rather, it can be read as a narrative about a place, the people who live there, and the things that matter to them. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. 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

For this week's episode, Mark Meckler is handing the reins of The BattleCry over to Convention of States Co-Founder Michael Farris, J.D. Local Convention of States supporters rallied in Columbus, Ohio, inspired with talks by state legislators and local leaders before Farris takes the podium to deliver the case for COS like only he can. This event occurred October 2025.

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson kick off a Presidents' Day episode from the Hendrickson Library with a quick reset on the show's running trivia thread—last week's question on FDR's failed 1937 “court-packing” push—and a new prompt for listeners: who was Abraham Lincoln's political hero? They also trade a few studio-quality-of-life notes (and Chris's ongoing desire for better signage) before moving into the day's agenda.The conversation takes a detour into culture and Americana with news that Robert Duvall has passed away at age 95. John and Chris swap favorite Duvall roles and recommendations, landing on Open Range and Secondhand Lions as must-watches, with a few quick nods to The Godfather, MASH, Days of Thunder, and Gone in 60 Seconds.From there, they pivot into Iowa policy: the annual TIF (tax increment financing) report is out, and they walk through the basic mechanics of TIF—borrowing against projected future property-tax increments—while highlighting why the “free lunch” argument often collapses in practice. The top-line number that grabs attention: roughly $4.7B in TIF-related debt statewide, paired with concerns about permissive rules and the extent to which incentives become direct developer subsidies rather than targeted remediation or infrastructure.Finally, John previews his research on property-tax reform efforts nationwide, arguing Iowa isn't an outlier and that caps/limits are being explored even in places you wouldn't expect (often driven by education-cost pressure). They contrast true reform (reducing the growth of government costs so taxpayers actually pay less) with “shell game” approaches that simply swap one revenue source for another. The episode closes with a broader warning about high-tax states pursuing new levies (including wealth-tax proposals) and why Iowa's competitiveness hinges on resisting the spending trajectory that creates those shortfalls.0:00 Intro + Presidents' Day open1:44 Trivia recap + Lincoln question3:00 Robert Duvall segment5:29 TIF report reset + definition13:43 Property-tax caps spreading nationwide19:21 Why tax swaps fail without spending restraint22:15 “Seat at the table” + taxpayer focus29:28 States raising taxes + why it matters for Iowa32:34 Closing

Post-Soviet Graffiti: Free Speech in Authoritarian States (University of Toronto Press, 2025) is an empirically grounded ethnographic study of how graffiti and street art can be used as a political tool to circumvent censorship, express grievances, and control public discourse, particularly in authoritarian states. For more than a decade, Dr. Alexis M. Lerner combed the alleyways, underpasses, and public squares of cities once under communist rule, from Berlin in the west to Vladivostok in the east, recording thousands of cases of critical and satirical political street art and cataloging these artworks linguistically and thematically across space and time. Complemented by first-hand interviews with leading artists, activists, and politicians from across the region, Post-Soviet Graffiti provides theoretical reflection on public space as a site for political action, a semiotic reading of signs and symbols, and street art as a form of text. The book answers the question of how we conceptualize avenues of dissent under authoritarian rule by showing how contemporary graffiti functions not only as a popular public aesthetic, but also as a mouthpiece of political sentiment, especially within the post-Soviet region and post-communist Europe. A purposefully anonymous and accessible artform, graffiti is an effective tool for circumventing censorship and expressing political views. This is especially true for marginalized populations and for those living in otherwise closed and censored states. Post-Soviet Graffiti reveals that graffiti does not exist in a vacuum; rather, it can be read as a narrative about a place, the people who live there, and the things that matter to them. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Bienvenue à Indianapolis !! La ville du sport automobileEt d'une course légendaire : les "500 miles"Sur le circuit, les voitures foncent à 300 km/hDans le stade, les fans font "YEAAAAAAAAAH"Capacité du stade : 400 000 spectateurs. 5 fois le Stade de France. Une folie.Si vous n'aimez pas la course automobile, pas de soucis.Pour le foot US, vous avez les Colts.Pour le basket, vous avez les Pacers.Dans cet épisode, on parlera aussi business, soins capillaires et "American Dream" au fémininPréparez-vous à croiser Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, des arbres, des autoroutes, la Lune, Oprah Winfrey et Rihanna.Pour en savoir plus, une seule adresse, Le podcast Fifty States !Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

X: @GarrettInExile @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk Join America's Roundtable radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with the Honorable Thomas Garrett, Jr., member of the Commonwealth of Virginia's House of Delegates and former US Congressman. The conversation will focus on the state of America's economy, Trump's economic reforms, US-Iran Talks, America's ties with Israel, Virginia's radical changes with major tax hikes and sweeping gun control legislation and a new redistricting initiative which may leave Virginia's Congressional delegation with a 10-1 in favor of Democrats rather than the current 6-5 Republican edge. This could pose challenges in the mid-term elections.a leading attorney, currently serving as a legislator in the Commonwealth of Virginia, former Assistant Attorney General and former U.S. Congressman. The Washington Post's Editorial Board: "Brass-knuckled hypocrisy in Virginia" Quote: _The self-styled democracy party isn't behaving democratically. Democrats in Richmond are trying to effectively disenfranchise millions of Virginians by redrawing congressional maps to give themselves 10 of the commonwealth's 11 House seats — giving Democrats control of 91 percent of House seats in a state where Republicans lost the last presidential election by just six points. Most know better, including the governor. Abigail Spanberger was among the two-thirds of Virginians who voted in 2020 to transfer once-a-decade redistricting from the legislature to a bipartisan commission. “Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy,” she said back then. On Friday, Spanberger signed a bill to schedule an April 21 referendum that would move it back. The governor said it was necessary “to let voters respond to extreme measures taken by other states.”_ Bio | Tom Garrett Virginia Delegate Tom Garrett earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond. After the University of Richmond, Tom Garrett became an artillery officer in the United States Army. Achieving the rank of Captain, Tom led soldiers overseas—most notably while deployed in Bosnia. Upon returning to the States, Tom earned his J.D. from the University of Richmond and quickly became an Assistant Attorney General for Virginia. In 2016, Tom was elected to represent Virginia's 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Tom won that election with the most votes ever in the 5th Congressional District. While in Congress, Tom served on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Homeland Security Committee, Education and Workforce Committee and was a member of the Freedom Caucus. An expert on Iran and the Middle East, Tom Garrett's analysis and insights are enlightening as America's foreign policy and national security concerns are focused on a strategic region adversely impacted by Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism. In the years since, Tom Garrett has dedicated his life to fighting for the oppressed and forgotten not only here in America, but around the world. Tom has been working on a global docu-series project, Exile, which tells the untold stories of those who are persecuted based on their faith or ethnicity. In addition to continuing his work as a defense attorney, Tom has served as a consultant and most recently, cofounder for firms working in global energy development. americasrt.com https://summitleadersusa.com/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @GarrettInExile @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable radio program focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 68 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Tune into WTON in Central Virginia on Sunday mornings at 6:00 A.M. (ET). Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

Post-Soviet Graffiti: Free Speech in Authoritarian States (University of Toronto Press, 2025) is an empirically grounded ethnographic study of how graffiti and street art can be used as a political tool to circumvent censorship, express grievances, and control public discourse, particularly in authoritarian states. For more than a decade, Dr. Alexis M. Lerner combed the alleyways, underpasses, and public squares of cities once under communist rule, from Berlin in the west to Vladivostok in the east, recording thousands of cases of critical and satirical political street art and cataloging these artworks linguistically and thematically across space and time. Complemented by first-hand interviews with leading artists, activists, and politicians from across the region, Post-Soviet Graffiti provides theoretical reflection on public space as a site for political action, a semiotic reading of signs and symbols, and street art as a form of text. The book answers the question of how we conceptualize avenues of dissent under authoritarian rule by showing how contemporary graffiti functions not only as a popular public aesthetic, but also as a mouthpiece of political sentiment, especially within the post-Soviet region and post-communist Europe. A purposefully anonymous and accessible artform, graffiti is an effective tool for circumventing censorship and expressing political views. This is especially true for marginalized populations and for those living in otherwise closed and censored states. Post-Soviet Graffiti reveals that graffiti does not exist in a vacuum; rather, it can be read as a narrative about a place, the people who live there, and the things that matter to them. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

Post-Soviet Graffiti: Free Speech in Authoritarian States (University of Toronto Press, 2025) is an empirically grounded ethnographic study of how graffiti and street art can be used as a political tool to circumvent censorship, express grievances, and control public discourse, particularly in authoritarian states. For more than a decade, Dr. Alexis M. Lerner combed the alleyways, underpasses, and public squares of cities once under communist rule, from Berlin in the west to Vladivostok in the east, recording thousands of cases of critical and satirical political street art and cataloging these artworks linguistically and thematically across space and time. Complemented by first-hand interviews with leading artists, activists, and politicians from across the region, Post-Soviet Graffiti provides theoretical reflection on public space as a site for political action, a semiotic reading of signs and symbols, and street art as a form of text. The book answers the question of how we conceptualize avenues of dissent under authoritarian rule by showing how contemporary graffiti functions not only as a popular public aesthetic, but also as a mouthpiece of political sentiment, especially within the post-Soviet region and post-communist Europe. A purposefully anonymous and accessible artform, graffiti is an effective tool for circumventing censorship and expressing political views. This is especially true for marginalized populations and for those living in otherwise closed and censored states. Post-Soviet Graffiti reveals that graffiti does not exist in a vacuum; rather, it can be read as a narrative about a place, the people who live there, and the things that matter to them. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

*Notice* Podcasting will be on Monday And Tuesday From now on. I have to do what works for me. Thank you for understanding.Thank you for all for the blessings

Let's talk about the Red States telling Trump ‘no' when it comes to federalizing the elections....

Truth Be Told with Booker Scott – The SAVE Act seeks a simple promise. Show proof of citizenship when you register for a federal ballot. Show a photo ID when you cast that ballot. Most Americans want this. That matters. This is not a partisan attack. It is common sense. States already require similar steps for driver's licenses and other transactions. For almost 20 states, the federal baseline would matter...

Will the lowering returns on violence along with digital wealth storage lead to an exodus?In Episode #514 of ' Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: The Sovereign Individual book (1997) highly recommended by Bitcoiners, early chapters bogged in Y2K angst versus strikingly prescient calls on digital money, decentralised media and the emerging cyber economy, how portable digital wealth might change the return on violence, what sovereignty means when nation-states still control critical infrastructure, historical arcs the book frames well (church cohesion and bloat, the rise of nation-states, industrial-era labour leverage) and where its predictions remain wavy, why megapolitics is way more interesting than regular politics and whether we will eventually see the demise of the nation state. No boostagrams or support for this week, the beanie remains off!Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:12) Why this book is famous in Bitcoin circles(00:03:21) A shaky start: Y2K anxiety and dated worries(00:07:24) Did they really predict Bitcoin? Tech hits and misses(00:11:14) Core thesis: becoming sovereign and limits of the nation state(00:13:32) What the book mostly covers: history and the rise of states(00:16:05) Have nation states fractured? Power, wealth, and timelines(00:18:39) Tech predictions vs social change: flying cars to hoverboards(00:22:45) Numbers vs life: the underestimated intangibles of place(00:25:01) Mobility is hard: visas, citizenship, and places that want you(00:28:58) Libertarian reactions and margin notes in the library copy(00:35:03) Evolution, brutality, and who loses in a sovereign-first world(00:39:41) Public goods dilemma: bins, buses, roads, and who pays(00:41:07) Free market hopes vs missing pure libertarian examples(00:45:15) Effective vs efficient government and outsourcing to markets(00:50:50) Boostagram Lounge and live chat banter (skating and humour)(00:53:02) Key idea 1: Returns on violence across societal stages(00:56:54) Key idea 2: The churchs early positive role and later bloat(01:00:48) From fiefdoms to nation states: merchants, money, and armies(01:05:09) Tech stacks of state power: cannonballs, printing presses, ledgers(01:10:14) Can states still crush you? Blacklists, access, and workarounds(01:17:12) Anonymity needs crowds: mixing, privacy coins, and cash claims(01:20:19) Verdict on portability: harder to police digital than physical(01:25:59) The Jenga tower of ideas: keeping what sticks(01:27:55) New vocabulary: Megapolitical and thinking above politics(01:31:14) Final thoughts, sign-off, and when to listen live Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's been an unusually warm and dry winter across the west, and that's bad news for the seven states and 40 million people that rely on water from the Colorado River. The water flowing into the river from snowmelt and rain is dwindling, partly because of climate change. The basin's two major reservoirs are at historic lows, and without a sudden influx of snowstorms, streamflow forecasts for the coming year aren't looking good. That adds stress to an already drought-stricken region where negotiations on how to share the river's water in the future are tense and stalled out.  “We're at a point where we have to make some serious long-term adjustment of expectations. In other words, people need to agree to take a lot less water than they've been counting on. And that is always really hard when water is scarce,” says Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. The federal government has given states a deadline of Feb. 14th to reach an agreement, after which the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner could divvy up the water between states as it deems fit. It's already released its draft environmental impact statement with possible alternatives. What's led to this point of crisis? What is keeping states from reaching agreement? And what will the cities, farmers and industries that depend on the river do as climate change leads to a lower volume of water in an increasingly hotter and drier future?   Episode Guests: Sarah Porter, Director, Kyl Center for Water Policy, Arizona State University For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/podcasts ********** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne.  Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A dive bar in Philly just raised its age limit to 25 after college kids rolled in with fake IDs so advanced they passed scanners… including one absolute legend who used Benjamin Franklin as his photo and listed his address as the Liberty Bell. This is why we can't have nice things. On today's funny show, the Rizz and the gang relive their own fake ID disasters (yes, Sri Lankan licenses were involved), and debate whether that kid is a criminal mastermind or the future mayor of Philadelphia.Then we shift into full-blown pop culture chaos: Miley Cyrus is already an early favorite for the next Super Bowl halftime show in LA, but would Jelly Roll, Taylor Swift, or Post Malone completely break the internet? We argue. Loudly. As usual.And because this daily comedy chaos refuses to stay in one lane, we also break down:A new “forensic report” trying to reopen the Kurt Cobain case (TikTok detectives… please sit down)Gene Simmons vs. hip-hop in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (again

Remembering James Van Der Beek; Bondi grilled by lawmakers over Epstein Files as hearing turns into shouting match; '50 States in 50 Weeks' visits California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephanie wants Brandon to admit that she's lived in 11 states, damnit, and not deny her lived experience! Brandon counters with the fact that Japan isn't a state (valid) and that living in a state for college…doesn't count? Who's right? Who's wrong?BROOKLYN! Join Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn LIVE at The Bell House for NIGHT COURT (no, not that one)! Get your tickets here: Friday, March 6, Saturday, March 7Thanks to reddit user u/mkbecker for naming this week's case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun!Follow Judge John Hodgman on:YouTube: @judgejohnhodgmanpodInstagram: @judgejohnhodgmanTikTok: @judgejohnhodgmanpodBluesky: @judgejohnhodgmanReddit: r/maximumfunPlease consider donating to Al Otro Lado. Al Otro Lado provides legal assistance and humanitarian aid to refugees, deportees, and other migrants trapped at the US-MX border. Donate at alotrolado.org/letsdosomething. Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes, discounts on our merch, and more by joining us at: maximumfun.org/join!